Academic literature on the topic 'Department stores Corporations'

‘The first and perhaps most compelling attribute of the modern social structure which we inhabit’, according to James Coleman, ‘is the asymmetry of a large portion of its relations’. What is striking about modern society, however, is not the asymmetry of relations as such. Western societies have often been, and to some extent still are, highly asymmetric; think, for example, of the relations between feudal lords and their serfs, between factory owners and workers, between men and women. What is striking about the modern asymmetry is that the parties involved are completely different classes of entities, natural persons and complex organizations. Our (great) grandparents had to rely for their income, housing and the supply of goods and services mostly on independent employers, landlords, shopkeepers and artisans. We, on the other hand, are dealing with corporations, welfare institutions, public services, housing associations, building societies, banks and department stores. These organizations are not just rational, person-like servants, waiting quietly in the corners of society to be called upon. They also, and predominantly, act on their own account. Complex organizations are a new and powerful breed of social actors; they are corporate actors alongside the traditional, human actors.

The T Eaton company, considered the world's first department store, was named after its founder Timothy Eaton. In 1869, it as a small dry goods business in Toronto. By 1907, at the death of its founder, it was a giant retail store, with a branch in Winnipeg, alongside a country-wide mail-order business. Innovative practices established during his time included sales for cash only and satisfaction guaranteed or money refunded. Eaton's successors extended the Eaton empire across Canada, continuing the tradition of quality goods, prices, customer service and also fair labour practices. It became a Canadian institution. Eaton's filed for protection from its creditors in February 1997 and once again in August 1999 (see Appendix 1 for a chronology of events) under the federal Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act and the Ontario Business Corporations Act (Closings). The restructuring that followed the first bankruptcy was only partially successful. However, it had a significantly positive impact on Eaton's operations, and seemed to turn things around. Were it not for bad economic news and misfortune in mid-to-late 1998 (CNW 3 and CNW 5), the plan might have worked. Store-closings, employee terminations, and a huge liquidation sale followed the second bankruptcy declared in August 1999, as did the suspension of the trading of Eaton's stock (Chron). Sears Canada Inc. agreed to purchase 16 of the Eaton's stores in September 1999 (Sears 1; Material 1). These will open by the fall of 2000 (Material 2; Sears 1). A compromise was made with Eaton's creditors (including the employees) to give them approximately $0.50 on the dollar (Olijnyk 1). A compromise was also arrived at with Eaton's shareholders whereby the latter would be given participation units in exchange for their common shares (on a one-for-one trade) (Amended; Trachuk). These participation units are to be used in a contingent and conditional settlement based upon the possible utilization of tax credits by Sears acquired as a result of Eaton's $390 million in losses since 1996 (Receivership; Amended; Trachuk). These settlement monies might or might not be realized by the former shareholders (Amended; Trachuk). Today, Eaton's is no more. In its place are many great memories by a former generation of Canadians who used to go to the Eaton's stores to buy big things that were always of high quality. "Agnes Lunn, who was visiting [Edmonton, Calgary,] from Dartmouth, N.S., said she will miss the chain because of its trustworthiness. "If you bought something from Eaton's, you knew it was worth having, you knew it would be quality," she said (Auction)." Perhaps having six of the Eaton's stores open up this fall with the Eaton's name on them will rekindle a loyalty in a new generation of Canadians?

Opening ParagraphWithin the past decade, several major fires involving key government establishments have occurred in Nigeria. These included fires at: the 10-storey Federal Ministry of Education building (5 September 1980); the 11-storey Republic Building of the Ministry of External Affairs (14 December 1981); the 37-storey External Communication Building, NECON House (24 January 1983); the 13th floor of the 23-storey building housing the Defence Ministry (27 October 1983); the Accounts Department of the Cabinet Office (19 March 1984); the Finance and Accounts Division of the Post and Telegraphs (Ministry of Communications) headquarters (4 December 1984); and the 32-storey Cocoa House in Ibadan (8 January 1985). The latest of these fires engulfed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Headquarters in Lagos on 12 April 1986.

