Sample records for firm-level export status

  1. Insights into public export promotion programs in an emerging economy: the case of Malaysian SMEs.

    PubMed

    Ayob, Abu H; Freixanet, Joan

    2014-10-01

    This study evaluates the impact of public export promotion programs (EPPs) among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia. Three indicators, level of awareness, frequency of use, and perception of usefulness, were examined according to a firm's export status. The global evaluation suggests that exporters are more frequent users of EPPs and perceive them to be more useful than non-exporters. Nonetheless, both groups demonstrate higher levels of awareness, are frequent users, and perceive the programs relating to export info/knowledge are more usefulness than programs relating to financial assistance. Further analysis also reveals that the frequency of use and the perception of usefulness for most programs are positively related to export experience, but not to export turnover. This study offers insights into the effectiveness of export programs for encouraging export initiation and expansion in an emerging economy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. An analysis of the relationship between staff qualification and export readiness of pharmaceutical companies: the case of iran.

    PubMed

    Mohammadzadeh, Mehdi

    2012-01-01

    Export and the readiness to export constitute the first step of international marketing, which are affected by both internal and external factors of firms. One of the most important internal factors is the presence of skilled personnel. The purpose of this study was to define the relationship between staff qualification and encouragment with the readiness level of Iranian pharmacuetical firms for engagement in export marketing. The research was based on a single case study on a basket of seven leading domestic firms. For the bias reduction, questionnaires as well as interviews with managers were used. The performance of the studied factor was lower than the desired level for export readiness and there was much scope for improvement in staff qualifications to achieve such readiness. The results of this research enable small and medium-sized pharmaceutical companies to evaluate their staff qualification levels needed for export readiness and to detect their shortcomings in order to improve them.

  3. An Analysis of the Relationship Between Staff Qualification and Export Readiness of Pharmaceutical Companies: The Case of Iran

    PubMed Central

    Mohammadzadeh, Mehdi

    2012-01-01

    Export and the readiness to export constitute the first step of international marketing, which are affected by both internal and external factors of firms. One of the most important internal factors is the presence of skilled personnel. The purpose of this study was to define the relationship between staff qualification and encouragment with the readiness level of Iranian pharmacuetical firms for engagement in export marketing. The research was based on a single case study on a basket of seven leading domestic firms. For the bias reduction, questionnaires as well as interviews with managers were used. The performance of the studied factor was lower than the desired level for export readiness and there was much scope for improvement in staff qualifications to achieve such readiness. The results of this research enable small and medium-sized pharmaceutical companies to evaluate their staff qualification levels needed for export readiness and to detect their shortcomings in order to improve them. PMID:24250528

  4. Measuring the gradualist approach to internationalization: Empirical evidence from the wine sector.

    PubMed

    Clavel San Emeterio, Mónica; Fernández-Ortiz, Rubén; Arteaga-Ortiz, Jesús; Dorta-González, Pablo

    2018-01-01

    The objective of this paper is to fill a gap in the literature on internationalization, in relation to the absence of objective and measurable performance indicators for the process of how firms sequentially enter external markets. To that end, this research develops a quantitative tool for use as a performance indicator of gradualness for firms entering external markets at a sectoral level. The performance indicator is based on firms' export volumes, number of years operating in the export market, geographic areas targeted for export and when exports began to each area. The indicator is tested empirically in the wine sector. The main contribution of this study is the creation of a reliable international priority index, which can serve more widely as a valuable tool because of its potential use in other industry sectors and geographic areas, and which would allow the analysis of how geographically differentiated internationalization strategies develop.

  5. Factors that influence the export success of forest products companies in the Pacific Northwest

    Treesearch

    I. Eastin; K. Cunningham; J. Roos

    2004-01-01

    Although most North American firms reported a decline in export revenues from Japan over the period 1997 to 1998, some firms experienced increases. This anomaly prompted an investigation into why some firms were successful in increasing their exports while other firms were not. The primary objective of this study was to identify the key characteristics of successful...

  6. Are there regional differences in US hardwood product exports?

    Treesearch

    Matt Bumgardner; Scott Bowe; William Luppold

    2016-01-01

    Exporting is a critical component of the product mix for many domestic hardwood firms. Previous research has identified factors associated with hardwood lumber exporting behavior, but less is known about the advantages and disadvantages to exporting associated with the region within which a firm is located, or about exporting of secondary hardwood products. A procedure...

  7. Measuring the gradualist approach to internationalization: Empirical evidence from the wine sector

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    The objective of this paper is to fill a gap in the literature on internationalization, in relation to the absence of objective and measurable performance indicators for the process of how firms sequentially enter external markets. To that end, this research develops a quantitative tool for use as a performance indicator of gradualness for firms entering external markets at a sectoral level. The performance indicator is based on firms’ export volumes, number of years operating in the export market, geographic areas targeted for export and when exports began to each area. The indicator is tested empirically in the wine sector. The main contribution of this study is the creation of a reliable international priority index, which can serve more widely as a valuable tool because of its potential use in other industry sectors and geographic areas, and which would allow the analysis of how geographically differentiated internationalization strategies develop. PMID:29727461

  8. Bringing the Firms into Globalization Research: The Effects of Foreign Investment and Exports on Wages in Mexican Manufacturing Firms

    PubMed Central

    Villarreal, Andrés; Sakamoto, Arthur

    2011-01-01

    Researchers specializing in organizations and labor markets have paid insufficient attention to the effects that foreign ownership of a firm and its orientation towards export production may have on the wages it pays to its workers. Using information from a nationally-representative sample of manufacturing firms in Mexico, a paradigmatic case of a developing country that is highly integrated into world markets, we find that foreign-owned and export-oriented firms pay considerably more than nationally-owned firms engaged in the production of goods for sale in the domestic market. Second, beyond paying higher wages to their workers, foreign-owned firms also raise the wages paid by domestic firms operating in the same regional labor markets. The wage premium in foreign and export-oriented firms cannot be explained by their size, industry, geographical location, productivity, use of advanced technology, or the sociodemographic composition of their workforce. We find evidence that wages in foreign-owned companies in Mexico are dependent on the country of origin of the capital investment. A greater difference between the industry-specific wages paid in the country of ownership and Mexico is associated with a higher wage premium in Mexican affiliates. Future work should strive to link information from foreign-owned affiliates with their parent companies abroad. PMID:21566699

  9. Essays on Firm Behavior in Developing Economies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abeberese, Ama Baafra

    The performance of firms is central to growth in developing economies. A burgeoning literature within development economics seeks to understand the behavior of firms in developing countries and the constraints to their performance. This dissertation explores two types of constraints---infrastructure-related constraints and trade-related constraints---faced by manufacturing firms in developing countries. Despite the widely acknowledged importance of infrastructure for economic growth, there has been relatively little research on how infrastructure affects the decisions of firms. Electricity, in particular, is commonly cited by firms in developing countries as a major obstacle to their performance. In the first two chapters, I analyze the responses of firms to two types of electricity constraints, namely electricity prices and electricity shortages. Chapter 1 provides evidence on how electricity prices affect a firm's industry choice and productivity growth using data on Indian manufacturing firms. I construct an instrument for electricity price as the interaction between the price of coal paid by power utilities, which is arguably exogenous to firm characteristics, and the initial share of thermal generation in a state's total electricity generation capacity. I find that, in response to an exogenous increase in electricity price, firms reduce their electricity consumption and switch to industries with less electricity-intensive production processes. I also find that firm output, machine intensity and labor productivity decline with an increase in electricity price. In addition to these level effects, I show that firm output and productivity growth rates are negatively affected by high electricity prices. These results suggest that electricity constraints faced by firms may limit a country's growth by leading firms to operate in industries with fewer productivity-enhancing opportunities. Chapter 2 examines the impact of electricity shortages on firm investment. I identify this impact by studying an electricity rationing program that took place in Ghana in 1998, which placed significant constraints on the electricity available to firms. Using data on Ghanaian manufacturing firms, I find a significant decline in investment in plant and machinery during the electricity rationing period. The decline in investment is more pronounced for firms in electricity-intensive sectors. I explore alternative explanations for the reduction in investment during the electricity rationing period, including a contraction in firm credit access and economy-wide shocks unrelated to electricity constraints, and find no evidence in support of either explanation. The results, therefore, suggest that the reduction in investment during the electricity rationing period was due to the constraints on the availability of electricity. These findings highlight the potentially negative impact of the inadequate provision of electricity that frequently plagues developing countries. These electricity constraints can hinder growth in these countries by curbing investment by firms. In Chapter 3, I turn to the investigation of the effect of a trade-related constraint. Until recently, most of the literature on firms engaged in international trade had largely focused on exporting, with little work on the role of imports in the behavior and performance of firms. Using data on Indonesian manufacturing firms, Chapter 3 analyzes the effect of a reduction in tariffs on imported inputs on the exporting activity of firms. I argue that a tariff reduction program in Indonesia, which generated exogenous variation in the tariffs imposed on imports of goods used by firms, had a positive effect on the exported share of output of firms. I explore the mechanisms underlying this positive effect and find that an increase in the use of imported inputs, facilitated by the reduction in input tariffs, generated an increase in the exported share of output of firms. I also find that this positive effect is stronger for firms in industries with a greater scope for quality differentiation and high skill intensity. These results suggest that input tariff liberalization, by increasing access to higher-quality inputs from abroad, allows firms to produce higher-quality products for export markets.

  10. How to Build an Export Business. An International Marketing Guide for the Minority-Owned Firm.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Joyner, Nelson T., Jr.; Lurie, Richard G.

    Designed to aid minority firms who are inexperienced in the export market, this handbook provides a step-by-step guide to the development of an export business, describing what to do, how to do it, and where to find more information on specific international marketing help. Starting with the easiest opportunities that do not require any…

  11. Assessing drivers of export orientation in the subsea oil and gas industry.

    PubMed

    Aarstad, Jarle; Pettersen, Inger Beate; Jakobsen, Stig-Erik

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this short study was to identify the drivers of export orientation of firms in the subsea oil and gas industry in Western Norway. As the oil fields in the North Sea are approaching a stage of maturity, gaining knowledge of these drivers is crucial. An online survey was conducted of firms operating in the subsea oil and gas industry in the region. Consistent with previous research, the data reveal that product innovation and a majority share of international ownership increase firms' export rates. The use of instrumental variables indicates that both product innovation and international ownership are causes of subsea petroleum exports. The study moreover finds that subcontractors have a lower rate of direct exports than system providers, but international ownership in particular boosts subcontractors' export rates, probably by decreasing their market dependency on regional system providers. A clear recommendation for managers and stakeholders is that they should encourage foreign investments throughout the value chain. The results of such a strategy appear to be especially positive for subcontractors.

  12. Natural gas imports and exports, first quarter report 2000

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    The Office of Natural Gas and Petroleum Import and Export Activities prepares quarterly reports showing natural gas import and export activity. Companies are required to file quarterly reports. Attachments show the percentage of takes to maximum firm contract levels and the weighted average per unit price for each of the long-term importers during the 5 most recent reporting quarters, volumes and prices of gas purchased by long-term importers and exporters during the past 12 months, volume and price data for gas imported on a short-term or spot market basis, and the gas exported on a short-term or spot market basismore » to Canada and Mexico.« less

  13. Natural gas imports and exports, fourth quarter report 1999

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    The Office of Natural Gas and Petroleum Import and Export Activities prepares quarterly reports showing natural gas import and export activity. Companies are required to file quarterly reports. Attachments show the percentage of takes to maximum firm contract levels and the weighted average per unit price for each of the long-term importers during the five most recent quarters, volumes and prices of gas purchased by long-term importers and exporters during the past 12 months, volume and price data for gas imported on a short-term or spot market basis, and the gas exported on a short-term or spot market basis tomore » Canada and Mexico.« less

  14. Environmental and international tariffs in a mixed duopoly

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Ferreira, Flávio

    2013-10-01

    In this paper, we study the effects of environmental and trade policies in an international mixed duopoly serving two markets, in which the public firm maximizes the sum of consumer surplus and its profit. We also analyse the effects of privatization. The model has two stages. In the first stage, governments choose environmental taxes and import tariffs, simultaneously. Then, the firms engage in a Cournot competition, choosing output levels for the domestic market and to export. We compare the results obtained in the three different ways of moving on the decision make of the firms.

  15. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    The Office of Natural Gas and Petroleum Import and Export Activities prepares quarterly reports showing natural gas import and export activity. Companies are required to file quarterly reports. Attachments show the percentage of takes to maximum firm contract levels and the weighted average per unit price for each of the long-term importers during the 5 most recent quarters, volumes and prices of gas purchased by long-term importers and exporters during the past 12 months, volume and price data for gas imported on a short-term or spot market basis, and the gas exported on a short-term or spot market basis tomore » Canada and Mexico.« less

  16. Correlation of fresh muscle firmness with sensory characteristics of pork loins destined for a quality focused market.

    PubMed

    Arkfeld, E K; Mancini, S; Fields, B; Dilger, A C; Boler, D D

    2015-10-01

    Production of pork for quality-driven export markets offers economic incentive. Pork processors use subjective firmness as a sorting tool for loins intended for high-quality export. The objectives of this study were to determine 1) durometer efficacy in muscle, 2) if firmness on one portion of the loin is indicative of other locations, 3) if 1 d firmness is related to export quality traits, and 4) if variation in firmness is explained by mechanistic measures. Subjective firmness scores (1 = extremely soft and 5 = extremely firm) were determined by a trained individual 1 d (initial time point) postmortem. Loins (North American Meat Processors number 414 Canadian back; = 154) were wet aged for 28 d at 1.7°C. On d 28, a panel of 4 individuals assigned firmness scores on the ventral side of the loin at the area of the 10th rib, the anterior half, and the posterior half of the loin. Durometer readings were collected at the area of the 10th rib on the dorsal and ventral side of the loin. Spearman correlation coefficients were computed in SAS (version 9.3) to account for nonnormality of categorical data. Subjective firmness measurements at d 28 at the 10th rib and on the anterior portion of the loin were not correlated ( ≥ 0.21) with whole loin durometer readings on the dorsal or ventral portion of the loin or the average of the whole loin values. Subjective firmness (d 28) at the 10th rib accounted for 38.44 ( = 0.620) and 48.30% ( = 0.695) of the variation in firmness at the anterior portion of the loin and the posterior portion of the loin, respectively ( ≤ 0.05). One-day subjective firmness measurements were correlated with 28-d Warner-Bratzler shear force measurements ( = 0.174, = 0.03) but were not significantly correlated with sensory characteristics ( ≥ 0.08). Purge tended to be correlated with 1 d firmness ( = 0.136, = 0.10); however, drip and cooking loss, 24-h and 28-d pH, and soluble and insoluble collagen content were not correlated ( ≥ 0.34). Firmness measurements collected in the production facility (1 d) were negatively correlated with iodine value (IV; = -0.199, = 0.02), yet no 28-d subjective firmness measurements were correlated with IV ( ≥ 0.33). When loins not achieving export standards are removed from the population, 1 d firmness was not correlated to export quality or sensory characteristics (d 28). Differences in firmness were not explained by mechanistic measures. Inconsistencies among subjective and objective firmness measurements suggest that the durometer may not be an appropriate way to determine firmness.

  17. 15 CFR 701.2 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Export Sales—Exports that are either Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or commercial (direct) sales of defense...) Example 7. Company A, a U.S. firm, makes an investment in Company B, a foreign firm located in country C... categorized as investment and would be direct because the investment involves an item covered by the offset...

  18. 78 FR 78364 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Information From...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-26

    ....) firms/processors exporting shell eggs, dairy products, game meat, game meat products, animal casings... U.S. firms and processors that intended to export shell eggs, dairy products, and game meat and game... shell eggs, dairy products, game meat, game meat products, and animal casings: Business name and address...

  19. 76 FR 80887 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Export Trading Companies Contact Facilitation...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-27

    ... Request; Export Trading Companies Contact Facilitation Services AGENCY: International Trade [email protected] ). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or copies of the... facilitate contact between producers of exportable goods and services, and firms offering export trade...

  20. Natural gas imports and exports. First quarter report 1994

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1994-08-01

    The Office of Fuels Programs Prepares quarterly reports Summarizing the data provided by companies authorized to import or export natural gas. Companies are required, as a condition of their authorizations, to file quarterly reports with the OFP. This report is for the first quarter of 1994 (January--March). Attachment A shows the percentage of takes to maximum firm contract levels and the weighted average per unit price for each of the long-term importers during the five most recent reporting quarters. Attachment B shows volumes and prices of gas purchased by long-term importers and exporters during the past twelve months. Attachment Cmore » shows volume and price information for gas imported on a short-term basis. Attachment D shows the gas exported on a short-term basis to Canada and Mexico. During the first three months of 1994, data indicates that gas imports grew by about 14 percent over the level of the first quarter of 1993 (668 vs. 586 Bcf), with Canadian and Algerian imports increasing by 12 and 53 percent, respectively. During the same time period, exports declined by 15 percent (41 vs. 48 Bcf). Exports to Canada increased by 10 percent from the 1993 level (22 vs. 20 Bcf) and exports to Mexico decreased by 64 percent (5 vs. 14 Bcf).« less

  1. 75 FR 47548 - President's Export Council Subcommittee on Export Administration; Notice of Recruitment of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-06

    ... selected from firms producing a broad range of goods, software, and technologies presently controlled for... their services. The PECSEA is seeking private-sector members with senior export control expertise and...

  2. 15 CFR Supplement No. 2 to Part 730 - Technical Advisory Committees

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... utilization of production technology; licensing procedures that affect the level of export controls applicable... questions involving technical matters, worldwide availability and actual utilization of production and... of U.S. producers of such items; and (ii) The volume of annual production by such persons or firms of...

  3. Natural gas imports and exports. Fourth quarter report, 1998

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1998-12-31

    The Office of Natural Gas and Petroleum Import and Export Activities prepares quarterly reports summarizing the data provided by companies authorized to import or export natural gas. Companies are required, as a condition of their authorizations, to file quarterly reports. This report is for the fourth quarter of 1998 (October through December). Attachment A shows the percentage of takes to maximum firm contract levels and the weighted average per unit price for each of the long-term importers during the five most recent reporting quarters. Attachment B shows volumes and prices of gas purchased by long-term importers and exporters during themore » past 12 months. Attachment C shows volume and price information pertaining to gas imported on a short-term or spot market basis. Attachment D shows the gas exported on a short-term or spot market basis to Canada and Mexico.« less

  4. Natural gas imports and exports. Third quarter report 1997

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    This quarterly report, prepared by The Office of Natural Gas and Petroleum Import and Export Activities, summarizes the data provided by companies authorized to import or export natural gas. Numerical data are presented in four attachments, each of which is comprised of a series of tables. Attachment A shows the percentage of takes to maximum firm contract levels and the weighted average per unit price for each of the long-term importers during the five most recent calendar quarters. Volumes and prices of gas purchased by long-term importers and exporters during the past year are given in Attachment B. Attachment Cmore » shows volume and price information pertaining to gas imported on a short-term or spot market basis. Attachment D lists gas exported on a short-term or spot market basis to Canada and Mexico. Highlights of the report are very briefly summarized.« less

  5. Natural gas imports and exports. First quarter report, 1998

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    The Office of Natural Gas and Petroleum Import and Export Activities prepares quarterly reports summarizing the data provided by companies authorized to import or export natural gas. Companies are required, as a condition of their authorizations, to file quarterly reports. This report is for the first quarter of 1998 (January through March). Attachment A shows the percentage of takes to maximum firm contract levels and the weighted average per unit price for each of the long-term importers during the five most recent reporting quarters. Attachment B shows volumes and prices of gas purchased by long-term importers and exporters during themore » past 12 months. Attachment C shows volume and price information pertaining to gas imported on a short-term or spot market basis. Attachment D shows the gas exported on a short-term or spot market basis to Canada and Mexico.« less

  6. 31 CFR 515.559 - Certain transactions by U.S.-owned or controlled foreign firms with Cuba.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... controlled foreign firms with Cuba. 515.559 Section 515.559 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating... transactions by U.S.-owned or controlled foreign firms with Cuba. (a) Effective October 23, 1992, no specific... controlled firms in third countries and Cuba for the exportation to Cuba of commodities produced in the...

  7. 31 CFR 515.559 - Certain transactions by U.S.-owned or controlled foreign firms with Cuba.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... controlled foreign firms with Cuba. 515.559 Section 515.559 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating... transactions by U.S.-owned or controlled foreign firms with Cuba. (a) Effective October 23, 1992, no specific... controlled firms in third countries and Cuba for the exportation to Cuba of commodities produced in the...

  8. 31 CFR 515.559 - Certain transactions by U.S.-owned or controlled foreign firms with Cuba.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... controlled foreign firms with Cuba. 515.559 Section 515.559 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating... transactions by U.S.-owned or controlled foreign firms with Cuba. (a) Effective October 23, 1992, no specific... controlled firms in third countries and Cuba for the exportation to Cuba of commodities produced in the...

  9. 31 CFR 515.559 - Certain transactions by U.S.-owned or controlled foreign firms with Cuba.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... controlled foreign firms with Cuba. 515.559 Section 515.559 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating... transactions by U.S.-owned or controlled foreign firms with Cuba. (a) Effective October 23, 1992, no specific... controlled firms in third countries and Cuba for the exportation to Cuba of commodities produced in the...

  10. 31 CFR 515.559 - Certain transactions by U.S.-owned or controlled foreign firms with Cuba.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... controlled foreign firms with Cuba. 515.559 Section 515.559 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating... transactions by U.S.-owned or controlled foreign firms with Cuba. (a) Effective October 23, 1992, no specific... controlled firms in third countries and Cuba for the exportation to Cuba of commodities produced in the...

  11. Substitution and the USDA Forest Service log export restrictions.

    Treesearch

    Gary R. Lindell

    1980-01-01

    With some exceptions, the substitution of national forest timber for exported private timber is forbidden by regulations. Certain firms may use a limited amount of national forest timber as replacement for exported private timber, however, in accordance with their pattern of purchases and exports from 1971 through 1973. About 359 million board feet of national forest...

  12. 77 FR 35355 - User Fee Schedule for Trade Promotion Services

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-13

    ... or distributors, manufacturers, licensees, franchisees or strategic partners. The U.S. exporter..., manufacturers, licensees, franchisees or strategic partners. The U.S. exporter identifies the type of firm it...

  13. 78 FR 4073 - Labeling of Pesticide Products and Devices for Export; Clarification of Requirements

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-18

    ... normal business operations. As such, EPA has concluded that the per firm and industry level impact of the... when the predominant or official language of the importing country is English. The regulatory text has been revised so that labeling text is only required to appear in a foreign language if English is not...

  14. 75 FR 54857 - President's Export Council, Subcommittee on Export Administration; Notice of Recruitment of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-09

    ... industry representatives are selected from firms producing a broad range of goods, software, and... Subcommittee will not be compensated for their services. The PECSEA is seeking private-sector members with...

  15. 27 CFR 28.30 - Export status.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Export status. 28.30... Export status. (a) Distilled spirits and wines manufactured, produced, bottled in bottles packed in... such purposes are considered to be exported. Export status is not acquired until application on Form...

  16. An Export-Marketing Model for Pharmaceutical Firms (The Case of Iran)

    PubMed Central

    Mohammadzadeh, Mehdi; Aryanpour, Narges

    2013-01-01

    Internationalization is a matter of committed decision-making that starts with export marketing, in which an organization tries to diagnose and use opportunities in target markets based on realistic evaluation of internal strengths and weaknesses with analysis of macro and microenvironments in order to gain presence in other countries. A developed model for export and international marketing of pharmaceutical companies is introduced. The paper reviews common theories of the internationalization process, followed by examining different methods and models for assessing preparation for export activities and examining conceptual model based on a single case study method on a basket of seven leading domestic firms by using mainly questionares as the data gathering tool along with interviews for bias reduction. Finally, in keeping with the study objectives, the special aspects of the pharmaceutical marketing environment have been covered, revealing special dimensions of pharmaceutical marketing that have been embedded within the appropriate base model. The new model for international activities of pharmaceutical companies was refined by expert opinions extracted from result of questionnaires. PMID:24250597

  17. An export-marketing model for pharmaceutical firms (the case of iran).

    PubMed

    Mohammadzadeh, Mehdi; Aryanpour, Narges

    2013-01-01

    Internationalization is a matter of committed decision-making that starts with export marketing, in which an organization tries to diagnose and use opportunities in target markets based on realistic evaluation of internal strengths and weaknesses with analysis of macro and microenvironments in order to gain presence in other countries. A developed model for export and international marketing of pharmaceutical companies is introduced. The paper reviews common theories of the internationalization process, followed by examining different methods and models for assessing preparation for export activities and examining conceptual model based on a single case study method on a basket of seven leading domestic firms by using mainly questionares as the data gathering tool along with interviews for bias reduction. Finally, in keeping with the study objectives, the special aspects of the pharmaceutical marketing environment have been covered, revealing special dimensions of pharmaceutical marketing that have been embedded within the appropriate base model. The new model for international activities of pharmaceutical companies was refined by expert opinions extracted from result of questionnaires.

  18. 78 FR 51746 - Trade Barriers That U.S. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Perceive as Affecting Exports to the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-21

    ... this report, an SME is defined as a firm with fewer than 500 U.S.-based employees.) The Commission is... countries; the relative effect on exports of different EU trade barriers; and ways in which SME...

  19. U.S. Hardwood Product Exports to Canada and a Look at U.S. Hardwood Resources

    Treesearch

    Philip A. Araman

    1998-01-01

    Canada became the largest market for primary product hardwood exports in 1987 after slipping to No. 3 in 1986. Preferences for fine hardwoods and limited Canadian supplies of species such as oak should assure continued strong demands for U.S. hardwoods. Another reason for continued strong demand is that some Canadian firms process U.S. lumber and logs for export. This...

  20. 15 CFR Supplement No. 4 to Part 760 - Interpretation

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ...) BUREAU OF INDUSTRY AND SECURITY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE EXPORT ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS RESTRICTIVE... productivity, are not spare parts under this definition. Inclusion of U.S.-origin spare parts in a shipment of... product and kept on hand by the firm or industry of which the firm is a part to assure prompt repair of...

  1. Moving Forward with Export Oriented Shipbuilding Industries in Bangladesh

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zakaria, N. M. G.

    2012-10-01

    In the recent time, shipbuilding has been considered as a thrust sector in the economy of Bangladesh. But, there exist various problems that obstruct the development of this sector especially for export oriented shipbuilding. In this paper, the general shipbuilding related problems along with its nature have been identified. The prospects of export oriented shipbuilding in context of global and international demand have been highlighted. Also, the present initiatives towards export oriented shipbuilding has been focused. Finally some recommendations have been put forward in this paper in order to hold a firm position in world shipbuilding market by export oriented shipbuilding industry in Bangladesh.

  2. US seeks to lift export ban on satellite technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gwynne, Peter

    2009-05-01

    The US House of Representatives began hearings last month with the aim of reducing export controls on commercial satellite technology. Fulfilling a campaign promise, the Obama administration is encouraging Congress to amend a decade old law that defines commercial satellites as weapons. The amendment would allow US satellite firms to increase sales abroad, particularly to China.

  3. Export Now: A Practical Guide for U.S. Minority and Small Business Exporters.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Association of Community and Junior Colleges, Washington, DC.

    This guidebook was designed to orient minority entrepreneurs to the basics of international trade. Market research and strategy are examined, as well as finance, contract negotiations, trade logistics, and business communications. Part I acknowledges that small firms often lack the resources to take even the first step in developing the knowledge,…

  4. 48 CFR 19.306 - Protesting a firm's status as a HUBZone small business concern.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Protesting a firm's status... FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Determination of Small Business Status for Small Business Programs 19.306 Protesting a firm's status as a HUBZone small business...

  5. 27 CFR 44.61a - Deliveries to foreign-trade zones-export status.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ...-trade zones-export status. 44.61a Section 44.61a Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND... Deliveries to foreign-trade zones—export status. Tobacco products, and cigarette papers and tubes may be..., without payment of tax, for delivery to a foreign-trade zone for exportation or storage pending...

  6. 27 CFR 44.61a - Deliveries to foreign-trade zones-export status.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ...-trade zones-export status. 44.61a Section 44.61a Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND... Deliveries to foreign-trade zones—export status. Tobacco products, and cigarette papers and tubes may be..., without payment of tax, for delivery to a foreign-trade zone for exportation or storage pending...

  7. 27 CFR 44.61a - Deliveries to foreign-trade zones-export status.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... zones-export status. 44.61a Section 44.61a Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO... Deliveries to foreign-trade zones—export status. Tobacco products, and cigarette papers and tubes may be..., without payment of tax, for delivery to a foreign-trade zone for exportation or storage pending...

  8. 27 CFR 44.61a - Deliveries to foreign-trade zones-export status.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ...-trade zones-export status. 44.61a Section 44.61a Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND... Deliveries to foreign-trade zones—export status. Tobacco products, and cigarette papers and tubes may be..., without payment of tax, for delivery to a foreign-trade zone for exportation or storage pending...

  9. 27 CFR 44.61a - Deliveries to foreign-trade zones-export status.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ...-trade zones-export status. 44.61a Section 44.61a Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND... Deliveries to foreign-trade zones—export status. Tobacco products, and cigarette papers and tubes may be..., without payment of tax, for delivery to a foreign-trade zone for exportation or storage pending...

  10. 76 FR 54734 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Application for Export Trade; Certificate of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-02

    ... private suits, by limiting liability in private actions to actual damages when the challenged activities are covered by an Export Trade Certificate of Review. II. Method of Collection The form is sent by request to U.S. firms. III. Data OMB Control Number: 0625-0125. Form Number(s): ITA-4093P. Type of Review...

  11. Level of Adoption of Quality Management Systems Into the Mexican Pork Industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maldonado-Siman, Em; Ruíz-Flores, Agustín; Núñez-Domínguez, Rafael; González-Alcorta, Mariano; Hernández-Rodríguez, Bertha Alicia

    This research studies the characteristics of the Mexican pork sector; adoption status of quality management systems, and product destinations. Ninety six percent of fifty enterprises have fully answered a questionnaire. Ninety percent are small and medium-sized, the rest are large-sized firms. Nineteen percent of them have totally adopted HACCP, sixty three percent are implementing or planning to do it, the rest have no plans to adopt it. Thirteen percent of the enterprises had ISO 9000. Thirty four percent of their sales go to supermarkets, 57% to other retail chains and 9% to exportation. Product destinations are mainly Central America, United States of America, Asia and Mexico. To improve efficiency and the quality of process it is necessary to implement HACCP. Besides, customers and legal requirements are the external factors, which result in this adoption. In the process of implementing, there are some problems, such as staff motivation and training. The results suggest that HACCP system operating is important for the Mexican pork industry. It also has relevant implications in domestic trade. It is necessary to encourage adoption of quality management systems in the sector.

  12. 13 CFR 124.1006 - Can SBA initiate a review of the SDB status of a firm claiming to be an SDB?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... SDB status of a firm claiming to be an SDB? 124.1006 Section 124.1006 Business Credit and Assistance... § 124.1006 Can SBA initiate a review of the SDB status of a firm claiming to be an SDB? SBA may initiate an SDB determination on any firm that has been certified to be an SDB by a procuring agency or that...

  13. 13 CFR 124.1006 - Can SBA initiate a review of the SDB status of a firm claiming to be an SDB?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... SDB status of a firm claiming to be an SDB? 124.1006 Section 124.1006 Business Credit and Assistance... § 124.1006 Can SBA initiate a review of the SDB status of a firm claiming to be an SDB? SBA may initiate an SDB determination on any firm that has been certified to be an SDB by a procuring agency or that...

  14. 13 CFR 124.1006 - Can SBA initiate a review of the SDB status of a firm claiming to be an SDB?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... SDB status of a firm claiming to be an SDB? 124.1006 Section 124.1006 Business Credit and Assistance... § 124.1006 Can SBA initiate a review of the SDB status of a firm claiming to be an SDB? SBA may initiate an SDB determination on any firm that has been certified to be an SDB by a procuring agency or that...

  15. 13 CFR 124.1006 - Can SBA initiate a review of the SDB status of a firm claiming to be an SDB?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... SDB status of a firm claiming to be an SDB? 124.1006 Section 124.1006 Business Credit and Assistance... § 124.1006 Can SBA initiate a review of the SDB status of a firm claiming to be an SDB? SBA may initiate an SDB determination on any firm that has been certified to be an SDB by a procuring agency or that...

  16. 13 CFR 124.1006 - Can SBA initiate a review of the SDB status of a firm claiming to be an SDB?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... SDB status of a firm claiming to be an SDB? 124.1006 Section 124.1006 Business Credit and Assistance... § 124.1006 Can SBA initiate a review of the SDB status of a firm claiming to be an SDB? SBA may initiate an SDB determination on any firm that has been certified to be an SDB by a procuring agency or that...

  17. U.S. metric board 1979 survey of selected large U.S. firms and industries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    King, L. L.

    1980-05-01

    A mail survey of randomly chosen 202 of the 1000 largest manufacturing and mining firms, as listed by Fortune magazine, was conducted in late 1979 and early 1980. About 64 percent (112 firms) responded with useful data. Among the findings are: about 63 percent of the largest firms produce at least one metric product; about 48 percent of exported sales are of metric products; about three quarters of the firms selling metric products sell products labelled in customary and metric units (soft conversion); about half the firms selling metric products sell hard converted products (products manufactured in metric units); little corporate coordination and planning seems to accompany conversion to the metric system; about one-third of the firms see laws and reputation impeding conversion; over 50 percent see lack of customer demand as inhibiting conversion; and the most realistic time period for conversion is 10 years, the minimum time for conversion (under pressure) is three years, and the perferred time (at the firm's own pace) is eight years.

  18. Direct foreign investment: a migration push-factor?

    PubMed

    Sassen-koob, S

    1984-01-01

    Policymakers and analysts now recognize that US military activities abroad contribute to the creation of refugee flows into the US. Previously, immigration into the US was viewed as a result of inept and failed domestic policies in the countries of origin. Results show that recent immigrants to the US come from countries with neither the poorest nor the largest population growth rate in the less developed world. However, the sending countries received US direct foreign investment (DFI) in the 1970s, particularly labor intensive investment in export manufacturing. Significant levels and concentrations of DFI promote emigration through: 1) the incorporation of new segments of the population into wage labor and the associated disruption of traditional work structures, 2) the feminization of the new industrial work force and its impact on the work opportunities of men, and 3) the consolidation of objective and ideological links with the highly industrialized countries where most foreign capital originates. The data suggest an examination of the causes of emigration on a much more specific level than that of underdevelopment, poverty, and population growth. These facts carry immediate policy implications for US immigration organizations: 1) if US firms in export processing zones recruited workers from the pool of unemployed--mostly prime-age males--rather than expanding the labor supply by recruiting young women, thereby disrupting unwaged work structures, and 2) if these firms would desist from having high turnover rates among workers, then the migration impact of this type of development would be minimized.

  19. 50 CFR 19.2 - Scope of regulations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ...) TAKING, POSSESSION, TRANSPORTATION, SALE, PURCHASE, BARTER, EXPORTATION, AND IMPORTATION OF WILDLIFE AND... in whole or in part to any United States citizen, firm, or partnership, or corporation created by or...

  20. 50 CFR 19.2 - Scope of regulations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ...) TAKING, POSSESSION, TRANSPORTATION, SALE, PURCHASE, BARTER, EXPORTATION, AND IMPORTATION OF WILDLIFE AND... in whole or in part to any United States citizen, firm, or partnership, or corporation created by or...

  1. 50 CFR 19.2 - Scope of regulations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ...) TAKING, POSSESSION, TRANSPORTATION, SALE, PURCHASE, BARTER, EXPORTATION, AND IMPORTATION OF WILDLIFE AND... in whole or in part to any United States citizen, firm, or partnership, or corporation created by or...

  2. 50 CFR 19.2 - Scope of regulations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ...) TAKING, POSSESSION, TRANSPORTATION, SALE, PURCHASE, BARTER, EXPORTATION, AND IMPORTATION OF WILDLIFE AND... in whole or in part to any United States citizen, firm, or partnership, or corporation created by or...

  3. 78 FR 37785 - Order Denying Export Privileges

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-24

    ... to Mexico 70 AK-47 magazines, which are designated as defense articles on the United States Munitions... Regulations, any other person, firm, corporation, or business organization related to Rodriguez-Rivera by...

  4. Influence of export control policy on the competitiveness of machine tool producing organizations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahrstrom, Jeffrey D.

    The possible influence of export control policies on producers of export controlled machine tools is examined in this quantitative study. International market competitiveness theories hold that market controlling policies such as export control regulations may influence an organization's ability to compete (Burris, 2010). Differences in domestic application of export control policy on machine tool exports may impose throttling effects on the competitiveness of participating firms (Freedenberg, 2010). Commodity shipments from Japan, Germany, and the United States to the Russian market will be examined using descriptive statistics; gravity modeling of these specific markets provides a foundation for comparison to actual shipment data; and industry participant responses to a user developed survey will provide additional data for analysis using a Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance. There is scarce academic research data on the topic of export control effects within the machine tool industry. Research results may be of interest to industry leadership in market participation decisions, advocacy arguments, and strategic planning. Industry advocates and export policy decision makers could find data of interest in supporting positions for or against modifications of export control policies.

  5. The production and exportation of artemisinin-derived drugs in China: current status and existing challenges.

    PubMed

    Huang, Yangmu; Li, Hui; Peng, Danlu; Wang, Yu; Ren, Qiaomeng; Guo, Yan

    2016-07-15

    As the discoverer and a major manufacturer of artemisinin, China has made valuable contributions to malaria control and the global market of artemisinin-derived drugs. This study aims to explore the production and export status of artemisinin-derived drugs in China during 2011 and 2014 to provide a clear understanding of China's participation in this field and also to provide guidance for its future role on global malaria control. Production and exportation data were obtained from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) database of the People's Republic China and monthly reports of the General Administration of Customs of China, respectively. The production volume, export volume, export value, and export area of artemisinin and its derivatives (artemether, artesunate, dihydroartemisinin), including both active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished pharmaceutical products (FPPs), were descripted and analysed by Microsoft Excel. Between 2011 and 2013, the total production volume of artemisinin-derived APIs and FPPs reached 543.41 metric tons (MT) and 14.79 MT, respectively. The total export value and volume of artemisinin-derived APIs during 2012 and 2014 was US$ 211.39 million and 338.53 MT; the total export value and volume of FPPs was US$ 227.17 million and 4401.44 MT. Compared with the sharply decreasing trend of API exports each year, the export value of FPPs kept at a more stable level, with 14.66 % increase in 2013 and 5.31 % decrease in 2014. As for exportation areas, India was the largest purchaser of APIs, accounting for nearly a half of the total amount, while FPPs mainly exported to African countries. Exports of artemisinin derivatives for China have been transforming from API-dominated to FPP-dominated. However, the exportation of artemisinin-derived drugs in China still face the challenges of small market share in the global FPP market and indirect sale of FPPs through a third country due to the deficiency in obtaining relevant certification into global market.

  6. Israel`s unauthorized arms transfers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Clarke, D.

    1995-10-01

    Israel confronts a spectrum of security threats. Given that harsh reality and America`s firm commitment to the Jewish state as reiterated by successive presidents, Israel requires, and rightly receives, unique attention and support from the United States (U.S). Indeed, Israel`s welfare, even survival, is dependent on its `special` relationship with Washington. Thus far, U.S.-Israel ties have weathered America`s post-Cold War retrenchment in world affairs. Israel retains its customary level of foreign aid, for example, even as the overall foreign assistance budget shrinks. Yet below the surface, the relationship is threatened by Israel`s repeated contraventions of American law. Evidence shows thatmore » Israel has systematically circumvented U.S. restrictions on the re-export of U.S. defense products, components, and technical data. Other countries have been caught evading U.S. re-export controls, but Israel`s case appears unique. The author examines the details and implications of the Israel transgressions.« less

  7. The directory of US coal and technology export resources

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1990-10-01

    The purpose of The Directory remains focused on offering a consolidated resource to potential buyers of US coal, coal technology, and expertise. This is consistent with the US policy on coal and coal technology trade, which continues to emphasize export market strategy implementation. Within this context, DOE will continue to support the teaming'' approach to marketing; i.e., vertically integrated large project teams to include multiple industry sectors, such as coal producers, engineering and construction firms, equipment manufacturers, financing and service organizations.

  8. 19 CFR 141.85 - Pro forma invoice.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ...) Knowledge of the market in the country of exportation (_) ______. (e) Knowledge of the market in the United... making invoice) (Title and firm name) Date [T.D. 73-175, 38 FR 17447, July 2, 1973, as amended by T.D. 85...

  9. From technology transfer to local manufacturing: China's emergence in the global wind power industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lewis, Joanna Ingram

    This dissertation examines the development of China's large wind turbine industry, including the players, the status of the technology, and the strategies used to develop turbines for the Chinese market. The primary goals of this research project are to identify the models of international technology transfer that have been used among firms in China's wind power industry; examine to what extent these technology transfers have contributed to China's ability to locally manufacture large wind turbine technology; and evaluate China's ability to become a major player in the global wind industry. China is a particularly important place to study the opportunities for and dynamics of clean energy development due to its role in global energy consumption. China is the largest coal consuming and producing nation in the world, and consequently the second largest national emitter of carbon dioxide after only the United States. Energy consumption and carbon emissions are growing rapidly, and China is expected to surpass the US and become the largest energy consuming nation and carbon dioxide emitter in coming decades. The central finding of this dissertation is that even though each firm involved in the large wind turbine manufacturing industry in China has followed a very different pathway of technology procurement for the Chinese market, all of the firms are increasing the utilization of locally-manufactured components, and many are doing so without transferring turbine technology or the associated intellectual property. Only one fully Chinese-owned firm, Goldwind, has succeeded in developing a commercially available large wind turbine for the Chinese market. No Chinese firms or foreign firms are manufacturing turbines in China for export overseas, though many have stated plans to do so. There already exists a possible niche market for the smaller turbines that are currently being made in China, particularly in less developed countries that are looking for less expensive, smaller turbines. These market opportunities, in conjunction with the continued implementation of Chinese government policies that differentially support locally-manufactured turbines, are likely to provide the necessary stimulus for China's domestic wind industry development, and its eventual emergence in the global wind industry.

  10. Going for the gold

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sklar, S.

    1994-12-31

    From an international perspective, the solar story is a fairy tale that has come true. Currently, over 175,000 villages around the world are being solarized. More than one-half of the manufacturing capacity of the US photovoltaics industry is exported, as is nearly one-half of the output of US solar water-heating firms. However, the US solar industry is still losing many overseas sales to foreign competition because their governments provide more generous export-financing programs. While the US Government is implementing many changes to make our export assistance programs more flexible, there have yet to be meaningful improvements in financing for smaller-scalemore » projects - the size that solar tends to be.« less

  11. 19 CFR 192.12 - Criteria for denial of applications requesting AES post-departure (Option 4) filing status...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Criteria for denial of applications requesting AES...) EXPORT CONTROL Filing of Export Information Through the Automated Export System (AES) § 192.12 Criteria for denial of applications requesting AES post-departure (Option 4) filing status; appeal procedures...

  12. 19 CFR 192.12 - Criteria for denial of applications requesting AES post-departure (Option 4) filing status...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Criteria for denial of applications requesting AES...) EXPORT CONTROL Filing of Export Information Through the Automated Export System (AES) § 192.12 Criteria for denial of applications requesting AES post-departure (Option 4) filing status; appeal procedures...

  13. 19 CFR 192.12 - Criteria for denial of applications requesting AES post-departure (Option 4) filing status...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Criteria for denial of applications requesting AES...) EXPORT CONTROL Filing of Export Information Through the Automated Export System (AES) § 192.12 Criteria for denial of applications requesting AES post-departure (Option 4) filing status; appeal procedures...

  14. 19 CFR 192.12 - Criteria for denial of applications requesting AES post-departure (Option 4) filing status...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Criteria for denial of applications requesting AES...) EXPORT CONTROL Filing of Export Information Through the Automated Export System (AES) § 192.12 Criteria for denial of applications requesting AES post-departure (Option 4) filing status; appeal procedures...

  15. 19 CFR 192.12 - Criteria for denial of applications requesting AES post-departure (Option 4) filing status...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Criteria for denial of applications requesting AES...) EXPORT CONTROL Filing of Export Information Through the Automated Export System (AES) § 192.12 Criteria for denial of applications requesting AES post-departure (Option 4) filing status; appeal procedures...

  16. 48 CFR 19.306 - Protesting a firm's status as a HUBZone small business concern.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... as a HUBZone small business concern. 19.306 Section 19.306 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Determination of Small Business Status for Small Business Programs 19.306 Protesting a firm's status as a HUBZone small business...

  17. Impacts of the Master Settlement Agreement on the tobacco industry.

    PubMed

    Sloan, F A; Mathews, C A; Trogdon, J G

    2004-12-01

    To assess effects of the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) and the four individual state settlements on tobacco company decisions and performance. 10-K reports filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, firm and daily data from the Center for Research in Security Prices, stock price indices, market share and advertising data, cigarette export and domestic consumption data, and newspaper articles were used to assess changes before (1990-98) and after (1999-2002) the MSA was implemented. Five major tobacco manufacturers in the USA. Stockholder returns, operating performance of defendant companies, exports, market share of the original participants in the MSA, and advertising/promotion expenditures. Returns to investments in the tobacco industry exceeded returns from investments in securities of other companies, using each of four indexes as comparators. Domestic tobacco revenues increased during 1999-2002 from pre-MSA levels. Profits from domestic sales rose from levels prevailing immediately before the MSA. There is no indication that the MSA caused an increase in tobacco exports. Total market share of the original participating manufacturers in the MSA decreased. Total advertising expenditures by the tobacco companies increased at a higher rate than the 1990-98 trend during 1999-2002, but total advertising expenditures net of spending on coupons and promotions decreased. The experience during the post-MSA period demonstrates that the MSA did no major harm to the companies. Some features of the MSA appear to have increased company value and profitability.

  18. The Iran Sanctions Act (ISA)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-07-23

    France and its partners, Gazprom of Russia and Petronas of Malaysia to develop phases 2 and 3 of the 25-phase South Pars gas field. The EU pledged...EU firms in Iran would not be penalized. Total and Petronas subsequently negotiated to develop a liquified natural gas (LNG) export capability at

  19. 77 FR 2302 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Antimicrobial...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-17

    ... and quantities exported; and (3) a listing of the target animals, indications, and production classes... Number Firm Name Dosage Form(s) Production Class(es) Animal Species--Food Animal or Food and Non-Food...] Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Antimicrobial Animal Drug...

  20. 31 CFR 537.523 - Authorization of nongovernmental organizations to engage in humanitarian or religious activities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... of income, such as official grants, private endowments, commercial activities; (7) Financial... firms, if employed in the production of the organization's financial statements (names of individuals... from compliance with other applicable U.S. laws governing the exportation or reexportation of U.S...

  1. 7 CFR 17.5 - Contracts between commodity suppliers and importers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... officers and a description of the firm's experience as an exporter of U.S. agricultural commodities. Copies... under this part and the purchase authorization. (3) If, at the time the commodity supplier reports the... requirements unless otherwise specified in the purchase authorization. (1) Commodity contracts between...

  2. A Quantitative Investigation of Stakeholder Variation in Training Program Evaluation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Michalski, Greg V.

    A survey was conducted to investigate variation in stakeholder perceptions of training results and evaluation within the context of a high-technology product development firm (the case organization). A scannable questionnaire survey booklet was developed and scanned data were exported and analyzed. Based on an achieved sample of 280 (70% response…

  3. International Trade. U.S. Metric Study Interim Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gordon, Gerald F.

    In order to evaluate the potential effects of U.S. conversion to SI (Systems International) units on U.S. foreign trade, 188 export product classes and 155 import product classes were selected from 1,166 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) product classes and questionnaires were mailed to a total of 510 firms, utilizing separate forms for…

  4. 19 CFR 351.524 - Allocation of benefit to a particular time period.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... percent of relevant sales (e.g., total sales, export sales, the sales of a particular product, or the sales to a particular market) of the firm in question during the year in which the subsidy was approved... promotion assistance; early retirement payments; worker assistance; worker training; wage subsidies; and...

