Going Green: Carving a Niche in a Global Market

Companies that do well are described in accounting terms as being “in the black”. This is the accounting term for being profitable. The “black” shows up in the bottom line of the financial statement. Business practices that simultaneously benefit the business, society, and the environment help a firm become more sustainable. The triple bottom line refers to the economic, environmental, and social impacts of an organization. Here the company reaches out to its stakeholders rather than shareholders. However, the triple bottom line approach does not negate the drive for profits, it just does so in the context of also considering people and the planet. Consumers have higher expectations than ever of the companies they buy from, and this is impacting the brands they choose. The paper looks at the sustainability practices of seven companies from different industries

Prevalence of Potential Zoonotic Enteric Bacterial Pathogens in Dogs and Cats and Factors Associated with Potential Transmission Between Animals and Humans

With the discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), concerns about dangers of pet ownership have increased. Zoonotic organisms associated with cats and dogs, may cause life-threatening infections in immuosuppressed human beings. The objectives of this project were to determine the prevalence of potential zoonotic enteric pathogens (Salmonella, Listeria, and Campylobacter) in feces of dogs and cats (diarrheic, healthy, and hospitalized), to evaluate the association of diarrhea in dogs and cats with diarrhea in human beings sharing the same household, and to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella, Listeria, and E.coli to 18 antimicrobials of human and veterinary importance. Methods of bacterial isolation and identification followed conventional FDA BAM protocols (Bacteriological Analytical Manual). Bacterial isolates were tested for their susceptibility using the disk diffusion assay in accordance with NCCLS guidelines. Owners of pets with diarrhea participating in the study were interviewed using a phone questionnaire that focused on identifying association of diarrhea in human beings living in the same household with affected pets. Salmonella and Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 1 each of 95 dogs having acute or chronic diarrhea (1.1%). Listeria species was isolated from 12 of 353 (3.4%) total dogs and cats. Generic E.coli was isolated from feces in 70.8% of all dogs and cats sampled (250 of 353). E.coli isolated from healthy dogs and cats showed the highest resistance rate to the antibiotics followed by diarrheic dogs and cats. Most E.coli isolates (79.7%) were multidrug resistant (MDR). Imipenem was the only antibiotic which none of the E.coli isolates were resistant to. Listeria spp. isolated from dogs were most resistant to nalidixic acid (88.9%) followed by cefoxitin (77.8%). The low incidence of enteric pathogens in dogs and cats having acute or chronic diarrhea shows that the risk is low for transmission to human beings. However, individuals who are immunocompromised should have animals with acute or chronic diarrhea checked by a veterinarian. High prevalence of MDR bacteria is a serious problem and the search for alternative therapeutic compounds is needed especially for the immunocompromised, infants and elderly people

Levels of acetic and lactic acid in RTE meat and poultry products and their association with occurrence of Listeria monocytogenes at retail

The purposes of this study were (1) to quantify the levels of acetic, and lactic acid occurring in approximately 1800 retail ready-to-eat (RTE) processed deli meat and poultry products to determine the impact of current antimicrobial lethality treatments on occurrence of Listeria monocytogenes (LM) at retail, (2) to determine if the intrinsic levels of lactic acid (LA) produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) of the processed RTE meat or poultry affect the extrinsic levels of lactic acid added in RTE meat and poultry products, and (3) to evaluate 2%LA for its effect as a post-lethality treatment on the survival of LM on RTE meat and poultry products. Samples were randomly selected and acetic and lactic acids were extracted and analyzed by ion exclusion HPLC. Amount of LA extracted from the samples did not change with increased LAB counts (P\u3e 0.05) and with storage time of six weeks (P\u3e0.05).Thus, the age of the processed RTE meat or poultry did not affect the levels of lactic acid present in RTE meat and poultry products in six weeks at 4 C. The effect of 2%LA as a post lethality treatment on LM count differed according to meat type and time of storage. However, greater than a 1 log CFU/g reduction was achieved with frankfurters, bologna, and ham after application of 2%LA . Mean concentrations of acetic acid and lactic acid in samples varied by product type and by different manufacturers and ranged from 0.51 to 5.7 m/g (0.051 - 0.57%), and 12.88 to 23.03 m/g (1.28% -2.3%). Concentrations of acetic and lactic acids varied among manufacturers (p\u3c0.0001) and within products produced by the same manufacturer. Higher levels of AA and LA in RTE meat and poultry products were associated (p\u3c0.01) with lower occurrence of LM.Thus, addition of acetates and lactates as antimicrobials is helpful in formulations as a part of an overall listeria control program for processed meat and poultry products; however, even high levels of LA and AA may not prevent contamination of RTE meat and poultry with LM, particularly with post-process contamination

Guilty By Association: The Boycotting Of Danish Products In The Middle East

We present a business situation encountered by several multinational corporations as they faced social boycotts of their products in countries where the policies of their home country’s government were unpopular.  The case examines the issues surrounding the boycott of Danish products following the publication of cartoons depicting the likeness of Prophet Muhammad in what was interpreted as blasphemous by Muslim consumers.

