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In this paper we analyse the existing interrelationships between information technology (IT) and the adoption of lean production. More specifically, the level of adoption of lean production is studied in accordance with the degree of use and the kind of IT used (internal and external IT). The results of the study show how companies need to augment the degree of use of internal or intra-organisational IT in order to increase the level of implementation of lean production and therefore improve efficiency. Results also show that external or inter-organisational IT only has a significant negative influence on the level of adoption of lean production when internal IT is controlled. These findings provide managers with empirical evidence and a theoretical framework on the balance between internal and external IT in order to increase lean production adoption, thus offering practical guidance on how to manage IT and lean production adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enantioselective hydrogenation of ketones is a key reaction in organic chemistry. In the past, we have attempted to deal with some unsolved challenges in this arena by introducing chiral tridentate phosphine-diamine/Ru catalysts. New catalysts and new applications are presented here, including the synthesis of phosphine-amino-alcohol P,N,OH ligands derived from (R,S)-1-amino-2-indanol, (S,S)-1-amino-2-indanol and a new chiral P,N,N ligand derived from (R, R)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine. Ruthenium pre-catalysts of type [RuCl2(L)(DMSO)] were isolated and then examined in the hydrogenation of ketones. While the new P,N,OH ligand based catalysts are poor, the new P,N,N system gives up to 98% e.e. on substrates that do not react at all with most catalysts. A preliminary attempt at realising a new delta lactone synthesis by organocatalytic Michael addition between acetophenone and acrylonitrile, followed by asymmetric hydrogenation of the nitrile functionalised ketone is challenging in part due to the Michael addition chemistry, but also since Noyori pressure hydrogenation catalysts gave massively reduced reactivity relative to their performance for other acetophenone derivatives. The Ru phosphine-diamine system allowed quantitative conversion and around 50% e.e. The product can be converted into a delta lactone by treatment with KOH with complete retention of enantiomeric excess. This approach potentially offers access to this class of chiral molecules in three steps from the extremely cheap building blocks acrylonitrile and methyl-ketones; we encourage researchers to improve on our efforts in this potentially useful but currently flawed process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A convenient and chemoselective method for deoxygenation of pyridine N-oxide derivatives by transfer oxidation of triethylamine-catalysed by [Pd(OAc)2]/dppf is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A convenient and chemoselective method for deoxygenation of pyridine N-oxide derivatives by transfer oxidation of triethylamine-catalysed by [Pd(OAc) 2]/dppf is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, is one of the most important aquaculture species in Europe. Appropriate molecular markers are required to evaluate genetic resources and to trace genealogies in breeding programmes for improving mussel culture. Microsatellites have been commonly applied to this purpose in other species. However, Mediterranean mussel microsatellites have demonstrated high frequencies of null alleles that hamper accurate estimates of population parameters and confident parentage inferences. As alternative markers, we have characterized in silico 25 potential single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in the Mediterranean mussel from expressed sequence tag (EST) public databases. The genotyping of SNPs was performed using a single-base extension approach. Their polymorphism was evaluated in 47 individuals from an Atlantic population. Out of the 25 potential SNPs tested, 12 were technically feasible (producing a single amplicon) and polymorphic. All were biallelic and had an unbiased heterozygosity ranging from 0.160 to 0.504. One SNP was from a mitochondrial gene. The combined potential of nuclear SNPs for parentage assignment gave an exclusion probability of a false couple of parents of 0.9471. These markers will be useful for evaluating resources and tracing genealogies in genetic breeding programmes implemented to solve the main problems of mussel culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]