As the broadband transmission and data compression are being advanced in digital technology at the same time, these enable multimedia easily to exchange and interconnect with each other. The phenomenon to present is generally called ¡§Digital Convergence¡¨. In order to cater to the customers who demand whenever and wherever possible, ubiquitously access to converging services and networks as well, the broadband wireline and wireless access technologies have made significant progress to support and to further ICT (information and communications technology) industry to invest the research and development on the relevant technology, pruducts and services. The development trend of converging in the face of industries, services and networks, FNOs(fixed network operators), who are facing the fixed to mobile substitution(FMS), attempt with the seamless communications proposition to resolve the discontinuous problems caused when or where the user¡¦s handset roams across heterogeneous networks or switches between the fixed and mobile network, so as to motivate user demand for data and multimedia services as well as to restrain the decline of revenue from circuit-switched voice service; On the other hand, MNOs(mobile network operators) are also facing the market saturation on basic voice service gradually, in order to sustain the revenue growth, dual-mode mobile handsets enable the users access to fixed wireless network that substitutes for expensive indoor radio access to mobile network, and make differentiation from competitors to stimulate user demand for value-added services so as to raise ARPU(average revenue per user). Therefore, the business model for FMC(fixed-mobile convergence), is an innovative option to surmount the dilemma of business growth of telecommunications service operators. No matter FNOs, MNOs or SBOs(service-based operators) begin integration among the horizontally layered access networks, e.g. wireless LAN, WiMAX, broadband wireless, 3G, 3.5G and 4G, and change the existing business model varied with the shifting industrial value chain as well in face of emerging convergence and advancing wireless communications technology. The study gives the result with conclusions: 1.The introduction of FMC business is the most advantageous to full-licensed operators or telecom groups; Secondly FNOs can fight against FMS threat to restrain the revenue declined and to gain the revenue stream from MVNO services. 2.Telecom operators who provide with FMC offerings can strengthen competitive advantages with differentiation in the telecom services market to increase revenue and profitability. 3.Telecom operators offer FMC products and services, which help improvement in ARPU of existing customers and acquisition of new ones. 4.FMC offering can increase stickiness on customer retention besides lowering customer churn rate. 5.No matter incumbent or potential new entrant operators who introduce FMC service offering to market, they should take advantages of resources and competence in themselves to address their customer value proposition and positioning, and to adjust the business model to rival with advantageous competitive strategy. Besides, they should consider the timing for the investment on convergence of heterogeneous network varied with industrial environment and regulation so as to raise ROCE. 6.FMC business model is a set of architectural framework, not merely products or services portfolios, applications and selling. The operators must pay close attention to the shift of the external environment and business operation conditions, change the existing business model and strategy so as to keep the business growth and sustained development for lasting enterprises. The study finally suggests: Telecom operators, potential new entrants and the Government in Taiwan should pay close attention to the spectrum licensed for the new technology WiMAX and digital convergence which may come into being ¡§horizontally layered integration¡¨ or ¡§operation beyond the regulated business scope¡¨. The demarcation of regulation the Government takes effect can give consideration to the economic efficiency of market liberalization with fair competition. Asymmetric regulation and deregulation make sure not in implementing ¡§by waiting to become¡¨, and make distribution with choice for the radio frequency spectrum which benefits industry's development as well as adopt explicitly gradual deregulation on the policy and supplementary measure so as to can give consideration to the regulatory function, build the fair market environment and sound telecommunications industry in parallel to further the development in economy.

This study aim at investigating whether income inequality ceteris paribus is a determinant of population health measured by infant mortality rate and average expected lifetime. Earlier research has found results pointing in different directions but the income inequality hypothesis suggests that income inequality alone is something bad for the population. The study uses data on income distribution from the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) and the World Income Inequality Database (WIID). Data on economic development and health indicators comes from the OECD database. An econometric model which applies country fixed effects is specified and the results indicates no effect from income inequality on infant mortality rate but some indications of a negative effect on average expected lifetime.

