Joint of QFD & DEA & Supply Chain

SCM is both a theory and an applied style. That's an approach that reduces cost or saves money for increasing customer satisfaction. Nowadays, the progress of technologies is faster than in the past. So, it seems to be very necessary that the supply chain has to convert to a supply network. Therefore, the use of several techniques such as QFD&DEA can progressively control and evaluate a company to compete with other companies. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a powerful tool that translates the Voice of the Customer (VoC) into the Engineering Characteristics (ECs). Their important criterion is customer satisfaction. One part of QFD matrix that compares competitors, is called benchmarking. This part helps a company in decision making and choosing strategies. Also, to use of Data Envelopment Analyses (DEA) models (especially CCR), transshipment process etc. from identification of business process types, Inputs/Outputs, until identification of optimal transshipment and deployment plans of Supply Chain Network. This paper presents a suggestion of a systematic method accompanied by a short review of joint of techniques.Supply Chain, Supply Network, Benchmarking, QFD, DEA, Systematic Method

Study of the effects of oligosaccharides in liquid cultures of penicillium chrysogenum

Oligosaccharides and polysaccharides have different effects on the morphology and production of secondary metabolites by Penicillium chrysogenum P2 (ATCC 48271). Addition Of oligosaccharides, derived from sodium alginate and locust bean gum, to submerged cultures of P. chrysogenum P2, at milligram per litre concentration (150 mgL-1), increased secondary metabolite levels and spore production, caused changes in morphology and gerRiination of spores, and affected the production of Reactive Oxygen Species. The source of the oligosaccharides controlled their effects on the cultures. Oligosaccharides when added to submerged cultures of P. chrysogenum P2 increased both penicillin G and extracellular levels of 6-aminopenicillanic acid concentrations. The oligosaccharides had no significant effects on biomass levels. Locust bean gum-derived oligosaccharides (mannan oligosaccharides, DP 5-8), showed the highest levels of enhancement in both penicillin G and 6-aminopenicillanic acid concentrations. Sodium alginate-derived oligosaccharides, (oligoguluronate, DP 7 and oligomannuronate, DP 7), also induced elicitation of penicillin G and 6-aminopenicillanic acid. Oligomannuronate was shown to be more effective than oligoguluronate. In P. chrysogenum P2 cultures mannan, oligomannuronate and oligoguluronate oligosaccharides enhanced yields of penicillin G by 101%, 78% and 59%, respectively. Addition of mannan, oligomannuronate and oligoguluronate oligosaccharides enhanced the levels of 6- aminopenicillanic acid by 39%, 26% and 19%, respectively. The addition of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides to spores of P. chrysogenum P2 in liquid medium had varying (inhibitory or stimulatory) effects on germination, germ-tube and clump development. The addition of oligosaccharides to submerged cultures of P. chrysogenum P2 showed effects on clump size and hyphal tip numbers. Mannan oligosaccharides had the greatest effect on morphology followed by oligomannuronate and oligoguluronate oligosaccharides. Oligosaccharides also speeded-up the sporulation and increased the concentration of spores of P. chrysogenum P2 in liquid cultures. Mannan oligosaccharides had the greatest effect followed by oligomannuronate and oligoguluronate oligosaccharides. 8-aminonaphthalene-1,3,6-trisulphonate-tagged oligosaccharide studies showed that the oligosaccharides pass through the cell wall of P. chrysogenum P2 suggesting a possible mechanism through modulation of gene function. The elicitation pattern was shown to be similar to untagged oligosaccharides. Oligosaccharides and polysaccharides were shown to inhibit production of Reactive Oxygen Species in P. chrysogenum P2. The highest level of inhibition was elicited by mannan followed by oligornannuronate and oligoguluronate oligosaccharides, and then locust bean gum and alginate. The results of the study showed the potential of oligosaccharides as elicitors of secondary metabolites in P. chrysogenum P2 as a filamentous fungus model. Understanding the elicitation mechanism could provide routes for ftirther exploitation of the potential of filamentous fungi in production of commercial products

Regional early-stage entrepreneurship in the European Union

Purpose: Entrepreneurship is often viewed as a driver of the global economy. However, previous research on the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth shows contradictory results depending on the research settings. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how early-stage entrepreneurship - including only enterprises that are less than three and a half years old - affects regional economic growth in the European Union. Methodology: The methodology includes three methods: bivariate correlation, fixed effects regression with region and time fixed effects and spatial fixed effects regression. The panel sample consists of 273 NUTS 2 regions between 2008 and 2017. Results: The results support the hypothesis of this research and show that early-stage entrepreneurship has a mild positive effect on the economic growth of European regions. However, the potential bidirectional nature of this relationship obliterates the ability to comment on the causality of this link. The percentage of people in the active population employed in human resources in science and technology and gross fixed capital formation have a significant and impactful effect on regional GDP. Conclusion: The conclusion can be drawn that the effect of early-stage entrepreneurship on regional economic growth is conditioned by the population density of the region. Although these results show that enterprises founded in densely populated areas such as cities and metropolitan areas tend to have a larger effect on the regional economy, the results are ambiguous

