Availability, Cost or Culture ? : Obstacles to Childcare Services for Low-Income Families

Recent research has highlighted the existence of a social bias in the extent to which children have access to childcare. In general, children living in higher income households are more likely to be cared for in childcare centres. While the existence of a social bias in access to childcare services has been clearly demonstrated, we currently lack a clear explanation as to why this is the case. This paper uses a unique dataset based on survey data collected specifically to study patterns of childcare use in the Swiss canton of Vaud (N = 875). The paper exploits the variation in the way childcare is organised within the canton. Childcare is a municipal policy, as a result of which there are twenty-nine different systems in operation. Fees are progressive everywhere, but variation is substantial. Availability is also very different. This peculiar institutional setup provides an ideal situation to examine the determinants of childcare use by different income groups. Our findings suggest that differences in the fees charged to low-income households, as well as the degree of progressivity of the fee structure, are significant predictors of use, while availability seems to matter less.

Tietovaraston tietojen laatu ja arvo

Tutkielman tarkoituksena on tutkia case -organisaationa toimivan Tiehallinnon kahden tietovaraston, kuntotietorekisterin ja tiesääjärjestelmän tietojen laatua ja arvoa sekä selvittää, mitkä ominaisuudet näihin vaikuttavat ja miten nämä koetaan tällä hetkellä. Näiden ominaisuuksien tunnistaminen auttaa organisaatiota parantamaan tietovarastoidensa tietojen laatua, joka taas lisää niistä saatavaa arvoa. Tutkimus- ja tiedonkeruumenetelminä käytetään kvalitatiivista teemahaastattelua sekä kvantitatiivista web-pohjaista kyselylomaketta. Tutkimuksessa saatiin kuva kohdeorganisaation tietovarastojen tietojen koetusta laadusta ja arvosta ja siitä mistä nämä koostuvat. Tietovaraston tietojen laatuun ja arvoon vaikuttivat selvästi eri laatuominaisuudet. Tietovarastoilla on laatuominaisuuksia, joita käyttäjät pitävät tärkeinä ja joiden he kokevat korkealaatuisina tuottavan heille hyötyä. Tietovaraston käyttäjien työtehtävät, odotukset ja tarpeet määrittävät koetun laadun tason. Tietovaraston tietojen arvo muodostuu käyttäjän kokeman hyödyn ja laadun perusteella. Tietovaraston tietojen laatuominaisuuksiin, kuten esimerkiksi käytettävyyteen, virheettömyyteen ja saatavuuteen pystytään vaikuttamaan, koska nämä ovat kiinteästi tietovaraston tekniseen toteutukseen liittyviä tekijöitä. Tietovarastojen tietojen hyötyyn ja sen kautta koettuun arvoon ei pystytä suoraan vaikuttamaan, muuten kuin laatuominaisuuksia parantamalla.

Particle shape and orientation in laser diffraction and static image analysis size distribution analysis of micrometer sized rectangular particles

Laser diffraction (LD) and static image analysis (SIA) of rectangular particles [United States Pharmacopeia, USP30-NF25, General Chapter <776>, Optical Miroscopy.] have been systematically studied. To rule out sample dispersion and particle orientation as the root cause of differences in size distribution profiles, we immobilize powder samples on a glass plate by means of a dry disperser. For a defined region of the glass plate, we measure the diffraction pattern as induced by the dispersed particles, and the 2D dimensions of the individual particles using LD and optical microscopy, respectively. We demonstrate a correlation between LD and SIA, with the scattering intensity of the individual particles as the dominant factor. In theory, the scattering intensity is related to the square of the projected area of both spherical and rectangular particles. In traditional LD the size distribution profile is dominated by the maximum projected area of the particles (A). The diffraction diameters of a rectangular particle with length L and breadth B as measured by the LD instrument approximately correspond to spheres of diameter ØL and ØB respectively. Differences in the scattering intensity between spherical and rectangular particles suggest that the contribution made to the overall LD volume probability distribution by each rectangular particle is proportional to A2/L and A2/B. Accordingly, for rectangular particles the scattering intensity weighted diffraction diameter (SIWDD) explains an overestimation of their shortest dimension and an underestimation of their longest dimension. This study analyzes various samples of particles whose length ranges from approximately 10 to 1000 μm. The correlation we demonstrate between LD and SIA can be used to improve validation of LD methods based on SIA data for a variety of pharmaceutical powders all with a different rectangular particle size and shape.

