Enhancing business performance through green human resource management practices: an empirical evidence from Malaysian manufacturing industry

Sustainability has come under public policy limelight. Organizations are investing to minimize the impact of environmental degradation to build their image as an environmentally friendly firm, which contributes to their business performance as well. Literature suggests that green organizational indicators are found to be positively related to firm sustainable performance. More specifically green human resource management (GHRM) practices strengthen the firm’s environmental practices and enhance employee morale toward green practices. The paper aims to investigate the impact of GHRM indicators on environmental performance (EP) and business performance (BP)

LEAP2 changes with body mass and food intake in humans and mice

Acyl-ghrelin administration increases food intake, body weight, and blood glucose. In contrast, mice lacking ghrelin or ghrelin receptors (GHSRs) exhibit life-threatening hypoglycemia during starvation-like conditions but do not consistently exhibit overt metabolic phenotypes when given ad libitum food access. These results, and findings of ghrelin resistance in obese states, imply nutritional state-dependence of ghrelin’s metabolic actions. Here, we hypothesized that LEAP2 (liver enriched antimicrobial peptide-2), a recently-characterized endogenous GHSR antagonist, blunts ghrelin action during obese states and post-prandially. To test this hypothesis, we determined changes in plasma LEAP2 and acyl-ghrelin due to fasting, eating, obesity, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), oral glucose administration, and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) using humans and/or mice. Our results suggest that plasma LEAP2 is regulated by metabolic status: its levels increase with body mass and blood glucose, and decrease with fasting, RYGB, and in post-prandial states following VSG. These changes were mostly opposite to those of acyl-ghrelin. Furthermore, using electrophysiology, we showed that LEAP2 both hyperpolarizes and prevents acyl-ghrelin from activating arcuate NPY neurons. We predict that the plasma LEAP2:acyl-ghrelin molar ratio may be a key determinant modulating acyl-ghrelin activity in response to body mass, feeding status, and blood glucose

Evidence of Color Coherence Effects in W+jets Events from ppbar Collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV

We report the results of a study of color coherence effects in ppbar collisions based on data collected by the D0 detector during the 1994-1995 run of the Fermilab Tevatron Collider, at a center of mass energy sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV. Initial-to-final state color interference effects are studied by examining particle distribution patterns in events with a W boson and at least one jet. The data are compared to Monte Carlo simulations with different color coherence implementations and to an analytic modified-leading-logarithm perturbative calculation based on the local parton-hadron duality hypothesis.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures. Submitted to Physics Letters

Some Engineering Properties of Onion Crop Relevant To Design of Onion Digger

Field experiments were conducted to determine the biometric and mechanical properties of onion crop relevant to component designs of machine for its harvesting. The percentage distribution of the onion bulb below the ground surfaces indicated that 94% onion bulbs were within 6 cm depth. The plant length of onion crop ranged from 11.0 to 32.0 cm, with a mean of 17.76 cm, at row-to-row spacing of 14 cm. The average value of equatorial diameter for small onion was 34.5 mm and polar diameter was 33.8 mm, where as these values for medium and large size onion were 49.82, 41.41 and 64.68, 53.20, respectively. The average weight of onion bulbs with leaves were 21, 52 and 112g for small, medium and large sizes and the bulk density was 180, 260 and 290 kg.m-3, in the same order. This helped in estimating the amount of material handled by the elevator of onion digger. The information could be used to design different components of an onion digger

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Not AvailableA study was conducted to develop a plug- and finger-type onion seedling transplanting mechanisms in a soil bin and examine the effects of age of seedling and machine parameters (speed of operation, height of seedling drop, finger material) on plant spacing, planting depth, successful transplanting, furrow closure, filling efficiency and plant damage. Plant spacing ranged from 121.4 mm to 133.5 mm using plug metering mechanism, while it was 167.9 mm to 195.0 mm with finger-type metering mechanism. The percent seedling transplanted and percent furrow closure with plug mechanism varied from 76.67 % to 100 % and 73.33 % to 100 %, respectively; and in finger-type metering mechanism they ranged from 18.33 % to 78.33 % and 15 % to 73.33 %, respectively. Plug filling efficiency ranged from 96.67 % to 32.22 % with plug mechanism, and 95.28 % to 22.5 % with finger metering mechanism. Percent seedling damage with plug mechanism ranged from 0 % to 17.54 %, and was lower than 0 % to 31.05 % caused by finger-type metering mechanism. The performance of plug-type metering mechanism for onion seedling was closer to the recommended practices as compared to finger-type metering mechanism.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableA study was conducted to develop a plug- and finger-type onion seedling transplanting mechanisms in a soil bin and examine the effects of age of seedling and machine parameters (speed of operation, height of seedling drop, finger material) on plant spacing, planting depth, successful transplanting, furrow closure, filling efficiency and plant damage. Plant spacing ranged from 121.4 mm to 133.5 mm using plug metering mechanism, while it was 167.9 mm to 195.0 mm with finger-type metering mechanism. The percent seedling transplanted and percent furrow closure with plug mechanism varied from 76.67 % to 100 % and 73.33 % to 100 %, respectively; and in finger-type metering mechanism they ranged from 18.33 % to 78.33 % and 15 % to 73.33 %, respectively. Plug filling efficiency ranged from 96.67 % to 32.22 % with plug mechanism, and 95.28 % to 22.5 % with finger metering mechanism. Percent seedling damage with plug mechanism ranged from 0 % to 17.54 %, and was lower than 0 % to 31.05 % caused by finger-type metering mechanism. The performance of plug-type metering mechanism for onion seedling was closer to the recommended practices as compared to finger-type metering mechanism.Not Availabl

