Cloud Computing and ERP: An Academic Literature Review (2010 - 2015)

The research history relating to Cloud ERP literature is investigated for the period of 2010 to 2015, with the aim of introducing an overview of academic research on the subject and to identify gaps in the literature in the stated period. Up to date literature in 37 research papers from various topics and sources has been discussed. Shortlisted publications are analysed and categorized into architecture, implementation, customization, mobility, benefits and disadvantages, and others. It appears that high attention has been paid by researchers to the benefits and disadvantages of Cloud ERP adoption as well as to its architecture and overarching plans for implementation. However, important issues such as integration of Cloud ERP with existing on-site legacy ERP systems and the quality of service given by respective cloud-based providers has been devoted limited attention by the authors reviewed

Genetic Polymorphism of Cytochrome P450-1A2 (CYP1A2) and N-Acetyltransferase-2 (NAT2) Among Emiratis

Brief introduction: There are limited studies on CYP1A2 and NAT2 polymorphisms among Emiratis. Aims: This study aims to determine CYP1A2 and NAT2 alleles and genotypes and correlate these genotypes with caffeine metabolism phenotypes among Emiratis. Methods: After obtaining informed consent, five hundred and eighty-one non-smoker subjects were given 300ml of caffeinated soft drink and were asked to provide a buccal swab and a urine sample two hours later. TaqMan Real Time PCR, PCR-RFLP, DNA sequencing were performed to determine CYP1A2 and NAT2 alleles and genotypes. Phenotyping was carried out by analysing the caffeine metabolites using HPLC analysis. Results: We found that 1.4%, 16.3% and 82.3% of the recruited subjects were slow, intermediate and rapid CYP1A2 metabolisers, respectively. Only 1.4% of the subjects were homozygotes for CYP1A2 mutant alleles while 16.1% were heterozygotes and 82.5% were homozygotes for the CYP1A2 wild type genotype. Therefore, the frequency of the wild type genotype CYP1A2*1A/*1A was 0.825 followed by CYP1A2*1A/*1C and CYP1A2*1A/*1 K, with frequencies of 0.102 and 0.058, respectively. The degree of phenotype/genotype concordance was 81.6%. The CYP1A2*1C/*1C and CYP1A2*3/*3 genotypes showed the lowest phenotype status. With regards to NAT2, we found that 78.5%, 19.1% and 2.4% of the subjects were slow, intermediate and rapid NAT2 acetylators, respectively, with 77.4% being homozygote or heterozygote for NA T2 mutant alleles and 18.4% and 4.2% were heterozygote and homozygote for the NAT2 wild type genotypes, respectively. The most common genotypes found were NAT2*5B/*7B, NAT2*5B/*6A, NAT2*7B/*14B and NAT2*4/*5B with frequencies of 0.255, 0.135, 0.105 and 0.09, respectively. The degree of phenotype/genotype concordance was equal to 96.2%. The NAT2*6A/*6A, NAT2*6A/*7B, NAT2*781*7B, NAT2*5A/*5B and NAT2*5A/*5A genotypes were found to be associated with the lowest 5-Acetylamino-6-Formylamino-3-Methyluracil/1-Methylxanthine (AFMU/1 X) ratios. Significant contributions: The majority of the studied Emiratis are slow NAT2 acetylators with implications for the prescription of medications that are metabolised by this enzyme. In addition, a small percentage of Emiratis have slow CYP1A2 enzyme activity which again should be taken into consideration when prescribing medications that are partially metabolised by this enzyme. In Emirati population, the frequency of the CYP1A2*1A and NAT2*5 alleles were the highest relative to other alleles frequencies. Moreover, Individuals who carried NAT2*6A/*6A, NAT2*6A/*7B, NAT2*7B/*7B, NAT2*5A/*5B, NAT2*5A/*5A, CYP1A2*1 C/*1 C or CYP1A2*3/*3 genotypes might be at high risk of toxicity with some drugs and some diseases compared to others as these genotypes are associated with the slowest phenotype status. Consequently, genetic testing is recommended prior to prescribing medications that are largely metabolized by CYP1A2 or NAT2. Gap filled: This is the first detailed study of CYP1A2 and NAT2 alleles and genotypes among Emiratis

A Suggested Program for Developing Teaching Writing Skills of Secondary School Teachers in Khan Younis Governorate