  5. Exporting vices: smoking in Asia.

    PubMed

    Cutler, B

    1988-08-01

    Marketing statistics of U.S. cigarette exports indicate that despite notable declines in sales at home, sales to foreign countries, especially in Asia, Africa and Latin America, are growing dramatically. World cigarette consumption has doubled since 1960, mainly in less developed countries. In 1987, American tobacco firms increased cigarette exports 76%, or 1 billion in new sales. U.S. smoking dropped in 1985-86 from 30.4 to 26.5% of adults. In Taiwan, tariffs were removed from U.S. cigarettes, lowering prices from $2.86 to 1.30, and raising U.S. imports from $4.4 to 119 million. South Korean trade barriers were removed in May 1988, creating a large market. Japan imports 32% of exported U.S. cigarettes, has 120 million smokers, and is the beneficiary of a massive advertising campaign centered on young people and women. The Asian response to the smoking phenomenon is emerging in the form of restrictions on timing of TV advertising (Japan and Taiwan), health warnings (Japan and Taiwan), and restriction of smoking in public places (Hong Kong).

  6. To amend the Export Apple Act to permit the export of apples to Canada in bulk bins without certification by the Department of Agriculture.

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Rep. Owens, William L. [D-NY-21

    2013-03-20

    House - 04/02/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  7. Prevalence and risk factors for voice problems among telemarketers.

    PubMed

    Jones, Katherine; Sigmon, Jason; Hock, Lynette; Nelson, Eric; Sullivan, Marsha; Ogren, Frederic

    2002-05-01

    To investigate whether there is an increased prevalence of voice problems among telemarketers compared with the general population and if these voice problems affect productivity and are associated with the presence of known risk factors for voice problems. Cross-sectional survey study. One outbound telemarketing firm, 3 reservations firms, 1 messaging firm, 1 survey research firm, and 1 community college. Random and cluster sampling identified 373 employees of the 6 firms; 304 employees completed the survey. A convenience sample of 187 community college students similar in age, sex, education level, and smoking prevalence served as a control group. Demographic, vocational, personality, and biological risk factors for voice problems; symptoms of vocal attrition; and effects of symptoms on work. Telemarketers were twice as likely to report 1 or more symptoms of vocal attrition compared with controls after adjusting for age, sex, and smoking status (P<.001). Of those surveyed, 31% reported that their work was affected by an average of 5.0 symptoms These respondents tended to be women (P<.001) and were more likely to smoke (P =.02); take drying medications (P<.001); have sinus problems (P =.04), frequent colds (P<.001), and dry mouth (P<.001); and be sedentary (P<.001). Telemarketers have a higher prevalence of voice problems than the control group. These problems affect productivity and are associated with modifiable risk factors. Evaluation of occupational voice disorders must encompass all of the determinants of health status, and treatment must focus on modifiable risk factors, not just the reduction of occupational vocal load.

  8. Economic Globalization and a Nuclear Renaissance

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wood, Thomas W; Johnson, Wayne L; Parker, Brian M

    2001-10-22

    The phenomenon of globalization has become increasingly well recognized, documented, and analyzed in the last several years. Globalization, the integration of markets and intra-firm competition on a worldwide basis, involves complex behavioral and mindset changes within a firm that facilitate global competition. The changes revolve around efficient information flow and rapid deployment of technology. The objective of this report is to examine the probable characteristics of a global nuclear renaissance and its broad implications for industry structure and export control relative to nuclear technology. The question of how a modern renaissance would affect the trend toward globalization of the nuclearmore » industry is addressed.« less

  9. 13 CFR 127.700 - What are the requirements for representing EDWOSB or WOSB status, and what are the penalties for...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... firm's internal management procedures governing EDWOSB or WOSB status representations or certifications, the clarity or ambiguity of the representation or certification requirement, and the efforts made to correct an incorrect or invalid representation or certification in a timely manner. An individual or firm...

  10. Impacts of the Master Settlement Agreement on the tobacco industry

    PubMed Central

    Sloan, F; Mathews, C; Trogdon, J

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To assess effects of the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) and the four individual state settlements on tobacco company decisions and performance. Design: 10-K reports filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, firm and daily data from the Center for Research in Security Prices, stock price indices, market share and advertising data, cigarette export and domestic consumption data, and newspaper articles were used to assess changes before (1990–98) and after (1999–2002) the MSA was implemented. Subjects: Five major tobacco manufacturers in the USA. Main outcome measures: Stockholder returns, operating performance of defendant companies, exports, market share of the original participants in the MSA, and advertising/promotion expenditures. Results: Returns to investments in the tobacco industry exceeded returns from investments in securities of other companies, using each of four indexes as comparators. Domestic tobacco revenues increased during 1999–2002 from pre-MSA levels. Profits from domestic sales rose from levels prevailing immediately before the MSA. There is no indication that the MSA caused an increase in tobacco exports. Total market share of the original participating manufacturers in the MSA decreased. Total advertising expenditures by the tobacco companies increased at a higher rate than the 1990–98 trend during 1999–2002, but total advertising expenditures net of spending on coupons and promotions decreased. Conclusion: The experience during the post-MSA period demonstrates that the MSA did no major harm to the companies. Some features of the MSA appear to have increased company value and profitability. PMID:15564618

  11. Effect of Foreign Presence on Domestic Performance: The Cases of Education in the US and Manufacturing Firms in Ethiopia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abegaz, Melaku

    2016-01-01

    This dissertation studies the effects of foreign presence on the performance of domestic institutions and economic agents. We identify three types of foreign presence: international students, inward foreign investment, and exporting activities. The first chapter investigates the impacts of international students on the graduation performance of…

  12. CoCom and the Future of Conventional Arms Exports in the Former Communist Bloc

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-12-01

    structure and background of each of these firms. The first example is the Godollo Machine Factory which was primarily involved in repair and renovation of...regularizedŚ Such an attitude is noteworthy because the potential for growth in the space industry is so great. Not only does Russia produce the " Energia

  13. A bill to amend the Export Apple Act to permit the export of apples to Canada in bulk bins without certification by the Department of Agriculture.

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY

    2012-03-20

    Senate - 03/20/2012 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  14. Women Accountants in Practicing Accounting Firms: Their Status, Investments and Returns

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Okpechi, Simeon O.; Belmasrour, Rachid

    2011-01-01

    In the past twenty years, the number of qualified women accountants in the U.S. has outstripped that of men according to American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; yet these women occupy few strategic positions in accounting firms. Retention has been a major issue. This study explores how the perception of their status, investments and…

  15. Confidence limits and sample size for determining nonhost status of fruits and vegetables to tephritid fruit flies as a quarantine measure.

    PubMed

    Follett, Peter A; Hennessey, Michael K

    2007-04-01

    Quarantine measures including treatments are applied to exported fruit and vegetable commodities to control regulatory fruit fly pests and to reduce the likelihood of their introduction into new areas. Nonhost status can be an effective measure used to achieve quarantine security. As with quarantine treatments, nonhost status can stand alone as a measure if there is high efficacy and statistical confidence. The numbers of insects or fruit tested during investigation of nonhost status will determine the level of statistical confidence. If the level of confidence of nonhost status is not high, then additional measures may be required to achieve quarantine security as part of a systems approach. Certain countries require that either 99.99 or 99.9968% mortality, as a measure of efficacy, at the 95% confidence level, be achieved by a quarantine treatment to meet quarantine security. This article outlines how the level of confidence in nonhost status can be quantified so that its equivalency to traditional quarantine treatments may be demonstrated. Incorporating sample size and confidence levels into host status testing protocols along with efficacy will lead to greater consistency by regulatory decision-makers in interpreting results and, therefore, to more technically sound decisions on host status.

  16. 78 FR 22843 - Foreign-Trade Zone 33-Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Authorization of Export Production Activity...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-17

    ..., Pennsylvania, Authorization of Export Production Activity, Tsudis Chocolate Company (Chocolate Confectionery Bars), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania On December 4, 2012, Tsudis Chocolate Company, submitted a notification... restriction requiring that all foreign-status liquid chocolate admitted to FTZ 33 must be re-exported. Dated...

  17. 15 CFR 30.60 - Confidentiality of Electronic Export Information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Confidentiality of Electronic Export... § 30.60 Confidentiality of Electronic Export Information. (a) Confidential status. The EEI collected... in any form including but not limited to electronic transmission, paper printout, or certified...

  18. 15 CFR 30.60 - Confidentiality of Electronic Export Information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Confidentiality of Electronic Export... § 30.60 Confidentiality of Electronic Export Information. (a) Confidential status. The EEI collected... in any form including but not limited to electronic transmission, paper printout, or certified...

  19. 15 CFR 30.60 - Confidentiality of Electronic Export Information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Confidentiality of Electronic Export... § 30.60 Confidentiality of Electronic Export Information. (a) Confidential status. The EEI collected... in any form including but not limited to electronic transmission, paper printout, or certified...

  20. Caspian games: A dynamic bargaining game

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Michaud, Dennis Wright

    This Dissertation was written under the direction of Professor P.Terrence Hopmann. In this work, the author seeks to identify the independent variables affecting the outcome of three key decisions required of the international consortiums constructing Caspian oil export pipelines. The first of involves whether or not the enterprises developing the pipelines to export Kazakh oil, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium ("CPC"), and Azeri oil, the Azerbaijan International Operating Consortium ("CPC"), cooperate by utilizing the same route or utilize separate energy export corridors. Second, I analyzed how the actual Main Export Pipeline route ("MEP") for Azeri oil was selected by the AIOC. Finally, I tried to understand the factors driving the residual equity positions in each consortium. I was particularly interested in the equity position of Russian state and commercial interests in each consortium. I approached the puzzle as a multilevel bargaining problem. Hence, the preferences of each relevant actor (state and corporate levels) were assessed. The covering theory utilized was rational choice. An application of game theoretic modeling, particularly Bayesian analysis (used as a metaphor), accounted for the learning process resulting from the strategic interaction between actors. I sought to understand greater the refinement of each actor's perception of counterpart preferences. Additionally, the Gordon Constant Growth Model ("CGM") and the Sharp's Capital Asset Pricing Model ("CAPM") were utilized to relate multinational actors preferences, achieving a cost of capital based hurdle rate, to political risk. My end findings demonstrate this interrelationship and provide a clear argument for great power states to persuade newly developing Caspian states to adopt a more transparent, and credible approach to corporate governance. This revised state strategy will reduce multinationals' perception of political risk, lower firms' cost of capital (hurdle rate), and increase the funding of major energy development projects, which will stimulate economic and political development.

  1. Phenotypic and genetic relationships between indicators of the mammary gland health status and milk composition, coagulation, and curd firming in dairy sheep.

    PubMed

    Pazzola, Michele; Cipolat-Gotet, Claudio; Bittante, Giovanni; Cecchinato, Alessio; Dettori, Maria L; Vacca, Giuseppe M

    2018-04-01

    The present study investigated the effect of somatic cell count, lactose, and pH on sheep milk composition, coagulation properties (MCP), and curd firming (CF) parameters. Individual milk samples were collected from 1,114 Sarda ewes reared in 23 farms. Milk composition, somatic cell count, single point MCP (rennet coagulation time, RCT; curd firming time, k 20 ; and curd firmness, a 30 , a 45 , and a 60 ), and CF model parameters were achieved. Phenotypic traits were statistically analyzed using a mixed model to estimate the effects of the different levels of milk somatic cell score (SCS), lactose, and pH, respectively. Additive genetic, herd, and residual correlations among these 3 traits, and with milk composition, MCP and CF parameters, were inferred using a Bayesian approach. From a phenotypic point of view, higher SCS levels caused a delayed gelification of milk. Lactose concentration and pH were significant for many milk quality traits, with a very intense effect on both coagulation times and curd firming. These traits (RCT, RCT estimated using the curd firming over time equation, and k 20 ) showed an unfavorable increase of about 20% from the highest to the lowest level of lactose. Milk samples with pH values lower than 6.56 versus higher than 6.78 were characterized by an increase of RCT (from 6.00 to 14.3 min) and k 20 (from 1.65 to 2.65 min) and a decrease of all the 3 curd firmness traits. From a genetic point of view, the marginal posterior distribution of heritability estimates evidenced a large and exploitable variability for all 3 phenotypes. The mean intra-farm heritability estimates were 0.173 for SCS, 0.418 for lactose content, and 0.206 for pH. Lactose (favorably), and SCS and pH (unfavorably), at phenotypic and genetic levels, were correlated mainly with RCT and RCT estimated using the curd firming over time equation and scarcely with the other curd firming traits. The SCS, lactose, and pH were significantly correlated with each other's. In conclusion, results reported in the present study suggest that SCS, pH, and lactose affect, contemporarily and independently, milk quality and MCP. These phenotypes, easily available during milk recording schemes measured by infrared spectra prediction, could be used as potential indicators traits for improving cheese-making ability of ovine milk. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. 76 FR 52935 - President's Export Council, Subcommittee on Export Administration; Notice of Open Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-24

    ... with all countries with which the United States has diplomatic or trading relations and of controlling... and Vice Chair. 2. Export Control Reform Update. 3. Presentation of Papers or Comments by the Public. 4. Review of Field Hearing. 5. Status of 2011 Workplan. 6. Discussion of 2012 Workplan. 7...

  3. Levels of health development: a new tool for comparative research and policy formulation.

    PubMed

    Hunter, S S

    1990-01-01

    Levels of health development are formed by mathematically clustering countries using six health status indicators: crude birth, crude death, infant mortality and child death rates, and male and female life expectancy. Stratifying two international samples of 128 and 163 countries into levels of health development--groups with similar health status profiles--improves the results of regression analyses used to identify economic, political, social, educational, health and other health determinants. For this reason, health development levels are a systematic framework for delineation of health determinants. Earlier large scale statistical studies have been limited in their success in part because they did not partition their data sets prior to analysis, or used inappropriate criteria that blurred rather than heightened developmental differences in underlying social systems. These developmental differences regulate the way in which health status inputs are converted into health status outputs, defining the relative importance of health determinants at various developmental levels. At lowest health development levels (countries with poorer health status), the under-development of economic, health and educational infrastructures creates a vacuum which allows international intervention (aid, investment, export/import activities) to play a dominant role in health status determination. At middle health development levels, health and educational infrastructures are better developed, but still secondary in importance as health status determinants to basic economic infrastructure. Demographic problems are particularly apparent at these levels. At higher health development levels, education, women's status, and political structure are especially important health status determinants. This research has facilitated the identification of health status determinants for use in health policy analysis. Recommendations for future research include use of findings in health policymaking by individual countries and by comparative researchers, and development of appropriate health systems models for each level of health development.

  4. Risk assessment and cost-effectiveness of animal health certification methods for livestock export in Somalia

    PubMed Central

    Knight-Jones, T.J.D.; Njeumi, F.; Elsawalhy, A.; Wabacha, J.; Rushton, J.

    2014-01-01

    Livestock export is vital to the Somali economy. To protect Somali livestock exports from costly import bans used to control the international spread of disease, better certification of livestock health status is required. We performed quantitative risk assessment and cost-effectiveness analysis on different health certification protocols for Somali livestock exports for six transboundary diseases. Examining stock at regional markets alone without port inspection and quarantine was inexpensive but was ineffective for all but contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, contagious caprine pleuropneumonia and peste des petits ruminants. While extended pre-export quarantine improves detection of infections that cause clinical disease, if biosecurity is suboptimal quarantine provides an opportunity for transmission and increased risk. Clinical examination, laboratory screening and vaccination of animals for key diseases before entry to the quarantine station reduced the risk of an exported animal being infected. If vaccination could be reliably performed weeks before arrival at quarantine its effect would be greatly enhanced. The optimal certification method depends on the disease. Laboratory diagnostic testing was particularly important for detecting infections with limited clinical signs in male animals (only males are exported); for Rift Valley fever (RVF) the probability of detection was 99% or 0% with and without testing. Based on our findings animal inspection and certification at regional markets combined with quarantine inspection and certification would reduce the risk of exporting infected animals and enhance disease control at the regional level. This is especially so for key priority diseases, that is RVF, foot-and-mouth disease and Brucellosis. Increased data collection and testing should be applied at point of production and export. PMID:24462194

  5. Risk assessment and cost-effectiveness of animal health certification methods for livestock export in Somalia.

    PubMed

    Knight-Jones, T J D; Njeumi, F; Elsawalhy, A; Wabacha, J; Rushton, J

    2014-03-01

    Livestock export is vital to the Somali economy. To protect Somali livestock exports from costly import bans used to control the international spread of disease, better certification of livestock health status is required. We performed quantitative risk assessment and cost-effectiveness analysis on different health certification protocols for Somali livestock exports for six transboundary diseases. Examining stock at regional markets alone without port inspection and quarantine was inexpensive but was ineffective for all but contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, contagious caprine pleuropneumonia and peste des petits ruminants. While extended pre-export quarantine improves detection of infections that cause clinical disease, if biosecurity is suboptimal quarantine provides an opportunity for transmission and increased risk. Clinical examination, laboratory screening and vaccination of animals for key diseases before entry to the quarantine station reduced the risk of an exported animal being infected. If vaccination could be reliably performed weeks before arrival at quarantine its effect would be greatly enhanced. The optimal certification method depends on the disease. Laboratory diagnostic testing was particularly important for detecting infections with limited clinical signs in male animals (only males are exported); for Rift Valley fever (RVF) the probability of detection was 99% or 0% with and without testing. Based on our findings animal inspection and certification at regional markets combined with quarantine inspection and certification would reduce the risk of exporting infected animals and enhance disease control at the regional level. This is especially so for key priority diseases, that is RVF, foot-and-mouth disease and Brucellosis. Increased data collection and testing should be applied at point of production and export. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Application of food safety management systems (ISO 22000/HACCP) in the Turkish poultry industry: a comparison based on enterprise size.

    PubMed

    Kök, M Samil

    2009-10-01

    The objectives of this study were to determine the extent of food safety management systems (ISO 22000/HACCP) implementation in the Turkish poultry industry. A survey was conducted with 25 major poultry meat producers, which account for close to 90% of national production, and a comparison was made between the procedures of small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and large firms (LFs). The survey revealed that there is a high level of application of ISO 22000 (72%), which is seen to aid the export market. LFs were shown to adopt more stringent schemes and make better use of governmental support services than SMEs. LFs were also more aware of, and able to deal with, risks from a greater range of contaminants.

  7. 13 CFR 124.304 - What are the procedures for early graduation and termination?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... not qualify as an SDB for future procurement actions. If the firm believes that it does qualify as an SDB and seeks to certify itself as an SDB, as part of its SDB certification the firm must identify: (i... qualifies the firm for SDB status; and (iii) Where applicable, the circumstances that have changed since the...

  8. 13 CFR 124.304 - What are the procedures for early graduation and termination?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... not qualify as an SDB for future procurement actions. If the firm believes that it does qualify as an SDB and seeks to certify itself as an SDB, as part of its SDB certification the firm must identify: (i... qualifies the firm for SDB status; and (iii) Where applicable, the circumstances that have changed since the...

  9. 13 CFR 124.304 - What are the procedures for early graduation and termination?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... not qualify as an SDB for future procurement actions. If the firm believes that it does qualify as an SDB and seeks to certify itself as an SDB, as part of its SDB certification the firm must identify: (i... qualifies the firm for SDB status; and (iii) Where applicable, the circumstances that have changed since the...

  10. 48 CFR 636.104-70 - Foreign Service Buildings Act of 1926, as amended.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... or limited to: (1) Host-country firms where required by international agreement; or (2) By the laws... preference. For purposes of determining competitive status, American-owned firms shall receive a ten (10...

  11. Microcap pharmaceutical firms: linking drug pipelines to market value.

    PubMed

    Beach, Robert

    2012-01-01

    This article examines predictors of the future market value of microcap pharmaceutical companies. This is problematic since the large majority of these firms seldom report positive net income. Their value comes from the potential of a liquidity event such as occurs when a key drug is approved by the FDA. The typical scenario is one in which the company is either acquired by a larger pharmaceutical firm or enters into a joint venture with another pharmaceutical firm. Binary logistic regression is used to determine the impact of the firm's drug treatment pipeline and its investment in research and development on the firm's market cap. Using annual financial data from 2007 through 2010, this study finds that the status of the firm's drug treatment pipeline and its research and development expenses are significant predictors of the firm's future stock value relative to other microcap pharmaceutical firms.

  12. 78 FR 70917 - Emerging Technology and Research Advisory Committee; Notice of Open Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-27

    ... to deemed exports. Agenda Thursday, December 19 Open Session 1. Opening Remarks and Comments 2. Discussion on status of the Export Control Reform Initiative 3. Emerging Technology Issues --Harmonization of...

  13. Land Combat Systems Industry Report, Industrial College of the Armed Forces Academic Year 2004-2005

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-01-01

    international members of selected industries in both defense and non -defense environments, and prepare specific policy options to enhance industrial... policy implications. Consistent with the ICAF’s non -attribution policy , this report presents industry composite information only, disclosing neither...European firms regard these U.S. export control policies as protectionist and, indeed, many seek out partnership arrangements to circumvent U.S

  14. Process methods and levels of automation of wood pallet repair in the United States

    Treesearch

    Jonghun Park; Laszlo Horvath; Robert J. Bush

    2016-01-01

    This study documented the current status of wood pallet repair in the United States by identifying the types of processing and equipment usage in repair operations from an automation prespective. The wood pallet repair firms included in the sudy received an average of approximately 1.28 million cores (i.e., used pallets) for recovery in 2012. A majority of the cores...

  15. Food safety regulations in Australia and New Zealand Food Standards.

    PubMed

    Ghosh, Dilip

    2014-08-01

    Citizens of Australia and New Zealand recognise that food security is a major global issue. Food security also affects Australia and New Zealand's status as premier food exporting nations and the health and wellbeing of the Australasian population. Australia is uniquely positioned to help build a resilient food value chain and support programs aimed at addressing existing and emerging food security challenges. The Australian food governance system is fragmented and less transparent, being largely in the hands of government and semi-governmental regulatory authorities. The high level of consumer trust in Australian food governance suggests that this may be habitual and taken for granted, arising from a lack of negative experiences of food safety. In New Zealand the Ministry of Primary Industries regulates food safety issues. To improve trade and food safety, New Zealand and Australia work together through Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and other co-operative agreements. Although the potential risks to the food supply are dynamic and constantly changing, the demand, requirement and supply for providing safe food remains firm. The Australasian food industry will need to continually develop its system that supports the food safety program with the help of scientific investigations that underpin the assurance of what is and is not safe. The incorporation of a comprehensive and validated food safety program is one of the total quality management systems that will ensure that all areas of potential problems are being addressed by industry. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

  16. 48 CFR 1019.202-70-4 - General policy.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Policies 1019.202-70-4 General policy. (a) Eligible prime... subcontractors. (b) A firm's status as a protégé under a Treasury contract must not have an effect on the firm's...

  17. A New Wrist Clinical Evaluation Score.

    PubMed

    Herzberg, Guillaume; Burnier, Marion; Nakamura, Toshiyasu

    2018-04-01

    Background  The number of available wrist scoring systems is limited; some of them do not include forearm rotation criteria. Purpose  To describe a new electronic wrist clinical score and to present a new patient's generated wrist evaluation criterion, the subjective wrist value (SWV). Materials and Methods  A new electronic wrist clinical score, the Lyon wrist score (LWS) including wrist VAS pain and function, active range of motion and strength was built into an excel file. VAS flexion-extension pain and function were evaluated independently from pronation-supination pain and function. A new patient's generated wrist evaluation criterion, SWV was described. Results  The LWS is available in two versions, standard and full (the latter including forearm rotation strength). Both standard and full LWS are displayed into an automatically generated diamond-shaped graph providing a comprehensive visual display of the clinical status of most osteoarticular wrist disorders. The graph also includes SWV. The LWS, combined with SWV into a graph that may be directly exported to a PowerPoint presentation, provide a new practical and comprehensive tool for following/comparing wrist osteoarticular clinical status/outcomes. Both standard and full LWS charts are available in colored versions on a related website for free download. Conclusion  A comprehensive updated electronic display of osteoarticular wrist clinical status including forearm rotation criteria is provided and displayed into a graph which may be exported as such into a PowerPoint presentation for clinical analysis/comparisons. Level of Evidence  Level II.

  18. AUTOMATING THREE DIMENSIONAL (3D) MODEL CREATION OF CIRCUIT CARD ASSEMBLIES

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-07-01

    are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Department of the Army position, policy, or decision, unless so designated by...other documentation. The citation in this report of the names of commercial firms or commercially available products or services does not...document describes a method to export data from a printed wiring board computer-aided design (CAD) application and then import that data to a

  19. Unexpected high diversity of galling insects in the Amazonian upper canopy: the savanna out there.

    PubMed

    Julião, Genimar R; Venticinque, Eduardo M; Fernandes, G Wilson; Price, Peter W

    2014-01-01

    A relatively large number of studies reassert the strong relationship between galling insect diversity and extreme hydric and thermal status in some habitats, and an overall pattern of a greater number of galling species in the understory of scleromorphic vegetation. We compared galling insect diversity in the forest canopy and its relationship with tree richness among upland terra firme, várzea, and igapó floodplains in Amazonia, Brazil. The soils of these forest types have highly different hydric and nutritional status. Overall, we examined the upper layer of 1,091 tree crowns. Galling species richness and abundance were higher in terra firme forests compared to várzea and igapó forests. GLM-ANCOVA models revealed that the number of tree species sampled in each forest type was determinant in the gall-forming insect diversity. The ratio between galling insect richness and number of tree species sampled (GIR/TSS ratio) was higher in the terra firme forest and in seasonally flooded igapó, while the várzea presented the lowest GIR/TSS ratio. In this study, we recorded unprecedented values of galling species diversity and abundance per sampling point. The GIR/TSS ratio from várzea was approximately 2.5 times higher than the highest value of this ratio ever reported in the literature. Based on this fact, we ascertained that várzea and igapó floodplain forests (with lower GIA and GIR), together with the speciose terra firme galling community emerge as the gall diversity apex landscape among all biogeographic regions already investigated. Contrary to expectation, our results also support the "harsh environment hypothesis", and unveil the Amazonian upper canopy as similar to Mediterranean vegetation habitats, hygrothermically stressed environments with leaf temperature at lethal limits and high levels of leaf sclerophylly.

  20. 48 CFR 1019.202-70-9 - Selection of protégé firms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... TREASURY SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Policies 1019.202-70-9 Selection of protégé firms... the size or eligibility status of an entity selected by a mentor to be a protégé must be referred...

  1. Fourth Generation Warfare and the Cultural Divide

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-04-01

    her own socio-political agenda. While the West exports its brand of democracy, Islamists concurrently export their incompatible ideology to the West...who espouse “progressive” ideas feel that America is a victim of her own socio-political agenda. While the West exports its brand of democracy...culture relationships. In newspapers and on television around the globe, an emotionally explosive war rages: the underdog status quo of civility, mutual

  2. Nuclear Successor States of the Soviet Union, Nuclear Weapon and Sensitive Export Status Report

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-05-01

    EXPORT STATUS REPORT S I VIE T U N il] N A COOPERATIVE PROJECT OF THE CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE, WASHINGTON, DC, AND MOSCOW NUMBER 1...Launch Periodic Report on Nuclear Successor States Leonard S . Spector of the Carnegie Endowment for N U C L E A R International Peace and William C...range, translated in FBIS-SOV-92-232, December 2, 1992, p. 22. 5 Table I-C. -- N -Weapon Systems and Warheads on Territory, con’t. S

  3. The Impact of Price-cap Regulations on Exit by Generic Pharmaceutical Firms.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Wei; Guh, Daphne; Sun, Huiying; Marra, Carlo A; Lynd, Larry D; Anis, Aslam H

    2016-09-01

    In 1998, the Province of Ontario in Canada adopted price-cap "70/90" regulations whereby the first generic entrant was required to be priced at ≤70% of the associated brand-name product and subsequent generics were priced at ≤90% of the first generic price. The price-caps were further lowered to 50% in 2006 and 25% in 2010. This study assessed the impact of such price-cap regulations on exit by generic drug firms. Formulary (2003-2012) listings of prescription drugs covered under the Ontario Drug Benefit program were used. The formulary tracks the "status" (on formulary, discontinued by manufacturer, and delisted for other reasons) for each drug. Markets were defined based on unique active ingredient and form within Ontario. Firm exit occurred when a manufacturer discontinued all its generic drugs within a market. The exit rate was defined as the number of generic firm-market exits divided by total generic firm-market follow-up years. Poisson regression was used to compare the exit rates during the 3 policy periods ("25," "50," and "70/90"). A total of 1126 generic manufacturers paired with 290 markets were identified. The exit rate ratio during the 25% price-cap period compared with the 70%/90% period was 2.42 (95% confidence interval, 1.56-3.77). A small manufacturer or a manufacturer in a market with ≥3 competitors or in an older market was more likely to exit. Lowering the price-cap level is associated with a higher incidence of generic firm exit from markets. Continuously reducing price-caps may have the unintended consequence of forcing generic firms to exit.

  4. 78 FR 21346 - Emerging Technology and Research Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-10

    ...:30 a.m. 1. Opening Remarks. 2. Panel Discussion on Deemed Exports. 3. Emerging Technologies--Results..., April 26 Open Session: 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. 1. Discussion on status of the Export Control Reform...

  5. 7 CFR 1493.4 - Criteria for country allocations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE EXPORT PROGRAMS CCC EXPORT CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAMS Restrictions and Criteria for... CCC in reviewing proposals for country allocations under the GSM-102 or GSM-103 programs, will include... to adequately service CCC guaranteed debt; (c) Financial status of participating banks in the...

  6. 7 CFR 1493.4 - Criteria for country allocations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE EXPORT PROGRAMS CCC EXPORT CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAMS Restrictions and Criteria for... CCC in reviewing proposals for country allocations under the GSM-102 or GSM-103 programs, will include... to adequately service CCC guaranteed debt; (c) Financial status of participating banks in the...

  7. 7 CFR 1493.4 - Criteria for country allocations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE EXPORT PROGRAMS CCC EXPORT CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAMS Restrictions and Criteria for... CCC in reviewing proposals for country allocations under the GSM-102 or GSM-103 programs, will include... to adequately service CCC guaranteed debt; (c) Financial status of participating banks in the...

  8. Definitional-mission report: I-shaped power-interconnection study in Thailand. Export trade information

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shrivastava, V.K.; Sandell, D.H.

    The Government of Thailand is implementing a Southern Seaboard Development Project. The developing of the project will increase demand for all utility and infrastructure systems and services. The distribution of electric power in the new area falls within the responsibility of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA). The U.S. Trade and Development Program (TDP) funded a Definitional Mission to evaluate the prospects of TDP funding a feasibility study for an I-Shaped power interconnection study for supplying electricity to the 15 provinces in Southern Thailand. The mission concluded that TDP should provide a grant to PEA to select a U.S. firm tomore » carry out the proposed I-Shaped Interconnection study for power distribution in southern Thailand. The overall potential for exports resulting from the project is conservatively estimated at $120 million, not including any follow-on work and spare parts inventory, typical of such projects. TDP's program in Thailand has enjoyed enviable success in exports and TDP's support of the proposed feasibility study will clearly maintain and very likely add to that momentum.« less

  9. Technology transfer and international development: Materials and manufacturing technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1982-01-01

    Policy oriented studies on technological development in several relatively advanced developing countries were conducted. Priority sectors defined in terms of technological sophistication, capital intensity, value added, and export potential were studied in Brazil, Venezuela, Israel, and Korea. The development of technological policy alternatives for the sponsoring country is assessed. Much emphasis is placed on understanding the dynamics of the sectors through structured interviews with a large sample of firms in the leading manufacturing and materials processing sectors.

  10. 19 CFR 146.44 - Zone-restricted status.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Zone-restricted status. 146.44 Section 146.44... TREASURY (CONTINUED) FOREIGN TRADE ZONES Status of Merchandise in a Zone § 146.44 Zone-restricted status. (a) General. Merchandise taken into a zone for the sole purpose of exportation, destruction (except...

  11. 15 CFR 762.3 - Records exempt from recordkeeping requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ...; (2) Special export file list; (3) Vessel log from freight forwarder; (4) Inspection certificate; (5... form; (12) Financial hold form; (13) Export parts shipping problem form; (14) Draft number log; (15) Expense invoice mailing log; (16) Financial status report; (17) Bank release of guarantees; (18) Cash...

  12. 15 CFR 762.3 - Records exempt from recordkeeping requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ...; (2) Special export file list; (3) Vessel log from freight forwarder; (4) Inspection certificate; (5... form; (12) Financial hold form; (13) Export parts shipping problem form; (14) Draft number log; (15) Expense invoice mailing log; (16) Financial status report; (17) Bank release of guarantees; (18) Cash...

  13. Health care reform: motivation for discrimination?

    PubMed

    Navin, J C; Pettit, M A

    1995-01-01

    One of the major issues in the health care reform debate is the requirement that employers pay a portion of their employees' health insurance premiums. This paper examines the method for calculating the employer share of the health care premiums, as specified in the President's health care reform proposal. The calculation of the firm's cost of providing employee health care benefits is a function of marital status as well as the incidence of two-income earner households. This paper demonstrates that this method provides for lower than average premiums for married employees with no dependents in communities in which there is at least one married couple where both individuals participate in the labor market. This raises the non-wage labor costs of employing single individuals relative to individuals which are identical in every respect except their marital status. This paper explores the economic implications for hiring, as well as profits, for firms located in a perfectly-competitive industry. The results of the theoretical model presented here are clear. Under this proposed version of health care reform, ceteris paribus, firms have a clear preference for two-earner households. This paper also demonstrates that the incentive to discriminate is related to the size of the firm and to the size of the average wage of full-time employees for firms which employ fewer than fifty individuals. While this paper examines the specifics of President Clinton's original proposal, the conclusions reached here would apply to any form of employer-mandated coverage in which the premiums are a function of family status and the incidence of two-earner households.

  14. Export Promotion Act of 2010

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN

    2010-03-05

    Senate - 09/13/2010 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 560. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  15. Iran Export Embargo Act

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX

    2013-05-21

    Senate - 05/21/2013 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  16. 19 CFR 351.412 - Levels of trade; adjustment for difference in level of trade; constructed export price offset.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Levels of trade; adjustment for difference in level of trade; constructed export price offset. 351.412 Section 351.412 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ANTIDUMPING AND COUNTERVAILING DUTIES Calculation of Export Price, Constructed Export Price, Fair Value,...

  17. 19 CFR 351.412 - Levels of trade; adjustment for difference in level of trade; constructed export price offset.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Levels of trade; adjustment for difference in level of trade; constructed export price offset. 351.412 Section 351.412 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ANTIDUMPING AND COUNTERVAILING DUTIES Calculation of Export Price, Constructed Export Price, Fair Value,...

  18. 19 CFR 351.412 - Levels of trade; adjustment for difference in level of trade; constructed export price offset.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Levels of trade; adjustment for difference in level of trade; constructed export price offset. 351.412 Section 351.412 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ANTIDUMPING AND COUNTERVAILING DUTIES Calculation of Export Price, Constructed Export Price, Fair Value,...

  19. 19 CFR 351.412 - Levels of trade; adjustment for difference in level of trade; constructed export price offset.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Levels of trade; adjustment for difference in level of trade; constructed export price offset. 351.412 Section 351.412 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ANTIDUMPING AND COUNTERVAILING DUTIES Calculation of Export Price, Constructed Export Price, Fair Value,...

  20. 19 CFR 351.412 - Levels of trade; adjustment for difference in level of trade; constructed export price offset.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Levels of trade; adjustment for difference in level of trade; constructed export price offset. 351.412 Section 351.412 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ANTIDUMPING AND COUNTERVAILING DUTIES Calculation of Export Price, Constructed Export Price, Fair Value,...

  1. What results when firms implement practices: the differential relationship between specific practices, firm financial performance, customer service, and quality.

    PubMed

    Gibson, Cristina B; Porath, Christine L; Benson, George S; Lawler, Edward E

    2007-11-01

    Previous research on organizational practices is replete with contradictory evidence regarding their effects. Here, the authors argue that these contradictory findings may have occurred because researchers have often examined complex practice combinations and have failed to investigate a broad variety of firm-level outcomes. Thus, past research may obscure important differential effects of specific practices on specific firm-level outcomes. Extending this research, the authors develop hypotheses about the effects of practices that (a) enable information sharing, (b) set boundaries, and (c) enable teams on 3 different firm-level outcomes: financial performance, customer service, and quality. Relationships are tested in a sample of observations from over 200 Fortune 1000 firms. Results indicate that information-sharing practices were positively related to financial performance 1 year following implementation of the practices, boundary-setting practices were positively related to firm-level customer service, and team-enabling practices were related to firm-level quality. No single set of practices predicted all 3 firm-level outcomes, indicating practice-specific effects. These findings help resolve the theoretical tension in the literature regarding the effects of organizational practices and offer guidance as to how to best target practices to increase specific work-related outcomes. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed. (c) 2007 APA

  2. 48 CFR 1827.303 - Contract clauses. (NASA supplements paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d))

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ..., a prospective contractor may be required to represent itself as either a small business firm or a... contracting officer may file a protest in accordance with FAR 19.302 if small business firm status is... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION GENERAL CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS PATENTS, DATA, AND...

  3. 48 CFR 1827.303 - Contract clauses. (NASA supplements paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d))

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ..., a prospective contractor may be required to represent itself as either a small business firm or a... contracting officer may file a protest in accordance with FAR 19.302 if small business firm status is... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION GENERAL CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS PATENTS, DATA, AND...

  4. Export-Import Bank Termination Act

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT

    2013-06-06

    Senate - 06/06/2013 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  5. Export Promotion Act of 2012

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Pryor, Mark L. [D-AR

    2012-03-07

    Senate - 03/07/2012 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  6. JPRS Report, Soviet Union, Foreign Military Review, No. 12, December 1987.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-05-11

    on the cargo bed of the five-ton Unimog vehicle of the West German firm of Mercedes - Benz . It has four smoothbore barrels, each 3 m long and con...Center. The tactic of "quietly creeping" into SDI of course was not advertised . Moreover, excuses were heard when particular facts attesting to...productivity growth rates. Japanese export grew at outstripping rates, which led to a sharp aggravation of both countries’ rivalry in world markets . A

  7. Small Business Export Opportunity Development Act of 2009

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME

    2009-06-08

    Senate - 06/08/2009 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  8. Small Business Export Growth Act of 2012

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH

    2012-05-22

    Senate - 05/22/2012 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  9. Safeguard American Food Exports Act of 2013

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Landrieu, Mary L. [D-LA

    2013-03-12

    Senate - 03/12/2013 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  10. Small Business Export Growth Act of 2013

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH

    2013-06-18

    Senate - 06/18/2013 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  11. American Export Promotion Act of 2013

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI

    2013-11-20

    Senate - 11/20/2013 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  12. Self-insurance and worksite alcohol programs: an econometric analysis.

    PubMed

    Kenkel, D S

    1997-03-01

    The worksite is an important point of access for alcohol treatment and prevention, but not all firms are likely to find offering alcohol programs profitable. This study attempts to identify at a conceptual and empirical level factors that are important determinants of the profitability of worksite alcohol programs. A central question considered in the empirical analysis is whether firms' decisions about worksite alcohol programs are related to how employee group health insurance is provided. The data used are from the 1992 National Survey of Worksite Health Promotion Activities (N = 1,389-1,412). The econometric analysis focuses on measures of whether the surveyed firms offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), individual counseling, group classes and resource materials regarding alcohol and other substance abuse. Holding other factors constant, the probability that a self-insured firm offers an EAP is estimated to be 59%, compared to 51% for a firm that purchases market group health insurance for its employees. Unionized worksites and larger worksites are also found to be more likely to offer worksite alcohol programs, compared to nonunionized smaller worksites. Worksites with younger work-forces are less likely than those with older employees to offer alcohol programs. The empirical results are consistent with the conceptual framework from labor economics, since self-insurance is expected to increase firms' demand for worksite alcohol programs while large worksite is expected to reduce the average program cost. The role of union status and workforce age suggests it is important to consider workers' preferences for the programs as fringe benefits. The results also suggest that the national trend towards self-insurance may be leading to more prevention and treatment of worker alcohol-related problems.

  13. Hydrological Flowpaths and Their Controls at LBA Biogeochemistry Study Sites - Communalities, Contrasts and Representativeness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elsenbeer, H.; Johnson, M.; Neill, C.

    2006-12-01

    Several LBA projects have focused on nutrient fluxes within and nutrient export from forested terra firme headwater catchments. Their physiographic settings encompass the most common soil types of Amazonia, i.e., Oxisols and Ultisols, and share the topography typical of recently dissected landscapes. We will explore to which degree pedological and geomorphological similarities among sites in Amazonas, Mato Grosso and Rondonia extend to near-surface hydrological behavior. We will then interpret differences in nutrient dynamics in terms of contrasting hydrological flowpaths and soil chemistry. Special attention will be given to the usefulness, or lack thereof, of soil taxonomic information as a predictor of near-surface hydrological and hydrochemical behavior in Amazonia, and to the role of riparian zones in masking terra firme processes. Against this background, we will evaluate the representativeness of these LBA sites in the Amazonian context.

  14. 26 CFR 1.996-7 - Carryover of DISC tax attributes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... allocated. (iii) Any assets of the distributing DISC whose status as qualified export assets is limited by its accumulated DISC income (e.g., producer's loans described in § 1.993-4, Export-Import Bank and... constitutes accumulated DISC income. The unpaid balance of P's producer's loans is $80,000 all of which is...

  15. 77 FR 77016 - Foreign-Trade Zone 33 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Notification of Proposed Export Production...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-12-31

    ... Confectionery Bars) Pittsburgh, PA Tsudis Chocolate Company (Tsudis), an operator of FTZ 33, submitted a... the facility would involve the production of chocolate confectionery bars for export (no shipments for... markets, FTZ procedures could exempt Tsudis from customs duty payments on the foreign status material used...

  16. 77 FR 8807 - President's Export Council, Subcommittee on Export Administration; Notice of Open Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-15

    ... diplomatic or trading relations and of controlling trade for national security and foreign policy reasons.... Welcome and remarks by Chairman and Vice Chair. 2. Presentation of Papers or Comments by the Public. 3. Review of Field Hearing. 4. Discussion/Status of 2012 Workplan. 5. Subcommittee Breakout Sessions. 6...

  17. Exporting dams: China's hydropower industry goes global.

    PubMed

    McDonald, Kristen; Bosshard, Peter; Brewer, Nicole

    2009-07-01

    In line with China's "going out" strategy, China's dam industry has in recent years significantly expanded its involvement in overseas markets. The Chinese Export-Import Bank and other Chinese financial institutions, state-owned enterprises, and private firms are now involved in at least 93 major dam projects overseas. The Chinese government sees the new global role played by China's dam industry as a "win-win" situation for China and host countries involved. But evidence from project sites such as the Merowe Dam in Sudan demonstrates that these dams have unrecognized social and environmental costs for host communities. Chinese dam builders have yet to adopt internationally accepted social and environmental standards for large infrastructure development that can assure these costs are adequately taken into account. But the Chinese government is becoming increasingly aware of the challenge and the necessity of promoting environmentally and socially sound investments overseas.

  18. Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2011

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Johnson, Tim [D-SD

    2011-09-13

    Senate - 04/17/2012 Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-585. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  19. Increasing American Jobs Through Greater Exports to Africa Act of 2013

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL

    2013-04-11

    Senate - 09/10/2013 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 181. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  20. Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2014

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Manchin, Joe, III [D-WV

    2014-07-30

    Senate - 07/31/2014 Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 502. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  1. Promoting American Agricultural and Medical Exports to Cuba Act of 2011

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-15

    2011-05-12

    House - 08/25/2011 Referred to the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  2. Increasing American Jobs Through Greater Exports to Africa Act of 2012

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL

    2012-03-21

    Senate - 11/13/2012 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 536. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  3. United States-China Market Engagement and Export Promotion Act

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA

    2009-08-06

    Senate - 08/06/2009 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  4. Study of the influence of socio-economic factors in the international expansion of Spanish franchisors to Latin American countries.

    PubMed

    Ramírez-Hurtado, José M; Berbel-Pineda, Juan M; Palacios-Florencio, Beatriz

    2018-01-01

    The saturation of the domestic market is one of the factors which drive firms to expand their business to other markets. Franchising is one of the formats adopted by companies when establishing their internationalization strategy. Spain is a country where franchising is strongly consolidated. This degree of maturity means that many chains seek other countries in which to operate. This work's specific aims are, on the one hand, to offer a general view of the current situation of Spanish franchisors in Latin American countries and, on the other hand, to analyze which the socio-economic or external factors are that determine the presence of Spanish franchisors in this market. Canonical-correlation analysis is used to do so. The results show that Spanish franchisors focus on the market's potential and size, and the per capita income, while they do not take into account its unemployment level, the country risk or the competitiveness there. This work shows that there is a series of socio-economic factors which influence the final choice of the destination country. However, this decision is not solely based on this country's socio-economic aspects, but also on the structure of the franchising firm itself and on its export experience in other markets. This study therefore complements other research and helps franchisors in their difficult decision of choosing the destination for their internationalization.

  5. Engagement in health and wellness: An online incentive-based program.

    PubMed

    Gibson, Teresa B; Maclean, J Ross; Carls, Ginger S; Moore, Brian J; Ehrlich, Emily D; Fener, Victoria; Goldberg, Jordan; Mechanic, Elaine; Baigel, Colin

    2017-09-01

    Increasingly, corporate health promotion programs are implementing wellness programs integrating principles of behavioral economics. Employees of a large firm were provided a customized online incentive program to design their own commitments to meet health goals. This study examines patterns of program participation and engagement in health promotion activities. Subjects were US-based employees of a large, nondurable goods manufacturing firm who were enrolled in corporate health benefits in 2010 and 2011. We assessed measures of engagement with the workplace health promotion program (e.g., incentive points earned, weight loss). To further examine behaviors indicating engagement in health promotion activities, we constructed an aggregate, employee-level engagement index. Regression models were employed to assess the association between employee characteristics and the engagement index, and the engagement index and spending. 4220 employees utilized the online program and made 25,716 commitments. Male employees age 18-34 had the highest level of engagement, and male employees age 55-64 had the lowest level of engagement overall. Prior year health status and prior year spending did not show a significant association with the level of engagement with the program ( p  > 0.05). Flexible, incentive-based behavioral health and lifestyle programs may reach the broader workforce including those with chronic conditions and higher levels of health spending.

  6. Unexpected High Diversity of Galling Insects in the Amazonian Upper Canopy: The Savanna Out There

    PubMed Central

    Julião, Genimar R.; Venticinque, Eduardo M.; Fernandes, G. Wilson; Price, Peter W.

    2014-01-01

    A relatively large number of studies reassert the strong relationship between galling insect diversity and extreme hydric and thermal status in some habitats, and an overall pattern of a greater number of galling species in the understory of scleromorphic vegetation. We compared galling insect diversity in the forest canopy and its relationship with tree richness among upland terra firme, várzea, and igapó floodplains in Amazonia, Brazil. The soils of these forest types have highly different hydric and nutritional status. Overall, we examined the upper layer of 1,091 tree crowns. Galling species richness and abundance were higher in terra firme forests compared to várzea and igapó forests. GLM-ANCOVA models revealed that the number of tree species sampled in each forest type was determinant in the gall-forming insect diversity. The ratio between galling insect richness and number of tree species sampled (GIR/TSS ratio) was higher in the terra firme forest and in seasonally flooded igapó, while the várzea presented the lowest GIR/TSS ratio. In this study, we recorded unprecedented values of galling species diversity and abundance per sampling point. The GIR/TSS ratio from várzea was approximately 2.5 times higher than the highest value of this ratio ever reported in the literature. Based on this fact, we ascertained that várzea and igapó floodplain forests (with lower GIA and GIR), together with the speciose terra firme galling community emerge as the gall diversity apex landscape among all biogeographic regions already investigated. Contrary to expectation, our results also support the “harsh environment hypothesis”, and unveil the Amazonian upper canopy as similar to Mediterranean vegetation habitats, hygrothermically stressed environments with leaf temperature at lethal limits and high levels of leaf sclerophylly. PMID:25551769

  7. Export Promotion Reform Act

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Rep. Berman, Howard L. [D-CA-28

    2012-02-15

    Senate - 06/04/2012 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  8. Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 2010

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-5

    2010-04-27

    Senate - 08/05/2010 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  9. Export competitiveness of dairy products on global markets: the case of the European Union countries.

