Required Steps of Managing International Equity Placement Strategic Alliance

The purpose of the research is to unravel the steps of managing International equity placement strategic alliance (IEPSA). The steps of managing an IEPSA are obtained by conducting theoretical review. The theoretical reviews consist of theory of strategic alliance; definition, classification, and finding definition of an IEPSA, political and analytical considerations and the necessary steps. These steps of managing IEPSA can be classified into analyzing of macro consideration, micro consideration, domestic company's stakeholder support, cultural understanding, strategic planning, internal support, human resource management, organizational arrangement, management control system, evolved cultural understanding, and evaluating results. In this research, the domestic partners who formed the IEPSAs are limited to State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). The IEPSA was one of the means of privatization. The research will be beneficial for both foreign and domestic partners who form an IEPSA in the previous SOEs. By knowing the steps of managing the IEPSA both partners will be able to secure a successful implementation of IEPSA. By identifying the steps of managing the IEPSA, the stakeholder will not see IEPSA as threat rather as an opportunity to improve performance, to create synergy, and generate benefits for both partners and stakeholder. By knowing the necessary steps of managing the IEPSA, the stakeholder including society and politician will envisage the IEPSA as a means of effectively improving the SOEs' performances.The research was espected to provide contributions for the research on strategic alliances. Apparently, there exist no literatures discussing about IEPSA in the domain of strategic alliances

Санаційне управління як складова фінансового антикризового менеджменту

Метою дослідження є розробка теоретичних основ санаційного управління підприємством відповідно до типології кризи на підприємстві

Small portion sizes in worksite cafeterias: do they help consumers to reduce their food intake?

Background:Environmental interventions directed at portion size might help consumers to reduce their food intake.Objective:To assess whether offering a smaller hot meal, in addition to the existing size, stimulates people to replace their large meal with a smaller meal.Design:Longitudinal randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of introducing small portion sizes and pricing strategies on consumer choices.Setting/participants:In all, 25 worksite cafeterias and a panel consisting of 308 consumers (mean age39.18 years, 50% women).Intervention:A small portion size of hot meals was offered in addition to the existing size. The meals were either proportionally priced (that is, the price per gram was comparable regardless of the size) or value size pricing was employed.Main outcome measures:Daily sales of small and the total number of meals, consumers self-reported compensation behavior and frequency of purchasing small meals.Results:The ratio of small meals sales in relation to large meals sales was 10.2%. No effect of proportional pricing was found B0.11 (0.33), P0.74, confidence interval (CI): 0.76 to 0.54). The consumer data indicated that 19.5% of the participants who had selected a small meal often-to-always purchased more products than usual in the worksite cafeteria. Small meal purchases were negatively related to being male (B0.85 (0.20), P0.00, CI: 1.24 to 0.46, n178).Conclusion:When offering a small meal in addition to the existing size, a percentage of consumers that is considered reasonable were inclined to replace the large meal with the small meal. Proportional prices did not have an additional effect. The possible occurrence of compensation behavior is an issue that merits further attention. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved

Genotypic variation in genome-wide transcription profiles induced by insect feeding: Brassica oleracea – Pieris rapae interactions

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Transcriptional profiling after herbivore attack reveals, at the molecular level, how plants respond to this type of biotic stress. Comparing herbivore-induced transcriptional responses of plants with different phenotypes provides insight into plant defense mechanisms. Here, we compare the global gene expression patterns induced by <it>Pieris rapae </it>caterpillar attack in two white cabbage (<it>Brassica oleracea </it>var. <it>capitata</it>) cultivars. The two cultivars are shown to differ in their level of direct defense against caterpillar feeding. Because <it>Brassica </it>full genome microarrays are not yet available, 70-mer oligonucleotide microarrays based on the <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>genome were used for this non-model plant.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The transcriptional responses of the two cultivars differed in timing as characterized by changes in their expression pattern after 24, 48 and 72 hours of caterpillar feeding. In addition, they also differed qualitatively. Surprisingly, of all genes induced at any time point, only one third was induced in both cultivars. Analyses of transcriptional responses after jasmonate treatment revealed that the difference in timing did not hold for the response to this phytohormone. Additionally, comparisons between <it>Pieris rapae</it>- and jasmonate-induced transcriptional responses showed that <it>Pieris rapae </it>induced more jasmonate-independent than jasmonate-dependent genes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present study clearly shows that global transcriptional responses in two cultivars of the same plant species in response to insect feeding can differ dramatically. Several of these differences involve genes that are known to have an impact on <it>Pieris rapae </it>performance and probably underlie different mechanisms of direct defense, present in the cultivars.</p

