Trends In Australian Fresh Milk Supply Chains

The completion of the dairy industry deregulation process in June 2000 is transforming the fresh milk and fresh milk products supply chains in Australia. This transformation is set in an environment where markets are getting more complex and competitive, consumers more discerning and conscious about food safety and public policy is more focused on environment related issues. Supply chains are becoming more integrated, and innovation in product, process and supply chains is revolutionising the way products are being produced, distributed and marketed (Fearne & David 1999). This paper is based on research which, following supply chain management literature, identifies the success strategies in the dairy industry supply chains in Australia. The enquiry seeks to understand the nature and shape of supply chains and the exchange relationship between supply and value chains. The fieldwork for the research involved semi-structured interviews at middle to senior management level in the retail, processing, production and input market of the dairy industry supply chains. The data was managed and analysed using software NVivo ver. 2.0, which assists in identifying major themes and relationships between concepts in data

Success Strategies Being Implemented In Fresh Milk Supply Chains

Deregulation of the Australian dairy industry, and ensuing supermarket strategies are transforming the fresh milk supply chains. Factors such as increasing consumer awareness, concerns about food safety and environment, innovation, supply chain integration and rationalisation of supply base are adding momentum to this transformation. Milk processors in response to changing market expectations are getting proactive in their relationship with retailers across all aspects of business, innovating to generate sufficient returns from proprietary brands and strategically orienting themselves to develop a mixed customer portfolio and appropriate management structures to service that portfolio. Milk producers are expanding businesses to achieve production and cost efficiencies and strengthening contractual relationships on input and output side for a greater security

Dynamics Of Australian Dairy-Food Supply Chain: Strategic Options For Participants In A Deregulated Environment

Following deregulation, participants in Australian dairy-food supply chains are confronted with a more complex and rapidly changing environment. In a study conducted between March 2002 and April 2003, major supermarkets emerged as the dominant power in chain development, with a trend towards greater interdependence and coordination between the chain participants. Future supply chain development will depend on the capabilities of the chain participants in operational and strategic management within the firm, and also in successfully negotiating linkages within the chains. In addition the organizational structures of both the firms and the chains need to be responsive to changing end-user needs and the dynamic business environment

Milk Producers Managing Market Risks In A Deregulated Environment

Changes within the supply chain as a result of deregulation have resulted in substantial new risks for milk producers. To grow in this dynamic and transitory environment, milk producers will become more responsive players in the supply chain. The strategic goal will be an effective leverage of the internal resources, buyers, suppliers and competitors to appropriate and accumulate optimal value from the supply chain. It will require effective internal and external assets management, relational competence management and superior operational performance

Peripheral nerve morphology and intraneural blood flow in chronic kidney disease with and without diabetes

Introduction/Aims: Sonographic alterations of peripheral nerves in pre-dialytic kidney disease are yet to be determined. We aimed to assess peripheral nerve cross-sectional area (CSA) and intraneural blood flow in patients with pre-dialytic chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Methods: Subjects with CKD (n = 20) or DKD (n = 20) underwent ultrasound to assess CSA of the median and tibial nerves as well as intraneural blood flow of the median nerve. Blood flow was quantified using maximum perfusion intensity. Neuropathy was assessed using the Total Neuropathy Score. A 6-m timed walk test was also performed. Healthy controls (n = 28) were recruited for comparison. Results: The DKD group had more severe neuropathy (p =.024), larger tibial nerve CSA (p =.002) and greater median nerve blood flow than the CKD group (p =.023). Blood flow correlated with serum potassium in disease groups (r = 0.652, p =.022). Disease groups had larger tibial nerve CSA than controls (p <.05). No blood flow was detected in controls. Tibial nerve enlargement was associated with slower maximal walking speeds in disease groups (r = −0.389, p =.021). Discussion: Subjects with DKD demonstrated enlarged tibial nerve CSA and increased median nerve blood flow compared to those with CKD. Elevations in serum potassium were associated with increased blood flow. Sonographic alterations were detectable in pre-dialytic kidney disease compared to controls, highlighting the utility of ultrasound in the assessment of nerve pathology in these patient groups

Evidence of Altered Peripheral Nerve Function in a Rodent Model of Diet-Induced Prediabetes.