KLINIČKO LABORATORIJSKE KORELACIJE I KOMUNIKACIJSKO DIJAGNOSTIČKI PROCES

Clinical-laboratory correlations are the most important part of everyday practice in the era of modern clinical medicine. It is based on the successful functioning of the patient-physician (clinician)-laboratory triangle. Laboratory or other diagnostic tests do not define specific clinical entity or disease; however, they are very useful to make decision related to complicated diagnostic procedures and therapies. Each clinical diagnostic process begins with medical history and physical examination where the doctor uses professional and communication skills. This is followed by setting of the working diagnosis and differential diagnosis. Finally, laboratory tests should help in successful diagnosis and treatment. Daily communication between clinicians and laboratory professionals is very important, and teamwork guidelines are based on modern technological achievements, which is the main postulate for effective diagnostic procedures and treatment. Translational medicine has been developed rapidly in the past ten years, representing a two-way communication between basic science and clinical practice. Discovery of biomarkers and different new molecular pathways in the pathogenesis of disease has enabled early detection of disease when it could not be detected by other standard diagnostic methods. This should lead to more successful diagnosis and treatment.U modernoj medicini kliničko laboratorijske korelacije dio su svakodnevne prakse i temelje se na uspješnom funkcioniranju trokuta bolesnik–liječnik– laboratorij. Laboratorijsko-dijagnostičke pretrage ne definiraju pojedini klinički entitet, ali pomažu kliničaru u donošenju daljnjih složenijih dijagnostičkih procedura i terapijskih odluka. Svaki kliničko-dijagnostički proces započinje anamnezom i fizikalnim pregledom gdje se liječnik koristi stručnim i komunikacijskim vještinama. Nakon stvaranja radne dijagnoze i diferencijalnih dijagnoza odabiru se laboratorijske pretrage koje trebaju pomoći u što bržem i uspješnijem dijagnosticiranju bolesnikovog problema – bolesti. Svakodnevna komunikacija kliničara i laboratorijskih stručnjaka, donošenje smjernica timskim radom utemeljenih na suvremenim tehnološkim dostignućima preduvjet su uspješnog dijagnostičkog procesa i liječenja. Translacijska medicina se razvija zadnjih desetak godina i predstavlja dvosmjernu komunikaciju između bazičnih znanosti i kliničkih struka. Otkriće biomarkera i molekularnih puteva u nastanku bolesti omogućava ranije otkrivanje bolesti kada se ne može otkriti standardnim metodama. To bi trebalo pripomoći u uspješnijem dijagnosticiranju bolesti i liječenju oboljelih

Innovation in commercialization of pelagic fish: the example of "Srdela Snack" Franchise

The consumption of fish in Croatia is relatively low for a Mediterranean country. One of the main reasons for this is the inadequate supply of fish. The supply of fish is usually limited to expensive species of whitefish, while the supply of pelagic fish is very scarce. Pelagic fish can rarely be found in restaurants, and in the fish- markets it reaches very high prices. The basic goal of the project "Srdela Snack" (srdela - Croatian word for sardine) was to set up and test a new model of commercialization of pelagic fish through franchise "fast - food" outlets. In the paper we will describe the concept of this new model which includes the whole distribution channel, from fishermen, through processors, restaurants to consumers. In this model fishermen supply fresh pelagic fish to approved restaurant s (members of the franchise) which prepare the fish according to traditional recipes. In this way a completely new product is introduced in the Croatian market. The main idea was to offer a high- quality, simple and convenient meals made of pelagic fish from the Croatian Adriatic. This model of commercialization of pelagic fish was tested through a pilot project. In the pilot project the standards of food quality were determined, the traditional recipes for preparing the food were selected, and the menu, consisting entirely of pelagic fish dishes was made. Finally, the logo of the franchise restaurant was designed. The test restaurant was opened in the summer 2004. The visitors of the restaurant participated in a survey which was used to determine the degree of their satisfaction with the new product and the new model of pelagic fish commercialization. The results of the survey showed that there is a strong demand for pelagic fish in the Croatian market. Most of the interviewed consumers liked the new product; they consider it very healthy, affordable, tasty, and typical for Mediterranean and Croatia. Fishermen and restaurant - owners also showed a great interest for this new model of commercialization because it could provide them with a bigger income. Since the results of the pilot project showed that this kind of innovation in the distribution channel is very successful, this model of franchise restaurants offering pelagic fish "fast - food" can be implemented on the national level.Innovation, Commercialization, Pelagic fish, Franchise, Agribusiness,

