Transformation of a Woodworking and Furniture Industrial District in Kampala, Uganda: Dichotomous Development of SME Cluster and Large Firm Sector

Clustering small manufacturers are believed to attain various types of collective efficiency. A woodworking and furniture SME district in Uganda has created a learning environment for artisans to start up their own workshops. In the district workers can access various managerial information including business skills and input materials easily than outside. Hence it attracted new entrants to follow and district growth continued. On contrary large firms are locating separately and dispersedly from SME district and have a negative image to SME. This dichotomy has been created partly through spatial division of two sectors and partly through policy favouritism toward large firms.

Comparative study of the pathogenicity of seabed isolates of Fusarium equiseti and the effect of the composition of the mineral salt medium and temperature on mycelia growth

The pathogenicity of seven strains of Fusarium equiseti isolated from seabed soil was evaluated on different host plants showing pre and post emergence damage. Radial growth of 27 strains was measured on culture media previously adjusted to different osmotic potentials with either KCl or NaCl (-1.50 to - 144.54 bars) at 15��, 25�� and 35�� C. Significant differences and interactive effects were observed in the response of mycelia to osmotic potential and temperature.

Scour prediction and scour protections in offshore wind farms

This paper is the result of research whose main objective is to analyse different methods used for the prediction of maximum scour depth and scour extension, and for the design of scour protections in offshore wind farms located in shallow water, using medium and large diameter monopile foundations. Physical agents such as waves, currents and wind play a major role in the design of structures like offshore farms. As a result, the study has highlighted the need for introducing experience backed climate monomials such as the dimensionless wave height parameter (H0) and proposes the use of formulations that can express the extent of scour protections as a function of waves in transitional waters.

Ventilation system design and large scale fire tests

The design, construction and operation of the tunnels of M-30, the major ring road in the city of Madrid (Spain), represent a very interesting project in wich a wide variety of situations -geometrical, topographical, etc.- had to be covered, in variable conditions of traffic. For that reasons, the M-30 project is a remarkable technical challenge, which, after its completion, turned into an international reference. From the "design for safety" perspective, a holistic approach has been used to deal with new technologies, integration of systems and development of the procedures to reach the maximum level. However, one of the primary goals has been to achieve reasonable homogeneity characteristics which can permit operate a netword of tunels as one only infraestructure. In the case of the ventilation system the mentioned goals have implied innovative solutions and coordination efforts of great interest. Consequently, this paper describes the principal ideas underlying the conceptual solution developed focusing on the principal peculiarities of the project.

Analysing trade-offs between food production and ecosystem services in tropical forests of lowland Bolivia

The expansion of agricultural land is responsible for most tropical deforestation. Historically, smallholder farming and shifting cultivation has been reported as the main agent of deforestation. However, the increasing global demand for food in recent years has greatly boosted the development of medium and large-scale commercial agriculture which is nowadays causing the majority of tropical forest cover loss, particularly in Latin America.

ASSOCIATIVISMO EMPRESARIAL ENTRE MICRO E PEQUENAS EMPRESAS: A EXPERI��NCIA DO GRANDE ABC COM O PROJETO EMPREENDER (SEBRAE)