Clinico-Pathological discrepancies in the Diagnosis of Causes of Maternal Death in Sub-Saharan Africa: Retrospective Analysis

Background Maternal mortality is a major public-health problem in developing countries. Extreme differences in maternal mortality rates between developed and developing countries indicate that most of these deaths are preventable. Most information on the causes of maternal death in these areas is based on clinical records and verbal autopsies. Clinical diagnostic errors may play a significant role in this problem and might also have major implications for the evaluation of current estimations of causes of maternal death. Methods and Findings A retrospective analysis of clinico-pathologic correlation was carried out, using necropsy as the gold standard for diagnosis. All maternal autopsies (n ¼ 139) during the period from October 2002 to December 2004 at the Maputo Central Hospital, Mozambique were included and major diagnostic discrepancies were analyzed (i.e., those involving the cause of death). Major diagnostic errors were detected in 56 (40.3%) maternal deaths. A high rate of false negative diagnoses was observed for infectious diseases, which showed sensitivities under 50%: HIV/AIDS-related conditions (33.3%), pyogenic bronchopneumonia (35.3%), pyogenic meningitis (40.0%), and puerperal septicemia (50.0%). Eclampsia, was the main source of false positive diagnoses, showing a low predictive positive value (42.9%). Conclusions Clinico-pathological discrepancies may have a significant impact on maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa and question the validity of reports based on clinical data or verbal autopsies. Increasing clinical awareness of the impact of obstetric and nonobstetric infections with their inclusion in the differential diagnosis, together with a thorough evaluation of cases clinically thought to be eclampsia, could have a significant impact on the reduction of maternal mortality.

Market Orientation in Rapidly Internationalizing Small Companies — Evidence from the Software Industry

For more than a decade, researchers have been aware of the increased pace of small-firm internationalization and the greater effect of these rapidly growing small businesses on the wealth, international trade, and job-creation opportunities of countries. Due to the small size of the home market, Finnish companies have been generally considered highly interested in internationalization. One particular domain in which rapid internationalization has been considered feasible is the global software business, with its knowledge-intensive nature and high growth potential. However, over time the failure rate of small entrepreneurial firms has remained especially high in high-technology markets. One of the reasons for this seems to lie in the fact that these companies are often formed by people with a strong technological background but limited competences in other areas. Further, research on the marketing capabilities of rapidly internationalizing high-tech firms has been scarce thus far. In addition, while there is much research on the first years of operations of rapidly internationalizing companies, it is not well known what becomes of them later on. Therefore, there is a need for more investigation into the managerial mindset, competences and decision-making in these small companies, especially from the perspective of how they acquire and exploit market knowledge, and enhance their networking capabilities in order to promote international expansion. The present study focuses on market orientation in small software firms that internationalize their operations rapidly in global software markets. It builds on qualitative data to illustrate how these companies develop their market-oriented product-market strategies during the process of increasing international commitment. It also shows how they manage their network relationships in order to be able to offer better customer service and to thrive in the fierce global competition. The study was conducted in the empirical context of Finnish small software companies, and the main data consists of interviews with top managers in these businesses. The interviews were designed to cover a minimum period of five years of the company's international operations, thus offering a retrospective in-depth perspective on market orientation, internationalization and partnerships in the given context. One particular focus is on less successfully internationalized software companies, and the challenges they face when approaching international markets. This study makes a significant contribution to the literature on market orientation for several reasons. First, building on data from the software industry, it clarifies the existing theory in the context of rapid internationalization and network relationships. Secondly, it provides a good body of evidence on market orientation in both successfully and less successfully internationalized companies, and identifies the key related differences between the two company groups. Thirdly, it highlights the importance of inter-firm networks in the rapid internationalization of small software firms, providing companies with important market knowledge and, in some cases, management challenges. Fourthly, this investigation clarifies market orientation in the context of different software-product strategies, thus, combining the perspectives of market orientation in both manufacturing and services. In sum, the results of the study are significant for both small software firms and public-policy makers since they shed light on the market-oriented managerial mindset and the market-information gathering and sharing processes that are needed in successful rapid internationalization.