A Suggested Program for Developing Teaching Writing Skills of Secondary School Teachers in Khan Younis Governorat

The Effect of Marketing Deceptive Practices on the Organizational Mental Image from Customer Viewpoint (Analytical Study of the Insurance Industry)

الهدف من هذه الدراسة هو التطرق لمفهوم الخداع والتضليل التسويقي في واحد من أهم أنشطة الشركات وهو النشاط التسويقي والذي يعتبر الشريان الذي تعتمد عليه الشركات في عملية التمويل وكذلك عن طريقه يمكن للشركات أن تتواصل بشكل مباشر مع الزبائن، هذا النشاط يخفي في طياته العديد من الممارسات التسويقية التي تعتبر خادعة أو تعمل على تضليل المستهلك ، فتناولت هذه الدراسة عرض مكونات المزيج التسويقي وكيف يمكن أن تتضمن كل منها ممارسات مضللة أو خادعة، فالعديد من المسوقين يعمدون الى التلاعب بعناصر المزيج التسويقي بقصد تغيير سلوك الزبائن وتوجهاتهم لتحقيق اكبر ربح ممكن في اقل وقت، وقد ركزت الدراسة على العديد من العوامل التي تساعد على تلك الممارسات بالاضافة الى الطرق التي يتم عن طريقها الخداع التسويقي وتأثير هذه الممارسات على التصورات التي تتشكل في اذهان الزبائن عن شركات التأمين فكان من أهم أهداف الدراسة اثبات أن هناك علاقة ارتباط وتأثير بين ابعاد الخداع التسويقي وابعاد الصورة الذهنية للمنظمة بالاعتماد على التحليلات الاحصائية للبيانات الاولية الخاصة بالدراسة التي تم جمعها عن طريق أستمارة الاستبيان التي جرى اعدادها لهذا الغرض من خلال توزيعها على عينة عشوائية قصدية مكونة من 225 فرد من زبائن شركات التأمين العاملة في سوق التأمين في العراق. وقد أظهرت أهـم النتائج التي توصلت اليها الدراسة أن الخداع التسويقي الذي يمارس من خلال عناصر المزيج التسويقي الخدمي وفي جميع تلك العناصر يؤثر على الصورة الذهنية التي يحملها الزبائن تجاه المنظمة بشكل سلبي وبنسب متفاوتة . وقد قدمت الدراسة جملة من التوصيات يأتي في مقدمتها ضرورة توعية المسوقين والشركات الى خطورة الممارسات الخادعة على الشركة في الامد الطويل، وكذلك الاهتمام بالصورة الذهنية التي يحملها الزبائن تجاه شركات التأمين لان لها تاثير على تكوين انطباعات ايجابية تجاه الشركة وبالتالي عدم خسارة زبائن الشركة وكذلك كسب ثقة الافراد الاخرين الذين يبحثون عن تامين وبالتالي زيادة الحصة السوقية للشركة من خلال سمعتها في سوق التأمين.  This study aimed to address the concept of deceptive marketing in the most important activity of companies, i.e., marketing, which is the lifeline on which companies depend on the process of financing and product selling. Additionally, through marketing, companies can communicate directly with customers, and this activity includes marketing practices that are deceptive or misleading. The study dealt with the presentation of the components of the marketing mix, and how each component can include deceptive or misleading practices. Marketers practice customer manipulation with the intention of changing customers' behavior and attitudes towards achieving the greatest possible profit in lesser time. With the spread of marketing deception and marketing fraud in various areas, the phenomenon is growing not only in product marketing but also in service marketing, especially insurance services, as many marketers and sales representatives believe that success and profit-making are associated with those practices. The study addressed many factors facilitating these practices, as well as the ways in which marketing deception is practiced and the impact of such practice on the perceptions that form in the minds of customers about companies. One of the most important objectives of the study was to substantiate the relationship between the dimensions of marketing deception and the dimensions of the mental image of the organization by relying on the statistical analysis of the initial data of the study, which was collected through questionnaire that was prepared for this purpose and distributed to a random sample of 225 customers of insurance companies operating in the insurance market in Iraq.   The most important findings of the study show that deceptive marketing practiced through the service marketing mix, among other dimensions, affects the mental image that the customers hold towards the organization in negative and varying ways. This study presents a number of recommendations, the foremost of which is the necessity of educating marketers and companies about the negativity of deceptive practices on the company in the long term, as well as paying attention to the mental image held by customers towards the insurance companies because of its impact on the formation of positive impressions towards the company, and thus increasing market share of the company through its reputation in the insurance  market . &nbsp

