Public health assessment : Railroad Avenue groundwater contamination, West Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa EPA facility ID: IA0001610963 (2004)

The Railroad Avenue groundwater contamination site (the site) is in West Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa. Located on approximately 120 acres. The site comprises mixed residential, industrial and commercial properties. Underneath the site, chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have contaminatcd the shallow (i.e., 30-50 feet deep) groundwater. These compounds have compromised several shallow wells within the West Des Moines water works system. A contamination source, however, has not yet been identified. In 1993, routine water analysis by the City of West Des Moines identified 1, 2 cis-dichlorocthylcne (1, 2 cis-DCE) at a concentration of 1.2 μg/L (micrograms) per liter of water) in the water supply. Subsequently. several shallow municipal wells were found to be contaminated by VOCs, including 1. 2 cis-DCE, trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and benzene. Five of these wells have been taken out of service. Because of the impact on the West Des Moines water supply, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has assigned the site to the National Priorities List. Surface water und sediment at the site have not been impacted by the VOCs. Testing for VOCs in surface soils has not revealed any significant VOC contamination. Subsurface soils -- generally 8 feet or greater in depth -- are contaminated with VOCs, but at levels which should not present a health hazard. The past, present, and future health hazard category chosen for this site is no apparent public health hazard. This category is used when exposure to toxins might be occurring or might have occurrcd in the past, but at levels below any known health hazard. Analysis of available environmental data has not revealed that residental or commercial water customers are or have been exposed to VOCs at concentrations that might cause any adverse health effects.

Health consultation : Rolfe aboveground storage tank petroleum bulk plant targeted brownfields assessment, Railroad Street and 300th Avenue, Rolfe, Pocahontas County, Iowa (2005)

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has requested the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) Hazardous Waste Site Health Assessment Program evaluate future health impacts of exposures at a former aboveground storage tank site located in Rolfe, Iowa. The former aboveground storage tank site is located to the southwest of the intersection of Railroad Street and 300th Avenue in Rolfe, Iowa. This site is undergoing a Targeted Brownfields Assessment conducted by the Contaminated Sites Section of the IDNR. This health consultation addresses potential health risks to people from future exposure to the soil within the property boundary, and any health impacts resulting from contaminated groundwater beneath the site property. The information in this health consultation was current at the time of writing. Data that emerges later could alter this document’s conclusions and recommendations.

Global surveillance of cancer survival 1995-2009 : analysis of individual data for 25 676 887 patients from 279 population-based registries in 67 countries (CONCORD-2)

BACKGROUND: Worldwide data for cancer survival are scarce. We aimed to initiate worldwide surveillance of cancer survival by central analysis of population-based registry data, as a metric of the effectiveness of health systems, and to inform global policy on cancer control. METHODS: Individual tumour records were submitted by 279 population-based cancer registries in 67 countries for 25·7 million adults (age 15-99 years) and 75 000 children (age 0-14 years) diagnosed with cancer during 1995-2009 and followed up to Dec 31, 2009, or later. We looked at cancers of the stomach, colon, rectum, liver, lung, breast (women), cervix, ovary, and prostate in adults, and adult and childhood leukaemia. Standardised quality control procedures were applied; errors were corrected by the registry concerned. We estimated 5-year net survival, adjusted for background mortality in every country or region by age (single year), sex, and calendar year, and by race or ethnic origin in some countries. Estimates were age-standardised with the International Cancer Survival Standard weights. FINDINGS: 5-year survival from colon, rectal, and breast cancers has increased steadily in most developed countries. For patients diagnosed during 2005-09, survival for colon and rectal cancer reached 60% or more in 22 countries around the world; for breast cancer, 5-year survival rose to 85% or higher in 17 countries worldwide. Liver and lung cancer remain lethal in all nations: for both cancers, 5-year survival is below 20% everywhere in Europe, in the range 15-19% in North America, and as low as 7-9% in Mongolia and Thailand. Striking rises in 5-year survival from prostate cancer have occurred in many countries: survival rose by 10-20% between 1995-99 and 2005-09 in 22 countries in South America, Asia, and Europe, but survival still varies widely around the world, from less than 60% in Bulgaria and Thailand to 95% or more in Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the USA. For cervical cancer, national estimates of 5-year survival range from less than 50% to more than 70%; regional variations are much wider, and improvements between 1995-99 and 2005-09 have generally been slight. For women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005-09, 5-year survival was 40% or higher only in Ecuador, the USA, and 17 countries in Asia and Europe. 5-year survival for stomach cancer in 2005-09 was high (54-58%) in Japan and South Korea, compared with less than 40% in other countries. By contrast, 5-year survival from adult leukaemia in Japan and South Korea (18-23%) is lower than in most other countries. 5-year survival from childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is less than 60% in several countries, but as high as 90% in Canada and four European countries, which suggests major deficiencies in the management of a largely curable disease. INTERPRETATION: International comparison of survival trends reveals very wide differences that are likely to be attributable to differences in access to early diagnosis and optimum treatment. Continuous worldwide surveillance of cancer survival should become an indispensable source of information for cancer patients and researchers and a stimulus for politicians to improve health policy and health-care systems. FUNDING: Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (Toronto, Canada), Cancer Focus Northern Ireland (Belfast, UK), Cancer Institute New South Wales (Sydney, Australia), Cancer Research UK (London, UK), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA, USA), Swiss Re (London, UK), Swiss Cancer Research foundation (Bern, Switzerland), Swiss Cancer League (Bern, Switzerland), and University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY, USA).

