• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.193-208
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• 2020

In this study, we investigate the effects of technology innovation investments and employment on credit ratings of very small start-up businesses using the data period of 2009 till 2015 test two hypotheses: asymmetric information hypothesis or competence hypothesis. We use financial and non-financial data of 51,903 observations of 12,028 small businesses from a database of a commercial bank and fixed effects panel models and two-stage instrumental variable models. We find that in the short-run small size startups show lower credit ratings than non-startups, and that both technology innovation activities and employment capability improve their credit ratings. In the long-run, technology innovation investments do not improve their credit ratings of later years while employment capability improve their credit ratings of the subsequent year. In addition, the age of startups improves their credit ratings of the current year and until the subsequent two years while employee productivity, fixed ratio and ROA positively affect their credit ratings for up to three years. However, short-term and overall debt ratios, cost of borrowings and firm-size negatively affect their credit ratings for up to three years. The results of the study on credit ratings suggest that credit rating agencies seem to consider both technology innovation activities and employment capability in the credit ratings of small start-ups as 'competence factors' rather than 'asymmetric information factors' with inefficiency and cost burdens. The results also suggest that we must find ways to reflect properly the severe asymmetric information of the early-stage start-ups, and technology innovation activities and employment capability in the credit rating formula.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.561-570
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• 2020

This study was designed to synthesize triglycerol monolaurate (TGML) with Lipozyme 435 as the catalyst, and explore its effects on the growth of Aspergillus parasiticus (A. parasiticus) and Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) and the secretion of aflatoxin b1. The highest content of TGML (49.76%) was obtained at a molar ratio of triglycerol to lauric acid of 1.08, a reaction temperature of 84.93℃, a reaction time of 6 h and an enzyme dosage of 1.32%. After purification by molecular distillation combined with the washes with ethyl acetate and water, the purity of TGML reached 98.3%. Through characterization by electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry, infrared spectrum and nuclear magnetic resonance, the structure of TGML was identified as a linear triglycerol combined with lauroyl at the end. Finally, the inhibitory effects of TGML on the growths of A. parasiticus and A. flavus and the secretion of aflatoxin b1 were evaluated by measuring the colony diameter, the inhibition rate of mycelial growth and the content of mycotoxin in the media. The results indicated that TGML had a stronger inhibitory effects on colony growth and mycelial development of both toxic molds compared to sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, and the secretions of toxins from A. parasiticus and A. flavus were completely suppressed when adding TGML at 10 and 5 mM, respectively. Based on the above results, TGML may be used as a substitute for traditional antifungal agents in the food industry.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.258-265
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• 2022

Background Chitosan (CS) is a well-known antimicrobial dressing material. Moreover, widely used amniotic membranes contain growth factors beneficial for wound healing. Herein, we created a novel amnion-conjugated CS-alginate membrane dressing and tested its wound healing potency in a diabetic swine model. Methods The bovine amniotic powder growth factor contents were evaluated by protein assay, and the powder's wound healing effects were assessed in vitro by HaCaT cell scratch closure. In vivo, two minipigs developed streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Serial serum glucose measurements and intravenous glucose tolerance tests were performed to confirm their diabetic status. Twelve square-shaped wounds created on each pig's back were randomly divided into control (n = 4), CS (n = 4), and amnion-CS (AC; n = 4) groups and treated accordingly with different dressings. Wound healing in each group was assessed by measuring wound contraction over time, capturing wound perfusion with indocyanine green (ICG) angiography, and histologically analyzing inflammatory markers. Results Amniotic powder elution promoted HaCaT cell migration in the scratch wound model, suggesting its beneficial in vitro wound healing effects. In vivo, the CS and AC groups showed earlier wound contraction initiation and reepithelialization and earlier wound perfusion improvement by ICG angiography than the control group. Additionally, the wound size of the AC group at week 3 was significantly smaller than those in the control group. There was no significant difference in the numbers of acute and chronic inflammatory cells between the groups. Conclusion The amnion-conjugated CS-alginate membrane, as well as CS dressing alone, could be a favorable dressing option for diabetic wounds.