    PubMed

    Bojnec, Š; Fertő, I

    2014-10-01

    This paper analyzed the export competitiveness of dairy products of the European Union (EU) countries (EU-27) on intra-EU, extra-EU, and global markets, using the revealed comparative advantage index over the 2000-2011 period. The results indicated that about half of the EU-27 countries have had competitive exports in a certain segment of dairy products. The results differed by level of milk processing and for intra-EU and extra-EU markets, and did so over the analyzed years. Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands are old EU-15 countries with competitive dairy exports (from the lowest to the highest according to the level of milk processing). The majority of the new EU-12 countries have faced difficulties in maintaining their level of export competitiveness, at least for some dairy products and market segments. The more competitive EU-12 countries in dairy exports were the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) and Poland. The duration of export competitiveness differed across the dairy groups of products according to the level of milk processing, indicating the importance of dairy chain product differentiation for export competitiveness and specialization. The export competitiveness of the higher level of processed milk products for final consumption can be significant for export dairy chain competitiveness on global markets. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. 13 CFR 124.1004 - What is a misrepresentation of SDB status?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false What is a misrepresentation of SDB... of SDB status? (a) Any person or entity that misrepresents a firm's status as a “small business concern owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals” (“SDB status”) in...

  11. 13 CFR 124.1004 - What is a misrepresentation of SDB status?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What is a misrepresentation of SDB... of SDB status? (a) Any person or entity that misrepresents a firm's status as a “small business concern owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals” (“SDB status”) in...

  12. 13 CFR 124.1004 - What is a misrepresentation of SDB status?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What is a misrepresentation of SDB... of SDB status? (a) Any person or entity that misrepresents a firm's status as a “small business concern owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals” (“SDB status”) in...

  13. 13 CFR 124.1004 - What is a misrepresentation of SDB status?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What is a misrepresentation of SDB... of SDB status? (a) Any person or entity that misrepresents a firm's status as a “small business concern owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals” (“SDB status”) in...

  14. 13 CFR 124.1004 - What is a misrepresentation of SDB status?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What is a misrepresentation of SDB... of SDB status? (a) Any person or entity that misrepresents a firm's status as a “small business concern owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals” (“SDB status”) in...

  15. 19 CFR 123.28 - Merchandise remaining in or exported to Canada or Mexico.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... Mexico. 123.28 Section 123.28 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CUSTOMS RELATIONS WITH CANADA AND MEXICO Shipments in Transit Through Canada or Mexico § 123.28 Merchandise remaining in or exported to Canada or Mexico. (a) In-transit status...

  16. 19 CFR 123.28 - Merchandise remaining in or exported to Canada or Mexico.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... Mexico. 123.28 Section 123.28 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CBP RELATIONS WITH CANADA AND MEXICO Shipments in Transit Through Canada or Mexico § 123.28 Merchandise remaining in or exported to Canada or Mexico. (a) In-transit status...

  17. 19 CFR 123.28 - Merchandise remaining in or exported to Canada or Mexico.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... Mexico. 123.28 Section 123.28 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CBP RELATIONS WITH CANADA AND MEXICO Shipments in Transit Through Canada or Mexico § 123.28 Merchandise remaining in or exported to Canada or Mexico. (a) In-transit status...

  18. 19 CFR 123.28 - Merchandise remaining in or exported to Canada or Mexico.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... Mexico. 123.28 Section 123.28 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CBP RELATIONS WITH CANADA AND MEXICO Shipments in Transit Through Canada or Mexico § 123.28 Merchandise remaining in or exported to Canada or Mexico. (a) In-transit status...

  19. 19 CFR 123.28 - Merchandise remaining in or exported to Canada or Mexico.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... Mexico. 123.28 Section 123.28 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CBP RELATIONS WITH CANADA AND MEXICO Shipments in Transit Through Canada or Mexico § 123.28 Merchandise remaining in or exported to Canada or Mexico. (a) In-transit status...

  20. 9 CFR 92.2 - Application for recognition of the animal health status of a region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Administrator, c/o National Center for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, MD... the Director, Sanitary Trade Issues Team, National Center for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737. (1) Scope of the evaluation being requested. (2) Veterinary control...

  1. Well-Being Is a Process of Becoming: Respondent-Led Research with Organic Farmers in Madagascar

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farnworth, Cathy Rozel

    2009-01-01

    Malagasy "players"--farmers, middle men, organic organisations and policy makers--see in export-orientated organic agriculture a way for Madagascar to build upon its historic export strengths: spices, essential oils, medicinal plants and tropical fruits. They point to the "de facto" organic status of most farming in the country…

  2. Financial Distress Prediction Using Discrete-time Hazard Model and Rating Transition Matrix Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsai, Bi-Huei; Chang, Chih-Huei

    2009-08-01

    Previous studies used constant cut-off indicator to distinguish distressed firms from non-distressed ones in the one-stage prediction models. However, distressed cut-off indicator must shift according to economic prosperity, rather than remains fixed all the time. This study focuses on Taiwanese listed firms and develops financial distress prediction models based upon the two-stage method. First, this study employs the firm-specific financial ratio and market factors to measure the probability of financial distress based on the discrete-time hazard models. Second, this paper further focuses on macroeconomic factors and applies rating transition matrix approach to determine the distressed cut-off indicator. The prediction models are developed by using the training sample from 1987 to 2004, and their levels of accuracy are compared with the test sample from 2005 to 2007. As for the one-stage prediction model, the model in incorporation with macroeconomic factors does not perform better than that without macroeconomic factors. This suggests that the accuracy is not improved for one-stage models which pool the firm-specific and macroeconomic factors together. In regards to the two stage models, the negative credit cycle index implies the worse economic status during the test period, so the distressed cut-off point is adjusted to increase based on such negative credit cycle index. After the two-stage models employ such adjusted cut-off point to discriminate the distressed firms from non-distressed ones, their error of misclassification becomes lower than that of one-stage ones. The two-stage models presented in this paper have incremental usefulness in predicting financial distress.

  3. The building blocks of economic complexity

    PubMed Central

    Hidalgo, César A.; Hausmann, Ricardo

    2009-01-01

    For Adam Smith, wealth was related to the division of labor. As people and firms specialize in different activities, economic efficiency increases, suggesting that development is associated with an increase in the number of individual activities and with the complexity that emerges from the interactions between them. Here we develop a view of economic growth and development that gives a central role to the complexity of a country's economy by interpreting trade data as a bipartite network in which countries are connected to the products they export, and show that it is possible to quantify the complexity of a country's economy by characterizing the structure of this network. Furthermore, we show that the measures of complexity we derive are correlated with a country's level of income, and that deviations from this relationship are predictive of future growth. This suggests that countries tend to converge to the level of income dictated by the complexity of their productive structures, indicating that development efforts should focus on generating the conditions that would allow complexity to emerge to generate sustained growth and prosperity. PMID:19549871

  4. 77 FR 28237 - Small Business Size Regulations; 8(a) Business Development/Small Disadvantaged Business Status...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-14

    ...[eacute] firm to have more than one mentor. List of Subjects in 13 CFR Part 124 Administrative practice... read as follows: Sec. 124.520 What are the rules governing SBA's Mentor/ Prot[eacute]g[eacute] program? * * * * * (c) * * * (3) A prot[eacute]g[eacute] firm may generally have only one mentor at a time. The AA/BD...

  5. Stigma, status, and population health

    PubMed Central

    Phelan, Jo C.; Lucas, Jeffrey W.; Ridgeway, Cecilia L.; Taylor, Catherine J.

    2014-01-01

    Stigma and status are the major concepts in two important sociological traditions that describe related processes but that have developed in isolation. Although both approaches have great promise for understanding and improving population health, this promise has not been realized. In this paper, we consider the applicability of status characteristics theory (SCT) to the problem of stigma with the goal of better understanding social systemic aspects of stigma and their health consequences. To this end, we identify common and divergent features of status and stigma processes. In both, labels that are differentially valued produce unequal outcomes in resources via culturally shared expectations associated with the labels; macro-level inequalities are enacted in micro-level interactions, which in turn reinforce macro-level inequalities; and status is a key variable. Status and stigma processes also differ: Higher- and lower-status states (e.g., male and female) are both considered normal, whereas stigmatized characteristics (e.g., mental illness) are not; interactions between status groups are guided by “social ordering schemas” that provide mutually agreed-upon hierarchies and interaction patterns (e.g., men assert themselves while women defer), whereas interactions between “normals” and stigmatized individuals are not so guided and consequently involve uncertainty and strain; and social rejection is key to stigma but not status processes. Our juxtaposition of status and stigma processes reveals close parallels between stigmatization and status processes that contribute to systematic stratification by major social groupings, such as race, gender, and SES. These parallels make salient that stigma is not only an interpersonal or intrapersonal process but also a macro-level process and raise the possibility of considering stigma as a dimension of social stratification. As such, stigma’s impact on health should be scrutinized with the same intensity as that of other more status-based bases of stratification such as SES, race and gender, whose health impacts have been firmly established. PMID:24507907

  6. Stigma, status, and population health.

    PubMed

    Phelan, Jo C; Lucas, Jeffrey W; Ridgeway, Cecilia L; Taylor, Catherine J

    2014-02-01

    Stigma and status are the major concepts in two important sociological traditions that describe related processes but that have developed in isolation. Although both approaches have great promise for understanding and improving population health, this promise has not been realized. In this paper, we consider the applicability of status characteristics theory (SCT) to the problem of stigma with the goal of better understanding social systemic aspects of stigma and their health consequences. To this end, we identify common and divergent features of status and stigma processes. In both, labels that are differentially valued produce unequal outcomes in resources via culturally shared expectations associated with the labels; macro-level inequalities are enacted in micro-level interactions, which in turn reinforce macro-level inequalities; and status is a key variable. Status and stigma processes also differ: Higher- and lower-status states (e.g., male and female) are both considered normal, whereas stigmatized characteristics (e.g., mental illness) are not; interactions between status groups are guided by "social ordering schemas" that provide mutually agreed-upon hierarchies and interaction patterns (e.g., men assert themselves while women defer), whereas interactions between "normals" and stigmatized individuals are not so guided and consequently involve uncertainty and strain; and social rejection is key to stigma but not status processes. Our juxtaposition of status and stigma processes reveals close parallels between stigmatization and status processes that contribute to systematic stratification by major social groupings, such as race, gender, and SES. These parallels make salient that stigma is not only an interpersonal or intrapersonal process but also a macro-level process and raise the possibility of considering stigma as a dimension of social stratification. As such, stigma's impact on health should be scrutinized with the same intensity as that of other more status-based bases of stratification such as SES, race and gender, whose health impacts have been firmly established. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. To prohibit the use, production, sale, importation, or exportation of any pesticide containing atrazine.

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5

    2013-05-17

    House - 06/03/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  8. 76 FR 72675 - Grant of Authority for Subzone Status, Valero Refining Company-California, (Oil Refinery...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-25

    ... by-products (examiner's report, Appendix ``C''); --products for export; --and, products eligible for...: 1. Foreign status (19 CFR 146.41, 146.42) products consumed as fuel for the refinery shall be...

  9. [Micro-simulation of firms' heterogeneity on pollution intensity and regional characteristics].

    PubMed

    Zhao, Nan; Liu, Yi; Chen, Ji-Ning

    2009-11-01

    In the same industrial sector, heterogeneity of pollution intensity exists among firms. There are some errors if using sector's average pollution intensity, which are calculated by limited number of firms in environmental statistic database to represent the sector's regional economic-environmental status. Based on the production function which includes environmental depletion as input, a micro-simulation model on firms' operational decision making is proposed. Then the heterogeneity of firms' pollution intensity can be mechanically described. Taking the mechanical manufacturing sector in Deyang city, 2005 as the case, the model's parameters were estimated. And the actual COD emission intensities of environmental statistic firms can be properly matched by the simulation. The model's results also show that the regional average COD emission intensity calculated by the environmental statistic firms (0.002 6 t per 10 000 yuan fixed asset, 0.001 5 t per 10 000 yuan production value) is lower than the regional average intensity calculated by all the firms in the region (0.003 0 t per 10 000 yuan fixed asset, 0.002 3 t per 10 000 yuan production value). The difference among average intensities in the six counties is significant as well. These regional characteristics of pollution intensity attribute to the sector's inner-structure (firms' scale distribution, technology distribution) and its spatial deviation.

  10. The effect of packaging methods (paper, active paper, and edible coating) on the characteristic of papaya MJ9 in ambient temperature storage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suwanti, D.; Utami, R.; Kawiji; Praseptiangga, D.; Khasanah, L. U.

    2018-01-01

    Papaya is one of the export commodities that contain high vitamin C but having short shelf-life. One method that use to extend the shelf-life and maintain the quality of papaya is packaging. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the packaging methods (paper, active paper and edible coating) on the characteristics of papaya MJ9 (weight loss, firmness, total soluble solid (TSS), Total Titratable Acid (TTA), pH, vitamin C and total mold and yeast). The packaging methods were control (F1), wrapping paper (F2), wrapping active paper (F3), combination of edible coating and wrapping paper (F4), and combination of edible coating and wrapping active paper (F5). The result showed that paper packaging, edible coating and active paper packaging significantly affected the weight loss, firmness, total soluble solid, total titratable acids, pH, vitamin C, and total mold and yeast of papaya. The weight loss, total soluble solid and pH of packaged papaya was lower than that of control sample, however, the value of firmness and total titratable acid was higher than that of the control sample. Packaging can inhibit the increase of weight loss, total soluble solids and pH, and the decrease of firmness, total titratable acid, vitamin C and total mold and yeast. Based on the papaya characteristics, the selected packaging method was the combination of edible coating and wrapping active paper.

  11. A Structural Equation Model of the Factors Associated with Influence and Power of IT Departments and Their Relationship to Firm's IT Orientation and Business Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kowshik, Raghu V.

    2010-01-01

    Although few firms can function without an information technology (IT) department, senior executives often consider IT as secondary. Historically, studies have found IT departments to have low influence and power status compared to other departments. Few, if any, studies have investigated what factors contribute to this subservient position. Three…

  12. The marketing firm and consumer choice: implications of bilateral contingency for levels of analysis in organizational neuroscience.

    PubMed

    Foxall, Gordon R

    2014-01-01

    The emergence of a conception of the marketing firm (Foxall, 1999a) conceived within behavioral psychology and based on a corresponding model of consumer choice, (Foxall, 1990/2004) permits an assessment of the levels of behavioral and organizational analysis amenable to neuroscientific examination. This paper explores the ways in which the bilateral contingencies that link the marketing firm with its consumerate allow appropriate levels of organizational neuroscientific analysis to be specified. Having described the concept of the marketing firm and the model of consumer behavior on which it is based, the paper analyzes bilateral contingencies at the levels of (i) market exchange, (ii) emotional reward, and (iii) neuroeconomics. Market exchange emerges as a level of analysis that lends itself predominantly to the explanation of firm-consumerate interactions in terms of the super-personal level of reinforcing and punishing contingencies: the marketing firm can be treated as a contextual or operant system in its own right. However, the emotional reward and neuroeconomic levels of analysis should be confined to the personal level of analysis represented by individual managers on the one hand and individual consumers on the other. This also entails a level of abstraction but it is one that can be satisfactorily handled in terms of the concept of bilateral contingency.

  13. 77 FR 33217 - Notice of Open Meeting of the Advisory Committee of the Export-Import Bank of the United States...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-05

    ... Bank on its programs and to provide comments for inclusion in the reports of the Export-Import Bank of the United States to Congress. DATES: Friday, June 8, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A break for... Second Quarter, its legislative status and the competitiveness report results. Public Participation: The...

  14. Small Manufacturers Export Initiative Act

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Rep. Larsen, Rick [D-WA-2

    2010-07-20

    House - 07/23/2010 Referred to the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation. (All Actions) Notes: For further action, see H.R.5297, which became Public Law 111-240 on 9/27/2010. Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  15. Study of the influence of socio-economic factors in the international expansion of Spanish franchisors to Latin American countries

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    The saturation of the domestic market is one of the factors which drive firms to expand their business to other markets. Franchising is one of the formats adopted by companies when establishing their internationalization strategy. Spain is a country where franchising is strongly consolidated. This degree of maturity means that many chains seek other countries in which to operate. This work’s specific aims are, on the one hand, to offer a general view of the current situation of Spanish franchisors in Latin American countries and, on the other hand, to analyze which the socio-economic or external factors are that determine the presence of Spanish franchisors in this market. Canonical-correlation analysis is used to do so. The results show that Spanish franchisors focus on the market’s potential and size, and the per capita income, while they do not take into account its unemployment level, the country risk or the competitiveness there. This work shows that there is a series of socio-economic factors which influence the final choice of the destination country. However, this decision is not solely based on this country’s socio-economic aspects, but also on the structure of the franchising firm itself and on its export experience in other markets. This study therefore complements other research and helps franchisors in their difficult decision of choosing the destination for their internationalization. PMID:29293596

  16. Defence electronics industry profile, 1990-1991

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    The defense electronics industry profiled in this review comprises an estimated 150 Canadian companies that develop, manufacture, and repair radio and communications equipment, radars for surveillance and navigation, air traffic control systems, acoustic and infrared sensors, computers for navigation and fire control, signal processors and display units, special-purpose electronic components, and systems engineering and associated software. Canadian defense electronics companies generally serve market niches and end users of their products are limited to the military, government agencies, or commercial airlines. Geographically, the industry is concentrated in Ontario and Quebec, where about 91 percent of the industry's production and employment is found. In 1989, the estimated revenue of the industry was $2.36 billion, and exports totalled an estimated $1.4 billion. Strengths and weaknesses of the industry are discussed in terms of such factors as the relatively small size of Canadian companies, the ability of Canadian firms to access research and development opportunities and export markets in the United States, the dependence on foreign-made components, and international competition.

  17. Export of commercial Hass avocados from Argentina poses negligible risk of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) infestation.

    PubMed

    Villagrán, M Elvira; Willink, Eduardo; Vera, M Teresa; Follett, Peter

    2012-08-01

    Argentina has to meet quarantine restrictions because of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), to export 'Hass' avocados, Persea americana Miller, to certain countries. Hass avocado at the hard, mature green stage is potentially a conditional nonhost for C. capitata and could open export markets without the need for a quarantine treatment. Trapping data from 1998 to 2006 showed that C. capitata was present in avocado orchards, particularly early in the harvest season. The host status of hard, mature green Hass avocado to C. capitata was evaluated using laboratory and field cage tests under no-choice conditions and by assessing natural levels of infestation in commercially harvested fruit from the main avocado production area. In total, 2,250 hard, mature green avocado fruit were exposed to 11,250 gravid females for 24 or 48 h after harvest in laboratory or field cages, and no infestations were found. During 11 seasons, 5,949 fruit in total were sampled from the trees and 992 fruit were collected from the ground, and in none of them were any live or dead fruit fly larvae found. Inspection of >198,000 commercial fruit at the packinghouse from 1998 to 2011 showed no symptoms of fruit fly infestation. These data exceed the published standards for determination of nonhost status, as well as the Probit 9 standard for development of quarantine treatments. Hass avocado harvested at the hard, mature green stage was not infested by C. capitata and seems to pose a negligible quarantine risk. As a consequence, no postharvest treatment or other quarantine actions should be required by importing countries.

  18. Small Business Export Enhancement Act of 2010

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Rep. Dahlkemper, Kathleen A. [D-PA-3

    2010-07-22

    House - 07/22/2010 Referred to the House Committee on Small Business. (All Actions) Notes: For further action, see H.R.5297, which became Public Law 111-240 on 9/27/2010. Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  19. Diurnal changes in net uptake rate of nitrate are associated with changes in estimated export of carbohydrates to roots

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rideout, J. W.; Raper, C. D. Jr; Raper CD, J. r. (Principal Investigator)

    1994-01-01

    The rate of NO3- uptake by soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merrill) roots generally declines during the night in association with progressive depletion of the nonstructural carbohydrate pool in the shoot as well as the concentration of carbohydrates in roots. To determine if NO3- uptake rate changes in response to variations in translocation rate of carbohydrates from shoot to roots per se or to carbohydrate status of the roots, the night period was interrupted with a low light level from incandescent lamps to alter the diurnal pattern of NO3- uptake by roots and export of carbohydrate from shoots of nonnodulated soybean. Depletion of NO3- from replenished, complete nutrient solutions containing 1 mM NO3- was measured by ion chromatography and rates of NO3- uptake were calculated. Changes in export of carbohydrates from shoot to roots during intervals of the night period were calculated as the differences between rates of disappearance in contents of nonstructural carbohydrates and their estimated rates of utilization in shoot respiration and growth. A positive, significant correlation occurred between changes in calculated rates of carbohydrate export from shoots and NO3- uptake rates. Conversely, there was no significant correlation between concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrates in roots and NO3- uptake rates. These results support the hypothesis that carbohydrate flux from shoot to roots has a direct role in regulation of nitrogen uptake by the whole plant.

  20. Enlistment Decisions of Young Men.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-07-01

    14Employment status is not the usual one of employed, unemployed , or out of the labor force but instead indicates currently employed, not currently employed...worker with high firm- specific human capital, so he is less likely to be unemployed during a downturn at the firm. Job matching theory (Mincer and...returns) as well as the value one attaches to greater under- standing or appreciation of the world ( psychic returns). The monetary increment will tend to

  1. U.S. government export control reform initiative - what's going on?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cook, J.; Cook, K.

    While there is still more work to be done, taken together, these reforms will focus our resources on the threats that matter most, and help us work more effectively with our allies in the field. They'll bring transparency and coherence to a field of regulation which has long been lacking both. And by enhancing the competitiveness of our manufacturing and technology sectors, they'll help us not just increase exports and create jobs, but strengthen our national security as well.” - President Obama, Department of Commerce Annual Export Controls Update Conference, August 30, 2010. This paper will provide background information and discuss the need for export control reform. It will lay out the schedule for the Export Control Reform Initiative as well as provide an update on the current status of the ECR Initiative, including advances made in Phases I and II. It will provide insight into the proposed changes to the USML and the CCL and will discuss the proposed IT system modernization and the Export Enforcement Coordination Center (E2C2).

  2. A resolution supporting increased market access for exports of United States beef and beef products.

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT

    2010-05-27

    Senate - 05/27/2010 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  3. Charity and community: the role of nonprofit ownership in a managed health care system.

    PubMed

    Schlesinger, M; Gray, B; Bradley, E

    1996-01-01

    As American medicine has been transformed by the growth of managed care, so too have questions about the appropriate role of nonprofit ownership in the health care system. The standards for community benefit that are increasingly applied to nonprofit hospitals are, at best, only partially relevant to expectations for nonprofit managed care plans. Can we expect nonprofit ownership to substantially affect the behavior of an increasingly competitive managed care industry dealing with insured populations? Drawing from historical interpretations of tax exemption in health care and from the theoretical literature on the implications of ownership for organizational behavior, we identify five forms of community benefit that might be associated with nonprofit forms of managed care. Using data from a national survey of firms providing third-party utilization review services in 1993, we test for ownership-related differences in these five dimensions. Nonprofit utilization review firms generally provide more public goods, such as information dissemination, and are more "community oriented" than proprietary firms, but they are not distinguishable from their for-profit counterparts in addressing the implications of medical quality or the cost of the review process. However, a subgroup of nonprofit review organizations with medical origins are more likely to address quality issues than are either for-profit firms or other nonprofit agencies. Evidence on responses to information asymmetries is mixed but suggests that some ownership related differences exist. The term "charitable" is thus capable of a definition far broader than merely the relief of the poor. While it is true that in the past Congress and the federal courts have conditioned the hospital's charitable status on the level of free or below cost care that it provided for indigents, there is no authority for the conclusion that the determination of "charitable" status was always so limited. Such an inflexible construction fails to recognize the changing economic, social and technological precepts and values of contemporary society. -Circuit Court of Appeals, District of Columbia, Eastern Kentucky Welfare Rights Organization v. Simon (1974).

  4. Firm productivity, pollution, and output: theory and empirical evidence from China.

    PubMed

    Tang, Erzi; Zhang, Jingjing; Haider, Zulfiqar

    2015-11-01

    Using a theoretical model, this paper argues that as firm productivity increases, there is a decrease in firm-level pollution intensity. However, as productivity increases, firms tend to increase their aggregate output, which requires the use of additional resources that increase pollution. Hence, an increase in productivity results in two opposing effects where increased productivity may in fact increase pollution created by a firm. We describe the joint effect of these two mechanisms on pollution emissions as the "productivity dilemma" of pollution emission. Based on firm-level data from China, we also empirically test this productivity dilemma hypothesis. Our empirical results suggest that, in general, firm productivity has a positive and statistically significant impact on pollution emission in China. However, the impact of productivity on pollution becomes negative when we control for increases in firm output. The empirical evidence also confirms the positive influence of productivity on output, which suggests that the main determinant of pollution is the firm's output. The empirical results provide evidence of the existence of, what we describe as, the productivity dilemma of pollution emission.

  5. 13 CFR 126.900 - What are the requirements for representing HUBZone status, and what are the penalties for...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... internal management procedures governing HUBZone status representations or certifications, the clarity or ambiguity of the representation or certification requirement, and the efforts made to correct an incorrect or invalid representation or certification in a timely manner. An individual or firm may not be held...

  6. 13 CFR 125.29 - What are the requirements for representing SDVO SBC status, and what are the penalties for...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... include the firm's internal management procedures governing SDVO SBC status representations or certifications, the clarity or ambiguity of the representation or certification requirement, and the efforts made to correct an incorrect or invalid representation or certification in a timely manner. An individual...

  7. 48 CFR 19.307 - Protesting a firm's status as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... business status requirements will be processed concurrently by SBA. (c) All protests must be in writing and... as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern. 19.307 Section 19.307 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Determination...

  8. Firm size distribution and mobility of the top 500 firms in China, the United States and the world

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Jinzhong; Xu, Qi; Chen, Qinghua; Wang, Yougui

    2013-07-01

    This paper considers the macroscopic and microscopic statistical features of the top 500 firms in China, the United States and the world, denoted as China 500 (CH500), Fortune 500 (US500) and Fortune Global 500 (FG500). From a macroscopic perspective, the firm size distribution of each category, when measured by revenue, is steadily distributed over the observed period, even during periods of financial crises. As is evidenced by the Gini coefficient, divergences between firm scales are most significant for the CH500. From a microscopic perspective, the underlying micro-dynamics are volatile and often turbulent due to the exit and entry of firms as well as shifts in their revenues and ranks. Such fluctuations, or mobility, are visualized in rank/revenue/share clocks. We also propose a revenue/rank/share mobility index that is a quantitative measurement of mobility. Among these, we find that the share mobility acts as an effective indicator of economic status; where there is a share mobility spike, there is an ailing economy. The share mobility indexes indicate that the 2008 Financial Crisis had little impact on the Chinese economy, while it triggered violent changes in the top 500 firms in the United States and the world.

  9. Cost shifting revisited: the case of service intensity.

    PubMed

    Friesner, Daniel L; Rosenman, Robert

    2002-02-01

    This paper examines whether a health care provider's choice of service intensity for any patient group affects its cost shifting behavior. Our theoretical models indicate that firms may respond to lower prospective payment by decreasing service intensity to all of its patient groups, thereby giving firms an alternative to cost shifting. Additionally, the conditions under which cost shifting and lower service intensity occur are identical, regardless of profit status. Using a panel of California hospitals, we found that nonprofit hospitals do cost shift, while profit-maximizing hospitals do not. However, both firms respond to lower prospective payment by decreasing service intensity, thus supporting our theoretical conclusion that lower service intensity can be used as an alternative to cost shifting.

  10. A model for the value of a business, some optimization problems in its operating procedures and the valuation of its debt

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1997-12-01

    In this paper we present a model for the value of a firm based on observable variables and parameters: the annual turnover, the expenses, interest rates. This value is the solution of a parabolic partial differential equation. We show how the value of the company depends on its legal status such as its liability (that is, whether it is a Limited Company or a sole trader/partnership). We give examples of how the operating procedures can be optimized (for example, whether the firm should close down, relocate etc.). Finally, we show how the model can be used to value the debt issued by the firm.

  11. Quercetin affects glutathione levels and redox ratio in human aortic endothelial cells not through oxidation but formation and cellular export of quercetin-glutathione conjugates and upregulation of glutamate-cysteine ligase.

    PubMed

    Li, Chuan; Zhang, Wei-Jian; Choi, Jaewoo; Frei, Balz

    2016-10-01

    Endothelial dysfunction due to vascular inflammation and oxidative stress critically contributes to the etiology of atherosclerosis. The intracellular redox environment plays a key role in regulating endothelial cell function and is intimately linked to cellular thiol status, including and foremost glutathione (GSH). In the present study we investigated whether and how the dietary flavonoid, quercetin, affects GSH status of human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) and their response to oxidative stress. We found that treating cells with buthionine sulfoximine to deplete cellular GSH levels significantly reduced the capacity of quercetin to inhibit lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced oxidant production. Furthermore, incubation of HAEC with quercetin caused a transient decrease and then full recovery of cellular GSH concentrations. The initial decline in GSH was not accompanied by a corresponding increase in glutathione disulfide (GSSG). To the contrary, GSSG levels, which were less than 0.5% of GSH levels at baseline (0.26±0.01 vs. 64.7±1.9nmol/mg protein, respectively), decreased by about 25% during incubation with quercetin. As a result, the GSH: GSSG ratio increased by about 70%, from 253±7 to 372±23. These quercetin-induced changes in GSH and GSSG levels were not affected by treating HAEC with 500µM ascorbic acid phosphate for 24h to increase intracellular ascorbate levels. Incubation of HAEC with quercetin also led to the appearance of extracellular quercetin-glutathione conjugates, which was paralleled by upregulation of the multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1). Furthermore, quercetin slightly but significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL) catalytic and modifier subunits. Taken together, our results suggest that quercetin causes loss of GSH in HAEC, not because of oxidation but due to formation and cellular export of quercetin-glutathione conjugates. Induction by quercetin of GCL subsequently restores GSH levels, thereby suppressing LPS-induced oxidant production. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Neurocognitive markers of cognitive impairment: exploring the roles of speed and inconsistency.

    PubMed

    Dixon, Roger A; Garrett, Douglas D; Lentz, Tanya L; MacDonald, Stuart W S; Strauss, Esther; Hultsch, David F

    2007-05-01

    A well-known challenge for research in the cognitive neuropsychology of aging is to distinguish between the deficits and changes associated with normal aging and those indicative of early cognitive impairment. In a series of 2 studies, the authors explored whether 2 neurocognitive markers, speed (mean level) and inconsistency (intraindividual variability), distinguished between age groups (64-73 and 74-90+ years) and cognitive status groups (nonimpaired, mildly impaired, and moderately impaired). Study 1 (n = 416) showed that both level and inconsistency distinguished between the age and 2 cognitive status (not impaired, mildly impaired) groups, with a modest tendency for inconsistency to predict group membership over and above mean level. Study 2 (n = 304) replicated these results but extended them because of the qualifying effects associated with the unique moderately impaired oldest group. Specifically, not only were the groups more firmly distinguished by both indicators of speed, but evidence for the differential contribution of performance inconsistency was stronger. Neurocognitive markers of speed and inconsistency may be leading indicators of emerging cognitive impairment. (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved

  13. Mirror Technology Development for The International X-Ray Observatory Mission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zhang, Will

    2010-01-01

    Presentation slides include: International X-ray Observatory (IXO), Lightweight and High Resolution X-ray Optics is Needed; Modular Design of Mirror Assembly, IXO Mirror Technology Development Objectives, Focus of Technology Development, Slumping - Status, Mirror Fabrication Progress, Temporary Bonding - Status, Alignment - Status, Permanent Bonding - Status, Mirror Housing Simulator (MHS) - TRL-4, Mini-Module (TRL-5), Flight-Like Module (TRL-6), Mirror Technology Development Team, Outlook, and Small Technology Firms that Have Made Direct Contributions to IXO Mirror Technology Development.

  14. Expressing the sense of Congress that all direct and indirect subsidies that benefit the production or export of sugar by all major sugar producing and consuming countries should be eliminated.

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Rep. Yoho, Ted S. [R-FL-3

    2013-06-14

    House - 06/25/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  15. Small Business Export Enhancement and International Trade Act of 2009

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME

    2009-12-09

    Senate - 09/29/2010 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 633. (All Actions) Notes: For further action, see H.R.5297, which became Public Law 111-240 on 9/27/2010. Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  16. International energy trade impacts on water resource crises: an embodied water flows perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, J. C.; Zhong, R.; Zhao, P.; Zhang, H. W.; Wang, Y.; Mao, G. Z.

    2016-07-01

    Water and energy are coupled in intimate ways (Siddiqi and Anadon 2011 Energy Policy 39 4529-40), which is amplified by international energy trade. The study shows that the total volume of energy related international embodied water flows averaged 6298 Mm3 yr-1 from 1992-2010, which represents 10% of the water used for energy production including oil, coal, gas and electricity production. This study calculates embodied water import and export status of 219 countries from 1992 to 2010 and embodied water flow changes of seven regions over time (1992/2000/2010). In addition, the embodied water net export risk-crisis index and net embodied water import benefit index are established. According to the index system, 33 countries export vast amounts of water who have a water shortage, which causes water risk and crisis related to energy trade. While 29 countries abate this risk due to their rich water resource, 45 countries import embodied water linked to energy imports. Based on the different status of countries studied, the countries were classified into six groups with different policy recommendations.

  17. The marketing firm and consumer choice: implications of bilateral contingency for levels of analysis in organizational neuroscience

    PubMed Central

    Foxall, Gordon R.

    2014-01-01

    The emergence of a conception of the marketing firm (Foxall, 1999a) conceived within behavioral psychology and based on a corresponding model of consumer choice, (Foxall, 1990/2004) permits an assessment of the levels of behavioral and organizational analysis amenable to neuroscientific examination. This paper explores the ways in which the bilateral contingencies that link the marketing firm with its consumerate allow appropriate levels of organizational neuroscientific analysis to be specified. Having described the concept of the marketing firm and the model of consumer behavior on which it is based, the paper analyzes bilateral contingencies at the levels of (i) market exchange, (ii) emotional reward, and (iii) neuroeconomics. Market exchange emerges as a level of analysis that lends itself predominantly to the explanation of firm—consumerate interactions in terms of the super-personal level of reinforcing and punishing contingencies: the marketing firm can be treated as a contextual or operant system in its own right. However, the emotional reward and neuroeconomic levels of analysis should be confined to the personal level of analysis represented by individual managers on the one hand and individual consumers on the other. This also entails a level of abstraction but it is one that can be satisfactorily handled in terms of the concept of bilateral contingency. PMID:25071506

  18. The clinical profile of employees with mental health problems working in social firms in the UK.

    PubMed

    Milton, Alyssa; Parsons, Nicholas; Morant, Nicola; Gilbert, Eleanor; Johnson, Sonia; Fisher, Adrian; Singh, Swaran; Cunliffe, Di; Marwaha, Steven

    2015-08-01

    UK social firms are under-researched but are a potentially important vocational option for people with mental health problems. To describe the clinical profile, satisfaction levels and experiences of social firms employees with mental health problems. Clinical, work and service use characteristics were collected from social firms' employees with mental health problems in England and Wales. Workplace experience and satisfaction were explored qualitatively. Predominantly, social firms' employees (N = 80) report that they have a diagnosis of depression (56%) and anxiety (41%). People with schizophrenia (20%) or bipolar disorder (5%) were a minority. Respondents had low symptom and disability levels, high quality of life and job satisfaction and experienced reductions in secondary mental health service use over time. High-workplace satisfaction was related to flexibility, manager and colleague support and workplace accommodations. The clinical profile, quality of life and job satisfaction level of employees with mental health problems suggest social firms could be a useful addition to UK vocational services for some people. Current employees mainly have common mental disorders, and social firms will need to shift their focus if they are to form a substantial pathway for the vocational recovery of people currently using community mental health teams.

  19. Cyber security risk management: public policy implications of correlated risk, imperfect ability to prove loss, and observability of self-protection.

    PubMed

    Oğüt, Hulisi; Raghunathan, Srinivasan; Menon, Nirup

    2011-03-01

    The correlated nature of security breach risks, the imperfect ability to prove loss from a breach to an insurer, and the inability of insurers and external agents to observe firms' self-protection efforts have posed significant challenges to cyber security risk management. Our analysis finds that a firm invests less than the social optimal levels in self-protection and in insurance when risks are correlated and the ability to prove loss is imperfect. We find that the appropriate social intervention policy to induce a firm to invest at socially optimal levels depends on whether insurers can verify a firm's self-protection levels. If self-protection of a firm is observable to an insurer so that it can design a contract that is contingent on the self-protection level, then self-protection and insurance behave as complements. In this case, a social planner can induce a firm to choose the socially optimal self-protection and insurance levels by offering a subsidy on self-protection. We also find that providing a subsidy on insurance does not provide a similar inducement to a firm. If self-protection of a firm is not observable to an insurer, then self-protection and insurance behave as substitutes. In this case, a social planner should tax the insurance premium to achieve socially optimal results. The results of our analysis hold regardless of whether the insurance market is perfectly competitive or not, implying that solely reforming the currently imperfect insurance market is insufficient to achieve the efficient outcome in cyber security risk management. © 2010 Society for Risk Analysis.

  20. Vitamin D and the Development of Atopic Eczema

    PubMed Central

    Palmer, Debra J.

    2015-01-01

    A “vitamin D hypothesis” has been proposed to explain the increased prevalence of eczema in regions with higher latitude. This review focuses on the current available evidence with regard to the possible effect of vitamin D on the development of atopic eczema. Observational studies have indicated a link between vitamin D status and eczema outcomes, including lower serum vitamin D levels associated with increased incidence and severity of eczema symptoms. Vitamin D is known to have a regulatory influence on both the immune system and skin barrier function, both critical in the pathogenesis of eczema. However heterogeneous results have been found in studies to date investigating the effect of vitamin D status during pregnancy and infancy on the prevention of eczema outcomes. Well-designed, adequately powered, randomised controlled trials are needed. The study design of any new intervention trials should measure vitamin D levels at multiple time points during the intervention, ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure via the use of individual UV dosimeters, and investigate the role of individual genetic polymorphisms. In conclusion, the current available evidence does not allow firm conclusions to be made on whether vitamin D status affects the development of atopic eczema. PMID:26239464

  1. Environmental Concerns, Environmental Policy and Green Investment.

    PubMed

    Gao, Xuexian; Zheng, Haidong

    2017-12-13

    Environmental regulators often use environmental policy to induce green investment by firms. However, if an environmental policy fails to exert a long-run effect on regulating the economic agents' behavior, it may be more reasonable to think of the firm as the leader in the game, since the investment in green technology is usually a strategic decision. In this paper, we consider a three-stage Stackelberg game to address the interaction between a profit-maximizing firm (Stackelberg leader) facing emission-dependent demand, and the environmental regulator (Stackelberg follower). The firm decides on the green technology level in the first stage of the game based on its understanding of the regulator's profits function, especially an environmental concern that is introduced as an exogenous variable. In the current research, we show that high levels of the regulator's environmental concerns do not necessarily lead to the choice of green technology by the firm, and green investment level depends on the combined effects of the market and operational factors for a given level of the regulator's environmental concerns. The result also shows that increasing environmental awareness amongst the consumers is an effective way to drive the firm's green investment.

  2. Korea: U.S.-Korean Relations -- Issues for Congress

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-06-16

    and legal immigration status to North Korean refugees and requires the U.S. executive branch adopt a number of measures aimed at furthering human rights...February 1, 2003. p.A1. 11 Gittings, Danny. “Battling the Bribers ,” Asian Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2002. p. A11. 12 Hoagland, Jim. “Nuclear Deceit...reportedly include controlling and enlarging the inflow of foreign exchange to Kim Jong-il through legal exports and illegal exports such as drug

  3. Easy Money: Tax Exporting and State Support for Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foster, John M.; Fowles, Jacob

    2016-01-01

    There is a substantial literature that assesses the effects of tax-exporting capacities on the tax structures and aggregate spending levels that state governments choose to implement, but no work exists that isolates the effects of state tax exporting on higher education spending. Using state-level data for 1989, 1995, 2002, and 2007, we estimate…

  4. 48 CFR 19.307 - Protesting a firm's status as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern. 19.307 Section 19.307 Federal Acquisition...-disabled veteran-owned small business concern. (a) Definition. Interested party, as used in this section... contracting officer, or the SBA may protest the apparently successful offeror's status as a service-disabled...

  5. Micro-Level Adaptation, Macro-Level Selection, and the Dynamics of Market Partitioning

    PubMed Central

    García-Díaz, César; van Witteloostuijn, Arjen; Péli, Gábor

    2015-01-01

    This paper provides a micro-foundation for dual market structure formation through partitioning processes in marketplaces by developing a computational model of interacting economic agents. We propose an agent-based modeling approach, where firms are adaptive and profit-seeking agents entering into and exiting from the market according to their (lack of) profitability. Our firms are characterized by large and small sunk costs, respectively. They locate their offerings along a unimodal demand distribution over a one-dimensional product variety, with the distribution peak constituting the center and the tails standing for the peripheries. We found that large firms may first advance toward the most abundant demand spot, the market center, and release peripheral positions as predicted by extant dual market explanations. However, we also observed that large firms may then move back toward the market fringes to reduce competitive niche overlap in the center, triggering nonlinear resource occupation behavior. Novel results indicate that resource release dynamics depend on firm-level adaptive capabilities, and that a minimum scale of production for low sunk cost firms is key to the formation of the dual structure. PMID:26656107

  6. Micro-Level Adaptation, Macro-Level Selection, and the Dynamics of Market Partitioning.

    PubMed

    García-Díaz, César; van Witteloostuijn, Arjen; Péli, Gábor

    2015-01-01

    This paper provides a micro-foundation for dual market structure formation through partitioning processes in marketplaces by developing a computational model of interacting economic agents. We propose an agent-based modeling approach, where firms are adaptive and profit-seeking agents entering into and exiting from the market according to their (lack of) profitability. Our firms are characterized by large and small sunk costs, respectively. They locate their offerings along a unimodal demand distribution over a one-dimensional product variety, with the distribution peak constituting the center and the tails standing for the peripheries. We found that large firms may first advance toward the most abundant demand spot, the market center, and release peripheral positions as predicted by extant dual market explanations. However, we also observed that large firms may then move back toward the market fringes to reduce competitive niche overlap in the center, triggering nonlinear resource occupation behavior. Novel results indicate that resource release dynamics depend on firm-level adaptive capabilities, and that a minimum scale of production for low sunk cost firms is key to the formation of the dual structure.

  7. The Strategy of Voluntary Certification in Italian Olive Oil Industry: Who and Why?

    PubMed

    Riganelli, Chiara; Marchini, Andrea

    2016-01-01

    The phenomenon of asymmetric information is central in the agri-food sector, in which often there is not full information transparency about product quality. This condition is particularly complex considering the high-end products. In particular, there are specific attributes (credence attributes) that are not assessable by consumers. For these reasons, a clear information about certification can give to consumers the possibility to make a rational choice. A company can choose voluntarily to participate in certification programs that can be viewed also as a simplification of some organization issues. Often the incentives to participate in voluntary programs arise from the need to have a positive economic performance of the firm. On the one hand, the firm may have benefits from the technical assistance of the certification, which allows it to reduce costs of controlling particular sensible steps of the process. On the other hand, the firm may provide a new certification label, in order to ensure a greater transparency of its processes. The research aims to understand the characteristics of firms oriented to use voluntary certifications as a tool to reduce information asymmetries between producers and final consumers. In particular, we want to consider two contexts of analysis: a structural one, considering some specific internal aspects and investment choices of the firms (typology, size, extraction system, storage system, material investments, immaterial investments); a second one that takes into account some decisions related to market relationships (sale to consumers, sale to HoReCa, sale to wholesalers, sale to purchasing groups, sale to GDO, export activity). The study concerns small and medium olive oil company of Southern Italy. We apply two logit models in order to show the determinants in the choice to introduce a voluntary certification. The results show significant values in both the two dimensions considered. Among the first one, there are significances in immaterial company investments but also in physical assets related to the olive oil process. There are several scientific developments relevant to the olive oil process and some of these patents have been reviewed in this paper. Regarding the physical assets, the storage system is a clear representation of the asset importance in the decision to participate in the certification program. Furthermore, the presence of considerable immaterial investments is important in the certification decision, which confirms the idea that voluntary certification can be viewed as a strategic tool. In the second part of analysis there are significances in some distribution channels (direct sale to final consumer, to wholesalers and to purchasing groups) as well as in the export activity. This work aims to contribute to the debate about the addressing of quality policy for a reduction of asymmetric information in the high-end products. Because of small dimensions of firms in Southern Italy, not always we can find conditions about the presence of specific assets. Indeed, the small dimensions of the companies make quality investments complicated. The incentive to invest, both in terms of control of product and in terms of immaterial investment, can help in a participation in voluntary certification programs. Further, it is important to investigate the three distribution channels resulting from the research because of their importance in terms of information asymmetry.

  8. 9 CFR 92.2 - Application for recognition of the animal health status of a region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Application for recognition of the animal health status of a region. 92.2 Section 92.2 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE EXPORTATION AND IMPORTATION OF ANIMALS (INCLUDING POULTRY) AND...

  9. 9 CFR 92.2 - Application for recognition of the animal health status of a region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Application for recognition of the animal health status of a region. 92.2 Section 92.2 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE EXPORTATION AND IMPORTATION OF ANIMALS (INCLUDING POULTRY) AND...

  10. 9 CFR 92.2 - Application for recognition of the animal health status of a region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Application for recognition of the animal health status of a region. 92.2 Section 92.2 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE EXPORTATION AND IMPORTATION OF ANIMALS (INCLUDING POULTRY) AND...

  11. The law applicable to the use of space for commercial activities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hosenball, S. N.

    1983-01-01

    The general principles of space law that have an impact on commercial space activities are discussed. The Outer Space Treaty guaranteed the right of private enterprise in space, with jurisdiction over the participating parties residing in the country of origin. The liability for damages caused to a third party is also assigned to the country of origin. Government consent is necessary in the U.S. before a private firm is permitted to launch an object into space, with the relevant statute sections being part of the Arms Export Control Act; launches are legally treated as exports. FAA regulations define the safe area and flight conditions that must be satisfied for a private launch, although NASA, in the 1958 act which formed the agency, potentialy has the power to regulate space launch activities. The DoD must be notified of any launches in order to notify the U.S.S.R., filings must be made with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and fees must be paid to the IRS. It is presently U.S. government policy to encourage and facilitate private sector development of commercial launch services.

  12. A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that executives of the bankrupt firm MF Global should not be rewarded with bonuses while customer money is still missing.

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI

    2012-03-27

    Senate - 03/27/2012 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  13. Analysis of Zinc-Exporters Expression in Prostate Cancer.