Abstract Availability of platelets (plts) is severely limited by shelf life in some military as well as civilian settings. Additionally, some bleeding, thrombocytopenic patients do not have a therapeutic response to a standard plt transfusion. Methods for cryopreservation of apheresis plts for up to two years in 6% DMSO at <-65°C (CPP) have been developed and evaluated by in vitro assays and by in vivo infusions in non-human primates, in a few controlled human trials, and in field military operations. However, FDA has not yet approved CPP for routine use. Autologous radiolabeled CPP in healthy volunteers (n=32) had average plt recoveries of 33 ± 10% and survivals of 7.5 ± 1.2 days, and these results were 52 ± 12% and 89 ± 15%, respectively, of the same volunteers' fresh radiolabeled plts. The in vitro phenotype of CPP showed higher granule secretion, phosphotidylserine expression, and plt microparticles and poorer responses to common plt agonists compared to standard room temperature stored plts. These data suggest that transfused CPP might lead to an accelerated and enhanced clotting process in vivo. Our objective was to evaluate the safety of transfused CPP in a Phase-1 dose escalation trial. Eligibility criteria were hospitalized thrombocytopenic hematology/oncology patients with active World Health Organization (WHO) Grade 2 or greater bleeding that was, in most patients, uncontrolled by standard plts, no history of unprovoked thrombotic events, and no indication of active DIC. Fifty-nine patients consented and 28 were transfused with ½ CPP unit (n=5), one CPP unit (n=7), two CPP units (n=6), and three CPP units (n=6). One thawed single apheresis CPP unit contained 2.5 x 1011 ± 4.2 x 1010 plts in 50 ± 4 ml. In addition, one standard apheresis plt unit was randomly given to patients enrolled in each cohort (n=4). The study conformed to the Declaration of Helsinki and was listed on clinical trials.gov (NCT02078284). Patients were monitored for six days post-transfusion for adverse events (AEs) including clinical assessments for signs or symptoms of thrombosis and specific laboratory assays: prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), D-dimer, fibrinogen, prothrombin fragments 1 + 2 (F1+2), antithrombin, thrombin antithrombin (TAT), thrombin generation (TGT), and thromboelastography (TEG). All safety data were reviewed by an independent data safety monitoring committee prior to escalation to the next higher dose cohort. No thrombotic events occurred after transfusion of CPP units. Five serious AEs were reported, and none were associated with the CPP transfusion but, rather, were related to worsening of the patients' underlying medical conditions. Of 38 AEs, 5 were, at least, possibly related to a CPP transfusion and included DMSO skin odor following a ½ CPP unit and three CPP units (n=2), mild fever and chills in the same patient after one CPP unit (n=2), and moderate headache the next day following transfusion of three CPP units (n=1). As expected in this clinically-ill patient population, D-dimer, fibrinogen, F1+2, aPTT, and TAT averaged higher than the upper limit of normal prior to transfusion and remained similar following transfusion. TGT and TEG were suppressed pre-transfusion and were improved towards normal levels following transfusion of either CPP or standard plts. There was no induction of a post-transfusion hypercoagulable state in any patient based on laboratory results. Modest increases in corrected plts count increments (x 103/mm3) were observed following CPP transfusion (one CPP unit gave CCI's of 2.3 ± 3.5; two CPP units 4.2 ± 2.8; and three CPP units 5.6 ± 2.3) compared with 21.1 ± 3.6 after one unit of standard apheresis plts. Notably, all patients had stabilization or improvement of their bleeding following a CPP transfusion including one patient with Grade 4 CNS bleeding who had resolution of neurologic symptoms with no further plt transfusions, and four patients (17%) had WHO bleeding downgraded. In conclusion, the infusion of up to three sequential units of CPP in patients with severe thrombocytopenia and active bleeding was safe without any evidence of thrombotic complications despite CPP having a procoagulant phenotype resulting from the cryopreservation process. CPP may be efficacious to stop bleeding in thrombocytopenic patients as suggested by stabilization or downgrading of WHO bleeding grades. Phase 2/3 efficacy clinical trials are now indicated. Disclosures Slichter: NHLBI / NIH: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Cerus Corporation: Research Funding; Terumo BCT: Research Funding; Cellphire: Research Funding; Department of Defense / US Army Medical Research and Material Command: Research Funding; Megakaryon: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Stock options. Dumont:US Army Medical Research and Material Command (Award W81XWH-15-C-0047) / Department of Defense: Research Funding. Cancelas:New Health Sciences, Inc.: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; US Army Medical Research and Material Command (Award W81XWH-15-C-0047) / Department of Defense: Research Funding; National Institutes of Health: Research Funding; Terumo BCT: Research Funding; Cerus Corporation: Research Funding; Haemonetics, Inc.: Research Funding; Citra Labs, Inc.: Research Funding; Cellphire, Inc.: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; William & Lawrence Hughes Foundation: Research Funding; Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of North America: Research Funding. Gernsheimer:Department of Defense: Research Funding; NHLBI / NIH: Research Funding. Szczepiorkowski:Fresenius Kabi: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Grifols: Consultancy, Research Funding; Terumo BCT: Consultancy; Cerus Corporation: Research Funding; Erydel: Research Funding; Citra Labs: Research Funding; US Army Medical Research and Material Command (Award W81XWH-15-C-0047) / Department of Defense: Research Funding; American Association of Blood Banks: Other: President-Elect. Dunbar:Verax Biomedical: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; US Army Medical Research and Material Command (Award W81XWH-15-C-0047) / Department of Defense: Research Funding. Jones:US Army Medical Research and Material Command (Award W81XWH-15-C-0047) / Department of Defense: Research Funding. Rugg:US Army Medical Research and Material Command (Award W81XWH-15-C-0047) / Department of Defense: Research Funding. Prakash:US Army Medical Research and Material Command (Award W81XWH-15-C-0047) / Department of Defense: Research Funding. Hmel:US Army Medical Research and Material Command (Award W81XWH-15-C-0047) / Department of Defense: Research Funding. Ransom:US Army Medical Research and Material Command (Award W81XWH-15-C-0047) / Department of Defense: Research Funding.

Abstract Background: Trauma surgeons have suggested that the optimal transfusion support for actively bleeding patients may be a 1:1:1 ratio of red cells, plasma and platelets (plts). Therefore, the only reason to give component therapy - rather than whole blood (WB) - for these patients may be because of the poor post-transfusion survivals of plts stored at 4°C. However, for trauma/surgical patients, even short plt survivals may be sufficient to allow the surgeon enough time to repair the injury. We report the "first ever" data on the post-storage viability of plts stored at 4°C beyond 3 days. In the studies to be reported here, plts were stored within WB for up to 22 days at 4°C. Study Design/Methods: Normal subjects donated a unit of WB that was stored at 4°C either for 12 days with mixing only at the end of storage or for 10, 15, or 22 days with end-over-end rotation of the WB throughout storage. After storage, a plt concentrate was prepared from the WB using standard centrifugation procedures. At the end of WB storage, the donor donated a 40 ml blood sample from which fresh plts were prepared. The autologous stored and fresh plts were radiolabeled with 111In or 51Cr, respectively, before simultaneous transfusion into their donor. Serial post-transfusion blood samples were collected to determine stored versus fresh plt recoveries and survivals. Our pre-defined acceptance criteria were: 1) stored plt recoveries should average ≥50% of the same donor's fresh plt recoveries; and 2) plt survivals should average ≥1 day. Results/Findings: When the WB was mixed only at the end of storage, plt yields in the WB were just 48% of baseline values with average plt counts of 4.6 ± 2.0 x 1010. This amount of plt loss was considered unacceptable (Table). In contrast, with continuous end-over-end rotation of the WB during storage, plt yields after 15 days were 76% of baseline values and plt counts averaged 7.6 ± 1.4 x 1010 (well within FDA guidelines that require 5.5 x 1010 plts/concentrate prepared from WB). Radiolabeled autologous plt recoveries averaged 27 ± 11% (49 ± 16% of fresh) and survivals averaged 1.2 ± 0.4 days (16 ± 1% of fresh); i.e., our pre-defined plt acceptance criteria were met. Storage for 22 days gave unacceptable results. Conclusion: Plt concentrates stored at 4°C for up to 3 days have been FDA approved for use in thrombocytopenic patients since the 1970's. These plts had autologous plt recoveries of 40 ± 5% and survivals of 1.0 ± 0.1 days (S.E.) (Br J Haematol 1976;34:403-419). The FDA has recently approved the use of 3-day 4°C stored apheresis plts for actively bleeding patients. Our data may suggest that plts stored within WB at 4°C for up to 15 days may provide similar post-storage plt viability as plt concentrates or apheresis plts stored for ≤3 days. Red cells and plasma derived from CP2D WB stored for 21 days at 4°C are already licensed. Therefore, for actively bleeding patients who need all three components (red cells, plasma, and plts), WB stored for up to 15 days may provide effective quantities of all the needed components. Table 1. AUTOLOGOUS YIELDS, RECOVERIES, AND SURVIVALS OF PLATELETS STORED IN WHOLE BLOOD AT 4°C Storage Time (Days) N Rotation WB PLT COUNTS x 1010 Post-Storage Yield(% of Baseline) PLT RECOVERIES (%) PLT SURVIVALS (Days) Baseline Post-Storage Fresh Stored % of Fresh Fresh Stored % of Fresh 12 7 Mixed at end of storage* 9.4 ± 2.4 4.6 ± 2.0 48 ± 12 50 ± 15 22 ± 8 48 ± 29 8.3 ± 1.6 1.8 ± 0.6 23 ± 10 10 10 Continuously during storage** 9.5 ± 2.1 7.2 ± 1.6 77 ± 10 50 ± 10 26 ± 7 51 ± 7 8.1 ± 1.1 1.3 ± 0.3 16 ± 4 15 10 Continuously during storage** 10.0 ± 1.0 7.6 ± 1.4 76 ± 10 55 ± 11 27 ± 11 49 ± 16 8.0 ± 0.1 1.2 ± 0.4 16 ± 1 22 3 Continuously during storage** 12.9 ± 1.9 9.2 ± 0.7 73 ± 15 56 ± 12 14 ± 4 25 ± 5 7.7 ± 0.6 0.8 ± 0.3 10 ± 3 Data reported as average ±1 S.D. *WB units were hand mixed only at the end of storage before plt counting. **WB units were continuously rotated end-over-end during storage. Disclosures Slichter: Cellphire, Inc.: Research Funding; Cerus Corporation: Research Funding; Terumo BCT: Research Funding; Department of Defense: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding.

