Improving Profitability of Very Small and Small Firms: The Impact of Qualiity Practices in the Human Resources Area

This study compared the quality practices of very small and small firms in the human resources area. Hypotheses relating to empowern1ent, work teams, and training were developed and tested. An analysis revealed that there was a significant difference in empowerment practices between the two groups of firms, but no significant differences in team utilization or employee training. Profitability correlations divulged that team usage and certain aspects of employee training could improve profitability, depending on the size of the firm

Applicability of the GAPS Model to Service Quality in Small Firms

Delivering quality is as critical to survival of small service firms as it is to large corporations. Zeithaml, Parasuraman, and Berry (1990) developed a conceptual model of service quality (Gaps) that identified gaps in service quality and suggested measures to close them. The Gaps model has been used in large service corporations, but is yet to be applied to small service firms. Therefore, this paper examines the applicability of the Gaps model to the smaller service firm. Our analysis revealed that the resources and structure of smaller firms significantly affect the types of service quality gaps that occur and the closure measures

Machining and Tribological Characterisation of Uncoated and Coated Carbide Inserts while Turning Tungsten Heavy Alloy

Tungsten heavy alloys are high density alloys containing 80 to 98 wt.% tungsten and the balance is a matrix made of relatively low melting elements such as copper, nickel and iron. These alloys are used as radiation shields, CG adjusters and also in armour piercing ammunition. Machining these alloys to close tolerances and finish leads to excessive tool wear, surface damage and hence proves to be a challenging task. This study focuses on turning operation carried out under dry and wet cutting conditions using three different commercially available cemented carbide inserts. Three different feed rates have been used at a constant depth of cut and cutting speed. The best possible cemented carbide tooling solution for machining tungsten heavy alloys has been determined based on the surface finish obtained, chip geometry, cutting forces, and machining temperature. The observations made during machining are correlated to the tribological behavior of the inserts and the alloy with the help of pin-on disc tests. Coated cemented carbide inserts provide surface roughness values lower than 1 µm under finish turning conditions. On the other hand, PVD coated inserts give consistently better results over different feed rates and are found to experience lower tool wear for the specific cutting conditions. Analytical tool wear model suggests better tool life for the PVD coated insert

Exploring bacterial pathogen community dynamics in freshwater beach sediments: A tale of two lakes

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154434/1/emi14860.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154434/2/emi14860_am.pd

Enabling E2E reliable communications with adaptive re-encoding over delay tolerant networks

Reliable end-to-end (E2E) communication in Delay Tolerant Network (DTN) is a challenging task due to long delay and frequent link disruptions. To enable reliability, the IETF is currently looking at strategies to integrate erasure coding mechanisms inside DTN architecture. The objective is to extend the ability of the existing DTN bundle fragmentation mechanism to support cases where bundles have a high probability of being lost. To date, discussions agree that an intermediate node can re-encode bundles, leaving all decoding process at the destination node in order to let intermediate node operations be as simple as possible. We propose to study and analyze possible re-encoding strategies at intermediate nodes using an on-the-fly coding paradigm. We also investigate how re-encoding and acknowledgment strategies based on this coding scheme would enable reliable E2E communication. Finally, we propose an adaptive mechanism with low complexity that deals with both re-routing events and network dynamics which are common in the context of DTN. Simulation results show that re-encoding at the relay and the adaptive mechanism allows a significant reduction in terms of network overhead injected by erasure codes while ensuring the E2E reliability

Investigating sources and sinks of N2O expression from freshwater microbial communities in urban watershed sediments

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) serve as point-source inputs for a variety of nutrients often dominated by nitrogenous compounds as a result of anthropogenic influence. These effluents can impact biogeochemical cycles in freshwater estuaries, influencing microbial communities in both the water and sediment compartments. To assess the impact of point source nutrients, a transect of sediment and pore water samples were collected from 4 locations in the Little River Sub-watershed including locations above and below the Little River Pollution Control Plant (LRPCP). Variation in chemistry and microbial community/gene expression revealed significant influences of the effluent discharge on the adjacent sediments. Phosphorus and sulfur showed high concentrations within plume sediments compared to the reference sediments while nitrate concentrations were low. Increased abundance of denitrifiers Dechloromonas, Dok59 and Thermomonas correlating with increased expression of nitrous-oxide reductase suggests a conversion of N2O to N2 within the LRPCP effluent sediments. This study provides valuable insight into the gene regulation of microbes involved in N metabolism (denitrification, nitrification, and nitrite reduction to ammonia) within the sediment compartment influenced by wastewater effluent. © 2017 Elsevier Lt

Biogeochemical Characterization of Metal Behavior from Novel Mussel Shell Bioreactor Sludge Residues

