A Research In Relating Entrepreneurship, Marketing Capability, Innovative Capability And Sustained Competitive Advantage

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationships of entrepreneurship, marketing capability, innovative capability, and sustained competitive advantage; hopefully to propose some new points of views in managing enterprises. We investigate the top 1000 Taiwan manufacturers in 2009 issued by Commonwealth magazine of Taiwan in this research. In total, 116 effective samples are collected. We use SEM linear structure equation model, and LISREL 8.7 editions of software for data analyses, and verify our hypotheses. The empirical results show: 1.entrepreneurship directly influence marketing capability, innovative capability and sustained competitive advantage respectively; and indirectly influence sustained competitive advantage through marketing capability and innovative capability respectively; 2.although marketing capability does not influence sustained competitive advantage directly, but influence sustained competitive advantages indirectly through innovative capability; in the other way, innovative capability influence sustained competitive advantage directly. Therefore, we suggest that an enterprise needs to develop its organizational culture of entrepreneurship and the two kinds of capabilities, marketing and innovation, hopefully to enhance its sustained competitive advantage

Energy-Efficient Considerations on a Variable-Bitrate PCI-Express Device

Dynamic power management has been adopted in many systems to reduce the power/energy consumption by changing the system state dynamically. This paper explores energy efficiency for systems equipped with PCI-Express devices, which are designed for low power consumption and high performance, compared to corresponding PCI devices. We propose dynamic power management mechanism and a management policy for energy-efficient considerations. A case study for a variable-bit-rate local-area-network device under the PCI-Express specification is exploited to provide supports for dynamic packet transmission. Simulation results show that the proposed mechanism and policy would reduce the system energy consumption substantiall

Virtual Path Navigation using Two Rotary Encoders

The aim of this project is to evaluate the feasibility of the use of two rotary encoders in navigating an automated guided vehicle (AGV) in more complex virtual paths that include 90 and 180 degree turning from one to another desired positions. The proposed AGV was remotely controlled using a Bluetooth in a smart phone. The proposed AGV consisted of a microcontroller,two rotary encoders, an ultrasonic sensor, and a Bluetooth. The overshoot and systematic error was minimized using experiment data when the AGV was turning. The readings of the rotary encoders were mapped to the actual travel distance via calibration experiments so that the AGV can be redesigned to travel in different desired path without repeating the calibration experiments.Findings indicate that the proposed navigation method can navigate the AGV from one location to another location without installing any physical path or track

Fluctuation-driven computing on number-conserving cellular automata

A number-conserving cellular automaton (NCCA) is a cellular automaton in which the states of cells are denoted by integers, and the sum of all of the numbers in a configuration is conserved throughout its evolution. NCCAs have been widely used to model physical systems that are ruled by conservation laws of mass or energy. lmai et al. [13] showed that the local transition function of NCCA can be effectively translated into the sum of a binary flow function over pairs of neighboring cells. In this paper, we explore the computability of NCCAs in which the pairwise number flows are performed at fully asynchronous timings. Despite the randomness that is associated with asynchronous transitions, useful computation still can be accomplished efficiently in the cellular automata through the active exploitation of fluctuations [18]. Specifically, certain numbers may flow randomly fluctuating between forward and backward directions in the cellular space, as if they were subject to Brownian motion. Because random fluctuations promise a powerful resource for searching through a computational state space, the Brownian-like flow of the numbers allows for efficient embedding of logic circuits into our novel asynchronous NCCA

Reversible Transient Lesion of the Corpus Callosum Secondary to Meningoencephalitis

A 40-year-old male, presented with right-sided weakness, ataxia, expressive dysphasia and was treated for cerebrovascular accident (CVA). However, he became increasingly confused, disorientated and reported worsening headache along with fevers, photophobia and neck stiffness. On further history, the patient’s family reported the patient as being more confused and incoherent rather than having true ataxia and expressive dysphasia. CSF results were consistent with viral meningoencephalitis and MRI revealed a crescent shaped splenial lesion. He was treated empirically with ceftriaxone and acyclovir. On follow up, he remained symptom free and MRI showed regression of the splenial lesion. Reversible transient splenial lesions of the corpus callosum secondary to viral meningoencephalitis are rarely encountered. This case highlights the importance of exploring different aetiologies of splenial lesions to avoid misdiagnoses with more commonly seen conditions such as CVA

Enhancement of tolerance development to morphine in rats prenatally exposed to morphine, methadone, and buprenorphine

