The influence of shop characteristics on workload control

The magic word of the last years is internationalization. Researchers more and more focus on export market information and the relationship between this information and export performance. Just a few studies take into account the impact of firm characteristics on these topics. This study shows that country-of-origin, sector and size class (both individually and simultaneously) influence both the number of information sources consulted, and the type of information provider consulted. Besides, the relationship between the amount of export market information and export sales is not straightforward, but needs to be corrected for these three firm characteristics. These conclusions have implications for governmental export promotion campaigns, for the information behaviour of SME-managers, and for the strategies of information providers.

Contrasting local and long-range-transported warm ice-nucleating particles during an atmospheric river in coastal California, USA

Ice-nucleating particles (INPs) have been found to influence the amount, phase and efficiency of precipitation from winter storms, including atmospheric rivers.Warm INPs, those that initiate freezing at temperatures warmer than -10°C, are thought to be particularly impactful because they can create primary ice in mixed-phase clouds, enhancing precipitation efficiency. The dominant sources of warm INPs during atmospheric rivers, the role of meteorology in modulating transport and injection of warm INPs into atmospheric river clouds, and the impact of warm INPs on mixed-phase cloud properties are not well-understood. In this case study, time-resolved precipitation samples were collected during an atmospheric river in northern California, USA, during winter 2016. Precipitation samples were collected at two sites, one coastal and one inland, which are separated by about 35 km. The sites are sufficiently close that air mass sources during this storm were almost identical, but the inland site was exposed to terrestrial sources of warm INPs while the coastal site was not. Warm INPs were more numerous in precipitation at the inland site by an order of magnitude. Using FLEXPART (FLEXible PARTicle dispersion model) dispersion modeling and radar-derived cloud vertical structure, we detected influence from terrestrial INP sources at the inland site but did not find clear evidence of marine warm INPs at either site.We episodically detected warm INPs from long-range-transported sources at both sites. By extending the FLEXPART modeling using a meteorological reanalysis, we demonstrate that long-range-transported warm INPs were observed only when the upper tropospheric jet provided transport to cloud tops. Using radar-derived hydrometeor classifications, we demonstrate that hydrometeors over the terrestrially influenced inland site were more likely to be in the ice phase for cloud temperatures between 0 and -10°C. We thus conclude that terrestrial and long-rangetransported aerosol were important sources of warm INPs during this atmospheric river. Meteorological details such as transport mechanism and cloud structure were important in determining (i) warm INP source and injection temperature and (ii) ultimately the impact of warm INPs on mixed-phase cloud properties

Розробка нейромережевої інтелектуальної системи для прогнозування енергетичних центрів плямових зображень у процесах профілювання лазерного променя

Здійснено розробку нейромережевої інтелектуальної системи для прогнозування енергетичних центрів (ЕЦ) плямових зображень у процесах профілювання лазерного променя (ЛП). Обґрунтовано актуальність задачі прогнозування координат ЕЦ профілю ЛП. Розглянуто методи прогнозування та обґрунтовано доцільність застосування нейромережевої моделі. Здійснено комп’ютерне моделювання системи прогнозування, а також на основі отриманих результатів сформульовано вимоги та здійснено програмну реалізацію інтелектуальної системи.Выполнено разработку нейросетевой интеллектуальной системы для прогнозирования энергетических центров (ЭЦ) пятенных зображений в процесах профилирования лазерного луча (ЛЛ). Обоснована актуальность задачи прогнозирования координат ЭЦ профиля ЛЛ. Рассмотрены методы прогнозирования и обоснована целесообразность применения нейросетевой модели. Выполнено компьютерное моделирование системы прогнозирования, а также на основе полученных результатов сформулированы требования и выполнено программную реализацию интеллектуальной системы.The development of a neural net intellectual system for energy centers (EC) spot images forecasting in the processes of laser beam profiling (LB) is done. Actuality of the problem of coordinates forecasting of EC of laser beam profile is proved. Methods of forecasting are considered and the appropriateness of usage the neural net model is justified. Computer simulation of forecasting system is carried out and also on the basis of the obtained results the requirements are formulated and software implementation of intelligent system is performed

The development of a comprehensive multidisciplinary care pathway for patients with a hip fracture:design and results of a clinical trial

Background: Hip fractures frequently occur in older persons and severely decrease life expectancy and independence. Several care pathways have been developed to lower the risk of negative outcomes but most pathways are limited to only one aspect of care. The aim of this study was therefore to develop a comprehensive care pathway for older persons with a hip fracture and to conduct a preliminary analysis of its effect. Methods: A comprehensive multidisciplinary care pathway for patients aged 60 years or older with a hip fracture was developed by a multidisciplinary team. The new care pathway was evaluated in a clinical trial with historical controls. The data of the intervention group were collected prospectively. The intervention group included all patients with a hip fracture who were admitted to University Medical Center Groningen between 1 July 2009 and 1 July 2011. The data of the control group were collected retrospectively. The control group comprised all patients with a hip fracture who were admitted between 1 January 2006 and 1 January 2008. The groups were compared with the independent sample t-test, the Mann-Whitney U-test or the Chi-squared test (Phi test). The effect of the intervention on fasting time and length of stay was adjusted by linear regression analysis for differences between the intervention and control group. Results: The intervention group included 256 persons (women, 68%; mean age (SD), 78 (9) years) and the control group 145 persons (women, 72%; mean age (SD), 80 (10) years). Median preoperative fasting time and median length of hospital stay were significantly lower in the intervention group: 9 vs. 17 hours (p <0.001), and 7 vs. 11 days (p <0.001), respectively. A similar result was found after adjustment for age, gender, living condition and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification. In-hospital mortality was also lower in the intervention group: 2% vs. 6% (p <0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in other outcome measures. Conclusions: The new comprehensive care pathway was associated with a significant decrease in preoperative fasting time and length of hospital stay

Competitive interactions moderate the effects of elevated temperature and atmospheric CO2 on the health and functioning of oysters

Global increases in sea temperatures and atmospheric concentrations of CO2 may affect the health of calcifying shellfish. Little is known, however, about how competitive inter actions within and between species may influence how species respond to multiple stressors. We experimentally assessed separate and combined effects of temperature (12 or 16°C) and atmospheric CO2 concentrations (400 and 1000 ppm) on the health and biological functioning of native (Ostrea edulis) and invasive (Crassostrea gigas) oysters held alone and in intraspecific or inter specific mixtures. We found evidence of reduced phagocytosis under elevated CO2 and, when combined with increased temperature, a reduction in the number of circulating haemocytes. Generally, C. gigas showed lower respiration rates relative to O. edulis when the species were in intraspecific or interspecific mixtures. In contrast, O. edulis showed a higher respiration rate relative to C. gigas when held in an interspecific mixture and exhibited lower clearance rates when held in intraspecific or interspecific mixtures. Overall, clearance rates of C. gigas were consistently greater than those of O. edulis. Collectively, our findings indicate that a species’ ability to adapt metabolic processes to environmental conditions can be modified by biotic context and may make some species (here, C. gigas) competitively superior and less vulnerable to future climatic scenarios at local scales. If these conclusions are generic, the relative role of species interactions, and other biotic parameters, in altering the outcomes of climate change will require much greater research emphasis