An organizational systems perspective to business process modeling in small to medium enterprises (smes) : a case of food production

Taking an organizational systems perspective, this paper presents a review to business process modelling and examines the case of food manufacture in a Small to Medium Sized Enterprise (SME), which operates in Cyprus. As a result of the modelling and analysis carried out, areas of concern, issues and opportunities are identified and explored taking into consideration the current business environment of the SME, by focusing on the decision making processes of the production and scheduling activities. The knowledge gained from the modelling effort provides a deeper understanding of the operations and interrelationships between important processes such as “Make”, “Buy”, “Sell” and “Manage”. This proves to be useful for the effective re-design of a production/scheduling decision support system in the particular firm but it also represents the first step towards for the long term development of a generic framework for managerial decision making which takes into consideration the limitations and particularities of manufacturing SMEs.peer-reviewe

Curvaton Dynamics

In contrast to the inflaton's case, the curvature perturbations due to the curvaton field depend strongly on the evolution of the curvaton before its decay. We study in detail the dynamics of the curvaton evolution during and after inflation. We consider that the flatness of the curvaton potential may be affected by supergravity corrections, which introduce an effective mass proportional to the Hubble parameter. We also consider that the curvaton potential may be dominated by a quartic or by a non-renormalizable term. We find analytic solutions for the curvaton's evolution for all these possibilities. In particular, we show that, in all the above cases, the curvaton's density ratio with respect to the background density of the Universe decreases. Therefore, it is necessary that the curvaton decays only after its potential becomes dominated by the quadratic term, which results in (Hubble damped) sinusoidal oscillations. In the case when a non-renormalizable term dominates the potential, we find a possible non-oscillatory attractor solution that threatens to erase the curvature perturbation spectrum. Finally, we study the effects of thermal corrections to the curvaton's potential and show that, if they ever dominate the effective mass, they lead to premature thermalization of the curvaton condensate. To avoid this danger, a stringent bound has to be imposed on the coupling of the curvaton to the thermal bath.Comment: 24 pages, 3 Postscript figures, RevTe

Perturbative Unification of Soft Supersymmetry--Breaking Terms

Perturbative unification of soft supersymmetry--breaking (SSB) parameters is proposed in Gauge-Yukawa unified models. The method, which can be applied in any finite order in perturbation theory, consists in searching for renormalization group invariant relations among the SSB parameters, which are consistent with perturbative renormalizability. For the minimal Gauge-Yukawa unified model based on $SU(5)$ we find that the low energy SSB sector contains a single arbitrary parameter, the unified gaugino mass. Within a certain approximation we find that the model predicts a superpartner spectrum which is consistent with the experimental data.Comment: 14 page

Safety and efficacy of colistin versus meropenem in the empirical treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia as part of a macro-project funded by the Seventh Framework Program of the European Commission studying off-patent antibiotics. study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most common and severe hospital-adquired infections, and multidrugresistant gram-negative bacilli (MDR-GNB) constitute the main etiology in many countries. Inappropriate empiric antimicrobial treatment is associated with increased mortality. In this context, the empirical treatment of choice for VAP is unknown. Colistin, is now the antimicrobial with greatest in vitro activity against MDR-GNB. Methods/Design: The MagicBullet clinical trial is an investigator-driven clinical study, funded by the Seventh Framework Program of the European Commission. This is designed as a phase IV, randomized, controlled, open label, non-inferiority and international trial to assess the safety and efficacy of colistin versus meropenem in late onset VAP. The study is conducted in a total of 32 centers in three European countries (Spain, Italy and Greece) with specific high incidences of infections caused by MDR-GNB. Patients older than 18 years who develop VAP with both clinical and radiological signs, and are on mechanical ventilation for more than 96 hours, or less than 96 hours but with previous antibiotic treatment plus one week of hospitalization, are candidates for inclusion in the study. A total sample size of 496 patients will be randomized according to a severity clinical score (at the time of VAP diagnosis in a 1:1 ratio to receive either colistin 4.5 MU as a loading dose, followed by 3 MU every eight hours (experimental arm), or meropenem 2 g every eight hours (control arm), both combined with levofloxacin. Mortality from any cause at 28 days will be considered as the main outcome. Clinical and microbiological cure will be evaluated at 72 hours, eight days, the finalization of antibiotic treatment, and 28 days of follow-up. The efficacy evaluation will be performed in every patient who receives at least one study treatment drug, and with etiologic diagnosis of VAP, intention-to-treat population and per protocol analysis will be performed

