An Empirical Analysis of the RFID Effect on Suppliers\u27 Financial Performance

The objective of this study is to rigorously examine the effects of RFID on suppliers’ profitability while adjusting for endogeneity bias arising from the decision process for RFID adoption. To this end, we use a Heckman two-stage estimation method, which allows us to control for endogeneity between a firm’s organizational characteristics and its decision for RFID adoption. We find that suppliers faced with both a low level of inventory efficiency and with highly uncertain demand are more likely to adopt RFID. Further, suppliers that have adopted RFID achieve greater financial gains than their counterparts that have not. More importantly, we show that these financial gains result from improved inventory and sales efficiencies after RFID is deployed. In sum, our study sheds new light on what drives supplying firms to adopt RFID and on its role in shaping relatively higher financial performance in a post-adoption period

The Acquisitions of Information Technology Firms by M&A Intents: An Empirical Analysis

Over the last decades, a large number of firms have undertaken mergers and acquisitions (M&As) to create synergies through increased production efficiency, increased market power, and quality improvements. Moreover, we have also recently witnessed that an increasing number of firms acquire information technology (IT) firms to create synergies from the customer side as well as the production side. In this study, we examine the post-merger risk of the acquiring firm, measured as its return volatility when IT firms are acquired, and seek to understand the dynamics surrounding M&A transactions. We also identify the conditions under which acquiring firms can mitigate the risks resulting from M&A transactions. We find that a strong run-up in risk occurs before M&A transactions are initiated, but this risk begins to decline over the post-merger years. However, we expect that post-merger risks tend to persist when firms seek M&A transactions with a customer-side motive, whereas this does not occur with a production-side motive. Moreover, we expect to find the conditions under which a firm can mitigate risk from the acquisition of IT firms contingent on its M&A motives

Crystal Structure of Human Mre11: Understanding Tumorigenic Mutations

SummaryMre11 plays an important role in repairing damaged DNA by cleaving broken ends and by providing a platform for other DNA repair proteins. Various Mre11 mutations have been identified in several types of cancer. We have determined the crystal structure of the human Mre11 core (hMre11), which contains the nuclease and capping domains. hMre11 dimerizes through the interfaces between loop β3-α3 from one Mre11 and loop β4-β5 from another Mre11, and between loop α2-β3 from one Mre11 and helices α2 and α3 from another Mre11, and assembles into a completely different dimeric architecture compared with bacterial or archaeal Mre11 homologs. Nbs1 binds to the region containing loop α2-β3 which participates in dimerization. The hMre11 structure in conjunction with biochemical analyses reveals that many tumorigenic mutations are primarily associated with Nbs1 binding and partly with nuclease activities, providing a framework for understanding how mutations inactivate Mre11

Understanding The Impact Of IT Service Innovation On Firm Performance: The Case Of Cloud Computing

Recently we have witnessed a new kind of IT advancement. It is a phenomenon where various types of IT capabilities are centralized into data centers to ensure that such resources are available wherever and whenever they are needed. Cloud computing is the latest version of IT service practice reflecting such new IT trends. Although cloud computing is considered a paradigm shift of IT service design and delivery in IS communities and intrigues large amounts of interest from business entities, few studies have examined this new IT and business phenomenon. To better understand the organizational application of cloud computing, the current study aims to investigate economic payoff from cloud computing investment. Employing the event study methodology, we analyze 183 firm-level announcements regarding cloud computing adoption. The results indicate that cloud computing adoption announcements are associated with positive increases in the market value of the firm. In addition, we identified differences in the effect of cloud computing adoption on market returns according to strategic adoption intention, firm size, and industry sector. These results can be used as useful references for the firm’s decision-making about whether, when, and how to adopt cloud computing to maximize its business value

The Influence of Tibial Positioning on the Diagnostic Accuracy of Combined Posterior Cruciate Ligament and Posterolateral Rotatory Instability of the Knee

