Kilpailija-analyysi: Case melontayritys Amatsonia

Opinnäytetyöhön on tiivistetty yksityisyritys Amatsonian lähimmät kilpailijat sekä yhteistyökumppanit. Opinnäytetyön toimeksiantajana on ollut melontayritys Amatsonian yrittäjä Anne Hyvärinen. Opinnäytetyön tekijä on ollut mukana Amatsonian melontaretkillä ja hankkinut sen lisäksi tietoa kilpailijoista ja yhteistyökumppaneista myös internetistä. Opinnäytetyössä keskitytään paikantamaan Amatsonian kilpailijat ja päädytään tarkastelemaan niiden vahvuuksia ja heikkouksia. Teoriaosuudessa avataan yleisesti kilpailija-analyysiin tarvittavia tietoja ja selvitetään, mitä tarkoitetaan kilpailijoilla sekä kilpailueduilla, -voimilla, -keinoilla ja -rooleilla, ja käydään läpi kilpailuanalyysin eri vaiheita. Kilpailija-analyysivaihe tunnistaa Amatsonian kilpailijat tietyillä maantieteellisillä alueilla ja tarkastelee niiden tarjoamia tuotteita ja asiakaskuntaa. Kilpailijoiden SWOT -vaihe määrittelee yrityksen vahvimmat kilpailijat sekä niiden vahvuudet ja heikkoudet. Tärkeimpiä kilpailijoita Amatsonialle todettiin tutkimuksessa olevan Luonnollisesti Oulujärvi Ky, Vuoripuro, Erästely Canoe & Outdoors Oy, Viitakko, Kolovesi Retkeily Ry sekä Seikkailukeskus Oy. Näistä etenkin Luonnollisesti Oulujärvi Ky:n ja Viitakon nähtiin toimivan yhteistykumppaneina kilpailijoina olemisen ohella. Yhteenveto-osiossa keskitytään Amatsonian vahvuuksiin, kehittämiskohteisiin sekä alan yleisiin ominaisuuksiin. Melontayritysten tulisi erikoistua ja luoda tuotteita etenkin haasteita kaipaaville melojille. Melontakurssin alkeita on tarjolla useissa yrityksissä, mutta haasteita ei monikaan yritys juuri tarjoa. Yhteistyön merkitys melontayritysten välillä on suuri ja yrittäjät tekevätkin paljon yhteistyötä paitsi toistensa, niin myös vesistöjä ympäröivien majoitusyrittäjien kanssa.This thesis was commissioned by canoe company Amatsonia's entrepreneur Ms. Anne Hyvärinen. The thesis consists of analyzing Amatsonia's closest competitors and their strenghts and weaknesses but it also discovers which competitors can also be seen as cooperation partners. The author of the thesis has been in several canoeing trips with Ms. Hyvärinen during the thesis process, that way having learnt more about its competitors than only by studying websites. After these trips it was clear which of the competitors were seen as real competitors and which as possible partners. The theory section of the thesis specifies in general who are the competitors, how to gain competitive advantage, what is the competitive rivalry, and how to use different competitive measures. It also determines the basic roles in competition between companies. This section brings together the main theories behind competitor analysis. During the thesis it is proved that Amatsonia's main competitors are Luonnollisesti Oulujärvi Ky, Vuoripuro, Erästely Canoe & Outdoors Oy, Viitakko, Kolovesi Retkeily Ky and Seikkailukeskus Oy. At the moment Luonnollisesti Oulujärvi Ky and Viitakko are more partners to Amatsonia than important competitors. The last section of the thesis mostly discussesAmatsonia's and its industry's features. Cooperation between canoeing companies and area's other small industries, as accommodation entrepreneurs, is significant for keeping the companies successful

Genetic modification of heavy metal resistant Streptomyces sp. strains

Two heavy metal resistant Streptomyces sp. strains, S. mirabilis P16 B-1 and S. acidiscabies E13, isolated from a former uranium mining site are investigated for genetic metal resistance determinants. After establishing a transformation system for Streptomyces sp. using conjugation with E. coli, the streptomycetes are transformed by random transposon mutagenesis yielding mutants with reduced metal resistance. The integration sites serve as targets for directed deletion via PCR-targeted gene replacement. It is demonstrated that a large linear S. mirabilis plasmid plays a major role in conferring nickel resistance and is transferrable to S. lividans. An NreB-like transporter encoded on this plasmid is identified as a nickel resistance factor, which could also be expressed in E. coli. Additionally, the role of plasmid-borne copper homeostasis system components, i.e. a transcriptional CsoR-type repressor and a CopZ-like chaperone, is surveyed. The tyrosinase-encoding gene melC2, located on a second linear S. mirabilis plasmid, is shown to hamper nickel resistance on complex medium, providing one reason for the strains higher nickel resistance on minimal medium. Furthermore, genes encoding means for coping with different environmental stressors are investigated, e.g. an HAD-like hydrolase, a Na+,Li+/H+ antiporter, a phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase. Besides, the composition of extracellular matrix around the streptomycete hyphae and cell membrane composition are shown to impact metal resistance, i.e. loss of CslA function increases nickel resistance. Taken together, by demonstrating the applicability of molecular transformation methods for heavy metal resistant Streptomyces sp. strains this study provides the basis for further investigations of the metal resistome. The results indicate that metal resistance of both investigated strains is a result of multiple genetic determinants, several of which are plasmid-encoded

Kraftfahrzeugtechnische Texte in der Didaktik der deutsch-polnischen Fachübersetzung. Automotive technology texts in the didactics of the German-Polish specialist translation.

