DePaul University

About: DePaul University is a education organization based out in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 5658 authors who have published 11562 publications receiving 295257 citations.

Big data in humanitarian supply chain management: a review and further research directions

Abstract: Humanitarian organizations work diligently to save lives using scarce resources, competing for donor money, and operating in complex environments. It is no surprise that they need information to effectively execute their task. As there have been tremendous developments in data analytics it is imperative that the domain of humanitarian supply chain management leverage the benefits offered by the advancement of big data. In this study, we have conducted a systematic literature review in the field of big data and humanitarian supply chain. The data was collected using Scopus which is the largest digital database. After careful screening, only 28 journal papers were selected for literature review. These papers have been classified and grouped into various categorizations. Future research directions in this field have been suggested that are based on various organizational theories.

Moral Motivation Across Ethical Theories: What Can We Learn for Designing Corporate Ethics Programs?

Abstract: In this article Werhane and Simone de Colle discuss the implications of focussing on the moral motivation accounts offered by main ethical theories for improving the design of corporate ethics programs. Virtue ethics, deontological ethics and utilitarianism offer different criteria of judgment to face moral dilemmas: Aristotle’s virtues of character, Kant’s categorical imperative, and Mill’s greatest happiness principle each provide criteria to answer the question “What is the right thing to do?” The paper then deals with the problem of moral motivation, and points out the relation between moral motivation and the concept of rationality in the different approaches in addressing the question whether acting morally is seen as an expression of rational behavior. This analysis of moral motivation provides a useful framework to improve the understanding of the relationships between formal and informal elements of corporate ethics programs. The authors suggest that the concept of moral imagination can provide a unifying approach to enhance the effectiveness of corporate ethics programs, by providing an intangible asset that supports the implementation of their formal components into management decision making.

Investing in Affection: An Investigation of Human Affection Exchange Theory and Relational Qualities

Abstract: Affection exchange theory (AET; Floyd, 2001) argues that affectionate communication fosters long-term survival. AET specifically argues that part of this process occurs through the enhancement of close relational bonds. This study tests this proposition, specifically examining how affectionate messages relate to relational investment (satisfaction, commitment, quality of alternatives, and investment size). Analysis of 72 couples (N = 144; M = 35.58 years old) revealed that giving and receiving affection positively related to commitment and satisfaction. Receiving affection strongly predicted perceptions of satisfaction, and communicating affection better predicted commitment. Affection accounted for between 17% and 35% of the variance in perceptions of commitment and satisfaction.

Differences in salicylic acid glucose conjugations by UGT74F1 and UGT74F2 from Arabidopsis thaliana.

Abstract: Salicylic acid (SA) is a signaling molecule utilized by plants in response to various stresses. Through conjugation with small organic molecules such as glucose, an inactive form of SA is generated which can be transported into and stored in plant vacuoles. In the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana, SA glucose conjugates are formed by two homologous enzymes (UGT74F1 and UGT74F2) that transfer glucose from UDP-glucose to SA. Despite being 77% identical and with conserved active site residues, these enzymes catalyze the formation of different products: UGT74F1 forms salicylic acid glucoside (SAG), while UGT74F2 forms primarily salicylic acid glucose ester (SGE). The position of the glucose on the aglycone determines how SA is stored, further metabolized, and contributes to a defense response. We determined the crystal structures of the UGT74F2 wild-type and T15S mutant enzymes, in different substrate/product complexes. On the basis of the crystal structures and the effect on enzyme activity of mutations in the SA binding site, we propose the catalytic mechanism of SGE and SAG formation and that SA binds to the active site in two conformations, with each enzyme selecting a certain binding mode of SA. Additionally, we show that two threonines are key determinants of product specificity.

Bilingual discourse markers in Puerto Rican Spanish

Abstract: This study examines bilingual discourse markers in a language contact situation. The focus is on how English-dominant, bilingual, and Spanish-dominant New York Puerto Ricans integrate English-language discourse markers into their Spanish-language oral narratives. The corpus comprises 60 Spanish-language oral narratives of personal experience extracted from transcripts of conversations with New York Puerto Ricans. After a review of the study of discourse markers in language contact situations, the use of English-language discourse markers is compared to the use of Spanish-language markers in the texts. The discussion considers the question of whether English-language discourse markers are more profitably identified as instances of code-switching or of borrowing. Finally, the essay explores how bilingual speakers integrate English discourse markers in their narratives with a pattern of usage and frequency that varies according to language proficiency.