The Boundaries of the Firm from the Extended Transaction Cost Economics Point of View - Empirical Study

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli tutkia yrityksen rajoja laajennetun transaktiokustannusteorian näkökulmasta. Tutkimus oli empiirinen tutkimus, jossa tutkittiin viittä toimialaa. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli verrata paperiteollisuutta teräs-, kemian-, ICT- ja energiateollisuuteen. Aineisto empiiriseen osioon kerättiin puolistrukturoiduilla teemahaastatteluilla. Tutkimus osoitti, että laajennettu transaktiokustannusteoria soveltuu hyvinyrityksen rajojen määrittelyyn. Staattinen transaktiokustannusteorian selitysaste ei ole riittävä, joten dynaaminen laajennus on tarpeellinen. Tutkimuksessa ilmeni, että paperiteollisuudella verrattuna muihin toimialoihin on suurimmat haasteet tehokkaiden rajojen määrittämisessä.

Russia's food retail sector from the point of view of Finnish food producers

This research paper focuses on the Russian food retail sector and its structure and development. At the momentit is one of the fastest growing markets today with 12.1% growth last year (2004). The growth originates from high oil price, which has been accumulated to people's wages. They are growing nominally more than 20% annually. But even though the income increases, the share of food of all retailtrade has been fairly stable with only a slight decline. Thus, the consumption is shifting to products with more quality and value. The shareof modern retail outlets is low, as the Russian retail sector is still very dispersed to traditional retail outlets such as kiosks, open markets and small grocery stores. The store chains are, however, becoming more and more significant. The biggest market for retailers is Moscow but nowadays the chains are expanding rapidly into other regions. Even though the markets have not been saturated in Moscow, the best prospects for growth are in the regions. The most important factor restricting the growth in Moscowis the availability of real estate and land plots for stores. The market is moving forward to saturation, and a consolidation process will follow. In fact, it has already started but not many acquisitions have been made so far. To this point the domestic chains have settled to form only alliances. The foreign players will be very strong in the tightening competition in the future. The problem of domestic chains is that the stores are nonstandardized, which is not cost-efficient. The chains are trying to enhance their power in price negotiations by forming purchasing alliances, introducing private label goods and using the regional expansion as a striking weapon. In order to follow the growing chains to other regions the producer must sell its products to the chains at favorable terms. Suppliers are strong in negotiations when they have a functioning distribution network, ability to JIT deliveries, proper documentationpolicies, a strong brand, reliability in deliveries and a fair price. The size of the entry ticket, i.e. the listing fee may define the shelf space a producer gets in the stores.

Freezing Point Depressions of Dilute Solutions of Alkali Metal Chlorides and Bromides

Freezing point depressions (¿Tf) of dilute solutions of several alkali metal chlorides and bromides were calculated by means of the best activity coefficient equations. In the calculations, Hückel, Hamer and Pitzer equationswere used for activity coefficients. The experimental ¿Tf values available in the literature for dilute LiCl, NaCl and KBr solutions can be predicted within experimental error by the Hückel equations used. The experimental ¿Tf values for dilute LiCl and KBr solutions can also be accurately calculated by corresponding Pitzer equations and those for dilute NaCl solutions by the Hamer equation for this salt. Neither Hamer nor Pitzer equations predict accurately the freezing points reported in the literature for LiBr and NaBr solutions. The ¿Tf values available for dilute solutions of RbCl, CsCl or CsBr are not known at the moment accurately because the existing data for these solutions are not precise. The freezing point depressions are tabulated in the present study for LiCl, NaCl and KBr solutions at several rounded molalities. The ¿Tf values in this table can be highly recommended. The activity coefficient equations used in the calculation of these values have been tested with almost allhigh-precision electrochemical data measured at 298.15 K.

Numerical and ExperimentalModelling of Gas Flow and Heat Transfer in the Air Gap of An Electric Machine