Estudio Mediante Tecnicas Interferometricas de las Propiedades Tribologicas de la ZrO2 Obtenida por Proyeccion Termica

Las barreras térmicas poseen unas propiedades mecánicas y tribológicas limitadas. Los tratamientos térmicos de sintetizado pueden utilizarse como una posible solución para su mejora. En el presente trabajo se evalúa la evolución de diversas propiedades tribológicas y mecánicas, a diferentes tiempos de sinterización, a temperatura de 1.000 °C. Se observa que el sintetizado produce un aumento de la resistencia al desgaste, de la dureza y del módulo de Young. A partir de los ensayos ball-on-disk, realizados utilizando un par friccionante de ZrO2 y de acero, se han estudiado los mecanismos de desgaste dominantes para cada uno de los pares friccionantes. Se ha observado que la delaminación entre partículas y la fractura frágil durante el proceso de desgaste son los mecanismos principales que controlan el proceso. Los caminos de desgaste estudiados mediante microscopía electrónica de barrido (SEM) e interferometría de barrido de luz blanca (SWLI) han permitido cuantificar el desgaste en cada uno de los casos. A fin de poder estudiar los recubrimientos de ZrO2 mediante SEM y SWLI ha sido necesario realizar una metalización con oro para así aumentar la conductividad eléctrica y reflectividad de las muestras.

Diffusion of Administrative Innovation: TQM Implementation and Effectiveness in a Global

The main objective of this dissertation is to create new knowledge on an administrative innovation, its adoption, diffusion and finally its effectiveness. In this dissertation the administrative innovation is approached through a widely utilized management philosophy, namely the total quality management (TQM) strategy. TQM operationalizes a self-assessment procedure, which is based on continual improvement principles and measuring the improvements. This dissertation also captures the theme of change management as it analyzes the adoption and diffusion of the administrative innovation. It identifies innovation characteristics as well as organisational and individual factors explaining the adoption and implementation. As a special feature, this study also explores the effectiveness of the innovation based on objective data. For studying the administrative innovation (TQM model), a multinational Case Company provides a versatile ground for a deep, longitudinal analysis. The Case Company started the adoption systematically in the mid 1980s in some of its units. As part of their strategic planning today, the procedure is in use throughout the entire global company. The empirical story begins from the innovation adoption decision that was made in the Case Company over 22 years ago. In order to be able to capture the right atmosphere and backgrounds leading to the adoption decision, key informants from that time were interviewed, since the main target was to clarify the dynamics of how an administrative innovation develops. In addition, archival material was collected and studied, available memos and data relating to the innovation, innovation adoption and later to the implementation contained altogether 20500 pages of documents. A survey was furthermore conducted at the end of 2006 focusing on questions related to the innovation, organization and leadership characteristics and the response rate totalled up to 54%. For measuring the effectiveness of the innovation implementation, the needed longitudinal objective performance data was collected. This data included the profit unit level experience of TQM, the development of the self assessment scores per profit unit and performance data per profit unit measured with profitability, productivity and customer satisfaction. The data covered the years 1995-2006. As a result, the prerequisites for the successful adoption of an administrative innovation were defined, such as the top management involvement, support of the change agents and effective tools for implementation and measurement. The factors with the greatest effect on the depth of the implementation were the timing of the adoption and formalization. The results also indicated that the TQM model does have an effect on the company performance measured with profitability, productivity and customer satisfaction. Consequently this thesis contributes to the present literature (i) by taking into its scope an administrative innovation and focusing on the whole innovation implementation process, from the adoption, through diffusion until its consequences, (ii) because the studied factors with an effect on the innovation adoption and diffusion are multifaceted and grouped into individual, organizational and environmental factors, and a strong emphasis is put on the role of the individual change agents and (iii) by measuring the depth and consistency of the administrative innovation. This deep analysis was possible due to the availability of longitudinal data with triangulation possibilities.

Thyroid function in the elderly and sex hormones in elderly men: reference intervals and associations with health