Information System Consolidation in a Multinational Corporation

Tietojärjestelmien konsolidointi on eräs vallalla olevista trendeistä, jonka avulla yritykset parantavat järjestelmiensä hallittavuutta sekä kustannustehokkuutta. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli analysoida monikansallisen yrityksen tietojärjestelmän konsolidointiprojektia. Tavoitteena oli kuvata projektissa käytetty konsolidointimalli sekä evaluoida syntyneitä liiketoiminnallisia vaikutuksia. Työn teoreettisessa osassa esitellään tietojärjestelmien hallintaan sekä konsolidointiin vaikuttavia perustekijöitä. Lisäksi analysoidaan merkittäviä liiketoiminnallisia etuja,jotka konsolidointi mahdollistaa. Työn empiirisessä osassa kuvataan yrityksen näkökulmasta konsolidointiin johtavia syitä, projektin kulkua sekä saavutettuja liiketoiminnallisia hyötyjä. Työn tulokset osoittavat, että konsolidoimalla tietojärjestelmiään yritys pystyy parantamaan tehokkuuttaan, palveluastettaan sekä liiketoiminnallista joustavuuttaan monin eri tavoin. Työssä esitettyä konsolidointimallia sekä analyysia liiketoiminnallisista vaikutuksista voidaan hyödyntää tulevien projektien suunnittelussa ja toteutuksessa.

Fenologia, exigência térmica e produtividade de videiras 'Niagara Branca', 'Niagara Rosada 'e 'Concord' submetidas a duas safras por ciclo vegetativo

Este trabalho objetivou avaliar a fenologia, a demanda térmica e a produtividade das cvs. Niagara Branca, Niagara Rosada e Concord submetidas a uma poda seca no inverno e a uma poda verde no final da primavera, visando à obtenção de duas safras de uva por ciclo vegetativo. O experimento foi conduzido em vinhedo pertencente à Estação Experimental Agronômica de Eldorado do Sul-RS, na safra de 2007/2008. As plantas foram submetidas a duas épocas de poda de inverno (22-07-07 e 20-08-07), em cordão esporonado, e duas épocas de poda verde (15-11-07 e 17-12-07), mediante desponte do sarmento a partir da quarta gema acima do último cacho. Os subperíodos fenológicos considerados da videira foram: vegetativo, compreendendo da poda à brotação e da brotação à floração; e reprodutivo, abrangendo da floração à colheita. Os respectivos intervalos tiveram um acompanhamento com base no acúmulo de graus-dia. A produção por planta, sólidos solúveis totais e acidez total titulável foram avaliados em ambas as safras. As cultivares necessitaram aproximadamente de 1.500 graus-dia para completar seu ciclo, tanto na primeira como na segunda safra. A poda de inverno antecipada aumentou a duração do ciclo fenológico das plantas comparativamente à poda de agosto, devido ao aumento do subperíodo poda/floração nas videiras podadas precocemente. A antecipação da poda de inverno antecipou a colheita da primeira safra, possibilitando obter uvas precoces com maior valorização de mercado. A duração do ciclo fenológico da segunda safra foi menor se comparada à primeira safra, devido às temperaturas mais elevadas decorridas no desenvolvimento das plantas submetidas à poda verde. A produtividade da segunda safra foi maior quando a poda seca foi realizada em agosto, associada à poda verde em novembro. Nas plantas submetidas à poda verde, obteve-se uma segunda colheita em meados de março/abril, oferecendo vantagens econômicas ao viticultor e ampliando a disponibilidade da fruta ao consumidor.

