Synthesis of novel MMT/acyl-protected nucleo alanine monomers for the preparation of DNA/alanyl-PNA chimeras

Alanyl-peptide nucleic acid (alanyl-PNA)/DNA chimeras are oligomers envisaged to be beneficial in efficient DNA diagnostics based on an improved molecular beacon concept. A synthesis of alanyl-PNA/DNA chimera can be based on the solid phase assembly of the oligomer with mixed oligonucleotide/peptide backbone under DNA synthesis conditions, in which the nucleotides are introduced as phosphoramidites, whereas the nucleo amino acids make use of the acid labile monomethoxytrityl (MMT) group for temporary protection of the α-amino groups and acyl protecting groups for the exocyclic amino functions of the nucleobases. In this work, we realized for the first time the synthesis of all four MMT/acyl-protected nucleo alanines, achieved by deprotection/reprotection of the newly synthesized Boc/acyl intermediates, useful monomers for the obtainment of (alanyl-PNA)/DNA chimeras by conditions fully compatible with the standard phosphoramidite DNA synthesis strategy

The future of resilient supply chains

While supply chain resilience has been touched upon frequently, research remains (with the exception of often repeated anecdotal examples) relatively disparate on what disruptions actually are. This research aims to advance theoretical and managerial understandings around the management of supply chain disruptions. A two-stage research process is used which focuses first on polling academic experts. This stage is followed by the extraction of insights from practitioners in the automotive, electronics and food industries. Our findings coalesce around: (1) the types of disruptions that respondents are most concerned about; (2) the associated strategies suggested to cope with disruptions; and, (3) how resilience can be measured. It is apparent that there are some areas where academics and practitioners agree and others where they agree to a lesser extent. Both sets of actors tend to agree on how resilience can be quantified, with recovery time the preferred indicator. However, there is a discrepancy around how resilience is achieved within the supply chain. Academics emphasise the importance of redundancy while practitioners refer more to flexibility. Also, they disagree around what constitutes “key disruptions”: academics suggested high-profile events, while practitioners are more concerned with day-to-day problems

Gender diversity for sustainability management: developing a research agenda from a supply chain perspective

Gender diversity (GD) is an issue that must be addressed for the sustainable development of businesses. Research is lacking on GD in the sustainability management of supply chains (SMSCs). This study addresses the potential impact of GD on SMSCs. A literature review methodology is used to review academic and professional articles over three decades. The findings show that some studies have examined GD and supply chain management (SCM) but the focus has tended to be on the challenges encountered by women in SCs, such as women as victims, but not women as potential change actors. In contrast, sustainability management literature invokes the importance of GD and the specificities women managers can bring to firms’ performance. A research agenda is proposed in this study by combining outcomes from both fields. It implies there is an important space to fill, especially concerning the environmental and social impacts GD may have on SMSCs

Nucleic acid-based fluorescent probes and their analytical potential

It is well known that nucleic acids play an essential role in living organisms because they store and transmit genetic information and use that information to direct the synthesis of proteins. However, less is known about the ability of nucleic acids to bind specific ligands and the application of oligonucleotides as molecular probes or biosensors. Oligonucleotide probes are single-stranded nucleic acid fragments that can be tailored to have high specificity and affinity for different targets including nucleic acids, proteins, small molecules, and ions. One can divide oligonucleotide-based probes into two main categories: hybridization probes that are based on the formation of complementary base-pairs, and aptamer probes that exploit selective recognition of nonnucleic acid analytes and may be compared with immunosensors. Design and construction of hybridization and aptamer probes are similar. Typically, oligonucleotide (DNA, RNA) with predefined base sequence and length is modified by covalent attachment of reporter groups (one or more fluorophores in fluorescence-based probes). The fluorescent labels act as transducers that transform biorecognition (hybridization, ligand binding) into a fluorescence signal. Fluorescent labels have several advantages, for example high sensitivity and multiple transduction approaches (fluorescence quenching or enhancement, fluorescence anisotropy, fluorescence lifetime, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), and excimer-monomer light switching). These multiple signaling options combined with the design flexibility of the recognition element (DNA, RNA, PNA, LNA) and various labeling strategies contribute to development of numerous selective and sensitive bioassays. This review covers fundamentals of the design and engineering of oligonucleotide probes, describes typical construction approaches, and discusses examples of probes used both in hybridization studies and in aptamer-based assays

Innowacje w relacjach operatorów logistycznych - w poszukiwaniu satysfakcji klienta