Aims: The aims were to create clinically feasible reference intervals for thyroidstimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) and to analyze associations between thyroid function and self-rated health, neuropsychiatric symptoms, depression and dementia in the elderly. The second aim was also to establish reference intervals for sex hormones and to analyze associations between sex hormone levels and self-rated health, symptoms, depression and dementia in elderly men. Subjects and methods: The study population comprised 1252 subjects aged 65 years or over, living in the municipality of Lieto, south-western Finland. Self-rated health, life satisfaction, symptoms, depression, and dementia were assessed with specific questions, clinical examination and tools such as the Zung Self-report Depression Scale and the Mini-Mental State Examination. Independent variables were dichotomized, and associations of these variables with TSH, FT4 or sex hormone levels were assessed. Levels of TSH and FT4 in thyroid disease–free women and women treated with thyroxine were also compared. Results: Elevated concentrations of thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) or thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) were found to have a marked effect on the upper reference limit for TSH among women, who were thyroid antibody positive more higher than suggested in several recent guidelines. After age adjustment, there were no associations between TSH levels and self-rated health, life satisfaction, or most neuropsychiatric symptoms in the thyroid disease-free population. Although women with thyroxine treatment for primary hypothyroidism had far higher TSH levels than thyroid disease-free women, there were no differences between thyroid-disease free women and women with stable thyroxine treatment regarding self-rated health, life satisfaction or symptoms. Age had a significant positive association with luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle 2 practice, one range in men aged 65 years or over can be used for T, E2 and FSH measured with the AutoDelfia method, but two separate reference intervals should be used for fT, LH and SHBG. After adjustment for age, higher levels of T and fT were associated with better self-rated health (SRH) in the reference population. After adjustment for age and body mass index (BMI), there were no associations between sex hormone concentrations and self-rated health, life satisfaction or most symptoms in concentration. Conclusion: Age-specific reference intervals were derived for thyroid function and sex hormones based on comprehensive data from a community-dwelling population with a high participation rate. The results do not support the need to decrease the upper reference limit for TSH or to lower the optimal TSH target in levothyroxine treatment in older adults, as recommended in recent guidelines. Older age or being overweight symptoms among elderly men. The associations of single symptoms with T levels were inconsistent among elderly men, although the association of low T level with diagnosed depression might be clinically significant.

Clinico-Pathological discrepancies in the Diagnosis of Causes of Maternal Death in Sub-Saharan Africa: Retrospective Analysis

Background Maternal mortality is a major public-health problem in developing countries. Extreme differences in maternal mortality rates between developed and developing countries indicate that most of these deaths are preventable. Most information on the causes of maternal death in these areas is based on clinical records and verbal autopsies. Clinical diagnostic errors may play a significant role in this problem and might also have major implications for the evaluation of current estimations of causes of maternal death. Methods and Findings A retrospective analysis of clinico-pathologic correlation was carried out, using necropsy as the gold standard for diagnosis. All maternal autopsies (n ¼ 139) during the period from October 2002 to December 2004 at the Maputo Central Hospital, Mozambique were included and major diagnostic discrepancies were analyzed (i.e., those involving the cause of death). Major diagnostic errors were detected in 56 (40.3%) maternal deaths. A high rate of false negative diagnoses was observed for infectious diseases, which showed sensitivities under 50%: HIV/AIDS-related conditions (33.3%), pyogenic bronchopneumonia (35.3%), pyogenic meningitis (40.0%), and puerperal septicemia (50.0%). Eclampsia, was the main source of false positive diagnoses, showing a low predictive positive value (42.9%). Conclusions Clinico-pathological discrepancies may have a significant impact on maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa and question the validity of reports based on clinical data or verbal autopsies. Increasing clinical awareness of the impact of obstetric and nonobstetric infections with their inclusion in the differential diagnosis, together with a thorough evaluation of cases clinically thought to be eclampsia, could have a significant impact on the reduction of maternal mortality.

Searches for TeX and B + → J/ψ p TeX π + decays

The results of searches for B0(s)→J/ψ pp¯ and B + → J/ψ p p¯ π+ decays are reported. The analysis is based on a data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1 of pp collisions, collected with the LHCb detector. An excess with 2.8 σ significance is seen for the decay B0s→J/ψ pp¯ and an upper limit on the branching fraction is set at the 90 % confidence level: B(B0s→J/ψ pp¯) < 4.8 × 10−6, which is the first such limit. No significant signals are seen for B 0 → J/ψ p p¯ and B + → J/ψ p p¯ π + decays, for which the corresponding limits are set: B(B0→J/ψ pp¯) < 5.2 × 10−7, which significantly improves the existing limit; and B(B+→J/ψ pp¯π+) < 5.0 × 10−7, which is the first limit on this branching fraction.

