Intellectual Capital's Importance for Corporate Performance

The purpose of the thesis is to empirically investigate the relationship between intellectual capital and corporate performance. The estimated models will be used tp predict future corporate performance. Definitions of Intellectual Capital are presented as well as measurements of the concept, with focus on VAIC. Prior research investigating the relationship between intellectual capital and corporate performance are brought forward. A quantitative approach is used to investiagte the relationship between intellectual capital and corporate performance. Panel data regressions are used to analyze the relationship and estimate prediction models. 823 obseravtions during the period 1998-2007 are collected. The analyze shows a positive relationship between intellctual capital and profitability. For accurate predictions of corporate performance, more factors than intellectual capital, form size and leverage, are needed to be included in the model

Värdering – En processmodell för värdering av nystartade bolag

Vi vill i denna uppsats utvärdera befintliga begrepp, modeller, metoder och utveckla en processmodell för värderingen av nystartade kapitalintensiva bolag. Vi vill med vår processmodell minimera subjektivitet i bedömningarna och ge användare en modell som täcker grunderna för en pålitlig värdering av expansiva tillväxtbolag utan eller med begränsad finansiell historik. Utifrån denna modell är förhoppningen att värderingen skall ske på en nyanserad grund av modeller från ett flertal grenar inom ekonomi, så som finansiering, produktutveckling, ekonomistyrning etc

Identification of sex hormone-binding globulin in the human hypothalamus

Gonadal steroids are known to influence hypothalamic functions through both genomic and non-genomic pathways. Sex hormone-binding globulin ( SHBG) may act by a non-genomic mechanism independent of classical steroid receptors. Here we describe the immunocytochemical mapping of SHBG-containing neurons and nerve fibers in the human hypothalamus and infundibulum. Mass spectrometry and Western blot analysis were also used to characterize the biochemical characteristics of SHBG in the hypothalamus and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of humans. SHBG-immunoreactive neurons were observed in the supraoptic nucleus, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, paraventricular nucleus, arcuate nucleus, the perifornical region and the medial preoptic area in human brains. There were SHBG-immunoreactive axons in the median eminence and the infundibulum. A partial colocalization with oxytocin could be observed in the posterior pituitary lobe in consecutive semithin sections. We also found strong immunoreactivity for SHBG in epithelial cells of the choroid plexus and in a portion of the ependymal cells lining the third ventricle. Mass spectrometry showed that affinity-purified SHBG from the hypothalamus and choroid plexus is structurally similar to the SHBG identified in the CSF. The multiple localizations of SHBG suggest neurohypophyseal and neuroendocrine functions. The biochemical data suggest that CSF SHBG is of brain rather than blood origin. Copyright (c) 2005 S. Karger AG, Base

Data-Driven Discovery and Synthesis of High Entropy Alloy Hydrides with Targeted Thermodynamic Stability

Solid-state hydrogen storage materials that are optimized for specific use cases could be a crucial facilitator of the hydrogen economy transition. Yet, the discovery of novel hydriding materials has historically been a manual process driven by chemical intuition or experimental trial and error. Data-driven materials’ discovery paradigms provide an alternative to traditional approaches, whereby machine/statistical learning (ML) models are used to efficiently screen materials for desired properties and significantly narrow the scope of expensive/time-consuming first-principles modeling and experimental validation. Here, we specifically focus on a relatively new class of hydrogen storage materials, high entropy alloy (HEA) hydrides, whose vast combinatorial composition space and local structural disorder necessitate a data-driven approach that does not rely on exact crystal structures to make property predictions. Our ML model quickly screens hydride stability within a large HEA space and permits down selection for laboratory validation based on not only targeted thermodynamic properties but also secondary criteria such as alloy phase stability and density. To experimentally verify our predictions, we performed targeted synthesis and characterization of several novel hydrides that demonstrate significant destabilization (70× increase in equilibrium pressure, 20 kJ/molH2 decrease in desorption enthalpy) relative to the benchmark HEA hydride, TiVZrNbHfHx. Ultimately, by providing a large composition space in which hydride thermodynamics can be continuously tuned over a wide range, this work will enable efficient material selection for various applications, especially in areas such as metal hydride-based hydrogen compressors, actuators, and heat pumps

Syndecan-1 and FGF-2, but Not FGF Receptor-1, Share a Common Transport Route and Co-Localize with Heparanase in the Nuclei of Mesenchymal Tumor Cells

