THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF KNOWLEDGE VALIDATION OF ERP TO LOW TECH SMES

Abstract: Knowledge Validation is a challenge in Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs), as most of the available information is held in people's minds as tacit knowledge, or saved on each employees PC without sharing or common validation. This case study is based on a company in Leicester who installed an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system after two previous failed trials with different type of software. The underlying reasons for the problems were due to the distributed and tacitly held knowledge where the assumptions in one part of the company were inconsistent with other parts. The research goes through three years of ERP implementation and analyses the main problem of validating knowledge in more detail and identifies the consequences of failing to do this. It also describes the potential economic benefits for installing enterprise resource planning system in SMEs and investigates the claim of ERP vendors that their ERP solutions increase the performance of their customers, increase profitability and efficiency of work processes. It discusses the effects of ER

Durability Assessment of Sustainable Mortar by Incorporating the Combination of Solid Wastes: An Experimental Study

The excessive mining of high-quality river sand for cement sand mortar resulted in environmental impacts and ecological imbalances. The present study aims to produce sustainable mortar by combining solid waste such as desert sand, stone dust, and crumb rubber to fully replace river sand. In addition, replacing cement with silica fume helps reduce the environmental carbon footprint. The present research prepared three types of mortar mixes: natural dune sand mortar (M1), natural dune sand stone dust crumb rubber mortar (M2), and natural dune sand stone dust crumb rubber silica fume mortar (M3). The developed mortar samples were examined at ambient and elevated temperatures of 100°C, 200°C, and 300°C for 120 minutes. Furthermore, 3 cycles of 12 hours each at freezing temperature (-10° ± 2°C) and crushed ice cooling (0° to -5°C) were also tested. Results of the study showed an increment in compressive strength values in M1, M2, and M3 mortar mixes (up to 200°C). Later, an abrupt drop in the compressive strength was noticed at 300°C in all mixes M1, M2, and M3, respectively. The mix M3 combinations resist heating impacts and perform significantly better than other mixes M1 and M2. Also, M3 combinations resist the cooling effect better than M1 and M2. It can be concluded that the mortar mix M3 with desert sand, stone dust, crumb rubber, and silica fume combination is considered the best mix for both heating and cooling resistance. Hence, the developed sustainable mortar M3 combination can be utilized in all adverse weather conditions. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-11-09 Full Text: PD

A gossypiboma (foreign body granuloma) mimicking a residual odontogenic cyst in the mandible: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Gossypiboma (foreign body granuloma) in the tooth socket as a complication of tooth removal is rare. Several cases of gossypiboma have been reported after orthopedic, abdominal, otorhinolaryngology, or plastic surgery, but there has been only one reported case after oral surgery.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 42-year-old Caucasian German-speaking Swiss woman applied to our clinic for removal of her right mandibular first molar. Her right mandibular third molar had been removed seven years ago. Post-operatively, she complained of pain and foreign body sensation for six months in the area of the removed tooth. A panoramic radiograph of our patient showed a defined and oval radiolucent area in the socket of the right mandibular third molar evoking a residual cyst. An operation was planned to remove the cyst-like lesion. During surgery, a foreign body composed of gauze was found in the right mandibular third molar region. The histological findings were compatible with a foreign body reaction around gauze.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Retained gauze must be considered if patients complain of pain and foreign body sensation after tooth removal. The use of gauze with radio-opaque markers and extensive irrigation of the socket with saline to remove gauze fragments can avoid this mishap.</p

Analysis of cell cycle-related proteins in gastric intramucosal differentiated-type cancers based on mucin phenotypes: a novel hypothesis of early gastric carcinogenesis based on mucin phenotype

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Abnormalities of cell cycle regulators are common features in human cancers, and several of these factors are associated with the early development of gastric cancers. However, recent studies have shown that gastric cancer tumorigenesis was characterized by mucin expression. Thus, expression patterns of cell cycle-related proteins were investigated in the early phase of differentiated-type gastric cancers to ascertain any mechanistic relationships with mucin phenotypes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Immunostaining for Cyclins D1, A, E, and p21, p27, p53 and β-catenin was used to examine impairments of the cell cycle in 190 gastric intramucosal differentiated-type cancers. Mucin phenotypes were determined by the expressions of MUC5AC, MUC6, MUC2 and CD10. A Ki-67 positive rate (PR) was also examined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overexpressions of p53, cyclin D1 and cyclin A were significantly more frequent in a gastric phenotype than an intestinal phenotype. Cyclin A was overexpressed in a mixed phenotype compared with an intestinal phenotype, while p27 overexpression was more frequent in an intestinal phenotype than in a mixed phenotype. Reduction of p21 was a common feature of the gastric intramucosal differentiated-type cancers examined.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results suggest that the levels of some cell cycle regulators appear to be associated with mucin phenotypes of early gastric differentiated-type cancers.</p

Antisperm Antibody Testing: A Comprehensive Review of Its Role in the Management of Immunological Male Infertility and Results of a Global Survey of Clinical Practices

Antisperm antibodies (ASA), as a cause of male infertility, have been detected in infertile males as early as 1954. Multiple causes of ASA production have been identified, and they are due to an abnormal exposure of mature germ cells to the immune system. ASA testing (with mixed anti-globulin reaction, and immunobead binding test) was described in the WHO manual 5th edition and is most recently listed among the extended semen tests in the WHO manual 6th edition. The relationship between ASA and infertility is somewhat complex. The presence of sperm agglutination, while insufficient to diagnose immunological infertility, may indicate the presence of ASA. However, ASA can also be present in the absence of any sperm agglutination. The andrological management of ASA depends on the etiology and individual practices of clinicians. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of the causes of ASA production, its role in immunological male infertility, clinical indications of ASA testing, and the available therapeutic options. We also provide the details of laboratory procedures for assessment of ASA together with important measures for quality control. Additionally, laboratory and clinical scenarios are presented to guide the reader in the management of ASA and immunological male infertility. Furthermore, we report the results of a recent worldwide survey, conducted to gather information about clinical practices in the management of immunological male infertility

