Multiple stakeholders and B2B branding in emerging markets

PurposeThe main purpose of this study is to investigate perceptions about and contributing activities to business-to-business (B2B) brand value by corporate managers and local stakeholders in the context of emerging markets.Design/methodology/approachThe case study examines brand strategies of a multinational company in the high-tech industry. By using NVIVO, this research analyses the brand narratives by corporate managers of Axis Communications in Sweden and local stakeholders in Russia, Brazil and India. The study evaluates perceptions about brand value and contributing activities emphasized by corporate managers, local managers, local partners and local end-customers.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that corporate managers underutilize contributing activities by local managers and other local stakeholders, despite these activities being central to enhancing brand value. This research provides insights into how corporate and local managers can develop successful brand strategies in emerging markets. Consequently, a general typology of contributing activities to B2B brand value by local stakeholders is proposed.Originality/valueThe company-centred approach to B2B branding stresses the importance of unique components of brand value and their consistent communication to multiple stakeholders. Prior studies provide limited evidence on how various stakeholders perceive brand value and enhance it through their contributing activities. Following the stakeholder-encompassing approach, this study advances branding research by examining perceptions about and contributing activities to B2B brand value by corporate managers and local stakeholders in a cross-cultural setting. Future studies are recommended to apply a stakeholder-encompassing approach in developed and transition economies and considering other relevant groups of stakeholders

Dalbavancin and Selected Comparison Agents Tested Against Indicated Gram-positive Isolates in European Medical Centers (Italy): Results from the DECIDE Program

tetracycline (96.4%) and gentamicin (99.3%). Staphylococci included MRSA (35.7%) and MR-CoNS (68.4%); and MRSA isolates were resistant to levofloxacin (96%) and erythromycin (74%). All clindamycin-susceptible SA had inducible resistance. Dalbavancin (MIC90; 0.047mg/L) was 10-fold more potent than vancomycin (MIC90; 0.5mg/L) against BHS. Erythromycin susceptibility was 82% with a 25% inducible clindamycin resistance. Conclusions: The DECIDE study demonstrated in UK and Ireland that dalbavancin has excellent activity and was more potent when directly compared to vancomycin. Dalbavancin was active against all MRSA, although the current susceptibility profiles for other antimicrobial classes tested were of great concern, particularly inducible clindamycin resistance (100%). Monitoring dalbavancin activity should be continued as this newer long-acting agent is introduced into EU clinical practice

Feral Hogs, the Rainfall Index Annual Forage Program, and Pecan Irrigation

The first essay examines feral hog control as an economic issue. Feral hogs are an invasive species and their presence can lead to spread of disease to livestock, crop damage, loss of wildlife, intrusion in green spaces, and many other detrimental consequences. The key to widespread control and eradication of feral hogs lies not only with innovative technology but with institutions and incentives. A change in laws that prevents incentives for individuals to continue to transport and release wild hogs as well as help reallocating abatement resources to work towards a socially optimal level of feral hog control. The second essay assesses the relationship of the RMA index and forage yields for the Rainfall Index Annual Forage Program and proposes additional indices composed of precipitation frequency events and minimum temperature events. The precipitation frequency index sums the number of days precipitation events occurred over a two month time period while the minimum temperature index sums the number of days where the minimum temperature was below 32 degrees Fahrenheit over a two month time period. The RMA index intervals were positively related to yields and significant for wheat. For triticale, oats, rye, and ryegrass, none of the indices were consistently significant indicating that a variable that better explains forage yields is necessary to assist producers in protecting against forage yield loss. The third essay determines the effects of irrigation system upon young pecan growth, nut quality, and nutrient uptake. The five irrigation systems were Nelson R-5 rotator (35 ft diameter) sprinkler, Nelson R-10 rotator (70 ft diameter) sprinkler, two subsurface driplines irrigating for two days a week alternating between water for two hours and no water for two hours, two subsurface driplines irrigating one day a week for twenty hours continuously, four subsurface driplines irrigating for ten hours continuously for one day a week, and a control with no irrigation. Irrigation systems affected foliar levels of potassium, boron, and manganese levels. No significant difference was found in expected change in trunk diameter or kernel percentage by irrigation system. Using a spatial Durbin error model, trunk diameters of non-irrigated and the four subsurface dripline irrigation system trees were significantly less than those trees that were irrigated by the two subsurface irrigation driplines for twenty hours continuously system.Agricultural Economic

