36 research outputs found
Exploration of a medieval African map (Aksum, Ethiopia) : how do historical maps fit with topography?
No full textAssessing Competitor Strategic Business Units with the Competitor Analysis Package
No full textThe Web-based Competitor Analysis Package enables competing participant teams to assess the strength of each element of the marketing mix for one or more strategic business units (SBUs) of one or more competitors during each decision period. This decision support package extracts the EPS of each competing firm, together with the price, quality, advertising media budget and copy used for each of the nine SBUs, as well as regional salesforce size, salary and commission for each company from the simulation results. Users can configure the package to analyze one or more SBUs of one or more competitors. The package ranks and color-codes each element of the marketing mix for the selected SBUs and competitors, and can be used to evaluate specific SBUs of specific competitors, implement the external analysis component of SWOT analysis, and/or develop a comprehensive strategic market plan
Repositioning Brands with the Web-Based Product Positioning Map Graphics Package
No full textThe Web-based Product Positioning Map (PPM) Version 2.0 graphics package enables competing participant teams to generate product positioning maps for each of their nine strategic business units (SBUs) based on simulation results for each decision period. Participants can selectively generate product positioning maps for competing brands for the current period and brand trajectories for every period, every two periods, or every four periods till the current period. Next, participants use sample VALS2 data to identify potential heavy-user segments and to study their VALS psychographic profiles and purchase motivations. Then, they supplement the psychographic profiles with purchase and media behavior information based on external research, decide whether the target segments are price-, quality- or value-conscious, and reposition their brands relative to competing brands through appropriate marketing strategies. Based on reviewer feedback, an online survey of participants at the end of the Fall 2012 semester revealed that the PPM Version 2.0 Package is easy to use and helpful in identifying the current position of each of their SBUs relative to competitor brands. Participants indicated that the PPM Package adds substantial value to their Strategic Market Planning and Marketing Strategy learning experience
Implementing Marketing Control with the Web-Based Profitability Analysis Package
No full textThe Web-based Profitability Analysis Package enables competing participant teams to learn, identify and assess the underlying reasons for profitability or loss of each strategic business unit (SBU) within their brand portfolio during each decision period. This decision support package (a) extracts and presents the earnings per share of each competing firm as well as the main components of revenues and expenses for each SBU of each of the competing firms from the simulation results, and (b) identifies and flags the antecedents of each determinant of revenues and/or expenditures for each SBU. Competing participant teams use this package to exercise marketing control. The package enables users to monitor performance, identify deviations, understand the underlying reasons, take corrective action and thereby exercise marketing control
Improving Profitability Via Cost Control With The Cost Of Production Performance Package
No full textThe Web-based Cost of Production Performance Package ena-bles competing participant teams to improve company profita-bility through cost control. They assess the underlying reasons for any increase in the cost of production for each product with-in their brand portfolio during each decision period. This deci-sion support package (a) extracts and presents industry R&D expenditures on cost of production reduction through process improvement, company market share, company and industry shipments, and company ending inventory and overtime produc-tion in units for each product from the simulation results, and (b) identifies the antecedents of the cost of production for each product. Competing participant teams use this package to exer-cise marketing control. They set cost of production goals, moni-tor performance, identify deviations, understand the underlying reasons, take corrective action and thereby exercise marketing control
The Performance Evaluation of Hedge Funds: Are Investors Mislead by Standard Mean-Variance Statistics?
No full textIn this paper we show that hedge fund returns may suffer from excess smoothness, positive kurtosis and negative skewness. We argue that these distribution properties cause standard mean-variance statistics to underestimate the true variability and beta, and overrate the true performance. We discuss alternatives that do take into account excess smoothness, kurtosis and skewness, such as unsmoothed returns, summed betas and VaR modifications based on the Cornish-Fisher expansion. We conclude that the investor is, partly, mislead by standard mean-variance statistics as the performance of the hedge funds under consideration turns out to be significantly lower if higher moments and excess smoothness are taken into account. We end with a short digression on the hidden risks of hedge funds that are, to our knowledge, not taken into account by any performance model at the moment.hedge funds; performance evaluation; skewness; kurtosis; modified Value-at Risk; Cornish-Fisher
Interactive Online Positioning With the Web-based Product Positioning Map Graphics Package
No full textThe Web-based Product Positioning Map (PPM) graphics package is an interactive online market segmentation analysis and positioning package that enables competing participant teams in the marketing simulation COMPETE to apply their knowledge of market segmentation analysis and positioning in strategic market planning. Participants with Web-access can use this package on a 24x7 basis to perform market segmentation analysis and positioning of their own brands relative to the brand positions of their competitors. This package enables participants to generate customized product positioning map graphic displays and to download and use them in their team reports and presentations at the end of the semester. They can create sophisticated build PowerPoint presentations to illustrate their own brand trajectories and the brand trajectories of their major competitors, as they cover the market segmentation analysis and positioning of their brands. This package facilitates the integration of computers, the Internet and the World Wide Web into the marketing curriculum
Predominance of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus -ST88 and New ST1797 causing Wound Infection and Abscesses.