Age-Related Adaptation of Bone-PDL-Tooth Complex: Rattus-Norvegicus as a Model System

Functional loads on an organ induce tissue adaptations by converting mechanical energy into chemical energy at a cell-level. The transducing capacity of cells alters physico-chemical properties of tissues, developing a positive feedback commonly recognized as the form-function relationship. In this study, organ and tissue adaptations were mapped in the bone-tooth complex by identifying and correlating biomolecular expressions to physico-chemical properties in rats from 1.5 to 15 months. However, future research using hard and soft chow over relevant age groups would decouple the function related effects from aging affects. Progressive curvature in the distal root with increased root resorption was observed using micro X-ray computed tomography. Resorption was correlated to the increased activity of multinucleated osteoclasts on the distal side of the molars until 6 months using tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP). Interestingly, mononucleated TRAP positive cells within PDL vasculature were observed in older rats. Higher levels of glycosaminoglycans were identified at PDL-bone and PDL-cementum entheses using alcian blue stain. Decreasing biochemical gradients from coronal to apical zones, specifically biomolecules that can induce osteogenic (biglycan) and fibrogenic (fibromodulin, decorin) phenotypes, and PDL-specific negative regulator of mineralization (asporin) were observed using immunohistochemistry. Heterogeneous distribution of Ca and P in alveolar bone, and relatively lower contents at the entheses, were observed using energy dispersive X-ray analysis. No correlation between age and microhardness of alveolar bone (0.7±0.1 to 0.9±0.2 GPa) and cementum (0.6±0.1 to 0.8±0.3 GPa) was observed using a microindenter. However, hardness of cementum and alveolar bone at any given age were significantly different (P<0.05). These observations should be taken into account as baseline parameters, during development (1.5 to 4 months), growth (4 to 10 months), followed by a senescent phase (10 to 15 months), from which deviations due to experimentally induced perturbations can be effectively investigated

Is the inflammasome a potential therapeutic target in renal disease?

The inflammasome is a large, multiprotein complex that drives proinflammatory cytokine production in response to infection and tissue injury. Pattern recognition receptors that are either membrane bound or cytoplasmic trigger inflammasome assembly. These receptors sense danger signals including damage-associated molecular patterns and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (DAMPS and PAMPS respectively). The best-characterized inflammasome is the NLRP3 inflammasome. On assembly of the NLRP3 inflammasome, post-translational processing and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 occurs; in addition, cell death may be mediated via caspase-1. Intrinsic renal cells express components of the inflammasome pathway. This is most prominent in tubular epithelial cells and, to a lesser degree, in glomeruli. Several primary renal diseases and systemic diseases affecting the kidney are associated with NLRP3 inflammasome/IL-1β/IL-18 axis activation. Most of the disorders studied have been acute inflammatory diseases. The disease spectrum includes ureteric obstruction, ischaemia reperfusion injury, glomerulonephritis, sepsis, hypoxia, glycerol-induced renal failure, and crystal nephropathy. In addition to mediating renal disease, the IL-1/ IL-18 axis may also be responsible for development of CKD itself and its related complications, including vascular calcification and sepsis. Experimental models using genetic deletions and/or receptor antagonists/antiserum against the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway have shown decreased severity of disease. As such, the inflammasome is an attractive potential therapeutic target in a variety of renal diseases

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p&lt;0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p&lt;0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Socializing One Health: an innovative strategy to investigate social and behavioral risks of emerging viral threats

In an effort to strengthen global capacity to prevent, detect, and control infectious diseases in animals and people, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) PREDICT project funded development of regional, national, and local One Health capacities for early disease detection, rapid response, disease control, and risk reduction. From the outset, the EPT approach was inclusive of social science research methods designed to understand the contexts and behaviors of communities living and working at human-animal-environment interfaces considered high-risk for virus emergence. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, PREDICT behavioral research aimed to identify and assess a range of socio-cultural behaviors that could be influential in zoonotic disease emergence, amplification, and transmission. This broad approach to behavioral risk characterization enabled us to identify and characterize human activities that could be linked to the transmission dynamics of new and emerging viruses. This paper provides a discussion of implementation of a social science approach within a zoonotic surveillance framework. We conducted in-depth ethnographic interviews and focus groups to better understand the individual- and community-level knowledge, attitudes, and practices that potentially put participants at risk for zoonotic disease transmission from the animals they live and work with, across 6 interface domains. When we asked highly-exposed individuals (ie. bushmeat hunters, wildlife or guano farmers) about the risk they perceived in their occupational activities, most did not perceive it to be risky, whether because it was normalized by years (or generations) of doing such an activity, or due to lack of information about potential risks. Integrating the social sciences allows investigations of the specific human activities that are hypothesized to drive disease emergence, amplification, and transmission, in order to better substantiate behavioral disease drivers, along with the social dimensions of infection and transmission dynamics. Understanding these dynamics is critical to achieving health security--the protection from threats to health-- which requires investments in both collective and individual health security. Involving behavioral sciences into zoonotic disease surveillance allowed us to push toward fuller community integration and engagement and toward dialogue and implementation of recommendations for disease prevention and improved health security