The free energy difference between 3-point water models

This paper describes precise calculations to determine the free energy differences between 3-point models of liquid water, using the method of thermodynamic integration and molecular dynamics. For the three models considered in this study the order of thermodynamic stability at 300 K and 1 atm pressure is SPC/E > SPC > TIP3P. The magnitudes of these stabilities are quantified and an estimate of the precision of the values is made

Developing an indicator of property market resilience - investigating the potential of GIS to analyse business occupier displacement and property market filtering: a case study of Tyne and Wear

The research investigates the potential of a geographical information system to analyse the recorded displacement of office and industrial occupiers in Tyne and Wear, England. The paper demonstrates that a GIS provides an effective tool with which to illustrate, analyse and model occupier displacement and market filtering. The research goes on to develop and test an indicator with which to identify urban areas that may be most vulnerable to property occupier displacement. The correlation of rateable value and VAT registration datasets, with the origin of occupiers of new office and industrial developments and the location of vacant chain-end property, was tested. The strongest correlation is with new VAT registrations within a three-year period. A property market resilience indicator is developed, with which to classify urban areas in terms of their resilience or vulnerability to business occupier displacement generated by commercial property developmen

High altitude flying

This note investigates the effect of high altitude or low atmospheric pressure upon the operation of an engine and the effect of the low pressure and lack of oxygen and of the very low temperatures upon the pilot and upon the performance of the airplane itself

Sustainable packaging in the healthcare industry

The recycling of plastics tends to lag behind other packaging materials. The research investigates opportunities to improve the capture of valuable packaging polymers and to preserve their specification during recycle operations, thus increasing second user opportunity. The legislative and policy drivers on the sustainable use of plastics are described and discussed with particular reference to achieving sustainability, reuse and recycle of healthcare packaging materials. Four strategic methods of achieving improvements in sustainability, reuse and recycle are developed to represent aspects of sorting of materials, collection of recyclables, replacement of unsustainable packaging materials and measurement of the environmental impacts of packaging and changes in packaging, using examples of packaging from GlaxoSmithKline consumer healthcare and medical products. The use of radio frequency identification methodology as a means of separating high quality plastics and individual reusable devices from mixed waste streams has been developed and trialled under simulated materials recycling and separation conditions. The use of Reverse Vending Machines (RVM's) designed to capture high quality polyethylene terephthalate polymers is described along with results of successful trials on this method of capture in the out of home consumption sector. Recovered material is suitable for reuse in food grade applications after reprocessing. A novel biodegradable packaging material has been successfully developed from sources of green waste as an alternative to existing polymer packaging materials for transport of vaccines, and provides results that are extendable to the replacement of other types of packaging over a wide range of consumer goods. The material also offers intangible benefits to a business in terms of claims that can be made within a corporate social responsibility (CSR) report. Life cycle analysis methodologies have been used to illustrate the environmental benefits that can be achieved by reuse of polypropylene as an example of a widely used packaging polymer with potential for reuse in other industrial sectors. The implications of the results obtained in this work should be of value in the future eco-design of polymer products designed to make end-of-life recovery and recycle more efficient and environmentally beneficial

PROBABILISTIC PRICE FORECASTS BASED ON COMMODITY OPTION VALUES

Demand and Price Analysis,

Analyzing financial sectors in transition : with special reference to the Former Soviet Union

This paper proposes a framework for analyzing the evolution of financial sectors in economies transiting from command to market structures. Most commentators have tended to regard this"Transition"as an undifferentiated period to be traversed as rapidly as possible. In doing so they ignore the increasing evidence that the Transition can be an extended, even enduring, state of the world, resulting from a complex interaction of economic, political, cultural and psychological factors. As such, it can and does generate incentives which fundamentally distort the behavior of economic agents in unpredictable ways. The authors argue that one result of ignoring the true messiness of the Transition is that the analysis and policy recommendations offered to governments can be flawed and often provide conclusions which are odds with the reality on the ground. The paper discusses this concern and proposes a simple analytical framework both for focusing on the Transition itself and also for use in defining and evaluating possible public policy interventions for the banking sector. This paper is organized as follows. Section II sketches the main shortcomings of the traditional analyses of the financial sector in transition - particularly the limitations of current thinking on the sequencing of financial sector reforms. Section III introduces and elaborates on the basic framework proposed. Section IV uses the framework to distill some simple but important propositions about transition banking. Section V provides an initial qualitative test of the framework, by using it as a lens through which to view some of the characteristics of transition banks which we have observed. It shows that behavior patterns which, at first glance, seem curious and counterproductive, do indeed have a rational explanation when viewed in relation to the analytical framework we propose. Section VI applies the proposed analytical approach to assess the appropriateness of various interventions -- especially those which have proved popular in the World Bank -- to support the financial sector transition. Two Annexes then elaborate particular aspects of the analysis. Annex 1 assesses how our analysis might recondition thinking about the appropriate regulatory and supervisory structures for transition banking. Annex 2 provides some initial empirical results based on our proposed framework of analysis.Environmental Economics&Policies,Banks&Banking Reform,Financial Intermediation,Payment Systems&Infrastructure,Labor Policies,Financial Intermediation,Environmental Economics&Policies,Insurance&Risk Mitigation,Financial Crisis Management&Restructuring,Banks&Banking Reform

ADOPTION OF ECR PRACTICES IN MINNESOTA GROCERY STORES

Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) is an industry-wide, collaborative initiative to re-engineer the grocery supply chain. This report presents findings from a study of ECR adoption in Minnesota grocery stores. Data were collected through interviews with managers of forty stores that are broadly distributed over store sizes, locations, and organizational forms. The interviews focused on business practices and technologies related to inventory management and ordering, shelf-space allocation and product assortment decisions, and product pricing and promotions. Findings are presented from three distinct perspectives: (1) stores grouped by location (metro and out- state), (2) stores grouped by organizational form (corporate chain, independent chain, and single store), and (3) stores grouped by levels of an ECR "readiness index" that indicates the level of adoption for key business practices and technologies that support ECR initiatives. The following general conclusions can be drawn from the detailed results presented in this report. 1. Location in the Twin Cities metropolitan area makes an important difference in implementing some components of the ECR initiative. On average, metro and out-state stores differ little with respect to store size or the adoption of technologies that support ECR. Metro stores are much more likely than out-state stores, however, to coordinate shelf space and product assortment decisions and pricing and promotion activities with outside trading partners. 2. On average, stores that are part of a chain, especially a large corporate chain, are making faster progress toward implementation of ECR initiatives than are single stores. However, three independently owned single stores were also among the most innovative of those we visited. In these stores, it appears that a visionary, energetic owner/manager is able to quickly respond to new opportunities. 3. ECR adoption and superior performance are closely associated. Stores with a high ECR "readiness index" have much higher sales per labor hour, sales per square foot, and annual inventory turns. We cannot determine whether ECR readiness leads to better performance or better performance makes it easier to adopt business practices and technologies that support ECR. We can conclude, however, that competitive forces will almost certainly drive more stores toward adoption of a wider range of technologies and business practices that support the ECR initiative. In summary, ECR is changing the way Minnesota grocers do business, and adopting ECR practices goes hand-in-hand with better financial performance. Findings from this study suggest that stores of any size and organizational form that are willing and able to adopt new technologies, to develop cooperative relationships with their trading partners, and to respond to the unique needs of their customers will increase their chance of success in this competitive market.Agribusiness, Industrial Organization, Land Economics/Use,

Minnesota Agricultural Economist 688

Industrial Organization, Marketing,