L'interpretazione della riforma del lavoro a termine è stata oggetto di un acceso dibattito dottrinale che ha portato a conclusioni diametralmente opposte relativamente a molti punti cardine della nuova disciplina, quali: la stipula di primo contratto a termine e la necessità di esigenze di natura temporanea; le norme antifrodatorie; le norme antidiscriminatorie; le clausole di contingentamento e più in generale il ruolo del sindacato. Da una attenta analisi della riforma che parta dal contenuto della direttiva emerge che nel nostro sistema normativo esiste ancora una regola importante, ma non più scritta: i contratti a tempo indeterminato rappresentano la forma comune dei rapporti di lavoro. Da questa regola discendono una serie di considerazioni: il primo contratto a termine non è libero ma subordinato all'esistenza di ragioni oggettive che si devono intendere anche temporanee; la proroga è ammessa solo a fronte di ragioni oggettive e sopravvenute; la successione di contratti a termine è vietata quando avviene in frode alla legge; in caso di illegittima stipulazione del contratto a termine il rapporto di lavoro si deve intendere a tempo indeterminato. Quanto al ruolo del sindacato questo è stato sicuramente innovato, ma il sistema predisposto dalla riforma del lavoro a termine in molte parti ricalca la disciplina previgente contenuta nella L. 56/87 tanto che non pare corretto parlare di mortificazione del ruolo della contrattazione collettiva ma solo di riduzione dei compiti ad essa affidati. / Interpretation of the fixed term work reform has given rise to lively doctrinal debate that has led to completely opposite conclusions. Conclusions reached refer to hinge points of this new doctrine and include: the drawing up of first fixed term contracts and the necessity for temporary working requirements, anti-fraud norms, anti-discrimination norms, clauses in the fixing of quotas, and in general, the role of trade unions. Careful analysis of the reforms, starting from the content of this directive, reveals that our normative system still contains an important rule, although it is no longer written, that is: open-ended contracts still represent the most common job relationship form. Several considerations can be derived from this rule: the drawing of first fixed term contracts is not free, but subject to objective circumstances that must be proved. Mainly, the repeated extension of fixed term contracts is forbidden when it takes place against the law, and if a fixed term contract is unlawfully drawn up, then the job relationship must be intended as an open-ended one. The job of trade unions has certainly been re-emphasised due to this reform but, since the new job relationship system established by the fixed term work reform continues to enforce Law 56/87, it is not correct to talk of de-evaluation as related to collective work negotiations. Rather, trade unions will have a lesser role, and responsibilities and tasks normally charged to the trade union will be reduced.

This paper aims to study, from a legal dogmatic method, the Swedish legislation on fixed-term work related to the EU directive 99/70/EC 1. In particular, the directives demand to prevent abuse of frequent temporary employment. An employer may, in agreement with the Swedish legislation combine different types of temporary employment, to prolong the time in the temporary employment. In this proceeding an employer can avoid employing an employee in a permanent position. For example, an employee can be employed in a probationary period of six months, in a general temporary employment for a maximum of 24 months, and thereafter in a temporary position for a maximum of 24 months before the employment turns into a permanent position. This provided that the employments were made by the same employer, and within five years. The EU Commission has requested Sweden to change its legislation in harmony with the fixed-term work directive requirements to prevent abuse of repetitive fixed-term contracts. Sweden now has two months to implement the Directive otherwise the Commission may bring an action against Sweden at the European Court of Justice. The Ministry of Employment and the TCO have presented a legislative draft on how the Swedish law should instead be designed. In 2012 there were 661,000 people with fixed-term contracts in Sweden, 288,000 of them were men and 373,000 were women. There are mostly women who have fixed-term employments. This may result in women being more vulnerable than men in terms of for example the economy. Fixed-term employments can cause difficulties in obtaining loans or gaining access to the housing market. For society, temporary jobs lead to higher costs compared to permanent employment. If fixed-term employments are increasing, it will lead to more short periods of unemployment and rising costs including unemployment insurance.

Rationale: Amphetamine abuse by adolescents predicts long-term drug dependence. Heightened vulnerability to drug abuse could be due to higher sensitivity to drug’s reinforcing effects. Rodents are used to study age-related sensitivities to drugs. Objective: We compared intravenous amphetamine self-administration between adolescent and adult male rats on an operant schedule of reinforcement measuring the reinforcing efficacy of a drug. Methods: After surgery, adolescent and adult rats acquired lever-pressing behavior reinforced by amphetamine infusions. Results: Both age groups exhibited more infusions per session as dose increased. However, neither the number of infusions per session nor total amphetamine intake differed across age groups. Conclusion: Although rapid transition is reliable to test reinforcing properties of stimulants, results suggest that amphetamine is an equally efficacious reinforcer among both age groups. In regards to humans, these results suggest that other factors, like social influences, explain higher rates of drug intake by adolescent compared with adult humans.

