| 1. |
- Liu, Yang, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluating and developing resource-based operations strategy for competitive advantage : an exploratory study of Finnish high-tech manufacturing industries
- 2015
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Ingår i: International Journal of Production Research. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0020-7543 .- 1366-588X. ; 53:4, s. 1019-1037
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Firms are struggling to achieve and maintain the competitive advantage in today’s turbulent business environment. How can we evaluate and (re)develop strategic initiatives that put into place operational capabilities to provide new sources of firm-level competitive advantage? This paper tries to explore the practical intersection of operations management and strategy from resource-based view by evaluating and developing the sustainability level of operational competitive advantage, that how well the resource-based strategy can support its operations. It develops a theoretical approach to integrate the core factors, which determine operational competitiveness performance – manufacturing strategy and its supporting resource allocation, into conceptual analytical models. The models utilise sense and respond (S&R) methodology for dynamic decision-making to detect and adjust resource allocation and in turn optimise the resource-based strategy in order to develop the operational competitive advantage in a sustainable manner. Eighteen case companies in Finnish high-tech manufacturing industries are selected for in-depth study and analysis with proposed models to conclude how the optimal adjustments of resource-based strategy by supporting its operations can lead to sustainable competitive advantage (SCA). Constantly optimising resource allocation aligning with resource-based operations strategy supported by the S&R idea of agile strategy implementations is proposed as the unique SCA.
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| 2. |
- Tian, Liting, et al.
(författare)
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Lead concentration in plasma as a biomarker of exposure and risk, and modification of toxicity by delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase gene polymorphism
- 2013
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Ingår i: Toxicology Letters. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-3169 .- 0378-4274. ; 221:2, s. 102-109
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Blood lead concentration (B-Pb), the main biomarker of lead exposure and risk, is curvi-linearily related to exposure. We assessed plasma lead (P-Pb) as a marker for both lead exposure and toxic effects. We examined claims that delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase genotype (ALAD) can modify lead toxicity. In 290 lead-exposed and 91 unexposed Chinese workers, we determined P-Pb, B-Pb, urinary lead (U-Pb), AMD polymorphism (rs1800435, ALAD112; TaqMan assay), and also toxic effects on heme synthesis (blood zinc protoporphyrin and hemoglobin, urinary delta-aminolevulic acid), on the kidneys (urinary albumin, beta(2)microglobulin and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase) and on the peripheral nervous system (sensory and motor conduction velocities). In exposed workers, median P-Pb was 4.10 (range 0.35-27) mu g/L, B-Pb 401 (110-950) mu g/L, and U-Pb 188 (22-590) mu g/g creatinine. P-Pb had a higher ratio between exposed and unexposed workers (median 39, range 18-110) than B-Pb (19, 15-36; p<0.001) and U-Pb (28, 15-36; p<0.001). All three biomarkers were associated with all toxic effects (P-Pb: r(s)= -0.10 to 0.79; B-Pb: r(s) = -0.08 to 0.75; all p <0.05). In the exposed workers, B-Pb and U-Pb were significantly higher (p = 0.04) in AIAD2 carriers (7% in the exposed population) than in ALAD1 homozygotes. P-Pb values were similar; ALAD1 homozygotes suffered higher kidney toxicity at the same P-Pb. Conclusions: (i) P-Pb has advantages over B-Pb as a biomarker of high Pb exposure, but it was not significantly better as an index of risk of toxicity. (ii) The ALAD genotype modifies toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 3. |
- Zheng, Guang, et al.
(författare)
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δ-Aminolevulinic acid dehydratase genotype predicts toxic effects of lead on workers' peripheral nervous system
- 2011
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Ingår i: Neurotoxicology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0161-813X .- 1872-9711. ; 32:4, s. 374-382
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is a wide variation in sensitivity to lead (Pb) exposure, which may be due to genetic susceptibility towards Pb. We investigated whether a polymorphism (rs1800435) in the δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) gene affected the toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics of Pb. Among 461 Chinese Pb-exposed storage battery and 175 unexposed workers, allele frequencies for the ALAD1 and ALAD2 alleles were 0.968 and 0.032, respectively. The Pb-exposed workers had a higher fraction of the ALAD1-2/2-2 genotype than unexposed workers (7.8% vs. 2.3%, p=0.01). The Pb levels in blood (B-Pb) and urine (U-Pb) were higher in Pb-exposed workers carrying the ALAD2 allele compared to homozygotes for ALAD1 (median B-Pb: 606 vs. 499 μg/L; U-Pb: 233 vs. 164 μg/g creatinine), while there was no statistically significant difference in the unexposed controls (median: 24 vs. 37 μg/L, and 3.9 vs. 6.4μg/g creatinine, respectively). High B-Pb and U-Pb were associated with statistically significantly lower sensory and motor conduction velocities in the median, ulnar and peroneal nerves. At the same B-Pb and U-Pb, ALAD1 homozygotes had lower conduction velocities than the ALAD2 carriers. There were similar trends for toxic effects on haem synthesis (zinc protoporphyrin and haemoglobin in blood) and renal function (albumin and N-acetyl-d-β-acetylglucosaminidase in urine), but without statistical significance. There was no difference in Pb toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics associated with VDR BsmI polymorphism. Our results show that the ALAD genotype modifies the relationship between Pb and its toxic effects on the peripheral nervous system. This must be considered in the assessment of risks at Pb exposure.
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