Financial Analysis and Marketing Strategy

A combination of concept (the product portfolio and the product life cycle) and empirical research (the PIMS study) can aid in clarifying the key issues involved in the selection of a firm's core strategies. Strategy control is multistage: periodic re-evaluation of strategy alternatives by use of the marketing audit; an analytical framework for control of chosen strategies by breaking down components and reporting their performance variances; and 'marketing segment' analysis for control of the detailed marketing plan.?     

Knowledge elicitation using more than one expert to cover the same domain

Knowledge elicitation is accepted as being one of the most problematic areas in the creation of a knowledge-based system.A large amount of research has already concentrated on finding more efficient and effective techniques for eliciting knowledge from an individual expert. However, little attention has been given to the involvement of more than one source of expertise in knowledge-based system development.This paper is based on the authors' practical experience gained when developing a knowledge-based system for the conceptual design of bridges. It shows that the use of more than one expert throughout the knowledge elicitation process can improve both the efficiency of the approach and the quality of the knowledge acquired.     

Sensory analysis of polystyrene packaging material taint in cocoa powder for drinks and chocolate flakes

Polystyrene packaging material taint was sensorily evaluated in cocoa powder for drinks and chocolate flakes using short-cut signal detection measures on differences between control and test samples and on recognition of styrene. No differences were observed in cocoa powder for drinks and plain chocolate flakes treated with 0.5 dm2 polystyrene of 1 mm thickness. However, differences were detected in milk chocolate flakes and plain chocolate flakes, which were in contact with a larger area or thicker polystyrene packaging material. The latter results were confirmed by the styrene recognition test, so polystyrene is a potential source of off-flavour for chocolate products. The amount of residual styrene in the polystyrene used was about 320 ppm, while the amounts of styrene ranged from 7 to 132 ppb in cocoa drinks and from 414 to 1447 ppb in chocolate flakes.     

On the uniqueness of some helical flows of a second grade fluid

Summary The uniqueness of some helical flows of a second grade fluid, between two infinite circular cylinders, is proved. Initially, the fluid is at rest and flow is produced by the motion of the cylinders. Finally, the special case of a flow in a circular cylinder is considered.     

Solution of Helmholtz equation by Trefftz method

The application of the Trefftz method for calculating wave forces on offshore structures is presented. Indirect and direct formulations using complete and non-singular systems of Trefftz functions for the Helmholtz equation are posed in this paper. An effective technique using different interpolation functions for the velocity potential and wave force are suggested to improve the computational accuracy of the wave force. The numerical examples show that the present method is highly efficient and accurate.     

Comparison of D.C. and A.C. techniques for the evaluation of inhibitor efficiency in acid corrosion

Five different techniques (analytical determination of dissolved iron, Tafel line extrapolation, linear polarization method, impedance and Faradaic distortion measurements) were used for the evaluation of the inhibiting efficiency of N-decyl-3-hydroxypyridine bromide in 1 M hydrochloric acid solutions. The results obtained with the different methods were found to agree satisfactorily. High inhibiting efficiency value was obtained at 1× 10^?4Mdm^?3 concentration.     

Axial-Field Electrical Machines - Design and Applications

Axial-field electrical machines offer an alternative to the conventional machines. In the axial-field machine, the airgap flux is axial in direction and the active current carrying conductors are radially positioned. This paper presents the design characteristics, special features, manufacturing aspects and potential applications for axial-field electrical machines. The experimental results from several prototypes, including d.c. machines, synchronous machines and single-phase machines are given. The special features of the axial-field machine, such as its planar and adjustable airgap, flat shape, ease of diversification, etc., enable axial-field machines to have distinct advantages over conventional machines in certain applications, especially in special-purpose applications.