Firm Partial Modularity and Performance in the Electronic Manufacturing Services Industry

Firms continue to develop new ways to decentralize non-core activities to outside parties. Scholars have approached this issue with modularity theory, suggesting a continuum of arrangements ranging from hierarchy to market. Hierarchy relies on fiat, while partially modular forms, those forms between hierarchy and market, require greater coordination, communication and relationships between firms than do fully modular (or market) forms. While modularity theory identifies this continuum, the associated empirical literature tends to dichotomize modularity: firms are either modular or they are not. Nor does the empirical literature examine the performance outcomes of modular arrangements within this continuum. By examining firms that vary between full integration and partial modularity with a continuous modularity measure, this paper empirically examines the performance outcomes associated with a range of modularity levels. We derive this measure from a peculiar inventory option available within the electronic manufacturing services (EMS) industry. Our data include observations on 260 firms over five years. We find that more firms rely on partially modular arrangements, the lower their performance. We suggest explanations for this result, and areas of future research meant to pursue it.     

Variability of the downwelling diffuse attenuation coefficient with consideration of inelastic scattering

In situ time-series measurements of spectral diffuse downwelling irradiance from the Bermuda Testbed Mooring are presented. Averaged diffuse attenuation coefficients of downwelling irradiance, Kd,and their elastic and inelastic components are investigated at seven wavelengths. At shorter wavelengths (<510 nm), Kd is weakly dependent on the solar zenith angle owing to the prevailing scattering effect and therefore can be considered a quasi-inherent optical property. At longer wavelengths (>510 nm), Kd shows a strong dependence on the solar zenith angle. As depth increases, inelastic scattering plays a greater role for the underwater light field at red wavelengths.     

Family involvement in school and low-income children's literacy: Longitudinal associations between and within families.

Longitudinal data from kindergarten to 5th grade on both family involvement in school and children's literacy performance were examined for an ethnically diverse, low-income sample (N = 281). Within families, increased school involvement predicted improved child literacy. In addition, although there was an achievement gap in average literacy performance between children of more and less educated mothers if family involvement levels were low, this gap was nonexistent if family involvement levels were high. These results add to existing evidence on the value of family involvement in school by demonstrating that increased involvement between kindergarten and 5th grade is associated with increased literacy performance and that high levels of school involvement may have added reward for low-income children with the added risk of low parent education. As such, these results support arguments that family involvement in school should be a central aim of practice and policy solutions to the achievement gap between lower and higher income children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Partitioning in situ total spectral absorption by use of moored spectral absorption-attenuation meters

High-temporal-resolution spectral absorption data were acquired by use of one bottom-mounted (~68-m) and three moored spectral absorption and attenuation meters (ac-9 meters at 14, 37, and 52 m) on the Middle Atlantic Bight continental shelf during the fall 1996 period of the Coastal Mixing and Optics experiment. We employed a previously published spectral absorption model with the data to partition total absorption into absorption by water, phytoplankton, detritus, and gelbstoff (dissolved matter). We validated the model by comparing its results against coincident in vivo absorption coefficients derived from discrete bottle samples. Correlations between modeled and in vivo spectra range from 0.873 to 0.998. We optimized these correlations to determine the model parameters. These parameters could not be determined solely from the moored ac-9 results. Therefore a separate set of absorption measurements (from discrete bottle samples) was necessary to permit values for the model parameters to be determined. Model results allow us to separate particulate and dissolved components of absorption and to examine the temporal variability and the vertical distributions and concentrations of each component, given the total absorption in the water column.     

Gender, employment and retirement quality: A life course approach to the differential experiences of men and women.

Using a life course perspective in integrating 2 theories of retirement satisfaction—role theory and continuity theory—this study draws on a sample of retired men (n?=?244) and women (n?=?214), ages 50–72, to investigate factors contributing to the quality of their retirement experience. Overall, we find that men report greater retirement satisfaction than women, although the difference is small. For women, increased retirement quality is associated with good health, a continuous career (fewer years spent in part-time employment), an early retirement (though not earlier than anticipated), and a good postretirement income. For men, the key correlates with retirement quality are good health, an enjoyable preretirement job, low work-role salience, substantial preretirement planning, and retiring for internally motivated reasons (e.g., to do other things). These results underscore the importance of a life course focus on gendered pathways to and through life transitions such as retirement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A prospective study of adolescents' self-reported depressive symptoms: Are risk behaviours a stronger predictor than anxiety symptoms?

This longitudinal study of adolescents from a Nova Scotia coastal town examined whether change in self-reported depressive symptoms could be predicted from adolescents' concurrent and prior reports of anxiety symptoms and risk behaviors. Questionnaires were completed by 131 youths (80 females, 51 males; aged 12–17 yrs) in their classrooms 2 years apart. Results show that adolescents' concurrent reports of involvement in risk behaviors were linked to an increase in depressive symptoms only when they also were high on anxiety symptoms. Prior involvement in risk behaviors, but not prior anxiety symptoms, also predicted an increase in depressive symptoms. The importance of evaluating covariation among multiple types of symptoms and targeting the positive and negative consequences of risk behaviors adolescents is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of bromo-ergocryptine on serum hPRL, hLH, hFSH, and estradiol 17-beta in women with galactorrhea-amenorrhea