AbstractIntroductionHospitals are meant to be places for respite and healing; however, technological advances and reliance on monitoring alarms has led to the environment becoming increasingly noisy. The coronary care unit (CCU), like the emergency department, provides care to ill patients while being vulnerable to noise pollution. The World Health Organization (WHO; Geneva, Switzerland) recommends that for optimum rest and healing, sound levels should average approximately 30 decibels (dB) with maximum readings less than 40 dB.ProblemThe purpose of this study was to measure and analyze sound levels in three different locations in the CCU, and to review alarm reports in relation to sound levels.MethodsOver a one-month period, sound recorders (Extech SDL600; Extech Instruments; Nashua, New Hampshire USA) were placed in three separate locations in the CCU at the West Roxbury Veterans’ Administration (VA) Hospital (Roxbury, Massachusetts USA). Sound samples were recorded once per second, stored in Comma Separated Values format for Excel (Microsoft Corporation; Redmond, Washington USA), and then exported to Microsoft Excel. Averages were determined, plotted per hour, and alarm histories were reviewed to determine alarm noise effect on total noise for each location, as well as common alarm occurrences.ResultsPatient Room 1 consistently had the lowest average recordings, though all averages were >40 dB, despite decreases between 10:00pmand 7:00am. During daytime hours, recordings maintained levels >50 dB. Overnight noise remained above recommended levels 55.25% of the period in Patient Room 1 and 99.61% of the same time period in Patient Room 7. The nurses’ station remained the loudest location of all three. Alarms per hour ranged from 20-26 during the day. Alarms per day averaged: Patient Room 1-57.17, Patient Room 7-122.03, and the nurses’ station - 562.26. Oxygen saturation alarms accounted for 33.59% of activity, and heart-related (including ST segment and pacemaker) accounted for 49.24% of alarms.ConclusionThe CCU cares for ill patients requiring constant monitoring. Despite advances in technology, measured noise levels for the hospital studied exceeded WHO standards of 40 dB and peaks of 45 dB, even during night hours when patients require rest. Further work is required to reduce noise levels and examine effects on patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and length of stay.RyanKM,GagnonM,HannaT,MelloB,FofanaM,CiottoneG,MolloyM.Noise pollution: do we need a solution? An analysis of noise in a cardiac care unit.Prehosp Disaster Med.2016;31(4):432–435.

Abstract Abstract 2905 Poster Board II-881 Vascular complications are the major causes of morbidity in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) like essential thrombocythemia (ET) and polycythemia vera (PV), and their pathogenesis is likely multifactorial. Granulocyte activation may promote thrombogenesis through multiple interactions with both platelets and vessel wall, and granulocytes from patients with ET and PV were previously shown to be functionally activated as indicated by increased values of LAP expression. LAP is stored in intracellular secretory vesicles, which following granulocyte activation fuse into a tubular system communicating with the plasma membrane, thus exporting LAP to the cell surface. A direct relationship between granulocyte LAP expression and JAK2 (V617F) mutant allele burden has been previously documented in PV [Passamonti et al, Blood. 2006 May 1;107(9):3676-82]. The identification of the unique JAK2 (V617F) mutation in more than 70% of patients with MPN has prompted the development of JAK2 inhibitors for treatment of these disorders. INCB018424, a selective inhibitor of JAK1 and JAK2, is currently being evaluated in a phase II trial in patients with ET or PV refractory or intolerant to hydroxyurea (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00726232). The Department of Hematology Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo & University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, has enrolled 23 patients in this clinical trial. To investigate the effect of INCB018424 on granulocyte activation, we measured LAP expression levels on circulating granulocytes of these patients (13 cases of ET and 10 cases of PV). LAP expression was evaluated by flow cytometry immunophenotyping (Beckman Coulter, Milan Italy) before study entry and then after one and three months of treatment. The anti-LAP monoclonal antibody was employed according to the manufacturer's instructions (PharMingen-Becton Dickinson, Milan Italy). Results were expressed as mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) ratio, defined as the ratio between the mean fluorescence of the specific marker tested to the mean fluorescence of the negative control included in the assay. Given that patients with ET and PV had different peripheral granulocyte counts, results were adjusted for this parameter. In the 23 patients with MPN enrolled in the clinical trial NCT00726232, the median value of granulocyte LAP expression was 11 MFI (range, 3.7-34.1) at baseline, 7.3 MFI (range, 4.3-24.1) after one month, and 8.6 MFI (range, 3.9-29.9) after three months of treatment with INCB018424. The Mann-Whitney U test indicated that there was a significant reduction in granulocyte LAP expression with INCB018424 treatment (P = .04). We further investigated the time course (slope) of LAP expression by applying general linear models for repeated measurements with diagnosis (ET vs PV), JAK2 status (V617F vs wild type), hematologic response to treatment with INCB018424 (complete or partial response vs no response), and aspirin treatment as covariates. This analysis showed that the reduction in granulocyte LAP expression was independent from diagnosis, JAK2 status, hematologic response to INCB018424, and aspirin administration (P = .00009). Interestingly, three patients who were temporarily interrupted from INCB018424 treatment because of anemia displayed an increase in LAP expression after interruption. In conclusion, our observations suggest that INCB018424 treatment is able to decrease LAP expression on circulating granulocytes in patients with ET or PV, which likely reflects a decrease in granulocyte activation. Disclosures: Passamonti: Incyte Corporation: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Vaddi:Incyte Corporation: Employment, Equity Ownership.

