Search results

Mercury Communications Ltd has been in existence as a competitor to British Telecom since 1983. In its early life, however, it only provided competition to BT in the form of private circuits — fixed and dedicated point‐to‐point telecomms links. In the spring of 1986, Mercury began to compete for BT's core business — public switched voice traffic. Although Mercury service has been on offer for over two years, it is only now becoming established. In this article we describe the Mercury switched service and in particular focus on the methods you can employ to estimate the cost savings you can realise by using it. Depending on how heavily you use the telephone, where you are located and the types of calls you make, these can vary from almost nothing up to about 30 per cent of your telephone bill.

This case was researched using publicly available sources, including Mercury Systems financial filings and press releases, news stories about the seasoned equity offering, financial information from Bloomberg and industry information from IBISWorld Industry Reports and articles related to seasoned/secondary equity offerings, intangible asset valuation and the use of revolving lines of credit. Quotes are taken from Mercury financial reports and press releases and express the (optimistic) opinions of company executives.

Mercury Systems, a technology company in the aerospace and defense industry, announced a six million share seasoned stock offering in June 2019. This resulted in a 6% stock price decrease. A stock price decrease is a typical event when a firm announces the issuance of new common shares, but with Mercury Systems, there were concerns about how much money the firm needed to fund its strategy of growth through acquisitions. If internally generated funds were not sufficient, should the firm issue debt or have another seasoned equity issue? Students will look at the objectives and success of the most recent seasoned equity issue, determine future funds needs and how the firm should finance these needs.

This case is appropriate for undergraduate and graduate students in corporate finance electives. Typically, topics such as seasoned equity offerings are not covered in introductory courses, so this is recommended for finance electives. Even in advanced finance courses, sometimes there is insufficient time to cover seasoned equity offerings.

Freddie Mercury rose to fame as the lead singer of the UK pop group Queen. The group started working on tracks for their fourteenth studio album, Innuendo, in early 1989, and the album was finally released in February 1991. Progress on recording was slow as Mercury, who had been diagnosed with AIDS, was unable to work for more than a few days at a time. Innuendo became the final Queen album to be released during Mercury’s lifetime, and ‘The Show Must Go On’ is its final track. Its placing is arguably significant, given that both Mercury and the remaining band members must have assumed that this would be the last album that they would record together. In this chapter, I present an analysis of the song’s music and lyrics, along with the music video that accompanied the single release, with reference to Mercury’s illness and his wish to contribute vocals for as long as he possibly could, knowing the seriousness of his condition meant that this would be one of his last recordings.

Minamata disease was first officially recognized in May 1956. Its earliest victims were small children. Environmental contamination most rapidly and seriously affected the physiologically weak among the residents. However, the outbreak of the disease in humans was preceded by abnormalities in the natural environment such as massive death of fish and shellfish, and the abnormal behavior and death of cats. It used to be considered that poisoning was caused by direct exposure to a toxic substance, and that toxic substances did not pass the placenta. Minamata disease is an indirect poisoning by methyl mercury through the food chain as a result of environmental contamination, and is the first known disease to cause abnomalities in the fetus due to a toxic agent passing through the placenta. Minamata disease, therefore, had implications in various fields. Namely it also stirred up legal, ethical, and eugenic arguments concerning fetal protection. This report reviews the course of Minamata disease, and evaluates its impacts. “Minamata Studies” has three intellectual and scientific missions to change the social systems that caused the disease; to pursue environmental justice; and to explore the possibility of an environment that permits coexistence not only of all humans, but of all living things.

Purpose – This chapter examines the literature on the dangers of methylmercury exposure and the 2004 Food and Drug Administration/Environmental Protection Agency (FDA/EPA) Advisory on fish consumption. It analyzes the extent to which particular groups of people living in the United States are vulnerable to toxic food consumption and the extent to which the advisories put them at risk.

Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a review of the literature related to methylmercury. In addition, they used archival information from government documents. They also analyzed the fish advisories and educational information posted on websites of each state's Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.

Findings – Methylmercury is a potent neurotoxin that can seriously affect fetal brain growth and development. Although the federal government promotes canned tuna as an inexpensive, beneficial protein source, recent reports indicate that a large proportion of America's favorite fish contains unsafe levels of methylmercury. Populations at risk for overconsumption include minorities and low-income groups, particularly recipients of federal subsidies such as WIC.

Practical implications – The FDA uses a “nuanced” message to offer consumers information about both the risks and benefits of eating fish. However, the advisory is not widely distributed and information on mercury levels in fish is not available at the point of sale. Minority populations are less likely to be aware of fish advisories and to change consumption habits. Thus, the target population remains largely uninformed and possibly misled about the risks and benefits of eating canned tuna.

Social implications – Based on new data, the federal government should recognize mercury as a hazard, update its consumption guidelines, and better monitor the mercury content in canned tuna. Outreach and educational programs should target minority and at-risk groups. The authors recommend an alternative precautionary approach in dealing with the health threats posed by methylmercury in tuna fish.

This paper furthers research into the potential contribution of pollutant databases for corporate accountability. We evaluate the quality of corporate and government mercury reporting via the Australian National Pollutant Inventory (NPI), which underpins Australia's reporting under the Minamata Convention, a global agreement to reduce mercury pollution.

