Hospital safeguards capital program through private sector partnership.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, J; Lungo, A; Bobrow, M

1984-02-01

As access to capital tightens, more hospitals are exploring the benefits of partnerships with private companies. A California hospital, burdened by the long-term debt it incurred for a medical office building, worked together with its medical staff and an outside real estate developer. By selling the building to the developer, not only was the hospital able to finance a much-needed expansion and reconstruction project, but the hospital's medical staff had an opportunity to become limited partners in the ownership of the building.

How do private entrepreneurs transform local social capital into economic capital? Four case studies from rural Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svendsen, Gunnar Lind Haase; Kjeldsen, Chris; Noe, Egon

2010-01-01

In economic sociology, Bourdieu’s neo-capital theory (Bourdieu, 1986) has regularly been applied by sociologists, who reject the rational action theory (Anheier et al., 1995). However, we claim that Bourdieu’s key finding that forms of tangible and intangible capital (e.g. physical, economic......, social, symbolic) are being perpetually accumulated and converted by individuals can best be explained within a rational action framework. This framework should be seen as modified by specific social structures (Coleman, 1988) and, hence, characterized by uncertainty and risky investments....... Methodologically, we think that the ‘laws of conversion’ (Bourdieu, 1986:252-255) can best be observed at the micro level, by analyzing specific strings of capital conversion in time and space. Therefore, drawing on in-depth interviews with four private entrepreneurs in rural Denmark we try to analyze rational...

Corporate Governance and Intellectual Capital: Evidence from Public and Private Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Wahid, Akma Hidayu Dol Abdu; Abu, Nor Asyiqin; Latif, Wannoraini Abdul; Smith, Malcolm

2013-01-01

This study was conducted to examine the perception of academics towards intellectual capital (IC) and governance practice at two Malaysian universities: University A (a Public University) and University B (a Private University). It also examines the factors which contribute to the retention of qualified academics and the relationship between…

NEW REGULATION OF PRIVATE EQUITY AND VENTURE CAPITAL FUNDS AND OPEN QUESTIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suzana Audić Vuletić

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This article provides an analysis of the new regulation of private equity and venture capital funds which are in Croatian law regulated by Alternative Investment Funds Act and ordinances. These funds can offer their units only via private offering to primarily professional, i.e. qualifying investors. They invest mostly in shares and units of companies, including both companies in early (start-ups and in later stage of business. For the companies in which they invest, these funds are very signifi cant as they can provide capital for even small entrepreneurs which could not obtain fi nancing from traditional sources (e. g. banks. This article analyzes investment transactions between private equity (further in text: PE and venture capital (further in text: VC funds and the company in which they invest (portfolio company. PE and VC funds represent a new segment in the Croatian capital market which is still developing and whose potential is yet to be fully recognized. PE and VC funds are not regulated on the EU level. However, managers of AIFs, including PE and VC funds are under certain conditions. Authors shall analyze these legal sources, both on the EU and on the domestic level, with emphasis on the regulation of managers of AIFs when they acquire controlling stake in non-listed companies and issuers, which is of special interest to PE and VC funds due to their investment techniques. In that light, authors question if there is a mechanism which ensures that PE and VC funds act as a socially responsible shareholders/unitholders in portfolio companies (public accountability of the managers of AIFs. If so, authors argue the existence of possible confl ict of interest, as it is not clear in whose interest should managers of PE and VC funds act: in the interest of their investors or in the interest of the portfolio company.

Investment criteria of private equity/venture capital funds and financial performance of companies before initial investment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zbigniew Drewniak

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Understanding and recognizing of the investment criteria of private equity/venture capital seems to be crucial for all parties of this market. Entrepreneurs, who are looking for the capital for financing their businesses, can easier find the most proper fund and better formulate their expectations. For the funds, specifying theirs investment criteria is the reflection of the investment strategy leading to its better wording. The fund's investmentcriteriaare also importantfor investors - capital donors. First of allthey wantto knowin whattypes of assetswill be investedtheirfunds. That can help to assess the risk involved in the investment and calculate the expected rate of return. In addition topresentation ofthe investment criteriaof private equity/venture capital funds, thepaper refers to thecompany's financialsituationbefore investments. That draw the company profile, the funds are most interested to invest. The turnover, net profit, profitability ratios and liquidity were analyzed to specify this profile.

(Net)Working out: social capital in a private health club.

Science.gov (United States)

Crossley, Nick

2008-09-01

In Bowling Alone Robert Putnam considers the possibility that the growth of private health clubs and the rising rates of membership to such clubs might represent a counter-trend to his thesis on the decline in social capital. In this paper I explore this idea using ethnographic data and social network analysis. I show both that and how networks form in health clubs and I discuss the ways in which these networks constitute social capital for their members. In addition, however, I explore the 'dark side' of this form of social capital. I argue that high integration amongst some members of a fitness class can generate a power differential between those members and other, less integrated members who experience this negatively. Furthermore, with an eye on Burt's (2005) important thesis on brokerage and closure, I argue that brokerage between relatively closed clusters of agents can lead to inter-group rivalry and conflict, which, in turn, is experienced negatively by those involved.

Managing Debt and Capital Investments: A Toolbox for Private Colleges and Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Townsley, Michael K.

