Two of the most robust results from dynamic competitive models of industrial organization suggest that higher sunk cost industries should exhibit (1) higher intertemporal variability in the market value of their firms, and (2) lower intertemporal variability in the size of their industries. These predictions have done well empirically. This paper argues on theoretical and empirical grounds that depreciation generates countervailing effects.

Abstract The activity of neurons is critically dependent upon the suite of voltage-dependent ion channels expressed in their membranes. In particular, voltage-gated K+ channels are extremely diverse in their function, contributing to the regulation of distinct aspects of neuronal activity by shaping the voltage responses. In this study the role of K+ channels in neural coding is investigated in Drosophila photoreceptors by using biophysical models with parameters derived from the electrophysiological experiments. Due to their biophysical properties, the Shaker channels attenuate the fast transients and amplify the slower signal components, enabling photoreceptors to use their voltage range more effectively. Slow delayed rectifier channels, shown to be encoded by the Shab gene, activate at high light intensities, thereby attenuating the light-induced depolarization and preventing response saturation. Activation of Shab channels also reduces the membrane time constant making it possible to encode faster events. Interactions between the voltage-gated K+ channels and the currents generated by the light induced conductance (LIC) were investigated during naturalistic stimulation in wild type and Shaker mutant photoreceptors. It is shown that in addition to eliminating the Shaker current, the mutation increased the Shab current and affected the current flowing through the LIC. Part of these changes could be attributed to direct feedback from the Shaker channels via the membrane potential. However, it is suggested that also other changes may occur in the LIC due to mutation in K+ channels, possibly during photoreceptor development. Comparison of the Shaker and Shab mutant photoreceptors with the wild type revealed that a concurrent decrease in the steady-state input resistance followed from deletion of the voltage-gated K+ channels. This allowed partial compensation of the compression and saturation caused by the loss of Shaker channels and it maintained the characteristics of the light-voltage relationship in Shab mutant photoreceptors. However, wild type properties were not fully restored in either mutant. Indeed, decreased input resistance results in reduced efficiency of neural processing, assessed by the metabolic cost of information. Results of this study demonstrate the importance of the voltage-gated K+ channels for neural coding precision and highlight the robustness of neuronal information processing gained through regulation of the electrical properties.

Abstract The aim of this population-based cohort study was to evaluate prenatal and child outcome and costs resulting from prenatal and neonatal care after in vitro fertilization (IVF) in comparison to those after natural conception using a cohort of 304 IVF exposed children born between 1990–1995 in Northern Finland, and two cohorts of unexposed control children (I: n = 569, representing general population in proportion of multiple births; II: n = 103, matched for plurality). The control children were randomly chosen from the Finnish Medical Birth Register (FMBR) and matched for sex, year of birth, area of residence, parity, maternal age and socioeconomic status. Analyses were performed by comparing the whole IVF population with controls representing general population as well as stratifying by singleton or twin status. IVF mothers carried a higher risk for vaginal bleeding, threatened preterm birth and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy than control mothers, and they used specialized antenatal care more than others. Neonatal outcome was also poorer after IVF in terms of gestational age, birthweight, morbidity and intensive care treatment. The prevalence of congenital heart malformations (septal defects) was 4-fold for IVF children in comparison to controls. The three year follow-up showed delayed growth and increased morbidity for IVF children, but their psychomotor development was similar to that of the control children. Health care costs were 1.3-fold for IVF singletons in comparison to control singletons, but for twins the costs were equal. Multiple births increased the costs ∼3-fold when compared to singleton births. IVF increased the health risks for the pregnancies and the offspring, seen mostly in the comparison between the whole IVF population and controls representing natural proportion of multiple births, indicating that multiple birth is the strongest determinant of medical outcome after IVF. The effects of fertility therapy and maternal characteristics related to infertility cannot be ruled out at this point. The increased health care costs after IVF were mostly due to the high proportion of multiple births. In order to improve the outcomes and to reduce the health care costs after IVF, the amount of multiple births should be limited to a minimum by using single embryo transfer when possible.

Följande text avser att kritisk granska tre utvalda teorier och modeller som användes för att systematiskt formulera en Affärsplan. Denna artikel kommer att behandla teorierna/modellerna Porters femkraftsmodell, Switching och Sunk costs och VRIO-ramverket. Varje teori och modell kommer att presenteras kort samt beskrivas med upplevda för- och nackdelar som varje teori och modell kan tänkas ha. I slutet så kommer en beskrivning hur teorierna och modellerna bör användas och slutligen en uppmaning hur en potentiell utveckling av dessa skulle se ut. / <p>Examensarbete uppdelat i 3 stycken deluppgifter. Del 1+2 presenterade vid disputation 2 Juni, del 3 som bifogas har lämnats in och blivit godkännt i digital form.</p>

The aim of the article is to discuss the main problems in land-development activity. The study focuses on land acquisition problem. In the article we describe possible implications of difference between real estate market and investment value, and enumerate major sources of investment risk. (author´s abstract) / Series: SRE - Discussion Papers

The study, on which this paper is based upon, has analyzed the implementation and feasibility of the European Employment Price Index (EEPI) in Austria. The European Employment Price Index is a Laspeyres measure of the change in the demand-transaction price of the standardized unit of labor. We find that it is feasible to construct the index with the available company data with an approximate lag length of five month. Most data were easily accessible within firms, with the exception of severance payments, company pensions, and hypothetical costs. Only 228 observations are required to obtain an aggregate EEPI for Austria within +/- one percentage point at the 95 % significance level, whilst some 4800 observations are necessary for disaggregate series, enormously increasing costs of provision.