Nausea and vomiting as major presenting symptoms of thyrotoxicosis after bilateral adrenalectomy for Cushing's disease

Thyrotoxicosis has a variety of presentations which depend on its severity and duration, as well as the age of the patient. In elderly patients, thyrotoxicosis may present with a variety of nonspecific symptoms. Nausea and vomiting as major presenting symptoms of thyrotoxicosis have rarely been reported. Thyrotoxicosis after adrenalectomy in patients with Cushing's syndrome and normal thyroid function, or with autoimmune thyroid dysfunction has rarely been reported previously. We describe a very rare case of an elderly patient with hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis who presented with persistent nausea and vomiting as major presenting symptoms of thyrotoxicosis, which developed after bilateral adrenalectomy for Cushing's disease. Similar case has not been reported previously. In reporting this patient we aim at drawing attention to these forgotten symptoms of thyrotoxicosis, nausea and vomiting, and to emphasize that, at times, these symptoms may be the only presenting features of thyrotoxicosis, leading to considerable difficulty in diagnosis. Furthermore, cessation of glucocorticoid excess may sometimes be accompanied with thyrotoxicosis

El feminismo en Virginia Woolf (Una habitación propia, 1929) y Samiha Khreis (Cuadernos del diluvio, 2003)

[Resumen] Este trabajo pretende arrojar la luz sobre el feminismo, entendido como un conjunto de teorías y prácticas de autoafirmación, con las que múltiples culturas se entrelazan en torno a los derechos de las mujeres. Con un enfoque comparado, se presentan las ideas feministas en el ensayo literario A Room of One’s Own (1929), de la escritora británica Virginia Woolf; y en la novela Dafatir Al-Toufan (2003) de la escritora jordana Samiha Khreis. Tras una breve contextualización histórica y cultural, se pone atención en la influencia de las religiones en los feminismos oriental y occidental. Se aborda la representación literaria de la mujer occidental y sus reivindicaciones a principios del s. XX; y la de la mujer oriental árabe y la lucha por sus derechos a principios del s. XXI. Por último se comentan los puntos en que las obras convergen o divergen, de manera que se ponga en evidencia, acompañada de una breve reflexión sobre las luchas feministas, lo que hay de común o no entre movimientos socio-culturales reflejados en la literatura, por encima de fronteras y marcos temporales y culturales[Abstract] This work aims to shed light on feminism, understood as a set of theories and practices of self affirmation, with which multiple cultures are intertwined around women's rights. With a comparative approach, feminist ideas are presented in the literary essay A Room of One's Own (1929), by the British writer Virginia Woolf; and in the novel Dafatir Al-Toufan (2003) by the Jordanian writer Samiha Khreis. After a brief historical and cultural contextualization, attention is paid to the influence of religions on Eastern and Western feminisms. The literary representation of Western women and their claims at the beginning of the s. XX; and that of the Arab oriental woman and the fight for her rights at the beginning of the s. XXI. Finally, the points in which the works converge or diverge are commented, so as to put in evidence, accompanied by a brief reflection on the feminist struggles, what there is in common or not between socio-cultural movements reflected in the literature, for above borders and temporal and cultural frameworksTraballo fin de mestrado (UDC.FIL). Literatura, cultura e diversidade. Curso 2021/202

Preferred Learning Styles in Kindergarten Students by the Viewpoint of their Mothers' and Teachers'

One of the most important uses of learning styles is that it makes it easy for teachers and parents to incorporate them into their teaching. There are different learning styles. Three of the most popular in kindergartens grades (KG 1); ones are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic in which students take in information. Some students are visual learners, while others are auditory or kinesthetic learners. While students use all of their senses to take in information, they seem to have preferences in how they learn best. In order to help students learn, teachers and parents need to teach as many of these preferences as possible. This study is investigated of learning styles for Jordan Society, (465) mothers, and (74) females teachers completed (LSI) to determine if their children / students preferred learning styles auditory, visual or kinesthetic. The finding showed that the children's preferred auditory learning style by the viewpoint of his mothers. Therefore, the teachers stated that visual learning style is preferred in kindergartens grades (KG 1) students. The purpose of this study is to increase awareness and understanding of the effect of mother's education, gender, and environment on learning styles. A review of the literature will determine how learning styles affect the teaching process. Keywords: Learning styles, Auditory, Visual, Kinesthetic, Gender, mother's education

