An empirical study based upon a sample of 645 small businesses assesses the relationship that life cycle stage and level of competition exhibit with the problems perceived to constrain small business strategic planning. Problems have been identified as either internal (cash flow) or external (competition); they have further been classified as either situational or core problems. Among the most prevalent problems reported by decision makers are customer contact, market knowledge, marketing planning, location, and adequacy of capital. A total of 16 problem areas were identified. Traditional wisdom offers the scenario where problems faced will vary as the organization progresses through the life cycle. Much of this research refutes conventional wisdom in that level of competition was determined to have more of an impact on problem perception.
Escherichia coli injured by copper in carbonate buffer simulating the drinking water environment showed decreased oxygen utilization. Oxygraph measurements revealed that copper-injured bacteria had a rate of oxygen utilization that was less than 25% of that of control cells. Respirometry experiments measured rates over a longer period of time and showed similar trends. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C nmr) and gas chromatography were used to identify differences in metabolism between healthy and injured populations of E. coli. The rate of glucose utilization by injured cells under anaerobic conditions was 64% of that of healthy cells. The rates of lactate and ethanol accumulation were 88 and 50% of the control, respectively. The 13C nmr studies of oxygenated cultures revealed differences in the accumulation of acetate and glutamine. Aerobic utilization of glucose and succinate by injured cells were 87 and 21% of the rate of the controls, respectively. Additional studies revealed injured cells had a decreased ability to reduce 2-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(p-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyltetrazolium chloride (INT) with a variety of carbohydrate substrates. Injured cells reduced greater quantities of INT than healthy cells when NADH was used as a substrate. A comparison of metabolic end products suggested that injured cells also had considerable differences in carbon flow compared with healthy cells.
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