2008-01-01

All private colleges and universities make strategic capital investments and consider the use of debt to fund those investments. From the commonplace purchase of photocopiers to the construction of new academic buildings or dormitories, investment decisions that yield long-term financial benefits must follow on the heels of careful analysis. To…

Private Equity Capital in a Less Developed Economy: Evidence, Issues and Perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melusi Mpofu

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the structure of the private equity industry and issues that impact on its development and growth in Zimbabwe. Studies conducted internationally have unequivocally demonstrated the importance of private equity investments in assisting firms at start/growth phase and decline phase. However there is a dearth of literature on how these financial intermediaries assist in unlocking firm value from an emerging markets perspective. The study uses the document analysis and an exploratory research paradigms to achieve the stated objectives. The study finds that the venture capital industry in Zimbabwe mimics similar industries in other countries except that it is constrained by market liquidity. Lack of regulation and viable business sectors coupled with excessive risks in the political economy narrows the scope of private equity operations. Several issues impacting on the development of the private equity industry are identified and evaluated. The study has policy implications for the development of regulatory framework to bolster the growth of the private equity industry in emerging market economies. This study provides new evidence and policy suggestions on the operations of the private equity industry in a liquidity constrained and less developed economy.

Study on the Impact of the Private Credit Excess on the Credit Risk under the Massive Capital Inflows Risk under the Massive Capital Inflows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jong-Hee Kim

2016-09-01

Full Text Available By examining the relationship between private credit growth and the possibility of credit risk while focusing on international capital in 21 countries over the period 2000:1Q-2015:2Q, this paper shows that the impact of private credit growth on credit risk is apparent under the high ratio of capital inflows, and its impact on credit risk in the seven Asian countries is even stronger. And the possibility of credit risk caused by private credit is mainly coming from portfolio inflows rather than direct inflows. Finally, portfolio inflows strengthen the positive relationship between credit excess and credit risk in Asian countries, and this trend is seen more in these after the global financial crisis. Taken together, the stronger positive relationship between credit excess and credit risk can be strengthen under the massive portfolio inflows in particular in the seven Asian countries such as Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

2015 Plan. Project 9: the institutional base reformulation of electrical sector and the participation of private capital

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-12-01

The structural changes in the electrical sector and the forecast for favoring the private participation in the investments of the sector are discussed, describing the main stages of the institutional evolution. Some economic markers as competitiveness, electric power prices, private capital and the regulations of electric power services are presented. (C.G.C)

Public Knowledge, Private Knowledge: The Intellectual Capital of Entrepreneurs. NBER Working Paper No. 14797

Science.gov (United States)

Link, Albert; Ruhm, Christopher

2009-01-01

This paper focuses on the innovative actions of entrepreneurs, namely their tendency to reveal the intellectual capital that results from their research efforts either in the form of public knowledge (publications) or private knowledge (patents). Using data collected by the National Research Council within the U.S. National Academies from their…

Building a castle on sand: effects of mass privatization on capital market creation in transition economies

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Fungáčová, Zuzana

-, č. 256 (2005), s. 1-51 ISSN 1211-3298 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA402/05/1014 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70850503 Keywords : mass privatization * emerging capital markets Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/wp/Wp256.pdf

Private pensions for Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bovenberg, L.; van Ewijk, C.

2011-01-01

Private pensions can enhance international and intergenerational risk-sharing and create a deeper European capital market, which allows for better diversification of country-specific risks and facilitates economic growth. Private funding of pensions creates a more integrated European capital market

A research on the spatial disparity of China's private economic capital : Based on an Institutional non-equilibrium approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jiang, J.; Zhang, J.

2010-01-01

In this paper we investigate China’s private economic capital and its spatial disparity from the perspective of institutional non-equilibrium, and then we test the efficiency coefficient of the institutional change of a region and inter-regions,which is analyzed on a special cost-benefit model.The

Distributed ledger technology in the capital market : Shared versus private information in a permissioned blockchain

OpenAIRE

Piccolo, Alessandro

2017-01-01

This master thesis explores how blockchain technologies can be utilized within the financial sector with focus on how to store both private and public information on the blockchain. The capital market is looking into ways of cutting down administrative work through streamlining the financial process by using blockchain technologies. Public key encryption together with hash functions and a consensus mechanism make up the basis for creating a shared trustless database system. The thesis was con...

Privatising general practice in Mongolia: a trial of needs-adjusted capitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hindle, D; O'Rourke, M; Batsuury, R; Orgil, B

1999-01-01

Mongolia's family doctors have long been salaried government employees. The crisis caused by the break-up of the Soviet Bloc required the government to seek a balance between command and market economies, and this influenced the decision to introduce capitated private practice for family doctor services on a trial basis. This article explains why and how a risk-adjusted capitation model was developed by a blend of empirical analysis and expert judgement, which comprises ten classes of clients defined by age-sex and poverty groupings. Payment relativities across the classes were set in proportion to a desirable (or target) number of contacts per year. Separate processes were used to set the targets for patient-initiated and active (health promotion and illness prevention) contacts. The model is intended to lead to greater equity of service access and provision. It should also encourage a greater concern for health outcomes, sensitivity to clients' views, and operational efficiency.