Background: To determine if tibial positioning affects the external rotation of the tibia in a dial test for posterolateral rotatory instability combined with posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries. Methods: Between April 2007 and October 2007, 16 patients with a PCL tear and posterolateral rotatory instability were diagnosed using a dial test. The thigh-foot angle was measured at both 30 ° and 90 ° of knee fl exion with an external rotation stress applied to the tibia in 2 different positions (reduction and posterior subluxation). The measurements were performed twice by 2 orthopedic surgeons. Results: In posterior subluxation, the mean side-to-side difference in the thigh-foot angle was 11.56 ± 3.01 ° at 30 ° of knee fl exion and 11.88 ± 4.03 ° at 90 ° of knee flexion. In the sequential dial test performed with the tibia reduced, the mean side-to-side difference was 15.94 ± 4.17 ° (p < 0.05) at 30 ° of knee fl exion and 16.88 ± 4.42 ° (p = 0.001) at 90 ° of knee fl exion. The mean tibial external rotation was 5.31 ± 2.86 ° and 6.87 ± 3.59 ° higher in the reduced position than in the posterior subluxation at both 30° and 90 ° of knee fl exion. Conclusions: In the dial test, reducing the tibia with an anterior force increases the ability of an examiner to detect posterolateral rotary instability of the knee combined with PCL injuries

Effect of Ca Addition on the Corrosion Resistance of Gravity Cast AZ31 Magnesium Alloy

The effect of Ca addition on the corrosion resistance of AZ31 magnesium alloys was evaluated by observation of microstructure and measurement of corrosion potential and average corrosion rate. The main mechanism of corrosion of AZ31+xCa (x ¼ 0$5 mass%) alloys was galvanic-corrosion between -Mg and second phase. But the propagation behavior of corrosion was different with Ca content. In the alloy containing below 0.7 mass%Ca, a micro-galvanic cell formed between matrix -Mg and second phase formed semi-continuously at grain boundaries and the corrosion progressed in transgranular mode. The propagation of corrosion was retarded when the corrosion front met the second phase acted as corrosion barrier. But in the alloys containing above 1 mass%Ca, a micro-galvanic cell formed between eutectic -Mg and discontinuous second phase in the eutectic region and the corrosion rapidly progressed along eutectic -Mg formed continuously at grain boundaries because the discontinuous second phase could not prohibit the propagation of corrosion effectively

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Hyaluronidase in the Selective Nerve Root Block of Radiculopathy: A Double Blind, Controlled Clinical Trial

Study DesignProspective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial.PurposeTo determine the ability of hyaluronidase to provide longer lasting pain relief and functional improvement in patients with lumbar radiculopathy.Overview of LiteratureSelective nerve root block (SNRB) is a good treatment option in lumbar radiculopathy. We studied the effectiveness of hyaluronidase when added to the traditional SNRB regimen.MethodsA sample size of 126 patients per group was necessary. A sample of 252 patients who underwent an injection procedure with or without hyaluronidase due to radiculopathy was included in this study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: the control (C) group and the hyaluronidase (H) group. After SNRB due to radiculopathy, the visual analog scale (VAS) was compared at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks between the two groups, and the Oswestry disability index (ODI) was compared at 12 weeks between the two groups.ResultsBoth groups seemed to have general improvement in VAS, but in C group, the VAS was higher than the H group 2 and 4 weeks after the surgery, and the difference in time-group change between 2 groups was statistically significant (p 0.05).ConclusionsThe rebound pain (the re-occurrence of pain within 2-4 weeks after injection) that occurs within 2-4 weeks after the injection of the routine regimen can be reduced when hyaluronidase is added to the routine SNRB regimen

Hierarchical Micro/Nano-Porous Acupuncture Needles Offering Enhanced Therapeutic Properties

Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention has been widely used for treatment of many pathophysiological disorders. For achieving improved therapeutic effects, relatively thick acupuncture needles have been frequently used in clinical practice with, in turn, enhanced stimulation intensity. However due to the discomforting nature of the larger-diameter acupuncture needles there is considerable interest in developing advanced acupuncture therapeutical techniques that provide more comfort with improved efficacy. So motivated, we have developed a new class of acupuncture needles, porous acupuncture needles (PANs) with hierarchical micro/nano-scale conical pores upon the surface, fabricated via a simple and well known electrochemical process, with surface area approximately 20 times greater than conventional acupuncture needles. The performance of these high-surface-area PANs is evaluated by monitoring the electrophysiological and behavioral responses from the in vivo stimulation of Shenmen (HT7) points in Wistar rats, showing PANs to be more effective in controlling electrophysiological and behavioral responses than conventional acupuncture needles. Comparative analysis of cocaine induced locomotor activity using PANs and thick acupuncture needles shows enhanced performance of PANs with significantly less pain sensation. Our work offers a unique pathway for achieving a comfortable and improved acupuncture therapeutic effect. © The Author(s) 2016.1