• Journal of Information Processing Systems
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.139-148
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• 2023

Current food-traceability platforms suffer from problems such as inconsistent traceability standards, a lack of public credibility, and slow access to data. In this work, a combined code and identification method was designed that can achieve more secure product traceability using the dual anti-counterfeiting technology of a QR code and a hidden code. When the QR code is blurry, the hidden code can still be used to effectively identify food information. Based on this combined code, a food-safety traceability platform was developed. The platform follows unified encoding standards and provides standardized interfaces. Based on this innovation, the platform not only can serve individual food-traceability systems development, but also connect existing traceability systems. These will help to solve the problems such as non-standard traceability content, inconsistent processes, and incompatible system software. The experimental results show that the combined code has higher accuracy. The food-safety traceability platform based on the combined code improves the safety of the traceability process and the integrity of the traceability information. The innovation of this paper is invoking the combined code united the QR code's rapidity and the hidden code's reliability, developing a platform that uses a unified coding standard and provides a standardized interface to resolve the differences between multi-food-traceability systems. Among similar systems, it is the only one that has been connected to the national QR code identification platform. The project has made profits and has significant economic and social benefits.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.104-112
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• 2024

Al-Zn-Mg-Si alloy coatings have been developed to inhibit corrosion of cold rolled steel sheets, and an understanding of the alloy system helps prevent coating defects. We used a Bridgman furnace to characterise the nature and formation mechanisms of the phases present in the quaternary system with 0.4 wt% Fe. In the directional solidification experiments we imposed steep temperature gradients and varied the pull rate. After the samples were quenched in the furnace, detailed characterization of the samples was carried out by electron microscopy (SEM/EDS). From the dT/dt vs T plots of the cooling curves of the alloys, the solidification path was determined to be $Liquid{\longrightarrow[80]^{544-558}}{\alpha}-Al{\longrightarrow[80]^{453-459}}Al/Mg_2Si{\longrightarrow[80]^{371-374}}Al/Zn{\longrightarrow[80]^{331-333}}Zn/mgZn_2$. The formation mechanisms of the Mg and Zn containing phases and their morphology was discussed together with the effects of the cooling rate. Key findings include the lengthening of the mushy zone in directionally solidified samples remelted against a positive temperature gradient, as well as an enrichening of the α-Al phase by Zn through remelting. Mg₂Si and other Si based phases were observed to adopt a much finer faceted microstructure in favour of a script-like microstructure when exposed to the higher cooling rate of coolant quenching.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.77-91
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• 2003

Continuous Improvement is a central concept in the quality movement. In almost all descriptions of quality initiatives Continuous Improvement is central. Even in ISO 9000:2000 that has been recognised. In this paper we will discuss the role of continuous Improvement within the quality movement, its relation to knowledge management and, especially, its origin in pragmatic philosophy.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2004

During process design or process optimization, it is quite common for experimenters to find optimum operating conditions for several responses simultaneously. The traditional multiresponse surfaces optimization methods do not consider the uncertain relationship among these responses sufficiently. For this reason, the authors propose an optimization method based on evidential reasoning theory by Dempster and Shafer. By maximizing the basic probability assignment function, which indicates the degree of belief that certain operating condition is the solution of this multiresponse surfaces optimization problem, the desirable operating condition can be found.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.98-108
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• 2005

In the light of globalisation and the international division of labour, the article will stress the importance of a new conception of quality management, focusing more on the social and environmental aspects of quality in global supply chains with a particular emphasis on suppliers' perspectives. The increasing focus on corporate social responsibility, business ethics, corporate citizenship, sustainable development etc. indicates that managers have failed to see social and environmental aspects of the production as an integrated part of quality.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2005

Six sigma is much less of a technical program than it is a leadership and cultural change program. Nevertheless, most of literatures on six sigma have mainly focused on technical and tactical aspects. This paper introduces a self-assessment for six sigma initiative in a major Korean software company. The self-assessment gives a valuable clue to how to manage leadership and cultural aspects of six sigma initiative.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.31-38
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• 2008

Product liability refers to the liability of producers, distributors and suppliers for consumers' property losses or personal injury caused by that product. This paper conducted a survey related to product liability issues in Shenzhen City, and did an in-depth analysis of current problems. Finally, the paper puts forward corresponding suggestions for improvement of Shenzhen City product liability status.