    PubMed

    Singh, Chandra K; Malas, Kareem M; Tydrick, Caitlin; Siddiqui, Imtiaz A; Iczkowski, Kenneth A; Ahmad, Nihal

    2016-11-11

    Maintaining optimal intracellular zinc (Zn) concentration is crucial for critical cellular functions. Depleted Zn has been associated with prostate cancer (PCa) progression. Solute carrier family 30 (SLC30A) proteins maintain cytoplasmic Zn balance by exporting Zn out to the extracellular space or by sequestering cytoplasmic Zn into intracellular compartments. In this study, we determined the involvement of Zn-exporters, SLC30A 1-10 in PCa, in the context of racial health disparity in human PCa samples obtained from European-American (EA) and African-American (AA) populations. We also analyzed the levels of Zn-exporters in a panel of PCa cells derived from EA and AA populations. We further explored the expression profile of Zn-exporters in PCa using Oncomine database. Zn-exporters were found to be differentially expressed at the mRNA level, with a significant upregulation of SLC30A1, SLC30A9 and SLC30A10, and downregulation of SLC30A5 and SLC30A6 in PCa, compared to benign prostate. Moreover, Ingenuity Pathway analysis revealed several interactions of Zn-exporters with certain tumor suppressor and promoter proteins known to be modulated in PCa. Our study provides an insight regarding Zn-exporters in PCa, which may open new avenues for future studies aimed at enhancing the levels of Zn by modulating Zn-transporters via pharmacological means.

  14. Analysis of Zinc-Exporters Expression in Prostate Cancer

    PubMed Central

    Singh, Chandra K.; Malas, Kareem M.; Tydrick, Caitlin; Siddiqui, Imtiaz A.; Iczkowski, Kenneth A.; Ahmad, Nihal

    2016-01-01

    Maintaining optimal intracellular zinc (Zn) concentration is crucial for critical cellular functions. Depleted Zn has been associated with prostate cancer (PCa) progression. Solute carrier family 30 (SLC30A) proteins maintain cytoplasmic Zn balance by exporting Zn out to the extracellular space or by sequestering cytoplasmic Zn into intracellular compartments. In this study, we determined the involvement of Zn-exporters, SLC30A 1–10 in PCa, in the context of racial health disparity in human PCa samples obtained from European-American (EA) and African-American (AA) populations. We also analyzed the levels of Zn-exporters in a panel of PCa cells derived from EA and AA populations. We further explored the expression profile of Zn-exporters in PCa using Oncomine database. Zn-exporters were found to be differentially expressed at the mRNA level, with a significant upregulation of SLC30A1, SLC30A9 and SLC30A10, and downregulation of SLC30A5 and SLC30A6 in PCa, compared to benign prostate. Moreover, Ingenuity Pathway analysis revealed several interactions of Zn-exporters with certain tumor suppressor and promoter proteins known to be modulated in PCa. Our study provides an insight regarding Zn-exporters in PCa, which may open new avenues for future studies aimed at enhancing the levels of Zn by modulating Zn-transporters via pharmacological means. PMID:27833104

  15. Efficiency in the United States electric industry: Transaction costs, deregulation, and governance structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peterson, Carl

    Transaction costs economics (TCE) posits that firms have an incentive to bypass the market mechanisms in situations where the cost of using the market is prohibitive. Vertical integration, among other governance mechanisms, can be used to minimize the transactions costs associated with the market mechanism. The study analyses different governance mechanisms, which range from complete vertical integration to the use of market mechanisms, for firms in the US electric sector. This sector has undergone tremendous change in the past decade including the introduction of retail competition in some jurisdictions. As a result of the push toward deregulation of the industry, vertically integration, while still significant in the sector, has steadily been replaced by alternative governance structures. Using a sample of 136 investor-owned electric utilities that reported data the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission between 1996 and 2002, this study estimates firm level efficiency using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and relates these estimates to governance structure and public policies. The analysis finds that vertical integration is positively related to firm efficiency, although in a non-linear fashion suggesting that hybrid governance structures tend to be associated with lower efficiency scores. In addition, while some evidence is found for negative short-term effects on firm efficiency from the choice to deregulate, this result is sensitive to DEA model choice. Further, competition in retail markets is found to be positively related to firm level efficiency, but the retreat from deregulation, which occurred after 2000, is negatively associated with firm-level efficiency. These results are important in the ongoing academic and public policy debates concerning deregulation of the electric section and indicate that vertical economies remain in the industry, but that competition has provided incentives for improving firm level efficiency.

  16. Determinants of environmental audit frequency: the role of firm organizational structure.

    PubMed

    Earnhart, Dietrich; Leonard, J Mark

    2013-10-15

    This study empirically examines the extent of environmental management practiced by US chemical manufacturing facilities, as reflected in the number of environmental internal audits conducted annually. As its focus, this study analyzes the effects of firm-level organizational structure on facility-level environmental management practices. For this empirical analysis, the study exploits unique data from a survey distributed to all U.S. chemical manufacturing permitted to discharge wastewater in 2001; the data reflect internal audits conducted during the years 1999-2001. Empirical results reveal differences in auditing behavior based on whether facilities are owned by publicly held or non-publicly held firms, owned by U.S.-based or non-U.S.-based firms, and owned by larger or smaller firms. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. The environmental actions of firms: examining the role of spillovers, networks and absorptive capacity.

    PubMed

    Albornoz, Facundo; Cole, Matthew A; Elliott, Robert J R; Ercolani, Marco G

    2014-12-15

    In the light of climate uncertainty and growing concern for the natural environment, an increasingly important aspect of global business is the environmental behaviour of firms. In this paper we consider the factors that influence firms' environmental actions (EAs). Our study of Argentinean firms concentrates on measures of environmental spillovers, informal and formal networks and absorptive capacity by testing four related hypotheses. We find that foreign-owned firms, large firms and those with a greater capacity to assimilate new environmental technologies are more likely to adopt EAs. We also show that formal and informal networks aid the adoption of EAs in the presence of traditional firm-level spillovers. Finally, we show that foreign-owned firms have different motives to domestic firms for undertaking EAs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Competitive market for multiple firms and economic crisis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tao, Yong

    2010-09-01

    The origin of economic crises is a key problem for economics. We present a model of long-run competitive markets to show that the multiplicity of behaviors in an economic system, over a long time scale, emerge as statistical regularities (perfectly competitive markets obey Bose-Einstein statistics and purely monopolistic-competitive markets obey Boltzmann statistics) and that how interaction among firms influences the evolutionary of competitive markets. It has been widely accepted that perfect competition is most efficient. Our study shows that the perfectly competitive system, as an extreme case of competitive markets, is most efficient but not stable, and gives rise to economic crises as society reaches full employment. In the economic crisis revealed by our model, many firms condense (collapse) into the lowest supply level (zero supply, namely, bankruptcy status), in analogy to Bose-Einstein condensation. This curious phenomenon arises because perfect competition (homogeneous competitions) equals symmetric (indistinguishable) investment direction, a fact abhorred by nature. Therefore, we urge the promotion of monopolistic competition (heterogeneous competitions) rather than perfect competition. To provide early warning of economic crises, we introduce a resolving index of investment, which approaches zero in the run-up to an economic crisis. On the other hand, our model discloses, as a profound conclusion, that the technological level for a long-run social or economic system is proportional to the freedom (disorder) of this system; in other words, technology equals the entropy of system. As an application of this concept, we give a possible answer to the Needham question: “Why was it that despite the immense achievements of traditional China it had been in Europe and not in China that the scientific and industrial revolutions occurred?”

  19. Competitive market for multiple firms and economic crisis.

    PubMed

    Tao, Yong

    2010-09-01

    The origin of economic crises is a key problem for economics. We present a model of long-run competitive markets to show that the multiplicity of behaviors in an economic system, over a long time scale, emerge as statistical regularities (perfectly competitive markets obey Bose-Einstein statistics and purely monopolistic-competitive markets obey Boltzmann statistics) and that how interaction among firms influences the evolutionary of competitive markets. It has been widely accepted that perfect competition is most efficient. Our study shows that the perfectly competitive system, as an extreme case of competitive markets, is most efficient but not stable, and gives rise to economic crises as society reaches full employment. In the economic crisis revealed by our model, many firms condense (collapse) into the lowest supply level (zero supply, namely, bankruptcy status), in analogy to Bose-Einstein condensation. This curious phenomenon arises because perfect competition (homogeneous competitions) equals symmetric (indistinguishable) investment direction, a fact abhorred by nature. Therefore, we urge the promotion of monopolistic competition (heterogeneous competitions) rather than perfect competition. To provide early warning of economic crises, we introduce a resolving index of investment, which approaches zero in the run-up to an economic crisis. On the other hand, our model discloses, as a profound conclusion, that the technological level for a long-run social or economic system is proportional to the freedom (disorder) of this system; in other words, technology equals the entropy of system. As an application of this concept, we give a possible answer to the Needham question: "Why was it that despite the immense achievements of traditional China it had been in Europe and not in China that the scientific and industrial revolutions occurred?"

  20. Equal Opportunities and Vocational Training. In-firm Training and Career Prospects for Women in the Federal Republic of Germany. Summary.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hegelheimer, Barbara

    A study examined the relationship between occupational advancement among women and their participation in the training offered at the enterprise level in West Germany. Women from four firms, a department store company, a large bank, a computer firm, and a public sector service undertaking, were studied. In all four firms, the internal recruitment…

  1. Chaotic dynamics in nonlinear duopoly Stackelberg game with heterogeneous players

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiao, Yue; Peng, Yu; Lu, Qian; Wu, Xue

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, a nonlinear duopoly Stackelberg game of competition on output is concerned. In consideration of the effects of difference between plan products and actual products, the two heterogeneous players always adopt suitable strategies which can improve their benefits most. In general, status of each firm is unequal. As the firms take strategies sequentially and produce simultaneously, complex behaviors are brought about. Numerical simulation presents period doubling bifurcation, maximal Lyapunov exponent and chaos. Moreover, an appropriate method of chaos controlling is applied and fractal dimension is analyzed as well.

  2. Causal Relationships among Technology Acquisition, Absorptive Capacity, and Innovation Performance: Evidence from the Pharmaceutical Industry.

    PubMed

    Jeon, Jieun; Hong, Suckchul; Ohm, Jay; Yang, Taeyong

    2015-01-01

    This paper discusses the importance of absorptive capacity in improving a firm's innovation performance. Specifically, we examine firm interaction with the knowledge and capabilities of outside organizations and the effect on the firm's bottom line. We use the impulse-response function of the vector auto-regressive model to gain insight into this relationship by estimating the time required for the effect of each activity level to reach outputs, the spillover effects. We apply this methodology to pharmaceutical firms, which we classify into two sub-groups--large firms and medium and small firms--based on sales. Our results show that the impact of an activity on any other activity is delayed by three years for large firms and by one to two years for small and medium firms.

  3. The effects of staffing and training on firm productivity and profit growth before, during, and after the Great Recession.

    PubMed

    Kim, Youngsang; Ployhart, Robert E

    2014-05-01

    This study integrates research from strategy, economics, and applied psychology to examine how organizations may leverage their human resources to enhance firm performance and competitive advantage. Staffing and training are key human resource management practices used to achieve firm performance through acquiring and developing human capital resources. However, little research has examined whether and why staffing and training influence firm-level financial performance (profit) growth under different environmental (economic) conditions. Using 359 firms with over 12 years of longitudinal firm-level profit data, we suggest that selective staffing and internal training directly and interactively influence firm profit growth through their effects on firm labor productivity, implying that staffing and training contribute to the generation of slack resources that help buffer and then recover from the effects of the Great Recession. Further, internal training that creates specific human capital resources is more beneficial for prerecession profitability, but staffing is more beneficial for postrecession recovery, apparently because staffing creates generic human capital resources that enable firm flexibility and adaptation. Thus, the theory and findings presented in this article have implications for the way staffing and training may be used strategically to weather economic uncertainty (recession effects). They also have important practical implications by demonstrating that firms that more effectively staff and train will outperform competitors throughout all pre- and postrecessionary periods, even after controlling for prior profitability. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  4. Risk aversion and compliance in markets for pollution control.

    PubMed

    Stranlund, John K

    2008-07-01

    This paper examines the effects of risk aversion on compliance choices in markets for pollution control. A firm's decision to be compliant or not is independent of its manager's risk preference. However, non-compliant firms with risk-averse managers will have lower violations than otherwise identical firms with risk-neutral managers. The violations of non-compliant firms with risk-averse managers are independent of differences in their profit functions and their initial allocations of permits if and only if their managers' utility functions exhibit constant absolute risk aversion. However, firm-level characteristics do impact violation choices when managers have coefficients of absolute risk aversion that are increasing or decreasing in profit levels. Finally, in the equilibrium of a market for emissions rights with widespread non-compliance, risk aversion is associated with higher permit prices, better environmental quality, and lower aggregate violations.

  5. Environmental Concerns, Environmental Policy and Green Investment

    PubMed Central

    Gao, Xuexian; Zheng, Haidong

    2017-01-01

    Environmental regulators often use environmental policy to induce green investment by firms. However, if an environmental policy fails to exert a long-run effect on regulating the economic agents’ behavior, it may be more reasonable to think of the firm as the leader in the game, since the investment in green technology is usually a strategic decision. In this paper, we consider a three-stage Stackelberg game to address the interaction between a profit-maximizing firm (Stackelberg leader) facing emission-dependent demand, and the environmental regulator (Stackelberg follower). The firm decides on the green technology level in the first stage of the game based on its understanding of the regulator’s profits function, especially an environmental concern that is introduced as an exogenous variable. In the current research, we show that high levels of the regulator’s environmental concerns do not necessarily lead to the choice of green technology by the firm, and green investment level depends on the combined effects of the market and operational factors for a given level of the regulator’s environmental concerns. The result also shows that increasing environmental awareness amongst the consumers is an effective way to drive the firm’s green investment. PMID:29236072

  6. The new psychology of strategic leadership.

    PubMed

    Gavetti, Giovanni

    2011-01-01

    Firms in an industry typically cluster around a few strategic positions, and the intense competition on those occupied "mountaintops" makes it hard for firms to gain attractive returns. Superior opportunities lie on unoccupied mountaintops. Yet because those opportunities are "cognitively distant"--far from the status quo--strategists have trouble recognizing and acting on them. Competition, therefore, is weak. Most managers are trained to analyze economic forces when they want to identify new opportunities. But that approach usually won't uncover the kinds of ideas that overturn the status quo. Recent research on human cognition suggests that leaders would do better to use associative thinking to spot, act on, and legitimize distant opportunities. They should learn to make analogies with businesses in other industries, for example. For example, Charles Merrill launched an extraordinarily successful business when he reimagined banking as a "financial supermarket." This article explores ways to jump-start associational thinking--and to bring stakeholders along on the journey.

  7. Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) analysis of nuclear export rates identifies intrinsic features of nucleocytoplasmic transport.

    PubMed

    Cardarelli, Francesco; Tosti, Luca; Serresi, Michela; Beltram, Fabio; Bizzarri, Ranieri

    2012-02-17

    A quantitative description of carrier-mediated nuclear export in live cells is presented. To this end, we fused a prototypical leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES) to GFP as a cargo model and expressed the fluorescent chimera in live CHO-K1 cells. By modeling FRAP data, we calculate the NES affinity for the export machinery and the maximum rate of nuclear export achievable at saturation of endogenous carriers. The measured active-export time through the Nuclear Pore Complex (NPC) is 18 ms, remarkably similar to the previously determined active-import rate. Also, our results reveal that active export/import and active export/passive diffusion fluxes are uncoupled, thus complementing previous reports on active import/passive diffusion uncoupling. These findings suggest differential gating at the NPC level.

  8. The localization of nuclear exporters of the importin-beta family is regulated by Snf1 kinase, nutrient supply and stress.

    PubMed

    Quan, XinXin; Yu, Jennifer; Bussey, Howard; Stochaj, Ursula

    2007-07-01

    In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, four members of the importin-beta family of nuclear carriers, Xpo1p/Crm1p, Cse1p, Msn5p and Los1p, function as exporters of protein and tRNA. Under normal growth conditions GFP-tagged exporters are predominantly associated with nuclei. The presence of Snf1 kinase, a key regulator of cell growth and a metabolic sensor, controls the localization of GFP-exporters. Additional glucose-dependent, but Snf1-independent, mechanisms regulate carrier distribution and a switch from fermentable to non-fermentable carbon sources relocates all of the carriers, suggesting a link to the nutritional status of the cell. Moreover, stress controls the proper localization of GFP-exporters, which mislocalize upon exposure to heat, ethanol and starvation. Stress may activate the MAPK cell integrity cascade, and we tested the role of this pathway in exporter localization. Under non-stress conditions, the proper distribution of GFP-Cse1p and Xpo1p/Crm1p-GFP requires kinases of the cell integrity cascade. By contrast, Msn5p-GFP and Los1p-GFP rely on the MAPK module to relocate to the cytoplasm when cells are stressed with ethanol. Our results indicate that the association of nuclear exporters with nuclei is controlled by multiple mechanisms that are organized in a hierarchical fashion and linked to the physiological state of the cell.

  9. A metric for success

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carver, Gary P.

    1994-05-01

    The federal agencies are working with industry to ease adoption of the metric system. The goal is to help U.S. industry compete more successfully in the global marketplace, increase exports, and create new jobs. The strategy is to use federal procurement, financial assistance, and other business-related activities to encourage voluntary conversion. Based upon the positive experiences of firms and industries that have converted, federal agencies have concluded that metric use will yield long-term benefits that are beyond any one-time costs or inconveniences. It may be time for additional steps to move the Nation out of its dual-system comfort zone and continue to progress toward metrication. This report includes 'Metric Highlights in U.S. History'.

  10. 29 CFR 525.10 - Prevailing wage rates.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    .... Such data may be obtained by surveying comparable firms in the area that employ primarily nondisabled... services which only provide entry level wage data are not acceptable as sources for prevailing wage... with firm or other source; (2) Name, address, and phone number of firm or other source contacted; (3...

  11. [Import and export of licorice and its products in China].

    PubMed

    Ma, Shuai; Wang, Nuo; Yang, Guang; Que, Ling

    2017-06-01

    Licorice is an important harmonic drug which has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine since ancient times. However, with the increasing demand of industrial production, the licorice resources in our country have been reduced rapidly and we have to import licorice resources from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan consequently. In order to find out the trade flow of licorice resources and evaluate the status of Chinese licorice in the world trade, the trade situation of licorice and its products from 2011 to 2015 May in Chinese customs was investigated and analyzed in this paper. The import and export volumes of licorice were declining; the import and export volumes of licorice were relatively concentrated in international trade, with greater risks of trade; and export quota management was not well executed. As one of the strategic resources of medicine, licorice resources must be based on domestic development, and we should adjust the export quota management from passive quota to active quota management and improve the intrinsic value of licorice resources to establish the international market position of our licorice and control the pricing power in international market. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  12. Electric energy costs and firm productivity in the countries of the Pacific Alliance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Camacho, Anamaria

    This paper explores the relation between energy as an input of production and firm-level productivity for Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, all country members of the Pacific Alliance economic bloc. The empirical literature, has explored the impact of infrastructure on productivity; however there is limited analysis on the impact of particular infrastructure variables, such as energy, on productivity at the firm level in Latin America. Therefore, this study conducts a quantitative assessment of the responsiveness of productivity to energy cost and quality for Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. For this, the empirical strategy is to estimate a Cobb-Douglas production function using the World Bank's Enterprise Survey to obtain comparable measures of output and inputs of production. This approach provides estimates of input factor elasticities for all of the factors of production including energy. The results indicate that electric energy costs explain cross-country differences in firm level productivity. For the particular case of Colombia, the country exhibits the lowest capital and labor productivity of the PA, and firm output is highly responsive to changes in energy use. As a result, the evidence suggests that policies reducing electric energy costs are an efficient alternative to increase firm performance, particularly in the case of Colombia.

  13. Dimensions of Entrepreneurial Success: A Multilevel Study on Stakeholders of Micro-Enterprises

    PubMed Central

    Razmus, Wiktor; Laguna, Mariola

    2018-01-01

    The study provides an insight into the indicators and dimensions of entrepreneurial success as evaluated from the external stockholders’ perspective. As each firm is embedded in a network of relations with stakeholders (business partners), understanding how they evaluate entrepreneurial success is important. The initial qualitative study in the form of in-depth interviews allowed us to identify the indicators of entrepreneurial success that are identified by external stakeholders of micro-firms. In the quantitative study on 475 stakeholders of 57 micro-firms, we identified the dimensions of entrepreneurial success. Using a multilevel approach, we found six dimensions of entrepreneurial success at the individual stakeholder level and four dimensions at the firm level. The results show that stakeholders perceive entrepreneurial success in terms of many dimensions, not focusing solely on economic indicators. This knowledge may inform micro-firm management and the strategies employed by practitioners supporting entrepreneurs. PMID:29892242

  14. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    J. Richard Hess; Jacob J. Jacobson; Richard Nelson

    This report updates the status of U.S. biomass resources currently and future potentials for domestic and export markets of residues, energy crops, and woody resources. Includes energy and fuel production and consumption statistics, driving policies, targets, and government investment in bioenergy industry development.

  15. Effects of high inclusion of soybean meal and a phytase superdose on growth performance of weaned pigs housed under the rigors of commercial conditions.

    PubMed

    Moran, K; Boyd, R D; Zier-Rush, C; Wilcock, P; Bajjalieh, N; van Heugten, E

    2017-12-01

    Two studies were conducted to determine whether soybean meal (SBM) use in nursery pig diets can be increased by superdosing with phytase. In Exp. 1, 2,550 pigs (BW of 5.54 ± 0.09 kg) were used to evaluate the optimal level of phytase in low- or high-SBM diets. Two SBM levels (low and high) and 4 phytase doses (0, 1,250, 2,500, and 3,750 phytase units [FTU]/kg) were combined to create 8 dietary treatments in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement. Pigs were fed a 3-phase feeding program, with each period being 10, 10, and 22 d, respectively. Inclusion of low and high SBM was 15.0 and 25.0%, respectively, for Phase 1; 19.0 and 29.0%, respectively, for Phase 2; and 32.5% for the common Phase 3 diet. Pigs fed diets with high SBM had improved G:F for Phase 1 and 2 and overall ( < 0.01) compared with low-SBM diets. Phytase quadratically improved G:F during Phase 3 and overall ( < 0.05), with the optimum phytase dose being 2,500 FTU/kg. High-SBM diets tended ( = 0.09) to decrease stool firmness (determined daily from d 1 to 10) only on d 2. In Exp. 2, 2,112 pigs (BW of 5.99 ± 0.10 kg) were used to evaluate the impact of high levels of SBM and phytase on performance, stool firmness, mortality, and morbidity in weaned pigs originating from a porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus-positive sow farm. Pigs were fed a 3-phase feeding program as in Exp. 1. Three levels of SBM (low, medium, or high) and 2 phytase levels (600 or 2,600 FTU) were combined to create 6 dietary treatments in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement. Inclusion of SBM was 15.0, 22.5, and 30.0% for Phase 1 and 20.0, 27.5, and 35.0% for Phase 2 for low, medium, and high SBM, respectively, and 29.0% for the common Phase 3 diet. Inclusion of SBM did not affect growth performance. The percentage of pigs removed for medical treatment linearly declined with increasing SBM levels ( = 0.04). High-SBM diets tended ( < 0.10) to decrease stool firmness during d 4 and 5 and high phytase tended ( < 0.10) to improve stool firmness on d 2 and 4. Analyzed PRRS titers in saliva samples collected on d 20 and 42 confirmed the PRRS status of the pigs; however, viral load was not impacted by dietary treatments ( ≥ 0.11). Results indicate that SBM levels in early nursery diets can be increased without decreasing growth performance and may be favorable in pigs originating from PRRS-positive sow farms by reducing costs of medical treatments. Supplementation of phytase at superdose levels can improve growth performance independently from the level of SBM in the diet.

  16. 48 CFR 19.308 - Protesting a firm's status as an economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... Central Contractor Registration (CCR) and Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) as... decision. (iv) The concern must remove its designation in CCR and ORCA as an EDWOSB or WOSB concern...

  17. WATERSHED LEVEL RISK ASSESSMENT OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHOROUS EXPORT

    EPA Science Inventory



    The distribution of different types of land cover across a watershed is a principal factor in controlling the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous exported from a watershed. A well developed literature of nutrient export coefficients by land-cover class was used to model t...

  18. Government use licenses in Thailand: an assessment of the health and economic impacts.

    PubMed

    Yamabhai, Inthira; Mohara, Adun; Tantivess, Sripen; Chaisiri, Kakanang; Teerawattananon, Yot

    2011-08-14

    Between 2006 and 2008, Thailand's Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) granted government use licenses for seven patented drugs in order to improve access to these essential treatments. The decision to grant the government use licenses was contentious both within and beyond the country. In particular, concerns were highlighted that the negative consequences might outweigh the expected benefits of the policy. This study conducted assessments of the health and economic implications of these government use licenses. The health and health-related economic impacts were quantified in terms of i) Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) gained and ii) increased productivity in US dollars (USD) as a result of the increased access to drugs. The study adopted a five-year timeframe for the assessment, commencing from the time of the grant of the government use licenses. Empirical evidence gathered from national databases was used to assess the changes in volume of exports after US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) withdrawal and level of foreign direct investment (FDI). As a result of the granting of the government use licenses, an additional 84,158 patients were estimated to have received access to the seven drugs over five years. Health gains from the use of the seven drugs compared to their best alternative accounted for 12,493 QALYs gained, which translates into quantifiable incremental benefits to society of USD132.4 million. The government use license on efavirenze was found to have the greatest benefit. In respect of the country's economy, the study found that Thailand's overall exports increased overtime, although exports of the three US GSP withdrawal products to the US did decline. There was also found to be no relationship between the government use licenses and the level of foreign investment over the period 2002 to 2008. The public health benefits of the government use licenses were generally positive. Specifically, the policy helped to increase access to patented drugs, while the impact of the US GSP withdrawal did not adversely affect the overall export status. Because the levels of benefit gained from the government use licenses varied widely between the seven drugs, depending on several factors, this study makes recommendations for the future implementation of the policy in order to maximise benefits.

  19. Government use licenses in Thailand: an assessment of the health and economic impacts

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Between 2006 and 2008, Thailand's Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) granted government use licenses for seven patented drugs in order to improve access to these essential treatments. The decision to grant the government use licenses was contentious both within and beyond the country. In particular, concerns were highlighted that the negative consequences might outweigh the expected benefits of the policy. This study conducted assessments of the health and economic implications of these government use licenses. Methods The health and health-related economic impacts were quantified in terms of i) Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) gained and ii) increased productivity in US dollars (USD) as a result of the increased access to drugs. The study adopted a five-year timeframe for the assessment, commencing from the time of the grant of the government use licenses. Empirical evidence gathered from national databases was used to assess the changes in volume of exports after US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) withdrawal and level of foreign direct investment (FDI). Results As a result of the granting of the government use licenses, an additional 84,158 patients were estimated to have received access to the seven drugs over five years. Health gains from the use of the seven drugs compared to their best alternative accounted for 12,493 QALYs gained, which translates into quantifiable incremental benefits to society of USD132.4 million. The government use license on efavirenze was found to have the greatest benefit. In respect of the country's economy, the study found that Thailand's overall exports increased overtime, although exports of the three US GSP withdrawal products to the US did decline. There was also found to be no relationship between the government use licenses and the level of foreign investment over the period 2002 to 2008. Conclusions The public health benefits of the government use licenses were generally positive. Specifically, the policy helped to increase access to patented drugs, while the impact of the US GSP withdrawal did not adversely affect the overall export status. Because the levels of benefit gained from the government use licenses varied widely between the seven drugs, depending on several factors, this study makes recommendations for the future implementation of the policy in order to maximise benefits. PMID:21838926

  20. Fluorescent Recovery after Photobleaching (FRAP) Analysis of Nuclear Export Rates Identifies Intrinsic Features of Nucleocytoplasmic Transport*

    PubMed Central

    Cardarelli, Francesco; Tosti, Luca; Serresi, Michela; Beltram, Fabio; Bizzarri, Ranieri

    2012-01-01

    A quantitative description of carrier-mediated nuclear export in live cells is presented. To this end, we fused a prototypical leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES) to GFP as a cargo model and expressed the fluorescent chimera in live CHO-K1 cells. By modeling FRAP data, we calculate the NES affinity for the export machinery and the maximum rate of nuclear export achievable at saturation of endogenous carriers. The measured active-export time through the Nuclear Pore Complex (NPC) is 18 ms, remarkably similar to the previously determined active-import rate. Also, our results reveal that active export/import and active export/passive diffusion fluxes are uncoupled, thus complementing previous reports on active import/passive diffusion uncoupling. These findings suggest differential gating at the NPC level. PMID:22190681

  1. Information Risk Management and Resilience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dynes, Scott

    Are the levels of information risk management efforts within and between firms correlated with the resilience of the firms to information disruptions? This paper examines the question by considering the results of field studies of information risk management practices at organizations and in supply chains. The organizations investigated differ greatly in the degree of coupling from a general and information risk management standpoint, as well as in the levels of internal awareness and activity regarding information risk management. The comparison of the levels of information risk management in the firms and their actual or inferred resilience indicates that a formal information risk management approach is not necessary for resilience in certain sectors.

  2. Towards a new paradigm: Activity level balanced sustainability reporting.

    PubMed

    Samudhram, Ananda; Siew, Eu-Gene; Sinnakkannu, Jothee; Yeow, Paul H P

    2016-11-01

    Technoeconomic paradigms based economic growth theories suggest that waves of technological innovations drove the economic growth of advanced economies. Widespread economic degradation and pollution is an unintended consequence of such growth. Tackling environmental and social issues at firm levels would help us to overcome such issues at macro-levels. Consequently, the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) reporting approach promotes firm level economic, environmental and social performances. Incorporating Zink's (2014) 3-pillar presentation model, this paper indicates that economic, social and environmental performances tend to be reported at firm level. All three pillars are not covered evenly at the activity levels. Thus, a loophole is identified whereby excellent environmental performance at activity levels could potentially leave poor social performance undisclosed. A refinement of the TBL paradigm, whereby all three pillars are covered at the activity level, is suggested, to enhance sustainability reporting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Boundary Conditions of the High-Investment Human Resource Systems-Small-Firm Labor Productivity Relationship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chadwick, Clint; Way, Sean A.; Kerr, Gerry; Thacker, James W.

    2013-01-01

    Although a few published, multiindustry, firm-level, empirical studies have linked systems of high-investment or high-performance human resource management practices to enhanced small-firm performance, this stream of strategic human resource management research is underdeveloped and equivocal. Accordingly, in this study, we use a sample of…

  4. 78 FR 53793 - Request To Amend a License To Export Radioactive Waste

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-30

    ... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Request To Amend a License To Export Radioactive Waste Pursuant to... total of 5,500 ``Ultimate Foreign XW012/04 radioactive tons of low- Consignee(s).'' No other 11005699 waste). level waste). changes to the existing license which authorizes the export of non-conforming...

  5. Where to next with animal health in Latin America? The transition from endemic to disease-free status.

    PubMed

    Rojas, H; Romero, J R

    2017-04-01

    The Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC) is a leading global producer and exporter of animal products. Its livestock production systems are diverse, ranging from large-scale commercial enterprises to family farms. Countries in this region have sought to improve their animal health status through both public and private efforts. Despite significant advances in eradicating such diseases as foot and mouth disease and classical swine fever, other animal health challenges remain; constraining exports, causing negative economic impacts and threatening food security. Obtaining certification of disease-free status is only the first step towards gaining benefits from improvements in animal health. Increasing international trade means that countries must manage the sustainability of their disease-free status in conjunction with trade partners and must comply with additional food safety and animal welfare standards. This paper comments on the challenges created by this new scenario in relation to the epidemiology and economics of animal health, when seeking to improve decisionmaking for animal health management. The authors characterise the current LAC livestock landscape and animal health situation, describing transitions in disease control and the use of economics in improving animal health. They conclude with remarks on the challenges presented by decision-making, economic rationality, sources of benefits, distribution and incentives.

  6. Shared vision promotes family firm performance.

    PubMed

    Neff, John E

    2015-01-01

    A clear picture of the influential drivers of private family firm performance has proven to be an elusive target. The unique characteristics of private family owned firms necessitate a broader, non-financial approach to reveal firm performance drivers. This research study sought to specify and evaluate the themes that distinguish successful family firms from less successful family firms. In addition, this study explored the possibility that these themes collectively form an effective organizational culture that improves longer-term firm performance. At an organizational level of analysis, research findings identified four significant variables: Shared Vision (PNS), Role Clarity (RCL), Confidence in Management (CON), and Professional Networking (OLN) that positively impacted family firm financial performance. Shared Vision exhibited the strongest positive influence among the significant factors. In addition, Family Functionality (APGAR), the functional integrity of the family itself, exhibited a significant supporting role. Taken together, the variables collectively represent an effective family business culture (EFBC) that positively impacted the long-term financial sustainability of family owned firms. The index of effective family business culture also exhibited potential as a predictive non-financial model of family firm performance.

  7. Shared vision promotes family firm performance

    PubMed Central

    Neff, John E.

    2015-01-01

    A clear picture of the influential drivers of private family firm performance has proven to be an elusive target. The unique characteristics of private family owned firms necessitate a broader, non-financial approach to reveal firm performance drivers. This research study sought to specify and evaluate the themes that distinguish successful family firms from less successful family firms. In addition, this study explored the possibility that these themes collectively form an effective organizational culture that improves longer-term firm performance. At an organizational level of analysis, research findings identified four significant variables: Shared Vision (PNS), Role Clarity (RCL), Confidence in Management (CON), and Professional Networking (OLN) that positively impacted family firm financial performance. Shared Vision exhibited the strongest positive influence among the significant factors. In addition, Family Functionality (APGAR), the functional integrity of the family itself, exhibited a significant supporting role. Taken together, the variables collectively represent an effective family business culture (EFBC) that positively impacted the long-term financial sustainability of family owned firms. The index of effective family business culture also exhibited potential as a predictive non-financial model of family firm performance. PMID:26042075

  8. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Granderson, G.D.

    The purpose of the dissertation is to examine the impact of rate-of-return regulation on the cost of transporting natural gas in interstate commerce. Of particular interest is the effect of the regulation on the input choice of a firm. Does regulation induce a regulated firm to produce its selected level of output at greater than minimum cost The theoretical model is based on the work of Rolf Faere and James Logan who investigate the duality relationship between the cost and production functions of a rate-of-return regulated firm. Faere and Logan derive the cost function for a regulated firm as themore » minimum cost of producing the firm's selected level of output, subject to the regulatory constraint. The regulated cost function is used to recover the unregulated cost function. A firm's unregulated cost function is the minimum cost of producing its selected level of output. Characteristics of the production technology are obtained from duality between the production and unregulated cost functions. Using data on 20 pipeline companies from 1977 to 1987, the author estimates a random effects model that consists of a regulated cost function and its associated input share equations. The model is estimated as a set of seemingly unrelated regressions. The empirical results are used to test the Faere and Logan theory and the traditional Averch-Johnson hypothesis of overcapitalization. Parameter estimates are used to recover the unregulated cost function and to calculate the amount by which transportation costs are increased by the regulation of the industry. Empirical results show that a firm's transportation cost decreases as the allowed rate of return increases and the regulatory constraint becomes less tight. Elimination of the regulatory constraint would lead to a reduction in costs on average of 5.278%. There is evidence that firms overcapitalize on pipeline capital. There is inconclusive evidence on whether firms overcapitalized on compressor station capital.« less

  9. Exporting an Inherently Harmful Product: The Marketing of Virginia Slims Cigarettes in the United States, Japan, and Korea.

    PubMed

    Dewhirst, Timothy; Lee, Wonkyong B; Fong, Geoffrey T; Ling, Pamela M

    2016-11-01

    Ethical issues surrounding the marketing and trade of controversial products such as tobacco require a better understanding. Virginia Slims, an exclusively women's cigarette brand first launched in 1968 in the USA, was introduced during the mid 1980s to major Asian markets, such as Japan and Korea, dominated by male smokers. By reviewing internal corporate documents, made public from litigation, we examine the marketing strategies used by Philip Morris as they entered new markets such as Japan and Korea and consider the extent that the company attempted to appeal to women in markets where comparatively few women were smokers. The case study of Virginia Slims reveals that the classification of "vulnerable" consumers is variable depending on culture, tobacco firms display responsive efforts and strategies when operating within a "mature" market, and cultural values played a role in informing Philip Morris' strategic decision to embrace an adaptive marketing approach, particularly when entering the Korean market. Finally, moral questions are raised with tobacco being identified as a priority product for export and international trade agreements being used by corporations, governments, or trade partners in efforts to undermine domestic public health policies.

  10. Exporting an Inherently Harmful Product: The Marketing of Virginia Slims Cigarettes in the United States, Japan, and Korea

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Wonkyong B.; Fong, Geoffrey T.; Ling, Pamela M.

    2015-01-01

    Ethical issues surrounding the marketing and trade of controversial products such as tobacco require a better understanding. Virginia Slims, an exclusively women’s cigarette brand first launched in 1968 in the USA, was introduced during the mid 1980s to major Asian markets, such as Japan and Korea, dominated by male smokers. By reviewing internal corporate documents, made public from litigation, we examine the marketing strategies used by Philip Morris as they entered new markets such as Japan and Korea and consider the extent that the company attempted to appeal to women in markets where comparatively few women were smokers. The case study of Virginia Slims reveals that the classification of “vulnerable” consumers is variable depending on culture, tobacco firms display responsive efforts and strategies when operating within a “mature” market, and cultural values played a role in informing Philip Morris’ strategic decision to embrace an adaptive marketing approach, particularly when entering the Korean market. Finally, moral questions are raised with tobacco being identified as a priority product for export and international trade agreements being used by corporations, governments, or trade partners in efforts to undermine domestic public health policies. PMID:28025588

  11. Virtual Water Scarcity Risk to the Global Trade System.

    PubMed

    Qu, Shen; Liang, Sai; Konar, Megan; Zhu, Zeqi; Chiu, Anthony S F; Jia, Xiaoping; Xu, Ming

    2018-01-16

    Local water scarcity risk (LWSR, meaning potential economic output losses in water-using sectors due to physical water scarcity) can be transmitted to downstream economies through the globalized supply chains. To understand the vulnerability of the global economy to water scarcity, we examine the impacts of local water scarcity risk on the global trade system from 1995 to 2009. We observe increasingly intensified geographical separation between physical water scarcity and production losses due to water scarcity. We identify top nation-sectors in virtual water scarcity risk (VWSR) exports (indicating local water scarcity risk in each nation transmitted to foreign nations through its exports), including agriculture and utilities in major economies such as China, India, Spain, France, and Turkey. These nation-sectors are critical to the resilience of the global economy to water scarcity. We also identify top nation-sectors in virtual water scarcity risk imports (indicating each nation's vulnerability to foreign water scarcity risk through the global trade system), highlighting their vulnerability to distant water scarcity. Our findings reveal the need for nations to collaboratively manage and conserve water resources, and lay the foundation for firms in high VWSR-importing sectors to develop strategies to mitigate such risk.

  12. 48 CFR 19.308 - Protesting a firm's status as an economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Central Contractor Registration (CCR) and Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) as... its designation in CCR and ORCA as an EDWOSB or WOSB concern, and shall not submit an offer as an...

  13. 76 FR 47211 - Report on the Performance of Drug and Biologics Firms in Conducting Postmarketing Requirements...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-04

    .... This notice is the Agency's report on the status of the studies and clinical trials that applicants..., Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 22...

  14. Nuclear routing networks span between nuclear pore complexes and genomic DNA to guide nucleoplasmic trafficking of biomolecules

    PubMed Central

    Malecki, Marek; Malecki, Bianca

    2012-01-01

    In health and disease, biomolecules, which are involved in gene expression, recombination, or reprogramming have to traffic through the nucleoplasm, between nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) and genomic DNA (gDNA). This trafficking is guided by the recently revealed nuclear routing networks (NRNs). In this study, we aimed to investigate, if the NRNs have established associations with the genomic DNA in situ and if the NRNs have capabilities to bind the DNA de novo. Moreover, we aimed to study further, if nucleoplasmic trafficking of the histones, rRNA, and transgenes’ vectors, between the NPCs and gDNA, is guided by the NRNs. We used Xenopus laevis oocytes as the model system. We engineered the transgenes’ DNA vectors equipped with the SV40 LTA nuclear localization signals (NLS) and/or HIV Rev nuclear export signals (NES). We purified histones, 5S rRNA, and gDNA. We rendered all these molecules superparamagnetic and fluorescent for detection with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), total reflection x-ray fluorescence (TXRF), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The NRNs span between the NPCs and genomic DNA. They form firm bonds with the gDNA in situ. After complete digestion of the nucleic acids with the RNases and DNases, the newly added DNA - modified with the dNTP analogs, bonds firmly to the NRNs. Moreover, the NRNs guide the trafficking of the DNA transgenes’ vectors - modified with the SV40 LTA NLS, following their import into the nuclei through the NPCs. The pathway is identical to that of histones. The NRNs also guide the trafficking of the DNA transgenes’ vectors, modified with the HIV Rev NES, to the NPCs, followed by their export out of the nuclei. Ribosomal RNAs follow the same pathway. To summarize, the NRNs are the structures connecting the NPCs and the gDNA. They guide the trafficking of the biomolecules between the NPCs and the gDNA. PMID:23275893

  15. Are Skill Requirements Rising? Evidence from Production and Clerical Jobs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cappelli, Peter

    1993-01-01

    Examination of production jobs in 93 manufacturing firms (1978-86) and clerical jobs in 211 firms (1978-88) suggests (1) significant upskilling within most production jobs; (2) in clerical jobs, an even split between raised and lowered skill levels; and (3) decreasing skill levels associated with office automation. (SK)

  16. Steady-state nuclear actin levels are determined by export competent actin pool.

    PubMed

    Skarp, Kari-Pekka; Huet, Guillaume; Vartiainen, Maria K

    2013-10-01

    A number of studies in the last decade have irrevocably promoted actin into a fully fledged member of the nuclear compartment, where it, among other crucial tasks, facilitates transcription and chromatin remodeling. Changes in nuclear actin levels have been linked to different cellular processes: decreased nuclear actin to quiescence and increased nuclear actin to differentiation. Importin 9 and exportin 6 transport factors are responsible for the continuous nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of actin, but the mechanisms, which result in modulated actin levels, have not been characterized. We find that in cells growing under normal growth conditions, the levels of nuclear actin vary considerably from cell to cell. To understand the basis for this, we have extensively quantified several cellular parameters while at the same time recording the import and export rates of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged actin. Surprisingly, our dataset shows that the ratio of nuclear to cytoplasmic fluorescence intensity, but not nuclear shape, size, cytoplasm size, or their ratio, correlates negatively with both import and export rate of actin. This suggests that high-nuclear actin content is maintained by both diminished import and export. The high nuclear actin containing cells still show high mobility of actin, but it is not export competent, suggesting increased binding of actin to nuclear complexes. Creation of such export incompetent actin pool would ensure enough actin is retained in the nucleus and make it available for the various nuclear functions described for actin. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Effects of a 7-day military training exercise on inflammatory biomarkers, serum hepcidin, and iron status.

    PubMed

    McClung, James P; Martini, Svein; Murphy, Nancy E; Montain, Scott J; Margolis, Lee M; Thrane, Ingjerd; Spitz, Marissa G; Blatny, Janet-Martha; Young, Andrew J; Gundersen, Yngvar; Pasiakos, Stefan M

    2013-11-04

    Hepcidin, a peptide that is released into the blood in response to inflammation, prevents cellular iron export and results in declines in iron status. Elevated serum and urinary levels of hepcidin have been observed in athletes following exercise, and declines in iron status have been reported following prolonged periods of training. The objective of this observational study was to characterize the effects of an occupational task, military training, on iron status, inflammation, and serum hepcidin. Volunteers (n = 21 males) included Norwegian Soldiers participating in a 7-day winter training exercise that culminated in a 3-day, 54 km ski march. Fasted blood samples were collected at baseline, on day 4 (PRE, prior to the ski march), and again on day 7 (POST, following the ski march). Samples were analyzed for hemoglobin, serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and serum hepcidin. Military training affected inflammation and serum hepcidin levels, as IL-6 and hepcidin concentrations increased (P < 0.05) from the baseline to POST (mean ± SD, 9.1 ± 4.9 vs. 14.5 ± 8.4 pg/mL and 6.5 ± 3.5 vs. 10.2 ± 6.9 ng/mL, respectively). Iron status was not affected by the training exercise, as sTfR levels did not change over the course of the 7-day study. Military training resulted in significant elevations in IL-6 and serum hepcidin. Future studies should strive to identify the role of hepcidin in the adaptive response to exercise, as well as countermeasures for the prevention of chronic or repeated elevations in serum hepcidin due to exercise or sustained occupational tasks which may result in longer term decrements in iron status.

  18. Profit maximization, industry structure, and competition: A critique of neoclassical theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keen, Steve; Standish, Russell

    2006-10-01

    Neoclassical economics has two theories of competition between profit-maximizing firms-Marshallian and Cournot-Nash-that start from different premises about the degree of strategic interaction between firms, yet reach the same result, that market price falls as the number of firms in an industry increases. The Marshallian argument is strictly false. We integrate the different premises, and establish that the optimal level of strategic interaction between competing firms is zero. Simulations support our analysis and reveal intriguing emergent behaviors.

  19. [Reemergence of measles in vaccinated patients: report of 6 cases and proposals for prevention].

    PubMed

    Agut-Busquet, Eugènia; Gené Tous, Emili; Navarro, Gemma; González, Araceli

    2016-06-01

    A 2014 measles outbreak in Catalonia affected 131 persons. We describe a series of 6 cases diagnosed in our emergency department. All the patients were under 31 years of age and complained of flu-like symptoms, including high fever and rash. Five had been properly vaccinated and one was a health care worker. A firm diagnosis of measles need not be made in the emergency department, but a high level of suspicion is important for ruling out complications, isolating the patient, and protecting health care staff at high risk for exposure. We found that 6% of the staff of our emergency department had a low level of immunity to measles. Given our findings, we suggest that preventive treatment is necessary when health care staff have been exposed to measles and their vaccination status is unknown.

  20. The moderating role of absorptive capacity and the differential effects of acquisitions and alliances on Big Pharma firms' innovation performance.

    PubMed

    Fernald, K D S; Pennings, H P G; van den Bosch, J F; Commandeur, H R; Claassen, E

    2017-01-01

    In the context of increased pharmaceutical innovation deficits and Big Pharma blockbusters' patent expirations, this paper examines the moderating role of firms' absorptive capacity in external innovation activities of Big Pharma firms. The study indicates a rising interest of Big Pharma in acquisitions of and alliances with biotechnology companies. Unfortunately, this increased interest is not reflected in the number of new drugs generated by Big Pharma. We find that acquisitions of biotech companies have negatively affected Big Pharma firms' innovation performance on average but these acquisitions might have a positive effect at higher levels of acquiring firms' absorptive capacity. Moreover, also acquisitions of pharma companies and alliances with biotech companies only have a positive effect on innovation performance at sufficiently high levels of absorptive capacity. The moderating role of absorptive capacity implicates that a tight integration of internal R&D efforts and (unrelated) external knowledge is crucial for harnessing complementarity effects.

  1. Wind Power on Native American Lands: Opportunities, Challenges, and Status (Poster)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jimenez, A.; Johnson, P. B.; Gough, R.

    2007-06-01

    The United States is home to more than 700 American Indian tribes and Native Alaska villages and corporations located on 96 million acres. Many of these tribes and villages have excellent wind resources that could be commercially developed to meet their electricity needs or for electricity export. This conference poster for Windpower 2007 describes the opportunities, challenges, and status of wind energy projects on Native American lands in the United States.

  2. Influence of lag effect, soil release, and climate change on watershed anthropogenic nitrogen inputs and riverine export dynamics.

    PubMed

    Chen, Dingjiang; Huang, Hong; Hu, Minpeng; Dahlgren, Randy A

    2014-05-20

    This study demonstrates the importance of the nitrogen-leaching lag effect, soil nitrogen release, and climate change on anthropogenic N inputs (NANI) and riverine total nitrogen (TN) export dynamics using a 30-yr record for the Yongan River watershed in eastern China. Cross-correlation analysis indicated a 7-yr, 5-yr, and 4-yr lag time in riverine TN export in response to changes in NANI, temperature, and drained agricultural land area, respectively. Enhanced by warmer temperature and improved agricultural drainage, the upper 20 cm of agricultural soils released 270 kg N ha(-1) between 1980 and 2009. Climate change also increased the fractional export of NANI to river. An empirical model (R(2) = 0.96) for annual riverine TN flux incorporating these influencing factors estimated 35%, 41%, and 24% of riverine TN flux originated from the soil N pool, NANI, and background N sources, respectively. The model forecasted an increase of 45%, 25%, and 6% and a decrease of 13% in riverine TN flux from 2010 to 2030 under continued development, climate change, status-quo, and tackling scenarios, respectively. The lag effect, soil N release, and climate change delay riverine TN export reductions with respect to decreases in NANI and should be considered in developing and evaluating N management measures.

