A Conceptual Model to Measure ERP User-Value

The critical factors in the onward and upward phase that maximize the value o the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system from the user’s point of view remain unidentified. A recent study of a public sector organization in the state of Colorado showed that the users’ perspectives regarding the benefits of an ERP system are unrecognized, as well as how the users of the ERP system view the ERP benefits post-implementation. The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that maximize the value of the implemented ERP system in the onward and upward phase postimplementation from the user’s point of view (ERP user value), and how these factors affect the ERP user productivity, effectiveness, and internal efficiency which are major issues for management. A proposed conceptual structural model, based on the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, is presented. It is posited that the conceptual model can be used to predict the post-implementation factors from the ERP user’s point of view and measure their impact on the overall ERP benefits for the organization. The research question, hypotheses, and current state of research are presented and discussed

Radical Movement-Parties, Political Change and the Epistemology of Elections:Evidence from Lebanon

A growing literature seeks to bring agency into the study of movement-parties (M-Ps). Yet studies pay little attention to radical M-Ps which confront acute dilemmas when deciding to contest parliamentary elections in systems they deem illegitimate. This article problematizes radical M-Ps’ entry in elections and the meaning they attribute to the role and function of elections – their epistemology of elections. We examine three M-Ps – Beirut Madinati, LiHaqqi, and Muwatinun wa Muwatinat fi Dawla. We demonstrate that radical M-Ps with a coherent strategy for political change, one that includes an epistemology of elections, are more likely to mitigate and survive electoral dilemmas when entering elections. Radical M-Ps lacking such a strategy risk fragmentation and potential dissolution. Methodologically, we chose Lebanon because 1) during the period under study, it is a democracy and, consequently, a relevant case study for theories of party formation; and 2) it offers a controlled comparison of M-Ps in elections. Moreover, all three M-Ps emerged during a similar time-period, with similar social bases, and, at least originally, radical positions. Research is based on participation in, and observation of, protests and elections between 2011 and 2022, as well as primary and secondary source

The Relationship of E-Commerce Readiness to Technology Acceptance: The Case of Barbados

This is an exploratory study that examines the relationship between selected components of ecommerce readiness and dimensions of Davis’ (1989) Technology Acceptance Model. Building upon the notion that there exists some linkage between ecommerce readiness and technology Acceptance, this study seeks to examine these linkages in e-businesses within Barbados. Three relationships are proposed – a relationship between technology acceptance and the existing e-Readiness infrastructure, a relationship between technology acceptance and current telecommunications access, and a relationship between technology acceptance and education. The results of this study demonstrated that there are strong relationships between e-commerce readiness components and various technology acceptance dimensions

Resource-Based View of Knowledge Management for Competitive Advantage

We are not only in a new millennium, but also in a new era: the knowledge era. Sustainable competitive advantage is dependent on building and exploiting core competencies. The resource-based view (RBV) of the firm defines a strategic asset as one that is rare, valuable, imperfectly imitiable and non-substitutable. Knowledge is seen as a strategic asset with the potential to be a source of competitive advantage for an organization. In this paper, we provide a model that examines how and why knowledge management (KM) can be sued to create competitive advantage from the RBV of the firm

Cytomegalovirus drives Vδ2neg γδ T cell inflation in many healthy virus carriers with increasing age

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) usually causes lifelong asymptomatic infection, but over time can distort immune profiles. Recent reports describe selective expansion of Vδ2(neg) γδ T cells in healthy and immunocompromised CMV carriers. Having shown previously that virus-specific CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cell responses are increased significantly in elderly CMV carriers, probably driven by chronic stimulation, we hypothesized that Vδ2(neg) γδ T cells may also be expanded with age. Our results show that Vδ2(neg) γδ T cells are increased significantly in CMV-seropositive healthy individuals compared to CMV-seronegative controls in all age groups. The differences were most significant in older age groups (P < 0·0001). Furthermore, while Vδ2(neg) γδ T- cells comprise both naive and memory cells in CMV-seronegative donors, highly differentiated effector memory cells are the dominant phenotype in CMV carriers, with naive cells reduced significantly in numbers in CMV-seropositive elderly. Although phenotypically resembling conventional CMV-specific T cells, Vδ2(neg) γδ T cells do not correlate with changes in magnitude of CMV-specific CD4(+) or CD8(+) T cell frequencies within those individuals, and do not possess ex-vivo immediate effector function as shown by CMV-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. However, after short-term culture, Vδ2(neg) γδ T cells demonstrate effector T cell functions, suggesting additional requirements for activation. In summary, Vδ2(neg) γδ T cells are expanded in many older CMV carriers, demonstrating a further level of lymphocyte subset skewing by CMV in healthy individuals. As others have reported shared reactivity of Vδ2(neg) γδ T cells towards tumour cells, the composition of γδ T cell subsets may also have implications for risk of developing cancer in elderly people

Students\u27 Perceptions of Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) Process

