The impact of downsizing on logistics performance and employees in shipper firms

Firms that downsize hope to achieve improvements in performance and to avoid adverse impacts on employees. This article compares the changes in logistics performance and logistics employee fulfillment for shippers that have downsized with those that have not. Two major conclusions of this research are: (1) Respondent firms that have downsized perceive that they have substantially improved their logistics performance, but no more so than respondent firms that have not downsized; and (2) Stress, morale, and loyalty have worsened for logistics employees in downsized respondent firms, both in an absolute sense and relative to respondent firms that have not downsized

A comparative analysis of pawpaw (Asimina triloba) quality and nutritional data

The North American pawpaw (Asimina triloba [L.] Dunal) from sixteen varieties was analyzed for size, pH, oBrix, firmness, and pulp and skin color. A varietal composite was used to determine nutrient composition. Data from the current study was compared to previous literature values, and all results fit well with previous literature. The average weight of the fruits across all varieties was 194 g and ranged from 122 to 292 g, the pH of the fruits ranged from 5.4 to 6.3, the average oBrix ranged from 18.2% to 26.1%, and firmness ranged from 0.391 kg to 0.727 kg. The color of the skin and the pulp differed by variety but was well-within previously reported values. Pawpaw pulp nutritional values verified the nutritional values previously reported for pawpaw pulp from fruit harvested in Korea and will be used as the basis for inclusion of pawpaw in the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Several specific recommendations are made: 1) firmness of 0.2 to 0.7 kg of force can be used to describe ripe pawpaw fruit; 2) the serving size for raw pawpaw pulp is one-half cup (120 g); and 3) pawpaw pulp nutrition compares favorably to that of banana or mango

Time-Resolved Ultraviolet Observations of the Globular Cluster X-ray Source in NGC 6624: The Shortest Known Period Binary System

Using the Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope, we have obtained the first time-resolved spectra of the King et al. ultraviolet-bright counterpart to the 11-minute binary X-ray source in the core of the globular cluster NGC 6624. This object cannot be readily observed in the visible, even from HST, due to a much brighter star superposed <0.1'' distant. Our FOS data show a highly statistically significant UV flux modulation with a period of 11.46+-0.04 min, very similar to the 685 sec period of the known X-ray modulation, definitively confirming the association between the King et al. UV counterpart and the intense X-ray source. The UV amplitude is very large compared with the observed X-ray oscillations: X-ray variations are generally reported as 2-3% peak-to-peak, whereas our data show an amplitude of about 16% in the 126-251 nm range. A model for the system by Arons & King predicts periodic UV fluctuations in this shortest-known period binary system, due to the cyclically changing aspect of the X-ray heated face of the secondary star (perhaps a very low mass helium degenerate). However, prior to our observations, this predicted modulation has not been detected. Employing the Arons & King formalism, which invokes a number of different physical assumptions, we infer a system orbital inclination 35deg<i<50 deg. Amongst the three best-studied UV/optical counterparts to the intense globular cluster X-ray sources, two are now thought to consist of exotic double-degenerate ultrashort period binary systems.Comment: 10 pages including 2 figures in Latex (AASTeX 4.0). Accepted for publication in vol. 482 (1997 June 10 issue) of The Astrophysical Journal (Letters

Effect of Media Constituents on In Vitro Culturing of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) Shoot Tip and Leaf Disk Explants

Cowpea is an important legume food crop that is commonly grown in Arkansas and numerous other southern states. The application of biotechnological approaches for the improvement of U.S. cowpea genotypes is currently not possible due to the lack of a regeneration and transformation system. Therefore, the first priority of our research efforts is the development of a plant regeneration system that will facilitate plant transformation studies. In an effort to optimize the media requirements for tissue culturing cowpea, we evaluated the in vitro response of shoot tip and leaf disk explants to various levels of Murashige and Skoog (MS) macro and micro nutrients, vitamins, and iron. One commercial cultivar, Early Scarlet (formerly 91-135), and one advanced Arkansas breeding line, 91-245, were used as tissue sources. Shoot tips were cultured on media augmented with 5 mg/L kinetin and 0.01 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Multiple shoots were produced from shoot tips, and these grew well when cultured on full strength MS. However, increasing MS levels to 1.5 times the standard concentration induced taller shoots from both genotypes. Leaf disks were cultured on MS media supplemented with 0.5 mg/L benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 1mg/L 2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Callus proliferation was greatest on media containing full strength MS supplemented with 0.5 mg/L BAP and 1 mg/L 2,4-D. The effects of the media constituents were genotype dependent, with Early Scarlet generally producing larger shoots and greater amounts of calli. The results obtained from this study demonstrate that the plant genotype and growth hormones have the greatest influence on cowpea growth in vitro. Therefore, in developing a cowpea regeneration system, it will be necessary to test numerous genotypes in combination with various growth regulators. To improve regeneration frequencies the media components can be optimized for the genotypes of interest

