For a company to strengthen competitive advantage, they had to put in whatever method they can from time to time, for example, from product innovation, strategic innovation to seek for differentiation. There is also no exceptional for Taiwanese manufacturer. Due to the fact that most Taiwanese manufacturers are small and medium scales company, in addition they are OEM supplier, therefore at initial stage, it is very difficult to pursue differentiation from marketing and product research and development innovation. Under limited resources situation, how to aims at their own strength to select the strategy for differentiation is an issue for Taiwanese manufacturer to consider very thoroughly. This article took small electrical appliances industry as an example and from the business model application standpoint, we discovered that most Taiwanese manufacturers has taken Tapered vertical integration as the main business model to sustain its competitive advantage. Especially when they started on mainland investment, due to the land obtains easily and the cheaper labor force...etc, this vertical integration model application can further be implemented. Taking Value Chain theory and the Smile Curve as a basis for this study, and obtains the most effective vertical integration model is focus on "The Production Vertical Integration". This business model has led a few manufacturers obtain cost advantage in different level. As a case study we take Tsann Kuen Enterprise Co., Ltd as an example, to learn how this company has taken this vertical integration as an approach and developed to become the first Taiwanese manufacturer listed in China stock market. In addition, to learn how it became the top three of the largest small electrical appliances supplier. Finally, from the case study, we will propose a future development approach and suggestion for the Taiwanese small electrical appliances industry. Key Word: Vertical Integration, Smile Curve, Value Chain

Thesis (M.D.S.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Dentistry, 1985. / Some mounted ill. Includes bibliographical references (v. 1, leaves 206-227).

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2005-02-01Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:58:45Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 becker_ab_me_arafo.pdf: 784680 bytes, checksum: 4ca0146d3f12e8e45571df6e8dde9abf (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar o efeito das placas estabilizadora rígida (PER), resiliente (PR) e não oclusiva (PNO) junto com o aconselhamento (esclarecimento da natureza benigna do problema, posição postural de repouso e mastigação bilateral simultânea) em pacientes com DTMs de origem muscular, durante 90 dias. Para tal utilizou-se uma amostra de 42 pacientes de ambos os sexos, faixa etária dos 18 aos 65 anos, com queixa de dor nos músculos mastigatórios (masséter, temporal e/ou pterigóideo lateral) há mais de 6 meses. Foram excluídos pacientes portadores de doenças sistêmicas. Os pacientes foram distribuídos aleatoriamente em um dos três grupos. Este estudo foi duplo cego sendo que as reavaliações foram realizadas por um examinador não consciente ao grupo ao qual o paciente pertencia e a entrega e ajustes das placas foram feitos por outro examinador. A avaliação subjetiva da dor foi realizada por meio do índice de severidade dos sintomas (ISS-mod.) com escores de intensidade, freqüência e duração da dor. A análise estatística mostrou que as 3 placas foram capazes de reduzir o ISS-mod. de maneira similar (teste de Kruskal-Wallis) entre os períodos inicial e final, de forma estatisticamente significante (PER p=0,001) (PR p=0,000) (PNO p=0,000), entretanto não houveram diferenças entre os diferentes grupos (p=0,165). Para a avaliação objetiva foram realizados exame de palpação e mensurações do grau de abertura bucal e dos movimentos excursivos (lateralidade e protrusão). Houve aumento do grau da abertura bucal e da amplitude dos movimentos excursivos, porém este aumento não foi estatisticamente significante entre os períodos inicial e final (90 dias) do estudo nem entre os diferentes grupos. O exame de palpação muscular mostrou diferenças entre os grupos para o músculo masséter D, sendo que esta diferença... / The aim of this study was to compare for a 90-day period the therapy with hard (HS), soft (SS) and placebo occlusal (PS) splints in conjunction to advising (jaw rest position and chewing both side), for temoromandibular disorders (TMD) patients. For this purpose, it were selected 42 patients, both genders, ranging in age from 18 to 65, with a chief complaint of pain in the masticatory muscles (masseter, temporalis, and/or lateral pterygoid) for at least 6 months. Subjects were excluded if they presented any systemic disease. This was a double blind study and patients were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 experimental therapy groups. The modified symptom severity index (SSI) assessed the general subjective severity of pain and included the intensity, duration, and frequency of the chief complaint at the baseline and the final period treatment. Statistical analysis of the data (ANOVA at a 0.01 confidence level) showed that the 3 appliances were able to reduce the modified SSI in a similar way (HS P = 0.001; SS P = 0.001; PS P = 0.001), however no differences were found among the three groups (P = 0.16). The clinical examination included tenderness to palpation, measurement of maximum pain-free opening and measurement of excursive mandibular movements at the baseline and the final treatment period. There was no significant difference among the treatment responses of the three groups in terms of an increase in maximum pain-free opening (P>0.01) and mandibular movements (P>0.01). Tenderness to palpation of the masticatory muscles showed significant reduction between groups for masseter right side, this difference being significant between the groups HS and SS (P =0,0017) and the groups HS and PS (P =0,0067). The difference between the groups SS and PS was not significant (P =6718). The results of the present study suggested that over ...(Complete abstract, click electronic access below)