A Comparison between Low and High-dose of Hydroxyethylstarch Solution in Resuscitation for Shock induced by Ischemia/Reperfusion in Rabbits

The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of high and low dose of 6% hydroxyethyl starch solution (HES) on resuscitation for shock induced by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rabbits. Thirty-two anesthetized rabbits were randomized into four groups of eight animals each, which was either treated with no fluid resuscitation as control, lactated Ringer's solution (LRS, 20ml/kg/h), LRS+HES (LRS 18ml/kg/h + HES 2ml/kg/h, low dose of HES) or only treated with HES (high dose of HES, 20ml/kg/h). These rabbits underwent the intestinal I/R injury developed by occluding superior mesenteric artery (SMA) with a noncrushing vascular clamp for 60min and then loosing the clamp for 240min. The fluid resuscitation began at the same time of reperfusion. Hemodynamic parameters including MAP, HR, aortic velocity (Qaorta, as CO) and SMA blood flow (Osma) were measured. Tissue oxygenation was assessed indirectly by measuring the tonometric parameters of gut, including difference between intestinal intramucosal PtCO2 and arterial PaCO2 (PCO2-gap), intestinal intramucosal pH (pHi), arterial lactate acid concentration and oxygen delivery (DO2). Mortality of the rabbits was calculated at the end. The results showed that hemodynamic parameters were significantly higher in group LRS+HES and HES than in group LRS and control (P<0.05). Low dose of HES was better than high dose of HES in restoring hemodynamic parameters (P<0.05). Low dose of HES could greatly decrease lactate and PCO2-gap, significantly improve pHi than other three groups (P<0.05), but high dose of HES did not do so, rather, which induced oral and nasal bleeding, even death of some animals. Low dose and high dose of HES significantly improved DO2 while LRS did not (P<0.05). Therefore low dose of HSE together with LRS was more effective than only high dose of HES or LRS in the resuscitation for shock induced by intestinal I/R injury in rabbits, because hemodynamic parameters increased suitably and tissue oxygenation was greatly improved

Density perturbations from both the inflaton and the curvaton

We consider a supersymmetric grand unified model which leads to hybrid inflation and solves the strong CP and mu problems via a Peccei-Quinn symmetry, with the Peccei-Quinn field acting as a curvaton generating together with the inflaton the curvature perturbation. The model yields an isocurvature perturbation too of mixed correlation with the adiabatic one. Two choices of parameters are confronted with the Wilkinson microwave anisotropy probe and other cosmic microwave background radiation data. For the choice giving the best fitting, the curvaton contribution to the amplitude of the adiabatic perturbation must be smaller than 67% at 95% confidence level and the best-fit power spectra are dominated by the adiabatic inflaton contribution. This case is disfavored relative to the pure inflaton scale-invariant case with odds of 50 to 1. For the second choice, the adiabatic mode is dominated by the curvaton, but this case is strongly disfavored relative to the pure inflaton case (with odds of 10^7 to 1). Thus, in this model, the perturbations must be dominated by the adiabatic component from the inflaton.Comment: Talk given at the Workshop "The density perturbation in the universe", 25-26 June 2004, Athens, Greece (to appear in the proceedings), 12 pages including 4 figures, uses espcrc2.st