Sediment Quality in Puget Sound Year 3 - Southern Puget Sound

As a component of a three-year cooperative effort of the Washington State Department of Ecology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, surficial sediment samples from 100 locations in southern Puget Sound were collected in 1999 to determine their relative quality based on measures of toxicity, chemical contamination, and benthic infaunal assemblage structure. The survey encompassed an area of approximately 858 km2, ranging from East and Colvos Passages south to Oakland Bay, and including Hood Canal. Toxic responses were most severe in some of the industrialized waterways of Tacoma’s Commencement Bay. Other industrialized harbors in which sediments induced toxic responses on smaller scales included the Port of Olympia, Oakland Bay at Shelton, Gig Harbor, Port Ludlow, and Port Gamble. Based on the methods selected for this survey, the spatial extent of toxicity for the southern Puget Sound survey area was 0% of the total survey area for amphipod survival, 5.7% for urchin fertilization, 0.2% for microbial bioluminescence, and 5- 38% with the cytochrome P450 HRGS assay. Measurements of trace metals, PAHs, PCBs, chlorinated pesticides, other organic chemicals, and other characteristics of the sediments, indicated that 20 of the 100 samples collected had one or more chemical concentrations that exceeded applicable, effects-based sediment guidelines and/or Washington State standards. Chemical contamination was highest in eight samples collected in or near the industrialized waterways of Commencement Bay. Samples from the Thea Foss and Middle Waterways were primarily contaminated with a mixture of PAHs and trace metals, whereas those from Hylebos Waterway were contaminated with chlorinated organic hydrocarbons. The remaining 12 samples with elevated chemical concentrations primarily had high levels of other chemicals, including bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, benzoic acid, benzyl alcohol, and phenol. The characteristics of benthic infaunal assemblages in south Puget Sound differed considerably among locations and habitat types throughout the study area. In general, many of the small embayments and inlets throughout the study area had infaunal assemblages with relatively low total abundance, taxa richness, evenness, and dominance values, although total abundance values were very high in some cases, typically due to high abundance of one organism such as the polychaete Aphelochaeta sp. N1. The majority of the samples collected from passages, outer embayments, and larger bodies of water tended to have infaunal assemblages with higher total abundance, taxa richness, evenness, and dominance values. Two samples collected in the Port of Olympia near a superfund cleanup site had no living organisms in them. A weight-of-evidence approach used to simultaneously examine all three “sediment quality triad” parameters, identified 11 stations (representing 4.4 km2, 0.5% of the total study area) with sediment toxicity, chemical contamination, and altered benthos (i.e., degraded sediment quality), 36 stations (493.5 km2, 57.5% total study area) with no toxicity or chemical contamination (i.e., high sediment quality), 35 stations (274.1 km2, 32.0% total study area) with one impaired sediment triad parameter (i.e., intermediate/high sediment quality), and 18 stations (85.7km2, 10.0% total study area) with two impaired sediment parameters (i.e., intermediate/degraded quality sediments). Generally, upon comparison, the number of stations with degraded sediments based upon the sediment quality triad of data was slightly greater in the central Puget Sound than in the northern and southern Puget Sound study areas, with the percent of the total study area degraded in each region decreasing from central to north to south (2.8, 1.3 and 0.5%, respectively). Overall, the sediments collected in Puget Sound during the combined 1997-1999 surveys were among the least contaminated relative to other marine bays and estuaries studied by NOAA using equivalent methods. (PDF contains 351 pages

Evaluation of triticale grain in high producing dairy cow rations

The objective of this study was to evaluate triticale grain fed as a concentrate in the diet of high producing dairy cows. A lactation study, in vitro dry matter digestibilities and a preliminary physiological effects trial were conducted to evaluate triticale and used to make feeding recommendations. In the lactation study, thirty-two multiparous Holstein cows were divided into two groups based on days in milk and initial milk production. A switchback design was employed. Diets were isocaloric, isonitrogenous, and isofibrous total mixed rations. Triticale replaced barley in the experimental ration. Daily feedings were recorded and orts were weighed back biweekly. No significant differences were noted in five day 4% fat corrected milk weights or daily average milk weight for triticale and control diets, 385.27 and 388.47 pounds, 77.05 and 77.69 pounds, respectively, when triticale replaced barley on an equal weight basis. Triticale supported a peak production for a five day period averaging 114.25 lbs. per day and the control ration a peak five day average production of 109.30 lbs. per day. No significant difference was noted in % milk protein as treatment means were 3.14 and 3.16% for triticale and the control ration. However, five day weights for protein production were significantly higher (P<.05) for animals fed the control TMR (13.09 lbs.) than the animals fed the triticale TMR (12.45 lbs.). Triticale fed cows had a significantly higher milk fat % (P<.03) than the control group, 3.81 vs. 3.60%. Total lbs. of milk fat produced were not different (3.02 and 2.98 lbs./day for triticale and control, respectively). No difference was noted in ADFI as cows consumed 57.90 and 56.94 # DM daily for the control and triticale TMR, respectively. Results of the in vitro study indicates that different feedstuffs had different in vitro dry matter digestibilities (IVDMD). Mean IVDMD for corn, barley, 50/50 corn-barley and triticale grain was 92.38, 87.32, 88.19 and 92.78%. Triticale and corn grain had similar IVDMD, which were significantly higher than barley and the 50/50 corn-barley mix. Data also indicated that their was no difference in IVDMD between the control or triticale ration. Four cull cows were identified and placed on the triticale TMR for approximately 120 days. Upon completion of the feeding period, the cows were slaughtered and the internal organs were examined. No lesions or abscesses were noted in the liver or rumen of any of the animals. Results from this trial indicate that triticale can successfully be fed (at 24% of diet DM) to high producing dairy cows without significantly effecting performance or health of the animal. On the basis of the results of this trial, constraints of feeding triticale in dairy rations would be price and availability of triticale