Enhancing the Quality of Financial Advice with Web 2.0 - An Approach Considering Social Capital in the Private Asset Allocation

Science.gov (United States)

Kundisch, Dennis; Zorzi, Robin

Although theoretically necessary, social capital is not considered within the process of asset allocation for private investors. Both the lack of appropriate practical valuation concepts and the effort of providing and processing the required information as input for a valuation were obstacles to include social capital in this process. However, first theoretical financial models for the evaluation of social capital recently have become available. Moreover, the fast growth of business community websites and the technological progress in Web 2.0 tools that allow and acquire the active involvement of users, facilitate the provision and processing of valuation relevant information. In this paper we focus on the second aspect and propose a social software-based concept that allows for an integration of social capital in the asset allocation process.

Allocating Overhead Costs in a Navy Working Capital Fund Environment: An Analysis and Comparison of Current Navy Policy and Private Sector Practice

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Schulte, Steven

1999-01-01

.... The objective of this thesis was to evaluate the overhead allocation practices of five private sector organizations for the potential improvement of overhead allocation practices in Navy Working Capital Fund activities...

Linking bonding and bridging ownership social capital in private firms : Moderating effects of ownership-management overlap and family firm identity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Uhlaner, L.M.; Matser, I.; Flören, R.H.; Berent-Braun, M.M.

2015-01-01

This study examines the relationship between bonding and bridging ownership social capital (OSC) for a random sample of 679 privately held small and medium-sized firms. Results confirm the positive effects of bonding OSC (quality of relationships and shared vision) on bridging OSC (network

Linking bonding and bridging ownership social capital in private firms : moderating effects of ownership-management overlap and family firm identity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lorraine M. Uhlaner; Marta M. Berent-Braun; Ilse A. Matser; Roberto H. Flören

2015-01-01

This study examines the relationship between bonding and bridging ownership social capital (OSC) for a random sample of 679 privately held small and medium-sized firms. Results confirm the positive effects of bonding OSC (quality of relationships and shared vision) on bridging OSC (network

SWOT analysis & privatization in Croatia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Družić Ivo

2006-01-01

economic consequences of war. On the macro level it took approximately three years to restructure and downsize CPF majority ownership in 2700 companies to majority ownership in just 70 companies. Overall weakness of the restructuring process is concentrated in a painfully slow emergence of sound business activity in market environment. The economic inefficiency of this model is reflected in the substitution of modern entrepreneurial capitalism, which was hoped for with retrograde rent seeking capitalism, typical of early capitalism in its transition from a feudal to an industrial environment two centuries ago. Instead of efficiency and development, it is characterized by the drain of liquid capital through inflated debts, false reserves and falsified claims and the tunneling of constant capital through "soft" loans into tax havens outside the country. Therefore, the solution is not to deal with the consequences, which are evident in various affairs that are treated as individual deviations of the more or less good model of privatization. The problem lies in the model itself.

THERE IS INFLUENCE IN DEVELOPMENT OF COMPANIES WHICH BUILT STOCK, WITH SUPPORT OF INVESTIMENT FUND PRIVATE EQUITY AND VENTURE CAPITAL? EVIDENCES OF ENTRANT COMPANIES AT BOVESPA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caciano Gianechini

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This work seeks to identify the impact of the participation of Private Equity funds and Venture Capital (PE/VC, the performance of companies that owned the contribution prior to the opening of capital (IPO. In a more objective the present study seeks to investigate whether companies that opened capital, financed by PE/VC, have performed better than the other formerly the Brazilian stock market debut. The sample of work consists of 116 companies that made the initial public offering (IPO in the São Paulo Stock Exchange (BOVESPA in the period January 2004 to December 2009. First identified that 41 enterprises debuted at BOVESPA being financed by PE/VC funds. Furthermore, the results indicate that the influence of PE/VC funds tend to improve some indices of profitability and market of companies after the IPO. In summary, the evidence found lead to the conclusion that the organizations of private equity and venture capital influence positively the performance of investee companies.

Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Work Motivation as Correlates of Psychological Capital among Public and Private School Teachers

OpenAIRE

Nazirul Hasnain; Zuby Hasan; Sehal Chorath

2017-01-01

Background: The components of Psychological capital as well as Organizational citizenship behavior and Work motivation are so influential for an individual especially for their performance in organizational setting. Aims: The main objectives of the study were: (1) to study the contributions of organizational citizenship behavior and work motivation in psycap of public school teachers; (2) to study the contributions of organizational citizenship behavior and work motivation in psycap of privat...

Exogenous factors and market value: an appraisal model of capital gains in urban redevelopment programs in public/ private partnerships

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Calabrò

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The proposed article aims to illustrate an experimental model applicable, in the planning stage, to an appraisal of the capital gains in a residential requalification in public/ private partnership. The model develops a method using a conventional cost value through a multicriteria model which evaluates the influence of qualitative exogenous variables to the market value of the property. The aim is to develop a synthetic procedure, transparent, shared and easy to use by the public authorities, in determining the total benefits associated with urban transformations, in order to achieve a fair sharing of profits between public and private entities.

Does Government Public Capital Expenditure Matter?: Evidence for Canada

OpenAIRE

Dadgostar, Bahram; Mirabelli, Frank

1998-01-01

Does the provision of Canadian government capital expenditures and government deficits displace private economic activity? In the U.S., Erenburg (1993) found that private sector investment spending is enhanced by expected increases in public spending on infrastructure, while also showing that deficit spending has no significant effect on private investment. There is no empirical study to date that addresses the relationship between government capital investment and government debt on private ...

The Level of Utilizing Blended Learning in Teaching Science from the Point of View of Science Teachers in Private Schools of Ajman Educational Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Derbashi, Khaled Y.; Abed, Osama H.