The relationship of cyclic AMP levels and collagen synthesis in vascular smooth muscle cells following estrogen or beta-adrenergic treatment

The use of estrogens in postmenopausal women has become controversial. Estrogen replacement therapy has been used for many years to slow the progression of atherosclerosis. However, recent clinical studies have shown that menopausal women on hormone replacement therapy have higher incidences of myocardial infarctions and strokes than their counterparts without the therapy. Other studies have demonstrated that a decrease in collagen content in advanced atherosclerotic lesions may weaken the structural integrity of these lesions, resulting in rupture and clot formation. Within lesions, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) actively synthesize collagen and other types of extracellular matrix proteins during atherogenesis. Estrogen, through activation of the second messenger cAMP, may attenuate collagen synthesis in VSMCs and may promote reduction of collagen content in lesions. Incubation with Rp-cAMPs, a PKA inhibitor, blocked estrogen\u27s ability to inhibit collagen synthesis in VSMCs. This suggests that estrogen, through stimulation of cAMP, may activate the cAMP-PKA pathway in VSMCs. Treatment of VSMCs with estrogen and phophodiesterase inhibitors, cilostamide or Ro-20-1724, had an additive effect on increasing cAMP levels and on inhibiting collagen synthesis. VSMCs treated with estrogen and forskolin, an adenylyl cyclase stimulator, also had an additive effect on increasing cAMP levels and on attenuating collagen synthesis. When VSMCs were treated with both estrogen and a beta-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol or terbutaline, there was an additive effect on cellular cAMP levels although the observed decrease in collagen synthetic rates were the same as observed in estrogen treated cells. VSMCs, which were treated with terbutaline, had a significantly higher amount of cAMP located extracellularly compared to estrogen treated cells. The different distribution patterns of cAMP observed in terbutaline and estrogen treated cells may explain why beta agonists may not attenuate collagen synthesis in VSMCs. These results clearly demonstrate that not all agents, which elevate cAMP, may inhibit collagen synthesis in VSMCs. Our data also suggest that the combination of agents, which have an additive effect with estrogen, may have a negative effect on the stability of existing atherosclerotic lesions through the inhibition of collagen synthesis

Molecular analysis of photic inhibition of blood-feeding in Anopheles gambiae

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Anopheles gambiae </it>mosquitoes exhibit an endophilic, nocturnal blood feeding behavior. Despite the importance of light as a regulator of malaria transmission, our knowledge on the molecular interactions between environmental cues, the circadian oscillators and the host seeking and feeding systems of the <it>Anopheles </it>mosquitoes is limited.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the present study, we show that the blood feeding behavior of mosquitoes is under circadian control and can be modulated by light pulses, both in a clock dependent and in an independent manner. Short light pulses (~2–5 min) in the dark phase can inhibit the blood-feeding propensity of mosquitoes momentarily in a clock independent manner, while longer durations of light stimulation (~1–2 h) can induce a phase advance in blood-feeding propensity in a clock dependent manner. The temporary feeding inhibition after short light pulses may reflect a masking effect of light, an unknown mechanism which is known to superimpose on the true circadian regulation. Nonetheless, the shorter light pulses resulted in the differential regulation of a variety of genes including those implicated in the circadian control, suggesting that light induced masking effects also involve clock components. Light pulses (both short and long) also regulated genes implicated in feeding as well as different physiological processes like metabolism, transport, immunity and protease digestions. RNAi-mediated gene silencing assays of the light pulse regulated circadian factors <it>timeless</it>, <it>cryptochrome </it>and three <it>takeout </it>homologues significantly up-regulated the mosquito's blood-feeding propensity. In contrast, gene silencing of light pulse regulated olfactory factors down-regulated the mosquito's propensity to feed on blood.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study show that the mosquito's feeding behavior is under circadian control. Long and short light pulses can induce inhibition of blood-feeding through circadian and unknown mechanisms, respectively, that involve the chemosensory system.</p