Syndecan-1 forms complexes with growth factors and their cognate receptors in the cell membrane. We have previously reported a tubulin-mediated translocation of syndecan-1 to the nucleus. The transport route and functional significance of nuclear syndecan-1 is still incompletely understood. Here we investigate the sub-cellular distribution of syndecan-1, FGF-2, FGFR-1 and heparanase in malignant mesenchymal tumor cells, and explore the possibility of their coordinated translocation to the nucleus. To elucidate a structural requirement for this nuclear transport, we have transfected cells with a syndecan-1/EGFP construct or with a short truncated version containing only the tubulin binding RMKKK sequence. The sub-cellular distribution of the EGFP fusion proteins was monitored by fluorescence microscopy. Our data indicate that syndecan-1, FGF-2 and heparanase co-localize in the nucleus, whereas FGFR-1 is enriched mainly in the perinuclear area. Overexpression of syndecan-1 results in increased nuclear accumulation of FGF-2, demonstrating the functional importance of syndecan-1 for this nuclear transport. Interestingly, exogenously added FGF-2 does not follow the route taken by endogenous FGF-2. Furthermore, we prove that the RMKKK sequence of syndecan-1 is necessary and sufficient for nuclear translocation, acting as a nuclear localization signal, and the Arginine residue is vital for this localization. We conclude that syndecan-1 and FGF-2, but not FGFR-1 share a common transport route and co-localize with heparanase in the nucleus, and this transport is mediated by the RMKKK motif in syndecan-1. Our study opens a new perspective in the proteoglycan field and provides more evidence of nuclear interactions of syndecan-1

A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial of Zephyr Endobronchial Valve Treatment in Heterogeneous Emphysema (TRANSFORM)

Rationale: Single-center randomized controlled trials of the Zephyr endobronchial valve (EBV) treatment have demonstrated benefit in severe heterogeneous emphysema. This is the first multicenter study evaluating this treatment approach. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Zephyr EBVs in patients with heterogeneous emphysema and absence of collateral ventilation. Methods: This was a prospective, multicenter 2:1 randomized controlled trial of EBVs plus standard of care or standard of care alone (SoC). Primary outcome at 3 months post-procedure was the percentage of subjects with FEV1 improvement from baseline of 12% or greater. Changes in FEV1, residual volume, 6-minute-walk distance, St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire score, and modified Medical Research Council score were assessed at 3 and 6 months, and target lobe volume reduction on chest computed tomography at 3 months. Measurements and Main Results: Ninety seven subjects were randomized toEBV(n = 65) or SoC(n = 32). At 3 months, 55.4% of EBV and 6.5% of SoC subjects had an FEV1 improvement of 12% or more (P <0.001). Improvements were maintained at 6 months: EBV 56.3% versus SoC 3.2% (P <0.001), with a mean +/- SD change in FEV1 at 6 months of 20.7 +/- 29.6% and -8.6 +/- 13.0%, respectively. A total of 89.8% of EBV subjects had target lobe volume reduction greater than or equal to 350 ml, mean 1.09 +/- 0.62 L (P <0.001). Between-group differences for changes at 6 months were statistically and clinically significant: Delta EBV-SoC for residual volume, -700 ml; 6-minute-walk distance, +78.7 m; St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire score, -6.5 points; modified Medical Research Council dyspnea score, -0.6 points; and BODE(body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity) index, 21.8 points (all P <0.05). Pneumothorax was the most common adverse event, occurring in 19 of 65 (29.2%) of EBV subjects. Conclusions: EBV treatment in hyperinflated patients with heterogeneous emphysema without collateral ventilation resulted in clinically meaningful benefits in lung function, dyspnea, exercise tolerance, and quality of life, with an acceptable safety profile

Debatten om Ryssland 1992 till 1996 : Argumentationsanalys av Stefan Hedlund och Anders Åslund 1992 till 1996

I Sverige har det alltid funnits ett behov av att förhålla sig till Ryssland och Sovjetunionen, uttryckt här i en debatt mellan de båda forskarna Stefan Hedlund och Anders Åslund i dagstidningar och genom litteratur. Min uppgift har varit att granska debatten och se vilka områden som belystes och vem som kom att få rätt år 2007/2008. Kärnan i mitt arbete är inte den faktiska historien utan argumentationen om samtiden. Där debatten om Ryssland är av det slag att den tål granskning mer än ett decennium efteråt. Rent geografiskt är Sverige ett litet land på randen av det ryska imperiet som spänner sig över nästan hela kontinenten, Sverige och de andra nordiska länderna är placerade nästan som en blockad av det ryska imperiets strävan västerut, en strävan som pågått i flera hundra år. Det ryska imperiet som fortfarande finns kvar kom att omvandlas och försvagas åtskilligt under några år i början på 1990-talet. Detta var dock konsekvensen av en enorm statsapparat, enorma militära utgifter och ett defekt ekonomiskt system. Jag lyfter fram artiklar och litteratur producerad under de första åren efter Sovjetunionens sammanbrott och relaterar denna till nutiden genom en enkel komparation av debattklimatet. Svaret kan vara att två tydliga vägar urskiljer sig, en där Ryssland utvecklas enligt sina egna mönster och en där Östeuropa utvecklas åt en annan riktning. Idag har Polen, Ungern och Tjeckien inte mycket gemensamt med länder som Vitryssland och Moldavien som är forna Sovjetrepubliker. Det skrivs inte heller några undergångsbeskrivningar av Ryssland, något som producerades tidigare, därför finns en anledning till tillförsikt att det faktiskt inte blev som det beskrivs i några av artiklarna jag studerat