Survey of sediment quality in Sabine Lake, Texas and vicinity

The toxicity of sediments in Sabine Lake, Texas, and adjoining Intracoastal Waterway canals was determined as part of bioeffects assessment studies managed by NOAA’s National Status and Trends Program. The objectives of the survey were to determine: (1) the incidence and degree of toxicity of sediments throughout the study area; (2) the spatial patterns (or gradients) in chemical contamination and toxicity, if any, throughout the study area; (3) the spatial extent of chemical contamination and toxicity; and (4) the statistical relationships between measures of toxicity and concentrations of chemicals in the sediments. Surficial sediment samples were collected during August, 1995 from 66 randomly-chosen locations. Laboratory toxicity tests were performed as indicators of potential ecotoxicological effects in sediments. A battery of tests was performed to generate information from different phases (components) of the sediments. Tests were selected to represent a range in toxicological endpoints from acute to chronic sublethal responses. Toxicological tests were conducted to measure: reduced survival of adult amphipods exposed to solid-phase sediments; impaired fertilization success and abnormal morphological development in gametes and embryos, respectively, of sea urchins exposed to pore waters; reduced metabolic activity of a marine bioluminescent bacteria exposed to organic solvent extracts; and induction of a cytochrome P-450 reporter gene system in exposures to solvent extracts of the sediments. Chemical analyses were performed on portions of each sample to quantify the concentrations of trace metals, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and chlorinated organic compounds. Correlation analyses were conducted to determine the relationships between measures of toxicity and concentrations of potentially toxic substances in the samples. Based upon the compilation of results from chemical analyses and toxicity tests, the quality of sediments in Sabine Lake and vicinity did not appear to be severely degraded. Chemical concentrations rarely exceeded effects-based numerical guidelines, suggesting that toxicant-induced effects would not be expected in most areas. None of the samples was highly toxic in acute amphipod survival tests and a minority (23%) of samples were highly toxic in sublethal urchin fertilization tests. Although toxic responses occurred frequently (94% of samples) in urchin embryo development tests performed with 100% pore waters, toxicity diminished markedly in tests done with diluted pore waters. Microbial bioluminescent activity was not reduced to a great degree (no EC50 <0.06 mg/ml) and cytochrome P-450 activity was not highly induced (6 samples exceeded 37.1 ug/g benzo[a]pyrene equivalents) in tests done with organic solvent extracts. Urchin embryological development was highly correlated with concentrations of ammonia and many trace metals. Cytochrome P450 induction was highly correlated with concentrations of a number of classes of organic compounds (including the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated compounds). (PDF contains 51 pages

Reduced Levofloxacin Susceptibility in Clinical Respiratory Isolates of Haemophilus Influenzae Is Not yet Associated with Mutations in the DNA Gyrase and Topoisomerase II Genes in Korea

Among 155 clinical respiratory isolates of Haemophilus influenzae in Korea, 6 (3.9%) isolates had reduced levofloxacin susceptibility (MICs ≥ 0.5 µg/mL). These six isolates had no significant quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) mutations in gyrA, gyrB, parC, or parE. This phenomenon suggests that neither evolution nor spread of any significant QRDRs mutations in clinical isolates occurred in Korea. Therefore, continued surveillance is necessary to observe the evolution of antibiotic-resistance and take measures to avoid the spread of drug-resistant clones

Economic benefits through system integration of electric waste collection vehicles: Case study of grid-beneficial charging and discharging strategies

Electrification of a waste collection fleet as part of vehicle-to-grid can be used in a grid- beneficial way, which in turn can increase the economy of these vehicles. In this study the system and grid integration of fully battery-electric waste collection vehicles (eWCV) is examined. The possibility to shave power peaks of a lightweight packaging plant and to provide balancing power by eWCV are analyzed. For this, performance and market models are developed using an ex-post analysis, considering also levies and charges. Building on this, various scenarios for the grid-beneficial integration of eWCV are designed. These are assessed based on the resulting energy consumption of the eWCV, charging costs and feasibility for real-life implementation. It is shown that using electricity generated by thermal waste management plants for charging can reduce the operation costs of eWCV. Also, peak shaving is viable from an economic point of view. Network charges and well as the complexity of the system prevent an economical provision of balancing power by eWCV