[[abstract]]BACKGROUND: Abuse of addictive substances is a serious problem that has a significant impact on areas such as health, the economy, and public safety. Heroin use among young women of reproductive age has drawn much attention around the world. However, there is a lack of information on effects of prenatal exposure to opioids on their offspring. In this study, an animal model was established to study effects of prenatal exposure to opioids on offspring. METHODS: Female pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were sub-grouped to receive (1) vehicle, (2) 2-4 mg/kg morphine (1 mg/kg increment per week), (3) 7 mg/kg methadone, and (4) 3 mg/kg buprenorphine, subcutaneously, once or twice a day from E3 to E20. The experiments were conducted on animals 8-12 weeks old and with body weight between 250 and 350 g. RESULTS: Results showed that prenatal exposure to buprenorphine caused higher mortality than other tested substance groups. Although we observed a significantly lower increase in body weight in all of the opioid-administered dams, the birth weight of the offspring was not altered in all treated groups. Moreover, no obvious behavioral abnormality or body-weight difference was noted during the growing period (8-12 weeks) in all offspring. When the male offspring received morphine injection twice a day for 4 days, the prenatally opioid-exposed rats more quickly developed a tolerance to morphine (as shown by the tail-flick tests), most notably the prenatally buprenorphine-exposed offspring. However, the tolerance development to methadone or buprenorphine was not different in offspring exposed prenatally to methadone or buprenorphine, respectively, when compared with that of the vehicle controlled group. Similar results were also obtained in the female animals. CONCLUSIONS: Animals prenatally exposed to morphine, methadone, or buprenorphine developed tolerance to morphine faster than their controlled mates. In our animal model, prenatal exposure to buprenorphine also resulted in higher mortality and much less sensitivity to morphine-induced antinociception than prenatal exposure to morphine or methadone. This indicates that buprenorphine in higher doses may not be an ideal maintenance drug for treating pregnant women. This study provides a reference in selecting doses for clinical usage in treating pregnant heroin addicts

An Extract of Antrodia camphorata Mycelia Attenuates the Progression of Nephritis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus-Prone NZB/W F1 Mice

Antrodia camphorata is used in folk medicine for the treatment of inflammation syndromes and liver-related diseases in Taiwan. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the mycelial extract of A. camphorata (ACE) for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in SLE-prone NZB/W F1 mice. After antibodies against double-stranded DNA appeared in NZB/W mice, the mice were orally administered varying dosages of ACE (100, 200 and 400 mg kg−1) for 5 consecutive days per week for 12 weeks via gavage. To assess the efficacy of ACE, we measured SLE-associated biochemical and histopathological biomarkers levels of blood urine nitrogen (BUN), blood creatinine, urine protein and urine creatinine and thickness of the kidney glomerular basement membrane by staining with periodic acid-Schiff. Antroquinonol, an active component of ACE, was investigated for anti-inflammation activity in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 267.4 cells. ACE at 400 mg kg−1 significantly suppressed urine protein and serum BUN levels and decreased the thickness of the kidney glomerular basement membrane. Antroquinonol significantly inhibited the production of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β by 75 and 78%, respectively. In conclusion, ACE reduced urine protein and creatinine levels and suppressed the thickening of the kidney glomerular basement membrane, suggesting that ACE protects the kidney from immunological damage resulting from autoimmune disease

Assessment of latent tuberculosis infection in psychiatric inpatients: A survey after tuberculosis outbreaks

AbstractBackground/PurposeTo investigate risk factors of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among inpatients of chronic psychiatric wards with tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks.MethodsIn April 2013, inpatients of four all-male wards with TB outbreaks were tested for LTBI using the QuantiFERON-TB Gold in Tube (QFT) method. Based on this investigation, a retrospective study was conducted to assess risk factors for LTBI. Inpatients exposed to cluster-A or cluster-B TB cases were defined as contacts of cluster-A or cluster-B, and others, as nonclustered contacts.ResultsAmong 355 inpatients with TB exposure, 134 (38%) were QFT-positive for LTBI. Univariate analysis showed that significant predictors for QFT-positivity were age, case-days of exposure to all TB cases (TB-all) and to sputum smear positive cases, number of source cases with cough, and exposure to cluster-A TB cases. Independent risk factors for LTBI were higher age [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.03, 95% confidence intervals (CI: 1.01–1.05)], TB-all exposure case-days ≥ 200 [adjusted OR 2.04 (1.06–3.92)] and exposure to cluster-A TB cases [adjusted OR 2.82 (1.30–6.12)] after adjustment for the sputum smear positivity, and cough variables of the source cases. The contacts of cluster-A had a greater risk of LTBI than did those of cluster-B, especially in the younger population (≤50 years) after adjustment [adjusted OR 2.64 (1.03–6.76)].ConclusionAfter TB outbreaks, more than one third of inpatients were QFT-positive for LTBI. Our findings suggest that, beside the infectiousness of source cases, intensity of exposure, and age of contacts, exposure to TB cases in potential genotyping clusters may be predictive for LTBI in this male psychiatric population