Development of phase retrieval algorithm and techniques for optical spectrum analysis

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering is the powerful method of laser spectroscopy in which significant successes are achieved. However, the non-linear nature of CARS complicates the analysis of the received spectra. The objective of this Thesis is to develop a new phase retrieval algorithm for CARS. It utilizes the maximum entropy method and the new wavelet approach for spectroscopic background correction of a phase function. The method was developed to be easily automated and used on a large number of spectra of different substances.. The algorithm was successfully tested on experimental data.

CSR : a new governance approach for regulating professional sport ? : the case of french professionnal sports clubs

The purpose of this paper is to examine the CSR practices and their implementation in the context of French professional sports clubs. In doing so, it analyses the link between the governance of sports clubs and CSR, which is viewed as a component of governance expanded to stakeholders and contributing to the creation of shared value. Drawing on interview data with key stakeholders of four professional sport clubs (football and basketball) and secondary material, the study sheds light on the determinants, the implementation as well as the impact of CSR on the governance of the professional clubs under examination.

Päijät – Hämeen kuntien teknisen toimialan varautuminen tulevaisuuden työvoimapulaan innovatiivisten hankintojen ja yhteistyön avulla

Tämän diplomityön tavoite on tuottaa Päijät-Hämeen kuntien tekniselle toimelle ajatuksia ja ehdotuksia, joilla voidaan vastata lähestyvän työvoimapulan mukana tuleviin ongelmiin. Työn taustalla on neljä teoriaa, joiden avulla asiaa lähestytään. Pääteoria on New Public Management johtamisteoria, jota on käytetty julkisen sektorin tuottavuuden ja tehokkuuden kehittämisessä ympäri maailmaa jo yli kah denkymmenen vuoden ajan. Muut työssä käytetyt teoriat liittyvät innovatiivisuu teen, verkostoitumiseen ja henkilöstön rekrytointiin. Tämän työn teoriaosuus lin kitetään käytäntöön haastattelututkimuksen ja Paras - hankkeen raporttien avulla. Tämän tutkimuksen empiirisessä osassa asioita käsitellään puhtaasti kuntien teknisen sektorin kuuden päätoimialan mukaisesti. Päätoimialat ovat kaavoitus, mit taus, liikennealueet, ympäristönsuojelu, rakennusvalvonta ja toimitilat. Tutkimus tuloksista selviää, että tulevaisuuden kehittämismandollisuudet liittyvät pääosin yhteistyön lisäämiseen ja verkottumiseen. Käytetty teoria tukee johtopäätöksiä, joita tutkimuksen perusteella on tehty. Tutkimuksen lopuksi on annettu suosituksia ja ehdotuksia Päijät-Hämeen kuntien teknisen toimen kehittämistä varten.

Omistusrakenne ja kannattavuus – empiirinen tutkimus neljällä toimialalla

Metsäteollisuudessa on aika ajoin esitetty ajatus, että perheyritykset menestyvät alalla paremmin kuin muut toimijat. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää, onko omistusrakenteen ja kannattavuuden välillä yhteyttä. Omistusrakennetta tarkasteltiin kahdesta näkökulmasta: omistuksen keskittyneisyys ts. omistajan valvonta operatiiviseen johtoon nähden ja omistajatyyppi (perhe, rahoitusyhtiö, ei-rahoitusyhtiö, valtio). Näiden molempien suhdetta kannattavuuteen (ROA tai EBITDA) analysoitiin kvantitatiivisesti kovarianssianalyysilla. Teoreettisena lähtökohtana käytettiin agenttiteoriaa. Tutkimuskohteeksi valittiin pääomavaltaiset alat: metsäteollisuus, kemianteollisuus, konepajateollisuus ja energiateollisuus. Aineisto koottiin eurooppalaisten yritysten tilinpäätöstiedoista Amadeus-tietokannasta. Tutkimuksen tuloksena todettiin, ettei omistuksen keskittyneisyydellä eikä omistajatyypillä ts. omistusrakenteella ole tilastollisesti merkitsevää yhteyttä kannattavuuteen millään tutkituista toimialoista.

What hurts the dominant airlines at hub airports?

This paper estimates a frequency equation to explain the determinants of network airline service levels at their hub airports. Drawing on European data for 2002 - 2013, we find that network airlines reduce frequencies when the share of low - cost airlines increases both on the route and at the hub airport. On the contrary, frequency choices of network airlines are not affected by competition from low - cost airlines operating in nearby secondary airports. We also find some evidence that mergers in Europe may result in a re - organization of the route structure in favor of the hubs of the larger airline.