The impact of educational and environmental interventions in Dutch worksite cafeterias

Environmental interventions as labeling of healthy foods and an increased availability of healthy foods may help consumers to meet the guidelines for a healthy diet. This article describes a study into the effectiveness of two environmental programs to be used in worksite cafeterias along with an educational program. The aim of the interventions was to reduce fat intake and increase fruit and vegetable intake. In the 'Labeling Program', low fat products were labeled. The 'Food Supply Program' comprised an increased availability of low-fat products and fruits and vegetables in worksite cafeterias. The 'Educational Program' consisted of information about healthy nutrition through brochures, table tents, a self help manual and posters. The design consisted of a pretest-posttest experimental control group design, with four conditions: the Educational Program, the Food Supply Program plus Educational Program, the Labeling Program plus Educational Program and a control group. Seventeen worksites were randomly assigned to one of the four research conditions. Total fat, fruit, and vegetable intake was measured with a quantitative, self-administered food frequency questionnaire (35 questions). Intake during lunch was measured by asking respondents to write down which food items they had purchased during their last lunch in the cafeteria. Furthermore, sales data for some targeted product categories were collected (milk, butter, cheese, meat products, desserts). For the whole study population, no significant effects on consumption data were found for any of the programs. The data showed a beneficial significant treatment effect of the Labeling Program on total fat intake, for respondents who believe they eat a high fat diet. Sales data revealed a significant effect of the labeling program on desserts, but not for the other products

View the label before you view the movie: A field experiment into the impact of Portion size and Guideline Daily Amounts labelling on soft drinks in cinemas

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Large soft drink sizes increase consumption, and thereby contribute to obesity. Portion size labelling may help consumers to select more appropriate food portions. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of portion size and caloric Guidelines for Daily Amounts (GDA) labelling on consumers' portion size choices and consumption of regular soft drinks.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A field experiment that took place on two subsequent evenings in a Dutch cinema. Participants (n = 101) were asked to select one of five different portion sizes of a soft drink. Consumers were provided with either portion size and caloric GDA labelling (experimental condition) or with millilitre information (control condition).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Labelling neither stimulated participants to choose small portion sizes (<it>OR </it>= .75, <it>p </it>= .61, CI: .25 - 2.25), nor did labelling dissuade participants to choose large portion sizes (<it>OR </it>= .51, <it>p </it>= .36, CI: .12 - 2.15).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Portion size and caloric GDA labelling were found to have no effect on soft drink intake. Further research among a larger group of participants combined with pricing strategies is required. The results of this study are relevant for the current public health debate on food labelling.</p

The Longitudinal Association Between Preadolescent Facial Emotion Identification and Family Factors, and Psychotic Experiences in Adolescence (The TRAILS Study)

The current study examines whether facial emotion identification and family factors at preadolescence (age 11) predict psychotic experiences 5 years later during adolescence (age 16) and whether family factors may mediate the association between facial emotion identification and psychotic experiences. Data was obtained from the epidemiological cohort TRAILS (N = 2059). At preadolescence, a facial emotion identification test and three questionnaires to assess family functioning, perceived parenting styles and parenting stress, were administered. At adolescence, a questionnaire on psychotic experiences was administered. Facial emotion identification at preadolescence was not associated with psychotic experiences at adolescence, and the mediational role of family functioning was not further explored. However, increased overprotective parenting at preadolescence was associated with a higher frequency of psychotic experiences and delusions at adolescence. Future research may examine the mechanism behind the role of overprotective parenting on psychotic experiences during adolescence

The dynamics of social activation and suspiciousness in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis

INTRODUCTION: Social functioning is often impaired during the ultra-high risk (UHR) phase for psychosis, but group-level studies regarding the role of social functioning in transition to psychosis are inconsistent. Exploring the inter-individual differences which underlie the association between social functioning and psychotic symptoms in this phase could yield new insights.OBJECTIVE: To examine the idiographic and dynamic association between social activation and suspiciousness in individuals at UHR for psychosis using time-series analysis.METHODS: Twenty individuals at UHR for psychosis completed a diary application every evening for 90 days. Two items on social activation (quantity: 'time spent alone' and quality: 'feeling supported') and two items on suspiciousness ('feeling suspicious' and 'feeling disliked') were used. Time series (T = 90) of each individual were analyzed using vector auto regression analysis (VAR), to estimate the lagged (over 1 day) effect of social activation on suspiciousness, and vice versa, as well as their contemporaneous associations.RESULTS: Heterogeneous person-specific associations between social activation and suspiciousness were found in terms of strength, direction and temporal aspects.CONCLUSIONS: The association between social activation and suspiciousness differs amongst individuals who are at UHR for psychosis. These findings underline the importance of tailoring psychosocial interventions to the individual. Future studies may examine whether using results of single-subject studies in clinical practice to personalize treatment goals leads to better treatment outcomes.</p

Gender differences in characteristics of violent and sexual victimization in patients with psychosis:a cross-sectional study

Abstract Introduction Various studies have demonstrated that individuals with a psychotic disorder are at an increased risk of becoming a victim of crime. Little is known about gender differences in victimization types and in specific characteristics of victimization (e.g., perpetrator, location or disclosure). Knowledge on characteristics of victimization would provide clinicians with more insight which may be especially useful for tailoring interventions. The aim of this study is to examine gender differences in characteristics of violent and sexual victimization in patients with a psychotic disorder. Methods Information on violent (threats, physical abuse) and sexual victimization (harassment, assault) was assessed in 482 individuals with a psychotic disorder who received mental health care. Patients were recruited through a routine outcome monitoring study and a clinical trial. Results Men reported more threats with violence (20.7% vs. 10.5%, x2 = 7.68, p = 0.01), whereas women reported more sexual assault (13.3% vs. 3.6%, x2 = 15.43, p < 0.001). For violent victimization, women were more likely than men to be victimized by a partner, friend or family member (52.9% vs. 30.6%) as opposed to a stranger (11.8% vs. 40.3%; O.R. = 52.49) and to be victimized at home (60.0% vs. 29.3%) as opposed to on the street or elsewhere (40.0% vs. 70.3%; O.R. = 0.06). For sexual victimization, there was no difference in location and perpetrator between men and women. For sexual victimization and physical violence, no differences in disclosure were found, but women were more likely not to disclose threats with violence or to disclose threats to a professional or police (52.9% vs. 45.2%; O.R. = 30.33). All analyses were controlled for age, diagnosis and employment. Discussion Gender patterns of victimization types and characteristics are similar for individuals with a psychotic disorder in comparison to the general population. Men were at higher risk of violent victimization, whereas women were at higher risk for sexual victimization. Men were more likely to become victimized in the streets or elsewhere by a stranger, whereas women seemed to be more often victimized at home by a partner, friend or a family member. Future studies may tailor interventions preventing victimization in psychosis according to gender

Childhood theory of mind does not predict psychotic experiences and social functioning in a general population sample of adolescents

AIMS: Theory of Mind (ToM) is often impaired in early and chronic phases of psychosis and it is often suggested that poor ToM is a trait vulnerability for psychosis. The aim of this study was to examine in an adolescent sample whether childhood ToM abilities can predict psychotic experiences over a period of six years and whether this is mediated by social functioning. To examine whether ToM is a specific predictor for psychosis, symptoms of depression and anxiety were also examined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A baseline case-control sample (T0: age 7-8 years) with and without auditory vocal hallucinations (AVH) in the general population was assessed after five years (T1: age 12-13 years) on ToM ability (ToM Storybook Frank), and after eleven years (T2: age 18-19 years) on psychotic experiences (Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences; CAPE), depressive and anxiety symptoms (Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale; DASS-21), and social functioning (Groningen Questionnaire on Social Behaviour; GSVG-45). Analyses were conducted on a subsample of 157 adolescents aged 18-19 years (T2) who had data available on ToM ability at T1. RESULTS: ToM at T1 was not predictive of psychotic experiences after six years (from age 12-13 to age 18-19) and social functioning was also not a mediator. ToM was not associated with psychopathology in general (depressive and anxiety symptoms) over six years (from age 12-13 to age 18-19). CONCLUSIONS: The current study found no evidence for a longitudinal association between ToM ability and psychotic experiences, social functioning, and symptoms of depression and anxiety, in adolescence