Nexus between energy pricing and carbon emission. A policy mix response of developing economies

The study utilised a data set of South Asian countries of energy pricing (E.P.), carbon emission, and policy mix between 1990 and 2020. A comprehensive set of models from econometric such as fixed effect (F.E.), and panel quantile regression (P.Q.R.) is used to determine the relationship between underline indicators. Furthermore, the T.O.P.S.I.S. method from operational research was applied to determine the efficiency level of these factors in the South Asian region. E.P. and carbon emission are contributing positively to the process of household consumption (H.C.). In the policy mix scenario, H.C. is positively associated with inflation while negatively with the tax rate. Furthermore, the outcomes of the T.O.P.S.I.S. indicate that Bhutan is performing efficiently in the said parameters followed by Pakistan, while India’s performance is not impressive in this regard. This study can be helpful to policymakers for effective energy demand planning, conservation, and frame policies that would ensure sustainable H.C. and serve as motivation to search for alternative energy sources to meet the growing energy demand

Re-sequencing of the APOAI promoter region and the genetic association of the -75G > A polymorphism with increased cholesterol and low density lipoprotein levels among a sample of the Kuwaiti population

BACKGROUND: APOAI, a member of the APOAI/CIII/IV/V gene cluster on chromosome 11q23-24, encodes a major protein component of HDL that has been associated with serum lipid levels. The aim of this study was to determine the genetic association of polymorphisms in the APOAI promoter region with plasma lipid levels in a cohort of healthy Kuwaiti volunteers. METHODS: A 435 bp region of the APOAI promoter was analyzed by re-sequencing in 549 Kuwaiti samples. DNA was extracted from blood taken from 549 healthy Kuwaiti volunteers who had fasted for the previous 12 h. Univariate and multivariate analysis was used to determine allele association with serum lipid levels. RESULTS: The target sequence included a partial segment of the promoter region, 5’UTR and exon 1 located between nucleotides −141 to +294 upstream of the APOAI gene on chromosome 11. No novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were observed. The sequences obtained were deposited with the NCBI GenBank with accession number [GenBank: JX438706]. The allelic frequencies for the three SNPs were as follows: APOAI rs670G = 0.807; rs5069C = 0.964; rs1799837G = 0.997 and found to be in HWE. A significant association (p < 0.05) was observed for the APOAI rs670 polymorphism with increased serum LDL-C. Multivariate analysis showed that APOAI rs670 was an independent predictive factor when controlling for age, sex and BMI for both LDL-C (OR: 1.66, p = 0.014) and TC (OR: 1.77, p = 0.006) levels. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to report sequence analysis of the APOAI promoter in an Arab population. The unexpected positive association found between the APOAI rs670 polymorphism and increased levels of LDL-C and TC may be due to linkage disequilibrium with other polymorphisms in candidate and neighboring genes known to be associated with lipid metabolism and transport

Optimal Sizing of Photovoltaic Irrigation Water Pumping System in Samara

Water pumping from wells and rivers for irrigation is a well established procedure on many farms in Iraq and is practical on various levels around the world. Typical irrigation systems consume a great amount of conventional energy through the use of electric motors and generators powered by fuel. The overall objective of this research was to determine the feasibility of using photovoltaic (PV) modules to power a water pump for a small-scale irrigation system in the North-West of Iraq (Samara). The study involved field observations, simulations of global solar radiation and PV electrical output. Field observations involved an installation of 24-monocrystaline silicon PV modules as shown in figure (1). This system was installed to give maximum power equal to (1960 watt) with maximum open circuit voltage (Voc = 175 volts) and maximum short circuit ( Isc= 14 Amp ). This module was connected to the pump via a charge controller and AC inverter. The parameters monitored were voltage, current, back-of-panel temperature, pressure, and flow. These observed parameters were used to determine PV electrical output and volume of water pumped. Site latitude, elevation, and panel tilt were applied to the solar radiation and PV electrical output models. PV electrical output and volume of water pumped were monitored between January 2000 and December 2000. As expected, an increase in power causes an increase in the volume of water pumped