An Evaluation of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Practices among Agribusiness Firms

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has received much attention in the business press as a management process to enhance firm performance. This research highlights differences between groups of respondents who believe their firm's CRM program is performing at a high level, as compared to those not satisfied with the performance of their CRM initiative. Cluster analysis was used to develop a taxonomy of respondents based on their perceived CRM performance. The resulting clusters are then profiled on both demographic variables as well as a core set of activities/behaviors to better understand key differences in the CRM programs of agribusinesses.customer relationship management (CRM), marketing, strategy, information technology, cluster analysis., Agribusiness,

Obesity Reduces Bone Density Associated with Activation of PPARγ and Suppression of Wnt/β-Catenin in Rapidly Growing Male Rats

BACKGROUND: It is well established that excessive consumption of a high fat diet (HFD) results in obesity; however, the consequences of obesity on postnatal skeletal development have not been well studied. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Total enteral nutrition (TEN) was used to feed postnatal day 27 male rats intragastrically with a high 45% fat diet (HFD) for four weeks to induce obesity. Fat mass was increased compared to rats fed TEN diets containing 25% fat (medium fat diet, MFD) or a chow diet (low fat diet, LFD) fed ad libitum with matched body weight gains. Serum leptin and total non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were elevated in HFD rats, which also had reduced bone mass compared to LFD-fed animals. This was accompanied by decreases in bone formation, but increases in the bone resorption. Bone marrow adiposity and expression of adipogenic genes, PPARγ and aP2 were increased, whereas osteoblastogenic markers osteocalcin and Runx2 were decreased, in bone in HFD rats compared to LFD controls. The diversion of stromal cell differentiation in response to HFD stemmed from down-regulation of the key canonical Wnt signaling molecule β-catenin protein and reciprocal up-regulation of nuclear PPARγ expression in bone. In a set of in vitro studies using pluripotent ST2 bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells treated with serum from rats on the different diets or using the free fatty acid composition of NEFA quantified in rat serum from HFD-fed animals by GC-MS, we were able to recapitulate our in vivo findings. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These observations strongly suggest that increased NEFA in serum from rats made obese by HFD-feeding impaired bone formation due to stimulation of bone marrow adipogenesis. These effects of obesity on bone in early life may result in impaired attainment of peak bone mass and therefore increase the prevalence of osteoporosis later on in life

An Evaluation of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Practices among Agribusiness Firms

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has received much attention in the business press as a management process to enhance firm performance. This research highlights differences between groups of respondents who believe their firm's CRM program is performing at a high level, as compared to those not satisfied with the performance of their CRM initiative. Cluster analysis was used to develop a taxonomy of respondents based on their perceived CRM performance. The resulting clusters are then profiled on both demographic variables as well as a core set of activities/behaviors to better understand key differences in the CRM programs of agribusinesses

The cycling performances of lithium-sulfur batteries in TEGDME/DOL containing LiNO3 additive

The cycling performance of lithium–sulfur batteries in binary electrolytes based on tetra(ethylene glycol)dimethyl ether (TEGDME) and 1,3-dioxolane(DOL) with lithium nitrate (LiNO3) additive were investigated. The highest ionic conductivity was obtained for 1 M LiN(CF3SO2)2 (LiTFSI) in TEGDME/DOL = 33:67(volume ratio)-based electrolyte. The cyclic efficiency of lithium–sulfur batteries was dramatically increased with LiNO3 additive as a shuttle inhibitor in electrolytes. The lithium–sulfur cell assembled with 1 M LiTFSI in TEGDME/DOL containing 0.2 M LiNO3 additive for electrolyte, the elemental sulfur for cathode, and the lithium metal for anode demonstrated the initial discharge capacity of about 900 mAh g−1 and an enhanced cycling performance.close0