To stop or not to stop? - Investigating the differential effects of two self-control stategies on self-regulatory resource depletion

Self-regulation is a vital function to humanity, and is an important factor in the dominant paradigm of consumer research, whereby consumer decisions are characterised by the battle between long- and short-term interests. The current research examined the relative effectiveness of two self-regulatory strategies: stopping an already-commenced consumption episode, or to not commence one at all. Traditional economic theories, including the principle of diminishing marginal utility, would predict that not starting is harder to accomplish; whereas a proposal by Thaler (1983) suggests that not starting is in fact the optimal strategy. Two studies were conducted whereby participants were asked to either perform a less-favoured task and resist from starting a more-favoured one (Not Start), or to cease performing a more-favoured task to complete the less-favoured task (Stop). Study 1 found that Stop was more difficult than Not Start, which tentatively supported Thaler’s argument; however there was an explanation which could not be ruled out, namely the psychological distance of the anticipated second task. Study 2 addressed this issue by manipulating that factor by incorporating it into the experimental design. It was found that Not Start became as depleting as Stop when psychological distance of the second task was reduced. This research contributed to the literature by establishing a boundary condition upon the strength model of self-regulatory resource depletion, and adds to the discussion on the descriptive validity of the principle of diminishing marginal utility

AN ANALYSIS OF SEVEN UNC CHAPEL HILL LIBRARY DOCUMENTS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND ANTIRACISM OR ACCESSIBILITY

This project examines seven documents published by the UNC Chapel Hill Libraries with two research questions. How does the UNC Chapel Hill Library define the terms equity, diversity, inclusion, and antiracism on an institutional level? Also, what policies are present and in use within the UNC Chapel Hill Library that utilize antiracist principles or other terms as defined previously? The seven documents selected are the library’s diversity statement, building use policy, public services values, 2013 strategic plan, 2019 strategic plan, Reckoning Initiative framework, and guide to conscious editing. Information was collected from the text and subtext of these materials, and analyzed using the method of discourse analysis. Readers will gain an increased understanding of the importance of institutional policies and documents when addressing matters around diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism or accessibility.Master of Science in Library Scienc

En case-studie av bruken av et arbeidsflytsystem i renovasjonsbransjen

Dette er en masteroppgave innen feltet informasjonssystemer som fokuserer på bruk av arbeidsflytsystemer i organisasjoner. Mange organisasjoner ønsker å innføre slike systemer, med mål om å oppnå kostnadsreduksjoner eller økt produktivitet. Imidlertid er disse fordelene avhengige av at ardeidsflytsystemet innføres og brukes på en hensiktsmessig måte. I denne oppgaven presenteres en case-studie av bruken av arbeidsflytsystemet Reknes WMS i Renovasjonsselskapet GLØR IKS. Forskjellige sider av bruken har blitt vurdert, og disse vurderingene har dannet et grunnlag for å foreslå forbedringer i bruken av WMS i GLØR

Análisis y actualización de los tiempos de entrega de los proveedores: búsqueda de mejora y entrega de resultados sostenibles

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo desarrollar una propuesta dentro del área de control del Departamento de Compras de una compañía de electrónica ubicada en Guadalajara, Jalisco, México. La finalidad es obtener información certera sobre los tiempos de entrega de la materia prima y producto terminado que se le compran a los proveedores, para hacer una actualización de los tiempos de entrega dados de alta en el sistema. El resultado esperado es que, al tener la información precisa en el sistema, permita la correcta planeación de las partes para que la cadena de suministro fluya correctamente. Este trabajo se estaría enfocado en hacer un análisis de los tiempos de entrega reales por parte de los proveedores y compararlos contra el tiempo de entrega dado de alta en el sistema, el cual fue previamente cotizado y pactado en el contrato con los proveedores. Se pretende incrementar el porcentaje de órdenes de compra que sean entregadas a tiempo a la Planta, ya que, al hacer el análisis de las entregas durante el mes de junio del 2018, se percató que solamente el 22% de los ítems se están recibiendo dentro de los tiempos de entrega previamente cotizados y pactados con los proveedores. La investigación y los resultados que se obtengan llevarán a una propuesta aplicable a la problemática que existe en la compañía. El propósito es generar un impacto positivo mediante a la actualización de tiempos de entrega a los más precisos para hacer una correcta planeación y recibir el más material a tiempo, buscando hacer al proveedor responsable sobre su desempeño en cuanto a entregas

Protein corona and nanoparticles: How can we investigate on?