  3. Skill-Biased Technological Change. Evidence from a Firm-Level Survey.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Siegel, Donald S.

    A study addressed the effects of technological change using a new, rich source of firm-level data on technology usage and labor force composition. The empirical investigation is based on a survey of Long Island manufacturers' usage of computer-integrated manufacturing systems (CIMS) or advanced manufacturing technologies (AMTs). The study also…

  4. Comparative advantage: the impact of ISO 14001 environmental certification on exports.

    PubMed

    Bellesi, Florencia; Lehrer, David; Tal, Alon

    2005-04-01

    Relative to the enormous acceptance of the ISO 9000 quality standard, the ISO 14001 environmental management certification has been met with only moderate enthusiasm among industrial facilities. The literature on corporate motivation for ISO 14001 participation is relatively modest considering the enormous number of publications reviewing other aspects of its adoption and implementation. It would seem that the present "marketing" package supporting ISO environmental commitments does not seem to offer sufficiently persuasive incentives for increased sales, either domestically or internationally. While researchers assume that a higher export rate of companies is positively associated with higher ISO participation rates, there have been very few empirical studies that support this inference, and conclusions have not been based on data taken from importing countries orfrom a systematic evaluation of expressed corporate preference for products sold by ISO 14001 certified companies. The present study reports the results of a survey to firms in six countries that are Israel's leading trade partners, importing chemicals, textiles, and produce. The survey results confirm that while the international market still considers price and quality as the paramount factors in selection of suppliers, environmental management systems (EMS) are an important feature that is frequently taken into consideration. EMS certification appears to signify a supplier who is managing the business well and exhibiting ethical responsibility. The European market proved to be more environmentally conscious than those in other industrialized parts of the world. EMS offer a particularly valuable advantage for producers wishing to reach European markets. As policy-makers seek to expand the voluntary adoption of EMS, a clear advantage for exporters should be highlighted among national industries.

  5. The true cost of greenhouse gas emissions: analysis of 1,000 global companies.

    PubMed

    Ishinabe, Nagisa; Fujii, Hidemichi; Managi, Shunsuke

    2013-01-01

    This study elucidated the shadow price of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 1,024 international companies worldwide that were surveyed from 15 industries in 37 major countries. Our results indicate that the shadow price of GHG at the firm level is much higher than indicated in previous studies. The higher shadow price was found in this study as a result of the use of Scope 3 GHG emissions data. The results of this research indicate that a firm would carry a high cost of GHG emissions if Scope 3 GHG emissions were the focus of the discussion of corporate social responsibility. In addition, such shadow prices were determined to differ substantially among countries, among sectors, and within sectors. Although a number of studies have calculated the shadow price of GHG emissions, these studies have employed country-level or industry-level data or a small sample of firm-level data in one country. This new data from a worldwide firm analysis of the shadow price of GHG emissions can play an important role in developing climate policy and promoting sustainable development.

  6. The True Cost of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Analysis of 1,000 Global Companies

    PubMed Central

    Ishinabe, Nagisa; Fujii, Hidemichi; Managi, Shunsuke

    2013-01-01

    This study elucidated the shadow price of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 1,024 international companies worldwide that were surveyed from 15 industries in 37 major countries. Our results indicate that the shadow price of GHG at the firm level is much higher than indicated in previous studies. The higher shadow price was found in this study as a result of the use of Scope 3 GHG emissions data. The results of this research indicate that a firm would carry a high cost of GHG emissions if Scope 3 GHG emissions were the focus of the discussion of corporate social responsibility. In addition, such shadow prices were determined to differ substantially among countries, among sectors, and within sectors. Although a number of studies have calculated the shadow price of GHG emissions, these studies have employed country-level or industry-level data or a small sample of firm-level data in one country. This new data from a worldwide firm analysis of the shadow price of GHG emissions can play an important role in developing climate policy and promoting sustainable development. PMID:24265710

  7. Strategic Orientation in the Globalization of Software Firms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dedrick, Jason; Kraemer, Kenneth L.; Carmel, Erran; Dunkle, Debora

    In the search for profits, software firms are globalizing their development activities. Some firms achieve greater profits by becoming more efficient, whereas others do so by reaching new markets; some do both. This paper creates an a priori typology of strategies based on the extent to which firms are focused on operational improvement or market access, have a dual focus or are unfocused. We find that firms with these strategies differ in degree of internationalization, organization of offshoring and performance outcomes related to offshoring. Market-oriented firms receive a greater proportion of their total revenue from sales outside the U.S., showing a greater international orientation. They keep more of their offshore development in-house via captive operations. They also are most likely to report increased non-U.S. sales as a result of offshoring. On the other hand, operations-oriented firms have lower levels of international sales, are more likely to go offshore via outsourced software development, and achieve greater costs savings and labor force flexibility as a result of offshoring. Operations-oriented firms also face more obstacles in offshoring, perhaps because of their reliance on outsourcing. Dual focus firms generally achieve some of the best of both strategies, whereas unfocused firms achieve lower cost benefits.

  8. Managerial Cognitive Moral Development and the Firm's Owners' Salience: Empirical Evidence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martynov, Aleksey; Logachev, Sergey

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we study the agency relationship between the firm's owners and managers. We apply the theory of Cognitive Moral Development (CMD) to answer the question: What factors affect salience of the interests of the firm's owners to the managers? Using a sample of Russian managers, we found that higher levels of CMD weaken the relationship…

  9. Japan nurtures telecommunications on classic formula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davis, Neil

    1987-03-01

    As in other industrial sectors, Japanese telecommunications organizations export significantly more products than they import, even when substantial cost-savings can be realized. One example is optical fibers, which some Japanese service companies do not buy from outside suppliers who have taken advantage of economies of scale. Nippon Telephone and Telegraph, until recently a common carrier, is meeting increasing competition from newly-formed indigenous telecommunications subsidiaries who are taking advantage of fiber optics and microwave communications capabilities. Various cooperative projects with U.S. companies are described, noting the tendency of Japanese manufacturers to cease relationships with U.S. companies when Japanese products become competitive and also the necessity of U.S. firms to gain political cooperation from the Japanese government in order to make sales in Japan.

  10. Row erupts over US firm's plan to import nuclear waste

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gwynne, Peter

    2008-06-01

    A controversy is brewing in the US over a plan by a firm in Utah to import, process and dispose of 20 000 tonnes of low-level radioactive waste from decommissioned nuclear reactors built in Italy by American companies. EnergySolutions intends to recycle some of this waste at a site near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, so that it can be re-used as shielding blocks in nuclear plants. The firm then wants to dispose of the remaining radioactive material at a site in Clive, Utah, where over 90% of low-level radioactive waste generated in the US is currently buried.

  11. 78 FR 25699 - Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 265-Conroe, Texas; Notification of Proposed Production Activity; Bauer...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-02

    ... foreign status components used in export production. On its domestic sales, Bauer would be able to choose... bands, plates, sheets, strips, bands), paper sheets/dials/rolls, articles of steel (shapes; U, H and I...

  12. 75 FR 32230 - Meetings; Sunshine Act

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-07

    .... Place: Commissioners' Conference Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. Status: Public and closed. Additional Items To Be Considered: Wednesday, June 9, 2010 1:25 p.m. Affirmation Session (Public Meeting) (Tentative). a. Review of Final Rule Package, Export and Import of Nuclear Equipment and Material...

  13. 48 CFR 19.308 - Protesting a firm's status as an economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... for Award Management (SAM) as an EDWOSB or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program, and shall not... reflect OHA's decision. (iv) The concern must remove its designation in SAM as an EDWOSB or WOSB concern...

  14. Recognition and liking of tobacco and alcohol advertisements among adolescents: relationships with susceptibility to substance use.

    PubMed

    Unger, J B; Johnson, C A; Rohrbach, L A

    1995-09-01

    Exposure to tobacco and alcohol advertising has been associated with adolescent substance use. However, it is not clear whether favorable reactions to advertising are an antecedent to or a consequence of substance use. This study investigated relationships between adolescents' levels of susceptibility to substance use and their recognition and liking of tobacco and alcohol advertising. Eighth-grade students viewed pictures of tobacco and alcohol advertisements with brand names and identifying information obscured, attempted to identify the brand name and type of product being advertised, and rated their liking of the advertisements. Subjects were divided into three substance use status groups: nonsusceptible nonusers (have never used and do not intend to do so), susceptible nonusers (have not used but have not made a firm commitment not to experiment in the future), and users (have tried the substance). Susceptible nonusers liked the tobacco advertisements at a level that was significantly greater than that of the nonsusceptible nonsmokers and comparable to that of the users. Liking of the alcohol advertisements generally increased with alcohol use status. These results suggest that tobacco advertisements ostensibly targeted to adult smokers may have the effect of recruiting new adolescent smokers.

  15. Does human capital matter? A meta-analysis of the relationship between human capital and firm performance.

    PubMed

    Crook, T Russell; Todd, Samuel Y; Combs, James G; Woehr, David J; Ketchen, David J

    2011-05-01

    Theory at both the micro and macro level predicts that investments in superior human capital generate better firm-level performance. However, human capital takes time and money to develop or acquire, which potentially offsets its positive benefits. Indeed, extant tests appear equivocal regarding its impact. To clarify what is known, we meta-analyzed effects drawn from 66 studies of the human capital-firm performance relationship and investigated 3 moderators suggested by resource-based theory. We found that human capital relates strongly to performance, especially when the human capital in question is not readily tradable in labor markets and when researchers use operational performance measures that are not subject to profit appropriation. Our results suggest that managers should invest in programs that increase and retain firm-specific human capital.

  16. Determinants and Developments of Employer Provided Training: Evidence from a Wage Compressed Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schone, Pal

    2006-01-01

    Using a representative employer-employee level dataset, this paper answers four questions: (1) What characterises employer provided training in Norway? (2) What characterises firms that invest heavily in employer provided training? (3) Is it the same firms that invest in employer provided all the time? (4) Has the level of employer provided…

  17. Does Human Capital Matter? A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship between Human Capital and Firm Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crook, T. Russell; Todd, Samuel Y.; Combs, James G.; Woehr, David J.; Ketchen, David J., Jr.

    2011-01-01

    Theory at both the micro and macro level predicts that investments in superior human capital generate better firm-level performance. However, human capital takes time and money to develop or acquire, which potentially offsets its positive benefits. Indeed, extant tests appear equivocal regarding its impact. To clarify what is known, we…

  18. Human Capital Linkages to Labour Productivity: Implications from Thai Manufacturers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rukumnuaykit, Pungpond; Pholphirul, Piriya

    2016-01-01

    Human capital investment is a necessary condition for improving labour market outcomes in most countries. Empirical studies to investigate human capital and its linkages on the labour demand side are, however, relatively scarce due to limitations of firm-level data-sets. Using firm-level data from the Thai manufacturing sector, this paper aims to…

  19. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Environmental Protection Agency's Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) website provides customizable and downloadable information about environmental inspections, violations, and enforcement actions for EPA-regulated facilities related to the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act. These data are updated weekly as part of the ECHO data refresh, and ECHO offers many user-friendly options to explore data, including:? Facility Search: ECHO information is searchable by varied criteria, including location, facility type, and compliance status. Search results are customizable and downloadable.? Comparative Maps and State Dashboards: These tools offer aggregated information about facility compliance status, regulatory agency compliance monitoring, and enforcement activity at the national and state level.? Bulk Data Downloads: One of ECHO??s most popular features is the ability to work offline by downloading large data sets. Users can take advantage of the ECHO Exporter, which provides summary information about each facility in comma-separated values (csv) file format, or download data sets by program as zip files.

  20. Middle East fuel supply & gas exports for power generation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mitchell, G.K.; Newendorp, T.

    1995-12-31

    The Middle East countries that border on, or are near, the Persian Gulf hold over 65% of the world`s estimated proven crude oil reserves and 32% of the world`s estimated proven natural gas reserves. In fact, approximately 5% of the world`s total proven gas reserves are located in Qatar`s offshore North Field. This large natural gas/condensate field is currently under development to supply three LNG export projects, as well as a sub-sea pipeline proposal to export gas to Pakistan. The Middle East will continue to be a major source of crude oil and oil products to world petroleum markets, includingmore » fuel for existing and future base load, intermediate cycling and peaking electric generation plants. In addition, as the Persian Gulf countries turn their attention to exploiting their natural gas resources, the fast-growing need for electricity in the Asia-Pacific and east Africa areas offers a potential market for both pipeline and LNG export opportunities to fuel high efficiency, gas-fired combustion turbine power plants. Mr. Mitchell`s portion of this paper will discuss the background, status and timing of several Middle Eastern gas export projects that have been proposed. These large gas export projects are difficult and costly to develop and finance. Consequently, any IPP developers that are considering gas-fired projects which require Mid-East LNG as a fuel source, should understand the numerous sources and timing to securing project debt, loan terms and conditions, and, restrictions/credit rating issues associated with securing financing for these gas export projects. Mr. Newendorp`s section of the paper will cover the financing aspects of these projects, providing IPP developers with additional considerations in selecting the primary fuel supply for an Asian-Pacific or east African electric generation project.« less

  1. The south's timer export potential

    Treesearch

    James E. Granskog

    1986-01-01

    Exports of southern wood products have bccil dcclirling since 1980, following a dramatic rise during the 1970s. The value of these exports rose from near the $50 million level in the early 1970s to almost $500 million in 1980, but has dropped by more than a third since then. Now, however, changing monetary conditions appear to be turning the trend upward again....

  2. 75 FR 38772 - Amendment to the 2010 Tariff Preference Level (TPL) for Nicaragua Under the Central America...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-06

    ... one-to-one commitment for cotton and man-made fiber woven trousers exported from Nicaragua to the... one-to-one commitment for cotton and man-made fiber trousers. Section 1634(c)(2) of the Pension... exports of cotton and man-made fiber woven trousers entered under the TPL, Nicaragua would export to the...

  3. Comparison between Canadian Canola Harvest and Export Surveys.

    PubMed

    Barthet, Véronique J

    2016-07-20

    Parameters, such as oil, protein, glucosinolates, chlorophyll content and fatty acid composition, were determined using reference methods for both harvest survey samples and Canadian Canola exports. Canola harvest survey and export data were assessed to evaluate if canola harvest survey data can be extrapolated to predict the quality of the Canadian canola exports. There were some differences in some measured parameters between harvest and export data, while other parameters showed little difference. Protein content and fatty acid composition showed very similar data for harvest and export averages. Canadian export data showed lower oil content when compared to the oil content of harvest survey was mainly due to a diluting effect of dockage in the export cargoes which remained constant over the years (1.7% to 1.9%). Chlorophyll was the least predictable parameter; dockage quality as well as commingling of the other grades in Canola No. 1 Canada affected the chlorophyll content of the exports. Free fatty acids (FFA) were also different for the export and harvest survey. FFA levels are affected by storage conditions; they increase during the shipping season and, therefore, are difficult to predict from their harvest survey averages.

  4. Comparison between Canadian Canola Harvest and Export Surveys

    PubMed Central

    Barthet, Véronique J.

    2016-01-01

    Parameters, such as oil, protein, glucosinolates, chlorophyll content and fatty acid composition, were determined using reference methods for both harvest survey samples and Canadian Canola exports. Canola harvest survey and export data were assessed to evaluate if canola harvest survey data can be extrapolated to predict the quality of the Canadian canola exports. There were some differences in some measured parameters between harvest and export data, while other parameters showed little difference. Protein content and fatty acid composition showed very similar data for harvest and export averages. Canadian export data showed lower oil content when compared to the oil content of harvest survey was mainly due to a diluting effect of dockage in the export cargoes which remained constant over the years (1.7% to 1.9%). Chlorophyll was the least predictable parameter; dockage quality as well as commingling of the other grades in Canola No. 1 Canada affected the chlorophyll content of the exports. Free fatty acids (FFA) were also different for the export and harvest survey. FFA levels are affected by storage conditions; they increase during the shipping season and, therefore, are difficult to predict from their harvest survey averages. PMID:27447675

  5. Disruption of BASIGIN decreases lactic acid export and sensitizes non-small cell lung cancer to biguanides independently of the LKB1 status.

    PubMed

    Granja, Sara; Marchiq, Ibtissam; Le Floch, Renaud; Moura, Conceição Souto; Baltazar, Fátima; Pouysségur, Jacques

    2015-03-30

    Most cancers rely on aerobic glycolysis to generate energy and metabolic intermediates. To maintain a high glycolytic rate, cells must efficiently export lactic acid through the proton-coupled monocarboxylate transporters (MCT1/4). These transporters require a chaperone, CD147/BASIGIN (BSG) for trafficking to the plasma membrane and function.To validate the key role of these transporters in lung cancer, we first analysed the expression of MCT1/4 and BSG in 50 non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. These proteins were specifically upregulated in tumour tissues. We then disrupted BSG in three NSCLC cell lines (A549, H1975 and H292) via 'Zinc-Finger Nucleases'. The three homozygous BSG-/- cell lines displayed a low MCT activity (10- to 5-fold reduction, for MCT1 and MCT4, respectively) compared to wild-type cells. Consequently, the rate of glycolysis, compared to the wild-type counterpart, was reduced by 2.0- to 3.5-fold, whereas the rate of respiration was stimulated in BSG-/- cell lines. Both wild-type and BSG-null cells were extremely sensitive to the mitochondria inhibitor metformin/phenformin in normoxia. However, only BSG-null cells, independently of their LKB1 status, remained sensitive to biguanides in hypoxia in vitro and tumour growth in nude mice. Our results demonstrate that inhibiting glycolysis by targeting lactic acid export sensitizes NSCLC to phenformin.

  6. 7 CFR 1493.4 - Criteria for country allocations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CCC EXPORT CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAMS... criteria considered by CCC in reviewing proposals for country allocations under the GSM-102 or GSM-103... importing country to adequately service CCC guaranteed debt; (c) Financial status of participating banks in...

  7. Measuring firm size distribution with semi-nonparametric densities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cortés, Lina M.; Mora-Valencia, Andrés; Perote, Javier

    2017-11-01

    In this article, we propose a new methodology based on a (log) semi-nonparametric (log-SNP) distribution that nests the lognormal and enables better fits in the upper tail of the distribution through the introduction of new parameters. We test the performance of the lognormal and log-SNP distributions capturing firm size, measured through a sample of US firms in 2004-2015. Taking different levels of aggregation by type of economic activity, our study shows that the log-SNP provides a better fit of the firm size distribution. We also formally introduce the multivariate log-SNP distribution, which encompasses the multivariate lognormal, to analyze the estimation of the joint distribution of the value of the firm's assets and sales. The results suggest that sales are a better firm size measure, as indicated by other studies in the literature.

  8. Causal Relationships among Technology Acquisition, Absorptive Capacity, and Innovation Performance: Evidence from the Pharmaceutical Industry

    PubMed Central

    Jeon, Jieun; Hong, Suckchul; Ohm, Jay; Yang, Taeyong

    2015-01-01

    This paper discusses the importance of absorptive capacity in improving a firm’s innovation performance. Specifically, we examine firm interaction with the knowledge and capabilities of outside organizations and the effect on the firm’s bottom line. We use the impulse-response function of the vector auto-regressive model to gain insight into this relationship by estimating the time required for the effect of each activity level to reach outputs, the spillover effects. We apply this methodology to pharmaceutical firms, which we classify into two sub-groups – large firms and medium and small firms – based on sales. Our results show that the impact of an activity on any other activity is delayed by three years for large firms and by one to two years for small and medium firms. PMID:26181440

  9. 48 CFR 19.308 - Protesting a firm's status as an economically disadvantaged women-owned small business concern or...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... Management (SAM) as an EDWOSB or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program, and shall not submit an offer...'s decision; and (iii) The concern must remove its designation in SAM as an EDWOSB or WOSB concern...

  10. The Impact of Technology on the Office.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lutz, Charles M.

    1984-01-01

    A study was conducted to determine the status of office automation among various firms in Utah. Data were collected concerning the degree of automation, types of office equipment, secretarial duties, staff relationships, organizational procedures, the degree of planning for future automation, and which office competencies are relevant for…

  11. Revealing the hidden health costs embodied in Chinese exports.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Xujia; Zhang, Qiang; Zhao, Hongyan; Geng, Guannan; Peng, Liqun; Guan, Dabo; Kan, Haidong; Huo, Hong; Lin, Jintai; Brauer, Michael; Martin, Randall V; He, Kebin

    2015-04-07

    China emits a considerable amount of air pollutants when producing goods for export. Previous efforts have emphasized the magnitude of export-related emissions; however, their health consequences on the Chinese population have not been quantified. Here, we present an interdisciplinary study to estimate the health impact of export-related air pollution. The results show that export-related emissions elevated the annual mean population weighted PM2.5 by 8.3 μg/m(3) (15% of the total) in 2007, causing 157,000 deaths and accounting for 12% of the total mortality attributable to PM2.5-related air pollution. Compared to the eastern coastal provinces, the inner regions experience much larger export-related health losses relative to their economic production gains, owing to huge inter-regional disparities in export structures and technology levels. A shift away from emission-intensive production structure and export patterns, especially in inner regions, could significantly help improve national exports while alleviating the inter-regional cost-benefit inequality. Our results provide the first quantification of health consequences from air pollution related to Chinese exports. The proposed policy recommendations, based on health burden, economic production gains, and emission analysis, would be helpful to develop more sustainable and effective national and regional export strategies.

  12. Drivers of dissolved organic carbon export in a subarctic catchment: Importance of microbial decomposition, sorption-desorption, peatland and lateral flow.

    PubMed

    Tang, Jing; Yurova, Alla Y; Schurgers, Guy; Miller, Paul A; Olin, Stefan; Smith, Benjamin; Siewert, Matthias B; Olefeldt, David; Pilesjö, Petter; Poska, Anneli

    2018-05-01

    Tundra soils account for 50% of global stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC), and it is expected that the amplified climate warming in high latitude could cause loss of this SOC through decomposition. Decomposed SOC could become hydrologically accessible, which increase downstream dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export and subsequent carbon release to the atmosphere, constituting a positive feedback to climate warming. However, DOC export is often neglected in ecosystem models. In this paper, we incorporate processes related to DOC production, mineralization, diffusion, sorption-desorption, and leaching into a customized arctic version of the dynamic ecosystem model LPJ-GUESS in order to mechanistically model catchment DOC export, and to link this flux to other ecosystem processes. The extended LPJ-GUESS is compared to observed DOC export at Stordalen catchment in northern Sweden. Vegetation communities include flood-tolerant graminoids (Eriophorum) and Sphagnum moss, birch forest and dwarf shrub communities. The processes, sorption-desorption and microbial decomposition (DOC production and mineralization) are found to contribute most to the variance in DOC export based on a detailed variance-based Sobol sensitivity analysis (SA) at grid cell-level. Catchment-level SA shows that the highest mean DOC exports come from the Eriophorum peatland (fen). A comparison with observations shows that the model captures the seasonality of DOC fluxes. Two catchment simulations, one without water lateral routing and one without peatland processes, were compared with the catchment simulations with all processes. The comparison showed that the current implementation of catchment lateral flow and peatland processes in LPJ-GUESS are essential to capture catchment-level DOC dynamics and indicate the model is at an appropriate level of complexity to represent the main mechanism of DOC dynamics in soils. The extended model provides a new tool to investigate potential interactions among climate change, vegetation dynamics, soil hydrology and DOC dynamics at both stand-alone to catchment scales. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Self-Reported HIV-Positive Status But Subsequent HIV-Negative Test Result Using Rapid Diagnostic Testing Algorithms Among Seven Sub-Saharan African Military Populations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-07-07

    RESEARCH ARTICLE Self-reported HIV-positive status but subsequent HIV-negative test result using rapid diagnostic testing algorithms among seven sub...America * judith.harbertson.ctr@mail.mil Abstract HIV rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) combined in an algorithm are the current standard for HIV diagnosis...in many sub-Saharan African countries, and extensive laboratory testing has con- firmed HIV RDTs have excellent sensitivity and specificity. However

  14. The Arabidopsis THO/TREX component TEX1 functionally interacts with MOS11 and modulates mRNA export and alternative splicing events.

    PubMed

    Sørensen, Brian B; Ehrnsberger, Hans F; Esposito, Silvia; Pfab, Alexander; Bruckmann, Astrid; Hauptmann, Judith; Meister, Gunter; Merkl, Rainer; Schubert, Thomas; Längst, Gernot; Melzer, Michael; Grasser, Marion; Grasser, Klaus D

    2017-02-01

    We identify proteins that associate with the THO core complex, and show that the TEX1 and MOS11 components functionally interact, affecting mRNA export and splicing as well as plant development. TREX (TRanscription-EXport) is a multiprotein complex that plays a central role in the coordination of synthesis, processing and nuclear export of mRNAs. Using targeted proteomics, we identified proteins that associate with the THO core complex of Arabidopsis TREX. In addition to the RNA helicase UAP56 and the mRNA export factors ALY2-4 and MOS11 we detected interactions with the mRNA export complex TREX-2 and multiple spliceosomal components. Plants defective in the THO component TEX1 or in the mRNA export factor MOS11 (orthologue of human CIP29) are mildly affected. However, tex1 mos11 double-mutant plants show marked defects in vegetative and reproductive development. In tex1 plants, the levels of tasiRNAs are reduced, while miR173 levels are decreased in mos11 mutants. In nuclei of mos11 cells increased mRNA accumulation was observed, while no mRNA export defect was detected with tex1 cells. Nevertheless, in tex1 mos11 double-mutants, the mRNA export defect was clearly enhanced relative to mos11. The subnuclear distribution of TEX1 substantially overlaps with that of splicing-related SR proteins and in tex1 plants the ratio of certain alternative splicing events is altered. Our results demonstrate that Arabidopsis TEX1 and MOS11 are involved in distinct steps of the biogenesis of mRNAs and small RNAs, and that they interact regarding some aspects, but act independently in others.

  15. SAC3B, a central component of the mRNA export complex TREX-2, is required for prevention of epigenetic gene silencing in Arabidopsis

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Yu; La, Honggui; Tang, Kai; Miki, Daisuke; Yang, Lan; Wang, Bangshing; Duan, Cheng-Guo; Nie, Wenfeng; Wang, Xingang; Wang, Siwen; Pan, Yufeng; Tran, Elizabeth J.; An, Lizhe; Zhang, Huiming; Zhu, Jian-Kang

    2017-01-01

    Epigenetic regulation is important for organismal development and response to the environment. Alteration in epigenetic status has been known mostly from the perspective of enzymatic actions of DNA methylation and/or histone modifications. In a genetic screen for cellular factors involved in preventing epigenetic silencing, we isolated an Arabidopsis mutant defective in SAC3B, a component of the conserved TREX-2 complex that couples mRNA transcription with nuleo-cytoplasmic export. Arabidopsis SAC3B dysfunction causes gene silencing at transgenic and endogenous loci, accompanied by elevation in the repressive histone mark H3K9me2 and by reduction in RNA polymerase Pol II occupancy. SAC3B dysfunction does not alter promoter DNA methylation level of the transgene d35S::LUC, although the DNA demethylase ROS1 is also required for d35S::LUC anti-silencing. THP1 and NUA were identified as SAC3B-associated proteins whose mutations also caused d35S::LUC silencing. RNA-DNA hybrid exists at the repressed loci but is unrelated to gene suppression by the sac3b mutation. Genome-wide analyses demonstrated minor but clear involvement of SAC3B in regulating siRNAs and DNA methylation, particularly at a group of TAS and TAS-like loci. Together our results revealed not only a critical role of mRNA-export factors in transcriptional anti-silencing but also the contribution of SAC3B in shaping plant epigenetic landscapes. PMID:27672037

  16. Pedagogy of natural resource taxation in professional accounting programs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Reese, C.E.

    1983-03-01

    After a brief discussion of the traditional view of tax education, the author traces its explosive growth at the graduate level during the past decade. He analyzes the current status of graduate tax education, including natural resource taxation as a component of the curriculum. He recommends ways to integrate natural resource taxation topics into the curriculum of future professional tax accountants that will acknowledge the importance of natural resources to our nation's continued prosperity. An expanded private sector financial and moral support will be necessary. This could be in the form of course development grants, a faculty internship with amore » natural resource industrial firm, faculty research grants, and endowed professorships. A sample course outline appears in the the appendix.« less

  17. Firms navigating through innovation spaces: a conceptualization of how firms search and perceive technological, market and productive opportunities globally.

    PubMed

    McKelvey, Maureen

    2016-01-01

    The main contribution of this paper is a theory-based conceptual framework of innovation spaces, and how firms must navigate through them to innovate. The concept of innovation systems - at the regional, sectoral and national levels - have been highly influential. Previous literature developing the concept of innovation systems has stressed the importance of institutions, networks and knowledge bases at the regional, sectoral and national levels. This paper primarily draws upon an evolutionary and Schumpeterian economics perspective, in the following three senses. The conceptualization of 'innnovation spaces' focuses upon how and why firm search for innovations is influenced the opportunities within certain geographical contexts. This means that the firm create opportunities and can span different context, but they are influence by the context in term of the access, flow and co-evolution of ideas, resources, technology, people and knowledge, which help stimulate business innovation in terms of products, process and services. The paper concludes with an agenda for future research and especially the need to focus on globalization as a process of intensifying linkages across the globe.

  18. Human resources management and firm performance: The differential role of managerial affective and continuance commitment.

    PubMed

    Gong, Yaping; Law, Kenneth S; Chang, Song; Xin, Katherine R

    2009-01-01

    In this study, the authors developed a dual-concern (i.e., maintenance and performance) model of human resources (HR) management. The authors identified commonly examined HR practices that apply to the middle manager level and classified them into the maintenance- and performance-oriented HR subsystems. The authors found support for the 2-factor model on the basis of responses from 2,148 managers from 463 firms operating in China. Regression results indicate that the performance-oriented HR subsystems had a positive relationship with firm performance and that the relationship was mediated by middle managers' affective commitment to the firm. The maintenance-oriented HR subsystems had a positive relationship with middle managers' continuance commitment but not with their affective commitment and firm performance. This study contributes to the understanding of how HR practices relate to firm performance and offers an improved test of the argument that valuable and firm-specific HR provide a source of competitive advantage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

  19. Dynamical generalized Hurst exponent as a tool to monitor unstable periods in financial time series

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morales, Raffaello; Di Matteo, T.; Gramatica, Ruggero; Aste, Tomaso

    2012-06-01

    We investigate the use of the Hurst exponent, dynamically computed over a weighted moving time-window, to evaluate the level of stability/instability of financial firms. Financial firms bailed-out as a consequence of the 2007-2008 credit crisis show a neat increase with time of the generalized Hurst exponent in the period preceding the unfolding of the crisis. Conversely, firms belonging to other market sectors, which suffered the least throughout the crisis, show opposite behaviors. We find that the multifractality of the bailed-out firms increase at the crisis suggesting that the multi fractal properties of the time series are changing. These findings suggest the possibility of using the scaling behavior as a tool to track the level of stability of a firm. In this paper, we introduce a method to compute the generalized Hurst exponent which assigns larger weights to more recent events with respect to older ones. In this way large fluctuations in the remote past are less likely to influence the recent past. We also investigate the scaling associated with the tails of the log-returns distributions and compare this scaling with the scaling associated with the Hurst exponent, observing that the processes underlying the price dynamics of these firms are truly multi-scaling.

  20. Natural Gas Imports and Exports

    EIA Publications

    2017-01-01

    Natural gas net imports set a record low of 685 billion cubic feet (Bcf) in 2016, continuing a decline for the 10th consecutive year. U.S. exports were more than three times larger than the level 10 years ago as a result of significant infrastructure improvements to natural gas pipelines and liquefied natural gas facilities. These changes are discussed in the U.S. Natural Gas Imports & Exports 2016 report.

  1. Firm Size, a Self-Organized Critical Phenomenon: Evidence from the Dynamical Systems Theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chandra, Akhilesh

    This research draws upon a recent innovation in the dynamical systems literature called the theory of self -organized criticality (SOC) (Bak, Tang, and Wiesenfeld 1988) to develop a computational model of a firm's size by relating its internal and the external sub-systems. As a holistic paradigm, the theory of SOC implies that a firm as a composite system of many degrees of freedom naturally evolves to a critical state in which a minor event starts a chain reaction that can affect either a part or the system as a whole. Thus, the global features of a firm cannot be understood by analyzing its individual parts separately. The causal framework builds upon a constant capital resource to support a volume of production at the existing level of efficiency. The critical size is defined as the production level at which the average product of a firm's factors of production attains its maximum value. The non -linearity is inferred by a change in the nature of relations at the border of criticality, between size and the two performance variables, viz., the operating efficiency and the financial efficiency. The effect of breaching the critical size is examined on the stock price reactions. Consistent with the theory of SOC, it is hypothesized that the temporal response of a firm breaching the level of critical size should behave as a flicker noise (1/f) process. The flicker noise is characterized by correlations extended over a wide range of time scales, indicating some sort of cooperative effect among a firm's degrees of freedom. It is further hypothesized that a firm's size evolves to a spatial structure with scale-invariant, self-similar (fractal) properties. The system is said to be self-organized inasmuch as it naturally evolves to the state of criticality without any detailed specifications of the initial conditions. In this respect, the critical state is an attractor of the firm's dynamics. Another set of hypotheses examines the relations between the size and the performance variables during the sub-critical (below the critical size) and the supra-critical (above the critical size) states. Since the dynamics of any two firms is likely to be different, the analysis is performed individually for each company within the Pharmaceuticals and the Perfume industries. The statistical results of this study provide evidence in support of the hypotheses. The size of a firm is found to be a self-organized critical phenomenon. The presence of 1/f noise and the spatial power-law behavior is taken as an evidence of the firm's size as a self-organized critical phenomenon. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).

  2. 75 FR 71688 - Certain New Chemicals; Receipt and Status Information

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-24

    ... polyalkylene oxide. P-10-0575 09/27/10 12/25/10 Eastman Kodak (S) Polymer used in (G) Methacrylic acid Company. manufacture of polymer with imaging media/ isoalkylmethacrylam products; for ide, export. arylmethacrylate...) industrial coatings. Alkylenealkanedioic acid, polymer with alkenylbenzene and alkenenitrile, ammonium salt...

  3. Vietnam PNTR Status and WTO Accession: Issues and Implications for the United States

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-08-02

    footwear, wooden furniture, frozen shrimp, petroleum products, cashew nuts , coffee Major Exports to Vietnam aircraft, mining equipment, electronic...agricultural products (including beef, pork, dairy, fruits, nuts , processed foods, soybean products, cotton and hides and skins, and grains) to rates of 15% or

  4. Gross domestic product growth rates as confined Lévy flights: Towards a unifying theory of economic growth rate fluctuations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lera, Sandro Claudio; Sornette, Didier

    2018-01-01

    A model that combines economic growth rate fluctuations at the microscopic and macroscopic levels is presented. At the microscopic level, firms are growing at different rates while also being exposed to idiosyncratic shocks at the firm and sector levels. We describe such fluctuations as independent Lévy-stable fluctuations, varying over multiple orders of magnitude. These fluctuations are aggregated and measured at the macroscopic level in averaged economic output quantities such as GDP. A fundamental question is thereby to what extent individual firm size fluctuations can have a noticeable impact on the overall economy. We argue that this question can be answered by considering the Lévy fluctuations as embedded in a steep confining potential well, ensuring nonlinear mean-reversal behavior, without having to rely on microscopic details of the system. The steepness of the potential well directly controls the extent to which idiosyncratic shocks to firms and sectors are damped at the level of the economy. Additionally, the theory naturally accounts for business cycles, represented in terms of a bimodal economic output distribution and thus connects two so far unrelated fields in economics. By analyzing 200 years of U.S. gross domestic product growth rates, we find that the model is in good agreement with the data.

  5. Gross domestic product growth rates as confined Lévy flights: Towards a unifying theory of economic growth rate fluctuations.

    PubMed

    Lera, Sandro Claudio; Sornette, Didier

    2018-01-01

    A model that combines economic growth rate fluctuations at the microscopic and macroscopic levels is presented. At the microscopic level, firms are growing at different rates while also being exposed to idiosyncratic shocks at the firm and sector levels. We describe such fluctuations as independent Lévy-stable fluctuations, varying over multiple orders of magnitude. These fluctuations are aggregated and measured at the macroscopic level in averaged economic output quantities such as GDP. A fundamental question is thereby to what extent individual firm size fluctuations can have a noticeable impact on the overall economy. We argue that this question can be answered by considering the Lévy fluctuations as embedded in a steep confining potential well, ensuring nonlinear mean-reversal behavior, without having to rely on microscopic details of the system. The steepness of the potential well directly controls the extent to which idiosyncratic shocks to firms and sectors are damped at the level of the economy. Additionally, the theory naturally accounts for business cycles, represented in terms of a bimodal economic output distribution and thus connects two so far unrelated fields in economics. By analyzing 200 years of U.S. gross domestic product growth rates, we find that the model is in good agreement with the data.

  6. 13 CFR 124.1002 - What is a Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB)?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Business (SDB)? 124.1002 Section 124.1002 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 8(a... Business (SDB)? (a) Reliance on 8(a) criteria. In determining whether a firm qualifies as an SDB, the... more individuals claiming disadvantaged status. (b) SDB eligibility criteria. A small disadvantaged...

  7. 48 CFR 219.001 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... business (SDB) concern by receiving certification by the Small Business Administration and meeting the...) or 52.219-1(b)(2) for the following purposes (i.e., a firm is considered an SDB concern by either...-representing its status for general statistical purposes): (i) A higher customary progress payment rate for SDB...

  8. 48 CFR 219.001 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... business (SDB) concern by receiving certification by the Small Business Administration and meeting the...) or 52.219-1(b)(2) for the following purposes (i.e., a firm is considered an SDB concern by either...-representing its status for general statistical purposes): (i) A higher customary progress payment rate for SDB...

  9. 13 CFR 124.1002 - What is a Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB)?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Business (SDB)? 124.1002 Section 124.1002 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 8(a... Business (SDB)? (a) Reliance on 8(a) criteria. In determining whether a firm qualifies as an SDB, the... more individuals claiming disadvantaged status. (b) SDB eligibility criteria. A small disadvantaged...

  10. 48 CFR 219.001 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... business (SDB) concern by receiving certification by the Small Business Administration and meeting the...) or 52.219-1(b)(2) for the following purposes (i.e., a firm is considered an SDB concern by either...-representing its status for general statistical purposes): (i) A higher customary progress payment rate for SDB...

  11. 13 CFR 124.1002 - What is a Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB)?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Business (SDB)? 124.1002 Section 124.1002 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 8(a... Business (SDB)? (a) Reliance on 8(a) criteria. In determining whether a firm qualifies as an SDB, the... more individuals claiming disadvantaged status. (b) SDB eligibility criteria. A small disadvantaged...

  12. 48 CFR 219.001 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... business (SDB) concern by receiving certification by the Small Business Administration and meeting the...) or 52.219-1(b)(2) for the following purposes (i.e., a firm is considered an SDB concern by either...-representing its status for general statistical purposes): (i) A higher customary progress payment rate for SDB...

  13. 13 CFR 124.1002 - What is a Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB)?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Business (SDB)? 124.1002 Section 124.1002 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 8(a... Business (SDB)? (a) Reliance on 8(a) criteria. In determining whether a firm qualifies as an SDB, the... more individuals claiming disadvantaged status. (b) SDB eligibility criteria. A small disadvantaged...

  14. 4 CFR 21.5 - Protest issues not for consideration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... official to file a protest or not to file a protest in connection with a public-private competition. [61 FR... business size standards and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) standards. Challenges of established size standards or the size status of particular firms, and challenges of the selected NAICS code...

  15. "Wasted down There": Policy and Practice with the Under-Threes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clark, Rory McDowall; Baylis, Sue

    2012-01-01

    Although frameworks now exist for quality provision for under-threes, discourses underpinning policy remain conflicted. The split between care and education is still firmly entrenched in provision and a gap remains between rhetoric and practice. This paper explores how Early Years Professional Status, which requires practitioners to engage…

  16. To require a certain percentage of liquefied natural gas and crude oil exports be transported on United States-built and United States-flag vessels, and for other purposes.

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-3

    2018-05-21

    House - 05/21/2018 Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee... (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  17. Bap31 enhances the ER export and quality control of human class I MHC molecules

    PubMed Central

    Ladasky, John J.; Boyle, Sarah; Seth, Malini; Li, Hewang; Pentcheva, Tsvetelina; Abe, Fumiyoshi; Steinberg, Steven J.; Edidin, Michael

    2006-01-01

    The assembly of class I MHC molecules and their export from the endoplasmic reticulum is governed by chaperones and accessory proteins. We present evidence that the putative cargo receptor protein Bap31 participates in the transport and the quality control of human class I molecules. Transfection of the human adenocarcinoma cell line HeLa with YFP-Bap31 chimeras increased surface levels of class I in a dose-dependent manner, by as much as 3.7-fold. The increase in surface class I resulted from an increase in the rate of export of newly-synthesized class I molecules to the cell surface and from an increase in the stability of the exported molecules. We propose that Bap31 performs quality control on class I molecules in two distinct phases: first, by exporting peptide-loaded class I molecules to the ERGIC and second, by retrieving class I molecules which have lost peptides in the acidic post-ER environment. This function of Bap31 is conditional or redundant, since we find that Bap31 deficiency does not reduce surface class I levels. Overexpression of the Bap31 homolog, Bap29, decreases surface class levels in HeLa, indicating that it does not substitute for Bap31. PMID:17056546

  18. The cost of HIV/AIDS to businesses in southern Africa.

    PubMed

    Rosen, Sydney; Vincent, Jeffrey R; MacLeod, William; Fox, Matthew; Thea, Donald M; Simon, Jonathon L

    2004-01-23

    Information on the potential costs of HIV/AIDS to the private sector is needed if companies are to be given a financial incentive to invest in prevention and treatment interventions. To estimate the cost of HIV/AIDS to businesses in southern Africa using company-specific data on employees, costs, and HIV prevalence. : Six formal sector enterprises in South Africa and Botswana provided detailed human resource, financial, and medical data and carried out voluntary, anonymous HIV seroprevalence surveys. The present value of incident HIV infections with a 9-year median survival and 7% real discount rate was estimated. Costs included were sick leave; productivity loss; supervisory time; retirement, death, disability, and medical benefits; and recruitment and training of replacement workers. HIV prevalence in the workforces studied ranged from 7.9 to 25.0%. HIV/AIDS among employees added 0.4-5.9% to the companies' annual salary and wage bills. The present value of an incident HIV infection ranged from 0.5 to 3.6 times the annual salary of the affected worker. Costs varied widely across firms and among job levels within firms. Key reasons for the differences included HIV prevalence, levels and stability of employee benefits, and the contractual status of unskilled workers. Some costs were omitted from the analysis because of lack of data, and results should be regarded as quite conservative. AIDS is causing labor costs for businesses in southern Africa to rise and threatens the competitiveness of African industry. Research on the effectiveness of workplace interventions is urgently needed.

  19. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thompson, D.

    The coal seams uplifted by the Perija and Sierra Nevada de Santa marta Mountains along the border of Colombia and Venezuela are high quality reserves with low mining ratios that are in close proximity to the coast. Since the late 70`s and early 80`s, various mining developments have increased the production of these reserves to its current level of 37 million tons per year. Most of the production is shipped to European and to North and South American markets. Further exploitation of these reserves will require significant investments in mine development, inland transportation, and port facilities. This paper will summarizemore » the current status of the Colombian and Venezuelan coal industry, as well as the potential and challenges for increased production and exportation.« less

  20. Land use mediates riverine nitrogen export under the dominant influence of human activities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Binhui; Chang, Scott X.; Lam, Shu Kee; Erisman, Jan Willem; Gu, Baojing

    2017-09-01

    Riverine nitrogen (N) export is a crucial process that links upstream and downstream ecosystems and coastal zones. However, the driving forces of riverine N export that is closely related to water N pollution are still not well understood. In this study, we used a mass balance approach to quantify the sources of N discharge and analyzed the effect of land use composition on riverine N export, taking Zhejiang Province, China as a case study. We found that the total reactive N discharge to rivers in Zhejiang increased from 0.22 to 0.26 Tg yr-1 from 2000 to 2015. At the watershed scale, our estimate of N export agrees well with the monitored riverine N concentration in the eight major watersheds in Zhejiang. Direct discharge of domestic wastewater and effluents from wastewater treatment plants are dominant sources of riverine N export, followed by agricultural non-point sources. Although riverine N export increases with the increasing proportion of urban and agricultural land uses, we did not find any relationship between land use change and changes in riverine N export. This suggests that the dominant factor affecting riverine N export should be human activities (e.g. wastewater discharge and fertilization level), while land use only mediates riverine N export.

  1. 50 CFR 17.12 - Endangered and threatened plants.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... (CONTINUED) TAKING, POSSESSION, TRANSPORTATION, SALE, PURCHASE, BARTER, EXPORTATION, AND IMPORTATION OF... threatened plants. (h) * * * § 17.12, Note Species Scientific name Common name Historic range Family Status.... (TX) Brassicaceae E 814 17.96(a) NA ******* § 17.12, Note Effective Date Note 3: At 78 FR 60651, Oct...

  2. Current Status of Genotyping and Discovery Work at USMARC

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The Illumina BovineSNP50 DNA chip has substantially changed the genetic and genomic research program at USMARC. It has enhanced our commitment to produce genetic tools that can be exported to beef cattle producers to further their selection goals in hard-to-measure traits such as feed efficiency, co...

  3. Pertussis toxin export genes are regulated by the ptx promoter and may be required for efficient translation of ptx mRNA in Bordetella pertussis.

    PubMed Central

    Baker, S M; Masi, A; Liu, D F; Novitsky, B K; Deich, R A

    1995-01-01

    The gene products from an 8-kb region adjacent to the 3' end of the ptx operon are required by Bordetella pertussis for the export of pertussis holotoxin. At least one of these gene products (PtlC) is specifically required for the export of assembled holotoxin from the periplasmic space. ptlC mutants exhibit a 20-fold reduction in the amount of holotoxin present in the culture supernatant but have no effect upon the assembly or steady-state level of holotoxin present in the periplasmic space. Impaired export of holotoxin from the ptlC strain blocks expression of toxin at a posttranscriptional level, and wild-type levels of ptx mRNA are detected in the mutant strain. The transcription of ptl is subject to modulation by MgSO4 in the same manner as ptx is; however, in B. pertussis strains containing an E. coli tac promoter in place of the native ptx promoter, wild-type levels of ptx mRNA are present and holotoxin is synthesized and exported even in the presence of MgSO4. Promoter mapping of the region extending from the ptxS3 coding region to the ptlC coding region failed to detect the ptl transcription initiation site. Additional RNase protection experiments with ptx promoter deletion and substitution strains indicate that the ptl operon is transcribed from the ptx promoter as part of a > 11-kb mRNA. PMID:7558300

  4. Effects of export concentration on CO2 emissions in developed countries: an empirical analysis.

    PubMed

    Apergis, Nicholas; Can, Muhlis; Gozgor, Giray; Lau, Chi Keung Marco

    2018-03-08

    This paper provides the evidence on the short- and the long-run effects of the export product concentration on the level of CO 2 emissions in 19 developed (high-income) economies, spanning the period 1962-2010. To this end, the paper makes use of the nonlinear panel unit root and cointegration tests with multiple endogenous structural breaks. It also considers the mean group estimations, the autoregressive distributed lag model, and the panel quantile regression estimations. The findings illustrate that the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis is valid in the panel dataset of 19 developed economies. In addition, it documents that a higher level of the product concentration of exports leads to lower CO 2 emissions. The results from the panel quantile regressions also indicate that the effect of the export product concentration upon the per capita CO 2 emissions is relatively high at the higher quantiles.