The article concentrates on the lexical and terminological features of the language of motorization. The analysis is based on the catalogues published by one of the leading passenger car producers in Germany and employs the perspective of specialist translation from German into Polish. The problems discussed in the article include loanwords, specialist jargon and the issues of synonymia and polysemy. The texts selected for the analysis and their specific linguistic and cultural features may serve as an interesting teaching material for specialist translation courses in philological translation studies

Modification of the interdiffusion process in the Fe–Al system by SPS and field assisted sintering

Utilizing the Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) / Field Assisted Sintering Technology in electrically conductive samples, the pulsed direct current (DC) induces primarily Joule heating. Nevertheless, the applied DC is frequently reported to accelerate diffusion processes as compared with the conventional heating in a furnace [1]. Thereby, after SPS treatment, the microstructural evolution is changed against the conventional heat treatment even if the diffusion processes run at the same temperature [2]. These differences are attributed to various phenomena, whose characteristic significance depends on the material system. The present study of the reactive diffusion in the binary system Al-Fe aims at contributing to the discussion of the above phenomena. Diffusion couples Al-Fe-Al were treated at temperatures between 500°C and 600°C for 15 min to 120 min applying a SPS facility working alternatively with steel and copper electrodes. The temperature was controlled at the top of the Al-Fe-Al stacks by a thermocouple. This temperature range was connected with average (root-mean-square) current densities up to 129 A/cm2. Scanning electron microscopy including electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were employed to identify the sequence and growth of intermetallic phases in the Al-Fe system and to analyze the microstructural features in the interdiffusion zone. Additional to the occurrence of Al5Fe2 as in conventional heat treated solid Fe - solid Al diffusion couples, the Al13Fe4 phase was detected. The morphology of the Al5Fe2 phase was not altered compared to literature [3, 4, 5]. The layer-growth kinetics was parabolic. The growth rates of the intermetallic were remarkably enhanced in comparison to the conventional heat treatment experiments [3, 4, 5], while the DC direction had no effect on the growth of intermetallic phases. However, the electrode materials affected the resulting rate constants. At the same preset temperature, which was specified at one end of the Al-Fe-Al stack, the growth of intermetallic phases was faster with copper electrodes than with steel electrodes (Figure 1). It is proposed that the enhanced diffusion is connected with temperature gradients existing in the samples between the position of temperature measurement at the edge of the sample and the center. Therefore, the true temperature in the diffusion couple is likely higher than the measured temperature, explaining the enhanced diffusion to some extent. This temperature difference is likely larger in the case of use of the thermally well conducting copper electrodes, which well complies with the larger growth rates upon use of copper electrodes. Moreover, possible effects of thermomigration and electromigration are discussed

From vice to nice : A case study of Newport, Kentucky\u27s HOPE VI program.

This dissertation examines the outcomes of the Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE VI) program in one American city, Newport, Kentucky. HOPE VI also improved the quality of life and satisfaction of former public housing residents who participated in the Community and Supportive Services (CSS) program, the case management program of HOPE VI. HOPE VI neighborhoods in Newport have experienced higher increases in property values. The site of the old public housing in Newport has been cleared to make way for an $800 million-$1 billion investment over the next 10-15 years. The development will offer a first-class, mixed use development, including retail, office, condominiums, a hotel, and additional amenities in close proximity to downtown Newport. The reduction of HOPE VI funding has made this dissertation timely and important in documenting the impact of a federal program like HOPE VI on a small sized city. An increased commitment by the Obama administration and increased funding for HOPE VI is necessary to ensure that homeownership is the best way to ensure livable and sustainable communities and revitalize distressed communities throughout the United States

Why Foreclosure Rates in African American Neighborhoods are so High: Looking at the Real Reaonss

Foreclosures have become one of the most important urban problems faced by contemporary cities. Our goal is to better understand factors that affect foreclosure rates in a typical, mid-sized U.S. city. While previous research has found that a key explanatory variable positively affecting foreclosures is the percentage of minorities in a neighborhood, our model finds that the effect of percent non-white is impacted by several key intervening variables, such as the presence and proximity of EPA listed Super-Fund Sites along with walkability, in these majority black neighborhoods. In the past, these factors have been ignored by social scientists because they are difficult to measure. Firstly, we look at how speculators in majority black neighborhoods account for a significant share of foreclosures in these neighborhoods. Secondly, we examine the effect of EPA-listed Superfund Sites and find that in this instance almost all are located either near or within many of these majority black neighborhoods and finally we look at walkability and its effect on foreclosures. We find that these three variables help explain the causes of greater foreclosures occurring in majority black neighborhoods. These three key variables add to previous explanations of high foreclosures resulting from unfavorable loan terms offered in black neighborhoods.