Background: Nowadays LSPs face an increasingly competitive environment in which a strategy to focus on existing customers by satisfying and sustaining them has been proved to be more successful than trying to get the small share of customers that have not yet outsourced any logistics activities. To be able to keep and grow the customers, LSPs have to overcome a number of barriers, align with customers and innovate. However, there is still a lack of understanding when, with what type of customers, and how LSPs can effectively leverage customer integration within Innovation Alignment for successful innovation. The purpose of the paper is to: present the concept of logistics innovation and its role in creating customer satisfaction, point a number of barriers to LSPs' innovativeness, and analyze the role and characteristics of relationship innovation alignment when developing and implementing innovative logistics services. Methods: The research adopts a two-stage effort, with Stage 1 being focus groups with LSPs and their customers, and Stage 2 being a theory-testing survey. Up to now, focus groups, survey development, and survey pre-tests with LSPs senior executives have been completed. Conducting the survey and collecting data is in progress. To illustrate the preliminary findings from the American market, case studies in the European surrounding, describing cooperation between LSPs and their customers on logistics innovations, were prepared. Results: Aligning with a customer when pursuing something new is a crucial success factor in logistics sector, especially when pursuing and developing a radical tailored service innovation. The Innovation Alignment should embrace managerial as well as relational mechanisms. Conclusions: LSPs, compared to other industries, are not very innovative. However, logistics managers should try to overcome barriers and proactively develop and implement logistics service innovations. The preliminary results of the research have already shown that integrating customers into the logistics innovation process could increase their satisfaction and enhance the innovation performance of LSP.Wstęp: Współcześnie operatorzy logistyczni funkcjonują w bardzo konkurencyjnym środowisku, w którym strategia koncentracji na dotychczasowych klientach, zaspokojeniu ich potrzeb i dzięki temu zatrzymaniu ich, okazuje się być bardziej skuteczna niż próba pozyskania nowych zleceniodawców, którzy nigdy wcześniej nie współpracowali z operatorami logistycznymi. Praktyka pokazuje, iż, dążąc do zatrzymania i zwiększania udziału w kieszeni klienta, operatorzy logistyczni muszą pokonać szereg barier, wejść w sojusz z klientami i stać się innowacyjni. Głównym pytaniem badawczym jest kiedy, z jakiego typu klientami i w jaki sposób operatorzy powinni współpracować, aby osiągnąć sukces innowacyjny. Celem artykułu jest: zaprezentowanie koncepcji innowacji logistycznych oraz ich roli w kreowaniu satysfakcji klienta, wskazanie na liczne bariery na drodze do innowacyjności operatorów logistycznych oraz przeanalizowanie roli i elementów składowych relacyjnego sojuszu innowacyjnego, gdy operator rozwija i wdraża innowacyjne usługi logistyczne. Metody: Badanie składa się z dwóch etapów: fazy pierwszej - zogniskowanych wywiadów z operatorami logistycznymi i ich klientami oraz fazy drugiej - kwestionariusza ankietowego, pozwalającego przetestować model współpracy nad innowacją. Do chwili obecnej przeprowadzono zogniskowane wywiady, przygotowano kwestionariusz ankiety oraz pilotaż ankiety wśród naczelnej kadry kierowniczej wybranych operatorów logistycznych. Zbieranie danych jest w trakcie. Celem zilustrowania wstępnych wyników badań prowadzonych na rynku amerykańskim, opracowano europejskie studia przypadków opisujące współpracę operatorów logistycznych z ich klientami nad innowacją. Wyniki: Sojusz z klientem, gdy firma wypracowuje innowacje jest ważnym czynnikiem sukcesu w usługach logistycznych, zwłaszcza w pracy nad radykalną usługą innowacyjną szytą na miarę potrzeb klienta. Sojusz innowacyjny powinien obejmować zarządcze i relacyjne mechanizmy. Wnioski: Operatorzy logistyczni, w porównaniu do innych branż, są raczej mało innowacyjni. Jednakże menedżer logistyczny powinien spróbować pokonać te bariery i proaktywnie opracować i wdrożyć innowacyjne usługi logistyczne. Wstępne wyniki badań pokazały, że włączenie klientów w proces innowacji logistycznej może spowodować wzrost satysfakcji klienta i poprawić wynik innowacyjny operatora logistycznego

Building High Performance Business Relationships

By Douglas M. Lambert, A. Michael Knemeyer, John T. Gardner (College at Brockport faculty emeriti).. In an environment characterized by scarce resources, increased competition, higher customer expectations, and faster rates of change, executives are turning to partnerships to provide sustainable competitive advantage. Partnering provides a way to leverage the unique skills and expertise of each partner and may also lock-out competitors. Partnerships, however, are costly in terms of the time and effort required. A firm cannot and should not partner with every supplier or customer. It is important to ensure that scarce resources are dedicated only to those relationships which will truly benefit from a partnership. Yet, many organizations become involved in relationships that do not meet management expectations and/or which end in failure. How can managers determine, in advance, if a relationship is one which will result in competitive advantage, and is worthy of the time and resources needed to fully develop into a partnership? Further, all partnerships are not the same. How does management know what type of partnership would provide the best pay-off? These questions may be answered by using the partnership model presented in this book. The partnership model provides a structured and repeatable process to effectively and efficiently build and maintain tailored business relationships that may become an asset for executives looking for competitive advantage.The book also includes The Partnership Model Toolkit, which provides resources to help sell the benefits of the partnership session both within your company and to a potential partner, materials to help participants prepare for the meeting and all of the slides and handouts required to conduct a session.https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/bookshelf/1405/thumbnail.jp