Competition in Marketing： Survival Yardstick for Small and Medium Enterprises （SMEs） in Nigeria

The topic investigated competition in marketing as a survival yardstick for small and medium enterprises （SMEs） in Nigeria. The objectives addressed by this study were： （1） identifying different types and intensity of competition that SMEs are exposed to along the life-cycle portfolio in Nigeria; （2） quantifying the strength of SMEs vis-a-vis some foreign enterprises in terms of market competition; and （3） proffering solutions on how best they could match competitively these foreign enterprises. Relevant models and theories were employed in literature to evolve detailed analysis of issues relating to the variables used in terms of competition in marketing and survival of juice-producing SMEs. Two hypotheses were investigated through the survey of 20 prominent Ikeja based SMEs using Cluster sampling, 5-points Likert summated rating scale was adopted, while Yard＇s formula with 95% confidence level and 5% error tolerance was used. Alternative form validity of the instrument was measured at 0.63 while its reliability was measured at Cronbach＇s alpha of 0.70. Pearson＇s product-moment correlation was used in testing hypothesis 1 while standard multiple regressions were used to test hypothesis 2. Findings revealed that there was strong relationship between survival of juice-producing SMEs with forms of competition on a firm＇s life-cycle; while competition had positive effects on survival components for the enterprises. It was concluded that since competition subsists in any firm＇s life-cycle, strategies to support operations for survival must be adopted. It was recommended that operators of SMEs have to monitor and manage competition as it affects their businesses positively and/or negatively.     

Evaluating cost center productivity

The monthly and yearly productivity summaries were developed and applied to a computer spreadsheet to aid the nurse manager in better understanding and communicating budget issues for diverse ambulatory care departments. A computerized spreadsheet using a commercially available personal computer program, such as Lotus, Quattro Pro, or Excel, can be used to more quickly and accurately track and summarize monthly budget reports. The data can be entered into the spreadsheet either manually or imported by query from the financial mainframe system. Contact your agency's finance or information department for information on how to accomplish this. Periodically acuity and resources should be measured and compared with quality monitors to maintain standards. For the past 10 years, our facility has successfully used this tool to make more informed decisions by identifying trouble spots early, and taking corrective action to avoid crisis management.     

危险废弃物及其对评估的影响问题新探

尽管在现实生活中,危险废弃物或污染影响了不动产的市场价值,但关于一项现存的判例的评论指出:当基于税收目的时,法院在衡量其对价值的影响程度方面,仍存在一定困难。这个困难反映了一项隐含的公共政策——污染者不应该获得奖励。公共政策认为,如果允许污染者的应税市场价值因污染而得到一定的扣除,财政负担就会转移给其他无辜的纳税人,这从道义上讲是不道德的。     

Predicting nurses' organizational and professional identification: the effect of nursing roles, professional autonomy, and supportive communication

Recruiting and retaining qualified nursing staff is of growing importance to today's hospital and nurse leaders. Findings from a survey completed by 190 RNs at a major teaching hospital revealed that nursing roles, professional autonomy, and supportive communication were differentially related to the nurses' organizational and professional identification. Professional autonomy was by far the strongest predictor of nurse identification, followed by manager and co-worker support. Co-worker support and traditional nursing roles predicted nurse professional identification, but neither traditional nor collaborative roles predicted nurses' identification with their organization. Communication strategies intended to help executives retain qualified nursing staff are presented.     

再生能源的摩尔定律

在过去的50年里,每一美元产生的计算能力不断飞速提升,推动了IT技术的指数级增长。同样,在能源行业里,也能产生如此效应。     

压光对纸张表面性能的影响

纸张压光是一道工业整饰工序,它可以提高纸张表面的平滑度,改善其光泽度和印刷适性。本文讨论了压光对微观和宏观尺度上纸张粗糙度的影响以及这种表面改性与纤维形态之间的关系。实验原料为两种不同的纤维以及它们的混合物,采用光学轮廓仪表征纸张表面的性能。实验结果表明,在所测定的尺度范围内,压光均可以改善纸张的表面性能,通过简单的比例转换后,这些变化具有相关性,这一结果也适用于由混合纤维抄造的纸张。