Orientador: Francisco Guedes Pereira de Alencar Junior / Banca: Gerson Bonfante / Banca: Renata Garcia Fonseca / Resumo: O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar o efeito das placas estabilizadora rígida (PER), resiliente (PR) e não oclusiva (PNO) junto com o aconselhamento (esclarecimento da natureza benigna do problema, posição postural de repouso e mastigação bilateral simultânea) em pacientes com DTMs de origem muscular, durante 90 dias. Para tal utilizou-se uma amostra de 42 pacientes de ambos os sexos, faixa etária dos 18 aos 65 anos, com queixa de dor nos músculos mastigatórios (masséter, temporal e/ou pterigóideo lateral) há mais de 6 meses. Foram excluídos pacientes portadores de doenças sistêmicas. Os pacientes foram distribuídos aleatoriamente em um dos três grupos. Este estudo foi duplo cego sendo que as reavaliações foram realizadas por um examinador não consciente ao grupo ao qual o paciente pertencia e a entrega e ajustes das placas foram feitos por outro examinador. A avaliação subjetiva da dor foi realizada por meio do índice de severidade dos sintomas (ISS-mod.) com escores de intensidade, freqüência e duração da dor. A análise estatística mostrou que as 3 placas foram capazes de reduzir o ISS-mod. de maneira similar (teste de Kruskal-Wallis) entre os períodos inicial e final, de forma estatisticamente significante (PER p=0,001) (PR p=0,000) (PNO p=0,000), entretanto não houveram diferenças entre os diferentes grupos (p=0,165). Para a avaliação objetiva foram realizados exame de palpação e mensurações do grau de abertura bucal e dos movimentos excursivos (lateralidade e protrusão). Houve aumento do grau da abertura bucal e da amplitude dos movimentos excursivos, porém este aumento não foi estatisticamente significante entre os períodos inicial e final (90 dias) do estudo nem entre os diferentes grupos. O exame de palpação muscular mostrou diferenças entre os grupos para o músculo masséter D, sendo que esta diferença ...(Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The aim of this study was to compare for a 90-day period the therapy with hard (HS), soft (SS) and placebo occlusal (PS) splints in conjunction to advising (jaw rest position and chewing both side), for temoromandibular disorders (TMD) patients. For this purpose, it were selected 42 patients, both genders, ranging in age from 18 to 65, with a chief complaint of pain in the masticatory muscles (masseter, temporalis, and/or lateral pterygoid) for at least 6 months. Subjects were excluded if they presented any systemic disease. This was a double blind study and patients were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 experimental therapy groups. The modified symptom severity index (SSI) assessed the general subjective severity of pain and included the intensity, duration, and frequency of the chief complaint at the baseline and the final period treatment. Statistical analysis of the data (ANOVA at a 0.01 confidence level) showed that the 3 appliances were able to reduce the modified SSI in a similar way (HS P = 0.001; SS P = 0.001; PS P = 0.001), however no differences were found among the three groups (P = 0.16). The clinical examination included tenderness to palpation, measurement of maximum pain-free opening and measurement of excursive mandibular movements at the baseline and the final treatment period. There was no significant difference among the treatment responses of the three groups in terms of an increase in maximum pain-free opening (P>0.01) and mandibular movements (P>0.01). Tenderness to palpation of the masticatory muscles showed significant reduction between groups for masseter right side, this difference being significant between the groups HS and SS (P =0,0017) and the groups HS and PS (P =0,0067). The difference between the groups SS and PS was not significant (P =6718). The results of the present study suggested that over ...(Complete abstract, click electronic access below) / Mestre

