Developing Effective Transparency: A Case Study on Voluntary Disclosure and Social Responsibility at Apple Inc.

Apple Inc. ( Apple ) is one of many multinational corporations in the electronics industry that uses a voluntary transparency policy to manage disclosure of information pertaining to labor conditions of supply chain factories. This note analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of Apple\u27s transparency policies over the years, as well as the events that triggered these policies. This note also examines voluntary disclosure schemes generally, and discusses the inherent limitations of a policy that is self-defined and self-enforced. Despite its limitations, Apple\u27s policy has initiated some positive changes to labor practices and has contributed to a broader discussion on corporate social responsibility in electronic industry supply chains

Marine Natural Products : A Promising Source of Environmentally Friendly Antifouling Agents for the Maritime Industries

This research project was funded by the Net Zero Technology Centre and the University of Aberdeen, through their partnership in the UK National Decommissioning Centre (Grant RG15115-10).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Human-Robot Dichotomy

This paper belongs to the area of roboethics and responsible robotics. It discusses the conceptual and practical separation of humans and robots in designing and implementing robots into real-world environments. We argue here that humans are often seen as a component that is only optional in design thinking, and in some cases even an obstacle to the successful robot performance. Such an approach may vary from viewing humans as a factor that does not belong to the robotics domain, through attempts to ‘adjust’ humans to robot requirements, to the overall replacement of humans with robots. Such separation or exclusion of humans poses serious ethical challenges, including the very exclusion of ethics from our thinking about robots

Effects of Activin and TGFβ on p21 in Colon Cancer

Activin and TGFβ share SMAD signaling and colon cancers can inactivate either pathway alone or simultaneously. The differential effects of activin and TGFβ signaling in colon cancer have not been previously dissected. A key downstream target of TGFβ signaling is the cdk2 inhibitor p21 (p21cip1/waf1). Here, we evaluate activin-specific effects on p21 regulation and resulting functions. We find that TGFβ is a more potent inducer of growth suppression, while activin is a more potent inducer of apoptosis. Further, growth suppression and apoptosis by both ligands are dependent on SMAD4. However, activin downregulates p21 protein in a SMAD4-independent fashion in conjunction with increased ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation to enhance migration, while TGFβ upregulates p21 in a SMAD4-dependent fashion to affect growth arrest. Activin-induced growth suppression and cell death are dependent on p21, while activin-induced migration is counteracted by p21. Further, primary colon cancers show differential p21 expression consistent with their ACVR2/TGFBR2 receptor status. In summary, we report p21 as a differentially affected activin/TGFβ target and mediator of ligand-specific functions in colon cancer, which may be exploited for future risk stratification and therapeutic intervention

Yes, You Can Touch This: Designing Prototypes for Interactive Museum Spaces

Traditionally, museums have been spaces where visitors are asked to look but not touch items on display. Currently, professionals in museums, particularly in the United States, are trying to improve visitor experience by using interactive displays and technologies. Interactive media allows visitors to be immersed in the information displayed rather than simply reading a block of text that would more than likely be overlooked.While interactive media is a great way to engage visitors in an exhibit, this study looks at the use of interactive media in preserving culture, specifically American indigenous cultures. Our goal is to study how culture can be preserved and shared through interactive prototypes in a museum space

A structure-activity relationship analysis of anthraquinones with antifouling activity against marine biofilm-forming bacteria

This research was funded by the Net Zero Technology Centre and the University of Aberdeen, through their partnership in the UK National Decommissioning Centre and Albrn Care, India.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Relationship Between Learning Orientation And Business Performance And The Moderating Effect Of Competitive Advantage: An Accounting Services Firms Perspective

This study examines the influence of learning orientation on business performance (achievement of sales and profit objectives) in the context of pure service, specifically that of public accounting services firms. The conceptual framework used in this research has been drawn from marketing, finance, and organizational behavior theory. Specifically, relationships related to learning orientation, sources of competitive advantage, and business performance have been identified.This research tests a framework about learning orientation and its consequences in an accounting services firm. Specifically, this study focused on several research questions, including: 1) Is there a relationship between learning orientation and business performance in terms of the achievement of sales and profit objectives in an accounting services firm?, 2) Is there a relationship between learning orientation and competitive advantage in an accounting services firm?, and 3) Does competitive advantage moderate the relationship between learning orientation and business performance in an accounting services firm?A survey-based research methodology is used to explore these research questions and pertinent findings reported in previous studies (Martinette, 2006; Martinette & Obenchain-Leeson, 2010; Martinette & Obenchain-Leeson, 2012). The findings of this study suggested that as learning orientation increases in public accounting services firms, business performance scores and competitive advantage also increase. The findings of this study did not suggest that competitive advantage moderates the relationship between learning orientation and business performance in public accounting services firms