This work deals with the cooling of high-speed electric machines, such as motors and generators, through an air gap. It consists of numerical and experimental modelling of gas flow and heat transfer in an annular channel. Velocity and temperature profiles are modelled in the air gap of a high-speed testmachine. Local and mean heat transfer coefficients and total friction coefficients are attained for a smooth rotor-stator combination at a large velocity range. The aim is to solve the heat transfer numerically and experimentally. The FINFLO software, developed at Helsinki University of Technology, has been used in the flow solution, and the commercial IGG and Field view programs for the grid generation and post processing. The annular channel is discretized as a sector mesh. Calculation is performed with constant mass flow rate on six rotational speeds. The effect of turbulence is calculated using three turbulence models. The friction coefficient and velocity factor are attained via total friction power. The first part of experimental section consists of finding the proper sensors and calibrating them in a straight pipe. After preliminary tests, a RdF-sensor is glued on the walls of stator and rotor surfaces. Telemetry is needed to be able to measure the heat transfer coefficients at the rotor. The mean heat transfer coefficients are measured in a test machine on four cooling air mass flow rates at a wide Couette Reynolds number range. The calculated values concerning the friction and heat transfer coefficients are compared with measured and semi-empirical data. Heat is transferred from the hotter stator and rotor surfaces to the coolerair flow in the air gap, not from the rotor to the stator via the air gap, althought the stator temperature is lower than the rotor temperature. The calculatedfriction coefficients fits well with the semi-empirical equations and precedingmeasurements. On constant mass flow rate the rotor heat transfer coefficient attains a saturation point at a higher rotational speed, while the heat transfer coefficient of the stator grows uniformly. The magnitudes of the heat transfer coefficients are almost constant with different turbulence models. The calibrationof sensors in a straight pipe is only an advisory step in the selection process. Telemetry is tested in the pipe conditions and compared to the same measurements with a plain sensor. The magnitudes of the measured data and the data from the semi-empirical equation are higher for the heat transfer coefficients than thenumerical data considered on the velocity range. Friction and heat transfer coefficients are presented in a large velocity range in the report. The goals are reached acceptably using numerical and experimental research. The next challenge is to achieve results for grooved stator-rotor combinations. The work contains also results for an air gap with a grooved stator with 36 slots. The velocity field by the numerical method does not match in every respect the estimated flow mode. The absence of secondary Taylor vortices is evident when using time averagednumerical simulation.

Product Platform Development from the Product Lines' Perspective: Case of Switching Platform

In the era of fast product development and customized product requirements, the concept of product platform has proven its power in practice. The product platform approach has enabledcompanies to increase the speed of product introductions while simultaneously benefit from efficiency and effectiveness in the development and production activities. The product platforms are technological bases, which can be used to develop several derivative products, and hence, the differentiation can be pushed closer to the product introduction. The product platform development has some specific features, which differ somewhat from the product development of single products. The time horizon is longer, since the product platform¿slife cycle is longer than individual product's. The long time-horizon also proposes higher market risks and the use of new technologies increases the technological risks involved. The end-customer interface might be far away, but there is not a lack of needs aimed at the product platforms ¿ in fact, the product platform development is very much balancing between the varying needs set to it by thederivative products. This dissertation concentrated on product platform development from the internal product lines' perspective of a singlecase. Altogether six product platform development factors were identified: 'Strategic and business fit of product platform', 'Project communication and deliverables', 'Cooperation with product platform development', 'Innovativeness of product platform architecture and features', 'Reliability and quality of product platform', and 'Promised schedules and final product platform meeting the needs'. From the six factors, three were found to influence quite strongly the overall satisfaction, namely 'Strategic and business fit of product platform', 'Reliability and quality of product platform', and 'Promised schedules and final product platform meeting the needs'. Hence, these three factors might be the ones a new product platform development unit should concentrate first in order to satisfy their closest customers, the product lines. The 'Project communication and deliverables' and 'Innovativeness of product platform architecture and features' were weaker contributors to the overall satisfaction. Overall, the factors explained quite well the satisfaction of the product lines with product platform development. Along the research, several interesting aspects about the very basic nature of the product platform development were found. The long time horizon of the product platform development caused challenges in the area of strategic fIT - a conflict between the short-term requirements and long term needs. The fact that a product platform was used as basis of several derivative products resulted into varying needs, and hence the match with the needs and the strategies. The opinions, that the releases of the larger product lines were given higher priorities, give an interesting contribution to the strategy theory of powerand politics. The varying needs of the product lines, the strengths of them as well as large number of concurrent releases set requirements to prioritization. Hence, the research showed the complicated nature of the product platform development in the case unIT - the very basic nature of the product platform development might be its strength (gaining efficiency and effectiveness in product development and product launches) but also the biggest challenge (developing products to meet several needs). As a single case study, the results of this research are not directly generalizable to all the product platform development activities. Instead, the research serves best as a starting point for additional research as well as gives some insights about the factors and challengesof one product development unit.

Short communication. Persistence of point crop yield subjective estimates

En este trabajo se investiga la persistencia de las estimaciones puntuales subjetivas de rendimientos en cultivos anua- les realizadas por un amplio grupo de agricultores. La persistencia en el tiempo es una condición necesaria para la co- herencia y la confiabilidad de las estimaciones subjetivas de variables aleatorias. Los sujetos entrevistados estimaron valores puntuales de rendimientos de cultivos anuales (rendimientos medio, mayor, mínimo y más frecuente). Se han encontrado diferencias relativas poco importantes en todas las variables, excepto en los rendimientos mínimos, donde existe una alta dispersión. Los resultados son interesantes para estimar la adecuación de las técnicas de estimación de probabilidades subjetivas para ser utilizadas en los sistemas de ayuda en la toma de decisiones en agricultura.

