Abstract
In recent years, the ISO 9000 standard has experienced an extraordinary success. The number of certifications is still increasing worldwide and it is expected that this trend will last. In fact, ISO 9000 certification has become an important factor for doing business in the global market. However, there are many contradictory opinions regarding the real benefits of ISO registration. This paper contributes to this debate by empirically investigating the impact on the Portuguese stock market of achieving ISO 9000 certification. The analysis is based on the event study methodology. The findings suggest that the market positively anticipates the event. A favourable effect is also detected in achieving an early registration within the relevant sector or industry. A financial performance analysis covering a 5-year period centred on the year of the ISO 9000 certification was also carried out. The results suggest that the ISO 9000 certification have a powerful cost effect, decreasing the operating performance and the profitability in the year following the certification. Apparently, companies need one more year to recover those costs.

Abstract
Very little is known about the promotion objectives of small firms. In particular, do differences in promotional campaigns warrant a different set of promotion objectives, and how effective were these objectives? Are there differences in the use of promotion objectives amongst retailers with different national background, but within the same retail category? To address these questions, we questioned 287 clothing and shoe retailers in New Zealand, 161 in Portugal and 328 in Hungary. Retailers were asked questions about the following: (a) what was their most recent promotion campaign; (b) what were the objectives of their recent promotion campaign; (c) how successful was their recent promotion campaign; (d) how has their particular market share changed in the past 12 months; and (e) what fraction of their stock was markdown and what was the average percentage markdown. We then extended the analysis by contrasting the promotion objectives, market share and stock markdown of successful with unsuccessful campaigns. Again the results indicated some significant variations. These results have ramifications for the small firms' advertising strategies across countries, with an emphasis on the objectives of stock clearance and attracting new customers. A major finding was the cross-cultural differences across the three countries studied, mainly reflecting the different stages of economic development.

Abstract
In this paper it is presented a three-step technique for on-line contingency screening, ranking and transient stability assessment based on a hybrid method. This efficient and robust approach combines the advantages of the time domain integration schemes to compute the initial system trajectory with the equal area criterion. The computer programs developed by the authors were integrated in the software package TRANsySTEM. In order to validate the established mathematical models as well as the software package, the transient stability of the New England test power network was studied. The results obtained with the hybrid formulation were compared with the solutions produced by a time domain simulation program and show a very close agreement. Consequently, the proposed technique classifies correctly, without any dangerous diagnostic or false alarm, all the analysed situations. In addition, this approach provides the transient stability margins as well as the critical machines of the severe contingencies, therefore enabling further design of corrective security actions. Finally, some conclusions that provide a valuable contribution to the understanding of the transient stability assessment of a multimachine power system are pointed out.

Abstract
PROFIBUS is an international standard (IEC 61158) for factory-floor communications, with some hundreds of thousands of world-wide installations. However, it does not include any wireless capabilities. In this paper we propose a hybrid wired/wireless PROFIBUS solution where most of the design options are made in order to guarantee the proper real-time behaviour of the overall network. We address the timing unpredictability problems placed by the co-existence of heterogeneous transmission media in the same network. Moreover, we propose a novel solution to provide inter-cell mobility to PROFIBUS wireless nodes.

Abstract
We present and demonstrate a 20 nm tunable L-band fiber ring laser. Tunability is achieved by curving a simple taper which controls the intra-cavity loss.

Abstract
We present what we believe to be a novel miniaturized sensor configuration based on fiber Bragg gratings for simultaneous measurement of curvature and temperature in smart structures and composite materials. Because of the particular geometry of the sensing head, it is possible not only to measure the radius of curvature but also to determine the plane of curvature. We arrange three Bragg gratings in the vertices of the smallest equilateral triangle that can be defined by the cross sections of the fibers. The set is then inserted into a glue-filled capillary stainless-steel tube to provide both suitable protection for the Bragg sensors and rotational symmetry to the sensing head. This tube also ensures isolation from axial strain, allowing for the additional determination of temperature. The proposed sensing head is particularly well suited for applications in smart structures because it can be embedded along any layer of a composite material (including the neutral line) without special concern for the relative orientation of the Bragg gratings and the composite layers. We can also use this sensing configuration to implement more-sophisticated sensors dedicated, for example, to the measurement of multiaxial acceleration or flow and temperature. (C) 2002 Optical Society of America.