-Stephen J. Appold, Heidi Dahles ,Tourism and small entrepreneurs; Development, national policy, and entrepreneurial culture: Indonesian cases. Elmsford, New York: Cognizant Communication Corporation, 1999, vi + 165 pp., Karin Bras (eds) -Jean-Pascal Bassino, Peter Boothroyd ,Socioeconomic renovation in Vietnam; The origin, evolution and impact of Doi Moi. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2001, xv + 175 pp., Pham Xuan Nam (eds) -Peter Boomgaard, Patrick Vinton Kirch, The wet and the dry; Irrigation and agricultural intensification in Polynesia. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1994, xxii + 385 pp. -A.Th. Boone, Chr.G.F. de Jong, De Gereformeerde Zending in Midden-Java 1931-1975; Een bronnenpublicatie. Zoetermeer: Boekencentrum, 1997, xxiv + 890 pp. [Uitgaven van de Werkgroep voor de Geschiedenis van de Nederlandse Zending en Overzeese Kerken, Grote Reeks 6.] -Okke Braadbaart, Colin Barlow, Institutions and economic change in Southeast Asia; The context of development from the 1960s to the 1990s. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, xi + 204 pp. -Freek Colombijn, Abidin Kusno, Behind the postcolonial; Architecture, urban space, and political cultures in Indonesia. London: Routledge, 2000, xiv + 250 pp. -Raymond Corbey, Michael O'Hanlon ,Hunting the gatherers; Ethnographic collectors, agents and agency in Melanesia, 1870s -1930s. Oxford: Bergahn Books, 2000, xviii + 286 pp. [Methodology and History in Anthropology 6.], Robert L. Welsch (eds) -Olga Deshpande, Hans Penth, A brief histroy of Lan Na; Civilizations of North Thailand. Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books, 2000, v + 74 pp. -Aone van Engelenhoven, I Ketut Artawa, Ergativity and Balinese syntax. Jakarta: Badan Penyelenggaran Seri NUSA, Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya, 1998, v + 169 pp (in 3 volumes). [NUSA Linguistic Studies of Indonesian and Other Languages in Indonesia 42, 43, 44.] -Rens Heringa, Jill Forshee, Between the folds; Stories of cloth, lives, and travels from Sumba. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2001, xiv + 266 pp. -Roy E. Jordaan, Marijke J. Klokke ,Fruits of inspiration; Studies in honour of Prof. J.G. de Casparis, retired Professor of the Early History and Archeology of South and Southeast Asia at the University of Leiden, the Netherlands on the occasion of his 85th birthday. Groningen: Egbert Forsten, 2001, xxiii + 566 pp. [Gonda Indological Studies 11.], Karel R. van Kooij (eds) -Gerrit Knaap, Germen Boelens ,Natuur en samenleving van de Molukken, (met medewerking van Nanneke Wigard). Utrecht: Landelijk Steunpunt Educatie Molukkers, 2001, 375 pp., Chris van Fraassen, Hans Straver (eds) -Henk Maier, Virginia Matheson Hooker, Writing a new society; Social change through the novel in Malay. Leiden: KITLV Press (in association with the Asian Studies Association of Australia), 2000, xix + 492 pp. -Niels Mulder, Penny van Esterik, Materializing Thailand. Oxford: Berg, 2000, xi + 274 pp. -Jean Robert Opgenort, Ger P. Reesink, Studies in Irian Languages; Part II. Jakarta: Badan Penyelenggara Seri NUSA, Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya. [NUSA Linguistic Studies of Indonesian and Other Languages in Indonesia 47.] 2000, iv + 151 pp. -Gerard Termorshuizen, Kester Freriks, Geheim Indië; Het leven van Maria Dermoût, 1888-1962. Amsterdam: Querido, 2000 (herdurk 2001), 357 pp. -Donald Tuzin, Eric Kline Silverman, Masculinity, motherhood, and mockery; Psychoanalyzing culture and the naven rite in New Guinea. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2001, vi + 243 pp. -Alexander Verpoorte, Jet Bakels, Het verbond met de tijger; Visies op mensenetende dieren in Kerinci, Sumatra. Leiden: Research School of Asian, African, and Amerindian Studies (CNWS), 2000, XV + 378 pp. [CNWS Publications 93.] -Sikko Visscher, Twang Peck Yang, The Chinese business elite in Indonesia and the transition to independence, 1940-1950. Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press, 1998, xix + 372 pp. -René Vos, Gerard Termorshuizen, Journalisten en heethoofden; Een geschiedenis van de Indisch-Nederlandse dagbladpers, 1744-1905. Amsterdam: Nijgh en Van Ditmar, Leiden: KITLV Uitgeverij, 2001, 862 pp. -Edwin Wieringa, Marijke J. Klokke, Narrative sculpture and literary traditions in South and Southeast Asia. Leiden: Brill, 2000, xiv + 127 pp. [Studies in Asian Art and Archaeology (continuation of: Studies in South Asian Culture) 23.] -Catharina Williams-van Klinken, Mark Donohue, A grammar of Tukang Besi. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1999, xxvi + 576 pp. [Mouton Grammar Library 20.] -Kees Zandvliet, Thomas Suárez, Early mapping of Southeast Asia. Singapore: Periplus Editions, 1999, 280 pp. -Claudia Zingerli, Bernhard Dahm ,Vietnamese villages in transition; Background and consequences of reform policies in rural Vietnam. Passau: Department of Southeast Asian Studies, University of Passau, 1999, xiv + 224 pp. [Passau Contributions to Southeast Asian Studies 7.], Vincent J.H. Houben (eds)