Nutritional value and inclusion levels of residual annatto seed meal in diets for Japanese quails

Background:Residual annatto seed meal (RASM) is a byproduct after extraction of bixin in the cosmetic industry and may be used in animal diets. Objective: Two experiments were carried out to determine the nutritive value and effect of RASM inclusion levels in the diets of Japanese quails. Methods: For the digestibility experiment, 160 Japanese quails were distributed in a randomized study with two treatments and 10 replicates with eight birds each. The treatments consisted of a reference diet and a test diet containing 75% of the reference diet and 25% of RASM. For the performance assay, 192 Japanese quails were used in a randomized study with six treatments and four replicates with eight birds each. Treatments consisted of a control corn-based diet (Contr1) and another diet based on sorghum + canthaxanthin (Contr2), and four diets based on sorghum with increasing inclusion levels of RASM (0, 3, 6, and 9%). Results: Digestibility of dry matter and crude protein, metabolization coefficient of gross energy, and retention of calcium and phosphorus were 41.05, 43.12, 47.97, 25.49, and 30.35%, respectively. RASM inclusion did not influence bird productivity; however, feed conversion worsened in treatments with 0–6% RASM inclusion relative to that in Contr1. Yolk color increased due to RASM treatment. Conclusion: RASM may be included in sorghum-based diets for quails at 9%, with improvement in yolk color and no negative effects on productivity and egg quality.Antecedentes: O farelo residual da semente de urucum (RASM) é um subproduto da extração da bixina pela indústria cosmética e pode ser usado na alimentação animal. Objetivo: Dois experimentos foram conduzidos para determinar o valor nutritivo e os efeitos de inclusão do FRSU em dietas para codornas Japonesas. Métodos: Para o experimento de digestibilidade, 160 codornas Japonesas foram distribuídas em um estudo casualizado com dois tratamentos e 10 repetições com oito aves cada. Os tratamentos consistiram em uma dieta referência e uma dieta teste, a qual era composta por 75% da dieta referência e 25% de RASM. Para o ensaio de desempenho, 192 codornas Japonesas foram usadas em estudo ao acaso com seis tratamentos e quatro repetições com oito aves cada. Os tratamentos consistiram em uma dieta controle a base de milho (Contr1) e outra à base de sorgo com cantaxantina (Contr2) e quatro dietas a base de sorgo com níveis de inclusão de RASM (0, 3, 6 e 9%). Resultados: Os coeficientes de digestiblidade de matéria seca e proteína bruta, coeficiente de metabolização da energia bruta e retenção de cálcio e fósforo foram 41,05; 43,12; 47,97; 25,49 e 30,35%, respectivamente. A inclusão do FRSU não influenciou a produtividade das aves; entretanto, a conversão alimentar piorou devido aos tratamentos com 0-6% FRSU comparado com o tratamento Contr1. A cor da gema aumentou devido ao FRSU. Conclusão: RASM pode ser incluido em dietas baseadas em sorgo para codornas em 9%, devido a mehoria na cor da gema e nenhum efeito negativo no desempenho produtivo e qualidade de ovo.Antecedentes: La harina de la semilla de achiote (RASM) es un subproducto de la extracción de bixina por la industria cosmética y puede ser usada en alimentación animal. Objetivo: Se realizaron dos experimentos para determinar el valor nutritivo y los efectos de la inclusión de RASM en dietas para codorniz. Métodos: Para el experimento de digestibilidad, 160 codornices japonesas fueron distribuidas en un estudio al azar con dos tratamientos y 10 repeticiones con ocho aves cada uno. Los tratamientos consistieron en una dieta referencia y una dieta de prueba, la cual estuvo compuesta por 75% de la dieta referencia y 25% de RASM. Para el ensayo de desempeño, 192 codornices japonesas fueron usadas en un estudio al azar con seis tratamientos y cuatro repeticiones con ocho aves cada uno. Los tratamientos consistieron en una dieta control a base de maíz (Contr1) y otra a base de sorgo + cantaxantina (Contr2) y cuatro dietas a base de sorgo con niveles de inclusión de RASM (0, 3, 6 y 9%). Resultados: Los coeficientes de digestibilidad de materia seca y proteína bruta, el coeficiente de metabolización de la energía bruta y la retención de calcio y fósforo fueron 41,05; 43,12; 47,97; 25,49 y 30,35%, respectivamente. La inclusión de RASM no influyó la productividad de las aves; entretanto la conversión alimenticia empeoró debido a los tratamientos con 0-6% RASM comparado con el tratamiento Contr1. El color de la yema aumentó debido a la RASM. Conclusión: RASM puede ser incluido en dietas a base de sorgo para codornices en un 9%, debido a la mejora en el color de la yema, además de no tener ningún efecto negativo en el desempeño productivo y calidad del huevo