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a debilitating complication of diabetes that affects >50% of patients. Recent evidence suggests that obesity and metabolic disease, which often precede diabetes diagnosis, may influence PN onset and severity. We examined this in a translationally relevant model of prediabetes induced by a cafeteria (CAF) diet in Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 15 CAF versus n = 15 control). Neuropathy phenotyping included nerve conduction, tactile sensitivity, intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) and nerve excitability testing, an in vivo measure of ion channel function and membrane potential. Metabolic phenotyping included body composition, blood glucose and lipids, plasma hormones and inflammatory cytokines. After 13 weeks diet, CAF-fed rats demonstrated prediabetes with significantly elevated fasting blood glucose, insulin and impaired glucose tolerance as well as obesity and dyslipidemia. Nerve conduction, tactile sensitivity and IENFD did not differ; however, superexcitability was significantly increased in CAF-fed rats. Mathematical modeling demonstrated this was consistent with a reduction in sodium-potassium pump current. Moreover, superexcitability correlated positively with insulin resistance and adiposity, and negatively with fasting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. In conclusion, prediabetic rats over-consuming processed, palatable foods demonstrated altered nerve function that preceded overt PN. This work provides a relevant model for pathophysiological investigation of diabetic complications

Global sustainable city-regions: Stockholm, Berlin, Kolkata, Abu Dhabi/Masdar, Bengaluru, Malawi, Belfast, Hong Kong, Seoul, Helsinki, & Scotland

This policy report, entitled ‘Global Sustainable City-Regions,’ covers the work developed by the lecturer, Dr Igor Calzada, MBA, FeRSA, as the editor of the publica- tion and students of the second edition of the Master course MSc in Leadership for Global Sustainable Cities from September to December 2016. Specifically, this policy report follows a two-sequential-module structure: • The first module, entitled ‘Global Cities: Sustainability and Society,’ consists of six methodological units. • Thereafter, the second module, entitled ‘Public Policy, Governance and Strategic Change in Cities,’ consists of five methodological units. The policy report focuses on three urban global issues in a comparative basis. The MSc was developed in a team-based dynamic by applying qualitative action research methodologies to understand and interpret each case and to benchmark and contrast with other cases that addressed the same global urban issue. The cases were selected jointly by the lecturer and the students in a dynamic process in order to achieve a suitable selection of cases that would allow them to: • arrange groups around one specific global urban issue, • compare cases around the same specific urban issue, and • produce a full case study by applying the two-sequential-module methodology. • Transformative Smart Cities: In recent years, the smart city paradigm has gained traction in urban policy and governance. Underlying the smart city discourse is the techno-utopian belief that the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is imperative to confront the challenges of urbanization and sustainable development. Although, little has been researched about the differences between this paradigm and its consequences in the Global South and in the Global North. In addition to this, since the smart city as a buzzword has conquered policy agendas worldwide, a transformational push is occurring in some innovative cities and regions worldwide. This urban issue called ‘Transformative Smart Cities’ is explained comparatively through five cases as follows: Stockholm, Kolkata, Masdar, Bengaluru, and Seoul. • Changing Social Innovation: Urban issues are usually complex and interconnected phenomena. Poverty, political conflicts, environmental awareness, mobility and transport mechanisms, geopolitical path-dependence, ethno-political unrest, digital connectivity and self-determination could be researched from the social innovation changing perspective. The capacity to think across and between as well as within the thematic factors is crucial. Likewise, a clear understanding of the way in which different disciplines can contribute to a step change in delivery against these changing challenges is therefore required. Ultimately, an awareness of the underlying factors and contexts (including social, political, economic, cultural, technological and historial), interdependencies, synergies, tensions and trade-offs that promote, obstruct or even reverse delivery against social innovation, both individually and collectively are key to understand changing dynamics in city-regions. This urban issue called ‘Changing Social Innovation’ is explained comparatively through six cases as follows: Berlin, Belfast, Malawi, Hong Kong, Helsinki, and Glasgow