Brands As Ideological Symbols: The Cola Wars

The Coca-Cola Company is the undisputed global leader in the cola industry.  Despite its size and marketing savvy, the company has faced a barrage of competition from new companies in the Middle East and some parts of Europe.  These companies have tried to create a niche for themselves by tapping into the anti-U.S. sentiment that prevails among a section of population in these markets.  We review three such competitors, Zam Zam Cola, Mecca Cola, and Qibla Cola and their strategies for challenging the global giant

Data collection algorithm for wireless sensor networks using collaborative mobile elements

The simplest approach to reduce network latency for data gathering in wireless sensor networks (WSN) is to use multiple mobile elements rather than a single mobile sink. However, the most challneging issues faced this approach are firstly the high network cost as a result of using large number of mobile elements. Secondly, it suffers from the difficulty of network partitioning to achieve an efficient load balancing among these mobile elements. In this study, a collaborative data collection algorithm (CDCA) is developed. Simulation results presented in this paper demonstrated that with this algorithm the latency is significantly reduced at small number of mobile elements. Furthermore, the performance of CDCA algorithm is compared with the Area Splitting Algorithm (ASA). Consequently, the CDCA showed superior performance in terms of network latency, load balancing, and the required number of mobile elements

Comparative Study: PRP Enhanced Fat Graft Versus Fat Graft Alone in Treatment of Postacne Scars with Clinical and Histopathological Eyes

Fat grafting has a role in rejuvenation owing to its mesenchymal cell precursor content especially with growth factors added. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is known for its high growth factor content. The objective of this study is to compare the effect of PRP when added to fat graft in acne scars. 28 patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group A was treated with fat grafting while group B was treated with PRP enhanced fat grafting. All patients received a single treatment session. Assessment was conducted by comparing digital photos and biopsies before and after 6 months of treatment. The results shows that acne scars improved with PRP enhanced fat graft (93%) more than fat graft (64%). The biopsy results also confirmed the significantly better improvement for PRP group (85.7%) than the fat graft group (58%) (p=0.042). PRP has provided an enhancement of fat grafting in treatment of post acne scars. Icepick scars were better treated by fat grafting alone, while rolling and boxcars showed better results with the addition of PRP

The Burden Of Identity: Responding To Product Boycotts In The Middle East

Drawing from four different case studies of multinational corporations in the Middle East, we present a framework for understanding the phenomenon of product boycotts driven by socio-political reasons.  We present three sets of actions that trigger boycott calls: government actions, corporate actions, and individual actions.  The strategies used by boycott organizers to generate awareness for their campaign and to manage media usage to target desired audiences are also discussed.  We review a number of strategies available to multinationals to respond to boycott calls

Reinforcement learning-based control for offshore crane load-landing operations

Offshore crane operations are frequently carried out under adverse weather conditions. While offshore cranes attempt to finish the load-landing or -lifting operation, the impact between the loads and the vessels is critical, as it can cause serious injuries and extensive damage. Multiple offshore crane operations, including load-landing operations, have used reinforcement learning (RL) to control their activities. In this paper, the Q-learning algorithm is used to develop optimal control sequences for the offshore crane's actuators to minimize the impact velocity between the crane's load and the moving vessel. To expand the RL environment, a mathematical model is constructed for the dynamical analysis utilizing the Denavit–Hartenberg (DH) technique and the Lagrange approach. The Double Q-learning algorithm is used to locate the common bias in Q-learning algorithms. The average return feature was studied to assess the performance of the Q-learning algorithm. Furthermore, the trained control sequence was tested on a separate sample of episodes, and the hypothesis that, unlike supervised learning, reinforcement learning cannot have a global optimal control sequence but only a local one, was confirmed in this application domain

Synthesis and Characterization of Biodegradabile Polymeric Materials for Active Agent Delivery Constructs

The preparation of new polymeric materials for biomedical applications is an extremely interesting research topic, which involves a variety of factors strongly correlated to there specific application there interaction with the biological environment. Therefore, this discipline is at the convergence of different knowledge fields, such as chemistry, biology, and material science. Amphiphilic block copolymers are among the most investigated polymeric biomaterials, since they allow for a careful tuning of the chemical characteristics and design of the molecular architecture and consequently of the required properties of the final material. This work was focused on the preparation of biodegradable amphiphilic block copolymers with different architectures and composition; Pluronics (PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymers) or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(ƒÕ-caprolactone) (PCL) or poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) were used as hydrophilic segments and hydrophobic segments, respectively. Such components were chosen for their well established characteristics in terms of physico-chemical properties and biocompatibility. Polymeric materials with a range of different final properties were obtained by selecting suitable synthetic strategies and compositions