Researchers have mixed views about Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) as means to evaluate teaching where some agreed and others viewed SET as being biased. This study aims to measure students’ perceptions of the effectiveness and appropriateness of the evaluation process in Lebanon. A survey questionnaire was administered to students from five Lebanese universities. Findings revealed that students were positive and perceived the evaluation process as effective and appropriate to evaluate teaching. Students identified students’ perceptions, instructors’ behavior, and course characteristics as variables that may impact the process. Results and implications were discussed for future research

Few are as Good as Many: An Ontology-Based Tweet Spam Detection Approach

Due to the high popularity of Twitter, spammers tend to favor its use in spreading their commercial messages. In the context of detecting twitter spams, different statistical and behavioral analysis approaches were proposed. However, these techniques suffer from many limitations due to (1) ongoing changes to Twitter\u2019s streaming API which constrains access to a user\u2019s list of followers/followees, (2) spammer\u2019s creativity in building diverse messages, (3) use of embedded links and new accounts, and (4) need for analyzing different characteristics about users without their consent. To address the aforementioned challenges, we propose a novel ontology-based approach for spam detection over Twitter during events by analyzing the relationship between ham user tweets vs. spams. Our approach relies solely on public tweet messages while performing the analysis and classification tasks. In this context, ontologies are derived and used to generate a dictionary that validates real tweet messages from random topics. Similarity ratio among the dictionary and tweets is used to reflect the legitimacy of the messages. Experiments conducted on real tweet data illustrate that message-to-message techniques achieved a low detection rate compared to our ontology based approach which outperforms them by approximately 200%, in addition to promising scalability for large data analysis

Whole exome sequence of Pakistani acute lymphocytic leukemia patient from Pakhtuns ancestry reveal the novel genetic variant characterization in the GLDC gene

Background: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignant disease in children and often involves numerical chromosomal abnormalities, fusion genes, or minor localized deletions that are significant in the development of leukemia. Glycine Decarboxylase (GLDC) gene overexpression and mutation is associated with oncogenic activity in various cancers. However, the pathophysiological roles and structural consequences of GLDC in acute lymphocytic leukemia have not been investigated. Objective: We aimed to identify novel variant in acute lymphocytic leukemia through whole exome sequencing. Methods: This study employs whole exome sequencing to examine seven pediatric patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in Pakistan. The patients under investigation are of Pakistani origin. The deleterious effect was predicted by SIFT, PolyPhen2, CADD, FATHMM, HOPE, and Mutation Assessors. Structure stability assessment was performed using the I-Mutant-3.0server. The atomic structure of the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) was analyzed utilizing the Molecular Dynamics (MD) with WEBGRO server. Results: The present study identified a novel pathogenic heterozygous variant NM_000170.2:p.Ser551Cys/c.1651A>T in GLDC gene of early stage diagnose ALL patient the variant was not present in the dbSNP & 1000Genome Project databases. Structural instability, disrupted function, and altered 3D structure were observed in the mutant GLDC protein model compared to the wild-type structure. Conclusion: The novel SNP was found in a highly conserved region of the GLDC protein and is predicted to be a high-risk candidate for leukemia. This variant greatly affects the stability of the protein

Pelvic trauma : WSES classification and guidelines

Complex pelvic injuries are among the most dangerous and deadly trauma related lesions. Different classification systems exist, some are based on the mechanism of injury, some on anatomic patterns and some are focusing on the resulting instability requiring operative fixation. The optimal treatment strategy, however, should keep into consideration the hemodynamic status, the anatomic impairment of pelvic ring function and the associated injuries. The management of pelvic trauma patients aims definitively to restore the homeostasis and the normal physiopathology associated to the mechanical stability of the pelvic ring. Thus the management of pelvic trauma must be multidisciplinary and should be ultimately based on the physiology of the patient and the anatomy of the injury. This paper presents the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) classification of pelvic trauma and the management Guidelines.Peer reviewe

Effect of dapagliflozin on exercise capacity and cardiovascular risk in patients with heart failure

Heart failure (HF) is a serious disorder that affects millions of people worldwide, with a high rate of exercise intolerance, rehospitalization, and death. HF has many underlying causes, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which corresponds with high mortality and short survival among patients with HF. Numerous studies have shown the crucial role of gliflozins, a new generation of blood glucose-lowering medications, in cardiac remodeling, with beneficial impacts on exercise capacity and cardiovascular (CV) mortality, even in non-diabetic individuals. The foundational CV-protective frameworks of these agents are intricate and multifaceted. Dapagliflozin is a new widely used drug and a valuable alternative for patients with T2DM and CV risk factors. Dapagliflozin was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019 to lower the risk of HF hospitalization in patients with concurrent T2DM and CV disease or associated risk factors. However, the effects of this new drug on exercise capacity and CV risk still need to be elucidated. The primary objective of this review is to summarize the effect of dapagliflozin on exercise capacity and CV risk in patients with HF