  5. A controlled time-series trial of clinical reminders: using computerized firm systems to make quality improvement research a routine part of mainstream practice.

    PubMed Central

    Goldberg, H. I.; Neighbor, W. E.; Cheadle, A. D.; Ramsey, S. D.; Diehr, P.; Gore, E.

    2000-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of conducting unobtrusive interventional research in community practice settings by integrating firm-system techniques with time-series analysis of relational-repository data. STUDY SETTING: A satellite teaching clinic divided into two similar, but geographically separated, primary care group practices called firms. One firm was selected by chance to receive the study intervention. Forty-two providers and 2,655 patients participated. STUDY DESIGN: A nonrandomized controlled trial of computer-generated preventive reminders. Net effects were determined by quantitatively combining population-level data from parallel experimental and control interrupted time series extending over two-month baseline and intervention periods. DATA COLLECTION: Mean rates at which mammography, colorectal cancer screening, and cholesterol testing were performed on patients due to receive each maneuver at clinic visits were the trial's outcome measures. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Mammography performance increased on the experimental firm by 154 percent (0.24 versus 0.61, p = .03). No effect on fecal occult blood testing was observed. Cholesterol ordering decreased on both the experimental (0.18 versus 0.1 1, p = .02) and control firms (0.13 versus 0.07, p = .03) coincident with national guidelines retreating from recommending screening for young adults. A traditional uncontrolled interrupted time-series design would have incorrectly attributed the experimental-firm decrease to the introduction of reminders. The combined analysis properly indicated that no net prompting effect had occurred, as the difference between firms in cholesterol testing remained stochastically stable over time (0.05 versus 0.04, p = .75). A logistic-regression analysis applied to individual-level data produced equivalent findings. The trial incurred no supplementary data collection costs. CONCLUSIONS: The apparent validity and practicability of our reminder implementation study should encourage others to develop computerized firm systems capable of conducting controlled time-series trials. Images Fig. 1 PMID:10737451

  6. Improving environmental performance through unit-level organizational citizenship behaviors for the environment: A capability perspective.

    PubMed

    Alt, Elisa; Spitzeck, Heiko

    2016-11-01

    Organizational citizenship behaviors for the environment (OCBEs) are increasingly advocated as a means of complementing formal practices in improving environmental performance. Adopting a capability perspective, we propose that a firm's employee involvement capability translates into environmental performance through the manifestation of unit-level OCBEs, and that this relationship is amplified by a shared vision capability. In a cross-country and multi-industry sample of 170 firms, we find support for our hypotheses, shedding light on contextual determinants of OCBEs, and on how firms may engender a positive relationship between top-down environmental initiatives and bottom-up behaviors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Effect of Different Levels of Pressure Relieving Air-Mattress Firmness on Cough Strength

    PubMed Central

    Kamikawa, Norimichi; Taito, Shunsuke; Takahashi, Makoto; Sekikawa, Kiyokazu; Hamada, Hironobu

    2016-01-01

    Cough is an important host-defense mechanism. The elderly and patients who are severely ill cannot cough effectively when lying in the supine position. Furthermore, pressure relieving air-mattresses are recommended for preventing the development of pressure ulcers. In this study, we clarified whether or not the cough peak flow (CPF), an index of cough strength, is affected by different firmness levels of a pressure relieving air-mattress in healthy volunteers in the supine position. Fifty-two healthy young men participated. All the measurements were carried out on each participant in the supine position on a pressure relieving air-mattress. The participants were assessed at two firmness levels, a “hard” and “soft” mode. The CPF, forced vital capacity (FVC), maximal expiratory pressure (PEmax), and maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) were determined for each mode. The sinking distance of the body into the mattress was measured without any activity and the difference between the sinking distances of the two firmness levels was determined. The CPF, FVC, PEmax, and PImax were determined for each mode. The sinking distance of the body into the mattress was measured and the difference between the sinking distances of the two firmness levels was determined. The CPF, FVC, PEmax and PImax values of the participants coughing on the mattress were significantly lower when the mattress was in “soft” than in “hard” mode. The differences between the sinking distances of the mattress in “soft” and “hard” modes were larger for the anterior superior iliac spine. A harder mattress may lead to increased CPF in healthy young men lying in the supine position, and increased CPF may be important for host defense. PMID:26741497

  8. Effect of Different Levels of Pressure Relieving Air-Mattress Firmness on Cough Strength.

    PubMed

    Kamikawa, Norimichi; Taito, Shunsuke; Takahashi, Makoto; Sekikawa, Kiyokazu; Hamada, Hironobu

    2016-01-01

    Cough is an important host-defense mechanism. The elderly and patients who are severely ill cannot cough effectively when lying in the supine position. Furthermore, pressure relieving air-mattresses are recommended for preventing the development of pressure ulcers. In this study, we clarified whether or not the cough peak flow (CPF), an index of cough strength, is affected by different firmness levels of a pressure relieving air-mattress in healthy volunteers in the supine position. Fifty-two healthy young men participated. All the measurements were carried out on each participant in the supine position on a pressure relieving air-mattress. The participants were assessed at two firmness levels, a "hard" and "soft" mode. The CPF, forced vital capacity (FVC), maximal expiratory pressure (PEmax), and maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) were determined for each mode. The sinking distance of the body into the mattress was measured without any activity and the difference between the sinking distances of the two firmness levels was determined. The CPF, FVC, PEmax, and PImax were determined for each mode. The sinking distance of the body into the mattress was measured and the difference between the sinking distances of the two firmness levels was determined. The CPF, FVC, PEmax and PImax values of the participants coughing on the mattress were significantly lower when the mattress was in "soft" than in "hard" mode. The differences between the sinking distances of the mattress in "soft" and "hard" modes were larger for the anterior superior iliac spine. A harder mattress may lead to increased CPF in healthy young men lying in the supine position, and increased CPF may be important for host defense.

  9. Measuring the Return on Information Technology: A Knowledge-Based Approach for Revenue Allocation at the Process and Firm Level

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-07-01

    approach for measuring the return on Information Technology (IT) investments. A review of existing methods suggests the difficulty in adequately...measuring the returns of IT at various levels of analysis (e.g., firm or process level). To address this issue, this study aims to develop a method for...view (KBV), this paper proposes an analytic method for measuring the historical revenue and cost of IT investments by estimating the amount of

  10. [The microbiological aspects of orthodontic treatment of children with dental maxillary anomalies].

    PubMed

    Chesnokov, V A; Chesnokova, M G; Leontiev, V K; Mironov, A Yu; Lomiashvili, L M; Kriga, A S

    2015-03-01

    The issues of pre-nosologic diagnostic and effectiveness of treatment of diseases of oral cavity is an actual issue in dentistry. The long- duration orthodontic treatment of patients with dentoalveolar anomalies using non-removable devices is followed by such negative consequences as development demineralization of enamel and caries registered during treatment and after remove ofdevices. The level of quantitative content of oral streptococci was analyzed and dental status in children with dentoalveolar anomalies was evaluated during treatment with non-removable devices was evaluated. The caries and inflammation of periodontium of oral cavity were most often detected in children with high level of content of streptococci. In different periods of study the firm tendency of increasing of concentration of Streptococcus mutans and S. sanguis of dental plaque of oral cavity is established. The established index indicators of dental status of patients testify intensity of caries damage, level of poor hygiene of oral cavity, development of average degree of severity of inflammation process of periodontium. The obtained results substantiate involvement ofstreptococci, associates of microbiota of dental plaque of oral cavity in children, in process of development of caries. The characteristics of micro-ecology of dental plaque to evaluate cariesgenic situation that can be used as a basis for constructing diagnostic algorithm under monitoring of patients with dentoalveolar anomalies with purpose of forthcoming planning and implementation of effective orthodontic treatment.

  11. Communal and Agentic Interpersonal and Intergroup Motives Predict Preferences for Status Versus Power.

    PubMed

    Locke, Kenneth D; Heller, Sonja

    2017-01-01

    Seven studies involving 1,343 participants showed how circumplex models of social motives can help explain individual differences in preferences for status (having others' admiration) versus power (controlling valuable resources). Studies 1 to 3 and 7 concerned interpersonal motives in workplace contexts, and found that stronger communal motives (to have mutual trust, support, and cooperation) predicted being more attracted to status (but not power) and achieving more workplace status, while stronger agentic motives (to be firm, decisive, and influential) predicted being more attracted to and achieving more workplace power, and experiencing a stronger connection between workplace power and job satisfaction. Studies 4 to 6 found similar effects for intergroup motives: Stronger communal motives predicted wanting one's ingroup (e.g., country) to have status-but not power-relative to other groups. Finally, most people preferred status over power, and this was especially true for women, which was partially explained by women having stronger communal motives.

  12. [Use of Psychotropic Substances and Satisfaction with Vocational Education].

    PubMed

    Morgenstern, Matthis; Montag, Jasmin; Hanewinkel, Reiner

    2017-01-01

    Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate if there is an independent association between substance use and satisfaction in vocational education. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 5 688 first-year apprentices from 49 vocational schools, mean age 19.4 years (SD=3.9 years) was undertaken. Data were analysed using multilevel linear regression analysis. Predictors were use of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and pharmaceuticals as well as personal characteristics (sex, age, migration background, educational level, financial status, chronic diseases, psychological distress, physical activity, media use, personality) and vocational/firm characteristics (firm size, number of apprentices, perceived quality of mentoring, amount of pay, vocational field, working conditions, over- and underload, housing situation, number of previous apprenticeships, first choice). Vocational satisfaction was used as primary outcome. Results: Satisfaction was most strongly associated with perceived quality of mentoring, judgement that the chosen education was first choice and working climate in the training company. In addition, only problematic alcohol use remained significant in the multivariate analysis. There was no association in the adjusted model between vocational satisfaction and daily tobacco use or problematic use of cannabis and pharmaceuticals. Conclusions: Results suggest that problematic alcohol use could be an independent risk factor for problems in vocational education. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  13. The potential impact on farmer health of enhanced export horticultural trade between the U.K. and Uganda.

    PubMed

    Cross, Paul; Edwards, Rhiannon T; Nyeko, Philip; Edwards-Jones, Gareth

    2009-05-01

    The export of vegetables from African countries to European markets presents consumers with an ethical dilemma: should they support local, but relatively well-off farmers, or poorer farmers from distant countries? This paper considers the issue of farm worker health in the U.K. and Uganda, and considers the dilemma facing U.K. consumers if Uganda achieves their aim of exporting more vegetables to the U.K. Self-reported health scores of 1,200 farm workers in the U.K. and Uganda were measured with the internationally recognised SF-36 questionnaire and compared to an international population norm. The age-corrected health status of U.K. farm workers was significantly lower than the population norm, whereas Ugandans scored significantly higher (indicating good health) for physical health and lower for mental health. If Ugandan produce enters U.K. markets, then consumers may wish to consider both the potential benefits that enhanced trade could offer Ugandan farmers compared with its impacts on U.K. workers.

  14. 13 CFR 121.108 - What are the requirements for representing small business size status, and what are the penalties...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... determination may include the firm's internal management procedures governing size representation or certification, the clarity or ambiguity of the representation or certification requirement, and the efforts made to correct an incorrect or invalid representation or certification in a timely manner. An individual...

  15. Possibilities and pitfalls of outsourcing.

    PubMed

    Hazelwood, Sarah E; Hazelwood, Anita C; Cook, Ellen D

    2005-10-01

    Outsourcing can save healthcare organizations costs related to staffing and training. Organizations should ensure that a vendor's staff is credentialed, knowledgeable, and properly trained. Outsourcing firms should ensure the confidentiality and security of the information they will handle. Outsourcing carries risks for providers, including potentially negative impact on tax-exempt status and loss of control over business processes.

  16. 48 CFR 19.307 - Protesting a firm's status as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern. 19.307 Section 19.307 Federal Acquisition...-disabled veteran-owned small business concern. (a) For sole source acquisitions, the SBA or the contracting officer may protest the apparently successful offeror's service-disabled veteran-owned small business...

  17. 48 CFR 19.307 - Protesting a firm's status as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern. 19.307 Section 19.307 Federal Acquisition...-disabled veteran-owned small business concern. (a) For sole source acquisitions, the SBA or the contracting officer may protest the apparently successful offeror's service-disabled veteran-owned small business...

  18. 48 CFR 19.307 - Protesting a firm's status as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern. 19.307 Section 19.307 Federal Acquisition...-disabled veteran-owned small business concern. (a) For sole source acquisitions, the SBA or the contracting officer may protest the apparently successful offeror's service-disabled veteran-owned small business...

  19. 76 FR 68026 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Small Disadvantaged Business Self-Certification

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-02

    ... Business Administration (SBA) to its small disadvantaged business (SDB) program. DATES: Effective Date... disadvantaged businesses (SDBs) to self-represent their SDB status to prime contractors in good faith when... certified by the SBA as SDB firms. DoD, GSA, and NASA received no comments in response to the interim rule...

  20. Status of Some New Herbicides

    Treesearch

    W.F. Mann; M.J. Haynes

    1978-01-01

    If herbicides are handled, applied, or disposed of improperly they may be injurious to humans, domestic animals, desirable plants, and pollinating insects, fish, or other wildlife, and may contaminate water supplies. Use herbicides only when needed and handle them with care. Follow the directions and heed all precautions on the container label. The use of trade, firm,...

  1. 75 FR 68802 - Report on the Performance of Drug and Biologics Firms in Conducting Postmarketing Requirements...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-09

    .... This notice is the Agency's report on the status of the studies and clinical trials that applicants... Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 22, Rm... and Research (HFM- 25), Food and Drug Administration, 1400 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852, 301...

  2. Educational Research: A Look Back

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Education Canada, 2010

    2010-01-01

    In September, 1958, The Canadian Education Association (CEA) hosted a panel discussion on the current status and emerging requirements of educational research in Canada. The panelists' comments are firmly rooted in the context of the 1950s. Half a century later, Penny Milton, CEO of CEA, takes a look at their comments and suggestions. This article…

  3. Disruption of BASIGIN decreases lactic acid export and sensitizes non-small cell lung cancer to biguanides independently of the LKB1 status

    PubMed Central

    Floch, Renaud Le; Moura, Conceição Souto

    2015-01-01

    Most cancers rely on aerobic glycolysis to generate energy and metabolic intermediates. To maintain a high glycolytic rate, cells must efficiently export lactic acid through the proton-coupled monocarboxylate transporters (MCT1/4). These transporters require a chaperone, CD147/BASIGIN (BSG) for trafficking to the plasma membrane and function. To validate the key role of these transporters in lung cancer, we first analysed the expression of MCT1/4 and BSG in 50 non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. These proteins were specifically upregulated in tumour tissues. We then disrupted BSG in three NSCLC cell lines (A549, H1975 and H292) via ‘Zinc-Finger Nucleases’. The three homozygous BSG−/− cell lines displayed a low MCT activity (10- to 5-fold reduction, for MCT1 and MCT4, respectively) compared to wild-type cells. Consequently, the rate of glycolysis, compared to the wild-type counterpart, was reduced by 2.0- to 3.5-fold, whereas the rate of respiration was stimulated in BSG−/− cell lines. Both wild-type and BSG-null cells were extremely sensitive to the mitochondria inhibitor metformin/phenformin in normoxia. However, only BSG-null cells, independently of their LKB1 status, remained sensitive to biguanides in hypoxia in vitro and tumour growth in nude mice. Our results demonstrate that inhibiting glycolysis by targeting lactic acid export sensitizes NSCLC to phenformin. PMID:25894929

  4. Corporate social responsibility motives and theories evidenced among oilwell drilling firms in Alberta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Altvater, Norbert

    This dissertation is a study in conceptual CSR motives and theories prompted by the knowledge that socially active NGOs have tried to influence the CSP of companies in Alberta's oil patch by using media pressure. The focus of the study was narrowed to changing CSP among Alberta's oilwell drilling firms. This permits intensive interviews with the firms' informants. The examination of changing CSP implies a consideration of the pressures that prompt and influence its change, and points this study to firm motives for behaving responsibly. The firms were firstly categorized according to their primary and secondary CSP using 5 dimensions of CSR previously used by The Conference Board of Canada. The study uses CSR motives conceptualized by Ruth Aguilera and her collaborators to assess the firms' CSP using self-assessed CSR motives and observed CSP. At the onset 3 working hypotheses were posited as starting points from which substantiated propositions were developed. Lance Moir's and Elisabet Garriga and Domènec Meld's classifications of CSR theories were used to organize and evaluate the data. A mapping of the motives and theories in respect of the firms' primary and secondary CSR dimensions appears to display correlations between the CSR theories and the conceptualized motives. Nevertheless, for some of the firms none of the motives conceptualized by Aguilera and her collaborators seem to apply. By re-visiting the motives, and examining them more closely, it seems possible refine the conceptualized motives relying more on perceived conceptions, which are at the basis of legitimacy theories, rather than on relational factors to better explain the normative expectations raised. A similar analysis also indicates that the firms' seem to seek economic benefits, social benefits, or a combination of both. The CSP that results is within the same continuum; the resulting CSP for the firms seems to mediate towards a blend of both, regardless of the original CSR motives. These analyses create both theoretical and applied implications for law. On a theoretical level suggestions for better understanding the nature of law seem to appear, while on an applied level the CSR analysis suggests avenues to make laws more effective.

  5. Guns and Butter: Security and the New Global Agenda

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1977-01-01

    relationship. Admittedly, the entire Third World was unified and inspired by OPEC’s success in rearranging the terms of trade for a Third World export . Still... exports at high levels, debt rescheduling or moratorium, greater access to Western technology and Western markets, indexation to maintain parity between...the prices they get for their exports and the prices they pay for imports from the First World, greater flows of development aid, or changes in

  6. Monitoring and Predicting the Export and Fate of Global Ocean Net Primary Production: The EXPORTS Field Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Exports Science Definition Team

    2016-04-01

    Ocean ecosystems play a critical role in the Earth's carbon cycle and its quantification on global scales remains one of the greatest challenges in global ocean biogeochemistry. The goal of the EXport Processes in the Ocean from Remote Sensing (EXPORTS) science plan is to develop a predictive understanding of the export and fate of global ocean primary production and its implications for the Earth's carbon cycle in present and future climates. NASA's satellite ocean-color data record has revolutionized our understanding of global marine systems. EXPORTS is designed to advance the utility of NASA ocean color assets to predict how changes in ocean primary production will impact the global carbon cycle. EXPORTS will create a predictive understanding of both the export of organic carbon from the euphotic zone and its fate in the underlying "twilight zone" (depths of 500 m or more) where variable fractions of exported organic carbon are respired back to CO2. Ultimately, it is the sequestration of deep organic carbon transport that defines the impact of ocean biota on atmospheric CO2 levels and hence climate. EXPORTS will generate a new, detailed understanding of ocean carbon transport processes and pathways linking upper ocean phytoplankton processes to the export and fate of organic matter in the underlying twilight zone using a combination of field campaigns, remote sensing and numerical modeling. The overarching objective for EXPORTS is to ensure the success of future satellite missions by establishing mechanistic relationships between remotely sensed signals and carbon cycle processes. Through a process-oriented approach, EXPORTS will foster new insights on ocean carbon cycling that will maximize its societal relevance and be a key component in the U.S. investment to understand Earth as an integrated system.

  7. Inhibition of pyrimidine synthesis reverses viral virulence factor-mediated block of mRNA nuclear export

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Liang; Das, Priyabrata; Schmolke, Mirco; Manicassamy, Balaji; Wang, Yaming; Deng, Xiaoyi; Cai, Ling; Tu, Benjamin P.; Forst, Christian V.; Roth, Michael G.; Levy, David E.; García-Sastre, Adolfo; de Brabander, Jef; Phillips, Margaret A.

    2012-01-01

    The NS1 protein of influenza virus is a major virulence factor essential for virus replication, as it redirects the host cell to promote viral protein expression. NS1 inhibits cellular messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) processing and export, down-regulating host gene expression and enhancing viral gene expression. We report in this paper the identification of a nontoxic quinoline carboxylic acid that reverts the inhibition of mRNA nuclear export by NS1, in the absence or presence of the virus. This quinoline carboxylic acid directly inhibited dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), a host enzyme required for de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis, and partially reduced pyrimidine levels. This effect induced NXF1 expression, which promoted mRNA nuclear export in the presence of NS1. The release of NS1-mediated mRNA export block by DHODH inhibition also occurred in the presence of vesicular stomatitis virus M (matrix) protein, another viral inhibitor of mRNA export. This reversal of mRNA export block allowed expression of antiviral factors. Thus, pyrimidines play a necessary role in the inhibition of mRNA nuclear export by virulence factors. PMID:22312003

  8. Seasonal variability of stream water quality response to storm events captured using high-frequency and multi-parameter data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fovet, O.; Humbert, G.; Dupas, R.; Gascuel-Odoux, C.; Gruau, G.; Jaffrezic, A.; Thelusma, G.; Faucheux, M.; Gilliet, N.; Hamon, Y.; Grimaldi, C.

    2018-04-01

    The response of stream chemistry to storm is of major interest for understanding the export of dissolved and particulate species from catchments. The related challenge is the identification of active hydrological flow paths during these events and of the sources of chemical elements for which these events are hot moments of exports. An original four-year data set that combines high frequency records of stream flow, turbidity, nitrate and dissolved organic carbon concentrations, and piezometric levels was used to characterize storm responses in a headwater agricultural catchment. The data set was used to test to which extend the shallow groundwater was impacting the variability of storm responses. A total of 177 events were described using a set of quantitative and functional descriptors related to precipitation, stream and groundwater pre-event status and event dynamics, and to the relative dynamics between water quality parameters and flow via hysteresis indices. This approach led to identify different types of response for each water quality parameter which occurrence can be quantified and related to the seasonal functioning of the catchment. This study demonstrates that high-frequency records of water quality are precious tools to study/unique in their ability to emphasize the variability of catchment storm responses.

  9. Quantity Competition in a Differentiated Duopoly

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Ferreira, Flávio; Ferreira, Miguel; Pinto, Alberto A.

    In this paper, we consider a Stackelberg duopoly competition with differentiated goods, linear and symmetric demand and with unknown costs. In our model, the two firms play a non-cooperative game with two stages: in a first stage, firm F 1 chooses the quantity, q 1, that is going to produce; in the second stage, firm F 2 observes the quantity q 1 produced by firm F 1 and chooses its own quantity q 2. Firms choose their output levels in order to maximise their profits. We suppose that each firm has two different technologies, and uses one of them following a certain probability distribution. The use of either one or the other technology affects the unitary production cost. We show that there is exactly one perfect Bayesian equilibrium for this game. We analyse the variations of the expected profits with the parameters of the model, namely with the parameters of the probability distributions, and with the parameters of the demand and differentiation.

  10. A screen for over-secretion of proteins by yeast based on a dual component cellular phosphatase and immuno-chromogenic stain for exported bacterial alkaline phosphatase reporter

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background To isolate over-secretors, we subjected to saturation mutagenesis, a strain of P.pastoris exporting E. coli alkaline phosphatase (EAP) fused to the secretory domain of the yeast α factor pheromone through cellular PHO1/KEX2 secretory processing signals as the α-sec-EAP reporter protein. Direct chromogenic staining for α-sec-EAP activity is non-specific as its NBT/BCIP substrate cross-reacts with cellular phosphatases which can be inhibited with Levulinic acid. However, the parental E(P) strain only exports detectable levels of α-sec-EAP at 69 hours and not within the 36 hour period post-seeding required for effective screening with the consequent absence of a reference for secretion. We substituted the endogenous cellular phosphatase activity as a comparative reference for secretion rate and levels as well as for colony alignment while elevating specificity and sensitivity of detection of the exported protein with other innovative modifications of the immuno-chromogenic staining application for screening protein export mutants. Results Raising the specificity and utility of staining for α-sec-EAP activity required 5 modifications including some to published methods. These included, exploitation of endogenous phosphatase activity, reduction of the cell/protein burden, establishment of the direct relation between concentrations of transcriptional inducer and exported membrane immobilized protein and concentrations of protein exported into growth media, amplification of immuno-specificity and sensitivity of detection of α-sec-EAP reporter enzyme signal and restriction of staining to optimal concentrations of antisera and time periods. The resultant immuno-chromogenic screen allows for the detection of early secretion and as little as 1.3 fold over-secretion of α-sec-EAP reporter protein by E(M) mutants in the presence of 10 fold -216 fold higher concentrations of HSA. Conclusions The modified immuno-chromogenic screen is sensitive, specific and has led to the isolation of mutants E(M) over-secreting the α-sec-EAP reporter protein by a minimum of 50 fold higher levels than that exported by non-mutagenized E(P) parental strains. Unselected proteins were also over-secreted. PMID:23602005

  11. Technical options for processing additional light tight oil volumes within the United States

    EIA Publications

    2015-01-01

    This report examines technical options for processing additional LTO volumes within the United States. Domestic processing of additional LTO would enable an increase in petroleum product exports from the United States, already the world’s largest net exporter of petroleum products. Unlike crude oil, products are not subject to export limitations or licensing requirements. While this is one possible approach to absorbing higher domestic LTO production in the absence of a relaxation of current limitations on crude exports, domestic LTO would have to be priced at a level required to encourage additional LTO runs at existing refinery units, debottlenecking, or possible additions of processing capacity.

  12. 9 CFR 94.8 - Pork and pork products from regions where African swine fever exists or is reasonably believed to...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... maintained on the APHIS Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_disease_status... approximately 210 minutes after which they must be cooked in hot oil (deep-fried) at a minimum of 104 °C for an...

  13. 9 CFR 94.8 - Pork and pork products from regions where African swine fever exists or is reasonably believed to...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... APHIS Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_disease_status.shtml. Copies of... 210 minutes after which they must be cooked in hot oil (deep-fried) at a minimum of 104 °C for an...

  14. Nonhost status of mangosteen to Bactrocera dorsalis and Bactrocera carambolae (Diptera:Tephritidae) in Thailand

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Postharvest quarantine treatments (irradiation or vapor heat) are used to control fruit flies and other pests in mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L) exported to the United States and Japan from Thailand. No-choice tests were conducted in the laboratory to determine whether Thai mangosteen is a host f...

  15. 75 FR 61696 - Foreign-Trade Zone 148-Knoxville, TN; Application for Subzone; Toho Tenax America, Inc. (Carbon...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-06

    ...--Knoxville, TN; Application for Subzone; Toho Tenax America, Inc. (Carbon Fiber and Oxidized..., requesting special-purpose subzone status for the carbon fiber and oxidized polyacrylonitrile fiber (OPF...)--based carbon fiber and OPF (up to 4,000 metric tons combined annually) for export and the domestic...

  16. 27 CFR 44.196a - To a foreign-trade zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true To a foreign-trade zone. 44... foreign-trade zone. Where tobacco products, and cigarette papers and tubes are removed from a factory or an export warehouse for delivery to a foreign-trade zone, under zone restricted status for the...

  17. 78 FR 72861 - Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 20-Suffolk, Virginia, Notification of Proposed Production Activity...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-04

    ... status components used in export production. On its domestic sales, GEC would be able to choose the duty...; winches; axles; tire-rim assemblies; clips; pins; brackets; bolts; junction plates; tower masts; shaped springs; shaped pipes; brackets; mufflers; stabilizer legs; locks; top covers; air springs; door plates...

  18. 9 CFR 92.2 - Application for recognition of the animal health status of a region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... being requested. (2) Veterinary control and oversight. (3) Disease history and vaccination practices. (4.... (2) Veterinary control and oversight. (3) Disease history and vaccination practices (4) Disease... in English and must be sent to the Administrator, c/o National Center for Import and Export, VS...

  19. Diagnose Nutricional de Cultivares de Milho (Zea mays L.) de Diferentes Níveis Tecnológicos

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The introduction of hybrids has contributed to increases in grain production. However, there is little work examining the relationship of genetic improvement to nutrient use efficiency, concentration, and export. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in nutritional status of five maize...

  20. 75 FR 43488 - Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products From India: Final Results of Countervailing Duty...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-26

    .... Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme (EPCGS) 3. Advance License Program (ALP) 4. Duty Entitlement Passbook Scheme (DEPS) 5. Status Certificate Program 6. Loan Guarantees From the GOI 7. Steel Development... Act: Exemption From the National Service Tax 21. Duty Free Replenishment Certificate (DFRC) Scheme 22...

  1. 77 FR 37869 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-25

    ...,'' set out the process by which a foreign government may request recognition of the animal health status of a region or approval to export animals or animal products to the United States based on the risk... used, and what vaccine is being used; (6) the degree to which the region is separated from adjacent...

  2. ROI (return on investment): its role in voluntary hospital planning.

    PubMed

    Cleverley, W

    1990-01-01

    Return on investment is the primary financial criterion used to evaluate the desirability of capital investment in investor-owned firms. Voluntary health care firms need to examine more carefully their return-on-investment levels. The potential loss of capital cost payment in the Medicare program and the removal of tax-exempt financing would raise the effective cost of capital to voluntary health care firms significantly. Many health care providers might find that they are no longer going concerns if capital costs increase much more.

  3. Employment growth through labor flow networks.

    PubMed

    Guerrero, Omar A; Axtell, Robert L

    2013-01-01

    It is conventional in labor economics to treat all workers who are seeking new jobs as belonging to a labor pool, and all firms that have job vacancies as an employer pool, and then match workers to jobs. Here we develop a new approach to study labor and firm dynamics. By combining the emerging science of networks with newly available employment micro-data, comprehensive at the level of whole countries, we are able to broadly characterize the process through which workers move between firms. Specifically, for each firm in an economy as a node in a graph, we draw edges between firms if a worker has migrated between them, possibly with a spell of unemployment in between. An economy's overall graph of firm-worker interactions is an object we call the labor flow network (LFN). This is the first study that characterizes a LFN for an entire economy. We explore the properties of this network, including its topology, its community structure, and its relationship to economic variables. It is shown that LFNs can be useful in identifying firms with high growth potential. We relate LFNs to other notions of high performance firms. Specifically, it is shown that fewer than 10% of firms account for nearly 90% of all employment growth. We conclude with a model in which empirically-salient LFNs emerge from the interaction of heterogeneous adaptive agents in a decentralized labor market.

  4. Employment Growth through Labor Flow Networks

    PubMed Central

    Guerrero, Omar A.; Axtell, Robert L.

    2013-01-01

    It is conventional in labor economics to treat all workers who are seeking new jobs as belonging to a labor pool, and all firms that have job vacancies as an employer pool, and then match workers to jobs. Here we develop a new approach to study labor and firm dynamics. By combining the emerging science of networks with newly available employment micro-data, comprehensive at the level of whole countries, we are able to broadly characterize the process through which workers move between firms. Specifically, for each firm in an economy as a node in a graph, we draw edges between firms if a worker has migrated between them, possibly with a spell of unemployment in between. An economy's overall graph of firm-worker interactions is an object we call the labor flow network (LFN). This is the first study that characterizes a LFN for an entire economy. We explore the properties of this network, including its topology, its community structure, and its relationship to economic variables. It is shown that LFNs can be useful in identifying firms with high growth potential. We relate LFNs to other notions of high performance firms. Specifically, it is shown that fewer than 10% of firms account for nearly 90% of all employment growth. We conclude with a model in which empirically-salient LFNs emerge from the interaction of heterogeneous adaptive agents in a decentralized labor market. PMID:23658682

  5. Current situation and future prospects for the Australian beef industry.

    PubMed

    Greenwood, Paul Leo; Ferguson, Drewe M

    2018-04-12

    Beef production extends over almost half of Australia, with about 47,000 cattle producers that contribute about 20% ($A12.7 billion GVP) of the total value of farm production in Australia. Australia is one of the world's most efficient producers of cattle and was the world's third largest beef exporter in 2016. The Australian beef industry had 25 million head of cattle in 2016-17, with a national beef breeding herd of 11.5 million head. Australian beef production includes pasture based cow-calf systems, a backgrounding or grow-out period on pasture, and feedlot or pasture finishing. Feedlot finishing has assumed more importance in recent years to assure the eating quality of beef entering the relatively small Australian domestic market, and to enhance the supply of higher value beef for export markets. Maintenance of Australia's preferred status as a quality assured supplier of high value beef produced under environmentally sustainable systems from 'disease-free' cattle is of highest importance. Stringent livestock and meat quality regulations and quality assurance systems, and productivity growth and efficiency across the supply chain to ensure price competiveness, are crucial for continued export market growth in the face of increasing competition. Major industry issues, that also represent research, development and adoption priorities and opportunities for the Australian beef industry have been captured within exhaustive strategic planning processes by the red meat and beef industries. At the broadest level, these issues include consumer and industry support, market growth and diversification, supply chain efficiency, productivity and profitability, environmental sustainability, and animal health and welfare. This review provides an overview of the Australian beef industry including current market trends and future prospects, and major issues and opportunities for the continued growth, development and profitability of the industry.

  6. Agricultural growth, the status of women, and fertility.

    PubMed

    Whittington, L A; Stapleton, D C

    1995-08-01

    This study tests the hypothesis that fertility is affected differently by economic growth depending upon the specific sector (agriculture, manufacturing, heavy industry, and services) where growth occurred. The hypothesis is that fertility responses are not identical across sectors. The sample includes 51 World Bank member countries in varying stages of development. The econometric model pertains to 1965-88 and the percentage change in the total fertility rate (TFR). During the study period the average TFR declined by over 22%, but the extent of change varied by country and included, for instance, countries such as Ethiopia that experienced fertility increases from 5.8 to 6.5. Hong Kong's TFR declined by 66% from 4.7 to 1.6. Analysis included measures of changes in gross domestic product (GDP) for each of the four sectors and change in real per capita exports in agricultural commodities, resources, and manufactured products. Changes in educational status and changes in infant mortality were also included in some models. There were mixed results for the impact of total GDP. Sectoral analysis shows a positive, small significant impact on TFR from changes in the GDP per capita in agriculture (domestic and export products), and a negative, small significant impact from manufacturing growth. Heavy industry and services produced insignificant impact. In the model with only domestic consumption, results show a stronger coefficient and continued significance for agricultural productivity, agricultural exports, and manufacturing changes per capita. Manufacturing exports produced a negative, insignificant impact. The null hypothesis is rejected only in models comparing aggregate GDP in agriculture and manufacturing industries plus control variables (excluding heavy industry and services). Only secondary education was a negative, significant determinant of fertility. Infant mortality was insignificant when sectoral growth and education were included in the model. The evidence supports the thesis that growth depending on the sector leads to fertility decline, and economic growth has a negative effect on fertility if employment opportunities for women are improved.

  7. Status and Trends in the U.S. Voluntary Green Power Market (2014 Data)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    O'Shaughnessy, Eric; Heeter, Jenny; Liu, Chang

    2015-10-16

    NREL's annual report on green power markets summarizes status and trends in the voluntary demand for renewable energy. U.S. green power markets have become more complex over time as state-level policies have enabled more avenues for green power purchases. In recent years, community solar, community choice aggregation (CCA), and voluntary power purchase agreements (PPAs) have significantly increased the number of U.S. voluntary green power customers. The community solar model has grown rapidly with 90 projects in 25 states by 2015. Renewable energy sales in CCAs declined slightly in 2014 in response to less favorable economic conditions in Illinois. At themore » same time, several California CCAs continued to grow, and many more communities are planning to pursue green power through aggregation. Voluntary green power purchasing through bi-lateral PPAs took off in 2014 due to several large-scale agreements signed by information and communication technology firms. Traditional green power options, such as utility green pricing programs and voluntary RECs markets, also grew in 2014. Current trends suggest strong continued growth in U.S. voluntary green power markets.« less

  8. Disorder of endoplasmic reticulum calcium channel components is associated with the increased apoptotic potential in pale, soft, exudative pork.

    PubMed

    Guo, Bing; Zhang, Wangang; Tume, Ron K; Hudson, Nicholas J; Huang, Feng; Yin, Yan; Zhou, Guanghong

    2016-05-01

    Eight pale, soft and exudative (PSE) and eight reddish-pink, firm and non-exudative (RFN) porcine longissimus muscle samples were selected based on pH and L* at 1h postmortem (PM), and drip loss at 24h PM, and used to evaluate the cellular calcium and apoptosis status. We found that SERCA1 was decreased, while IP3R was decreased in PSE meat (P<0.05), indicative of the overloaded sarcoplasmic calcium status. In PSE meat, the pro-apoptotic factor BAX was increased while the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 was decreased (P<0.05). The significantly increased activity of caspase 3 and the expression of its cleavage fragment suggested higher apoptotic potential in PSE meat compared with RFN meat (P<0.05). Moreover, the significantly higher expression level of cytochrome C (P<0.05) suggests the important role of mitochondria during apoptosis appearance in PSE meat. Taken together, our data inferred that the calcium channel disorder present in PSE meat was associated with the increased apoptotic potential. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Arab-American trade: performance and prospects. [With oil group and non-oil group countries

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Al-Bustany, B.

    1980-03-01

    Twenty Arab countries were examined by dividing them into two groups depending on the relative share of oil exports (excluding re-exports) in total exports as an annual average for 1972-1978, with a demarcation line of 50%. The oil group (OG) comprises eight countries while the non-oil group covers twelve countries. The level of Arab exports and imports increased during the period between 1972 and 1978. Oil was the dominant export but NOG countries diversified with exports of cotton and phosphate. The balance of trade of the Arab countries was positive during this period despite the persistent, and increasing, deficit ofmore » the NOG countries, Combined Arab-American trade increased substantially during the 1970's but particularly after 1974. Oil has been the major factor affecting the size and pattern of Arab-American trade. Export earnings of the OG increased while import capacity of the NOG, supported by increased financial aid received from the OG, also increased. The American balance of trade will continue to be closely linked to Arab influence. (SAC)« less

  10. The E3 ubiquitin ligase, HECTD1, is involved in ABCA1-mediated cholesterol export from macrophages.

    PubMed

    Aleidi, Shereen M; Yang, Alryel; Sharpe, Laura J; Rao, Geetha; Cochran, Blake J; Rye, Kerry-Anne; Kockx, Maaike; Brown, Andrew J; Gelissen, Ingrid C

    2018-04-01

    The ABC lipid transporters, ABCA1 and ABCG1, are essential for maintaining lipid homeostasis in cells such as macrophages by exporting excess cholesterol to extracellular acceptors. These transporters are highly regulated at the post-translational level, including protein ubiquitination. Our aim was to investigate the role of the E3 ubiquitin ligase HECTD1, recently identified as associated with ABCG1, on ABCG1 and ABCA1 protein levels and cholesterol export function. Here, we show that HECTD1 protein is widely expressed in a range of human and murine primary cells and cell lines, including macrophages, neuronal cells and insulin secreting β-cells. siRNA knockdown of HECTD1 unexpectedly decreased overexpressed ABCG1 protein levels and cell growth, but increased native ABCA1 protein in CHO-K1 cells. Knockdown of HECTD1 in unloaded THP-1 macrophages did not affect ABCG1 but significantly increased ABCA1 protein levels, in wild-type as well as THP-1 cells that do not express ABCG1. Cholesterol export from macrophages to apoA-I over time was increased after knockdown of HECTD1, however these effects were not sustained in cholesterol-loaded cells. In conclusion, we have identified a new candidate, the E3 ubiquitin ligase HECTD1, that may be involved in the regulation of ABCA1-mediated cholesterol export from unloaded macrophages to apoA-I. The exact mechanism by which this ligase affects this pathway remains to be elucidated. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Hierarchical rank and women's organizational mobility: glass ceilings in corporate law firms.

    PubMed

    Gorman, Elizabeth H; Kmec, Julie A

    2009-03-01

    This article revives the debate over whether women's upward mobility prospects decline as they climb organizational hierarchies. Although this proposition is a core element of the "glass ceiling" metaphor, it has failed to gain strong support in previous research. The article establishes a firm theoretical foundation for expecting an increasing female disadvantage, with an eye toward defining the scope conditions and extending the model to upper-level external hires. The approach is illustrated in an empirical setting that meets the proposed scope conditions: corporate law firms in the United States. Results confirm that in this setting, the female mobility disadvantage is greater at higher organizational levels in the case of internal promotions, but not in the case of external hires.

  12. Economic order quantity (EOQ) by game theory approach in probabilistic supply chain system under service level constraint for items with imperfect quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Setiawan, R.

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) of probabilistic two-level supply – chain system for items with imperfect quality has been analyzed under service level constraint. A firm applies an active service level constraint to avoid unpredictable shortage terms in the objective function. Mathematical analysis of optimal result is delivered using two equilibrium scheme concept in game theory approach. Stackelberg’s equilibrium for cooperative strategy and Stackelberg’s Equilibrium for noncooperative strategy. This is a new approach to game theory result in inventory system whether service level constraint is applied by a firm in his moves.

  13. 13 CFR 124.521 - What are the requirements for representing 8(a) status, and what are the penalties for...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... management procedures governing representation or certification as an eligible 8(a) Participant, the clarity or ambiguity of the representation or certification requirement, and the efforts made to correct an incorrect or invalid representation or certification in a timely manner. An individual or firm may not be...

  14. Learning Financial Reports From Mixed Symbolic-Spatial Graphs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tanlamai, Uthai; Soongswang, Oranuj

    2011-01-01

    Mixed visuals of numbers and graphs are available in various financial reports that demonstrate the financial status and risks of a firm. GWN (graphs with numbers) and TWG (table of numbers with graphs) were used as two alternative visuals derived from the actual data of two large public companies, one from food manufacturing industry (food) and…

  15. Clearcutting in the South: Issues, Status, and Trends

    Treesearch

    Jacek Siry; Frederick Cubbage

    2005-01-01

    Clearcutting has been the most controversial and enduring forest management issue since its widespread adoption on public land in the 1960s. Public opinion generally opposes clearcutting, but foresters and forestry firms have adopted it widely. Despite the controversy, we have little data about the extent of clearcutting by region in the South. Forest Inventory and...

  16. 76 FR 32258 - Access to Aircraft Situation Display (ASDI) and National Airspace System Status Information (NASSI)

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-03

    ..., Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), McAfee & Taft P.C. (a law firm), and Patton Boggs LLP (a law... complete information, due primarily to concerns of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) to... business according to a published listing of service and schedule, general aviation operators do not. It is...

  17. 77 FR 13339 - Report on the Performance of Drug and Biologics Firms in Conducting Postmarketing Requirements...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-06

    .... This notice is the Agency's report on the status of the studies and clinical trials that applicants... Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 22, Rm... and Research (HFM-17), Food and Drug Administration, 1401 Rockville Pike, suite 200N, Rockville, MD...

  18. China's "Exported Carbon" Peak: Patterns, Drivers, and Implications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mi, Zhifu; Meng, Jing; Green, Fergus; Coffman, D'Maris; Guan, Dabo

    2018-05-01

    Over the past decade, China has entered a "new normal" phase in economic development, with its role in global trade flows changing significantly. This study estimates the driving forces of Chinese export-embodied carbon emissions in the new normal phase, based on environmentally extended multiregional input-output modeling and structural decomposition analysis. We find that Chinese export-embodied CO2 emissions peaked in 2008 at a level of 1,657 million tones. The subsequent decline in CO2 emissions was mainly due to the changing structure of Chinese production. The peak in Chinese export-embodied emissions is encouraging from the perspective of global climate change mitigation, as it implies downward pressure on global CO2 emissions. However, more attention should focus on ensuring that countries that may partly replace China as major production bases increase their exports using low-carbon inputs.

  19. Exporting DBCP and other banned pesticides: consideration of ethical issues.

    PubMed

    Lowry, L K; Frank, A L

    1999-01-01

    Many developed countries permit the export of pesticides that are banned, restricted, or unregistered within their own borders. This practice, which leads to the exposure of agricultural workers in developing countries to high levels of pesticides that are not permitted in the country of manufacture, raises many ethical issues as well as economic, social, political, and public health issues. Worldwide attempts to control export of such pesticides, through the FAO/UNEP Prior Informed Consent program, moves this issue in the right direction. This article explores the current U.S. and international practices, using the specific example of export of DBCP to banana-producing countries. The actions taken by multinational corporations, manufacturers of the pesticides, and public health officials in both the exporting and importing countries are explored, along with the impacts on workers, local economies, governments, and the environment.

  20. The real economic effects of cross-delisting from the United States: Evidence on post-operating performance, financial constraints and stock crash risk =

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Silva, Sonia Maria da Silva Faria Nogueira da

    In this study we examine the economic consequences for firms that cross-delisted from a U.S. stock exchange. Using a sample of foreign firms that cross-delisted from U.S. exchange markets from 2000 to 2012, we investigate the long-term performance, the level of financial constraints, and the likelihood of stock price crashes after the cross-delisting event. We document several new findings as follows: i) cross-delisted firms have less growth opportunities, in the long-run, than their cross-listed peers; ii) after the adoption of Rule 12h-6 of 2007, cross-delisted firms exhibit a significant decline in operating performance; iii) cross-delisted firms underperform their cross-listed peers as they experience negative average abnormal returns, especially in the post-cross-delisting period; iv) cross-delisted firms face higher financial constraints post-delisting than their cross-listed counterparts, and also tend to save more cash out of cash flows; v) the increase in financial constraints post-cross-delisting seems to be primarily driven by informational frictions that constrain access to external financing, which are stronger for firms from countries with weaker investor protection and less developed capital markets; vi) cross-delisted firms experience a significant increase in crash risk associated with earnings management in the post-delisting period relative to a control sample of cross-listed firms, and this effect is more pronounced for delisted firms from countries with weaker investor protection and poor quality of their information environment; vii) cross-delisted firms that engage in earnings management to inflate reported earnings prior to a seasoned equity offering are more likely to a subsequent stock price crash.

  1. [Communication in the health service].

    PubMed

    Panini, Roberta; Fiorini, Fulvio

    2014-01-01

    In the last twenty years, the hospitals have become firms, therefore they have had the necessity to differentiate from each other.Thus, as it is done in the commercial firms, in the health service different formality of communication are studied and introduced in order to attract new consumers and to maintain their trust. Furthermore, due to the introduction of the digitization in the Public Administrations, the communication has become more transparent.A systematic application of communication tools is more and more spread among the Sanitary Firms, whether they are Local Firm or Hospital Firm.Regarding the reference population, communication tools are used with different purposes such as educational and informative. In addition, they are applied as institutional marketing tool, in order to show the offered potentialities and also to increase the level of satisfaction in the patients/consumers who perceive the typology of reception and treatment during the sanitary performance.

  2. The relationship among the resiliency practices in supply chain, financial performance, and competitive advantage in manufacturing firms in Indonesia and Sierra Leone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Musa, I.; Nyoman Pujawan, I.

    2018-04-01

    Current supply chain management (SCM) has become a potentially treasured way of safeguarding competitive advantage and improving organizational performance since competition is no longer between organizations, but among supply chains. This research conceptualizes and develops four resiliency practices (Flexibility, Redundancy, Collaboration and Agility) and tests the relationships between organizations’ financial performance and competitive advantage in manufacturing firms. The study involves manufacturing firms in Indonesia and Sierra Leone. The study used stratified random sampling to pick a sample size of 95 manufacturing firms, which represented different industrial sectors. The respondents were mainly managers of different manufacturing companies. The relationships proposed in the conceptual framework were tested using correlation analysis. The results indicate that higher levels of resilience practices in manufacturing firms can lead to enhanced competitive advantage and improved financial performance.

  3. OPEC Revenues Fact Sheet

    EIA Publications

    2016-01-01

    For 2015, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) earned about $404 billion in net oil export revenues (unadjusted for inflation). This represents a 46% decline from the $753 billion earned in 2014, mainly as a result of a precipitous fall in average annual crude oil prices during the year, and to a lesser extent to decreases in the level of OPEC net oil exports. The 2015 revenue total was the lowest earnings for OPEC since 2004.

  4. Organizational Communication--An Analysis Based on Empirical Data.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brenner, Marshall H.; Sigband, Norman B.

