56 research outputs found
Automated mechanism design for B2B e-commerce models
Business-to-business electronic marketplaces (B2B
e-Marketplaces) have been in the limelight since 1999 with the
commercialisation of the Internet and subsequent “dot.com”
boom [1]. Literature is indicative of the growth of the B2B
sectors in all industries, and B2B e-Marketplace is one of the
sectors that have witnessed a rapid increase. Consequently, the
importance of developing the B2B e-Commerce Model for
improved value chain in B2B exchanges is extremely important
for SMEs to expose to the world marketplace. There are three
research objectives (ROs) in this study; first (RO1) to critical
review the concepts of the B2B e-Marketplace including their
technologies, operations, business relationships and
functionalities; second (RO2) to design an automated
mechanism of B2B e-Marketplace for Small to Medium Sized
Enterprises (SMEs); and third (RO3) to propose a conceptual
B2B e-Commerce model for SMEs. The proposed model is
constructed by the analytical findings obtained from the
contemporary B2B e-Marketplace literature
The role graduate quantity surveyors in the Malaysian construction industry
The quantity surveying profession has evolved since changing of clients’ need and market requirements. Today, clients not only request the traditional services but also ask for the additional services such as project management, feasibility study, construction financial practice, arbitration, quality management, conflict management and risk management in the innovative and changing construction industry. The scope of works for graduate quantity surveyors is no longer limit on measurement and the regular practices but is some things beyond this boundary. Hence, the objective of this paper is to present a critical
review on the traditional and contemporary roles of graduate quantity surveyors, the threats to graduate quantity surveyors and also the methods to improve graduate quantity surveyors’ practice. In summary, this critical review would provide insight knowledge to construction industry players for better understanding of graduate quantity surveyors’ roles
Predation scars may influence host susceptibility to pathogens: evaluating the role of corallivores as vectors of coral disease
Infectious diseases not regulated by host density, such as vector-borne diseases, have the potential to drive population declines and extinctions. Here we test the vector potential of the snail Drupella sp. and butterflyfish Chaetodon plebeius for two coral diseases, black band (BBD) and brown band (BrB) disease. Drupella transmitted BrB to healthy corals in 40% of cases immediately following feeding on infected corals, and even in 12% of cases 12 and 24 hours following feeding. However, Drupella was unable to transmit BBD in either transmission treatment. In a field experiment testing the vector potential of naturally-occurring fish assemblages, equivalent numbers of caged and uncaged coral fragments became infected with either BrB, BBD or skeletal eroding band, indicating that corallivorous fish were unlikely to have caused transmission. In aquaria, C. plebeius did not transmit either BBD or BrB, even following extended feeding on both infected and healthy nubbins. A literature review confirmed only four known coral disease vectors, all invertebrates, corroborating our conclusion that polyp-feeding fishes are unlikely to be vectors of coral diseases. This potentially because polyp-feeding fishes produce shallow lesions, not allowing pathogens to invade coral tissues. In contrast, corallivorous invertebrates that create deeper feeding scars increase pathogens transmission
Intense nonclassical light: controllable two-photon Talbot effect
We study the spatial interference pattern of two-photon correlation function for a coherently phased linear array of N emitters with a double-Raman scheme, each producing nonclassically correlated photon pairs. The N(2) dependence in the two-photon correlation serves as a coherent amplification method for producing intense nonclassical light. The spatial distribution of the correlation can be controlled by lasers, and depends on the detection configuration. For two coincident detectors, the nonclassical correlation displays the spatial Talbot pattern, but modulated by quantum interference effect. The image revival distance is found to be twice the usual Talbot length. For symmetrically located detectors (X(1) = -X(2)), the correlation displays a distorted Talbot pattern with intricate features and lack of symmetry
Selective feeding by coral reef fishes on coral lesions associated with brown band and black band disease
Recent studies have suggested that corallivorous fishes may be vectors for coral disease, but the extent to which fishes actually feed on and thereby potentially transmit coral pathogens is largely unknown. For this study, in situ video observations were used to assess the level to which fishes fed on diseased coral tissues at Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef. Surveys conducted at multiple locations around Lizard Island revealed that coral disease prevalence, especially of brown band disease (BrB), was higher in lagoon and backreef locations than in exposed reef crests. Accordingly, video cameras were deployed in lagoon and backreef habitats to record feeding by fishes during 1-h periods on diseased sections of each of 44 different coral colonies. Twenty-five species from five fish families (Blennidae, Chaetodontidae, Gobiidae, Labridae and Pomacentridae) were observed to feed on infected coral tissues of staghorn species of Acropora that were naturally infected with black band disease (BBD) or brown band disease (BrB). Collectively, these fishes took an average of 18.6 (±5.6 SE) and 14.3 (±6.1 SE) bites per hour from BBD and BrB lesions, respectively. More than 40% (408/948 bites) and nearly 25% (314/1319 bites) of bites were observed on lesions associated with BBD and BrB, respectively, despite these bands each representing only about 1% of the substratum available. Moreover, many corallivorous fishes (Labrichthys unilineatus, Chaetodon aureofasciatus, C. baronessa, C. lunulatus, C. trifascialis, Cheiloprion labiatus) selectively targeted disease lesions over adjacent healthy coral tissues. These findings highlight the important role that reef fishes may play in the dynamics of coral diseases, either as vectors for the spread of coral disease or in reducing coral disease progression through intensive and selective consumption of diseased coral tissues
New insights on the nanoparticle growth mechanism in the citrate reduction of gold(III) salt: Formation of the Au nanowire intermediate and its nonlinear optical properties
10.1021/jp068666oJournal of Physical Chemistry C111176281-628
Higher maternal plasma β-cryptoxanthin concentration is associated with better cognitive and motor development in offspring at 2 years of age
10.1007/s00394-020-02277-2European Journal of NutritionEJNUFGUSTO (Growing up towards Healthy Outcomes
Distinct BOLD variability changes in the default mode and salience networks in Alzheimer’s disease spectrum and associations with cognitive decline
10.1038/s41598-020-63540-4Scientific Reports101645
Long‐term ferrocyanide application via deicing salts promotes the establishment of Actinomycetales assimilating ferrocyanide‐derived carbon in soil
Serum concentrations and clinical effects of risperidone in schizophrenic patients in Singapore - A preliminary report [2]
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology474460-461BCPH
- …