The Acquisition Process Map: Blueprint for a Successful Deal

Paul Mallette, Ph.D., is associate professor of strategic management, Department of Management, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523. Karen L. Fowler, Ph.D., is professor of strategic management, Department of Management, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80639. Cheri Hayes, MBA, is a merger and acquisitions specialists with Union Carbide Corporation, Danbury, CT 06817

Ecology of Juvenile Salmonids in Shallow Tidal Freshwater Habitats in the Vicinity of the Sandy River Delta, Lower Columbia River, 2007

This document is the first annual report for the study titled “Ecology of Juvenile Salmonids in Shallow Tidal Freshwater Habitats in the Vicinity of the Sandy River Delta in the Lower Columbia River.” Hereafter, we refer to this research as the Tidal Freshwater Monitoring (TFM) Study. The study is part of the research, monitoring, and evaluation effort developed by the Action Agencies (Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation) in response to obligations arising from the Endangered Species Act as a result of operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS). The project is performed under the auspices of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program

An empirical examination of the strategic, managerial, and organizational consequences of antitakeover amendments

This research examined the subsequent strategic, managerial, and organizational consequences of the adoption of antitakeover amendments by U.S. firms. Also examined was whether significant differences were exhibited on these outcomes between a group of firms protected by antitakeover amendments and a comparable group of firms not covered by these protective measures. The strategic consequences of antitakeover amendments were assessed by analyzing measures related to research and development and capital investment expenditures--major determinants of future growth and competitiveness. Managerial welfare was assessed by analyzing measures related to growth rates in sales, assets, and number of employees (all argued to be highly correlated, directly and indirectly, with those things that comprise a manager\u27s individual utility function). Organizational performance was assessed by analyzing return on common equity and return on asset measures. Data was analyzed using discriminant analysis, within and between group analyses, and multiple regression/correlation analysis. A set of analyses was conducted for a matched pair of firms in which the treatment firm passed its first antitakeover amendment in 1983. In addition, this same set of analyses was replicated for a matched pair of firms in which the treatment firm passed its first antitakeover amendment in 1984. The results of this research fall to indicate the existence of a general main effect of antitakeover amendments on the outcome measures related to the strategic, managerial, and organizational outcomes for either the 1983 or 1984 samples of firms. These findings dispute many of the arguments, both pro and con, concerning the relative merits of antitakeover amendments. While results indicate that antitakeover amendments do not adversely affect organizations, findings also suggest that they do not benefit them either. Results do indicate, however, that the relationship between antitakeover amendments and some outcome measures, especially those related to organizational performance, may be dependent upon the level of the outcome measure in prior periods. These findings indicate that the impact of antitakeover amendments on various outcomes may be more complex than existing literature would suggest

Novel Rotavirus VP7 Typing Assay Using a One-Step Reverse Transcriptase PCR Protocol and Product Sequencing and Utility of the Assay for Epidemiological Studies and Strain Characterization, Including Serotype Subgroup Analysis

Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe dehydrating gastroenteritis in infants. To date, 10 different serotypes of rotavirus have been identified in human stools. While four or five serotypes dominate, serotype circulation varies with season and geography. Since our laboratory has been involved in the development of a multivalent rotavirus vaccine, it is important to identify the serotypes of rotavirus encountered during our clinical trials. We have developed methodologies for the molecular identification of rotavirus strains based on VP7 gene segment sequence. A 365-bp reverse transcriptase PCR product was generated from the VP7 gene segment using a pair of novel degenerate primers. All serotypes tested (both animal and human) yielded an identically sized product after amplification. Sequencing of these products is performed using truncated versions of the original primers. The sequence generated is compared against a database of rotavirus VP7 sequences, with the G type determined, based on the sequence homology. Using this assay, we have correctly identified human VP7 strains from a panel of available serotypes, as well as numerous animal strains. The assay was qualified using rotavirus positive stool samples, negative stool samples, and rotavirus-spiked stool samples. In addition, samples from cases of acute gastroenteritis collected at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have been evaluated and indicate that the assay is able to discriminate subtle differences within serotypes. The assay has been utilized in the testing of >3,000 antigen-positive (enzyme immunoassay) samples collected during clinical trials of a rotavirus vaccine (RotaTeq) and identified a serotype in ∼92% of samples (3, 17, 19)