Homogeneous Nucleation Rate Measurements for Water Over a Wide Range of Temperature and Nucleation Rate

An expansion cloud chamber was used to measure the homogeneous nucleation rate for water over a wide range of temperature from 230-290 K and nucleation rates of 1-106 drops cm-3 s-1. The comprehensive and extensive nature of this data allows a much more detailed comparison between theory and experiment than has previously been possible. The expansion chamber technique employs continuous pressure measurement and an adiabatic pulse of supersaturation to give the time history of supersaturation and temperature during the nucleation. The resulting drop concentration is determined using photographic techniques. The experimental observations are presented in tabular form and from them an empirical nucleation rate formula is determined: J=S2 exp[328.124-5.582 43T+0.030 365T2-5. 0319E-5T3-(999.814-4.100 87T+3.010 84E-3 T2)ln -2S], where J is the nucleation rate in units of drops cm -1 s-1 is the supersaturation ratio and T is the temperature in K

Dual Requirement for Yeast hnRNP Nab2p in mRNA poly(A) Tail Length Control and Nuclear Export

Recent studies of mRNA export factors have provided additional evidence for a mechanistic link between mRNA 3′‐end formation and nuclear export. Here, we identify Nab2p as a nuclear poly(A)‐binding protein required for both poly(A) tail length control and nuclear export of mRNA. Loss of NAB2 expression leads to hyperadenylation and nuclear accumulation of poly(A)+ RNA but, in contrast to mRNA export mutants, these defects can be uncoupled in a nab2 mutant strain. Previous studies have implicated the cytoplasmic poly(A) tail‐binding protein Pab1p in poly(A) tail length control during polyadenylation. Although cells are viable in the absence of NAB2 expression when PAB1 is overexpressed, Pab1p fails to resolve the nab2Δ hyperadenylation defect even when Pab1p is tagged with a nuclear localization sequence and targeted to the nucleus. These results indicate that Nab2p is essential for poly(A) tail length control in vivo, and we demonstrate that Nab2p activates polyadenylation, while inhibiting hyperadenylation, in the absence of Pab1p in vitro. We propose that Nab2p provides an important link between the termination of mRNA polyadenylation and nuclear export

Postnatal β2 adrenergic treatment improves insulin sensitivity in lambs with IUGR but not persistent defects in pancreatic islets or skeletal muscle

Placental insufficiency causes intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and disturbances in glucose homeostasis with associated β adrenergic receptor (ADRβ) desensitization. Our objectives were to measure insulin-sensitive glucose metabolism in neonatal lambs with IUGR and to determine whether daily treatment with ADRβ2 agonist and ADRβ1/β3 antagonists for 1 month normalizes their glucose metabolism. Growth, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and glucose utilization rates (GURs) were measured in control lambs, IUGR lambs and IUGR lambs treated with adrenergic receptor modifiers: clenbuterol atenolol and SR59230A (IUGR-AR). In IUGR lambs, islet insulin content and GSIS were less than in controls; however, insulin sensitivity and whole-bodyGUR were not different from controls.Of importance, ADRβ2 stimulation with β1/β3 inhibition increases both insulin sensitivity and whole-body glucose utilization in IUGR lambs. In IUGR and IUGR-AR lambs, hindlimb GURs were greater but fractional glucose oxidation rates and ex vivo skeletal muscle glucose oxidation rates were lower than controls. Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) was lower in IUGR and IUGR-AR skeletal muscle than in controls but GLUT1 was greater in IUGR-AR. ADRβ2, insulin receptor, glycogen content and citrate synthase activity were similar among groups. In IUGR and IUGR-AR lambs heart rates were greater, which was independent of cardiac ADRβ1 activation. We conclude that targeted ADRβ2 stimulation improved whole-body insulin sensitivity but minimally affected defects in GSIS and skeletal muscle glucose oxidation. We show that risk factors for developing diabetes are independent of postnatal catch-up growth in IUGR lambs as early as 1 month of age and are inherent to the islets and myocytes