2,497 research outputs found
Internationalisation, cultural distance and country characteristics: a Bayesian analysis of SME's financial performance
Relying on the accounting data of a panel of 403 Italian manufacturing SMEs collected over a period of 5 years, we find results suggesting that multinationality per se does not impact on the economic performance of international small and medium sized firms. It is the characteristics of the country selected i.e. the political hazard, the financial stability and the economic performance that significantly influence SMEs financial performance. The management implication for small and medium sized firms selecting and entering new geographic markets is significant, since our results show that for SMEs it is the market selection process that really matters and not the degree of multinationality
Study of the p p -> p p pi+ pi- Reaction in the Low-Energy Tail of the Roper Resonance
Exclusive measurements of the p p -> p p pi+ pi- reaction have been carried
out at Tp = 775 MeV at CELSIUS using the PROMICE/WASA setup. Together with data
obtained at lower energy they point to a dominance of the Roper excitation in
this process. From the observed interference of its decay routes N* -> N sigma
and N* -> Delta pi -> N sigma their energy-dependent relative branching ratio
is determined
The effects of childbirth on the pelvic-floor
Basically, vaginal delivery is associated with the risk of pelvic floor damage. The pelvic floor sequelae of childbirth includes anal incontinence, urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Pathophysiology, incidence and risk factors for the development of the respective problems are reviewed. Where possible, recommendations for reducing the risk of pelvic floor damage are given
INTERLAYER COUPLING AND THE METAL-INSULATOR TRANSITION IN Pr-SUBSTITUTED Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+y)
Substitution of rare-earth ions for Ca in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+y is known to cause a
metal-insulator transition. Using resonant photoemission we study how this
chemical substitution affects the electronic structure of the material. For the
partial Cu-density of states at E_F and in the region of the valence band we
observe no significant difference between a pure superconducting sample and an
insulating sample with 60% Pr for Ca. This suggests that the states responsible
for superconductivity are predomi- nately O-states. The partial Pr-4f density
of states was extracted utilizing the Super- Koster-Kronig Pr 4d-4f resonance.
It consists of a single peak at 1.36eV binding energy. The peak shows a
strongly assymetric Doniach-Sunjic line- shape indicating the presence of a
continuum of electronic states with sharp cut off at E_F even in this
insulating sample. This finding excludes a bandgap in the insulating sample and
supports the existance of a mobility gap caused by spatial localization of the
carriers. The presence of such carriers at the Pr-site, between the CuO_2
planes shows that the electronic structure is not purely 2-dimensional but that
there is a finite interlayer coupling. The resonance enhancement of the
photoemission cross section, at the Pr-4d threshold, was studied for the Pr-4f
and for Cu-states. Both the Pr-4f and the Cu-states show a Fano-like resonance.
This resonance of Cu-states with Pr-states is another indication of coupling
between the the Pr-states and those in the CuO_2 plane. Because of the
statistical distribution of the Pr-ions this coupling leads to a non-periodic
potential for the states in the CuO_2 plane which can lead to localization and
thus to the observed metal-insulator transition.Comment: Gziped uuencoded postscript file including 7 figures Scheduled for
publication in Physical Review B, May 1, 1995
Single-photon tunneling
Strong evidence of a single-photon tunneling effect, a direct analog of
single-electron tunneling, has been obtained in the measurements of light
tunneling through individual subwavelength pinholes in a thick gold film
covered with a layer of polydiacetylene. The transmission of some pinholes
reached saturation because of the optical nonlinearity of polydiacetylene at a
very low light intensity of a few thousands photons per second. This result is
explained theoretically in terms of "photon blockade", similar to the Coulomb
blockade phenomenon observed in single-electron tunneling experiments. The
single-photon tunneling effect may find many applications in the emerging
fields of quantum communication and information processing.Comment: 4 pages, 4figure
Long-range potential fluctuations and 1/f noise in hydrogenated amorphous silicon
We present a microscopic theory of the low-frequency voltage noise (known as
"1/f" noise) in micrometer-thick films of hydrogenated amorphous silicon. This
theory traces the noise back to the long-range fluctuations of the Coulomb
potential produced by deep defects, thereby predicting the absolute noise
intensity as a function of the distribution of defect activation energies. The
predictions of this theory are in very good agreement with our own experiments
in terms of both the absolute intensity and the temperature dependence of the
noise spectra.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, several new parts and one new figure are added,
but no conceptual revision
Achieving sustainable quality in maternity services – using audit of incontinence and dyspareunia to identify shortfalls in meeting standards
BACKGROUND: Some complications of childbirth (for example, faecal incontinence) are a source of social embarrassment for women, and are often under reported. Therefore, it was felt important to determine levels of complications (against established standards) and to consider obstetric measures aimed at reducing them. METHODS: Clinical information was collected on 1036 primiparous women delivering at North and South Staffordshire Acute and Community Trusts over a 5-month period in 1997. A questionnaire was sent to 970 women which included self-assessment of levels of incontinence and dyspareunia prior to pregnancy, at 6 weeks post delivery and 9 to 14 months post delivery. RESULTS: The response rate was 48%(470/970). Relatively high levels of obstetric interventions were found. In addition, the rates of instrumental deliveries differed between the two hospitals. The highest rates of postnatal symptoms had occurred at 6 weeks, but for many women problems were still present at the time of the survey. At 9–14 months high rates of dyspareunia (29%(102/347)) and urinary incontinence (35%(133/382)) were reported. Seventeen women (4%) complained of faecal incontinence at this time. Similar rates of urinary incontinence and dyspareunia were seen regardless of mode of delivery. CONCLUSION: Further work should be undertaken to reduce the obstetric interventions, especially instrumental deliveries. Improvements in a number of areas of care should be undertaken, including improved patient information, improved professional communication and improved professional recognition and management of third degree tears. It is likely that these measures would lead to a reduction in incontinence and dyspareunia after childbirth
Observation of strong final-state effects in pi+ production in pp collisions at 400 MeV
Differential cross sections of the reactions and have been measured at MeV by detecting the charged
ejectiles in the angular range . The
deduced total cross sections agree well with those published previously for
neighbouring energies. The invariant mass spectra are observed to be strongly
affected by production and final-state interaction. The data are
well described by Monte Carlo simulations including both these effects. The
ratio of and cross sections also compares
favourably to a recent theoretical prediction which suggests a dominance of
-production in the relative -state.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figure
Acceleration and Deceleration in the Internationalization Process of the Firm
By adopting a processual and dynamic view on internationalization, we develop the concepts of acceleration and deceleration, providing analytical tools to enhance our understanding of the non-linearity and multidimensionality of internationalization. We argue that acceleration and deceleration are embedded in the internationalization process and are a consequence of the firm’s capability to absorb and integrate acquired knowledge, and to find and exploit opportunities. In addition, we advance the idea that changes in speed are further influenced by how the firm integrates and coordinates the resources it has deployed within and across various internationalization dimensions. Thus, it emerges that the overall evolution of commitment to internationalization is more complex than received theories tend to present; therefore, empirical studies should aim to include a wide set of international activities and processes embedded in time
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