Technological Advancements Of Order Fulfillment With The Utilization Of Business Process Management: A Business Practicum Of Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

This thesis reflects the evolution of order fulfillment at Lowe’s Companies, Inc. with the aid of business process management from an intern’s perspective. In retail, the process of order fulfillment changes almost daily, which makes it very difficult to keep information systems that manage these operations up to date. However, until the recent CEO of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. was brought in, the company had failed to update its technological systems for order fulfillment in an effective way. The study presents managerial insights into the technological advancements being implemented at Lowe’s Companies, Inc., with an emphasis on the new order management system (OMS) that they are creating to support their order fulfillment. Further, recommendations are given for ways the company can continue to succeed

Effects of myrmecochore species abundance, diversity, and fruiting phenology on Aphaenogaster (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) nesting and foraging in southern Appalachian rich cove forests

In forests of the southern Appalachians, myrmecochory, or ant-mediated seed dispersal, is a diffuse mutualism between more than 42 species of plants and ants of the genus Aphaenogaster. Myrmecochores produce lipid-rich appendages on their seeds called elaiosomes, a reward that attracts Aphaenogaster ants and facilitates dispersal. Since myrmecochores set seed from March to September, forests with higher myrmecochore diversity may provide a more continuous source of elaiosomes for Aphaenogaster ants, likely affecting foraging and nesting behavior. I compared myrmecochore abundance and diversity among three forest ages (young, middle-aged and mature) and tested for correlations between herb community dynamics and Aphaenogaster foraging behavior, nest colonization, and elaiosome availability. I paired artificial ant nests with bait stations that I provisioned with tuna in temporal patterns to mimic patterns of theoretical elaiosome availability in communities with low myrmecochore diversity and high myrmecochore diversity.Higher myrmecochore abundance and higher soil temperature marginally correlated with increased Aphaenogaster foraging. Myrmecochore diversity measures among forest ages were not significantly different, and varying availability of resource did not affect foraging or nesting behavior. Higher soil moisture in mature forests may explain why the majority of colonized nests appeared in mature forests. Fruit phenology showed elaiosomes were more consistently available in middle-aged forests; however, this greater availability was not correlated with myrmecochore species diversity or abundance, and did not affect Aphaenogaster nesting or foraging. My results suggest Aphaenogaster dynamics are influenced more by moisture and temperature than by resource availability. The lack of significant differences in diversity among forest ages precludes measuring the effects of diversity on either elaiosome availability or on Aphaenogaster dynamics. However, my results support current research showing elaiosomes provide a supplement to resources preferred by Aphaenogaster ants

Comparative analysis of the religious orientation and spiritual and character development of Christian student-athletes at a Christian university and a secular university: an exploratory study

Program evaluation is an essential part of the ongoing success of any organization. Program evaluations can be done for entire organizations or for any entity within that organization. Christian university athletic programs need to be evaluated frequently to assess whether the organization is fulfilling its goals and objectives. This study sought to find a correlation between a Christian university athletic department’s curriculum for its student-athletes and the spiritual orientations that these student-athletes exhibited as a component of program evaluation. This was done through a two-phase approach which was duplicated on a secular campus for comparative purposes. First, the goals, objectives and outcomes of the university’s spiritual and character development curriculum was assessed through qualitative data received from interviews from key university personnel and from student data collected from demographic forms. Secondly, quantitative data was compiled through the use of the Revised Religious Life Inventory (Hills, Francis and Robbins, 2004). This survey has 24 items and uses a nine point scale for each question. This survey has three subscales that seek to determine a person’s spiritual orientation. The first category would receive the lowest total mean score and is called intrinsic orientation, which refers to people who live their religion; the second category would receive a higher total mean and is called quest, which means that a person is questioning his or her faith; and the third category has the highest total mean and is called extrinsic, which is a person who uses religion. This study also looked for differences in gender results between the two campuses. The N for the Christian university was 322, with 209 men and 113 women; and the N for the secular university was 58, with 41 men and 17 women. The findings of this study from the interviews provided qualitative data that showed a distinct difference between the two universities in the spiritual and character curricula and the ensuing outcomes in the student body responses. Overall the intrinsic qualitative responses in the interviews were 93% and just 7% extrinsic, compared to the secular university which had 67% intrinsic statements and 33% extrinsic. Neither interview group made statements that could be coded in the quest category. The students made two types of qualitative responses on the demographics forms. The first was in relation to how the curricula affected them in their spiritual and character growth, and the second related to their involvement in Christian activities. The percentage of students leaving remarks on the form at the Christian university was 70% versus those leaving remarks at the secular university of 30%. The remarks that students gave were codified as intrinsic, extrinsic and quest. The Christian university remarks were 41% intrinsic, 24% extrinsic and 21% quest. The secular university results were 11% intrinsic, 78% extrinsic, and 2% quest. The findings of this study for the quantitative data also showed a significant difference between the two groups of Christian student-athletes on the respective campuses. A 2 x 2 ANOVA was computed to compare the two schools and gender mean scores. The analysis indicated that there was a significant difference between the two means. Therefore, there is a significant difference between the two universities in terms of spiritual orientation; the Christian university shows greater intrinsic orientation than the secular university. A 2 x 2 ANOVA was computed to compare male and female students and the two universities on the total scores of the Revised Religious Life Inventory. There was a significant difference between the two university means (F = 35.38, p 0.05). A 2 x 2 MANOVA also was computed to compare male and female students and the two universities on the three subsets of the Revised Religious Life Inventory: Intrinsic, Extrinsic, and Quest orientations. A significant multivariate F (Wilk’s Lambda)was found for the university variable (F = 36.94, p 0.10). A significant multivariate F (Wilk’s Lambda) indicated that there was an interaction effect between gender and university variables (F = 2.8, p < 0.05). Because of the interaction effects, interpretation of the findings solely focused on gender differences within each of the university groups. This study concluded that there are significant differences between those student athletes on a Christian university campus compared to a secular university campus in relation to spiritual orientation with those on the Christian campus scoring higher in the area of intrinsic orientation

