Driving Innovation in Logistics: Case Studies in Distribution Centres

The concept of innovation is valued in most organizations to create and sustain competitive advantage. Firms need to innovate in order to stay ahead in the market. Businesses are experiencing the internationalization of technology‐driven competition, globalization of manufacturing, shorter product life‐cycles, increasingly sophisticated customers needs and a greater integration of technologies (Shepherd & Ahmed, 2000). These challenges have compelled organizations to develop innovative strategies, products and processes. One area that is increasingly seeking ways of adding value through innovation is the logistics function. This paper examines and compares factors that are driving innovation in Australia and Singapore in distribution centres part of the logistics function that has been slow in the past to innovate.     

Randomized trial of a decision aid for BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carriers: Impact on measures of decision making and satisfaction.

Objective: Genetic testing is increasingly part of routine clinical care for women with a family history of breast cancer. Given their substantially elevated risk for breast cancer, BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carriers must make the difficult decision whether or not to opt for risk reducing mastectomy. To help BRCA1/2 carriers make this decision, the authors developed a computer-based interactive decision aid that was tested against usual care in a randomized controlled trial. Design: After the completion of genetic counseling, 214 female (aged 21-75) BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carriers were randomized to Usual Care (UC; N = 114) or Usual Care plus Decision Aid (DA; N = 100) arms. UC participants received no additional intervention. DA participants were sent the CD-ROM DA to view at home. Main Outcome Measures: The authors measured final management decision, decisional conflict, decisional satisfaction, and receipt of risk reducing mastectomy at 1-, 6-, and 12-months postrandomization. Results: Longitudinal analyses revealed that the DA was effective among carriers who were initially undecided about how to manage their breast cancer risk. Within this group, the DA led to an increased likelihood of reaching a management decision (OR = 3.09, 95% CI = 1.62, 5.90; p     

Development and validation of two new sensitive ELISAs for Hesperetin and Naringenin in biological fluids

Carboxylic acid haptens were synthesised, for Hesperetin (Hesp) and Naringenin (Nar). They had a spacer arm (4 or 6 carbons long) on the C7 position. Haptens were coupled to bovine serum albumin. Polyclonal antibodies were generated. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were developed. Owing to sensitivity, one antibody for each flavanone was retained, namely anti-h4-Hesp and anti-h4-Nar. For Hesp and Nar, IC₅₀ of the standard curves were 1.29 pmol/well and 0.72 pmol/well, respectively. Intra-assay and inter-assay variations were 10.24% and 10.53%, respectively for Hesp and 10.03% and 10.79%, respectively for Nar. Anti-h4-Hesp was highly specific when anti-h4-Nar showed cross-reactions with liquiritigenin and eriodictyol, which were significantly reduced in heterologous assay conditions. Assays were validated by comparisons with HPLC Coularray. Measurements were done on diet, plasma and urine samples from mice fed on diets enriched with Hesp or Nar and on a range of diluted mice urine samples.     

Steering the Growth of Metal Ad‐particles via Interface Interactions Between a MgO Thin Film and a Mo Support

The coincidence lattice formed between a crystalline MgO film and a Mo(001) support is found to be an ideal template to produce long‐range ordered ensembles of Fe and Cr particles for electronic, magnetic and chemical applications. The structural and electronic properties of this super‐lattice are analyzed by means of scanning tunnelling microscopy and density functional theory. The different registers of atoms at the interface induce periodic changes in the MgO lattice parameter, in the metal‐oxide binding length, and the workfunction. These variations modulate the adsorption landscape for Cr and Fe atoms and give rise to the observed ordering phenomena. Preferred nucleation and growth is revealed in those regions of the coincidence lattice that have a small lattice mismatch with the ad‐particles and enable electron‐transfer processes with the support.     

Extending project management research: Insights from social theories

Our article answers the call for renewing the theoretical bases of project management in order to overcome the problems that stem from the application of methods based on decision-rationality norms, which bracket the complexity of action and interactions in projects. By grounding our reflection in the practice perspective and by adopting Nicolini's (2013) toolkit approach, we suggest ways that could help practitioners and theorists make better sense of aspects that are highly relevant for project management but are usually overlooked. The paper discusses Nicolini's five dimensions of practice and three social theories (activity theory, actor–network theory and structuration theory) to highlight the combinations that are most appropriate and fruitful for addressing various theoretical and practical issues requiring the attention of project management researchers.     

SHE Cell Transformation Assay as a Predictive System for Carcinogenicity of PAH and Non-Genotoxic Carcinogens

The Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cell transformation assay is an in vitro method for the detection of genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogens. Its reliability as a multistage carcinogen screening method was demonstrated by several authors who showed that cells derived from transformed colonies were capable of tumour formation when inoculated in a suitable host animal. The SHE assay offers the advantage of using normal diploïd cells with metabolizing capacities and low spontaneous transformation frequency. Epithelial cultures can be selected from the mixed cellular suspension obtained from the Syrian hamster embryos in order to develop an in vitro model for the detection of carcinogens inducing carcinomas.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, such as BaP and DMBA were studied in depth for their cell transforming potency. The synergistic effects of PAH and tumor promoters can be demonstrated by using a sequential treatment consisting in an initiation-promotion scheme¹. This protocol also revealed interacting effects between non-genotoxic carcinogens².     

Comparison of test images obtained from various configurations of scanning near-field optical microscopes

The characteristics of a few experimental near-field optical microscopes, located in different laboratories, have been compared on the basis of their ability to image a well-defined submicrometer test object.     

Comparative study by electrophysiology of olfactory responses in bumblebees (Bombus hypnorum andBombus terrestris)

Electrophysiological data (EAG) were recorded on adult bumblebees stimulated with floral and/or pheromonal pure odorants at different concentrations. The responses of queen, worker, and male bees are compared and the sensitivities of these insects to the pure odorants tested are discussed.