    This two-phase study examined communication style and practice in a major aerospace firm. First, sixty-five high-level company managers were interviewed to ascertain their views on communication problems and practices within the firm. Second, a questionnaire survey was distributed to 700 supervisors and non-supervisory personnel, soliciting…

  5. Getting to the Truth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roach, Ronald

    2006-01-01

    In recent years, corporate executives and local bar association officials have increasingly questioned why so few of the nation's elite corporate law firms can claim significant racial and ethnic diversity among their partner or upper management ranks. Some organizations have even pledged to reward law firms that ensure high-level assignments for…

  6. Relationships between Organizational Trust, Knowledge Transfer, Knowledge Creation, and Firm's Innovativeness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sankowska, Anna

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: This study seeks to provide empirical evidence of relationships between organizational trust, knowledge transfer, creation and innovativeness at the firm level. It aims to hypothesize a mediational model implying that organizational trust is related to knowledge transfer, which will, in turn, enhance knowledge creation, thereby…

  7. 76 FR 66229 - Transmission Planning Reliability Standards

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-26

    ... Transmission Services, at all demand levels over the range of forecast system demands, under the contingency... any planned firm load that is not directly served by the elements that are removed from service as a... to plan for the loss of firm service for a single contingency, the Commission finds that their...

  8. A Geometric Solution of a Cournot Ogilopoly with Nonidentical Firms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sarkar, Jyotirmoy; Gupta, Barnali; Pal, Debashis

    1998-01-01

    Maintains that a proper understanding of the Augustin Cournot model of imperfect competition and strategic interactions among firms in various contexts is essential for economics education. Although most models rely on complicated algebra, this one requires nothing more than high school level geometry. Includes a graphical analysis. (MJP)

  9. Depression, anxiety and stress levels in industrial workers: A pilot study in Bangalore, India

    PubMed Central

    Rao, Sheldon; Ramesh, Naveen

    2015-01-01

    Background: Mental health disorders affect around 500 million people worldwide. In India, around 10–12% of people are affected by a mental disorder either due to stress, depression, anxiety, or any other cause. Mental health of workers affects the productivity of the workplace, with estimates putting these losses to be over 100 million dollars annually. Aims: The study aims to measure depression, anxiety, and stress levels of workers in an industry and to investigate if it has any effect on productivity of the firm. Materials and Methods: The study utilized a cross-sectional design and was conducted among workmen of the firm. A sociodemographic based questionnaire and a mental health screening tool -Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS)-21 were used for the same. A total of 90 completed questionnaires were analyzed for the study. The data was analyzed for central tendencies as well as for any associations and correlations. Results: The study showed that none of the workers had a positive score for depression. It also showed that around 36% of the workers had a positive score for anxiety and 18% of the workers had a positive score for stress on DASS-21 scale. The odds ratio between stress and number of leaves taken by a worker in the last 3 months suggested a dose–response relationship, but was statistically insignificant. Conclusion: The study found a prevalence rate of around 18–36% for anxiety and stress amongst the workers at the factory. Large-scale studies will help understand the effect mental health status has on the Indian workplace. PMID:26257479

  10. tRNA nuclear export in saccharomyces cerevisiae: in situ hybridization analysis.

    PubMed

    Sarkar, S; Hopper, A K

    1998-11-01

    To understand the factors specifically affecting tRNA nuclear export, we adapted in situ hybridization procedures to locate endogenous levels of individual tRNA families in wild-type and mutant yeast cells. Our studies of tRNAs encoded by genes lacking introns show that nucleoporin Nup116p affects both poly(A) RNA and tRNA export, whereas Nup159p affects only poly(A) RNA export. Los1p is similar to exportin-t, which facilitates vertebrate tRNA export. A los1 deletion mutation affects tRNA but not poly(A) RNA export. The data support the notion that Los1p and exportin-t are functional homologues. Because LOS1 is nonessential, tRNA export in vertebrate and yeast cells likely involves factors in addition to exportin-t. Mutation of RNA1, which encodes RanGAP, causes nuclear accumulation of tRNAs and poly(A) RNA. Many yeast mutants, including those with the rna1-1 mutation, affect both pre-tRNA splicing and RNA export. Our studies of the location of intron-containing pre-tRNAs in the rna1-1 mutant rule out the possibility that this results from tRNA export occurring before splicing. Our results also argue against inappropriate subnuclear compartmentalization causing defects in pre-tRNA splicing. Rather, the data support "feedback" of nucleus/cytosol exchange to the pre-tRNA splicing machinery.

  11. tRNA Nuclear Export in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: In Situ Hybridization Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Sarkar, Srimonti; Hopper, Anita K.

    1998-01-01

    To understand the factors specifically affecting tRNA nuclear export, we adapted in situ hybridization procedures to locate endogenous levels of individual tRNA families in wild-type and mutant yeast cells. Our studies of tRNAs encoded by genes lacking introns show that nucleoporin Nup116p affects both poly(A) RNA and tRNA export, whereas Nup159p affects only poly(A) RNA export. Los1p is similar to exportin-t, which facilitates vertebrate tRNA export. A los1 deletion mutation affects tRNA but not poly(A) RNA export. The data support the notion that Los1p and exportin-t are functional homologues. Because LOS1 is nonessential, tRNA export in vertebrate and yeast cells likely involves factors in addition to exportin-t. Mutation of RNA1, which encodes RanGAP, causes nuclear accumulation of tRNAs and poly(A) RNA. Many yeast mutants, including those with the rna1-1 mutation, affect both pre-tRNA splicing and RNA export. Our studies of the location of intron-containing pre-tRNAs in the rna1-1 mutant rule out the possibility that this results from tRNA export occurring before splicing. Our results also argue against inappropriate subnuclear compartmentalization causing defects in pre-tRNA splicing. Rather, the data support “feedback” of nucleus/cytosol exchange to the pre-tRNA splicing machinery. PMID:9802895

  12. Dynamics of ambulatory surgery centers and hospitals market entry.

    PubMed

    Housman, Michael; Al-Amin, Mona

    2013-08-01

    In this article, we investigate the diversity of healthcare delivery organizations by comparing the market determinants of hospitals entry rates with those of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Unlike hospitals, ASCs is one of the growing populations of specialized healthcare delivery organizations. There are reasons to believe that firm entry patterns differ within growing organizational populations since these markets are characterized by different levels of organizational legitimacy, technological uncertainty, and information asymmetry. We compare the entry patterns of firms in a mature population of hospitals to those of firms within a growing population of ASCs. By using patient-level datasets from the state of Florida, we break down our explanatory variables by facility type (ASC vs. hospital) and utilize negative binomial regression models to evaluate the impact of niche density on ASC and hospital entry. Our results indicate that ASCs entry rates is higher in markets with overlapping ASCs while hospitals entry rates are less in markets with overlapping hospitals and ASCs. These results are consistent with the notion that firms in growing populations tend to seek out crowded markets as they compete to occupy the most desirable market segments while firms in mature populations such as general hospitals avoid direct competition. © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions:]br]sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  13. United States Air Force Computer-Aided Acquisition and Logistics Support (CALS) Evolution of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) Technologies

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-11-01

    Manufacturing System 22 4. Similar Parts Based Shape or Manufactuting Process 24 5. Projected Annual Unit Robot Sales and Installed Base Through 1992 30 6. U.S...effort needed to perform personnel, product design, marketing , and advertising, and finance tasks of the firm. Level III controls the resource...planning and accounting functions of the firm. Systems at this level support purchasing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, master scheduling and sales

  14. UAP56 is a conserved crucial component of a divergent mRNA export pathway in Toxoplasma gondii.

    PubMed

    Serpeloni, Mariana; Jiménez-Ruiz, Elena; Vidal, Newton Medeiros; Kroeber, Constanze; Andenmatten, Nicole; Lemgruber, Leandro; Mörking, Patricia; Pall, Gurman S; Meissner, Markus; Ávila, Andréa R

    2016-11-01

    Nucleo-cytoplasmic RNA export is an essential post-transcriptional step to control gene expression in eukaryotic cells and is poorly understood in apicomplexan parasites. With the exception of UAP56, a component of TREX (Transcription Export) complex, other components of mRNA export machinery are not well conserved in divergent supergroups. Here, we use Toxoplasma gondii as a model system to functionally characterize TgUAP56 and its potential interaction factors. We demonstrate that TgUAP56 is crucial for mRNA export and that functional interference leads to significant accumulation of mRNA in the nucleus. It was necessary to employ bioinformatics and phylogenetic analysis to identify orthologs related to mRNA export, which show a remarkable low level of conservation in T. gondii. We adapted a conditional Cas9/CRISPR system to carry out a genetic screen to verify if these factors were involved in mRNA export in T. gondii. Only the disruption of TgRRM_1330 caused accumulation of mRNA in the nucleus as found with TgUAP56. This protein is potentially a divergent partner of TgUAP56, and provides insight into a divergent mRNA export pathway in apicomplexans. © 2016 The Authors. Molecular Microbiology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. UAP56 is a conserved crucial component of a divergent mRNA export pathway in Toxoplasma gondii

    PubMed Central

    Serpeloni, Mariana; Jiménez‐Ruiz, Elena; Vidal, Newton Medeiros; Kroeber, Constanze; Andenmatten, Nicole; Lemgruber, Leandro; Mörking, Patricia; Pall, Gurman S.

    2016-01-01

    Summary Nucleo‐cytoplasmic RNA export is an essential post‐transcriptional step to control gene expression in eukaryotic cells and is poorly understood in apicomplexan parasites. With the exception of UAP56, a component of TREX (Transcription Export) complex, other components of mRNA export machinery are not well conserved in divergent supergroups. Here, we use Toxoplasma gondii as a model system to functionally characterize TgUAP56 and its potential interaction factors. We demonstrate that TgUAP56 is crucial for mRNA export and that functional interference leads to significant accumulation of mRNA in the nucleus. It was necessary to employ bioinformatics and phylogenetic analysis to identify orthologs related to mRNA export, which show a remarkable low level of conservation in T. gondii. We adapted a conditional Cas9/CRISPR system to carry out a genetic screen to verify if these factors were involved in mRNA export in T. gondii. Only the disruption of TgRRM_1330 caused accumulation of mRNA in the nucleus as found with TgUAP56. This protein is potentially a divergent partner of TgUAP56, and provides insight into a divergent mRNA export pathway in apicomplexans. PMID:27542978

  16. Nutrient export from watersheds on Mt. Desert Island, maine, as a function of land use and fire history

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nielsen, M.G.; Kahl, J.S.

    2007-01-01

    A study of 13 small (less than 7.5 km2) watersheds on Mt. Desert Island, Maine, was conducted from January 1999 to September 2000 to determine nutrient export delivery to coastal waters around the island, and to determine whether a series of wildfires in 1947 have affected nutrient export in burned watersheds. Nutrient export (nitrate-nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus) was determined for each watershed during the study period, and was normalized by watershed area. The yield of nitrate-nitrogen (N) ranged from 10 to 140 kg/km2/year. Total N yield ranged from 42 to 250 kg/ km2/year. Total phosphorus (P) yield ranged from 1.4 to 7.9 kg/km2/year. Watersheds entirely within Acadia National Park (lacking human land-based nutrient sources) exported significantly less total N and total P than watersheds that were partly or entirely outside the park boundary. Nitrate-N export was not significantly different in these two groups of watersheds, perhaps because atmospheric deposition is a dominant source of nitrate in the study area. No relation was observed between burn history and nutrient export. Any effect of burn history may be masked by other landscape-level factors related to nutrient export. ?? Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2007.

  17. An application of seasonal ARIMA models on group commodities to forecast Philippine merchandise exports performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Natividad, Gina May R.; Cawiding, Olive R.; Addawe, Rizavel C.

    2017-11-01

    The increase in the merchandise exports of the country offers information about the Philippines' trading role within the global economy. Merchandise exports statistics are used to monitor the country's overall production that is consumed overseas. This paper investigates the comparison between two models obtained by a) clustering the commodity groups into two based on its proportional contribution to the total exports, and b) treating only the total exports. Different seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) models were then developed for the clustered commodities and for the total exports based on the monthly merchandise exports of the Philippines from 2011 to 2016. The data set used in this study was retrieved from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) which is the central statistical authority in the country responsible for primary data collection. A test for significance of the difference between means at 0.05 level of significance was then performed on the forecasts produced. The result indicates that there is a significant difference between the mean of the forecasts of the two models. Moreover, upon a comparison of the root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) of the models, it was found that the models used for the clustered groups outperform the model for the total exports.

  18. 77 FR 69435 - Grant of Authority for Subzone Status and Partial Approval of Manufacturing Authority; Toho Tenax...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-19

    ... Polyacrylonitrile Fiber and Carbon Fiber), Rockwood, TN Pursuant to its authority under the Foreign-Trade Zones Act...-purpose subzone at the oxidized polyacrylonitrile fiber (OPF) and carbon fiber manufacturing and... manufacture 24K or higher tow, standard grade carbon fiber for export; and Whereas, at this time, the Board is...

  19. 27 CFR 44.207a - To a foreign-trade zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true To a foreign-trade zone. 44....207a To a foreign-trade zone. Where tobacco products, and cigarette papers and tubes are removed from a factory or an export warehouse for delivery to a foreign-trade zone, under zone restricted status for the...

  20. 75 FR 1009 - Termination of Ineligible Status and Statutory Debarment Pursuant to Section 38(g)(4) of the Arms...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-07

    ... Controls Compliance, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs..., or any party to the export, has been convicted of violating the AECA and certain other U.S. criminal.... Andrew J. Shapiro, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Department of State. [FR...

  1. 76 FR 9743 - Approval for Expanded Manufacturing Authority, Foreign-Trade Subzone 116A, Motiva Enterprises...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-22

    ....99.45 which are used in the production of: --petrochemical feedstocks and refinery by-products (examiner's report, Appendix ``C''); --products for export; --and, products eligible for entry under HTSUS.... Foreign status (19 CFR 146.41, 146.42) products consumed as fuel for the refinery shall be subject to the...

  2. No Regret Learning in Oligopolies: Cournot vs. Bertrand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nadav, Uri; Piliouras, Georgios

    Cournot and Bertrand oligopolies constitute the two most prevalent models of firm competition. The analysis of Nash equilibria in each model reveals a unique prediction about the stable state of the system. Quite alarmingly, despite the similarities of the two models, their projections expose a stark dichotomy. Under the Cournot model, where firms compete by strategically managing their output quantity, firms enjoy positive profits as the resulting market prices exceed that of the marginal costs. On the contrary, the Bertrand model, in which firms compete on price, predicts that a duopoly is enough to push prices down to the marginal cost level. This suggestion that duopoly will result in perfect competition, is commonly referred to in the economics literature as the "Bertrand paradox".

  3. Ontology-Based Model Of Firm Competitiveness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deliyska, Boryana; Stoenchev, Nikolay

    2010-10-01

    Competitiveness is important characteristics of each business organization (firm, company, corporation etc). It is of great significance for the organization existence and defines evaluation criteria of business success at microeconomical level. Each criterium comprises set of indicators with specific weight coefficients. In the work an ontology-based model of firm competitiveness is presented as a set of several mutually connected ontologies. It would be useful for knowledge structuring, standardization and sharing among experts and software engineers who develop application in the domain. Then the assessment of the competitiveness of various business organizations could be generated more effectively.

  4. Model and Analytic Processes for Export License Assessments

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thompson, Sandra E.; Whitney, Paul D.; Weimar, Mark R.

    2011-09-29

    This paper represents the Department of Energy Office of Nonproliferation Research and Development (NA-22) Simulations, Algorithms and Modeling (SAM) Program's first effort to identify and frame analytical methods and tools to aid export control professionals in effectively predicting proliferation intent; a complex, multi-step and multi-agency process. The report focuses on analytical modeling methodologies that alone, or combined, may improve the proliferation export control license approval process. It is a follow-up to an earlier paper describing information sources and environments related to international nuclear technology transfer. This report describes the decision criteria used to evaluate modeling techniques and tools to determinemore » which approaches will be investigated during the final 2 years of the project. The report also details the motivation for why new modeling techniques and tools are needed. The analytical modeling methodologies will enable analysts to evaluate the information environment for relevance to detecting proliferation intent, with specific focus on assessing risks associated with transferring dual-use technologies. Dual-use technologies can be used in both weapons and commercial enterprises. A decision-framework was developed to evaluate which of the different analytical modeling methodologies would be most appropriate conditional on the uniqueness of the approach, data availability, laboratory capabilities, relevance to NA-22 and Office of Arms Control and Nonproliferation (NA-24) research needs and the impact if successful. Modeling methodologies were divided into whether they could help micro-level assessments (e.g., help improve individual license assessments) or macro-level assessment. Macro-level assessment focuses on suppliers, technology, consumers, economies, and proliferation context. Macro-level assessment technologies scored higher in the area of uniqueness because less work has been done at the macro level. An approach to developing testable hypotheses for the macro-level assessment methodologies is provided. The outcome of this works suggests that we should develop a Bayes Net for micro-level analysis and continue to focus on Bayes Net, System Dynamics and Economic Input/Output models for assessing macro-level problems. Simultaneously, we need to develop metrics for assessing intent in export control, including the risks and consequences associated with all aspects of export control.« less

  5. Does workplace social capital buffer the effects of job stress? A cross-sectional, multilevel analysis of cigarette smoking among U.S. manufacturing workers

    PubMed Central

    Sapp, Amy L.; Kawachi, Ichiro; Sorensen, Glorian; LaMontagne, Anthony D.; Subramanian, S.V.

    2010-01-01

    Objective To investigate whether workplace social capital buffers the association between job stress and smoking status. Methods As part of the Harvard Cancer Prevention Project’s Healthy Directions-Small Business Study, interviewer-administered questionnaires were completed by 1740 workers and 288 managers in 26 manufacturing firms (84% and 85% response). Social capital was assessed by multiple items measured at the individual-level among workers, and contextual-level among managers. Job stress was operationalized by the demand-control model. Multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate associations between job stressors and smoking, and test for effect modification by social capital measures. Results Workplace social capital (both summary measures) buffered associations between high job demands and smoking. One compositional item—worker trust in managers—buffered associations between job strain and smoking. Conclusion Workplace social capital may modify the effects of psychosocial working conditions on health behaviors. PMID:20595910

  6. The Embeddedness of Adolescent Friendship Nominations: The Formation of Social Capital in Emergent Network Structures

    PubMed Central

    Frank, Kenneth A.; Muller, Chandra; Mueller, Anna S.

    2014-01-01

    Although research on social embeddedness and social capital con-firms the value of friendship networks, little has been written about how social relations form and are structured by social institutions. Using data from the Adolescent Health and Academic Achievement study and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the authors show that the odds of a new friendship nomination were 1.77 times greater within clusters of high school students taking courses together than between them. The estimated effect cannot be attributed to exposure to peers in similar grade levels, indirect friendship links, or pair-level course overlap, and the finding is robust to alternative model specifications. The authors also show how tendencies associated with status hierarchy inhering in triadic friendship nominations are neutralized within the clusters. These results have implications for the production and distribution of social capital within social systems such as schools, giving the clusters social salience as “local positions.” PMID:25364011

  7. Data on empirical estimation of the relationship between agency costs and ownership structure in Italian listed companies (2002-2013).

    PubMed

    Rossi, Fabrizio; Barth, James R; Cebula, Richard J

    2018-06-01

    The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled "Do shareholder coalitions affect agency costs? Evidence from Italian-listed companies", Research in International Business and Finance , Forthcoming (Rossi et al., 2018) [1]. The study shows an empirical analysis using an extensive balanced panel dataset of 163 Italian listed companies for the period 2002-2013, which is a sample yielding 1956 firm-year observations. The sample consists primarily of manufacturing firms, but also includes some service enterprises. However all financial firms and regulated utilities are excluded. We collected data on ownership structure for the entire study period. Information was acquired from the Consob website and the individual company reports on corporate governance. Data on firm-level indicators (debt-to-capital ratio, firm size, and age of the firm) for all companies in the sample were collected from Datastream, Bloomberg , and Calepino dell'Azionista , as well as obtained manually from the financial statements of the individual companies being studied. Our dataset contains several measures of ownership structure for Italian listed companies.

  8. A subset of FG-nucleoporins is necessary for efficient Msn5-mediated nuclear protein export

    PubMed Central

    Finn, Erin M.; DeRoo, Elise P.; Clement, George W.; Rao, Sheila; Kruse, Sarah E.; Kokanovich, Kate M.; Belanger, Kenneth D.

    2013-01-01

    The transport of proteins between the cytoplasm and nucleus requires interactions between soluble transport receptors (karyopherins) and phenylalanine-glycine (FG) repeat domains on nuclear pore complex proteins (nucleoporins). However, the role of specific FG repeat-containing nucleoporins in nuclear protein export has not been carefully investigated. We have developed a novel kinetic assay to investigate the relative export kinetics mediated by the karyopherin Msn5/Kap142 in yeast containing specific FG-Nup mutations. Using the Msn5 substrate Crz1 as a marker for Msn5-mediated protein export, we observe that deletions of NUP100 or NUP2 result in decreased rates of Crz1 export, while nup60Δ and nup42Δ mutants do not vary significantly from wild type. The decreased Msn5 export rate in nup100Δ was confirmed using Mig1-GFP as a transport substrate. A nup100ΔGLFG mutant shows defects in nuclear export kinetics similar to a nup100Δ deletion. Removal of FG-repeats from Nsp1 also decreases export kinetics, while a loss of Nup1 FXFGs does not. To confirm that our export data reflected functional differences in protein localization, we performed Crz1 transcription activation assays using a CDRE::LacZ reporter gene that is upregulated upon increased transcription activation by Crz1 in vivo. We observe that expression from this reporter increases in nup100ΔGLFG and nsp1ΔFGΔFXFG strains that exhibit decreased Crz1 export kinetics but resembles wild-type levels in nup1ΔFXFG strains that do not exhibit export defects. These data provide evidence that the export of Msn5 is likely mediated by a specific subset of FG-Nups and that the GLFG repeat domain of Nup100 is important for Msn5-mediated nuclear protein export. PMID:23295456

  9. Hierarchical time series bottom-up approach for forecast the export value in Central Java

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahkya, D. A.; Ulama, B. S.; Suhartono

    2017-10-01

    The purpose of this study is Getting the best modeling and predicting the export value of Central Java using a Hierarchical Time Series. The export value is one variable injection in the economy of a country, meaning that if the export value of the country increases, the country’s economy will increase even more. Therefore, it is necessary appropriate modeling to predict the export value especially in Central Java. Export Value in Central Java are grouped into 21 commodities with each commodity has a different pattern. One approach that can be used time series is a hierarchical approach. Hierarchical Time Series is used Buttom-up. To Forecast the individual series at all levels using Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN), and Hybrid ARIMA-RBFNN. For the selection of the best models used Symmetric Mean Absolute Percentage Error (sMAPE). Results of the analysis showed that for the Export Value of Central Java, Bottom-up approach with Hybrid ARIMA-RBFNN modeling can be used for long-term predictions. As for the short and medium-term predictions, it can be used a bottom-up approach RBFNN modeling. Overall bottom-up approach with RBFNN modeling give the best result.

  10. 40 CFR 262.82 - General conditions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Recovery within the OECD § 262.82 General conditions. (a) Scope. The level of control for exports and...), COTIF (1985), and RID (1985). (3) Any transit of waste through a non-OECD member country must be... consent is received from all relevant OECD importing and transit countries. (2) Re-export of waste subject...

  11. Riparian forest effects on nitrogen export to an agricultural stream inferred from experimental data and a model

    EPA Science Inventory

    The effects of riparian vegetation on the reduction of agricultural nitrogen export to streams have been well described experimentally, but a clear understanding of process-level hydrological and biogeochemical controls can be difficult to ascertain from data alone. We apply a ne...

  12. Identifying green infrastructure BMPs for reducing nitrogen export to a Chesapeake Bay agricultural stream: model synthesis and extension of experimental data

    EPA Science Inventory

    Background/Question/Methods The effectiveness of riparian forest buffers and other green infrastructure for reducing nitrogen export to agricultural streams has been well described experimentally, but a clear understanding of process-level hydrological and biogeochemical control...

  13. Quantitative Risk Assessment for African Horse Sickness in Live Horses Exported from South Africa

    PubMed Central

    Sergeant, Evan S.

    2016-01-01

    African horse sickness (AHS) is a severe, often fatal, arbovirus infection of horses, transmitted by Culicoides spp. midges. AHS occurs in most of sub-Saharan Africa and is a significant impediment to export of live horses from infected countries, such as South Africa. A stochastic risk model was developed to estimate the probability of exporting an undetected AHS-infected horse through a vector protected pre-export quarantine facility, in accordance with OIE recommendations for trade from an infected country. The model also allows for additional risk management measures, including multiple PCR tests prior to and during pre-export quarantine and optionally during post-arrival quarantine, as well as for comparison of risk associated with exports from a demonstrated low-risk area for AHS and an area where AHS is endemic. If 1 million horses were exported from the low-risk area with no post-arrival quarantine we estimate the median number of infected horses to be 5.4 (95% prediction interval 0.5 to 41). This equates to an annual probability of 0.0016 (95% PI: 0.00015 to 0.012) assuming 300 horses exported per year. An additional PCR test while in vector-protected post-arrival quarantine reduced these probabilities by approximately 12-fold. Probabilities for horses exported from an area where AHS is endemic were approximately 15 to 17 times higher than for horses exported from the low-risk area under comparable scenarios. The probability of undetected AHS infection in horses exported from an infected country can be minimised by appropriate risk management measures. The final choice of risk management measures depends on the level of risk acceptable to the importing country. PMID:26986002

  14. Quantitative Risk Assessment for African Horse Sickness in Live Horses Exported from South Africa.

    PubMed

    Sergeant, Evan S; Grewar, John D; Weyer, Camilla T; Guthrie, Alan J

    2016-01-01

    African horse sickness (AHS) is a severe, often fatal, arbovirus infection of horses, transmitted by Culicoides spp. midges. AHS occurs in most of sub-Saharan Africa and is a significant impediment to export of live horses from infected countries, such as South Africa. A stochastic risk model was developed to estimate the probability of exporting an undetected AHS-infected horse through a vector protected pre-export quarantine facility, in accordance with OIE recommendations for trade from an infected country. The model also allows for additional risk management measures, including multiple PCR tests prior to and during pre-export quarantine and optionally during post-arrival quarantine, as well as for comparison of risk associated with exports from a demonstrated low-risk area for AHS and an area where AHS is endemic. If 1 million horses were exported from the low-risk area with no post-arrival quarantine we estimate the median number of infected horses to be 5.4 (95% prediction interval 0.5 to 41). This equates to an annual probability of 0.0016 (95% PI: 0.00015 to 0.012) assuming 300 horses exported per year. An additional PCR test while in vector-protected post-arrival quarantine reduced these probabilities by approximately 12-fold. Probabilities for horses exported from an area where AHS is endemic were approximately 15 to 17 times higher than for horses exported from the low-risk area under comparable scenarios. The probability of undetected AHS infection in horses exported from an infected country can be minimised by appropriate risk management measures. The final choice of risk management measures depends on the level of risk acceptable to the importing country.

  15. Organizing for low cost space operations - Status and plans

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lee, C.

    1976-01-01

    Design features of the Space Transportation System (vehicle reuse, low cost expendable components, simple payload interfaces, standard support systems) must be matched by economical operational methods to achieve low operating and payload costs. Users will be responsible for their own payloads and will be charged according to the services they require. Efficient use of manpower, simple documentation, simplified test, checkout, and flight planning are firm goals, together with flexibility for quick response to varying user needs. Status of the Shuttle hardware, plans for establishing low cost procedures, and the policy for user charges are discussed.

  16. Relational Capital Quality and Client Loyalty: Firm-Level Evidence from Pharmaceuticals, Pakistan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mubarik, Shujaat; Chandran, V. G. R.; Devadason, Evelyn S.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: This study aims to examine the influence of relational capital quality on client loyalty, comprising both behavioral and attitudinal, in the pharmaceutical industry of Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach: The partial least squares technique is used to test the relationship using a sample of 111 pharmaceutical firms. We applied a…

  17. Firm-Provided Training in Europe and the Limits of National Skills Strategies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Markowitsch, Jorg; Kapplinger, Bernd; Hefler, Gunter

    2013-01-01

    This article addresses cross-country and cross-period differences in average levels of training activity from an institutional perspective. Firm-provided training in Europe between 1999 and 2010 is scrutinized in order to explore whether diverse institutional arrangements that can be linked to welfare state regimes can yield discernible…

  18. 48 CFR 19.803 - Selecting acquisitions for the 8(a) Program.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... code, business support levels, and business activity targets; or, (ii) If competitive, a statement that... activity targets. If requested by the contracting activity, SBA will identify at least two such firms and... independently, or through the self marketing efforts of an 8(a) firm, identify a requirement for the 8(a...

  19. Do high-commitment work systems affect creativity? A multilevel combinational approach to employee creativity.

    PubMed

    Chang, Song; Jia, Liangding; Takeuchi, Riki; Cai, Yahua

    2014-07-01

    In this article, some information about the data used in the article and a citation were not included. The details of the corrections are provided.] This study uses 3-level, 2-wave time-lagged data from a random sample of 55 high-technology firms, 238 teams, and 1,059 individuals in China to investigate a multilevel combinational model of employee creativity. First, we hypothesize that firm (macrolevel) high-commitment work systems are conducive to individual (microlevel) creativity. Furthermore, we hypothesize that this positive crosslevel main impact may be combined with middle-level (mesolevel) factors, including team cohesion and team task complexity, such that the positive impact of firm high-commitment work systems on individual creativity is stronger when team cohesion is high and the team task more complex. The findings from random coefficient modeling analyses provide support for our hypotheses. These sets of results offer novel insight into how firms can use macrolevel and mesolevel contextual variables in a systematic manner to promote employee creativity in the workplace, despite its complex nature.

  20. Nrt1 and Tna1-Independent Export of NAD+ Precursor Vitamins Promotes NAD+ Homeostasis and Allows Engineering of Vitamin Production

    PubMed Central

    Belenky, Peter; Stebbins, Rebecca; Bogan, Katrina L.; Evans, Charles R.; Brenner, Charles

    2011-01-01

    NAD+ is both a co-enzyme for hydride transfer enzymes and a substrate of sirtuins and other NAD+ consuming enzymes. NAD+ biosynthesis is required for two different regimens that extend lifespan in yeast. NAD+ is synthesized from tryptophan and the three vitamin precursors of NAD+: nicotinic acid, nicotinamide and nicotinamide riboside. Supplementation of yeast cells with NAD+ precursors increases intracellular NAD+ levels and extends replicative lifespan. Here we show that both nicotinamide riboside and nicotinic acid are not only vitamins but are also exported metabolites. We found that the deletion of the nicotinamide riboside transporter, Nrt1, leads to increased export of nicotinamide riboside. This discovery was exploited to engineer a strain to produce high levels of extracellular nicotinamide riboside, which was recovered in purified form. We further demonstrate that extracellular nicotinamide is readily converted to extracellular nicotinic acid in a manner that requires intracellular nicotinamidase activity. Like nicotinamide riboside, export of nicotinic acid is elevated by the deletion of the nicotinic acid transporter, Tna1. The data indicate that NAD+ metabolism has a critical extracellular element in the yeast system and suggest that cells regulate intracellular NAD+ metabolism by balancing import and export of NAD+ precursor vitamins. PMID:21589930

  1. Nrt1 and Tna1-independent export of NAD+ precursor vitamins promotes NAD+ homeostasis and allows engineering of vitamin production.

    PubMed

    Belenky, Peter; Stebbins, Rebecca; Bogan, Katrina L; Evans, Charles R; Brenner, Charles

    2011-05-11

    NAD(+) is both a co-enzyme for hydride transfer enzymes and a substrate of sirtuins and other NAD(+) consuming enzymes. NAD(+) biosynthesis is required for two different regimens that extend lifespan in yeast. NAD(+) is synthesized from tryptophan and the three vitamin precursors of NAD(+): nicotinic acid, nicotinamide and nicotinamide riboside. Supplementation of yeast cells with NAD(+) precursors increases intracellular NAD(+) levels and extends replicative lifespan. Here we show that both nicotinamide riboside and nicotinic acid are not only vitamins but are also exported metabolites. We found that the deletion of the nicotinamide riboside transporter, Nrt1, leads to increased export of nicotinamide riboside. This discovery was exploited to engineer a strain to produce high levels of extracellular nicotinamide riboside, which was recovered in purified form. We further demonstrate that extracellular nicotinamide is readily converted to extracellular nicotinic acid in a manner that requires intracellular nicotinamidase activity. Like nicotinamide riboside, export of nicotinic acid is elevated by the deletion of the nicotinic acid transporter, Tna1. The data indicate that NAD(+) metabolism has a critical extracellular element in the yeast system and suggest that cells regulate intracellular NAD(+) metabolism by balancing import and export of NAD(+) precursor vitamins.

  2. AN ANALYSIS OF SELECTED FACTORS RELEVANT TO THE EMPLOYMENT STATUS IN BUSINESS OFFICES OF MARRIED WOMEN COLLEGE GRADUATES.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    BECK, ESTHER LILY

    AN ANALYSIS OF FACTORS THAT HINDERED OR IMPEDED THE OCCUPATIONAL ADVANCEMENT OF COLLEGE WOMEN WERE GROUPED AROUND THE FOUR AREAS OF PERSONAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS, CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POSITIONS HELD BY THE WOMEN, BUSINESS POLICIES AND PRACTICES OF EMPLOYING FIRMS, AND POINTS OF VIEW EXPRESSED BY THE WOMEN ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES. DATA…

  3. A narrative review of studies of refusal of psychotropic medication in acute inpatient psychiatric care.

    PubMed

    Owiti, J A; Bowers, L

    2011-09-01

    This paper offers a narrative review of the 22 studies of medication refusal in acute psychiatry. Because of varied definitions of medication refusal, diverse methodologies and few rigorous studies, it has not been possible to draw firm conclusions on the average rate of refusal of psychotropic medications in acute psychiatry. However, it is clear that medication refusal is common and leads to poor outcomes characterized by higher rates of seclusion, restraint, threats of, and actual, assaults and longer hospitalizations. There are no statistically significant differences between refusers and acceptors in gender, marital status and preadmission living arrangements. Although no firm conclusions on the influence of ethnicity, status at admission and diagnosis on refusal, the refusers are more likely to have higher number of previous hospitalizations and history of prior refusal. The review indicates that staff factors such as the use of temporary staff, lack of confidence in ward staff and ineffective ward structure are associated with higher rates of medication refusal. Comprehensive knowledge of why, and how, patients refuse medication is lacking. Research on medication refusal is still fragmented, of variable methodological quality and lacks an integrating model. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing.

  4. Mini-DNA barcode in identification of the ornamental fish: A case study from Northeast India.

    PubMed

    Dhar, Bishal; Ghosh, Sankar Kumar

    2017-09-05

    The ornamental fishes were exported under the trade names or generic names, thus creating problems in species identification. In this regard, DNA barcoding could effectively elucidate the actual species status. However, the problem arises if the specimen is having taxonomic disputes, falsified by trade/generic names, etc., On the other hand, barcoding the archival museum specimens would be of greater benefit to address such issues as it would create firm, error-free reference database for rapid identification of any species. This can be achieved only by generating short sequences as DNA from chemically preserved are mostly degraded. Here we aimed to identify a short stretch of informative sites within the full-length barcode segment, capable of delineating diverse group of ornamental fish species, commonly traded from NE India. We analyzed 287 full-length barcode sequences from the major fish orders and compared the interspecific K2P distance with nucleotide substitutions patterns and found a strong correlation of interspecies distance with transversions (0.95, p<0.001). We, therefore, proposed a short stretch of 171bp (transversion rich) segment as mini-barcode. The proposed segment was compared with the full-length barcodes and found to delineate the species effectively. Successful PCR amplification and sequencing of the 171bp segment using designed primers for different orders validated it as mini-barcodes for ornamental fishes. Thus, our findings would be helpful in strengthening the global database with the sequence of archived fish species as well as an effective identification tool of the traded ornamental fish species, as a less time consuming, cost effective field-based application. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Reliability of reservoir firm yield determined from the historical drought of record

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Archfield, S.A.; Vogel, R.M.

    2005-01-01

    The firm yield of a reservoir is typically defined as the maximum yield that could have been delivered without failure during the historical drought of record. In the future, reservoirs will experience droughts that are either more or less severe than the historical drought of record. The question addressed here is what the reliability of such systems will be when operated at the firm yield. To address this question, we examine the reliability of 25 hypothetical reservoirs sited across five locations in the central and western United States. These locations provided a continuous 756-month streamflow record spanning the same time interval. The firm yield of each reservoir was estimated from the historical drought of record at each location. To determine the steady-state monthly reliability of each firm-yield estimate, 12,000-month synthetic records were generated using the moving-blocks bootstrap method. Bootstrapping was repeated 100 times for each reservoir to obtain an average steady-state monthly reliability R, the number of months the reservoir did not fail divided by the total months. Values of R were greater than 0.99 for 60 percent of the study reservoirs; the other 40 percent ranged from 0.95 to 0.98. Estimates of R were highly correlated with both the level of development (ratio of firm yield to average streamflow) and average lag-1 monthly autocorrelation. Together these two predictors explained 92 percent of the variability in R, with the level of development alone explaining 85 percent of the variability. Copyright ASCE 2005.

  6. Performance improvement: an active life cycle product management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cucchiella, Federica; Gastaldi, Massimo; Lenny Koh, S. C.

    2010-03-01

    The management of the supply chain has gained importance in many manufacturing firms. Operational flexibility can be considered a crucial weapon to increase competitiveness in a turbulent marketplace. It reflects the ability of a firm to properly and rapidly respond to a variable and dynamic environment. For the firm operating in a fashion sector, the management of the supply chain is even more complex because the product life cycle is shorter than that of the firm operating in a non-fashion sector. The increase of firm flexibility level can be reached through the application of the real option theory inside the firm network. In fact, real option may increase the project value by allowing managers to more efficiently direct the production. The real option application usually analysed in literature does not take into account that the demands of products are well-defined by the product life cycle. Working on a fashion sector, the life cycle pattern is even more relevant because of an expected demand that grows according to a constant rate that does not capture the demand dynamics of the underlying fashion goods. Thus, the primary research objective of this article is to develop a model useful for the management of investments in a supply chain operating in a fashion sector where the system complexity is increased by the low level of unpredictability and stability that is proper of the mood phenomenon. Moreover, unlike the traditional model, a real option framework is presented here that considers fashion product characterised by uncertain stages of the production cycle.

  7. Status of human chromosome aberrations as a biological radiation dosimeter in the nuclear industry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bender, M.A.

    1978-01-01

    It seems that the determination of peripheral lymphocyte chriomosome aberration levels is now firmly established as a means of biological dosimetry of great value in many phases of the nuclear industry. In the case of large external exposure it can provide valuable quantitative estimates, as well as information on dose distribution and radiation quality. In the case of routine occupational exposures the technique is more qualitative, but is of value particularly in resolving uncertainties as to whether suspected overexposures did in fact occur. Where workers accumulate burdens of internal emitters, aberration analysis provides a valuable, though at present quite qualitativemore » indicator. In spite of the expense of cytogenetic analyses, they are of sufficient value to justify much more widespread application, particularly in high risk situations.« less

  8. Effect of Increased Levels of Liquefied Natural Gas Exports on U.S. Energy Markets

    EIA Publications

    2014-01-01

    This report responds to a May 29, 2014 request from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy (DOE/FE) for an update of the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) January 2012 study of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export scenarios. This updated study, like the prior one, is intended to serve as an input to be considered in the evaluation of applications to export LNG from the United States under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act, which requires DOE to grant a permit to export domestically produced natural gas unless it finds that such action is not consistent with the public interest. Appendix A provides a copy of the DOE/FE request letter.

  9. Health Insurance Marketplaces: Early Findings on Changes in Plan Availability and Premiums in Rural Places, 2014-2015.

    PubMed

    Barker, Abigail; McBride, Timothy D; Kemper, Leah M; Mueller, Keith

    2015-05-01

    The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act established Health Insurance Marketplaces (HIMs) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This policy brief assesses the changes in HIMs from 2014 to 2015 in terms of choices offered and premiums charged, with emphasis on how these measures vary across rural and urban places. Key Findings. (1) In 74 percent of HIM rating areas, the number of firms operating increased by at least one, while the number of firms decreased in only about 6 percent of rating areas. Further, 64 percent of rating areas with fewer than 50 persons per square mile gained at least one firm. (2) There was no consistent pattern of premium increases with respect to rating area population density (used as a proxy here for the degree of "ruralness" of the rating areas). Nationally, rural areas are not experiencing higher premium increases than their urban counterparts. In fact, the lowest increases in second-lowest cost silver plan premiums occurred in the medium-density population rating areas of 51 to 300 persons per square mile. (3) Average adjusted premiums increased from 2014 to 2015 by 6.7 percent in Federally-Facilitated Marketplaces (FFMs) compared to just 1.4 percent in State-Based Marketplaces (SBMs). Regardless of SBM or FFM status, premium increases across the United States were negatively correlated with the number of firms entering the market. (4) Analysis of the most rural states, in terms of percentage of the population classified as nonmetropolitan, shows that, in general, premiums fell significantly in rural places where they had been rather high, and they increased in rural places where they had been rather low. The five rural states with the lowest premium increases had an average of 0.17 firms entering the market, while the five with the highest premium increases had an average of 0.50 firms exiting the market.

  10. Regulation of mRNA Trafficking by Nuclear Pore Complexes

    PubMed Central

    Bonnet, Amandine; Palancade, Benoit

    2014-01-01

    Over the last two decades, multiple studies have explored the mechanisms governing mRNA export out of the nucleus, a crucial step in eukaryotic gene expression. During transcription and processing, mRNAs are assembled into messenger ribonucleoparticles (mRNPs). mRNPs are then exported through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), which are large multiprotein assemblies made of several copies of a limited number of nucleoporins. A considerable effort has been put into the dissection of mRNA export through NPCs at both cellular and molecular levels, revealing the conserved contributions of a subset of nucleoporins in this process, from yeast to vertebrates. Several reports have also demonstrated the ability of NPCs to sort out properly-processed mRNPs for entry into the nuclear export pathway. Importantly, changes in mRNA export have been associated with post-translational modifications of nucleoporins or changes in NPC composition, depending on cell cycle progression, development or exposure to stress. How NPC modifications also impact on cellular mRNA export in disease situations, notably upon viral infection, is discussed. PMID:25184662

  11. Diversity of the lactic acid bacterium and yeast microbiota in the switch from firm- to liquid-sourdough fermentation.

    PubMed

    Di Cagno, Raffaella; Pontonio, Erica; Buchin, Solange; De Angelis, Maria; Lattanzi, Anna; Valerio, Francesca; Gobbetti, Marco; Calasso, Maria

    2014-05-01

    Four traditional type I sourdoughs were comparatively propagated (28 days) under firm (dough yield, 160) and liquid (dough yield, 280) conditions to mimic the alternative technology options frequently used for making baked goods. After 28 days of propagation, liquid sourdoughs had the lowest pH and total titratable acidity (TTA), the lowest concentrations of lactic and acetic acids and free amino acids, and the most stable density of presumptive lactic acid bacteria. The cell density of yeasts was the highest in liquid sourdoughs. Liquid sourdoughs showed simplified microbial diversity and harbored a low number of strains, which were persistent. Lactobacillus plantarum dominated firm sourdoughs over time. Leuconostoc lactis and Lactobacillus brevis dominated only some firm sourdoughs, and Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis persisted for some time only in some firm sourdoughs. Leuconostoc citreum persisted in all firm and liquid sourdoughs, and it was the only species detected in liquid sourdoughs at all times; it was flanked by Leuconostoc mesenteroides in some sourdoughs. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida humilis, Saccharomyces servazzii, Saccharomyces bayanus-Kazachstania sp., and Torulaspora delbrueckii were variously identified in firm and liquid sourdoughs. A total of 197 volatile components were identified through purge and trap-/solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PT-/SPME-GC-MS). Aldehydes, several alcohols, and some esters were at the highest levels in liquid sourdoughs. Firm sourdoughs mainly contained ethyl acetate, acetic acid, some sulfur compounds, and terpenes. The use of liquid fermentation would change the main microbial and biochemical features of traditional baked goods, which have been manufactured under firm conditions for a long time.

  12. Diversity of the Lactic Acid Bacterium and Yeast Microbiota in the Switch from Firm- to Liquid-Sourdough Fermentation

    PubMed Central

    Di Cagno, Raffaella; Pontonio, Erica; Buchin, Solange; De Angelis, Maria; Lattanzi, Anna; Valerio, Francesca; Calasso, Maria

    2014-01-01

    Four traditional type I sourdoughs were comparatively propagated (28 days) under firm (dough yield, 160) and liquid (dough yield, 280) conditions to mimic the alternative technology options frequently used for making baked goods. After 28 days of propagation, liquid sourdoughs had the lowest pH and total titratable acidity (TTA), the lowest concentrations of lactic and acetic acids and free amino acids, and the most stable density of presumptive lactic acid bacteria. The cell density of yeasts was the highest in liquid sourdoughs. Liquid sourdoughs showed simplified microbial diversity and harbored a low number of strains, which were persistent. Lactobacillus plantarum dominated firm sourdoughs over time. Leuconostoc lactis and Lactobacillus brevis dominated only some firm sourdoughs, and Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis persisted for some time only in some firm sourdoughs. Leuconostoc citreum persisted in all firm and liquid sourdoughs, and it was the only species detected in liquid sourdoughs at all times; it was flanked by Leuconostoc mesenteroides in some sourdoughs. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida humilis, Saccharomyces servazzii, Saccharomyces bayanus-Kazachstania sp., and Torulaspora delbrueckii were variously identified in firm and liquid sourdoughs. A total of 197 volatile components were identified through purge and trap–/solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PT–/SPME–GC-MS). Aldehydes, several alcohols, and some esters were at the highest levels in liquid sourdoughs. Firm sourdoughs mainly contained ethyl acetate, acetic acid, some sulfur compounds, and terpenes. The use of liquid fermentation would change the main microbial and biochemical features of traditional baked goods, which have been manufactured under firm conditions for a long time. PMID:24632249

  13. The relationship between human resource investments and organizational performance: a firm-level examination of equilibrium theory.

    PubMed

    Subramony, Mahesh; Krause, Nicole; Norton, Jacqueline; Burns, Gary N

    2008-07-01

    It is commonly believed that human resource investments can yield positive performance-related outcomes for organizations. Utilizing the theory of organizational equilibrium (H. A. Simon, D. W. Smithburg, & V. A. Thompson, 1950; J. G. March & H. A. Simon, 1958), the authors proposed that organizational inducements in the form of competitive pay will lead to 2 firm-level performance outcomes--labor productivity and customer satisfaction--and that financially successful organizations would be more likely to provide these inducements to their employees. To test their hypotheses, the authors gathered employee-survey and objective performance data from a sample of 126 large publicly traded U.S. organizations over a period of 3 years. Results indicated that (a) firm-level financial performance (net income) predicted employees' shared perceptions of competitive pay, (b) shared pay perceptions predicted future labor productivity, and (c) the relationship between shared pay perceptions and customer satisfaction was fully mediated by employee morale.

  14. A needle in a haystack? Uninsured workers in small businesses that do not offer coverage.

    PubMed

    Kronick, Richard; Olsen, Louis C

    2006-02-01

    To describe the insurance status of workers at small businesses, and to describe the status of uninsured persons by the employment characteristics (employment status, firm size, and whether the employer offers insurance) of the head of household. Data from the March and February 2001 Current Population Survey, and a survey of 2,830 small businesses in San Diego County conducted in 2001. The survey of small businesses was undertaken as part of a project testing the response of employers to offers of subsidized coverage. Employers were asked whether they offered insurance, and about the insurance status of their employees. The merged February-March 2001 CPS was used to identify the employment status, firm size, and employer-offering status for uninsured persons in the U.S. Telephone interviews with small businesses in San Diego County. Only 21 percent of the uninsured in the U.S. are full-time employees (or their dependents) in small businesses (<100 employees) that do not offer insurance. The employment status of the uninsured is heterogeneous: many work for large employers, small employers who do offer insurance, or are self-employed, part-time workers, or have no workers in the household. Although there are many small businesses in San Diego that do not offer coverage, most of them have very few uninsured workers. Over 50 percent of businesses that do not offer coverage have either zero or one uninsured worker. There are very few small businesses that do not offer coverage and that have substantial numbers of uninsured workers. These businesses are not quite as rare as a needle in a haystack, but they are very difficult to find. If all small businesses that do not offer insurance now could be persuaded to start offering coverage, and if all the full-time workers (and their dependents) in those businesses accepted insurance, the number of uninsured would decline by 21 percent--a significant decline, but leaving 80 percent of the problem untouched. If the prime target for programs of subsidized insurance are small businesses that do not offer coverage now and that have substantial numbers of uninsured workers, the target is very small.