Abstract Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an environmentally hazardous, corrosive, and toxic gas, mostly generated in gas and oil industry. For small-scale natural gas processing sites (less than 10 tonne S/day), the use of regenerable iron oxide adsorbent to adsorb H2S from natural gas is still an economical and effective method. The objective of this research project was to understand the performance of an iron oxide adsorbent, recently emerging in the Canadian market, in removing H2S from gas streams. To accomplish this, the breakthrough behaviors of H2S adsorption in a fixed-bed reactor under elevated pressures were studied. The effects of variations in superficial velocity from 0.09 m/s to 0.26 m/s, operating pressure from 4 to 50 atm absolute, and the height of the fixed-bed from 11.7 cm to 24.5 cm on breakthrough curves and sulfur loading were investigated. In all the experiments, the H2S concentration profiles of the exiting gas from the reactor were measured until the bed was saturated. It was found that the shape of the breakthrough curves depend on the superficial velocity and the inlet H2S concentration in gas streams. Under both higher superficial velocity and higher inlet H2S concentration, the shape of the breakthrough curve becomes steeper. The sulfur loading of the adsorbent depends on the superficial velocity, the inlet H2S concentration in gas streams, and the bed height. The sulfur loading decreases as the superficial velocity and the inlet H2S concentration increase, but increases as the bed height increases. The change of operating pressure does not have a significant effect on the shape of the breakthrough curve or sulfur loading of the adsorbent. The investigation was also extended using the regenerated adsorbents. A mathematical formula was developed to describe the breakthrough curves.

This thesis contains three essays on topics in agricultural economics. Essays one and two share a focus on international trade and economic development, and essays two and three apply dynamic tools to agricultural economic policy issues.<p>Essay one analyses trade-related implications of a developing country's decision to adopt genetically-modified crop technology. A fixed-proportions model is constructed that evaluates the welfare implications of a range of adoption policies and export market responses. The model in this essay illustrates the importance of the prospective adopter formulating a projection of probable export market effects before making an adoption decision and of the role that high transaction costs may play in a developing country's adoption decision. The model also considers the effects of a new policy tool; a check-off style levy on genetically-modified technology in place of a technology-use agreement. A levy could be useful tool in developing countries, which are characterised by high transaction costs. <p>Essay two models the effects of emergency food aid on a recipient country's agricultural industry. This essay formulates a definition of needed aid in the context of a food emergency and constructs an optimal control model that solves a path of aid shipments that best meets that need. The effects of a range of food aid paths on recipient-country agricultural production are illustrated through numerical simulations. There are two key results. First, a non-optimal amount of aid can hinder a recipient-country's recovery from an exogenous food shock. Second, an exogenous shock can affect farmer revenue and therefore impact planting decisions. This effect must be considered in aid allocation policies. <p>Essay three uses time-series econometric techniques to develop a demand model that assesses the effectiveness of commodity advertising. This essay describes the importance of considering long-run and dynamic effects in demand systems, especially in the case of closely substitutable commodities. A demand system that tests for and accommodates dynamic and time-series properties is developed and applied to US meat data. The results of this model are compared to a traditional static demand system. The dynamic model produces econometrically and theoretically sound results and generates some more intuitively appealing estimates.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the differences between accounting for fixed assets under IFRS and U.S. GAAP. Primarily the discussion will be driven by the question: which standard should the FASB lobby for in its joint effort with the IASB to converge U.S. GAAP with IFRS? The paper will start by establishing that financial reporting, as it has evolved in the United States, was developed primarily to assist in the accountability relationships between management and both credit and equity investors. From there the paper will look at which standard is better suited to fulfill this goal and enhance financial reporting. It will first discuss the differences of historical cost accounting versus market values in the income statement. Next, the paper will look at the differences created in the balance sheet by the two methods. Finally, the paper will consider additional implications of switching to a market value standard. This paper will attempt to prove that historical cost accounting is the more reliable method of the two, provides an equally if not more relevant income measure, and that market values do not enhance the financial statements in any clear way. Particularly in any fashion that justifies the additional costs to the firm and to investors in debt and equity that market values would create.