The qualitative characteristics of accounting information are used as a theoretical frame to analyse ten interviews with thirteen interviewees as well as 54 submissions to the 2018 governmental enquiry into the NPI.

While Australian mercury accounting using the NPI is likely sufficient to meet the expected Minamata reporting requirements (especially in comparison to developing countries), we find significant limitations in relation to comparability, accuracy, timeliness and completeness. These limitations primarily relate to government (as opposed to industry) deficiencies, caused by insufficient funding. The findings suggest that multiple factors are required to realise the potential of pollutant databases for corporate accountability, including appropriate rules, ideological commitment and resourcing

The provision of additional funding would enable the NPI to be considerably improved (for mercury as well as other pollutants), particularly in relation to the measurement and reporting of emissions from diffuse sources.

Whilst there have been prior reviews of the NPI, none have focused on mercury, whilst conversely prior studies which have discussed mercury information have not focused on the NPI. In addition, no prior NPI studies have utilised interviews nor have engaged directly with NPI regulators. There has been little prior engagement with pollutant databases in social and environmental accounting (SEA) research.

Mercury is widely used in medical and healthcare facilities as dental amalgam, mercury-added medical devices, thiomersal-containing vaccines, laboratory analysis and for other general applications despite the hazards. Various agencies consistently promote mercury-free medical facilities through mercury-free alternatives and better management practices, which are in line with the Minamata Convention on Mercury that aims to protect human health and environment from anthropogenic mercury release. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The authors conducted a gap analysis on recommended practices gathered from the literature and current practices gathered through semi-structured interviews with Malaysian medical personnel. A life cycle approach was adopted covering mercury use: input, storage, handling, accident, waste disposal and governance phases.

The authors found that there are significant gaps between recommended and current mercury management practices. Analysis indicates improper mercury management as the main contributor to these gaps. The authors found from recommended practices that core components needing improvement include: mercury management action plan, mercury use identification team, purchasing policy, proper guidelines and monitoring systems.

This study helps us to understand mercury management practices and suggests essential steps to establish a mercury-free medical facility.

This study explored the gaps between recommended and current mercury management practices in a medical facility and contributes to the Minamata Convention on Mercury aspirations.

How does venture capital (VC) emerge in emerging and developing economies? This paper aims to use case data from an early Russian VC fund to extend a previous model exploring that question.

Case studies of VC emergence from South Africa, Botswana, and Russia are compared, from which a conceptual model is developed.

VC emerges in a process consisting of four stages: enabling, coproducing, diffusing, and replicating. The Russian case shows that these stages are linked in a circular process, i.e. replicating can lead to enabling. VC emergence can also begin at any stage. A higher degree of public‐private coproduction may outweigh the absence of a completed enabling stage, suggesting that strength in one stage can compensate for weakness in others.

This paper invites scholars to reconsider VC emergence in a more nuanced manner that takes into account its complex, processual nature. The inclusion of Russian data also encourages researchers to examine more closely the subtle ways in which the private and public sectors may interact in emerging markets in pursuit of common goals. This study's findings have important linkages with other critical accounts of international business. The study addresses weaknesses in earlier literature by employing a multi‐disciplinary, cross‐context approach that utilizes data from a foreign VC investing in Russian small to medium‐sized enterprises.

VCs considering investment in Russia should examine how early entrants to the industry formed cooperative relationships with local governments. Policymakers should re‐examine the relative importance of national and local efforts to promote VC and other innovation‐related initiatives in emerging markets.

This study moves beyond current economics‐dominated understanding of VC, which focuses on antecedents (enabling conditions). It reports the central role of public‐private coproduction in VC emergence, the feedback between diffusion and coproduction in emergence, and, most importantly, the diminished importance of enabling conditions. This paper presents the first fund‐level study of Russian VC.

This information will be useful in the selection of materials and technology for the detection and removal of mercury ions at a low cost and with high sensitivity and selectivity. The purpose of this study is to provide the useful information for selection of materials and technology to detect and remove the mercury ions from water with high sensitivity and selectivity. The purpose of this study is to provide the useful information for selection of materials and technology to detect and remove the mercury ions from water with high sensitivity and selectivity.

Different nano- and bio-materials allowed for the development of a variety of biosensors – colorimetric, chemiluminescent, electrochemical, whole-cell and aptasensors – are described. The materials used for their development also make it possible to use them in removing heavy metals, which are toxic contaminants, from environmental water samples.

This review focuses on different technologies, tools and materials for mercury (heavy metals) detection and remediation to environmental samples.

This review gives up-to-date and systemic information on modern nanotechnology methods for heavy metal detection. Different recognition molecules and nanomaterials have been discussed for remediation to water samples. The present review may provide valuable information to researchers regarding novel mercury ions detection sensors and encourage them for further research/development.

Summarizes some of the most relevant toxicological aspects from the UNEP/IRPTC′s Scientific Reviews of Soviet Literature on Toxicity and Hazards of Chemicals, No. 117 Organomercury compounds, Geneva/Moscow 1990, and outlines their uses and environmental fate and pathways in a number of species and matrices. Of special interest are the toxic effects during pregnancy and to nursing mothers and their offsprings. Effects upon farm animals, foodstuffs, building facrics are indicated, together with recommendations for their prohibition. Their persistence in the environment is stressed.