O associativismo empresarial aparece como forma de desenvolvimento regional, seja este econ��mico, social ou cultural, e �� grande aliado para o surgimento e crescimento das micro e pequenas empresas. �� um tema j�� vivenciado e estudado por v��rios pa��ses do mundo, entre eles europeus e especificamente italianos, mas ainda pouco estudado e conhecido no Brasil. A presente pesquisa objetivou analisar o associativismo empresarial entre micro e pequenas empresas (MPEs) na regi��o do Grande ABC (GABC) pelo Projeto Empreender (SEBRAE) relacionando seus dados com os publicados do relat��rio 2003/5 de autoria do Observat��rio Europeu de estudos sobre pequenas e m��dias empresas europeias, analisando as formas de associativismo aqui ocorridas, al��m de identificar o perfil das empresas e empres��rios envolvidos no projeto. Para tal an��lise foram coletados dados de um total de 63 empresas do Projeto Empreender, nos n��cleos de Santo Andr��, S��o Caetano do Sul e Ribeir��o Pires. Do GABC foram coletados dados utilizando o instrumento desenvolvido pelo Observat��rio Europeu de estudos sobre pequenas e m��dias empresas. A an��lise dos dados coletados no GABC em rela����o aos dados europeus se fez necess��ria para que pudessem ser encontrados pontos de diverg��ncias e converg��ncias em cada uma das experi��ncias, objetivando o aprendizado e evolu����o do tema. A escolha do GABC foi motivada pelo fato da regi��o passar por mudan��as no seu perfil econ��mico, passando de ber��o e grande p��lo das grandes ind��strias para um grande centro de pequenas empresas prestadoras de servi��os. Ap��s coleta e an��lise dos dados, percebeu-se que a experi��ncia do GABC e a ocorrida na It��lia se parecem em muitos aspectos, por��m tem grandes diferen��as estruturais. Enquanto o projeto europeu �� de responsabilidade de um ��rg��o da Uni��o Europeia, aqui o projeto �� de autoria do SEBRAE e sofre grandes conflitos com as Associa����es Comerciais e Industriais (ACIs) da regi��o quando o tema �� custeio das despesas das pessoas e estrutura que envolve a implanta����o do projeto. Al��m disso, conclui-se que �� necess��ria uma maior aproxima����o dos munic��pios com o projeto, tendo em vista que isto poderia ser fator de incentivo a entrada de novas empresas al��m de fator de aumento de seriedade do sistema. Mais dois dados merecem destaque. Primeiro o fato do Projeto Empreender ter pouca visibilidade regional, ou seja, ser muito pouco divulgado, e o fato da ag��ncia de desenvolvimento do GABC n��o ter aproxima����o alguma com o projeto. Por ��ltimo, surgem dados no decorrer da pesquisa que rompem a barreira das teorias administrativas conhecidas, tais como a amizade como fator de associativismo. Portanto, os resultados obtidos com essa pesquisa apontam para a influ��ncia no incentivo ao desenvolvimento do processo associativista na regi��o do GABC, al��m de servir como incentivador para a aproxima����o de outros atores sociais no processo.(AU)

ASSOCIATIVISMO EMPRESARIAL ENTRE MICRO E PEQUENAS EMPRESAS: A EXPERI��NCIA DO GRANDE ABC COM O PROJETO EMPREENDER (SEBRAE)

O associativismo empresarial aparece como forma de desenvolvimento regional, seja este econ��mico, social ou cultural, e �� grande aliado para o surgimento e crescimento das micro e pequenas empresas. �� um tema j�� vivenciado e estudado por v��rios pa��ses do mundo, entre eles europeus e especificamente italianos, mas ainda pouco estudado e conhecido no Brasil. A presente pesquisa objetivou analisar o associativismo empresarial entre micro e pequenas empresas (MPEs) na regi��o do Grande ABC (GABC) pelo Projeto Empreender (SEBRAE) relacionando seus dados com os publicados do relat��rio 2003/5 de autoria do Observat��rio Europeu de estudos sobre pequenas e m��dias empresas europeias, analisando as formas de associativismo aqui ocorridas, al��m de identificar o perfil das empresas e empres��rios envolvidos no projeto. Para tal an��lise foram coletados dados de um total de 63 empresas do Projeto Empreender, nos n��cleos de Santo Andr��, S��o Caetano do Sul e Ribeir��o Pires. Do GABC foram coletados dados utilizando o instrumento desenvolvido pelo Observat��rio Europeu de estudos sobre pequenas e m��dias empresas. A an��lise dos dados coletados no GABC em rela����o aos dados europeus se fez necess��ria para que pudessem ser encontrados pontos de diverg��ncias e converg��ncias em cada uma das experi��ncias, objetivando o aprendizado e evolu����o do tema. A escolha do GABC foi motivada pelo fato da regi��o passar por mudan��as no seu perfil econ��mico, passando de ber��o e grande p��lo das grandes ind��strias para um grande centro de pequenas empresas prestadoras de servi��os. Ap��s coleta e an��lise dos dados, percebeu-se que a experi��ncia do GABC e a ocorrida na It��lia se parecem em muitos aspectos, por��m tem grandes diferen��as estruturais. Enquanto o projeto europeu �� de responsabilidade de um ��rg��o da Uni��o Europeia, aqui o projeto �� de autoria do SEBRAE e sofre grandes conflitos com as Associa����es Comerciais e Industriais (ACIs) da regi��o quando o tema �� custeio das despesas das pessoas e estrutura que envolve a implanta����o do projeto. Al��m disso, conclui-se que �� necess��ria uma maior aproxima����o dos munic��pios com o projeto, tendo em vista que isto poderia ser fator de incentivo a entrada de novas empresas al��m de fator de aumento de seriedade do sistema. Mais dois dados merecem destaque. Primeiro o fato do Projeto Empreender ter pouca visibilidade regional, ou seja, ser muito pouco divulgado, e o fato da ag��ncia de desenvolvimento do GABC n��o ter aproxima����o alguma com o projeto. Por ��ltimo, surgem dados no decorrer da pesquisa que rompem a barreira das teorias administrativas conhecidas, tais como a amizade como fator de associativismo. Portanto, os resultados obtidos com essa pesquisa apontam para a influ��ncia no incentivo ao desenvolvimento do processo associativista na regi��o do GABC, al��m de servir como incentivador para a aproxima����o de outros atores sociais no processo.(AU)