Neste estudo retrospectivo, controlado, de 94 adolescentes consecutivos com maloclusão de Classe II, divisão 1ª de Angle e retrognatismo mandibular, no surto de crescimento puberal, foram avaliadas as mudanças dentoesqueléticas decorrentes do tratamento com aparelho de Herbst (Grupo A coroas de aço e B splints acrílicos) e de acompanhamento (Grupo C - controle), em um período de 12 meses. As telerradiografias laterais foram obtidas em T1 (inicial) e T2 (no final do período de observação). As variáveis cefalométricas foram analisadas com testes paramétricos. Os resultados mostraram que os dois grupos tratados caracterizaram-se diferencialmente do grupo controle, com restrição do crescimento maxilar e maior crescimento mandibular, o que permitiu melhorar a relação sagital. Da mesma forma, no aspecto dentoalveolar houve melhora da sobressaliência pela retroinclinação dos incisivos superiores e vestibularização dos incisivos inferiores, distalização com controle vertical dos molares superiores e mesialização dos molares inferiores. Os três grupos mostraram semelhança na extrusão dos molares inferiores, na preservação da morfologia mandibular e do padrão facial. O plano oclusal rotacionou no sentido horário nos grupos tratados e anti-horário no grupo controle. Pode-se concluir que no tratamento com dois tipos de aparelho de Herbst da maloclusão de classe II, em adolescentes no pico máximo de crescimento, observaram-se um conjunto de mudanças que melhoraram as relações dentoesqueléticas sagitais, independentemente do crescimento. No aspecto vertical, apesar das pequenas mudanças observadas houve preservação do padrão facial assim como no grupo controle. / This retrospective controlled study enrolled 94 consecutive adolescents during growth spurt with Angle class II division 1 malocclusion and mandibular retrognathism and evaluated skeletal and dental changes resulting from treatment with a Herbst appliance (Group A: steel crowns; Group B: acrylic splints) and compared them with results of a follow-up group (Group C: control) for 12 months. Lateral radiographs were obtained in the beginning of the treatment (T1) and at the end of the observation period (T2). Cephalometric variables were analyzed using parametric tests. The results of the two treatment groups were different from those found for the control group. Maxillary growth was restricted, whereas mandibular growth was greater, which resulted in a better sagittal relation. At the same time, the analysis of dentoalveolar aspects revealed that overjet was reduced due to distal tipping of maxillary incisors and buccal inclination of mandibular incisors, vertical control of maxillary molars and mesial movement of mandibular molars. The three groups had similar extrusion of mandibular molars, preservation of mandibular morphology and facial pattern. The occlusal plane rotated clockwise in the treated groups and counterclockwise in the control group. It can be concluded that the treatment of class II malocclusion in adolescents during growth spurt with two types of Herbst appliance resulted in a set of changes that improved sagittal skeletal and dental relations, regardless of growth. Vertically, facial pattern was preserved in treatment and control groups, despite some small differences.