  15. Dataset for corporate valuation and analyses of peer effects in corporate practices and local factors favoring innovation.

    PubMed

    Carosi, Andrea

    2017-02-01

    This data article provides cross-sectionals on the local values of the coefficients of ROE, R&D-TO-SALES, and TOTAL ASSET as regressors of the MARKET-TO-BOOK ratio and is related to the research article entitled "Do Local Causations Matter? The Effect of Firm Location on the Relations of ROE, R&D, and Firm Size with Market-to-Book" (A. Carosi, 2016) [1]. The data are aggregated at the regional level (NUTS2). The reported data are the regional average values of the coefficients of ROE, R&D-TO-SALES, and LN(TOTAL ASSET) on LN(MARKET-TO-BOOK), estimated upon the Italian non-financial listed firms in 1999-2007. Local coefficient estimates for family firms and utilities are also provided.

  16. Urban Stream Burial Increases Watershed-Scale Nitrate Export.

    PubMed

    Beaulieu, Jake J; Golden, Heather E; Knightes, Christopher D; Mayer, Paul M; Kaushal, Sujay S; Pennino, Michael J; Arango, Clay P; Balz, David A; Elonen, Colleen M; Fritz, Ken M; Hill, Brian H

    2015-01-01

    Nitrogen (N) uptake in streams is an important ecosystem service that reduces nutrient loading to downstream ecosystems. Here we synthesize studies that investigated the effects of urban stream burial on N-uptake in two metropolitan areas and use simulation modeling to scale our measurements to the broader watershed scale. We report that nitrate travels on average 18 times farther downstream in buried than in open streams before being removed from the water column, indicating that burial substantially reduces N uptake in streams. Simulation modeling suggests that as burial expands throughout a river network, N uptake rates increase in the remaining open reaches which somewhat offsets reduced N uptake in buried reaches. This is particularly true at low levels of stream burial. At higher levels of stream burial, however, open reaches become rare and cumulative N uptake across all open reaches in the watershed rapidly declines. As a result, watershed-scale N export increases slowly at low levels of stream burial, after which increases in export become more pronounced. Stream burial in the lower, more urbanized portions of the watershed had a greater effect on N export than an equivalent amount of stream burial in the upper watershed. We suggest that stream daylighting (i.e., uncovering buried streams) can increase watershed-scale N retention.

  17. Urban Stream Burial Increases Watershed-Scale Nitrate Export

    PubMed Central

    Beaulieu, Jake J.; Golden, Heather E.; Knightes, Christopher D.; Mayer, Paul M.; Kaushal, Sujay S.; Pennino, Michael J.; Arango, Clay P.; Balz, David A.; Elonen, Colleen M.; Fritz, Ken M.; Hill, Brian H.

    2015-01-01

    Nitrogen (N) uptake in streams is an important ecosystem service that reduces nutrient loading to downstream ecosystems. Here we synthesize studies that investigated the effects of urban stream burial on N-uptake in two metropolitan areas and use simulation modeling to scale our measurements to the broader watershed scale. We report that nitrate travels on average 18 times farther downstream in buried than in open streams before being removed from the water column, indicating that burial substantially reduces N uptake in streams. Simulation modeling suggests that as burial expands throughout a river network, N uptake rates increase in the remaining open reaches which somewhat offsets reduced N uptake in buried reaches. This is particularly true at low levels of stream burial. At higher levels of stream burial, however, open reaches become rare and cumulative N uptake across all open reaches in the watershed rapidly declines. As a result, watershed-scale N export increases slowly at low levels of stream burial, after which increases in export become more pronounced. Stream burial in the lower, more urbanized portions of the watershed had a greater effect on N export than an equivalent amount of stream burial in the upper watershed. We suggest that stream daylighting (i.e., uncovering buried streams) can increase watershed-scale N retention. PMID:26186731

  18. Absorptive capacity of Libya: a constrained expenditure approach. [Policy of max-minimize oil exports

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    El-Jehaimi, T.

    This paper is concerned with estimating the absorptive capacity of Libya as it relates to the country's development objectives. Specifically, the paper will attempt, on the bases of analytical assumptions and a model of econometric relationships, to estimate the levels of oil exports which will be required in order to finance the economic development of Libya over the next ten years. By emphasizing the requirements of domestic development, the question of surplus will not arise and, unlike in some other works, the absorption problem will not be met. This approach, explained in detail, should give more realistic results since itmore » has been the policy of Libya to max-minimize oil exports since 1970, i.e., to export high enough to pay for imports and other foreign obligations such as foreign aid but low enough to not generate excess revenues. Excess revenues are revenues in excess of what is required to maintain the reserves/imports ratio at an optimum level. The conservation policy adopted by Libya has resulted in lowering production levels from a peak of 3.2 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 1970 to a little over 1 mb/d in 1975. This policy is expected to continue. (From Introduction)« less

  19. 78 FR 26812 - Request To Amend a License To Export Radioactive Waste

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-08

    ... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Request To Amend a License To Export Radioactive Waste Pursuant to...; XW012/03; 11005699. A radioactive total of 5,500 Energy of Canada waste). tons of low- Limited facilities as level waste). ``Ultimate Foreign Consignee(s).'' No other changes to the existing license which...

  20. For Export Only: Diffusion Professionals and Population Policy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barrett, Deborah; Kurzman, Charles; Shanahan, Suzanne

    2010-01-01

    Export-only diffusion occurs when innovators do not adopt an innovation themselves, but rather promote it to others for adoption. Potential adopters do not take their cues from early adopters, but rather from diffusion professionals who make it their job to spread a practice or institution. The global spread of national-level, population control…

  1. Small RNA sequencing in cells and exosomes identifies eQTLs and 14q32 as a region of active export

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tsang, Emily K.; Abell, Nathan S.; Li, Xin

    Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles that carry heterogeneous cargo, including RNA, between cells. Increasing evidence suggests that exosomes are important mediators of intercellular communication and biomarkers of disease. Despite this, the variability of exosomal RNA between individuals has not been well quantified. To assess this variability, we sequenced the small RNA of cells and exosomes from a 17-member family. Across individuals, we show that selective export of miRNAs occurs not only at the level of specific transcripts, but that a cluster of 74 mature miRNAs on chromosome 14q32 is massively exported in exosomes while mostly absent from cells. We alsomore » observe more interindividual variability between exosomal samples than between cellular ones and identify four miRNA expression quantitative trait loci shared between cells and exosomes. Lastly, our findings indicate that genomically colocated miRNAs can be exported together and highlight the variability in exosomal miRNA levels between individuals as relevant for exosome use as diagnostics.« less

  2. Small RNA sequencing in cells and exosomes identifies eQTLs and 14q32 as a region of active export

    DOE PAGES

    Tsang, Emily K.; Abell, Nathan S.; Li, Xin; ...

    2016-10-31

    Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles that carry heterogeneous cargo, including RNA, between cells. Increasing evidence suggests that exosomes are important mediators of intercellular communication and biomarkers of disease. Despite this, the variability of exosomal RNA between individuals has not been well quantified. To assess this variability, we sequenced the small RNA of cells and exosomes from a 17-member family. Across individuals, we show that selective export of miRNAs occurs not only at the level of specific transcripts, but that a cluster of 74 mature miRNAs on chromosome 14q32 is massively exported in exosomes while mostly absent from cells. We alsomore » observe more interindividual variability between exosomal samples than between cellular ones and identify four miRNA expression quantitative trait loci shared between cells and exosomes. Lastly, our findings indicate that genomically colocated miRNAs can be exported together and highlight the variability in exosomal miRNA levels between individuals as relevant for exosome use as diagnostics.« less

  3. Proliferation Control Regimes: Background and Status

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-12-26

    developing a national capability to conduct forensic analysis of evidence from bio-crimes and terrorism. Given the difficulty of differentiating between...North Korea in 2004 galvanized the international community to examine strengthening implementation of national export controls and interdiction ... interdiction of WMD-related equipment shipments at sea, on land, and by air. President Bush announced the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) on May 31

  4. Proliferation Control Regimes: Background and Status

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-01-31

    capability to conduct forensic analysis of evidence from bio-crimes and terrorism. Given the difficulty of differentiating between offensive and...strengthening implementation of national export controls and interdiction . Unfortunately, the 2005 NPT Review Conference failed to address these and other...that the Bush Administration has highlighted has been interdiction of WMD-related equipment shipments at sea, on land, and by air. President Bush

  5. 78 FR 75332 - Foreign-Trade Zone 61-San Juan, Puerto Rico Application for Subzone, Parapiezas Corporation...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Foreign-Trade Zones Board [S-65-2013] Foreign-Trade Zone 61--San Juan, Puerto Rico Application for Subzone, Parapiezas Corporation Amendment of Application The Puerto Rico Trade & Export Company, grantee of FTZ 61, has amended its application requesting subzone status for the facility of Parapiezas Corporation (78 FR 28800...

  6. The Healy clean coal project: An overview

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Olson, J.B.; McCrohan, D.V.

    1997-12-31

    The Healy Clean Coal Project, selected by the US Department of Energy under Round III of the Clean Coal Technology Program is currently in construction. The project is owned and financed by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), and is cofunded by the US Department of Energy. Construction is scheduled to be completed in August of 1997, with startup activity concluding in December of 1997. Demonstration, testing and reporting of the results will take place in 1998, followed by commercial operation of the facility. The emission levels of NOx, SO{sub 2} and particulates from this 50 megawatt plantmore » are expected to be significantly lower than current standards. The project status, its participants, a description of the technology to be demonstrated, and the operational and performance goals of this project are presented.« less

  7. Empirical evidences of owners’ managerial behaviour - the case of small companies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lobontiu, G.; Banica, M.; Ravai-Nagy, S.

    2017-05-01

    In a small firm, the founder or the owner-manager often leaves his or her own personal “stamp” on the way things are done, finding solutions for the multitude of problems the firm faces, and maintaining control over the firm’s operations. The paper aims to investigate the degree to which the owner-managers are controlling the operations of their firm on a day-to-day basis or even getting involved into the management of the functional areas. Our empirical research, conducted on a sample of 200 small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) from the North-Western Romania, Maramures (NUTS3 level - RO114), shows that owner-managers tend to be all-powerful, making decisions based on their experience. Furthermore, the survey highlights the focus of owner-managers on two functional areas, namely the production, and sales and marketing. Finally, the correlation analysis states that in the case of small firms, the owner-manager is more involved in managing the functional areas of the firm, as compared to the medium-ones.

  8. 75 FR 40010 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Amex LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-13

    ... Proposed Rule Change 1. Purpose Currently, the Exchange aggregates all of an ATP Holder's volume at the trading permit level for purposes of the Firm Proprietary Manual tiers. Recently, certain ATP Holders have... this filing, the Exchange proposes to allow its ATP Holders to elect to have their Firm Proprietary...

  9. Enterprise Content Buying--The New Landscape

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Noorlander, Bill

    2009-01-01

    Content is both a key ingredient for business and a major expense. Market research shows that the investment in content and data is generally one of the top expense items within a firm. For some firms, within the financial industry, for example, content costs are the second or third level of expense behind the cost of employees. While there has…

  10. On the topological structure of multinationals network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joyez, Charlie

    2017-05-01

    This paper uses a weighted network analysis to examine the structure of multinationals' implantation countries network. Based on French firm-level dataset of multinational enterprises (MNEs) the network analysis provides information on each country position in the network and in internationalization strategies of French MNEs through connectivity preferences among the nodes. The paper also details network-wide features and their recent evolution toward a more decentralized structure. While much has been said on international trade network, this paper shows that multinational firms' studies would also benefit from network analysis, notably by investigating the sensitivity of the network construction to firm heterogeneity.

  11. The Potent Lever of Toil: Nursing Development and Exportation in the Postcolonial Philippines

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Although the colonial relationship between the Philippines and the United States precipitated nurse education and migration patterns that exist today, little is known about the factors that sustained them. During the first half of the twentieth century, for example, the Philippines trained its nurse workforce primarily for domestic use. After the country's independence in 1946, however, that practice reversed. Nurse education in the Philippines was driven largely by US market demand in tandem with local messages linking work and nationalism and explicit policies to send nurses abroad. As these ideologies and practices became firmly entrenched, nurse production not only exceeded the country's numerical requirements but focused largely on preparing practitioners for the health care needs of developed nations rather than the public health needs of the indigenous population. This historical trend has important present-day ramifications for the Philippines, whose continued exodus of nurses threatens its public health. PMID:20634458

  12. Oil shocks in New Keynesian models: Positive and normative implications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chang, Jian

    Chapter 1 investigates optimal monetary policy response towards oil shocks in a New Keynesian model. We find that optimal policy, in general, becomes contractionary in response to an adverse oil shock. However, the optimal policy rule and the inflation-output trade-off depend on the specific structure of the model. The benchmark economy consists of a flexible-price energy sector and a sticky-price manufacturing sector where energy is used as an intermediate input. We show that optimal policy is to stabilize the sticky (core) price level. We then show that after incorporating a less oil-dependent sticky-price service sector, the model exhibits a trade-off in stabilizing prices and output gaps in the different sticky-price sectors. It predicts that central bank should not try to stabilize the core price level, and the economy will experience higher inflation and rising output gaps, even if central banks respond optimally. Chapter 2 addresses the observed volatility and persistence of real exchange rates and the terms of trade. It contributes to the literature with a quantitative study on the U.S. and Canada. A two-country New Keynesian model consisting of traded, non-traded, and oil production sectors is proposed to examine the time series properties of the real exchange rate, the terms of trade and the real oil price. We find that after incorporating several realistic features (namely oil price shocks, sector specific labor, non-traded goods, asymmetric pricing decisions of exporters and asymmetric consumer preferences over tradables), the benchmark model broadly matches the volatilities of the relative prices and some business cycle correlations. The model matches the data more closely after adding real demand shocks, suggesting their importance in explaining the relative price movements between the US and Canada. Chapter 3 explores several sources and transmission channels of international relative price movements. In particular, we elaborate on the role of imperfect labor mobility, pricing decisions of exporting firms, oil price shocks and asymmetric consumer preferences over tradables. Our results suggest that: Incorporating both producer currency pricing and local currency pricing assumptions produces more reasonable relative price movements. A model with imperfect labor mobility generates larger relative price volatility. Oil price shocks only contribute to terms of trade variability when oil is modeled as part of the traded basket. And asymmetric consumer preferences contribute to the volatility of the real exchange rate.

  13. Firm behavior, environmental externalities and public policy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Curtis, Earnest Markell, IV

    This dissertation consists of three essays which examine environmental policy, employer mandates and energy consumption. The essays explore how firms respond to government policies such as environmental regulation and employer mandates. Understanding how firms adjust to government policies is crucial to law makers attempting to design optimal policies that maximize net benefits to society. The first essay, titled Who Loses under Power Plant Cap-and-Trade Programs tests how a major cap-and-trade program, known as the NOx Budget Trading Program (NBP), affected labor markets in the region where it was implemented. The cap-and-trade program dramatically decreased levels of NOx emissions and added substantial costs to energy producers. Using a triple-differences approach that takes advantage of the geographic and time variation of the program as well as variation in industry energy-intensity levels, I examine how employment dynamics changed in manufacturing industries whose production process requires high levels of energy. After accounting for a variety of flexible state, county and industry trends, I find that employment in the manufacturing sector dropped by 1.7% as a result of the NBP. Young workers experienced the largest employment declines and earnings of newly hired workers fell after the regulation began. Employment declines are shown to have occurred primarily through decreased hiring rates rather than increased separation rates, thus mitigating the impact on incumbent workers. The second essay, titled Evaluating Workplace Mandates with Flows versus Stocks: An Application to California Paid Family Leave uses an underexploited data set to examine the impact of the California Paid Family Leave program on employment outcomes for young women. Most papers on mandated benefits examine labor outcomes by looking at earnings and employment levels of all workers. Examining these levels will be imprecise if the impacts of the program develop over time and firms are wary to immediately adjust employment and wages for existing workers. Using Quarterly Workforce Indicator data, we are able to measure the impact on hires, new hire earnings, separations and extended leaves among young women. Earnings for young female new hires fell in California relative to other workers, but changed little relative to country-wide comparison groups. We find strong evidence that separations (of at least three months) among young women and the number and shares of young female new hires increased. Many young women that separate (leave the payroll) eventually return to the same firm. Increased separation and hiring rates among young women in the labor market ("churning") may reflect both increased time spent with children and greater job mobility (i.e., reduced job lock) as the result of mandated paid family leave across the labor market. The third essay, Evidence of an Energy Management Gap in U.S. Manufacturing: Spillovers from Firm Management Practices to Energy Efficiency, merge a well-cited survey of firm management practices into confidential plant level U.S. Census manufacturing data to examine whether generic, i.e. non-energy specific, firm management practices, "spillover" to enhance energy efficiency in the United States. For U.S. manufacturing plants we find this relationship to be more nuanced than prior research on UK plants. Most management techniques are shown to have beneficial spillovers to energy efficiency, but an emphasis on generic targets, conditional on other management practices, results in spillovers that increase energy intensity. Our specification controls for industry specific effects at a detailed 6-digit NAICS level and finds the relationship between management and energy use to be strongest for firms in energy intensive industries. We interpret the empirical result that generic management practices do not necessarily spillover to improved energy performance as evidence of an "energy management gap."

  14. Social Firms as a means of vocational recovery for people with mental illness: a UK survey.

    PubMed

    Gilbert, Eleanor; Marwaha, Steven; Milton, Alyssa; Johnson, Sonia; Morant, Nicola; Parsons, Nicholas; Fisher, Adrian; Singh, Swaran; Cunliffe, Di

    2013-07-11

    Employment is associated with better quality of life and wellbeing in people with mental illness. Unemployment is associated with greater levels of psychological illness and is viewed as a core part of the social exclusion faced by people with mental illness. Social Firms offer paid employment to people with mental illness but are under-investigated in the UK. The aims of this phase of the Social Firms A Route to Recovery (SoFARR) project were to describe the availability and spread of Social Firms across the UK, to outline the range of opportunities Social Firms offer people with severe mental illness and to understand the extent to which they are employed within these firms. A UK national survey of Social Firms, other social enterprises and supported businesses was completed to understand the extent to which they provide paid employment for the mentally ill. A study-specific questionnaire was developed. It covered two broad areas asking employers about the nature of the Social Firm itself and about the employees with mental illness working there. We obtained returns from 76 Social Firms and social enterprises / supported businesses employing 692 people with mental illness. Forty per cent of Social Firms were in the south of England, 24% in the North and the Midlands, 18% in Scotland and 18% in Wales. Other social enterprises/supported businesses were similarly distributed. Trading activities were confined mainly to manufacturing, service industry, recycling, horticulture and catering. The number of employees with mental illness working in Social Firms and other social enterprises/supported businesses was small (median of 3 and 6.5 respectively). Over 50% employed people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, though the greatest proportion of employees with mental illness had depression or anxiety. Over two thirds of Social Firms liaised with mental health services and over a quarter received funding from the NHS or a mental health charity. Most workers with mental illness in Social Firms had been employed for over 2 years. Social Firms have significant potential to be a viable addition to Individual Placement and Support (IPS), supporting recovery orientated services for people with the full range of mental disorders. They are currently an underdeveloped sector in the UK.

  15. Social firms as a means of vocational recovery for people with mental illness: a UK survey

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Employment is associated with better quality of life and wellbeing in people with mental illness. Unemployment is associated with greater levels of psychological illness and is viewed as a core part of the social exclusion faced by people with mental illness. Social Firms offer paid employment to people with mental illness but are under-investigated in the UK. The aims of this phase of the Social Firms A Route to Recovery (SoFARR) project were to describe the availability and spread of Social Firms across the UK, to outline the range of opportunities Social Firms offer people with severe mental illness and to understand the extent to which they are employed within these firms. Method A UK national survey of Social Firms, other social enterprises and supported businesses was completed to understand the extent to which they provide paid employment for the mentally ill. A study-specific questionnaire was developed. It covered two broad areas asking employers about the nature of the Social Firm itself and about the employees with mental illness working there. Results We obtained returns from 76 Social Firms and social enterprises / supported businesses employing 692 people with mental illness. Forty per cent of Social Firms were in the south of England, 24% in the North and the Midlands, 18% in Scotland and 18% in Wales. Other social enterprises/supported businesses were similarly distributed. Trading activities were confined mainly to manufacturing, service industry, recycling, horticulture and catering. The number of employees with mental illness working in Social Firms and other social enterprises/supported businesses was small (median of 3 and 6.5 respectively). Over 50% employed people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, though the greatest proportion of employees with mental illness had depression or anxiety. Over two thirds of Social Firms liaised with mental health services and over a quarter received funding from the NHS or a mental health charity. Most workers with mental illness in Social Firms had been employed for over 2 years. Conclusions Social Firms have significant potential to be a viable addition to Individual Placement and Support (IPS), supporting recovery orientated services for people with the full range of mental disorders. They are currently an underdeveloped sector in the UK. PMID:23844779

  16. Real-Time Diffusion of Information on Twitter and the Financial Markets

    PubMed Central

    Tafti, Ali; Zotti, Ryan; Jank, Wolfgang

    2016-01-01

    Do spikes in Twitter chatter about a firm precede unusual stock market trading activity for that firm? If so, Twitter activity may provide useful information about impending financial market activity in real-time. We study the real-time relationship between chatter on Twitter and the stock trading volume of 96 firms listed on the Nasdaq 100, during 193 days of trading in the period from May 21, 2012 to September 18, 2013. We identify observations featuring firm-specific spikes in Twitter activity, and randomly assign each observation to a ten-minute increment matching on the firm and a number of repeating time indicators. We examine the extent that unusual levels of chatter on Twitter about a firm portend an oncoming surge of trading of its stock within the hour, over and above what would normally be expected for the stock for that time of day and day of week. We also compare the findings from our explanatory model to the predictive power of Tweets. Although we find a compelling and potentially informative real-time relationship between Twitter activity and trading volume, our forecasting exercise highlights how difficult it can be to make use of this information for monetary gain. PMID:27504639

  17. Real-Time Diffusion of Information on Twitter and the Financial Markets.

    PubMed

    Tafti, Ali; Zotti, Ryan; Jank, Wolfgang

    2016-01-01

    Do spikes in Twitter chatter about a firm precede unusual stock market trading activity for that firm? If so, Twitter activity may provide useful information about impending financial market activity in real-time. We study the real-time relationship between chatter on Twitter and the stock trading volume of 96 firms listed on the Nasdaq 100, during 193 days of trading in the period from May 21, 2012 to September 18, 2013. We identify observations featuring firm-specific spikes in Twitter activity, and randomly assign each observation to a ten-minute increment matching on the firm and a number of repeating time indicators. We examine the extent that unusual levels of chatter on Twitter about a firm portend an oncoming surge of trading of its stock within the hour, over and above what would normally be expected for the stock for that time of day and day of week. We also compare the findings from our explanatory model to the predictive power of Tweets. Although we find a compelling and potentially informative real-time relationship between Twitter activity and trading volume, our forecasting exercise highlights how difficult it can be to make use of this information for monetary gain.

  18. The impact of information disclosure on market liquidity: Evidence from firms' use of Twitter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qu, Qixing; Wang, Lin; Qin, Liangjuan; Zhao, Xiaoye; Wang, Lijie

    2017-01-01

    Despite the popular use of social media by firms, empirical research investigating their economic values still lags. Based on the Security Exchange Commission's (SEC) new regulation on Fair Disclosure valid important corporate information discloses via social media (RIDSM), in this study, we examine the effectiveness of this new regulation to market liquidity. We collect trade data including daily volume and bid-ask spread to assemble a unique data set at individual firm level from S&P 500 firms and analyze the firms' bid-ask spread and volume before and after issuing the regulation. This natural experiment allows us to separate the effect of regulation from the effect of other confounding factors. The results from our panel data analyses indicate that bid-ask spread has decreased by about 5% in response to the new regulation. Our results are statistically significant and highly robust. We also examine the impact of the new regulation on a volume-based measure of liquidity, and find that the regulation is associated with greater volume, consistent with a reduction in information asymmetry. Moreover, this result holds mainly for firms that are high-tech, consistent with them being in greater need of this additional information disclosure channel.

  19. 234Th-based export fluxes during a natural iron fertilization experiment in the Southern Ocean (KEOPS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Savoye, N.; Trull, T. W.; Jacquet, S. H. M.; Navez, J.; Dehairs, F.

    2008-03-01

    Five iron-fertilization experiments in the Southern Ocean have clearly demonstrated that adding iron increases primary production, but the implications for carbon export to the ocean interior have been less clear. This reflects both observational limitations of short-term experiments and their uncertain relevance to quantifying ecosystem level processes that are likely to be structured differently under conditions of punctual versus persistent stimulation. To avoid these biases, KEOPS (KErguelen Ocean and Plateau compared Study) investigated the naturally iron-fertilized Kerguelen Plateau region in the Indian Sector of the Southern Ocean that exhibits an annual phytoplankton bloom. Here, we report particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen export from this system based on the 234Th approach. Results indicate that the export fluxes were variable both on and off the Kerguelen Plateau (9.0-38.4 mmol C m -2 d -1 and 1.6-4.8 mmol N m -2 d -1) and were in the range of values reported for natural Southern Ocean ecosystems. Export fluxes were compared at two reference stations, one above and one outside the Plateau. The station above the plateau was characterized by higher iron supply and export fluxes compared to the station outside the plateau. The difference in the export flux between these two reference stations defines the export excess induced by iron fertilization. It was 10.8±4.9 mmol C m -2 d -1 and 0.9±0.7 mmol N m -2 d -1 at 100 m, and 14.2±7.7 mmol C m -2 d -1 and 2.0±1.3 mmol N m -2 d -1 at 200 m. This POC export excess was similar to those found during other studies of artificial (SOFeX) and natural (CROZEX) iron fertilization in the Southern Ocean. The examination of the export efficiency (defined as the ratio of export to primary production) revealed significant variability over the plateau related to the temporal decoupling of production and export during the demise of the bloom. On average, the export efficiency was lower over the plateau than in surrounding waters, suggesting that increased iron supply may increase total export but lower export efficiency. Our findings are very important for evaluating present and past carbon cycling in the Southern and global oceans and for assessing predictive scenarios of carbon cycling and budget.

  20. Bayesian Networks to Compare Pest Control Interventions on Commodities Along Agricultural Production Chains.

    PubMed

    Holt, J; Leach, A W; Johnson, S; Tu, D M; Nhu, D T; Anh, N T; Quinlan, M M; Whittle, P J L; Mengersen, K; Mumford, J D

    2018-02-01

    The production of an agricultural commodity involves a sequence of processes: planting/growing, harvesting, sorting/grading, postharvest treatment, packing, and exporting. A Bayesian network has been developed to represent the level of potential infestation of an agricultural commodity by a specified pest along an agricultural production chain. It reflects the dependency of this infestation on the predicted level of pest challenge, the anticipated susceptibility of the commodity to the pest, the level of impact from pest control measures as designed, and any variation from that due to uncertainty in measure efficacy. The objective of this Bayesian network is to facilitate agreement between national governments of the exporters and importers on a set of phytosanitary measures to meet specific phytosanitary measure requirements to achieve target levels of protection against regulated pests. The model can be used to compare the performance of different combinations of measures under different scenarios of pest challenge, making use of available measure performance data. A case study is presented using a model developed for a fruit fly pest on dragon fruit in Vietnam; the model parameters and results are illustrative and do not imply a particular level of fruit fly infestation of these exports; rather, they provide the most likely, alternative, or worst-case scenarios of the impact of measures. As a means to facilitate agreement for trade, the model provides a framework to support communication between exporters and importers about any differences in perceptions of the risk reduction achieved by pest control measures deployed during the commodity production chain. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

  1. FliH and FliI ensure efficient energy coupling of flagellar type III protein export in Salmonella.

    PubMed

    Minamino, Tohru; Kinoshita, Miki; Inoue, Yumi; Morimoto, Yusuke V; Ihara, Kunio; Koya, Satomi; Hara, Noritaka; Nishioka, Noriko; Kojima, Seiji; Homma, Michio; Namba, Keiichi

    2016-06-01

    For construction of the bacterial flagellum, flagellar proteins are exported via its specific export apparatus from the cytoplasm to the distal end of the growing flagellar structure. The flagellar export apparatus consists of a transmembrane (TM) export gate complex and a cytoplasmic ATPase complex consisting of FliH, FliI, and FliJ. FlhA is a TM export gate protein and plays important roles in energy coupling of protein translocation. However, the energy coupling mechanism remains unknown. Here, we performed a cross-complementation assay to measure robustness of the energy transduction system of the export apparatus against genetic perturbations. Vibrio FlhA restored motility of a Salmonella ΔflhA mutant but not that of a ΔfliH-fliI flhB(P28T) ΔflhA mutant. The flgM mutations significantly increased flagellar gene expression levels, allowing Vibrio FlhA to exert its export activity in the ΔfliH-fliI flhB(P28T) ΔflhA mutant. Pull-down assays revealed that the binding affinities of Vibrio FlhA for FliJ and the FlgN-FlgK chaperone-substrate complex were much lower than those of Salmonella FlhA. These suggest that Vibrio FlhA requires the support of FliH and FliI to efficiently and properly interact with FliJ and the FlgN-FlgK complex. We propose that FliH and FliI ensure robust and efficient energy coupling of protein export during flagellar assembly. © 2016 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Mission Completed? Changing Visibility of Women's Colleges in England and Japan and Their Roles in Promoting Gender Equality in Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kodate, Naonori; Kodate, Kashiko; Kodate, Takako

    2010-01-01

    The global community, from UNESCO to NGOs, is committed to promoting the status of women in science, engineering and technology, despite long-held prejudices and the lack of role models. Previously, when equality was not firmly established as a key issue on international or national agendas, women's colleges played a great role in mentoring female…

  3. Full employment and competition in the Aspen economic model: implications for modeling acts of terrorism.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sprigg, James A.; Ehlen, Mark Andrew

    2004-11-01

    Acts of terrorism could have a range of broad impacts on an economy, including changes in consumer (or demand) confidence and the ability of productive sectors to respond to changes. As a first step toward a model of terrorism-based impacts, we develop here a model of production and employment that characterizes dynamics in ways useful toward understanding how terrorism-based shocks could propagate through the economy; subsequent models will introduce the role of savings and investment into the economy. We use Aspen, a powerful economic modeling tool developed at Sandia, to demonstrate for validation purposes that a single-firm economy converges tomore » the known monopoly equilibrium price, output, and employment levels, while multiple-firm economies converge toward the competitive equilibria typified by lower prices and higher output and employment. However, we find that competition also leads to churn by consumers seeking lower prices, making it difficult for firms to optimize with respect to wages, prices, and employment levels. Thus, competitive firms generate market ''noise'' in the steady state as they search for prices and employment levels that will maximize profits. In the context of this model, not only could terrorism depress overall consumer confidence and economic activity but terrorist acts could also cause normal short-run dynamics to be misinterpreted by consumers as a faltering economy.« less

  4. Export of microplastics from land to sea. A modelling approach.

    PubMed

    Siegfried, Max; Koelmans, Albert A; Besseling, Ellen; Kroeze, Carolien

    2017-12-15

    Quantifying the transport of plastic debris from river to sea is crucial for assessing the risks of plastic debris to human health and the environment. We present a global modelling approach to analyse the composition and quantity of point-source microplastic fluxes from European rivers to the sea. The model accounts for different types and sources of microplastics entering river systems via point sources. We combine information on these sources with information on sewage management and plastic retention during river transport for the largest European rivers. Sources of microplastics include personal care products, laundry, household dust and tyre and road wear particles (TRWP). Most of the modelled microplastics exported by rivers to seas are synthetic polymers from TRWP (42%) and plastic-based textiles abraded during laundry (29%). Smaller sources are synthetic polymers and plastic fibres in household dust (19%) and microbeads in personal care products (10%). Microplastic export differs largely among European rivers, as a result of differences in socio-economic development and technological status of sewage treatment facilities. About two-thirds of the microplastics modelled in this study flow into the Mediterranean and Black Sea. This can be explained by the relatively low microplastic removal efficiency of sewage treatment plants in the river basins draining into these two seas. Sewage treatment is generally more efficient in river basins draining into the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. We use our model to explore future trends up to the year 2050. Our scenarios indicate that in the future river export of microplastics may increase in some river basins, but decrease in others. Remarkably, for many basins we calculate a reduction in river export of microplastics from point-sources, mainly due to an anticipated improvement in sewage treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Materials flow analysis of neodymium, status of rare earth metal in the Republic of Korea.

    PubMed

    Swain, Basudev; Kang, Leeseung; Mishra, Chinmayee; Ahn, JoongWoo; Hong, Hyun Seon

    2015-11-01

    Materials flow analysis of neodymium, status of rare earth elements (REEs) in the Republic of Korea has been investigated. Information from various resources like the Korean Ministry of Environment, Korea international trade association, United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database and from individual industry were collected and analyzed for materials flow analysis of neodymium. Demand of neodymium in the Republic of Korea for the year 2010 was 409.5 tons out of which the majority of neodymium, i.e., 68.41% was consumed by domestic electronics industry followed by medical appliances manufacturing (13.36%). The Republic Korea is one of the biggest consumer and leading exporter of these industrial products, absolutely depends on import of neodymium, as the country is lacking natural resources. The Republic of Korea has imported 325.9 tons of neodymium permanent magnet and 79.5 tons of neodymium containing equipment parts mainly for electronics, medical appliances, and heavy/light vehicles manufacturing industry. Out of which 95.4 tons of neodymium permanent magnet get exported as an intermediate product and 140.6 tons of neodymium in the form of consumable products get exported. Worldwide the neodymium is at the high end of supply chain critical metal because of increasing demand, scarcity and irreplaceable for technological application. To bring back the neodymium to supply stream the recycling of end of life neodymium-bearing waste can be a feasible option. Out of total domestic consumption, only 21.9 tons of neodymium have been collected and subsequently recycled. From material flow analysis, the requirement for an efficient recycling system and element-wise material flow management for these REEs in the Republic of Korea were realized and recommended. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. The impact of precarious employment on mental health: The case of Italy.

    PubMed

    Moscone, F; Tosetti, E; Vittadini, G

    2016-06-01

    Although there has been a sizeable empirical literature measuring the effect of job precariousness on the mental health of workers the debate is still open, and understanding the true nature of such relationship has important policy implications. In this paper, we investigate the impact of precarious employment on mental health using a unique, very large data set that matches information on job contracts for over 2.7 million employees in Italy followed over the years 2007-2011, with their psychotropic medication prescription. We examine the causal effects of temporary contracts, their duration and the number of contract changes during the year on the probability of having one or more prescriptions for medication to treat mental health problems. To this end, we estimate a dynamic Probit model, and deal with the potential endogeneity of regressors by adopting an instrumental variables approach. As instruments, we use firm-level probabilities of being a temporary worker as well as other firm-level variables that do not depend on the mental illness status of the workers. Our results show that the probability of psychotropic medication prescription is higher for workers under temporary job contracts. More days of work under temporary contract as well as frequent changes in temporary contract significantly increase the probability of developing mental health problems that need to be medically treated. We also find that moving from permanent to temporary employment increases mental illness; symmetrically, although with a smaller effect in absolute value, moving from temporary to permanent employment tends to reduce it. Policy interventions aimed at increasing the flexibility of the labour market through an increase of temporary contracts should also take into account the social and economic cost of these reforms, in terms of psychological wellbeing of employees. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  7. The European launch vehicle Ariane: Its commercial status - Its evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glavany, M.

    The status of the Ariane program is summarized. The shareholders and participating countries in the French private firm Arianespace are listed and the Ariane rocket is very briefly described, depicting the planned models and showing their anticipated performances and the types of fairing available to them, and comparing the available volume in Ariane 3 and 4 and foreign competitors. The current status of the Ariane program, including the development phase, promotional series, and commercial phase are briefly presented. The Guiana space center and second launch pad are described and the advantages of Arianespace's launch service and the vehicle are listed, along with Ariane's advantages over the Space Shuttle. The expected market share for Ariane is shown in comparison with that of the Shuttle and other nations.

  8. Corporate social responsibility in global health: an exploratory study of multinational pharmaceutical firms.

    PubMed

    Droppert, Hayley; Bennett, Sara

    2015-04-09

    As pharmaceutical firms experience increasing civil society pressure to act responsibly in a changing globalized world, many are expanding and/or reforming their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies. We sought to understand how multinational pharmaceutical companies currently engage in CSR activities in the developing world aimed at global health impact, their motivations for doing so and how their CSR strategies are evolving. We conducted a small-scale, exploratory study combining (i) an in-depth review of publicly available data on pharmaceutical firms' CSR with (ii) interviews of representatives from 6 firms, purposively selected, from the highest earning pharmaceutical firms worldwide. Corporate social responsibility differed for each firm particularly with respect to how CSR is defined, organizational structures for managing CSR, current CSR activities, and motivations for CSR. Across the firms studied, the common CSR activities were: differential pharmaceutical pricing, strengthening developing country drug distribution infrastructure, mHealth initiatives, and targeted research and development. Primary factors that motivated CSR engagement were: reputational benefits, recruitment and employee satisfaction, better rankings in sustainability indices, entrance into new markets, long-term economic returns, and improved population health. In terms of CSR strategy, firms were at different points on a spectrum ranging from philanthropic donations to integrated systemic shared value business models. CSR is of increasing importance for multinational pharmaceutical firms yet understanding of the array of CSR strategies employed and their effects is nascent. Our study points to the need to (i) develop clearer and more standardized definitions of CSR in global health (2) strengthen indices to track CSR strategies and their public health effects in developing countries and (iii) undertake more country level studies that investigate how CSR engages with national health systems.

  9. Implications of Integrated Computational Materials Engineering with Respect to Export Control

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-09-01

    domain. The university also advises its staff to ask for any ECCN that may be associated with a procured software package in order to understand the...industry? • Models can transform input data, which can be of various export control levels, and provide new, transformed data. If EAR ECCN 9E991 data is

  10. 76 FR 4292 - Certain Frozen Fish Fillets From the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Preliminary Results of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-25

    ... manufacturing priorities, and (3) there is a significant potential for manipulation of price or production. See... that there is a significant potential for the manipulation of price or production; (2) the level of... control over exports is based on whether the respondent: (1) Sets its own export prices independent of the...

  11. Regulation of the Drosophila Hypoxia-Inducible Factor α Sima by CRM1-Dependent Nuclear Export ▿

    PubMed Central

    Romero, Nuria M.; Irisarri, Maximiliano; Roth, Peggy; Cauerhff, Ana; Samakovlis, Christos; Wappner, Pablo

    2008-01-01

    Hypoxia-inducible factor α (HIF-α) proteins are regulated by oxygen levels through several different mechanisms that include protein stability, transcriptional coactivator recruitment, and subcellular localization. It was previously reported that these transcription factors are mainly nuclear in hypoxia and cytoplasmic in normoxia, but so far the molecular basis of this regulation is unclear. We show here that the Drosophila melanogaster HIF-α protein Sima shuttles continuously between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. We identified the relevant nuclear localization signal and two functional nuclear export signals (NESs). These NESs are in the Sima basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain and promote CRM1-dependent nuclear export. Site-directed mutagenesis of either NES provoked Sima nuclear retention and increased transcriptional activity, suggesting that nuclear export contributes to Sima regulation. The identified NESs are conserved and probably functional in the bHLH domains of several bHLH-PAS proteins. We propose that rapid nuclear export of Sima regulates the duration of cellular responses to hypoxia. PMID:18332128

  12. Efficient extracellular production of type I secretion pathway-dependent Pseudomonas fluorescens lipase in recombinant Escherichia coli by heterologous ABC protein exporters.

    PubMed

    Eom, Gyeong Tae; Lee, Seung Hwan; Oh, Young Hoon; Choi, Ji Eun; Park, Si Jae; Song, Jae Kwang

    2014-10-01

    Heterologous ABC protein exporters, the apparatus of type I secretion pathway in Gram-negative bacteria, were used for extracellular production of Pseudomonas fluorescens lipase (TliA) in recombinant Escherichia coli. The effect of the expression of different ABC protein exporter gene clusters (P. fluorescens tliDEF, Pseudomonas aeruginosa aprDEF, Erwinia chrysanthemi prtDEF, and Serratia marcescens lipBCD genes) was examined on the secretion of TliA at growth temperatures of 20, 25, 30 and 35 °C. TliA secretion in recombinant E. coli XL10-Gold varied depending upon type of ABC protein exporter and culture temperature. E. coli expressing S. marcescens lipBCD genes showed the highest secretion level of TliA (122.8 U ml(-1)) when cultured at 25 °C. Thus, optimized culture conditions for efficient extracellular production of lipase in recombinant E. coli can be designed by changing the type of ABC protein exporter and the growth temperature.

  13. Identification of a plastidial phenylalanine exporter that influences flux distribution through the phenylalanine biosynthetic network

    PubMed Central

    Widhalm, Joshua R.; Gutensohn, Michael; Yoo, Heejin; Adebesin, Funmilayo; Qian, Yichun; Guo, Longyun; Jaini, Rohit; Lynch, Joseph H.; McCoy, Rachel M.; Shreve, Jacob T.; Thimmapuram, Jyothi; Rhodes, David; Morgan, John A.; Dudareva, Natalia

    2015-01-01

    In addition to proteins, L-phenylalanine is a versatile precursor for thousands of plant metabolites. Production of phenylalanine-derived compounds is a complex multi-compartmental process using phenylalanine synthesized predominantly in plastids as precursor. The transporter(s) exporting phenylalanine from plastids, however, remains unknown. Here, a gene encoding a Petunia hybrida plastidial cationic amino-acid transporter (PhpCAT) functioning in plastidial phenylalanine export is identified based on homology to an Escherichia coli phenylalanine transporter and co-expression with phenylalanine metabolic genes. Radiolabel transport assays show that PhpCAT exports all three aromatic amino acids. PhpCAT downregulation and overexpression result in decreased and increased levels, respectively, of phenylalanine-derived volatiles, as well as phenylalanine, tyrosine and their biosynthetic intermediates. Metabolic flux analysis reveals that flux through the plastidial phenylalanine biosynthetic pathway is reduced in PhpCAT RNAi lines, suggesting that the rate of phenylalanine export from plastids contributes to regulating flux through the aromatic amino-acid network. PMID:26356302

  14. Identification of a plastidial phenylalanine exporter that influences flux distribution through the phenylalanine biosynthetic network

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Widhalm, Joshua R.; Gutensohn, Michael; Yoo, Heejin

    In addition to proteins, L-phenylalanine is a versatile precursor for thousands of plant metabolites. Production of phenylalanine-derived compounds is a complex multi-compartmental process using phenylalanine synthesized predominantly in plastids as precursor. The transporter(s) exporting phenylalanine from plastids, however, remains unknown. Here, a gene encoding a Petunia hybrida plastidial cationic amino-acid transporter (PhpCAT) functioning in plastidial phenylalanine export is identified based on homology to an Escherichia coli phenylalanine transporter and co-expression with phenylalanine metabolic genes. Radiolabel transport assays show that PhpCAT exports all three aromatic amino acids. PhpCAT downregulation and overexpression result in decreased and increased levels, respectively, of phenylalanine-derived volatiles,more » as well as phenylalanine, tyrosine and their biosynthetic intermediates. Metabolic flux analysis reveals that flux through the plastidial phenylalanine biosynthetic pathway is reduced in PhpCAT RNAi lines, suggesting that the rate of phenylalanine export from plastids contributes to regulating flux through the aromatic amino-acid network.« less

  15. Identification of a plastidial phenylalanine exporter that influences flux distribution through the phenylalanine biosynthetic network

    DOE PAGES

    Widhalm, Joshua R.; Gutensohn, Michael; Yoo, Heejin; ...

    2015-09-10

    In addition to proteins, L-phenylalanine is a versatile precursor for thousands of plant metabolites. Production of phenylalanine-derived compounds is a complex multi-compartmental process using phenylalanine synthesized predominantly in plastids as precursor. The transporter(s) exporting phenylalanine from plastids, however, remains unknown. Here, a gene encoding a Petunia hybrida plastidial cationic amino-acid transporter (PhpCAT) functioning in plastidial phenylalanine export is identified based on homology to an Escherichia coli phenylalanine transporter and co-expression with phenylalanine metabolic genes. Radiolabel transport assays show that PhpCAT exports all three aromatic amino acids. PhpCAT downregulation and overexpression result in decreased and increased levels, respectively, of phenylalanine-derived volatiles,more » as well as phenylalanine, tyrosine and their biosynthetic intermediates. Metabolic flux analysis reveals that flux through the plastidial phenylalanine biosynthetic pathway is reduced in PhpCAT RNAi lines, suggesting that the rate of phenylalanine export from plastids contributes to regulating flux through the aromatic amino-acid network.« less

  16. Antecedents of Corporate Environmental Commitments: The Role of Customers.

    PubMed

    Afshar Jahanshahi, Asghar; Brem, Alexander

    2018-06-06

    The management of natural environments has become a fundamental issue for companies in recent years. A firm’s environmental commitment affects all levels of its operation. In this study, we investigated whether having an effective and constant relationship with customers over time (customer capital) makes a difference to firms with a high environmental commitment compared with less environmentally committed firms. We found support for our idea by using original survey data from 149 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Iran (2016⁻2017). Furthermore, we found that customer capital enhances environmental collaboration with customers which, in turn, has a positive impact on the firm’s environmental commitments. These findings provide empirical evidence for the important role of “getting closer to customers” as a way of enhancing corporate environmental responsibility in developing countries with weak institutional environments.

  17. A decision support system for delivering optimal quality peach and tomato

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thai, C. N.; Pease, J. N.; Shewfelt, R. L.

    1990-01-01

    Several studies have indicated that color and firmness are the two quality attributes most important to consumers in making purchasing decisions of fresh peaches and tomatoes. However, at present, retail produce managers do not have the proper information for handling fresh produce so it has the most appealing color and firmness when it reaches the consumer. This information should help them predict the consumer color and firmness perception and preference for produce from various storage conditions. Since 1987, for 'Redglobe' peach and 'Sunny' tomato, we have been generating information about their physical quality attributes (firmness and color) and their corresponding consumer sensory scores. This article reports on our current progress toward the goal of integrating such information into a model-based decision support system for retail level managers in handling fresh peaches and tomatoes.

  18. The Mediating Effect of Innovation on the Relationship between Information Technology Investments and Firm Performance: An Empirical Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karanja, Erastus

    2011-01-01

    The last couple of decades has witnessed a plethora of research studies addressing the cause-and-effect relationship between Information Technology (IT) investments and performance at the firm level. These studies elicited mixed results between IT investments and performance which led to various points of view from IT Scholars and Practitioners.…

  19. 40 CFR 52.34 - Action on petitions submitted under section 126 relating to emissions of nitrogen oxides.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... group that addressed the problem of ground-level ozone and the long-range transport of air pollution... that had a nameplate capacity greater than 25 MWe and produced electricity for sale under a firm... capacity greater than 25 MWe and produced electricity for sale under a firm contract to the electric grid...

  20. 40 CFR 52.34 - Action on petitions submitted under section 126 relating to emissions of nitrogen oxides.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... group that addressed the problem of ground-level ozone and the long-range transport of air pollution... that had a nameplate capacity greater than 25 MWe and produced electricity for sale under a firm... capacity greater than 25 MWe and produced electricity for sale under a firm contract to the electric grid...

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