The TOC-ABC choice debate for product mix decisions : introducing asset specificity as an alternate explanation

Though constructed with different purposes, the theory of constraints and activity based costing systems pose a choice problem in respect of product mix decisions. We believe that the existing explanation of short versus long run criterion to explain firms\u27 choice between these two systems is incomplete and offer an alternate explanation based on asset specificity. We argue that the extent to which specialized resources are deployed to make products in a mix determines the choice. We present a 2*2 matrix stating that when asset specificity is high, a firm is likely to choose ABC instead of TOC since ABC makes a large portion of costs visible to enable control. However, the choice is likely to be a TOC-ABC combination when the manufacture of asset specific products is also constrained by bottlenecks.<br /

Reversible isolated thrombocytopenia: a rare adverse effect of diclofenac infusion

Diclofenac infusion is prescribed for acute painful and inflammatory conditions in intensive care. Thrombocytopenia is a very rare adverse effect of diclofenac infusion. We report a case of thrombocytopenia due to diclofenac infusion, occurring in a 32-year-old male treated conservatively for acute appendicitis. The thrombocytopenia recovered completely with the discontinuation of the drug. The rarity, clinical importance, and the diagnostic difficulty associated with this case prompted us to report it here

Neonatal Seizures—Perspective in Low-and Middle-Income Countries

Neonatal seizures are the commonest neurological emergency and are associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcome. While they are generally difficult to diagnose and treat, they pose a significant clinical challenge for physicians in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). They are mostly provoked seizures caused by an acute brain insult such as hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, infections of the central nervous system, or acute metabolic disturbances. Early onset epilepsy syndromes are less common. Clinical diagnosis of seizures in the neonatal period are frequently inaccurate, as clinical manifestations are difficult to distinguish from nonseizure behavior. Additionally, a high proportion of seizures are electrographic-only without any clinical manifestations, making diagnosis with EEG or aEEG a necessity. Only focal clonic and focal tonic seizures can be diagnosed clinically with adequate diagnostic certainty. Prompt diagnosis and timely treatment are important, with evidence suggesting that early treatment improves the response to antiseizure medication. The vast majority of published studies are from high-income countries, making extrapolation to LMIC impossible, thus highlighting the urgent need for a better understanding of the etiologies, comorbidities, and drug trials evaluating safety and efficacy in LMIC. In this review paper, the authors present the latest data on etiology, diagnosis, classification, and guidelines for the management of neonates with the emphasis on low-resource settings

Using generalized PowerFlux methods to estimate the parameters of periodic gravitational waves

We investigate methods to estimate the parameters of the gravitational-wave signal from a spinning neutron star using Fourier transformed segments of the strain response from an interferometric detector. Estimating the parameters from the power, we find generalizations of the PowerFlux method. Using simulated elliptically polarized signals injected into Gaussian noise, we apply the generalized methods to estimate the squared amplitudes of the plus and cross polarizations (and, in the most general case, the polarization angle), and test the relative detection efficiencies of the various methods.Comment: 8 pages, presented at Amalid7, Sydney, Australia (July 2007), fixed minor typos and clarified discussion to match published CQG version; updated reference

Successful transportation of wild stock of endangered "Thooli" (Labeo dussumieri) spawners without anaesthetics

Several problems are encountered during transportation of fishes from wild to captivity. The note describes successful transportation of wild caught endangered Labeo dussumieri spawners over distances below 100 km without anesthesia or sophisticated transporting devices which is of immense help in the gene banking programme of endangered species

Arribazón de medusa azul Porpita porpita en las playas de Visakhapatnam, India (Bahía occidental de Bengala)

Porpita porpita occurs in the tropical and sub-tropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, and the mass numbers of stranded colonies seem to be increasing. Although its presence in Indian waters is minimal, this is the first record ever made of P. porpita in Visakhapatnam coastal waters. The present study provided a detailed description of the species and its global distribution. Further, the perceived increase in gelatinous zooplankton blooms in the observed area indicates that jellyfish can negatively affect fisheries because they compete with zooplanktivorous fish, prey upon fish eggs and larvae, and indirectly compete with higher trophic levels by reducing the plankton available to planktivores. Conversely, jellyfishes also play a vital role in regulating global marine plankton food webs, spatio-temporal dynamics, and biomass, which is a role that has been generally neglected so far.Porpita porpita se encuentra en las aguas tropicales y subtropicales de los océanos Pacífico, Atlántico e Índico, y el número masivo de colonias varadas parece estar aumentando. Aunque su presencia en las aguas de la India es mínima, este es el primer registro de P. porpita en las aguas costeras de Visakhapatnam. El presente estudio proporcionó una descripción detallada de la especie y su distribución global. Además, el aumento percibido en las floraciones de zooplancton gelatinoso en el área observada, indica que las medusas pueden afectar negativamente a las pesquerías porque compiten con los peces zooplanctívoros, se alimentan de huevos y larvas de peces, e indirectamente compiten con niveles tróficos más altos al reducir el plancton disponible para los planctívoros. Por el contrario, las medusas también juegan un papel vital en la regulación de las redes alimentarias del plancton marino global, la dinámica espacio-temporal y la biomasa, un papel que generalmente se ha descuidado hasta ahora.  

Reduction without reduction: Adding KK-monopoles to five dimensional stationary axisymmetric solutions

We present a general method to add KK-monopole charge to any asymptotically flat stationary axisymmetric solution of five dimensional General Relativity. The technique exploits the underlying SL(3,R) invariance of the system by identifying a particular element of the symmetry group which changes the asymptotic boundary condition and adds KK-monopole charge. Furthermore, we develop a set of technical tools which allow us to apply the SL(3,R) transformations to solutions produced by the Inverse Scattering method. As an example of our methods, we construct the exact solution describing a static black ring carrying KK-monopole charge.Comment: 36 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX, minor typos fixe

Bubbling and bistability in two parameter discrete systems

We present a graphical analysis of the mechanisms underlying the occurrences of bubbling sequences and bistability regions in the bifurcation scenario of a special class of one dimensional two parameter maps. The main result of the analysis is that whether it is bubbling or bistability is decided by the sign of the third derivative at the inflection point of the map function.Comment: LaTeX v2.09, 14 pages with 4 PNG figure