Sensibilidade ao rachamento de bagas das videiras 'Concord', 'Isabel' e 'BRS Rúbea'

Com o objetivo de avaliar a sensibilidade ao rachamento de frutos, foram realizados diferentes testes de laboratório com bagas de uva para processamento das cultivares Concord, Isabel e BRS Rúbea. Para a determinação do índice de rachamento, bagas maduras foram imersas em água destilada e avaliadas a cada hora, durante um período de dez horas. Com o auxílio de um texturômetro, foram realizados testes mecânicos. Em testes de compressão, foram avaliadas, no momento de rompimento das bagas, pressão de compressão, energia de deformação e força máxima de compressão. Com uma sonda de menor calibre, as bagas foram perfuradas, obtendo-se a força máxima de perfuração e deformação de perfuração no rompimento da película. Em testes de relaxação, foram avaliados o grau de solidez e a velocidade inicial de decaimento. Foram avaliadas também as correlações entre o índice de rachamento, e os testes mecânicos. Tanto o índice de rachamento quanto os testes mecânicos apontaram para a cultivar BRS Rúbea como a mais resistente ao rachamento e a cultivar Concord como a mais suscetível. A 'Isabel' apresentou resistência intermediária. O índice de rachamento, apresentou forte correlação com as variáveis avaliadas nos testes mecânicos e possui bom potencial para a avaliação da sensibilidade ao rachamento de materiais distintos de videira.

Governance by Contract? The impact of the International Finance Corporation's Social Conditionality on Worker Organization and Social Dialogue

This study considers the question of the relationship between private labour regulation and workers' capacity to take collective action through the lens of an empirical study of the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) 'performance standards' system of social and environmental conditionality. The study covered some 150 IFC client businesses in four world regions, drawing on data made public by the IFC as well as the results of a dedicated field survey that gathered information directly from workers, managers and union representatives. The study found that the application of the performance standards system has had remarkably little impact on union membership and social dialogue. In those few cases where change could be causally linked to the standards, the effect depended on the presence of workers' organizations that already had the capacity to take effective action on behalf of their members. The study also uncovered some prima facie evidence of breaches of freedom of association rights occurring with no reaction from IFC. The study concludes that the lack of impact is largely due to the private contractual structure that supposedly guarantees standards compliance.

Ciclo de produção e demanda térmica de clones da videira 'Concord' sobre diferentes porta-enxertos

O objetivo do trabalho foi determinar a duração do ciclo de produção e a necessidade térmica de seis clones de 'Concord' sobre três porta-enxertos no norte do Paraná. Foram avaliados os clones '22', '28', '49', '202', '211' e '225', obtidos pela Embrapa Uva e Vinho, e enxertados sobre os porta-enxertos 'IAC 766', 'IAC 572' e '420-A'. O trabalho foi realizado em área experimental pertencente ao Centro Tecnológico da COROL - Cooperativa Agroindustrial, localizado no município de Rolândia-PR. O experimento foi realizado em esquema fatorial (6 clones x 3 porta-enxertos), em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com cinco repetições. As plantas foram conduzidas em sistema de latada, no espaçamento de 4,0 m x 2,0 m, e as avaliações foram realizadas nas safras de 2009/2010 e 2010/2011. Verificou-se que dentre os clones de 'Concord' avaliados, o '202' apresenta a menor duração do ciclo entre a poda e a colheita, sendo portanto o mais precoce. Dentre os porta-enxertos, o '420-A' induz a maior taxa de acúmulo diário de sólidos solúveis do mosto, proporcionando redução do ciclo total e da demanda térmica dos clones de 'Concord', enquanto o 'IAC 572' induz a menor taxa, promovendo aumento do ciclo e da demanda térmica dos clones.

Railroad Impact in Backward Economies: Spain, 1850-1913

This article reassesses the economic impact of Spanish railroads in 1850-1913, which has been usually considered to be substantially higher than in the most developed countries on the basis of the social saving methodology. The application of growth accounting techniques shows, by contrast, that the direct contribution of railroads to economic growth was lower in Spain than in the UK, mainly due to the low importance that railroad transport had within Spanish GDP before 1913.