That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need
 Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best
 Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
 Is Kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed
 And post o’er Land and Ocean without rest:
 They also serve who only stand and wait.”1
 1John Milton, Sonnet 19
 
 The COVID-19 Pandemic has brought out most of the best (and some of the worst) in us. Much has been said, shared, even sung about health care workers as frontline heroes. Whether we indeed form the frontline, or man the last line of defense, due credit is being given to all “front-liners” – essential-service workers, drivers and delivery personnel, security guards, the military and police who literally serve in the trenches of this invisible war. Indeed, it is heartening to read the inspiring messages, hear the encouraging words, listen to the uplifting (sometimes funny) music and songs, witness the moving memes and cartoons, watch the refreshing dances and tributes, and receive the healing blessings and prayers on various media and social media platforms. Indeed, we are motivated to continue to work, so that others may safely stay home. Some of us have even been called upon to die, so that others may live.
 But so much less is and has been said about those who make our battle possible, who selflessly and silently took it upon themselves to clothe us with personal protective equipment, feed us, transport us, and even shelter us as we engage the unseen enemy. It is these heroes I wish to thank today. I certainly cannot thank them all, but I sincerely hope that those I do mention will represent the many others I cannot.
 Early on, my brother Elmer Lapeña and his Team Twilight group of “golfing enthusiasts and friends” (“company owners, executives, managers, engineers, technicians, entrepreneurs, and expats in the electronics, semiconductor, metalworking, automotive, aerospace, and packaging manufacturing industries”) responded to the call for better protection for frontliners with door-to-door deliveries of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to over 40 hospitals in the National Capitol Region, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna and Batangas including the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).2 On a personal note, Elmer and my sister-in-law Annette were closely monitoring our situation, going out of their way to obtain difficult-to-find PPEs for my wife Josie and myself, and our respective Departments of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) and Otorhinolaryngology (ORL) at the PGH.
 For her part, our very dear friend Gigi Bautista Rapadas organized Project #HelpCovid19Warriors(HCW), to “go where the virus goes” and “help where help is needed and requested,” harnessing donations from ‘family, friends, and friends of friends” to procure PPE (as well as disinfectants, even canned goods) that were distributed “from Metro Manila to the provinces: Tuguegarao, Bataan, Bulacan, La Union, Nueva Vizcaya, Cavite,” moving from hospitals and health centers to correctional institutes.3 It is because of them that our PGH Department of ORL obtained very expensive but essential respirator hoods for added protection from aerosolized virus when conducting airway procedures, in addition to head-to-foot PPEs for use of the PGH DFCM in attending to PGH staff at the UP Health Service.
 Meanwhile, without fanfare, our dear friends Popot and Agnes (also my DLSU ’79 classmate) Lorenzana provided cooked meals for 1,000 persons daily. Working with on-the-ground social workers and with the 2KK Tulong sa Kapwa Kapatid Foundation, their Feeding Program “A thousand meals for poor communities” reached Payatas, Talayan, Pinyahan, Smokey Mountain, Maisan, Bagong Silang, Old Balara, Tatalon, Sta. Teresita, Sampaloc, and Sta. Ana, among more than 50 other communities. They generously responded to my wife’s request to provide meals for her community patients of the Canossa Health Center in Tondo. They have also provided meals for hospital staff of Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, the Medical City Hospital, Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, Dr. Jose Rodriquez Memorial Hospital, Quezon City General Hospital, the San Lazaro Hospital, Valenzuela City Emergency and Lung Center of the Philippines. They continue this service which to date has provided for more than 32,000 meals, with corporate partners and private individuals joining the effort.4
 Other De La Salle University (DLSU) College ‘79 batchmates who wish to remain anonymous obtained board approval of their endorsement to channel all the social development funds of their Maritime Multipurpose Cooperative for the next 3 years to the Philippine General Hospital. Adding their personal funds (and those solicited by their daughter and nephew), they took on the daunting task of sourcing and proving Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs) for our use. Another DLSU batchmate has been providing PPEs to various hospitals including PGH through their family corporation, Nobleland Ventures, Inc. Even their high school batch ’75 of Saint Jude Catholic School has donated boxes and boxes of PPEs to the PGH and other hospitals. Other DLSU ’79 classmates Bel and Bong Consing, and Timmy, Joy (and Tita Linda) Bautista have personally donated PPEs and funds for our COVID-19 operations, while classmate Fritz de Lange even sent over sweet mangoes for us to enjoy with our fellow frontliners.
 Generous donations also poured in from La Salle Green Hills (LSGH) High School ’76 friends Cris Ibarra, Norman Uy, Class 4E, and batchmates Tito and Pepper who wish to remain anonymous, as well as Menchit Borbon and her St. Theresa’s College Quezon City (STCQC) - Section 1 classmates. We even received overseas support from my LSGH 4B classmate Bingo Pantaleon from Yangon; my mom Libby, brother Bernie and Lilli, and friend Soyanto from Singapore, and sister Sabine from Germany. And how can we forget the regular frozen food deliveries of Jollibee chicken drumsticks and home-made Bulgogi and Tapa from our dear friends Ed and Aning Go?
 Perhaps the most touching gifts of all came from my eldest and youngest daughters Melay and Jica, who lovingly prepared and delivered much-appreciated meals to us, and middle child Ro-an, who with our son-in-law Reycay serenaded us with beautiful music that was appreciated by no less than Vice President Leni Robredo and featured by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.5 Their musical fund-raising campaign started with another haunting piece featuring my sister Nina and brother-in-law Kiko.6 As if that was not enough, Ro-an bakes cookies to raise funds for our ongoing COVID-19 operations at PGH, while Melay and Jica keep asking us what we want to eat next. These three count among those who have least, yet “put in everything ” from what little they have.7
 These are but a few examples of those known personally to me- my family and friends. And there are many more. In the same way, every other doctor and front liner will have their own stories to tell, of friends, family even mere acquaintances who have come out of the shadows to help, to care, to share in whatever way they can, in fighting this battle with us. Let this be their tribute as well.
 Those of us who serve in the Philippine General Hospital have been called People Giving Hope.8,9 I believe that we do give hope because others give us hope in turn. I like to think that the inscription in the PGH lobby “They Also Serve Who Care and Share” honors these others in a special way who go over and beyond the call of duty. With apologies to John Milton, our heroes go way over and beyond “they also serve who only stand and wait.”