2017-01-01

This study aims to define the level of utilizing blended learning in teaching science from the point of view of science teachers (85 male and female teachers) who are working in private schools of Ajman Educational Zone. The study also aims to find if there are significant differences according to gender, years of experience, or the fact that…

An Economic Viewpoint on Capitalism Bashing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burnete Sorin

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper I discuss two long disputed notions: that capitalism without crises is a fallacy respectively that capitalism bashing, however severe, will not endanger the system itself. Yet proving both is not an easy task since the capitalism issue has always been a cupellation of theory, ideology and political precepts, which are controversial and hard to disentangle. That capitalism detractors are numberless is a truism. Yet criticism against capitalism, however fierce, has always been clearly delineated. Not any more: globalization has rendered the picture dangerously fuzzy. It is now hard to ascertain whether someone who will harangue about the ostensible evils of globalization is also a declared anti-capitalist. The blend of capitalism and globalization seems to be pure dynamite.

Contemporary forms of international movement of capital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanja Šovran

2016-11-01

Full Text Available International movement of capital is one of the most important forms of international economic cooperation and achievement of strategic goals of enterprises. It leads to international diversification of business activities, strengthening of competitive advantage, changes in economic structures, employment rates and economic stability of participating countries. The present research addresses the contemporary forms of international movement of capital, with an emphasis on the public-private partnerships and concessions. The creation of different forms of public-private partnerships (PPPs in Serbia gained in importance in the early ‘90s of the 20th century. PPP implies joint activities within the framework of which the public and private sector pool resources, especially financial capital and expertise in order to meet the public needs of local, regional or national significance for adequate resource allocation. This type of partnership between the public and private sector has become an effective way towards a more rational use of limited resources and development of business entities from different sectors. The partnership of the public and private sector is particularly important in the construction and maintenance of transportation and other infrastructure facilities. Concessions represent a special form of public-private partnerships.

Barriers in adopting blended learning in a private university of Pakistan and East Africa: faculty members' perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizvi, Nusrat Fatima; Gulzar, Saleema; Nicholas, Wachira; Nkoroi, Beatrice

2017-01-01

Education methods have undergone transformation over the centuries. Use of technology is the cornerstone for innovation in teaching methods. Hence, blended learning which includes face to face and online modalities is being increasingly explored as effective method for learning. This pilot study determines the perceptions of faculty members in a private international university on barriers influencing adoption of technology for teaching and learning. A cross-sectional survey was conducted through a self-reported questionnaire using 'survey monkey'. The data was entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 20). Frequencies and proportions are reported. Findings indicated that 51.6% faculty members perceived the importance of integration of technology in their teaching. Around 54% of the participants recognized that they do possess the ability and accessibility to integrate information communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning, but there is a need to hone the basic information technology (IT) skills to initiate technology driven teaching. Findings revealed that 55% faculty members acknowledged the constraint of not getting protective time to develop and deliver technology driven courses. Further, results showed that 45% faculty members perceived that their innovation efforts in terms of teaching as blended learning do not count towards their professional promotion or recognition, as usually priority is given to research over teaching innovation. The findings also indicated that 54.5% participants asserted that university lack mentorship in the field of blended learning. Therefore, study suggests that universities should provide adequate mentorship programmes for the faculty members in enhancing their skills of integrating technology in their teaching.

Private capital investments in health care provision through mergers and acquisitions: from long-term to acute care.

Science.gov (United States)

Angeli, Federica; Maarse, Hans

2016-10-01

This work aims to test whether different segments of healthcare provision differentially attract private capital and thus offer heterogeneous opportunities for private investors' diversification strategies. Thomson Reuter's SDC Platinum database provided data on 2563 merger and acquisition (M&A) deals targeting healthcare providers in Western Europe between 1990 and 2010. Longitudinal trends of industrial and geographical characteristics of M&As' targets and acquirers are examined. Our analyses highlight: (i) a relative decrease of long-term care facilities as targets of M&As, replaced by an increasing prominence of general hospitals, (ii) a shrinking share of long-term care facilities as targets of financial service organizations' acquisitions, in favor of general hospitals, and (iii) an absolute and relative decrease of long-term care facilities' role as target of cross-border M&As. We explain the decreasing interest of private investors towards long-term care facilities along three lines of reasoning, which take into account the saturation of the long-term care market and the liberalization of acute care provision across Western European countries, regulatory interventions aimed at reducing private ownership to ensure resident outcomes and new cultural developments in favor of small-sized facilities, which strengthen the fragmentation of the sector. These findings advance the literature investigating the effect of private ownership on health outcomes in long-term facilities. Market, policy and cultural forces have emerged over two decades to jointly regulate the presence of privately owned, large-sized long-term care providers, seemingly contributing to safeguard residents' well-being. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Derivatives and Global Capital Flows: Applications to Asia

OpenAIRE

J. A. Kregel

1998-01-01

There are four factors involved in the current financial crisis in Asia that have caused surprise. Since the Latin American debt crisis was thought to have been aggravated by the dominance of syndicated private bank lending, borrowers were encouraged to increase private direct investment flows. The stability of capital flows to Asia was used as an example. Yet, the Asian crisis appears to have been precipitated by the reversal of short-term private bank lending. Second, the flows of capital t...

