THE INTERNATIONALIZATION DETERMINANTS OF THE SMALL AGRO-FOOD FIRMS: HYPOTHESES AND STATISTICAL TESTS

The purpose of this paper is to establish a link between competition perceived by the small firm manager and the decision to export. Using a sample of 335 small agro-food firms as a basis to our study, the statistical model presented shows a negative connection between the high perceived quality competitiveness and the fact that a firm exports.Agribusiness, International Relations/Trade,

How do consumers react in front of individual and combined sustainable food labels? A UK focus group study

A lot of sustainable food labels are now available. They may be complementary or add to the increasing competition of product information in consumers' minds. This paper investigates (1) two focus groups consumers' perceptions about sustainable labels versus other labels, such as origin or nutrition labels, and (2) consumers' reactions to combinations of different sustainable claims or labels. Overall, findings indicate that there is interest in combining different claims into a single label. However, the results also indicate the importance of familiarity, trust and, fit between combinations of labels as well as between a label associated with a brand. While the combination of certain labels can enhance the value of a food product, this study also indicates that other label combinations can detract from a label's value. ...French Abstract : De nombreux produits alimentaires avec des labels "durables" sont proposés aujourd'hui aux consommateurs. Ils peuvent être complémentaires ou à l'opposé augmenter la concurrence entre les différents éléments d'information dans l'esprit des consommateurs. Cet article étudie les perceptions qu'ont des consommateurs interrogés lors de deux focus groups au Royaume-Uni, des labels durables par comparaison à d'autres labels (nutrition ou origine), et leur réaction à des combinaisons de messages et de labels durables. De façon générale, les résultats indiquent qu'il est utile de combiner plusieurs messages sur un même label. Cependant l'étude montre aussi l'importance de la familiarité, de la confiance, de la cohérence perçue entre labels ou entre un label et une marque associée. Certaines combinaisons peuvent en effet faire perdre de la valeur à un label durable au lieu de lui en donner.SUSTAINABLE FOOD; LABELS; QUALITATIVE STUDY; TRUST; FIT

Controlling the size and linkage type of biopolymers derived from sucrose

Please click Download on the upper right corner to see the full description

A structure-based approach to control the size and linkage-type of sucrose derived alpha-glucans

The demand for bio-derived and biodegradable polymers and oligomers is impressively increasing due to societal and environmental concerns. Among the bio-sourced polymers, the a-glucans produced from sucrose using the glucansucrases from the family 70 of glycoside-hydrolases are quite attractive. They can display various structures, in terms of linkage type, molar mass and polydispersity. Their specific traits directly govern their physico-chemical and biological properties at the source of their potential usage in pharmaceutical, cosmetic or agro-food industries. The accessible molecular diversity is thus large and of interest to extend a-glucan applications. However, the fine control of the structures still suffers from a lack of basic knowledge in the mechanistic and structural determinants at the source of the GH70 enzyme specificity. To fill this gap, we have recently selected different glucansucrases, named DSR-OK, DRS-M and ASR. They synthesize polymers with marked structural differences in terms of size or linkage content. We have solved several 3D structures of these enzymes, unliganded or in complex with different substrates and/or products. The structural analysis of these proteins combined to mutagenesis and biochemical characterization enabled us to identify key determinants of specificity and elaborate mechanistic scenarios for both polymer elongation and linkage type formation. We will first give an overview of the molecular mechanisms involved in polymer formation and will discuss our recent advances with regard to the complexity of the occurring phenomena. We will also show how our findings can rationally serve to construct mutants and chimera leading to a broader range of bioproducts with well-defined structures. Grimaud et al., Green Chemistry, 2018, 20, 4012. Claverie et al., ACS Catalysis, 2017, 7, 7106. Molina et al., ACS Catalysis, 2019, accepte

The development of automatic control in France

This paper discusses the history and development of automatic control in France

Simulation in Supply Chains: An Arena basis

<p>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The quest for global competitiveness brought about new business approaches, of which the supply chain has become an important entity during the last few years. With even more complex decision structures, demand variation and the need for evaluating alternatives within this frame, simulation and simulation-optimization have been identified as key decision-making tools. This paper briefly reviews the basic characteristics of supply chains, and illustrates that existing software may be integrated towards a supply chain simulator.</p><p>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die strewe na globale mededingendheid vereis nuwe benaderings deur ondernemings, terwyl die toevoerketting 'n belangrike entiteit gedurende die afgelope paar jaar geword het. Toenemende kompleksiteit in besluitneming, variasie in vraag en die behoefte om alternatiewe binne hierdie komplekse raamwerk te evalueer, het tot gevolg dat simulasie en simulasie-optimering as sleutel-besluitneming gereedskap beskou word. Hierdie artikel gee 'n kort oorsig oor die basiese eienskappe van toevoerkettings, en dit word getoon dat bestaandeprogrammatuur integreer kan word om 'n toevoerketting-simuleerderte ontwikkel.</p&gt

SOLUTIONS OF THE LANDAU-VLASOV EQUATION IN NUCLEAR PHYSICS

The properties of Vlasov equation solutions obtained by projection on coherent state basis are discussed. Such solutions satisfy stationarity conditions and satisfactorily describe the average diffusivity of nuclear phase space and reproduce the bulk properties of nuclei. Sampling methods and their effects on dynamics are discussed for the study of heavy ion reactions at intermediate energies. The non-local Gogny force is easily computable on this basis which allows to use it for dynamical nuclear studies

PHASE SPACE DYNAMICS OF HEAVY ION NUCLEAR COLLISIONS IN THE FERMI ENERGY DOMAIN

No abstract availabl