Evolutionary conundrum of RNase P: from a catalytic RNA form to a protein only enzyme form

RNaza P je esencijalna endonukleaza koja katalizira procesiranje 5'-vodećeg slijeda pre-tRNA. Postoje dva tipa RNaze P: RNA-ovisni enzim tj ribonukleoprotein te isključivo proteinska RNaza P (PRORP). Oba oblika koriste sličan mehanizam katalize i prepoznavanja supstrata te je nedavno otkriveno da isključivo proteinski oblik postoji u svim domenama života, a ne samo kod eukariota, što je dovelo do pitanja zašto su oba oblika RNaze P opstala i koji je oblik onda zapravo ancestralni. Istraživanja komponenti ribonukleoproteinskog oblika RNaze P otkrila su da osim što ovaj enzim ima ulogu katalize procesiranje pre-tRNA, njegove podjedinice sudjeluju u mnogim drugim biokemijskim procesima koji su bitni za normalno funkcioniranje stanice zbog čega je njegov opstanak u stanici esencijalan. RNP oblici RNaze P u svim domenama života imaju visoko očuvano aktivno mjesto katalize, za razliku od PRORP oblika koji ne dijele nikakvu sličnost. Ove činjenice ukazuju na to da je RNP oblik ancestralni, a da su PRORP oblici kasnije neovisno konvergentno evoluirali. Evolucijska priča RNaze P veoma je kompleksna i postoje mnoga nagađanja kako se odvijala, no pravi odgovor još uvijek ostaje enigmaRNase P is an essential endonuclease responsible for catalyzing 5’ end maturation of pre-tRNAs. Two types of RNase P enzymes exist: RNA-dependent enzymes (ribonucleoproteins) and protein-only RNase Ps (PRORP). A recent discovery that both types of RNase P exist in all domains of life and that both types use a similar mechanism for catalysis and substrate recognition, inspires questions relating to the ancestral form of RNase P as well as to the reasoning for retention of both types in contemporary organisms. The protein components of RNA-dependent enzymes are not only involved in the catalyzes of 5' end maturation but they also play an important role in various biochemical processes in the cell. This may provide a plausible explanation why the retention of these proteins is essential. The active site of the RNA-dependent type of RNase P is universally conserved in all domains of life, unlike the active site of the protein only types of RNase P which greatly varies. This suggests that the RNA-dependent type of RNase P is the ancestral form and that the diverse PRORP forms convergently evolved afterwards. The evolutionary story of RNase P is very complex and there are many speculations on how RNase P evolved but the real answer is still not clear

Behaviour of Fruit and Vegetable Buyers on the City Markets in Croatia

Better knowledge of the consumer is the presumption for preparing the efficacious selling concept. Our research is limited on the preferences, requests, habits and attitudes of the consumers which are buying fruit and vegetable on the city markets in Croatia. The main goal of this research is identification and description of the different market segments based on the relevant buying characteristics of the consumers, that is their psychological, geographic and socio-demographic characteristics. The result of this research will be used as basis for the target marketing. We used mail survey method with structured questionnaire in this research. The survey was made in June 2000 on the random sample of 1000 buyers on the city markets in Zagreb, Rijeka, Split and Osijek. From 1000 questionnaires 568 were returned, 475 of them were included in research and the rest was discarded because of incomplete answers. Univariate analysis of questionnaire’s indicators shows that 93% of consumers buy fruit and vegetable on the city markets. Almost 60% of the consumers visit just one city market, while 63% of the consumers visit the city markets more times in a week. The average total satisfaction of the consumers with the city markets was 3.8, with the satisfaction scale from 5 (completely satisfied) till 1 (completely unsatisfied). The consumers are mostly satisfied with the fruit and vegetable choice (the average evaluation 3.92), and unsatisfied with the price/quality ratio on the city markets (the average evaluation 3.12). In the further research by help of the factor and cluster analysis we determined the fruit and vegetable market segments. We found 4 consumer groups which differ between themselves according to the psychological characteristics of the consumers. In order to describe these segments we detected differences between these segments according to the geographic, socio-demographic and buying characteristics of the consumers. The results of this research give the information’s base to the domestic fruit and vegetables producers to define a marketing strategy that is to plan marketing activities in city markets or in any other selling channel.Croatia, city markets, fruit and vegetable, consumer segmentation, target marketing, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Marketing,