No full textAlthough there has been a worldwide emergence and spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), little is known about the molecular epidemiology of MRSA in Tanzania. In this study, we characterized MRSA strains isolated from clinical specimens at the Bugando Medical Centre, Tanzania, between January and December 2008. Of 160 S. aureus isolates from 600 clinical specimens, 24 (15%) were found to be MRSA. Besides molecular screening for the Panton Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes by PCR, MRSA strains were further characterized by Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) and spa typing. Despite considerable genetic diversity, the spa types t690 (29.1%) and t7231 (41.6%), as well as the sequence types (ST) 88 (54.2%) and 1797 (29.1%), were dominant among clinical isolates. The PVL genes were detected in 4 isolates; of these, 3 were found in ST 88 and one in ST1820. Resistance to erythromycin, clindamicin, gentamicin, tetracycline and co-trimoxazole was found in 45.8%, 62.5%, 41.6%, 45.8% and 50% of the strains, respectively. We present the first thorough typing of MRSA at a Tanzanian hospital. Despite considerable genetic diversity, ST88 was dominant among clinical isolates at the Bugando Medical Centre. Active and standardized surveillance of nosocomial MRSA infection should be conducted in the future to analyse the infection and transmission rates and implement effective control measures
Genetic and Morphological Variation of Belgian <i>Cyperus esculentus</i> L. Clonal Populations and Their Significance for Integrated Management
No full textCyperus esculentus is an invasive troublesome neophyte in many arable crops across the globe. Analysis of the genetic and morphological profile of local C. esculentus clonal populations may be useful in explaining differential herbicide sensitivity found among distinct clonal populations and spatial distribution patterns. In this study, 35 Belgian C. esculentus clonal populations, evenly spread across the entire infestation area (30,689 km2) and covering a great diversity of farm and soil types, and hydrological and environmental conditions, were genetically characterized using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) profiling. These clonal populations were also grouped into different morphological clusters using data from shoot, tuber, and inflorescence number, fresh tuber biomass, individual fresh tuber weight, and number of germinable seeds collected in three consecutive years. Of the 271 AFLP markers, 207 were polymorphic. The gene diversity among clonal populations was 0.331 and three genetically distinct clusters were identified. Depending on observation year, clonal populations were grouped in four to five morphologically distinct clusters that closely aligned with the genetic clusters. The genetically distinct clusters differed in their geographical distribution pattern and range as well as in their morphological characteristics. Clonal populations belonging to clusters with broad distribution ranges produced numerous viable seeds. Clusters with clonal populations that produced large tubers were less widespread than the cluster with clonal populations producing many small tubers. The results suggest that tuber size, tuber number, and fecundity may all play an important role in the spread of C. esculentus. Morphotyping may be very useful in designing effective preventive and curative C. esculentus management strategies
Interactive Online Strategic Market Planning With the Web-Based Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix Graphics Package
No full textThe Web-based Boston Consulting Group (BCG) package is an interactive online strategic market planning package that enables competing participant teams in the marketing simulation COMPETE to apply their knowledge of Product Portfolio Analysis developed by the Boston Consulting Group in strategic market planning. Participants with Web-access can use this package on a 24x7 basis to perform static, comparative static and dynamic analyses of their own product portfolios and the product portfolios of their competitors. This package enables participants to generate customized BCG graphic displays and to download and use them in their team reports and presentations at the end of the semester. They can create sophisticated build PowerPoint presentations to illustrate their own brand trajectories and the brand trajectories of their major competitors, as they cover the strategic analysis of the product portfolio. This package facilitates the integration of computers, the Internet and the World Wide Web into the marketing curriculum