Global sustainable city-regions: Stockholm, Berlin, Kolkata, Abu Dhabi/Masdar, Bengaluru, Malawi, Belfast, Hong Kong, Seoul, Helsinki, & Scotland

This policy report, entitled ‘Global Sustainable City-Regions,’ covers the work developed by the lecturer, Dr Igor Calzada, MBA, FeRSA, as the editor of the publica- tion and students of the second edition of the Master course MSc in Leadership for Global Sustainable Cities from September to December 2016. Specifically, this policy report follows a two-sequential-module structure: • The first module, entitled ‘Global Cities: Sustainability and Society,’ consists of six methodological units. • Thereafter, the second module, entitled ‘Public Policy, Governance and Strategic Change in Cities,’ consists of five methodological units. The policy report focuses on three urban global issues in a comparative basis. The MSc was developed in a team-based dynamic by applying qualitative action research methodologies to understand and interpret each case and to benchmark and contrast with other cases that addressed the same global urban issue. The cases were selected jointly by the lecturer and the students in a dynamic process in order to achieve a suitable selection of cases that would allow them to: • arrange groups around one specific global urban issue, • compare cases around the same specific urban issue, and • produce a full case study by applying the two-sequential-module methodology. • Transformative Smart Cities: In recent years, the smart city paradigm has gained traction in urban policy and governance. Underlying the smart city discourse is the techno-utopian belief that the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is imperative to confront the challenges of urbanization and sustainable development. Although, little has been researched about the differences between this paradigm and its consequences in the Global South and in the Global North. In addition to this, since the smart city as a buzzword has conquered policy agendas worldwide, a transformational push is occurring in some innovative cities and regions worldwide. This urban issue called ‘Transformative Smart Cities’ is explained comparatively through five cases as follows: Stockholm, Kolkata, Masdar, Bengaluru, and Seoul. • Changing Social Innovation: Urban issues are usually complex and interconnected phenomena. Poverty, political conflicts, environmental awareness, mobility and transport mechanisms, geopolitical path-dependence, ethno-political unrest, digital connectivity and self-determination could be researched from the social innovation changing perspective. The capacity to think across and between as well as within the thematic factors is crucial. Likewise, a clear understanding of the way in which different disciplines can contribute to a step change in delivery against these changing challenges is therefore required. Ultimately, an awareness of the underlying factors and contexts (including social, political, economic, cultural, technological and historial), interdependencies, synergies, tensions and trade-offs that promote, obstruct or even reverse delivery against social innovation, both individually and collectively are key to understand changing dynamics in city-regions. This urban issue called ‘Changing Social Innovation’ is explained comparatively through six cases as follows: Berlin, Belfast, Malawi, Hong Kong, Helsinki, and Glasgow

Plasmodium falciparum heterochromatin protein 1 binds to tri-methylated histone 3 lysine 9 and is linked to mutually exclusive expression of var genes

Increasing experimental evidence shows a prominent role of histone modifications in the coordinated control of gene expression in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The search for the histone-mark-reading machinery that translates histone modifications into biological processes, such as formation of heterochromatin and antigenic variation is of foremost importance. In this work, we identified the first member of a histone modification specific recognition protein, an orthologue of heterochromatin protein 1 (PfHP1). Analysis of the PfHP1 amino-acid sequence revealed the presence of the two characteristic HP1 domains: a chromodomain (CD) and a chromo shadow domain (CSD). Recombinant CD binds to di- and tri-methylated lysine 9 from histone H3, but not to unmodified or methylated histone H3 in lysine 4. PfHP1 is able to interact with itself to form dimers, underlying its potential role in aggregating nucleosomes to form heterochromatin. Antibodies raised against PfHP1 detect this molecule in foci at the perinuclear region. ChIP analysis using anti-PfHP1 shows that this protein is linked to heterochromatin of subtelomeric non-coding repeat regions and monoallelic expression of the major virulence var gene family. This is the first report implicating an HP1 protein in the control of antigenic variation of a protozoan parasite