Purpose - To analyze the relationship between supply chain management maturity, supply chain performance and financial performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME:s).Design/methodology/approach - The data comprises 15 SME:s that participated in a local logistic study in Gävleborgs län. The levels of supply chain mature within these firms were based upon an interview study and the financial performance of the firms was then examined using financial reports-based data.Findings -The results of this study indicate that there is a strong relationship between SCM maturity and SC performance in SMEs, some relationships between SCM maturity and financial performance, as well as some relationships between SC performance and financial performance. This means that if firms use maturity indicators in the SCOR areas to improve their processes, they will most likely achieve a positive effect on supply chain performance and probably also on financial performance. The result implies that the supply chain maturities in these firms are higher than expected with no one at the adHoc level.While this study is based on a rather small number of participating firms, it would be valuable to further test the significance of the indicated correlations between SCM maturity and performance in a large-scale survey.Research limitations/Implications - The research is an attempt to understand supply chain maturity and it´s implication on financial performance. Developing supply chain maturity is an opportunity for a company to gain superior performance.

In light of the current debate on gender equality and behavioral finance, the study aims to describe whether gender differences in financial stock picking can be explained by the different multiples found within the Value Investing Theory. Furthermore, the study aims to determine which of the four portfolios, value, growth, male or female, that has had the strongest return. The results suggest that there is an association between female and value stocks as well as between male and growth stocks. Out of the four portfolios, the value and female portfolio were on average the best performers with abnormal returns..

In this literature review the characteristics of two free-floating macrophytes, water hyacinth   (Eichhornia crassipes) and duckweed (Lemna sp.), and two microalgae, Chlorella and Scenedesmus, have been examined regarding their suitability as efficient nutrient removers in the treatment of wastewater with high levels of nutrients and suspended solids from a biogas plant in Loudden. The needs required for the plants to be able to grow in wastewater and the amounts of biomass they can produce have also been studied. The results show that Chlorella is capable of a very high uptake of nutrients in photobioreactors with high nutrient loadings. With an ammonia uptake maximum value at 10900mg/m2/d Chlorella outshines the other organisms in this study. The test organism that performed the closest to Chlorella in terms of nitrogen uptake was water hyacinth with an uptake about 1602mg/m2/d.

A survey was undertaken to understand sheep management, breeding practices and selection criteria for Red Maasai sheep in Maasai pastoralist communities in Kajiado District, Kenya. Differences between North and South Kajiado District were investigated to gain knowledge about farmers having different prerequisites and how it can affect the sheep production. The reason for keeping sheep and the specific breeds show the multiple objectives of the Maasai farmers. Adaptive traits, such as resistance to diseases and droughts, and productive traits, such as increased growth and carcass weight, were both ranked highly. In addition to this, the sheep has a social and traditional value in Maasai culture.

Travelling All Inclusive implicate that a traveler goes on a trip where food, beverage, room and sometimes activities are included as everything is already paid in advance. The purpose with this study is to examine what it is that have motivated people to travel All Inclusive and to examine how people and travel companies reason about the possible economical effect All Inclusive have on a destination and a local population. We chose to conduct a survey over Facebook. As a complement to the survey and to find out how travel companies reflect on All Inclusives effects, we chose to implement email interviews with Ticket, Solresor and Airtours. The theories in this study focus on travel motivation, travel personalities and All Inclusive's impact on a destination and a local population.

Modeprodukter har en mycket kort livslängd och modebranschen förändras snabbt. Tiden är därför essentiell och utgör en betydelsefull konkurrensfaktor. Genom att reducera tid i försörjningskedjan kan ett företag vinna marknadsandelar samt höja sin lönsamhet. RFID är en teknik som kan användas för att reducera tid samt förbättra logistiska processer i försörjningskedjor. Trots att denna teknik har börjat spridas, används den generellt inte hos svenska modeföretag.

Emissions of radionuclides to the atmosphere can lead to wet deposition on plants in the event of rainfall. An increased level of radioactivity in the plants may occur due to interception and retention of the radionuclides. If the content of the plants is above the threshold limit value, entire yields may have to be destroyed. In order to prevent contamination or decrease the content countermeasures can be taken. The impact of the biomass, leaf area index (LAI) and growth stage of the plant on the interception and retention is important to know in order to decide which countermeasures to use. Weather may also be an important factor. In this work the interception and retention of 134Cs and 85Sr by spring wheat, ley and spring oil-seed rape was studied.

