The moderating effect of environmental dynamism on green product innovation and performance

Environmental management has been researching extensively in the last two decades. Pressure from environmental regulations or policies plays an important role to boost environmental management practices. Nevertheless, the relationship between such pressure and the ultimate firm performance is not very obvious. Although green product innovation has been recognized as a predictor to improve environment performance, there is a lack of discussion in the literature to examine the mediating effect of green product innovation between the aforementioned pressure and firm performance. Additionally, most previous studies adopted a static view which ignores the implications on external dynamic factors in many empirical studies. In this connection, this study contributes to the field of knowledge by filling these two gaps. More specifically, this study: (i) examines the effect of green product innovation on the relationship between pressure of environmental regulations (or policies) and firm performance; and (ii) evaluates the moderating effect of environmental dynamism on the relationship between green production innovation and firm performance. A questionnaire survey is conducted in an emerging country, China, to verify the hypotheses.Institute of Textiles and Clothin

Reduction of RuVI(N) to RuIII-NH3 by Cysteine in Aqueous Solution

The reduction of metal nitride to ammonia is a key step in biological and chemical nitrogen fixation. We report herein the facile reduction of a ruthenium(VI) nitride complex [(L)RuVI(N)(OH2)]+ (1, L = N,N′-bis(salicylidene)- o-cyclohexyldiamine dianion) to [(L)RuIII(NH3)(OH2)]+ by Lcysteine (Cys), an ubiquitous biological reductant, in aqueous solution. At pH 1.0−5.3, the reaction has the following stoichiometry: [(L)RuVI(N)(OH2)]+ + 3HSCH2CH(NH3)CO2 → [(L)RuIII(NH3)(OH2)]+ + 1.5(SCH2CH(NH3)CO2)2. Kinetic studies show that at pH 1 the reaction consists of two phases, while at pH 5 there are three distinct phases. For all phases the rate law is rate = k2[1][Cys]. Studies on the effects of acidity indicate that both HSCH2CH(NH3 +)CO2 – and −SCH2CH(NH3 +)CO2 − are kinetically active species. At pH 1, the reaction is proposed to go through [(L)- RuIV(NHSCH2CHNH3CO2H)(OH2)]2+ (2a), [(L)RuIII(NH2SCH2CHNH3CO2H)(OH2)]2+ (3), and [(L)RuIV(NH2)(OH2)]+ (4) intermediates. On the other hand, at pH around 5, the proposed intermediates are [(L)RuIV(NHSCH2CHNH3CO2)- (OH2)]+ (2b) and [(L)RuIV(NH2)(OH2)]+ (4). The intermediate ruthenium(IV) sulfilamido species, [(L)- RuIV(NHSCH2CHNH3CO2H)(OH2)]2+ (2a) and the final ruthenium(III) ammine species, [(L)RuIII(NH3)(MeOH)]+ (5) (where H2O was replaced by MeOH) have been isolated and characterized by various spectroscopic methods

Pharmacoepidemiological profiles of oral hypoglycemic agents among 28,773 Chinese patients with diabetes

Aims: This study examined the rates of discontinuation of Oral Hypoglycemic Agents (OHAs) in diabetes patients, and to evaluate the associations between discontinuation of OHAs, socioeconomic status and the number of comorbidities. Methods: A cohort study from January 2004 to June 2007 was conducted and followed up through December 2007. We included all primary care clinics in one large territories of Hong Kong involving 28,773 Chinese diabetes patients. Multivariate regression analyses controlled for age, gender, payment status (fee-payers vs. fee waivers; fee-waivers represented those less able to pay for consultation fees and were regarded as having lower socioeconomic status), service type delivered by the clinics, district of residence, visit type (new vs. follow-up), the number of comorbidities and the drug class (sulphonylureas vs. biguanide vs. combination therapy). Results: 9.9% discontinued their medications within 180 days of their prescriptions. Fee waivers (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] for fee payers = 0.81, 95% C.I. 0.73–0.89, p < 0.001) and the absence of comorbidities (AOR for ≥one morbidity = 0.59–0.62, p < 0.001) were associated with medication discontinuation. Conclusions: Diabetes patients with lower ability to pay and without comorbidities were significantly associated with OHAs discontinuation. They should be the target groups for medication counseling programes