Mål: Målet med arbetet var att undersöka varför vissa patienter har bättre compliance vid ortodontisk behandling än andra och vad som kan förbättra compliance. Detta för att möjliggöra utarbetningen av en framtida metod som skulle kunna upptäcka non-compliers innan behandlingsstart och därigenom kunna ge dem en mer effektiv behandling. Enskilda prediktorer för compliance och deras relativa påverkan på compliance undersöktes också.Metod: Artiklar samlades in via en sökning i databaserna PubMed och Cochrane med hjälp av MeSH-termer. Dessa lästes sedan igenom och för undersökningen relevanta artiklar togs fram med hjälp av exklusions- och inklusionskriterier.Resultat: Övervakning av patienters användning av sin apparatur med hjälp av timermodul ökar compliance över tiden. Lägre ålder på patienten samt dennes relation till sina föräldrar och deras engagemang i behandlingen påverkade compliance positivt, liksom kortare behandlingstid.Slutsats: Det går med nuvarande forskningsunderlag inte att förutsäga compliance på ett pålitligt sätt. Istället bör vårdgivaren fokusera på att skapa en god compliance genom att inleda behandlingen så tidigt så möjligt, att få patientens föräldrar att intressera sig för behandlingen och hjälpa barnet med den, samt att informera patienten att man övervakar användningstiden med hjälp utav inbyggda timers. / Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate why some patients have better compliance when in orthodontic treatment than others and which factors that can improve compliance. This would enable the development of a future model which could help dentists to detect non-compliers before the start of treatment, and thereby provide a more effective treatment. Specific predictors for compliance and their relative effect on compliance were also investigated.Method: Articles were collected by a search in PubMed and Cochrane, through the use of multiple MeSH-terms. The resulting articles were then read trough and relevant articles were extracted with the help of exclusion- and inclusion criteria.Results: Surveillance of the patients use of their appliances with the help of a timermodule increases compliance over time. Lower patient age and the patients relationship to their parents in concordance with the parents engagement in treatment affects compliance positively, as did shorter treatment time.Conclusion: Our findings indicate that there are insufficient research results to predict compliance in a reliable way. Instead, the dentist should focus on creating a high compliance by starting treatment as early as possible; to get the patients parents invested in the treatment of their child, and inform the patient that his or her appliance usage is being monitored through built-in timers.

The amount of electricity used in individual UK homes varies considerably. Previous UK energy research has identified that high electricity consuming homes not only use more electricity, compared with others, but appear to be consuming even more electricity over time. Furthermore, there is additional evidence which shows that high consuming dwellings also have a greater potential to make energy savings than those who consume less. It has been suggested that future UK energy policy might focus on reducing the demand of high electricity consumers in order to reduce overall CO2 emissions. Therefore, understanding what drives high usage in domestic buildings is essential to support informed decisions. This thesis asserts that to improve knowledge and understanding of the factors affecting high electrical energy consumption in UK domestic buildings, it is necessary to combine an analysis of the occupants socio-economic characteristics, dwelling technical characteristics and appliance related aspects, with detailed monitoring of the ownership, power demand and occupants use of electrical appliances. Using a sample of 315 UK homes, the influence of socio-economic, technical and appliance related characteristics on the probability of a household being a high electrical energy consumer was investigated (Odds ratio analysis). Detailed appliance monitoring data was collected from 27 UK homes to establish the contributions of appliance ownership, power demand and use to high electrical energy demand (Appliance Electricity Use Survey). The current research found similar skewed electricity distributions towards high electricity consumers for both the 315 and 27 home cohorts. Conflicting results were however obtained from the two household samples with regard to whether high electricity consumers are increasing electrical energy demand over time. The results of the odds ratio analysis and Appliance Electricity Use Survey suggest that high electricity consumption in domestic buildings is related to a combination of the socio-economic characteristics of the building occupants, technical characteristics of the dwelling and the ownership, power demand and use of electrical appliances.