Paralogs of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases

Aminoacil-tRNA-sintetaze ključni su enzimi u biosintetskom putu proteina i jedni od evolucijski najstarijih enzima. Analizama njima homolognih genskih sekvenci i proteinskih struktura utvrđeno je postojanje cijelog spektra tzv. krnjih paraloga, koji su funkcionalno uglavnom divergirali od svojih originala u više različitih smjerova. Ovim radom napravljen je osvrt na gotovo sve skupine otkrivenih paraloga te je izložena i komentirana funkcija, struktura i evolucija najzanimljivijih od njih. Paralozi su svrstani prema svojstvu homologije koju nose u dvije veće skupine, ovisno o tome sadrže li sekvencu homolognu katalitičkoj domeni odgovarajuće aaRS ili ne. Poseban je naglasak stavljen na nedavno otkrivene paraloge specifičnog metanogenog tipa seril-tRNA-sintetaza, čije su detaljne biokemijske i strukturalne analize upravo u tijeku.Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are one of the key enzymes in protein biosynthesis and one of the evolutionary oldest enzymes as well. By analyses of their homologic sequences and protein structures, the existance of a wide spectrum of socalled truncated paralogs, which have mostly functionaly diverged from their originals into several different new pathways, has been shown. In this work a critical review of almost all groups of determined paralogs has been made. Also, function, structure and evolution of the most interesting ones has been established and commented. Paralogs have been divided into two larger subgroups based on their homology characteristics, depending on the homologous catalytic domain possesion. A special emphasis has been put on recently discovered methanogenic seryl-tRNA synthetases paralogs, whose detailed biochemical and structural analyses have just been in progress

Old English spells in BBC's "Merlin"

This paper investigated Old English spells in BBC’s Merlin. The aim was to find out whether Old English, used for entertainment purposes such as this TV series, was simply reconstructed or whether it was inevitably reinvented in the process of “retro-translation,” as the Arthurian story itself. An inquiry into Merlin’s Old English grammar and vocabulary was conducted and an attempt was made to answer the following questions: Do the long ago discarded inflections still matter? Are declension and agreement rules for the different parts of speech adhered to? What verb forms have been used? Do Old English words take on new meanings? Are they encountered in different contexts? Finally, what are the strategies employed by the translators? Have they resorted to borrowing or ventured into novel creations? It is difficult to say whether Old English has been recreated in accordance with the rules of the language or whether it was reinvented, for the analysis reveals Merlin’s spells to involve a mixture of preservation and innovation. Old English grammar was neither entirely disregarded nor strictly adhered to. As declension turned out to be the greatest challenge, words were more often than not uninflected for case, gender and number. The direct object was frequently found in the nominative case, whereas the indirect often took the accusative inflection. Case requirements concerning prepositions were not always fulfilled either. Adjectives tended to follow the patterns of the strong declension in general but did not always agree in case and gender with the nouns they modified. Verbs displayed disagreement with the subject on several occasions. The infinitive and the imperative were the most common among verbs, with the former often assuming the function of the latter. The indicative mood was preferred to the subjunctive. The past tense and the passive voice were rarely used. On the contrary, almost half of the spells did not need any revising. Those, however, appeared to be far less complex sentences as they tended to include one or several words only, with the exception of a few more elaborate instances. Most of Merlin’s Old English vocabulary rested on common word choices, although there were several less comprehensible spells with puzzling combinations of particular word meanings. Old English literature proved to be a fruitful source of vocabulary as many words, phrases and even entire lines were borrowed or adapted for the purposes of the enchantments. A few novel compounds were noted, although literary borrowings were the more frequent strategy. So, why Merlin? In the words of Crystal, who was referring to the English language (2003: 3): Because it’s fun, beautiful and important. Merlin has sparked an interest in something as important (or not) as the roots of the English language by way of telling such a beautiful and fun story, interweaving ancient languages and mythologies with amusing storylines and characters. This paper might be of interest to some Merlin/Old English/language lovers, and hopefully will be of use to the diligent Merlin fans out there who have already done so much work, researching and translating the spells into various languages, and incorporating them into their own little works of art. It might provide some answers to those who keep asking questions such as this one (lembas7, 2013):Strangath: (The Diamond of the Day, Part 1) Spell used by Merlin to attempt to summon a cup to his hand. Hopefully this means something like “Come!” and not something basic like “Cup!” which would be embarrassing. Couldn’t find the translation on the site, so I’m crossing my fingers for this one