Capital accumulation in private information economies

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Boháček, Radim

2005-01-01

Roč. 5, č. 1 (2005), s. 1-22 ISSN 1534-5998 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70850503 Keywords : moral hazard * capital accumulation Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1172&context=bejm

Macroeconomic Conditions and Capital Raising

OpenAIRE

Isil Erel; Brandon Julio; Woojin Kim; Michael S. Weisbach

2011-01-01

Do macroeconomic conditions affect firms' abilities to raise capital? If so, how do they affect the manner in which the capital is raised? We address these questions using a large sample of publicly-traded debt issues, seasoned equity offers, bank loans and private placements of equity and debt. Our results suggest that a borrower's credit quality significantly affects its ability to raise capital during macroeconomic downturns. For noninvestment-grade borrowers, capital raising tends to be p...

Barriers in adopting blended learning in a private university of Pakistan and East Africa: faculty members’ perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Gulzar, Saleema; Nicholas, Wachira; Nkoroi, Beatrice

2017-01-01

Background Education methods have undergone transformation over the centuries. Use of technology is the cornerstone for innovation in teaching methods. Hence, blended learning which includes face to face and online modalities is being increasingly explored as effective method for learning. This pilot study determines the perceptions of faculty members in a private international university on barriers influencing adoption of technology for teaching and learning. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted through a self-reported questionnaire using ‘survey monkey’. The data was entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 20). Frequencies and proportions are reported. Results Findings indicated that 51.6% faculty members perceived the importance of integration of technology in their teaching. Around 54% of the participants recognized that they do possess the ability and accessibility to integrate information communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning, but there is a need to hone the basic information technology (IT) skills to initiate technology driven teaching. Findings revealed that 55% faculty members acknowledged the constraint of not getting protective time to develop and deliver technology driven courses. Further, results showed that 45% faculty members perceived that their innovation efforts in terms of teaching as blended learning do not count towards their professional promotion or recognition, as usually priority is given to research over teaching innovation. The findings also indicated that 54.5% participants asserted that university lack mentorship in the field of blended learning. Conclusions Therefore, study suggests that universities should provide adequate mentorship programmes for the faculty members in enhancing their skills of integrating technology in their teaching. PMID:28567414

The structure of privatization plans

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Perotti, E.C.; Guney, S.E.

1993-01-01

In the last decade, large-scale privatization programs have transformed the structure of corporate ownership in many countries, and are a major cause of the development of their capital markets. They have contributed to nondebt financing of the public deficit, attracted foreign capital and

Entrepreneurs’ human and social capital

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shayegheh Ashourizadeh, Shayegheh; Rezaei, Shahamak; Schøtt, Thomas

2014-01-01

Abstract: It is widely acknowledged that entrepreneurs’ human capital in form of education and social capital in form of networking are mutually beneficial and also that both human and social capital benefit their performance. Here, the hypothesis is that human and social capital, in combination......, provide added value and jointly add a further boost to performance, specifically if the form of exporting. Global Entrepreneurship Monitor provides data on 52,946 entrepreneurs, who reported on exporting and networking for advice. Hierarchical linear modelling shows that human capital promotes social...... capital, that human capital and social capital (specifically networking in the international environment, work-place, professions and market, but not in the private sphere) both benefit export directly and that human capital amplifies the benefit of social capital, especially through international...

Working Capital Management and Firm Listing Status

OpenAIRE

Seraina Anagnostopoulou

2012-01-01

This study comparatively examines the determinants of working capital management for listed vs. unlisted firms, and assesses the impact of this policy on profitability by focusing on the cash conversion cycle, a commonly used measure of working capital management. By using a large UK public and private firm sample, it is found that private firms have significantly lower cash conversion cycles than their public counterparts, and that traditional determinants of the cycle significantly differ b...

The Effects of Foreign Capital Inflows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sangyong Joo

1998-03-01

Full Text Available This thesis analyzes the pre-1996 foreign capital inflows to Korea and the major impact of macroeconomic variables, discussed the background of South Korean foreign exchange crisis. VAR model using the analysis results reflect the impact of capital inflows and the increase in the volume of overseas department of communication makes the current account deteriorated, and no increase in revenue. It is well known that the positive effects of free capital flows can lower interest rates, but after 1980 the results of analysis of data showed that, despite the freedom of capital inflows, but interest rates did not decline. In contrast, the increase in domestic credit makes incomes increase, although in the short term, but it makes interest rates decline. Under the circumstance than the inflow of overseas capital did not bring positive effects to economic circumstances, although the private sector (private enterprises and the number of financial institutions has worsened the financial structure, but the government finances and private consumption has been showing a strong and stable trend, deflation does not exist. One particularly striking is the sudden increase of the phenomenon of short-term debt, although a higher proportion of short-term debt, but the basic conditions for economic point of view, the inevitability and certainty of the foreign exchange crisis, there is still room for debate.

38 CFR 61.10 - Capital grants-general.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...) VA HOMELESS PROVIDERS GRANT AND PER DIEM PROGRAM § 61.10 Capital grants—general. (a) VA provides capital grants to public or nonprofit private entities so they can assist homeless veterans by helping to... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Capital grants-general...