by Kong Chi Ho, Wong Wan Sze.<br>Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1991.<br>ABSTRACT --- p.ii<br>TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii<br>PREFACE --- p.iv<br>Chapter<br>Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1<br>Project Objectives --- p.2<br>Chapter II. --- BACKGROUND INFORMATION --- p.3<br>US Department Stores --- p.3<br>Overseas Expansion --- p.4<br>Domestic Market Situation --- p.6<br>Retailing in the Asian-Pacific Region --- p.7<br>Overseas Expansion of Asian Department Stores --- p.9<br>Retailing in Hong Kong --- p.9<br>Why is Hong Kong Considered as an Alternative --- p.11<br>Chapter III. --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.12<br>Internationalisation of Retailing --- p.12<br>Trends in the Retail Market --- p.15<br>Store Preferences and Store Trends --- p.16<br>Bibliography --- p.19<br>Chapter IV. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.20<br>Chapter V. --- RESEARCH FINDINGS --- p.23<br>Customer Survey --- p.23<br>Interpretation of Findings --- p.34<br>Interviews with Department Store Personnel --- p.36<br>Chapter VI. --- RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.48<br>Selection Criteria --- p.48<br>Type of Store --- p.50<br>Discount Store --- p.51<br>Specialty Department Store --- p.53<br>Potential Problems --- p.57<br>Chapter VII. --- CONCLUSIONS --- p.59<br>APPENDICES --- p.61

by Lum Yee Chung, Richard.<br>Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1990.<br>Bibliography: leaves 71-73.<br>ABSTRACT --- p.ii<br>TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv<br>LIST OF TABLES --- p.vii<br>PREFACE --- p.ix<br>Chapter<br>Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1<br>Why Japanese Department Stores Came in the 1980s --- p.2<br>Statement of Problem --- p.3<br>Research Questions --- p.3<br>Significance of Study --- p.5<br>Limitations of Study --- p.5<br>Summary --- p.6<br>References --- p.7<br>Chapter II. --- INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENT --- p.8<br>Introduction --- p.8<br>Opinions by Department Store Practitioners --- p.8<br>Store Categories --- p.9<br>Market Environment of the Retail and Department Store Industry --- p.11<br>Summary --- p.15<br>References --- p.16<br>Chapter III. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.17<br>Introduction --- p.17<br>Approach of Study --- p.17<br>Questionnaire Design --- p.18<br>Sampling and Data Collection --- p.22<br>Summary --- p.23<br>References --- p.24<br>Chapter IV. --- RESEARCH FINDINGS --- p.25<br>Introduction --- p.25<br>Background Information of Respondents --- p.25<br>Criteria for Shoppers to Choose Department Stores --- p.28<br>Shoppers' Opinions on Japanese Department Stores --- p.32<br>Store Categories that Respondents Shop Most Often --- p.35<br>Effectiveness of Advertisement --- p.37<br>Idea on Product to Buy and Amount to Spend Before Entering a Store --- p.39<br>Importance of Product/Services Other Than Traditional Merchandise in Department Stores --- p.41<br>"Importance of Price, Quality, Brand Name and Discount" --- p.42<br>Main Strengths and Weaknesses of Japanese Stores --- p.45<br>Identifying the Heavy Shoppers and their Characteristics --- p.48<br>Summary --- p.52<br>References --- p.54<br>Chapter V. --- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.55<br>Introduction --- p.55<br>Conclusions --- p.55<br>Recommendations for Japanese Stores --- p.55<br>Recommendations for Local Stores --- p.59<br>Future Direction --- p.62<br>References --- p.63<br>APPENDIXES --- p.64<br>Chapter Appendix 1 : --- Questionnaire - Studies on Japanese Department Stores --- p.64<br>Chapter Appendix 2 : --- Questionnaire - Consumer Survey --- p.68<br>BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.71