Zoonoses professionnelles chez les forestiers : le point sur la borréliose de Lyme, tularémie et leptospirose en Europe

L'objectif de ce travail était d'établir une revue synthétique de la littérature concernant la situation de 3 zoonoses professionnelles en milieu forestier, à savoir la borréliose de Lyme, la tularémie et la leptospirose. Quatre-vingt-trois articles ont été utilisés pour la rédaction de ce travail, dont 30 traitaient spécifiquement de la borréliose de Lyme, 30 de la tularémie et 24 de la leptospirose. Une connaissance générale de chacune des zoonoses, notamment des vecteurs, hôtes et moyens de transmission, est nécessaire pour une bonne compréhension de la problématique et pour établir des mesures préventives adaptées. La situation épidémiologique de chacune d'entre elles est discutée à la fois chez les animaux et l'homme en Europe, puis plus spécifiquement chez les forestiers. Les études menées depuis 1995, s'appuyant principalement sur des analyses séroépidémiologiques, confirment le risque professionnel lié à ces 3 zoonoses chez les forestiers. Elles restent cependant insuffisantes pour quantifier ce risque. Le manque de données épidémiologiques à disposition, notamment pour la tularémie et la leptospirose, à la fois chez les animaux et l'homme, limite considérablement l'évaluation de leurs conséquences. Ce travail permet un aperçu rapide, clair et complet de ces 3 zoonoses professionnelles auxquelles les forestiers sont exposés en Europe et aidera à sensibiliser les professionnels de la santé et les travailleurs du secteur forestier à cette problématique ainsi qu'à la gestion et prévention des risques.

End point of Hawking radiation

The formation and semiclassical evaporation of two-dimensional black holes is studied in an exactly solvable model. Above a certain threshold energy flux, collapsing matter forms a singularity inside an apparent horizon. As the black hole evaporates the apparent horizon recedes and meets the singularity in a finite proper time. The singularity emerges naked, and future evolution of the geometry requires boundary conditions to be imposed there. There is a natural choice of boundary conditions which matches the evaporated black hole solution onto the linear dilaton vacuum. Below the threshold energy flux no horizon forms and boundary conditions can be imposed where infalling matter is reflected from a timelike boundary. All information is recovered at spatial infinity in this case.

Prevalence of iodine inadequacy in Switzerland assessed by the estimated average requirement cut-point method in relation to the impact of iodized salt.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the iodine status of Swiss population groups and to evaluate the influence of iodized salt as a vector for iodine fortification. DESIGN: The relationship between 24 h urinary iodine and Na excretions was assessed in the general population after correcting for confounders. Single-day intakes were estimated assuming that 92 % of dietary iodine was excreted in 24 h urine. Usual intake distributions were derived for male and female population groups after adjustment for within-subject variability. The estimated average requirement (EAR) cut-point method was applied as guidance to assess the inadequacy of the iodine supply. SETTING: Public health strategies to reduce the dietary salt intake in the general population may affect its iodine supply. SUBJECTS: The study population (1481 volunteers, aged ≥15 years) was randomly selected from three different linguistic regions of Switzerland. RESULTS: The 24 h urine samples from 1420 participants were determined to be properly collected. Mean iodine intakes obtained for men (n 705) and women (n 715) were 179 (sd 68.1) µg/d and 138 (sd 57.8) µg/d, respectively. Urinary Na and Ca, and BMI were significantly and positively associated with higher iodine intake, as were men and non-smokers. Fifty-four per cent of the total iodine intake originated from iodized salt. The prevalence of inadequate iodine intake as estimated by the EAR cut-point method was 2 % for men and 14 % for women. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated prevalence of inadequate iodine intake was within the optimal target range of 2-3 % for men, but not for women.

Plantar flexor neuromuscular adjustments following match-play football in hot and cool conditions.

We assessed neuromuscular fatigue and recovery of the plantar flexors after playing football with or without severe heat stress. Neuromuscular characteristics of the plantar flexors were assessed in 17 male players at baseline and ∼30 min, 24, and 48 h after two 90-min football matches in temperate (∼20 °C and 55% rH) and hot (∼43 °C and 20% rH) environments. Measurements included maximal voluntary strength, muscle activation, twitch contractile properties, and rate of torque development and soleus EMG (i.e., root mean square activity) rise from 0 to 30, -50, -100, and -200 ms during maximal isometric contractions for plantar flexors. Voluntary activation and peak twitch torque were equally reduced (-1.5% and -16.5%, respectively; P < 0.05) post-matches relative to baseline in both conditions, the latter persisting for at least 48 h, whereas strength losses (∼5%) were not significant. Absolute explosive force production declined (P < 0.05) 30 ms after contraction onset independently of condition, with no change at any other epochs. Globally, normalized rate of force development and soleus EMG activity rise values remained unchanged. In football, match-induced alterations in maximal and rapid torque production capacities of the plantar flexors are moderate and do not differ after competing in temperate and hot environments.