Syndicated Investing in Private Equity and Venture Capital Industry: Comparing BRICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucas V.B. Martins

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Objective. This article characterizes and compares the networks structure formed by Managing Organizations (GOs Private Equity and Venture Capital (PE&VC that co-invested in the so called BRICS countries.Methodology. The methodology used consists of PE or VC transactions with target companies based on the BRICS and involving more than one investor, or “syndicated investing”, between 1992 and 2013.Findings. The analysis revealed that the social structure in these countries is highly clustered, showing the existence of small worlds in all markets studied, yet under different intensities. This type of structure stimulates the flow of information impacting access to business opportunities. The results suggest that, when dealing with networks of PE&VC investors, one should consider the particularities of BRICS, which are not homogeneous from the perspective of network analysis.Limitations. This study considers only data from transactions originated and the effect known as BRICS.Originality/Value. This article offers unique contribution in that it explores Syndicated Investing in understudied markets, employing a methodology that provides new results. Copyright © 2015 Instituto Brasileiro de Inovação Financeira All rights reserved

Credit risk in the pool-implications for private capital investments in Brazilian power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rocha, Katia; Alcaraz Garcia, Francisco A.

2006-01-01

The new Brazilian Electric Sector Regulation of 2004 introduced two negotiation markets: the regulated pool and the free market. Competition in the pool is enforced via energy auctions, where the winning generator has to sign long-term power purchase agreements simultaneously with all distributors at the bidding-price. To estimate the appropriate credit risk spread of the pool, we implement a clustering methodology to rank and rate the distributors. The results show an average spread between 5.75% and 8.5%, which corresponds to a credit rating of B- according to the spreads available in Reuters 2004. This estimation is at least 208 basis points higher than the credit rating Ba1/BB+ assigned to the distributors by the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) in the periodic tariff revisions. Distributors with higher risk/spread are located in the South-Southeast, compared to the low risk/spread ones concentrated in the North-Northeast. We estimate the opportunity cost of capital in real terms in the range of 13-16% to account for the credit risk of the pool. Essential to determine the bidding price at the auctions, this estimation is higher than the 11.26% opportunity cost estimated by ANEEL. The pool's credit risk has to be taken into consideration, especially for compensating new private capital investments in Brazilian power generation

an examination of risk allocation preferences in public-private

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Chikara Onda

tension in many negotiations between the public and private sector in PPPs ... compensates for higher cost of capital used by private sector partners .... this study, both the public sector client and private sector contractor should share the risks.

Does workplace social capital protect against long-term sickness absence? Linking workplace aggregated social capital to sickness absence registry data.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Anne-Sophie K; Madsen, Ida E H; Thorsen, Sannie Vester; Melkevik, Ole; Bjørner, Jakob Bue; Andersen, Ingelise; Rugulies, Reiner

2018-05-01

Most previous prospective studies have examined workplace social capital as a resource of the individual. However, literature suggests that social capital is a collective good. In the present study we examined whether a high level of workplace aggregated social capital (WASC) predicts a decreased risk of individual-level long-term sickness absence (LTSA) in Danish private sector employees. A sample of 2043 employees (aged 18-64 years, 38.5% women) from 260 Danish private-sector companies filled in a questionnaire on workplace social capital and covariates. WASC was calculated by assigning the company-averaged social capital score to all employees of each company. We derived LTSA, defined as sickness absence of more than three weeks, from a national register. We examined if WASC predicted employee LTSA using multilevel survival analyses, while excluding participants with LTSA in the three months preceding baseline. We found no statistically significant association in any of the analyses. The hazard ratio for LTSA in the fully adjusted model was 0.93 (95% CI 0.77-1.13) per one standard deviation increase in WASC. When using WASC as a categorical exposure we found a statistically non-significant tendency towards a decreased risk of LTSA in employees with medium WASC (fully adjusted model: HR 0.78 (95% CI 0.48-1.27)). Post hoc analyses with workplace social capital as a resource of the individual showed similar results. WASC did not predict LTSA in this sample of Danish private-sector employees.

Influence of privatization model to society in transition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cvijetićanin Danijel M.

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The goal of the paper is to explain the influence of privatization to the transition in Serbia. At the same time, it will be shown that the absence of the results of development of small and medium enterprises influenced the continuous pointing out the results of privatization. The influence of privatization to performance of enterprises will be especially discussed. The process of privatization of the public sector in the countries of developed market economy will be compared with the privatization in the former socialist countries. The specificity of the latter consists, above all, in huge offer of capital for sale in relatively short time. Inevitable consequence is the low price of this capital, which is very interesting for analysis. Specificities of privatization with not only state, but also social property in the economies of the former SFRY will be also discussed. The paradox of enlarging state property in Serbia and Montenegro will be also pointed out. The results of privatization will be discussed, as well as possible modifications of the model (and the law in the near future.

Financial capital and intellectual capital in physician practice management.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, J C

1998-01-01

Medical groups need financial resources yet most retain no earnings and have no reserves. Physician practice management (PPM) companies have recognized the need for investment and the scarcity of indigenous capital in the physician sector and are rushing to fill the void. Resources are being contributed by venture capitalists, bond underwriters, private investors, pharmaceutical manufacturers, health plans, hospital systems, and public equity markets. The potential contribution of PPM firms is to nurture the intellectual capital of leading physician organizations and diffuse it throughout the health care system. The risk is that short-term financial imperatives will impede necessary long-term investments.

Resolution proposal for the creation of an inquiry commission about the safety and transparency risks generated by the opening of the capital and the privatization of the French nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-12-01

The privatization of the French nuclear industry leads to three types of risks: the dilution of decision prerogatives (need of long-term investment for maintenance and safety purposes which are incompatible with immediate profits), incompatibility between private control and safety, and speculation (need of stable and durable financing for a sustainable safety). For these reasons, the French house of commons has created an inquiry commission about the safety and transparency risks linked with the capital opening and privatization of the French nuclear industry. (J.S.)