by Cheng Yin Ling, Carrol, Hung Bing Bing.<br>Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996.<br>Includes bibliographical references (leaf [25] (2nd gp.)).<br>ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.ii<br>ABSTRACT --- p.iii<br>TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.v<br>Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.7<br>Chapter 1.1 --- Structure of the Project --- p.7<br>Chapter 1.2 --- The Evolution of Department Stores in Hong Kong --- p.8<br>Chapter 1.3 --- The Birth of CRC Department Store --- p.11<br>Chapter 1.4 --- Research Objectives --- p.13<br>Chapter 1.5 --- Scope of Study --- p.13<br>Chapter 1.6 --- Research Methodology --- p.14<br>Chapter 1.6.1 --- Exploratory Research --- p.14<br>Chapter 1.6.2 --- Descriptive Research --- p.15<br>Chapter 1.7 --- Summary of the Chapter --- p.15<br>Chapter CHAPTER II --- COMPANY BACKGROUND --- p.17<br>Chapter 2.1 --- history of CRC department store --- p.17<br>Chapter 2.2 --- Store Operation --- p.17<br>Chapter 2.3 --- Target Customers --- p.18<br>Chapter 2.4 --- Merchandise Mix and Scope of Service --- p.18<br>Chapter 2.5 --- Perceived Competitors --- p.19<br>Chapter 2.6 --- Merchandising System --- p.20<br>Chapter 2.7 --- Summary of the Chapter --- p.20<br>Chapter CHAPTER III --- THE MARKET REPOSITIONING PROGRAM --- p.22<br>Chapter 3.1 --- The Market Repositioning Program of CRC --- p.22<br>Chapter 3.1.1 --- Signs and Logo --- p.23<br>Chapter 3.1.2 --- Merchandise Selection --- p.23<br>Chapter 3.1.3 --- Merchandise Buying --- p.24<br>Chapter 3.1.4 --- Store Layout --- p.24<br>Chapter 3.1.5 --- Sales Personnel --- p.25<br>Chapter 3.1.6 --- Promotional Tactics --- p.26<br>Chapter 3.2 --- Evaluation Criteria for the Market Repositioning Program --- p.27<br>Chapter 3.3 --- Factors Affecting the Effectiveness of the Market Repositioning Program --- p.28<br>Chapter 3.4 --- Summary of the Chapter --- p.29<br>Chapter CHAPTER IV --- CUSTOMER SURVEY OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY --- p.31<br>Chapter 4.1 --- Customer Survey Objectives --- p.31<br>Chapter 4.1.1 --- Definitions of Specific Terms --- p.32<br>Chapter 4.2 --- Customer Survey Methodology --- p.32<br>Chapter 4.2.1 --- Questionnaire Design --- p.33<br>Chapter 4.2.2 --- Field Work --- p.34<br>Chapter 4.2.3 --- Sampling Design --- p.35<br>Chapter 4.3 --- Limitations --- p.36<br>Chapter 4.4 --- Summary of the Chapter --- p.38<br>Chapter CHAPTER V --- CUSTOMER SURVEY FINDINGS --- p.39<br>Chapter 5.1 --- findings from survey on existing customers --- p.39<br>Chapter 5.1.1 --- Demographic Profile of Respondents --- p.39<br>Chapter 5.1.2 --- Identify Customer Status --- p.40<br>Chapter 5.1.3 --- Impression Difference on CPC/CME and CRC among Old Customers --- p.40<br>Chapter 5.1.4 --- Reasons for Buying from CRC from New Customers --- p.41<br>Chapter 5.2 --- findings from survey on potential customers --- p.42<br>Chapter 5.2.1 --- Current Awareness Towards CRC --- p.43<br>Chapter 5.2.2 --- Intention to Buy from CRC --- p.43<br>Chapter 5.3 --- Summary of the Chapter --- p.45<br>Chapter CHAPTER VI --- ISSUES & DISCUSSIONS --- p.46<br>Chapter 6.1 --- Merchandise --- p.46<br>Chapter 6.1.1 --- Price and Quality --- p.46<br>Chapter 6.1.2 --- Assortment and Fashion --- p.47<br>Chapter 6.2 --- Store Layout and Atmosphere --- p.48<br>Chapter 6.2.1 --- Layout and Floor Plan of Store --- p.48<br>Chapter 6.2.2 --- External and Internal Decor of Store --- p.49<br>Chapter 6.2.3 --- Merchandise Display --- p.50<br>Chapter 6.3 --- Sales Personnel --- p.51<br>Chapter 6.4 --- Summary of the Chapter --- p.51<br>Chapter CHAPTER VII --- RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS --- p.52<br>Chapter 7.1 --- Recommendations --- p.52<br>Chapter 7.1.1 --- Merchandise --- p.52<br>Chapter 7.1.2 --- Store Layout and Atmosphere --- p.54<br>Chapter 7.1.3 --- Sales Personnel --- p.56<br>Chapter 7.1.4 --- Ways of Communication --- p.58<br>Chapter 7.2 --- Conclusions --- p.60<br>Chapter 7.3 --- Summary of the Chapter --- p.61<br>APPENDIX<br>BIBLIOGRAPHY

Historians have long viewed American department stores as barometers of social change, anchors of modern urban life, and purveyors of a new kind of consumer capitalist culture. In its heyday, from the late nineteenth century to the middle twentieth century, the department store was all of these things, but it was also much more. This dissertation draws on business, government, and family papers to reveal how a new kind of businessman, the department store retailer, pioneered powerful political and trade networks that were deeply embedded in Washington and stretched across the Atlantic into the increasingly volatile capitals of Europe. As campaign contributors, trade policy advisors, and political appointees, retailers like John Wanamaker, Isidor Straus, Louis Kirstein, and Ira Hirschmann regularly moved through the inner circles of the national government. They could just as easily be found on Capitol Hill, or at trade offices located in London or Paris, as behind their own desks in the upper floors of Wanamaker’s or Filene’s. Retailers’ command of vast transatlantic trade networks, now largely forgotten, made them key participants in pressing debates about everything from tariff reform and economic recovery to wartime mobilization and the plight of refugees. Yet retailers approached politics and commerce with profoundly different sensibilities than executives at other major American corporations, such as Ford, United Fruit, or Coca Cola. In the retail industry, commercial expansion depended not on the domination of foreign markets and foreign workers, but rather on transnational cooperation and the development of policies and business methods that upheld both the sovereignty and distinctiveness of other nations—and their goods. In this complex era, as the imperatives of trade routinely collided with politics and other large forces, from devastating world wars and widespread depression to the rise of new radical ideologies, retailers did much more than market desire. They brokered vital connections between Americans, Washington, and the world.

“Railroads and mass distribution, 1850–1880” focuses on unprecedented economic and technological innovations in the decades after the Civil War. Coal, telegraph communication, and the railroad network revolutionized distribution and manufacture while creating a new management class. Corporations developed from small beginnings into mail-order companies supported by a new postal network, followed by department stores. Unions such as the American Federation of Labor were developed to regulate the workforce. Railroads and telegraph communication led to increased farming, facilitated the movements of traveling salespeople, and enabled the founding and management of the large industrial concerns that dominated the American economy over the next half-century and beyond.

Learning objects are being used more and more by the corporate training world. Their acceptance by corporate training can be attributed in part to the fact that they provided those departments with a system and tools that they could present to their decision makers—a system that aligned with corporate goals. Some of those goals included the need to train a global workforce and the need to do it in an effective, competitive, and efficient manner. The examples provided demonstrate how and why learning object systems have found success in different corporations. First content was chosen that could be developed, parsed, stored, and retrieved. The content was both reusable and migratory. Next robust systems that allow the various learning audiences to access the content and use it for various purposes were built. And finally, the benefits to the various stakeholders were successfully marketed and accepted.