Midday measurements of leaf water potential and stomatal conductance are highly correlated with daily water use of Thompson Seedless grapevines

A study was conducted to determine the relationship between midday measurements of vine water status and daily water use of grapevines measured with a weighing lysimeter. Water applications to the vines were terminated on August 24th for 9 days and again on September 14th for 22 days. Daily water use of the vines in the lysimeter (ETLYS) was approximately 40 L vine−1 (5.3 mm) prior to turning the pump off, and it decreased to 22.3 L vine−1 by September 2nd. Pre-dawn leaf water potential (ΨPD) and midday Ψl on August 24th were −0.075 and −0.76 MPa, respectively, with midday Ψl decreasing to −1.28 MPa on September 2nd. Leaf g s decreased from ~500 to ~200 mmol m−2 s−1 during the two dry-down periods. Midday measurements of g s and Ψl were significantly correlated with one another (r = 0.96) and both with ETLYS/ETo (r = ~0.9). The decreases in Ψl, g s, and ETLYS/ETo in this study were also a linear function of the decrease in volumetric soil water content. The results indicate that even modest water stress can greatly reduce grapevine water use and that short-term measures of vine water status taken at midday are a reflection of daily grapevine water us

Troppo - A Python framework for the reconstruction of context-specific metabolic models

The surge in high-throughput technology availability for molecular biology has enabled the development of powerful predictive tools for use in many applications, including (but not limited to) the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases such as cancer. Genome-scale metabolic models have shown some promise in clearing a path towards precise and personalized medicine, although some challenges still persist. The integration of omics data and subsequent creation of context-specific models for specific cells/tissues still poses a significant hurdle, and most current tools for this purpose have been implemented using proprietary software. Here, we present a new software tool developed in Python, troppo - Tissue-specific RecOnstruction and Phenotype Prediction using Omics data, implementing a large variety of context-specific reconstruction algorithms. Our framework and workflow are modular, which facilitates the development of newer algorithms or omics data sources.This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2019 unit and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. The authors also thank the PhD scholarships funded by national funds through Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, with references: SFRH/BD/133248/2017 (J.F.), SFRH/BD/118657/2016 (V.V.).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Current Crisis in Emergency Care and the Impact on Disaster Preparedness

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Homeland Security Act (HSA) of 2002 provided for the designation of a critical infrastructure protection program. This ultimately led to the designation of emergency services as a targeted critical infrastructure. In the context of an evolving crisis in hospital-based emergency care, the extent to which federal funding has addressed disaster preparedness will be examined.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>After 9/11, federal plans, procedures and benchmarks were mandated to assure a unified, comprehensive disaster response, ranging from local to federal activation of resources. Nevertheless, insufficient federal funding has contributed to a long-standing counter-trend which has eroded emergency medical care. The causes are complex and multifactorial, but they have converged to present a severely overburdened system that regularly exceeds emergency capacity and capabilities. This constant acute overcrowding, felt in communities all across the country, indicates a nation at risk. Federal funding has not sufficiently prioritized the improvements necessary for an emergency care infrastructure that is critical for an all hazards response to disaster and terrorist emergencies.</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>Currently, the nation is unable to meet presidential preparedness mandates for emergency and disaster care. Federal funding strategies must therefore be re-prioritized and targeted in a way that reasonably and consistently follows need.</p

Variant-dependent heterogeneity in amyloid β burden in autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of an observational study