Fourteen women with amenorrhea-galactorrhea were treated with bromo-ergocryptine. Serum prolactin hPRL, hLH, hFSH, estradiol 17-beta (E2), and progesterone values were determined before and during treatment. No consistent pretreatment hormonal pattern was found. During treatment hPRL levels fell in 13 of 14 patients, and E2 rose in 12 of 14 patients. Levels of hLH became normal, and amounts of hFSH did not change. Galactorrhea lessened in all cases and ceased in 11. Menses resumed in 11 patients and 3 women became pregnant. Cessation of galactorrhea and resumption of menses occurred irrespective of initial hPRL or hLH levels. It is suggested that improvement of galactorrhea and resumption of menses in some patients with normal hPRL values are the result of increased serum E2 levels and may be due to a direct action of bromo-ergocryptine on the ovary. Bromo-ergocryptine may also be effective in treatment of amenorrhea, unassociated with galactorrhea or elevated hPRL levels.     

Fluxes and reservoirs of trichloroacetic acid at a forest and moorland catchment

The concentrations and input/output fluxes of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) were measured in all relevant media for one year at a 0.86 km2 upland conifer plantation and moorland catchment in SW Scotland (n > 380 separate samples analyzed). Annual wet precipitation to the catchment was 2.5 and 0.4 m for rain and cloud, respectively. TCA input to the catchment for the year was 2100 g, predominantly in rainwater (86%), with additional input via cloudwater (13%) and gas plus particle dry deposition (1%). There were no seasonal trends in TCA deposition, and cloudwater concentration was not enhanced over rainwater. TCA in precipitation exceeded concentrations estimated using currently accepted routes of gas-phase oxidation from anthropogenic chlorinated hydrocarbon precursors, in agreement with previous studies. Export of TCA from the catchment in streamwater totalled 1970 g for the year of study. The TCA concentration in streamwater at outflow (median 1.2 microg L(-1)) was significantly greater than that before the stream had passed through the conifer plantation. To well-within measurement uncertainties, the catchment is currently at steady-state with respect to TCA input/output. The catchment reservoir of TCA was dominated by soils (approximately 90%), with the remainder distributed in forest litter (approximately 9%), forest branchwood and stemwood (approximately 0.7%), forest foliage (approximately 0.5%), and moorland foliage (approximately 0.1%). Although TCA is clearly taken up into foliage, which consequently may be important for the vegetation, this was a relatively minor process for TCA at the catchment scale. If it is assumed, on the basis of laboratory extraction experiments, that only approximately 20% of "whole soil" TCA measured in this work was water extractable, then total mass of TCA in the catchment is reduced from approximately 13 to approximately 3.5 kg. Comparing the latter value with the annual flux yields an average steady-state residence time for TCA in the catchment of approximately 1-2 y, if all TCA is involved in catchment turnover. Considering that other evidence indicates the lifetime of TCA in soil and biota is considerably shorter than this (weeks rather than years), the magnitude of the TCA reservoir is suggested to be strong evidence for net natural TCA production in soils and/or that the majority of TCA in the reservoir is not involved with external fluxes.     

Quantitative X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry characterization of the components in DNA

The great diversity of techniques to synthesize and use DNA microarrays has made them extremely flexible for a variety of applications. This flexibility also has made standardization difficult, leading to problems comparing data from these different systems. In this work, we use the surface science techniques of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) to analyze the components of DNA. The atomic ratios of the components of nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides were characterized by XPS. The chemical shifts in the high-resolution XPS spectra allow for their relatively easy resolution. The unique positive and negative ions from the nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides in their TOF-SIMS spectra were identified. This information was used to build a comprehensive table of all of the molecular ions. These standard spectra of DNA components can be used to predict the relative amounts of the bases within more complex molecules either by univariate analysis (i.e., by relating the base molecular ions to the sugar fragment ions within the nucleotides) or by multivariate analysis (e.g., principal component analysis). Our preliminary examination of four oligonucleotides shows promising results in that we can distinguish between two oligomers of similar composition using univariate and multivariate analysis, although additional studies are needed to expand this method to more complex oligomers.     

Prediction of MS/MS data. 1. A focus on pharmaceuticals containing carboxylic acids

Metabolite identification is a necessary step in developing safe and effective drugs. Metabolite analysis typically involves rapid identification of the chemical composition of the metabolite by automated HPLC-MS methods, followed by the laborious process of identifying the structure of the metabolite. Since MS is typically utilized to identify the metabolite, it is logical to utilize MS/MS to structurally characterize the sample. However, interpretation of MS/MS data may not provide sufficient information, as fragmentation pathways are not well understood or predictable. Therefore, other more time-consuming methods of analysis are often undertaken. If the dissociation rules for low-energy MS/MS experiments were clearly defined for all classes of compounds, more information would be obtained from MS/MS data, and metabolite identification would proceed more rapidly. We are currently developing methods to define these fragmentation rules. By screening approximately 100 carboxylic acids at a time and applying knowledge of physical-organic chemistry, predictive rules are under development that describe how compounds dissociate under low-energy collision-induced dissociation conditions. Studies of carboxylic acid dissociation demonstrate that this approach is practical and reliable. Dissociation rules were predicted with a 90% success rate, when tested on acid-containing pharmaceuticals. This predictive power cannot be matched by any commercially available software. This study, and others like it, will be used to develop algorithms that more rapidly identify drug metabolites and degradation products, based on MS/MS data. Such algorithms will benefit drug development for all types of pharmaceuticals.