Acid mine drainage (AMD) remediation commonly produces byproducts which must be stored or utilized to reduce the risk of further contamination. A mussel shell bioreactor has been implemented at a coal mine in New Zealand, which is an effective remediation option, although an accumulated sludge layer decreased efficiency which was then removed and requires storage. To understand associated risks related to storage or use of the AMD sludge material, a laboratory mesocosm study investigated the physio-chemical and biological influence in two conditions: anoxic storage (burial deep within a waste rock dump) or exposure to oxic environments (use of sludge on the surface of the mine). Solid phase characterization by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and selective extraction was completed to compare two environmental conditions (oxic and anoxic) under biologically active and abiotic systems (achieved by gamma irradiation). Changes in microbial community structure were monitored using 16s rDNA amplification and next-generation sequencing. The results indicate that microbes in an oxic environment increase the formation of oxyhydroxides and acidic conditions increase metal mobility. In an oxic and circumneutral environment, the AMD sludge may be repurposed to act as an oxygen barrier for mine tailings or soil amendment. Anoxic conditions would likely promote the biomineralization of sulfide minerals in the AMD sludge by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB), which were abundant in the system. The anoxic conditions reduced the risk of trace metals (Zn) associated with oxides, but increased Fe associated with organic material. In summary, fewer risks are associated with anoxic burial but repurposing in an oxic condition may be appropriate under favorable conditions

Variations in lung fissures and lobes morphology in population of Andhra Pradesh of South India (a cadaveric study)

Knowledge of the position of lung fissures is necessary for the appreciation of lobar anatomy and thus locating the bronchopulmonary segments. The study aimed to investigate the patterns of fissures and lobes of the lungs and their variations in Andhra Pradesh, India and to find their clinical implications and compare them with the previous studies. Methods: The patterns of lobes, fissures, and hilar anatomy of lungs and its variations of 47 lungs by dissection method of embalmed cadavers was performed in the Department of Anatomy, Narayana Medical College (Nellore, India). The specimens were macroscopically observed for gross morphology of fissures and lobes. Results. The study showed oblique fissure in 33 % (grade 1), 26 % (grade 2), 24 % (grade 3) and 14 % (grade 4) of right lungs and 27 % (grade 1), 31 % (grade 2), 12 % (grade 3) and 12 % (grade 4) of left lungs. The incomplete horizontal fissure was seen in 38 % of right-sided lungs (grade 1). 19 % of right lungs and 10 % of left lungs had accessory lung fissures. Conclusions. Awareness of the variations in the lobes and fissures of the lungs is important for radiologists while interpreting magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scans. Also, we believe that the data from the present study certainly adds an important reference in the medical literature to thoracic surgeons in performing pneumonectomy and segmental resection

Anatomical deviations in the position of vermiform appendix: the cadaveric study

Vermiform appendix is the only organ in the body that has no constant anatomical position. It is so named because of its worm like appearance. Most common surgical cause of abdominal pain is appendicitis; its diagnosis is affected by anatomical variations of the vermiform appendix, because this is the most variable abdominal organ in terms of position and organ relations. Aim of the study was to examine anatomical features and different positions of the vermiform appendix in human cadavers. Material and methods. This study was carried on 45 human cadavers irrespective of sex and age from the Department of Anatomy at Andhra Pradesh over a period of 12 months. Results. Mean length of appendix was found to be 3.98 ± 1.27 cm. Mean outer girth was 2.17 ± 0.26 cm. Mean distance of vermiform appendix from ileocaecal junction was found to be 2.11 ± 0.43 cm. Commonest position was retrocaecal (44 %), followed by pelvic (21 %), postileal (9 %), subcaecal (13 %) and midinguinal (10 %). Conclusions. Variations in position of vermiform appendix will help the surgeons to make a diagnosis of appendicitis and aware about appendiceal rupture

Reduced proficiency in homologous recombination underlies the high sensitivity of embryonal carcinoma testicular germ cell tumors to Cisplatin and poly (adp-ribose) polymerase inhibition

Testicular Germ Cell Tumors (TGCT) and patient-derived cell lines are extremely sensitive to cisplatin and other interstrand cross-link (ICL) inducing agents. Nevertheless, a subset of TGCTs are either innately resistant or acquire resistance to cisplatin during treatment. Understanding the mechanisms underlying TGCT sensitivity/resistance to cisplatin as well as the identification of novel strategies to target cisplatin-resistant TGCTs have major clinical implications. Herein, we have examined the proficiency of five embryonal carcinoma (EC) cell lines to repair cisplatin-induced ICLs. Using γH2AX staining as a marker of double strand break formation, we found that EC cell lines were either incapable of or had a reduced ability to repair ICL-induced damage. The defect correlated with reduced Homologous Recombination (HR) repair, as demonstrated by the reduction of RAD51 foci formation and by direct evaluation of HR efficiency using a GFP-reporter substrate. HR-defective tumors cells are known to be sensitive to the treatment with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor. In line with this observation, we found that EC cell lines were also sensitive to PARP inhibitor monotherapy. The magnitude of sensitivity correlated with HR-repair reduced proficiency and with the expression levels and activity of PARP1 protein. In addition, we found that PARP inhibition strongly enhanced the response of the most resistant EC cells to cisplatin, by reducing their ability to overcome the damage. These results point to a reduced proficiency of HR repair as a source of sensitivity of ECs to ICL-inducing agents and PARP inhibitor monotherapy, and suggest that pharmacological inhibition of PARP can be exploited to target the stem cell component of the TGCTs (namely ECs) and to enhance the sensitivity of cisplatin-resistant TGCTs to standard treatments