6,457 research outputs found
Competition, Innovation and Increasing Returns
This paper concerns the operation of competition in the presence of a high rate of innovation and increasing returns. Given free competition there is likely to exist, in this case, a tendency towards what may be called ‘dynamic equilibrium’, a tendency, that is to say, for the rate of investment in product development to rise or fall towards the level at which this investment yields only a normal return. Thus, competition, increasing returns and innovation may co-exist.Innovation, increasing returns, competition
Economic Analysis, Public Policy and the Software Industry
This paper focuses on three related matters. It analyses the process of competition in the software industry, this being important both in itself and for the light it throws on competition within all industries characterised by low or zero marginal costs and a high rate of technical development. The software industry, operating under private enterprise, is dependent on copyright, and the issues raised by intellectual property protection are therefore also considered. Given the need for inter-operability between different software products, and between these and associated hardware, standardisation is important within the industry, and the processes by which standards may be established are evaluated. Consideration is given to the public policy issues that are raised by these three topics.Software, competition, innovation, standardisation, intellectual property protection
CAN HEALTH VISITORS ASSIST CLIENTS TO OPTIMISE HEALTH-DETERMINING ASPECTS OF THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT THROUGH PROVISION OF EVIDENCE-INFORMED MESSAGES?
The aim of the research was to investigate the acceptability and feasibility of
health visitors working with their clients to assess health-determining aspects of
their clients' home environments and to provide evidence-informed messages
about the indoor environment. The research was conducted within a Soft
Systems Methodology framework. Following a pilot study in 2003, a proof of
concept, feasibility study was implemented (2004 to 2007) with a convenience
sample of eight health visitors conducting 29 environmental assessments in
clients' homes, using a dedicated, cost effective tool kit. The health visitors
were trained to monitor and provide evidence-based messages on Indoor
environmental quality. Their quantitative and qualitative data from the
assessments were compared against a 'gold standard' assessment carried out
by an indoor environmental expert. The health visitors' opinions of the concept
were investigated using participant observation and face-to-face interviews.
The aim and objectives of the research were met. The health visitors were able
to collect accurate data. Changes to the tool kit would be needed to adapt it
specifically for health visitors. The majority of the health visitors found the
concept acceptable and relevant to their work. The study has added to
knowledge, in that the feasibility and acceptability of health visitors helping their
clients with indoor environmental problems is now more clearly understood. It
confirms previous findings that home visiting health professionals are not well
informed about health-determining aspects of the indoor environment. Lack of
time and resources could be a barrier to health visitors participating in research
Interaction Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Emerging Literacy and Literacy Skills among Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Children: A Comparison Study
Socioeconomic differences in children’s reading and educational outcomes have been thoroughly documented throughout literature. Bobalik, Scarber, and Toon (2017) examined the link between socioeconomic status (SES) and classroom instruction on emerging literacy skills in pre-kindergarten children. The results supported the theory that children identified as belonging to a low socioeconomic status enter school with lower emerging literacy skills and benefit most from academic instruction; these children’s literacy skills substantially increased throughout the academic year, growing closer to those of their peers who were identified with a high socioeconomic status. The aim of the present study was to expand our understanding of the interaction effects of socioeconomic status and curriculum on emerging literacy and literacy skills by continuing the research into kindergarten. This study examined whether 1) differences in groups continued to grow closer to the mean or 2) the differences in groups became greater with the introduction of reading skills in kindergarten. Children (N=33) were recruited from a private school and a public school. The children from the public school who qualified for the Federal Poverty Guidelines for free/reduced lunch were assigned as having a low socioeconomic status, and children from the private school were assigned as having a high socioeconomic status. The Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening – K (PALS-K) was used to measure the literacy skills in the kindergarten children. Results of the study indicated that literacy scores between the socioeconomic groups were not significantly different at the kindergarten level, however differences between the mean scores of the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten groups were found to be significant
Parametric resonance of a beam subjected to a sawtooth, axial force
This study considers the response of a perfectly elastic straight beam subjected to a periodic, non-harmonic, axial load. A two-mode solution is sought and the effects of axial inertia are included in the analysis. General equations of motion for the beam are developed and their stability is studied with the aid of an analog computer. Results are presented in graphical form. Regions of instability are defined for both modes. A region of combination resonance is also found to occur for the case of a two-mode solution with axial inertia. Typical response curves are presented and the effects of axial inertia and damping are discussed --Abstract, page ii
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