Waste generation and disposition is a challenge all face in the environmental restoration business. Over the past three years Safety and Ecology Corporation (SEC) working with Bechtel Jacobs Company, LLC (BJC) the Management and Integration subcontractor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have been able to minimize the volume of waste (mixed, hazardous, and radiological) that is disposed of and increased the volume for release, reuse, and recycle. This paper will focus on the success and challenges of several projects at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and one project at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP). SEC is one of four Remedial Action/Decontamination &amp; Decommissioning (RADD) subcontractors selected by BJC to support site clean up goals. Several of these RADD projects awarded to SEC will be used to illustrate the waste management process and the challenges/successes to completion. All these projects were “fixed price” with defined milestones keyed into award fee for BJC and regulatory milestones for DOE. From the first project completed under the RADD subcontract to the most recent the waste disposition approach has been refined and a decision process developed. This decision process will be discussed in the paper and illustrated graphically to indicate the critical elements to selecting the most appropriate waste disposition option. This paper will focus on the following items associated with waste minimization efforts at the Oak Ridge Reservation DOE facilities. • Waste disposition decision process. • Waste disposition options — recycle, reuse, salvage, and disposal. • Elements of integration required for successful pre-planning — design and implementation. • Waste disposition challenges and solutions. • Decontamination to reduce mixed waste volumes. Release surveys required to disposition waste for reuse/recycle. • Lessons learned that will be integrated in future projects.

The need to provide students with hands-on instruction in the fabrication of Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) led to the development of an upper-undergraduate, introductory-graduate, laboratory course offered each spring in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering (MechSE). The laboratory is taught in a class 100 cleanroom located in, and operated by, the MechSE department. Fabrication and testing of two MEMS device projects, a piezoresistive membrane pressure sensor and a microfluidic logic chip, facilitate the teaching of standard fabrication procedures, fabrication tool operation, and cleanroom protocols. The course appeals across disciplines as evident by half the students coming from other departments (chemical engineering, chemistry, material science, physics, electrical engineering, aeronautical engineering, etc.). The course also serves to attract prospective graduate students as many students continue to use the cleanroom in their graduate level research. This course broadly covers MEMS fabrication theory while maintaining a focus on practical understanding and laboratory application of that theory. The lecture is tied closely to the laboratory work by covering the tool and procedure theory that is used in the lab each week. An exciting aspect of the course is the hands-on learning experience the students get by independently operating the fabrication equipment themselves, including metal deposition tools, reactive ion etch (RIE) tools, lithography tools (spinners, mask aligners, etc.), and bath etchers and cleaners. Safety is an important aspect of the course where students are tested on safety protocol, Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) familiarity, personal protection procedures, etc. The students also learn benchmark fabrication procedures including standard cleaning protocols (with ultrasonics), the Bosch RIE etching of silicon microstructures, and anisotropic etching of silicon. The piezoresistive membrane pressure sensor project facilitates an understanding of the residual stresses involved in thin-film deposition, stress-strain relationships, and signal analysis for transduction mechanisms. The microfluidic logic chip project, a chip of logic gates (NAND, NOR, etc.) and a half-adder, facilitates understanding fundamental principles of microfluidics, the Navier-Stokes equation, and flow in microchannels. This course, originally sponsored by Intel Corporation, prepares Mechanical Engineers in a multi-disciplinary environment to learn both the practical fundamentals and the theoretical basis of basic and advanced microfabrication that goes beyond the usual CMOS fabrication theory and methodology taught in Electrical Engineering for the microelectronics bound students. As evident from its popularity, the course also serves to excite and equip students for the important Mechanical Engineering field of MEMS.

The Minnesota Valley Alfalfa Producers (MnVAP), a farmer owned cooperative, is developing a 75 MW combined cycle power plant integrated with alfalfa processiag facilities in southwestern Minnesota. The Minnesota Agri-Power (MAP) project is supported by the U. S. Department of Energy and a project development team that includes Stone &amp; Webster, the University of Minnesota, United Power Association, Carbona Corporation/Kvaerner Pulping Inc. and Westinghouse. Alfalfa processing facilities separate the fibrous stem material from the protein-rich leaf fraction. The resulting alfalfa leaf meal (ALM) is further processed into a variety of valuable livestock feed products. Alfalfa stem material is gasified using air-blown fluidized bed technology to produce a hot, clean, fuel gas. The fuel gas is fired in a combustion turbine and the exhaust heat is used to produce steam to power a steam turbine. At base load, the electric power plant will consume 1000 tons per day of biomass fuel. This paper briefly describes the project development activities of the alfalfa feed trials and the combined cycle power plant. This commercial scale demonstration represents an important milestone on a continuing pathway towards environmentally and economically sustainable energy systems.

Background: Influenza predominantly causes respiratory diseases; however, gastrointestinal symptoms are not uncommonly reported, particularly among high-risk groups. Influenza virus RNA has been also detected in stools of patients infected with pandemic and seasonal influenza, however, the role and the clinical significance of intestinal infection has not been clearly demonstrated. Methods: Here, we used NGS technology to investigate molecular characterization of viral RNA shedding in feces of adults with active influenza infection. Paired nasal and fecal samples were collected from 295 patients showing to emergency department at Hamad Medical Corporation with flu-like symptoms during January 2018 and April 2019. Results: Among these, 90 nasal samples were positive for influenza, of which, 26 fecal samples were positive for influenza in real-time PCR and only five showed virus growth in both monolayer and 3D cell culture. Full genome sequencing of isolated viruses revealed some unique mutations that we are currently in the process of studying their effect on virus kinetics. Then, we investigated the potential impact of respiratory influenza infection on intestinal microbiota diversity and composition. Microbiome analysis results suggest that changes in gut microbiota composition in influenza-infected patients are significantly associated with (1) influenza virus type, and (2) the presence of viral RNA in intestines of infected patients. We also identified bacterial taxa for which relative abundance was significantly higher in the patients with severe respiratory symptoms. Conclusion: Altogether, our findings suggest that influenza viruses can affect intestinal environment either by direct intestinal infection or indirectly by modulating intestinal microbiota.