Private Sector Investment in Pakistani Agriculture: The Role of Infrastructural Investment

Science.gov (United States)

1999-01-01

private sector will be expected to play the major role in providing capital to the agricultural sector, with the government’s remaining involvement being largely one of furnishing basic infrastructure. The critical question of course is how willing is the private sector to commit capital to agricultural activities in this new policy environment? Has the private sector responded in the past to the increases in profitability provided by an expansion in infrastructure? If so, what types of infrastructure are most conducive in

Governing Global Capital

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harrington, Brooke

in helping elites avoid taxes and other forms of regulation. The study documents how the means through which they achieve this objective - shifting billions in private capital wealth between Asia, Africa, India and Europe - and how this affects the balance of regional economic power. Drawing from...

Causes of ransom private railways in the Russian Empire during the reign of Alexander III

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavel A. Gurianov

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This article focuses on a number of reasons, redemption of private railways in the Russian Empire during the reign of Alexander III. Preconditions for this step. After the defeat in the Crimean War, the state began to consider two basic ways construction of railways: the expense of the treasury at the expense of private capital, including foreign ones. Attempts to organize joint capital of private foreign and domestic on the example of the main Russian Railway Company ended sadly. Foreign capital is mainly interested in speculation on the Russian stock exchange, as a result the majority of the company's shares went to the Russian capital. To support the private Russian capital the government has gone the way of the guarantee capital, in certain cases, as a joint stock or bond or one of the types of capital. When distribution concessions were not crucial economic factors, and the proximity to the elite or the corruption component. Often concession won by those who offered the lowest price, which affects the quality of railway construction in the country. As a result of the concession is not got the most professionally trained people who are almost entirely the burden shifted to the state, and profits for the most part getting any private owners. As a result, such practice is ruinous for the Treasury forced the government to buy back a significant portion of private railways on acceptable terms. As a result, initially malpractice and corruption safeguards prevent a real manifestation of self-employment initiatives

Restructuring the oil segment in South America: public policy, private capital and energy integration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiorotti, A.; Tiomno Tolmasquim, M.; Tiomno Tolmasquim, M.; Alveal, C.

2006-01-01

The World Oil Industry (WOI) developed through two types of economic organization, built up around vertically integrated and internationalized enterprises: the US model, based on private international firms, and the model centered on setting up State-run enterprises, initially in the United Kingdom, Argentina and Mexico. However, from the first oil crisis (1973) onwards, the World Oil Industry has gradually been un-bundled through nationalization and the loss of control over the reserves by the oil majors. With this new configuration of the industry, from the 1980's onwards, the strategies of the major international oil companies focused on developing the spot market, while lowering investment and operating costs, introducing correlated diversification strategies, and enhancing industrial concentration through mergers and acquisitions and/or cooperation agreements between companies. The core purpose of these strategic shifts is to obtain control over new oil field areas. The restructuring processes of national oil industries all over the world - particularly in South America - constituted an important drive aligned with these new guidelines, headed up by the global oil operators. This paper analyzes the changes in the South American oil sector during the 1990's, analyzing aspects involved in awarding mineral rights in the upstream segment. Despite similar policies, market deregulation processes follow different patterns. However, the most significant aspect is an increase in the presence of international private capital in the dynamics of this sector, mainly in regional energy integration processes. (authors)

Social opportunity cost of capital: empirical estimates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Townsend, S.

1978-02-01

This report develops estimates of the social-opportunity cost of public capital. The private and social costs of capital are found to diverge primarily because of the effects of corporate and personal income taxes. Following Harberger, the social-opportunity cost of capital is approximated by a weighted average of the returns to different classes of savers and investors where the weights are the flows of savings or investments in each class multiplied by the relevant elasticity. Estimates of these parameters are obtained and the social-opportunity cost of capital is determined to be in the range of 6.2 to 10.8%, depending upon the parameter values used. Uncertainty is found to affect the social-opportunity cost of capital in two ways. First, some allowance must be made for the chance of failure or at least of not realizing claims of a project's proponents. Second, a particular government project will change the expected variability of the returns to the government's entire portfolio of projects. In the absence of specific information about each project, the use of the economy-wide average default and risk adjustments is suggested. These are included in the empirical estimates reported. International capital markets make available private capital, the price of which is not distorted by the U.S. tax system. The inclusion of foreign sources slightly reduces the social-opportunity cost of capital. 21 references.

The performance of newly privatized firms: The case of Portugal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Vaz Ferreira

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to investigate the pre and post privatization financial, social and operational performance of forty two Portuguese companies in most of sectors of economic activity that experience full or partial privatization through public share offering, direct sale or public contest, for the period from 1989 to 2009. That is, this work investigates, whether or not, the privatization of sate-owned enterprises (SOE’s had caused improvements on the economic and financial health of those privatized companies, as it is suggested by the literature of property rights, public choice and agency theory. First, we document significant improvements on profitability, operating efficiency, capital investment, real output, dividend payout, treasury applications, activity levels and capital structure. Secondly, we experience significant decreases in employment after privatization. Third, we observe that, following privatization, the financial equilibrium (short and long of firms was negatively affected. Lastly, our results are generally robust surviving the partition of the dataset into various sub-samples.