Background ? The last 20 years healthcare has been facing increased demands on efficiency and increased customer satisfaction. This despite reduced resources and increasing demand. These demands are presents in all departments within healthcare organisations, including medical laboratories that currently receive an ever-increasing number of remittances. Laboratory flows are quickly becoming overloaded with samples and related materials.

The purpose of this master?s thesis is to study resource allocation among district libraries within Stockholm?s City Library (SSB) on three different occasions ? 1996, 2001 and 2005 ? and to examine whether there exist any inconsistency between the state of the allocation of resources and what might be considered reasonable. During the course of the study, it became apparent that some measurements are more relevant than others when determining whether the allocation of resources is reasonably fair. The most relevant ratio is the share of net cost per capita in relation to population and the population?s composition of children, youngsters and persons with foreign background as a result of relevant political governing documents giving priority to these three groups.

It has become fairly common for a company to outsource one or several of its logistic activities to a party separate from the business of the company itself. Since the original agreement usually involves two parties, the seller and the buyer, the logistics company is called the third party. The relationship between the outsourcing company and the third party varies in form and in depth but can sometimes be very close, almost to be considered a joint venture. When the co-operation between the two parties includes more than just one separate logistic service and the third party adapts its business to a certain extent to his principals needs, it constitutes third party logistics. If the logistics company, or a party employed by it, becomes insolvent when having the entrusted goods in his possession questions may arise concerning the right to the property.

Emissions of radionuclides to the atmosphere can lead to wet deposition on plants in theevent of rainfall. An increased level of radioactivity in the plants may occur due tointerception and retention of the radionuclides. If the content of the plants is above thethreshold limit value, entire yields may have to be destroyed. In order to preventcontamination or decrease the content countermeasures can be taken. The impact of thebiomass, leaf area index (LAI) and growth stage of the plant on the interception andretention is important to know in order to decide which countermeasures to use.Weather may also be an important factor.In this work the interception and retention of 134Cs and 85Sr by spring wheat, ley andspring oil-seed rape was studied.

Picropodophyllin (PPP) is an analogue of the anti tumour lignan podophyllotoxin with the unique ability to selectively inhibit the receptor of Insulin like growth factor 1(IGF-1). IGF-1 is believed to play an important part in development of the endometrium facing implantation. With PPP treated mice, studies can be made to measure gene expression from tissue of both treated and untreated mice to compare the role of IGF-1 regarding ovulation, implantation and receptivity. The aim of this study was to analyze gene expression of some steroid hormone receptors and cytokines in ovaries from mice treated with PPP. In this study, seven mice were treated with PPP at different times and tissue was collected.

International Marine Group, IMG AB, was established in year 2000, and became the parent company of the three sister companies, Momec AB, Isolamin AB and Premec AB. The IMG ? group supplies complete marine/offshore interior accommodation and tailor-made system supplies to the Building/Industrial sector. With a starting point to develop IMG AB?s logistic and distribution the company has decided to survey the present logistic at their subsidiaries, mainly concentrated on the goods for delivery.

The resting area is the most important place in the barn for the dairy cow, sometimes called the heart of the free stall system. Inadequate design of the lying area, and lack of or poor quality of bedding materials may reduce the hygiene of the stall. Poor management regarding the cleanliness of the resting area may lead to poor animal hygiene and increased bacterial growth. This in turn will lead to increased risk for environmental mastitis as well as impairing milk quality through contamination with spores. In this literature study the most commonly used bedding materials; straw, sawdust, wood shavings, clean sand, recycled sand, peat and recycled manure solids, are compared to one another with regards to their ability to resist bacterial growth. Effects of adding hydrated lime to bedding materials have also been studied. Most bacteria need humidity and prefer a quite high water activity to be able to grow.

Given the current geopolitical situation in Europe and the upcoming election for the European Parliament, it is important to further analyse individuals? attitudes towards European integration, specifically the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). This analysis aims to gain a deeper understanding of individuals attitude towards CSDP. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyse which factors that plays a leading role in influencing individuals? attitude towards CSDP.