[pt] Com tanta variação nas estimativas da indústria e nos resultados das empresas,ainda é uma questão em aberto o quanto de redução nos custos de transação uma empresa pode esperar de uma iniciativa de business-to-business e-commerce, como por exemplo, o e-procurement, que é a implementação de processos de aquisição de bens e serviços num ambiente Internet.Para avaliar o potencial de redução dos custos de transação na aquisição de suprimentos indiretos (MRO), este estudo analisa o mercado brasileiro, considerando o comportamento do e-commerce, o tamanho do mercado de MRO disponível e atingível, as possíveis sinergias de compras entre múltiplas empresas e os modelos de atuação nos mercados eletrônicos. Com o auxílio de um framework conceitual sobre custos de transação, oportunidades significativas de redução de custos foram identificadas nas iniciativas de e-procurement, considerando a agregação de volume de compras entre empresas, a otimização dos processos e a redução dos níveis de estoque e de recursos humanos. / [en] With as much variation in the estimates of the industry and the results of the companies, still it is an opened question in how much of reduction in the transaction costs a company can wait of an initiative of business-to-business e-commerce, as for example, e-procurement, that it is the implementation of processes of acquisition of goods and services in a Internet.Para environment to evaluate the potential of reduction of the costs of transaction in the acquisition of indirect suppliments (MRO), this study analyzes the Brazilian market, considering the behavior of e-commerce, the size of market of the available and attainable MRO, the possible sinergias of purchases between multiple companies and the models of performance in the electronic markets. With the conceptual aid of one framework on transaction costs, significant chances of reduction of costs had been identified in the initiatives of e-procurement, considering the aggregation of Volume of purchases between companies, the otimização of the processes and the reduction of the levels of supply and human resources

Class of 2014 Abstract / Specific Aims: To compare two groups of automated dispensing technology and their impact on medication safety and costs at an inpatient pharmacy. Methods: A total of 784 medications were audited for Pyxis refill errors, 352 prior to and 432 post implementation of Boxpicker and the ATP High Speed Tablet Packager. Data were collected by obtaining refill reports for automated dispensing. Every other medication on the refill report was audited for errors in the corresponding location of the automated dispensing cabinet. The rate of reported errors was obtained from a self-reported error program, Patient Safety Net (PSN). Analysis related to costs included automated dispensing cabinet related inventory and costs associated with bulk repackaging. All data associated with costs were obtained from pharmacy financial records. Main Results: There was no significant difference in the Pyxis refill error rate between Pyxis PARx and Boxpicker (0.00284% versus 0.00231%, respectively, p =0.88). The total number of automated dispensing cabinet problems reported through Patient Safety Net transiently increased during and after implementation of new automated technology. Value of pharmacy inventory costs associated with automation was $674,460 prior to and $594,789 post implementation of technology. Bulk repackaging with the ATP High Speed Automatic Tablet Packager resulted in an estimated cost savings of $203,400 annually. Conclusion: Implementation of Boxpicker and ATP High Speed Tablet Packager resulted in no significant change in Pyxis refill error rates, a transient increase in reported automated dispensing cabinet problems, a decrease in inventory costs, and savings associated with bulk repackaging.

[pt] Da segunda lei da termodinâmica, os conceitos de disponibilidade e irreversibilidade são aplicados à trocadores de calor. Equações relacionando a irreversibilidade com a efetividade de trocador de calor são desenvolvidas e aplicadas à vários casos. Relações entre o decréscimo de irreversibilidade e custos operacionais são também estabelecidos. Embora seja comumente dito que o trocador de calor em contra-correntes é menos irreversível que o trocador de calor em correntes paralelas, o presente trabalho mostra que isto não é sempre verdadeiro. Um critério muito simples, baseado na mínima perda de disponibilidade, foi estabelecido. Este critério indica, para os dois tipos de trocadores de calor, qual deles tem a irreversibilidade mínima. Foi também provado que a irreversibilidade do trocador de calor tem um ponto de máximo dado por E igual a Cmax/(Cmin mais Cmax), onde e é a efetividade do trocador de calor. Este valor de e é um parâmetro importante e não depende do tipo de trocador de calor considerado. / [en] From the second Law of Thermodynamics, the concepts of availability and irrervesibility are applied to heat exchangers. Equations relating the irreversibility to the heat-exchanger effectiveness are developed and applied to several cases. Relations between the decrease of irreversibility and operational costs are also established. Although it is commonly Said that the counterflow heat-exchanger is less irrerversible than the parallel flow heat-exchanger, the present work shows that this is not always true. A very simple criterion, based on the minimum loss of availability, was established. This criterion indicares, for the two types of heat exchangers, which one has the minimum irrerversibilty. It has been also proved that the heat-exchanger irreversibility has a point of maximum given by E iqual Cmax/ (Cmin more Cmax), where e is the heat-exchanger effectiveness. This value of e is na important parameter and it does not depend on the type of heat-exchanger under consideration.

Magister Scientiae - MSc / The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which providers' practices affect the cost of hospital procedures incurred by patients. The spsecific objective was to explore the magnitude of variations and statistically establish the significance of relationships between admission/specialist costs incurred by patients for four major procedures and the hospital group, geographical location, employer group and demmographic realted risk profiles. The study contributes to a better understanding of the way in which managed care companies could channel beneficiaries of medical schemes to efficient providers. / South Africa