Nanoparticles (NPs) represent one of the most promising tools for drug-targeting and drug-delivery. However, a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics that happen after their in vivo administration is required. Particularly, plasma proteins tend to associate to NPs, forming a new surface named the 'protein corona' (PC). This surface is the most exposed as the 'visible side' of NPs and therefore, can have a strong impact on NP biodistribution, targeting efficacy and also toxicity. The PC consists of two poorly delimited layers, known as 'hard corona' (HC) and 'soft corona' (SC), that are affected by the complexity of the environment and the formed protein-surface equilibrium during in vivo blood circulation. The HC corona is formed by proteins strongly associated to the NPs, while the SC is an outer layer consisting of loosely bound proteins. Several studies attempted to investigate the HC, which is easier to be isolated, but yielded poor reproducibility, due to varying experimental conditions. As a consequence, full mapping of the HC for different NPs is still lacking. Moreover, the current knowledge on the SC, which may play a major role in the 'first' interaction of NPs once in vivo, is very limited, mainly due to the difficulties in preserving it after purification. Therefore, multi-disciplinary approaches leading to the obtainment of a major number of information about the PC and its properties is strongly needed to fully understand its impact and to better support a more safety and conscious application of nanotechnology in medicine

Tolerance to geometrical inaccuracies in CBCT systems:a comprehensive study

Purpose: The last decades have seen the consolidation of the cone-beam CT (CBCT) technology, which is nowadays widely used for different applications such as micro-CT for small animals, mammography, dentistry, or surgical procedures. Some CBCT systems may suffer mechanical strains due to the heavy load of the x-ray tube. This fact, together with tolerances in the manufacturing process, lead to different types of undesirable effects in the reconstructed image unless they are properly accounted for during the reconstruction. To obtain good quality images, it is necessary to have a complete characterization of the system geometry including the angular position of the gantry, the source-object and detector-object distances, and the position and pose of the detector. These parameters can be obtained through a calibration process done periodically, depending on the stability of the system geometry. To the best of our knowledge, there are no comprehensive works studying the effect of inaccuracies in the geometrical calibration of CBCT systems in a systematic and quantitative way. In this work, we describe the effects of detector misalignments (linear shifts, rotation, and inclinations) on the image and define their tolerance as the maximum error that keeps the image free from artifacts. Methods: We used simulations of four phantoms including systematic and random misalignments. Reconstructions of these data with and without errors were compared to identify the artifacts introduced in the reconstructed image and the tolerance to miscalibration deemed to provide acceptable image quality. Results: Visual assessment provided an easy guideline to identify the sources of error by visual inspection of the artifactual images. Systematic errors result in blurring, shape distortion and/or reduction of the axial field of view while random errors produce streaks and blurring in all cases, with a tolerance which is more than twice that of systematic errors. The tolerance corresponding to errors in position of the detector along the tangential direction, that is, skew (<0.2°) and horizontal shift (<0.4 mm), is tighter than the tolerance to those errors affecting the position along the longitudinal direction or the magnification, that is, vertical shift (<2 mm), roll (<1.5°), tilt (<2°), and SDD (<3 mm). Conclusion: We present a comprehensive study, based on realistic simulations, of the effects on the reconstructed image quality of errors in the geometrical characterization of a CBCT system and define their tolerance. These results could be used to guide the design of new systems, establishing the mechanical precision that must be achieved, and to help in the definition of an optimal geometrical calibration process. Also, the thorough visual assessment may be valuable to identify the most predominant sources of error based on the effects shown in the reconstructed image.This work has been supported by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, project “DPI2016-79075-R - AEI/FEDER, UE”, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, project “DTS17/00122”, cofunded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), “A way of making Europe”. Also partially funded by project “DEEPCT-CM-UC3M,” funded by the call "Programa de apoyo a la realización de proyectos interdisciplinares de I+D para jóvenes investigadores de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid 2019-2020 en el marco del Convenio Plurianual Comunidad de Madrid - Universidad Carlos III de Madrid” and project “RADCOV19,” funded by CRUE Universidades, CSIC and Banco Santander (Fondo Supera). The CNIC is supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades and the Pro CNIC Foundation, and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015 -0505

Down syndrome and aberrant right subclavian artery

Down syndrome (DS) may be associated with various organ system disorders. Feeding problems are frequent in children with DS and may be caused by associated defects, including congenital heart defects, gastrointestinal defects, or endocrine disorders. In the absence of these associated conditions, feeding problems are often attributed to general hypotonia. However, an aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA), a rare vascular anomaly and an unusual cause of problems with the passage of solid food through the esophagus, has recently been suggested to occur more frequently in patients with DS. This knowledge is of importance when evaluating feeding difficulties in patients with DS. Additional investigation for identifying an ARSA may be indicated in selected patients. Diagnostic techniques, such as transthoracic echocardiography, barium contrast esophagram, angiography, or computed tomography–angiography (CT) can be used in a diagnostic flow chart. The presence of ARSA is not synonymous to the cause of feeding problems in patients with DS and corrective surgery of this vascular anomaly should be restricted to selected cases