Versatile 5��� phosphoryl coupling of small and large molecules to an���RNA

A Ca2+-requiring catalytic RNA is shown to create 5��� phosphate���phosphate linkages with all nucleotides and coenzymes including CoA, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, thiamine phosphate, thiamine pyrophosphate, and flavin mononucleotide. In addition to these small molecules, macromolecules such as RNAs with 5���-diphosphates, and nonnucleotide molecules like N��-phosphate arginine and 6-phosphate gluconic acid also react. That is, the self-capping RNA isolate 6 is an apparently universal 5��� phosphate-linker, reacting with any nucleophile containing an unblocked phosphate. These RNA reactions demonstrate a unique RNA catalytic capability and imply versatile and specific posttranscriptional RNA modification by RNA catalysis.

Galaxies and large scale structure at high���redshifts

It is now straightforward to assemble large samples of very high redshift (z ��� 3) field galaxies selected by their pronounced spectral discontinuity at the rest frame Lyman limit of hydrogen (at 912 ���). This makes possible both statistical analyses of the properties of the galaxies and the first direct glimpse of the progression of the growth of their large-scale distribution at such an early epoch. Here I present a summary of the progress made in these areas to date and some preliminary results of and future plans for a targeted redshift survey at z = 2.7���3.4. Also discussed is how the same discovery method may be used to obtain a ���census��� of star formation in the high redshift Universe, and the current implications for the history of galaxy formation as a function of cosmic epoch.

World food and agriculture: Outlook for the medium and longer term

The world has been making progress in improving food security, as measured by the per person availability of food for direct human consumption. However, progress has been very uneven, and many developing countries have failed to participate in such progress. In some countries, the food security situation is today worse than 20 years ago. The persistence of food insecurity does not reflect so much a lack of capacity of the world as a whole to increase food production to whatever level would be required for everyone to have consumption levels assuring satisfactory nutrition. The world already produces sufficient food. The undernourished and the food-insecure persons are in these conditions because they are poor in terms of income with which to purchase food or in terms of access to agricultural resources, education, technology, infrastructure, credit, etc., to produce their own food. Economic development failures account for the persistence of poverty and food insecurity. In the majority of countries with severe food-security problems, the greatest part of the poor and food-insecure population depend greatly on local agriculture for a living. In such cases, development failures are often tantamount to failures of agricultural development. Development of agriculture is seen as the first crucial step toward broader development, reduction of poverty and food insecurity, and eventually freedom from excessive economic dependence on poor agricultural resources. Projections indicate that progress would continue, but at a pace and pattern that would be insufficient for the incidence of undernutrition to be reduced significantly in the medium-term future. As in the past, world agricultural production is likely to keep up with, and perhaps tend to exceed, the growth of the effective demand for food. The problem will continue to be one of persistence of poverty, leading to growth of the effective demand for food on the part of the poor that would fall short of that required for them to attain levels of consumption compatible with freedom from undernutrition.

Unification and large-scale structure.

The hypothesis of relativistic flow on parsec scales, coupled with the symmetrical (and therefore subrelativistic) outer structure of extended radio sources, requires that jets decelerate on scales observable with the Very Large Array. The consequences of this idea for the appearances of FRI and FRII radio sources are explored.

The effect of the geomagnetic field on cosmic ray energy estimates and large scale anisotropy searches on data from the Pierre Auger Observatory

We present a comprehensive study of the influence of the geomagnetic field on the energy estimation of extensive air showers with a zenith angle smaller than 60 degrees, detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory. the geomagnetic field induces an azimuthal modulation of the estimated energy of cosmic rays up to the similar to 2% level at large zenith angles. We present a method to account for this modulation of the reconstructed energy. We analyse the effect of the modulation on large scale anisotropy searches in the arrival direction distributions of cosmic rays. At a given energy, the geomagnetic effect is shown to induce a pseudo-dipolar pattern at the percent level in the declination distribution that needs to be accounted for.

Legislative Proposals to Modernize Business Development Companies and Expand Investment Opportunities, Testimony Before the House Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises

This testimony discusses proposed legislation to amend the definition of accredited investor. It also discusses proposed legislation designed to reform the regulatory framework for business development companies. Among other things, the regulatory regime for BDCs would change to allow these companies to invest a greater portion of their assets in financial companies, potentially reducing the percentage of assets invested in operating companies.