A Framework to Support Agility Strategy Formulation

In the last decade, turbulent times and uncertainti es in the business environment have made ground for a new business era, and "chang e" has become a major characteristic of the new era. This has resulted in tirele ss evolution of business systems and the creation of new manufacturing and manag ement philosophies. Agile Manufacturing (AM) is a step forward in generation of new means for better performance and success of business, and in practice is a s trategic approach to manufacturing by considering the new conditions of the business environment. This paper discusses the concepts and development of a met hodology to achieve agility in manufacturing organisations. Following an introdu ction of the subject of agility, a discussion of the methodology and practical t ools to support the implementation of the methodology, including metrics for the assessment of agility drivers, capability and performance are given. Aspects of the tools are tested in an aerospace company.

FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH IN NATURAL SCIENCE: SUPPORTING NATIONAL STRATEGY

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council have put forward "the strategy for revitalizing China through science and education" and decided to implement it with the turn of the century. All circles of the society and the broad masses of people i n China are unprecedentedly raising their scientific and technical awareness and so gradually reaching more and more common understanding of the role that fundamental research in natural science has been playing as a cornerstone in the implementation of "the strategy of revitalizing China through science and education".

Ground stability of underground gateroad with 1 km burial depth： A case study from Xingdong coal mine, China

This paper presents an integrated investigation of the ground stability of a deep gateroad with a 1 km burial depth based on a field test, case studies, and numerical modelling. In situ stress measurements and mechanical properties tests were first conducted in the test site. Then, the deformation behavior, stress and yield zone distributions, as well as the bolts load of the gateroad, were simulated using FLAC3D software. The model results demonstrated that the soft rock properties and high in situ stress were the main factors for the deep gateroad instability, and the shear slip failure induced by the high stress was the primary failure model for the deep rock mass. In addition, the unsuitable support patterns, especially the relatively short bolts/cables with low pre-tensions, the lack of high-strengthen secondary supports and the unsupported floor strata, also contributed to the gateroad instability. Subsequently, a new combined supporting strategy, incorporating longer bolts/cables, yielding ring supports, and grouting measures, was proposed for the deep gateroad, and its validity was verified via field monitoring. All these could be a reference for understanding the failure mechanism of the gateroad with 1 km burial depth.

“To measure is to know”: how advances in image analysis are supporting neural repair strategies

Neuronal regeneration in the peripheral nervous system arises via a synergistic interplay of neurotrophic factors,integrins,cytoskeletal proteins,mechanical cues,cytokines,stem cells,glial cells and astrocytes.

How does zebrafish support new strategies for neuroprotection and neuroregeneration in hypoxia-related diseases?

Hypoxia is a condition found commonly in several disorders,such as ischemia,asthma,anemia and neonatal hypoxia.Individuals subjected suddenly to high altitude or extreme exercise are also challenged to low oxygen（O2）levels.Since the brain presents elevated basal O_2 consumption,this organ is readily affected by hypoxia.For this reason,

Competition in Marketing： Survival Yardstick for Small and Medium Enterprises （SMEs） in Nigeria

The topic investigated competition in marketing as a survival yardstick for small and medium enterprises （SMEs） in Nigeria. The objectives addressed by this study were： （1） identifying different types and intensity of competition that SMEs are exposed to along the life-cycle portfolio in Nigeria; （2） quantifying the strength of SMEs vis-a-vis some foreign enterprises in terms of market competition; and （3） proffering solutions on how best they could match competitively these foreign enterprises. Relevant models and theories were employed in literature to evolve detailed analysis of issues relating to the variables used in terms of competition in marketing and survival of juice-producing SMEs. Two hypotheses were investigated through the survey of 20 prominent Ikeja based SMEs using Cluster sampling, 5-points Likert summated rating scale was adopted, while Yard＇s formula with 95% confidence level and 5% error tolerance was used. Alternative form validity of the instrument was measured at 0.63 while its reliability was measured at Cronbach＇s alpha of 0.70. Pearson＇s product-moment correlation was used in testing hypothesis 1 while standard multiple regressions were used to test hypothesis 2. Findings revealed that there was strong relationship between survival of juice-producing SMEs with forms of competition on a firm＇s life-cycle; while competition had positive effects on survival components for the enterprises. It was concluded that since competition subsists in any firm＇s life-cycle, strategies to support operations for survival must be adopted. It was recommended that operators of SMEs have to monitor and manage competition as it affects their businesses positively and/or negatively.

Theβ-directing effect of ionic liquid in mannopyranosylation:a potential access to stereoselective construction of the 1,2-cis-β-D-mannopyranosyl linkage

We report a novel P-directing effect of imidazolium based ionic liquid,which was observed when we conducted the glycosylation of a 6-O-acetyl-2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-mannose trichloroacetimidate donor with a modified ionic liquid support acceptor. The mechanism was investigated and a hypothesis was proposed.After optimization of the reaction conditions,an innovative method for the selective construction of 1,2-cis-β-D-mannopyranosyl linkage was developed.