Background: Insights gained from studying individuals with autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease have broadly influenced mechanistic hypotheses, biomarker development, and clinical trials in both sporadic and dominantly inherited Alzheimer's disease. Although pathogenic variants causing autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease are highly penetrant, there is substantial heterogeneity in levels of amyloid β (Aβ) between individuals. We aimed to examine whether this heterogeneity is related to disease progression and to investigate the association with mutation location within PSEN1, PSEN2, or APP. Methods: We did cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of data from the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer's Network (DIAN) observational study, which enrols individuals from families affected by autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease. 340 participants in the DIAN study who were aged 18 years or older, had a history of autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease in their family, and who were enrolled between September, 2008, and June, 2019, were included in our analysis. 206 participants were carriers of pathogenic mutations in PSEN1, PSEN2, or APP, and 134 were non-carriers. 62 unique pathogenic variants were identified in the cohort and were grouped in two ways. First, we sorted variants in PSEN1, PSEN2, or APP by the affected protein domain. Second, we divided PSEN1 variants according to position before or after codon 200. We examined variant-dependent variability in Aβ biomarkers, specifically Pittsburgh-Compound-B PET (PiB-PET) signal, levels of CSF Aβ1-42 (Aβ42), and levels of Aβ1-40 (Aβ40). Findings: Cortical and striatal PiB-PET signal showed striking variant-dependent variability using both grouping approaches (p0·7), and CSF Aβ42 levels (codon-based grouping: p=0·49; domain-based grouping: p=0·095). Longitudinal PiB-PET signal also varied across codon-based groups, mirroring cross-sectional analyses. Interpretation: Autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease pathogenic variants showed highly differential temporal and regional patterns of PiB-PET signal, despite similar functional progression. These findings suggest that although increased PiB-PET signal is generally seen in autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease, higher levels of PiB-PET signal at an individual level might not reflect more severe or more advanced disease. Our results have high relevance for ongoing clinical trials in autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease, including those using Aβ PET as a surrogate marker of disease progression. Additionally, and pertinent to both sporadic and autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease, our results suggest that CSF and PET measures of Aβ levels are not interchangeable and might reflect different Aβ-driven pathobiological processes. Funding: National Institute on Aging, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Japanese Agency for Medical Research and Development

Location of pathogenic variants in PSEN1 impacts progression of cognitive, clinical, and neurodegenerative measures in autosomal-dominant Alzheimer's disease

Although pathogenic variants in PSEN1 leading to autosomal-dominant Alzheimer disease (ADAD) are highly penetrant, substantial interindividual variability in the rates of cognitive decline and biomarker change are observed in ADAD. We hypothesized that this interindividual variability may be associated with the location of the pathogenic variant within PSEN1. PSEN1 pathogenic variant carriers participating in the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) observational study were grouped based on whether the underlying variant affects a transmembrane (TM) or cytoplasmic (CY) protein domain within PSEN1. CY and TM carriers and variant non-carriers (NC) who completed clinical evaluation, multimodal neuroimaging, and lumbar puncture for collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as part of their participation in DIAN were included in this study. Linear mixed effects models were used to determine differences in clinical, cognitive, and biomarker measures between the NC, TM, and CY groups. While both the CY and TM groups were found to have similarly elevated Aβ compared to NC, TM carriers had greater cognitive impairment, smaller hippocampal volume, and elevated phosphorylated tau levels across the spectrum of pre-symptomatic and symptomatic phases of disease as compared to CY, using both cross-sectional and longitudinal data. As distinct portions of PSEN1 are differentially involved in APP processing by γ-secretase and the generation of toxic β-amyloid species, these results have important implications for understanding the pathobiology of ADAD and accounting for a substantial portion of the interindividual heterogeneity in ongoing ADAD clinical trials

Pavlovian Reward Prediction and Receipt in Schizophrenia: Relationship to Anhedonia

Reward processing abnormalities have been implicated in the pathophysiology of negative symptoms such as anhedonia and avolition in schizophrenia. However, studies examining neural responses to reward anticipation and receipt have largely relied on instrumental tasks, which may confound reward processing abnormalities with deficits in response selection and execution. 25 chronic, medicated outpatients with schizophrenia and 20 healthy controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging using a Pavlovian reward prediction paradigm with no response requirements. Subjects passively viewed cues that predicted subsequent receipt of monetary reward or non-reward, and blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal was measured at the time of cue presentation and receipt. At the group level, neural responses to both reward anticipation and receipt were largely similar between groups. At the time of cue presentation, striatal anticipatory responses did not differ between patients and controls. Right anterior insula demonstrated greater activation for nonreward than reward cues in controls, and for reward than nonreward cues in patients. At the time of receipt, robust responses to receipt of reward vs. nonreward were seen in striatum, midbrain, and frontal cortex in both groups. Furthermore, both groups demonstrated responses to unexpected versus expected outcomes in cortical areas including bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Individual difference analyses in patients revealed an association between physical anhedonia and activity in ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex during anticipation of reward, in which greater anhedonia severity was associated with reduced activation to money versus no-money cues. In ventromedial prefrontal cortex, this relationship held among both controls and patients, suggesting a relationship between anticipatory activity and anhedonia irrespective of diagnosis. These findings suggest that in the absence of response requirements, brain responses to reward receipt are largely intact in medicated individuals with chronic schizophrenia, while reward anticipation responses in left ventral striatum are reduced in those patients with greater anhedonia severity