Profit repatriation of a Polish subsidiary from tax planning point of view of an international corporation

The main purpose of this study was to examine and compare the possibilities of profit repatriation from the point of view of tax planning of an international corporation, in such a case that a Finnish parent company has a subsidiary in Poland. The main research problem was divided into two sub research problems: 1) to examine concepts and principles of international taxation and tax planning from the point of view of international corporations and 2) to discuss the main features of Polish Companies-, Accounting- and Tax Act from the point of view a Finnish parent company. The research method of this study is mainly decision making, comparative analysis. In this study have been discussed the possibilities of international profit repatriation for supporting the decision making of the management of a Finnish parent company. In addition different repatriation possibilities have been compared. In this study has been noticed that a Finnish parent company can repatriate profit of its Polish subsidiary either directly as dividends or by using indirect methods such as interests, royalties, management fees and transfer pricing of goods. The total tax burden of dividends is heavier than the tax burden of indirect methods. It was also concluded that during the last years the Polish legislation has been renewed in order to prevent hidden dividend distribution. This has been done by implementing new rules of transfer pricing and thin capitalization.

Creating dynamic continuous improvement system for Larox Corporation

Today´s organizations must have the ability to react to rapid changes in the market. These rapid changes cause pressure to continuously find new efficient ways to organize work practices. Increased competition requires businesses to become more effective and to pay attention to quality of management and to make people to understand their work's impact on the final result. The fundamentals in continmuois improvement are systematic and agile tackling of indentified individual process constraints and the fact tha nothin finally improves without changes. Successful continuous improvement requires management commitment, education, implementation, measurement, recognition and regeneration. These ingredients form the foundation, both for breakthrough projects and small step ongoing improvement activities. One part of the organization's management system are the quality tools, which provide systematic methodologies for identifying problems, defining their root causes, finding solutions, gathering and sorting of data, supporting decision making and implementing the changes, and many other management tasks. Organizational change management includes processes and tools for managing the people in an organizational level change. These tools include a structured approach, which can be used for effective transition of organizations through change. When combined with the understanding of change management of individuals, these tools provide a framework for managing people in change,

Intrapreneurial activity's appearance in corporation - A qualitative case study

Työn tavoitteena on ollut ollut selvittää sisäisen yrittäjyyden toimintaa ja muotoja suuren korporaation kontekstissa. Tutkimuskysymys on: miten sisäinen yrittäjyys ilmenee Kesko:ssa? Tutkimusmenetelmä on kvalitatiivinen ja aineisto kerättiin puolitstrukturoiduilla haastatteluilla. Haastateltavat koostuivat Kesko korporaation työntekijöistä. Tutkimustulokset paljastavat, että sisäinen yrittäjyys ilmenee Kesko:ssa monella eri tavalla. Työntekijät ovat korkeasti sitoutuneita ja motivoituneita. Johto tarjoaa haastavia työtehtäviä työntekijöille, ja tiimityöskentely on korkealla tasolla. Työntekijät myös verkoistuivat aktiivisesti. Joissakin tapauksissa sisäinen yrittäjyys ilmenee Kesko:ssa siten, että työntekijä on valmis ottamaan oman sivuprojektin parantaakseen koko organisaation suorituskykyä. Tämän tapainen toiminta on mahdollista vain korkean oma-aloitteisuuden kautta.

Improving reporting and internal control with process thinking - case study in a multinational corporation

The aim of this Master’s Thesis is to find applicable methods from process management literature for improving reporting and internal control in a multinational corporation. The method of analysis is qualitative and the research is conducted as a case study. Empirical data collection is carried out through interviews and participating observation. The theoretical framework is built around reporting and guidance between parent company and subsidiary, searching for means to improve them from process thinking and applicable frameworks. In the thesis, the process of intercompany reporting in the case company is modelled, and its weak points, risks, and development targets are identified. The framework of critical success factors in process improvement is utilized in assessing the development targets. Also internal control is analyzed with the tools of process thinking. As a result of this thesis, suggestions for actions improving the reporting process and internal control are made to the case company, the most essential of which are ensuring top management’s awareness and commitment to improvement, creating guidelines and tools for internal control and creating and implementing improved intercompany reporting process.