Background and objectives: The control of anchorage is integral to successful orthodontic treatment. The objective of this research was to undertake three related projects to evaluate methods of increasing anchorage with the aim of adding to orthodontic knowledge and improve methods of treatment delivery. Methods: Two Cochrane systematic reviews were undertaken according to the methods published in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, version 5.1.0. The influence of functional appliances on tooth position and the extraction decision was performed as a retrospective study using participants from a completed multicentre randomized trial. Results: 1- Statistically and clinically significant differences were found between the mean values of distal molar movement when surgical anchorage and conventional anchorage were compared. 2- Statistically significant differences were found between the mean values of distal molar movement and mesial upper incisor movement when intraoral distalising appliances and cervical headgear were compared.3- Fixed and removable functional appliances are equally effective in anchorage preparation. The type of functional appliance and time spent in Phase I treatment influenced the amount of lower incisor proclination. Conclusions: 1- Surgical anchorage is more effective than headgear without the inherent risks and compliance issues. However, intraoral appliances used in adolescence for distalisation of upper molars do not appear to have any advantages over cervical headgear. 2- Functional appliances reduce the anchorage requirements of a case primarily by reduction of the overjet, both fixed and removable functional appliances are equally effective in obtaining this. However, fixed functional appliances result in greater lower incisor proclination than removable functional appliances. 3- The type of functional appliance (removable or fixed) does not influence the extraction decision, however, this is influenced by overall space requirements.

Information, communication and entertainment (ICE) appliances are consumer electronics and information and communication technologies (ICT). Forecasts suggest that ICE appliance use will soon become the most significant domestic electricity end-use in the UK. Knowledge concerning “real world” ICE electricity consumption is currently limited and it has been suggested that this deficiency could lead to ineffective policy programmes. This socio-technical study measured ICE appliance electricity consumption in fourteen UK households’ and undertook household interviews to explore the behavioural factors that influenced the measurements recorded. The interviews were informed by two social psychology theories: (i) Triandis’ (1977) Theory of Interpersonal Behaviour (TIB); (ii) Rogers’ (2003) Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DIT). The study supports the position that ICE appliance use and standby power consumption are significant electricity end-uses in UK homes. Key appliances that contributed to the sample’s average electricity consumption are identified. Inconspicuous electricity consumption from network appliances is an issue of particular concern due to policy gaps. The interviews found that a range of internal and external factors influenced ICE appliance use. Behavioural intentions and habits were found to be facilitated or impeded by personal ability, knowledge and physical constraints. Social structures and expectations also supported the more expansive ownership and use of ICE appliances and energy consumption was an issue largely excluded from adoption decisions. The findings imply that a multifaceted approach is required to reduce household ICE appliance electricity consumption. This study supports the recent implementation of minimum energy performance standards and provides further recommendations that include: (i) improved product design; (ii) the expansion of mandatory energy labelling; (iii) improved electricity consumption feedback in UK homes; (iv) the use of behaviour change campaigns; (v) the integration of ICE appliance energy saving objectives into UK policies.

Web services provide organizations with a powerful infrastructure by which information and products may be distributed, but the task of supporting Web service systems can be difficult due to the complex nature of environment configuration and operation. Tools are needed to monitor and analyze such Enterprise environments so that appropriate engineering, quality control, or business activities can be pursued. This investigation resulted in the development of a software development kit, the WSLogA Framework, which is inspired by the vision of Cruz et al. (2003, 2004). The WSLogA Framework provides distributed Enterprise systems with a platform for comprehensive information capture and environment management. Five component groups are intended for employment to enable integrated workflows addressing monitoring and response activities, but these components may also be used individually to facilitate the phased integration of the WSLogA Framework into existing environments. The WSLogA Framework's design is portable across technology platforms (e.g., Java and .NET) and a variety of technologies may be substituted for the provided implementations to address unique system architectures. The WSLogA Framework supersedes existing logging and monitoring solutions in terms of both capability and intent. Applications based on the WSLogA Framework have an internal, real-time view of their operation and may adjust their environment based on the information provided by events related to their or system activities. The WSLogA Framework is intended as a software development kit around which system functionality may be organized and implemented, which makes the WSLogA Framework an architectural peer or complement to traditional application frameworks such as Spring's Web module. WSLogA Framework based systems should be envisioned as information appliance elements rather than traditionally scoped applications or services.