Nowadays the aviation industry is playing an important role in our daily life, since is the main medium that satisfies the present human needs to reach long distances in the fastest way. But such benefit doesn’t come free of collateral consequences. It is estimated that each year, only the air transport industry produces 628 mega tonnes of CO2. Therefore, urgently actions need to be implemented considering that the current commercial fleet will be doubled by 2050. The research field for more efficient aircraft systems is a very constructive field; where novel ideas can be exploited towards the mitigation of the coming air transport development. In this research the configuration of the Environmental Control System (ECS) has been analysed aiming to reduce its energy consumption for both, fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. This goal is expected to be achieved mainly through the replacement of the main source of power that supplies the ECS, from pneumatic to electric. Differently from the conventional ECS, a new electric-source technology is integrated in the system configuration to compare its effects on the energy consumption. This new technology doesn’t bleed air directly from the engines; instead of that, it takes the air directly from the atmosphere through the implementation of an electric compressor. This new technology has been implemented by Boeing in one of its most recent airplanes, the B787. Towards achieving the main goal, a framework integrated with five steps has been designed. An algorithmic analysis is integrated on the framework. The first step meets the required aircraft characteristics for the analysis. The second step is in charge of meeting the mission profile characteristics where the overall analysis will be carried out. The third step assesses the conventional ECS penalties. The fourth step carries out a complex analysis for the proposed electric ECS model, from its design up to its penalties assessment. The fifth step compares the analysis results for both, the conventional and the electric models. The fourth step of the framework, which analyses the electric ECS, is considered the most critic one; therefore is divided in three main tasks. Firstly, a small parametric study is done to select an optimum configuration. This task is carried out towards meeting the ECS air conditioning requirements of a selected aircraft. Secondly, the cabin temperature and pressurization are simulated to analyse the response of the configured electric ECS for a mission profile. And finally, the fuel penalties are assessed in terms of system weight, drag and fuel due power-off take. To achieve the framework results, a model which receives the name ELENA has been created using the tool Simulink®. This model contains 5 interconnected modules; each one reads a series of inputs to perform calculations and exchange information with other modules.

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is a time-varying electrical signal that interprets the electrical activity of the heart. It is obtained by a non-invasive technique known as surface electromyography (EMG), used widely in hospitals. There are many clinical contexts in which ECGs are used, such as medical diagnosis, physiological therapy and arrhythmia monitoring. In medical diagnosis, medical conditions are interpreted by examining information and features in ECGs. Physiological therapy involves the control of some aspect of the physiological effort of a patient, such as the use of a pacemaker to regulate the beating of the heart. Moreover, arrhythmia monitoring involves observing and detecting life-threatening conditions, such as myocardial infarction or heart attacks, in a patient. ECG signals are usually corrupted with various types of unwanted interference such as muscle artifacts, electrode artifacts, power line noise and respiration interference, and are distorted in such a way that it can be difficult to perform medical diagnosis, physiological therapy or arrhythmia monitoring. Consequently signal processing on ECGs is required to remove noise and interference signals for successful clinical applications. Existing signal processing techniques can remove some of the noise in an ECG signal, but are typically inadequate for extraction of the weak ECG components contaminated with background noise and for retention of various subtle features in the ECG. For example, the noise from the EMG usually overlaps the fundamental ECG cardiac components in the frequency domain, in the range of 0.01 Hz to 100 Hz. Simple filters are inadequate to remove noise which overlaps with ECG cardiac components. Sameni et al. have proposed a Bayesian filtering framework to resolve these problems, and this gives results which are clearly superior to the results obtained from application of conventional signal processing methods to ECG. However, a drawback of this Bayesian filtering framework is that it must run offline, and this of course is not desirable for clinical applications such as arrhythmia monitoring and physiological therapy, both of which re- quire online operation in near real-time. To resolve this problem, in this thesis we propose a dynamical model which permits the Bayesian filtering framework to function online. The framework with the proposed dynamical model has less than 4% loss in performance compared to the previous (offline) version of the framework. The proposed dynamical model is based on theory from fixed-lag smoothing.