Capital Budgeting: Do Private Sector Methods of Budgeting for Capital Assets Have Applicability to the Department of Defense

Science.gov (United States)

2005-12-01

asset pricing model ( CAPM ). “According to the CAPM theory, investors determine their required return by adding a risk premium to the interest rate...NUMBER OF PAGES 77 14. SUBJECT TERMS Capital Budgeting; GAO; DOD; Capital Assets ; Risk, OMB; NPV, IRR 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY...needs of the mission, as defined by the strategic plan, and limit the number of “nice to haves” (OMB, 1997). d. Alternatives to Capital Assets

Private Placement Debt Financing for Public Entities

Science.gov (United States)

Holman, Lance S.

2010-01-01

Private placement financing is a debt or capital lease obligation arranged between a municipality or a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization and a single sophisticated institutional investor. The investor can be a bank, insurance company, finance company, hedge fund, or high-net worth individual. Private placement financing is similar to…

Review of capital investment in economic growth cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Shaffie, Siti Salihah; Jaaman, Saiful Hafizah; Mohamad, Daud

2016-11-01

The study of linkages of macroeconomics factors is prominent in order to understand how the economic cycle affects one another. These factors include interest rate, growth rate, saving and capital investment which are mutually correlated to stabilize the GDP. Part of this study, it will look upon the impact of investment which emphasize the efficiency of capital investment to the economic growth. Capital investment is one investment appraisal that gives impact to the economic growth. It is a long term investment and involve with large amount of capital to incorporate the development of private and public capital investment.

Development of Optimization method about Capital Structure and Senior-Sub Structure by considering Project-Risk

Science.gov (United States)

Kawamoto, Shigeru; Ikeda, Yuichi; Fukui, Chihiro; Tateshita, Fumihiko

Private finance initiative is a business scheme that materializes social infrastructure and public services by utilizing private-sector resources. In this paper we propose a new method to optimize capital structure, which is the ratio of capital to debt, and senior-sub structure, which is the ratio of senior loan to subordinated loan, for private finance initiative. We make the quantitative analysis of a private finance initiative's project using the proposed method. We analyze trade-off structure between risk and return in the project, and optimize capital structure and senior-sub structure. The method we propose helps to improve financial stability of the project, and to make a fund raising plan that is expected to be reasonable for project sponsor and moneylender.

ATAQUES À POLÍTICA DE SAÚDE EM TEMPOS DE CRISE DO CAPITAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda Santos de Paiva

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This article highlights the determinations inherent to the corrosive movement of capital in the current context of crisis for the Brazilian Health Sector Reform Project. It is a bibliographical research that verifies the subsumption of the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS - National Health System to macro determinations of finance capital. Shows the management model and privatizing healthcare, individual curative and centered procedure that has hegemonized the implementation of health policy in the context of SUS. As an expression of capital's attacks it emphasizes the obstacles to ensuring universal right to health when privatize it. It problematizes up, so the various forms of health privatization: the proposed universal health coverage-UHC, the so-called "new" management models, DAC 451 and the law n o 13.097 / 2015. And, notes the incestuous relationship between state intervention and the need for expansion of capital via appropriation of public funds.

Private equity and venture capitalists' investment criteria in the Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek Zinecker

2010-01-01

Full Text Available For investment decision making to be rational, the existence of investment criteria is required. In the theory of financial management, the effectiveness of investment is traditionally judged by the degree to which an investment proposal contributes to achieving the main financial goal of business, i.e. market value maximization of the firm.So far, potential businesses for Private Equity and Venture Capital financing in the Czech Republic have not had information regarding investment criteria and their significance, when considered by investors, at their disposal, which is due to absence of relevant research results.This article presents results of the research project whose aim is to establish which criteria are considered to perform an essential role in the selection of business proposals by firms investing Private Equity and Venture Capital in the Czech Republic as well as the most common reasons for rejecting the proposals. Based on practical experience of financing by Private Equity and Venture Capital, the research made it possible to identify the most significant criteria, namely characterization of mana­gement, market, product and the rate of investment capital appreciation. The results of the research are consequently compared with findings which were published in similar studies undertaken in the past (e.g. Tyebjee, Bruno, 1984; Fried, Hisrich, 1994; MacMillan et al., 1985, 1987; Muzyka et al., 1996; Eisele, 2002.The research supports the thesis that, when considering business proposals, above-average weight is attached to criteria concerning the characterization of management, i.e. experience and competencies in all stages of business life cycle. Nevertheless, the fulfilment of the criteria is not sufficient for investors to evaluate a business proposal positively. They also place an emphasis on selected criteria related to market and product. By publishing empirical data, an important signal regarding up-to-date evaluative criteria

Business-State Relations in the Differentiated Private Sector in Vietnam

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Lotte

2011-01-01

Abstract This paper examines private businesses' access to land and capital in Vietnam. It finds that the allocation of these resources to private firms is still excessively state-driven and personalised, and examines the links that business people of different ethnical and regional backgrounds...... have with the state and how this facilitates or hinders their access to land and capital. Lacking relationships with the state may have profound consequences for unconnected private enterprises, which are accordingly subject to uneven competition from connected ones. The paper suggests that private...... businesses' uneven opportunities are basically a consequence of the general history of the country and the role that individual business people have played in it, in such respects as having had former state-sector employment, party membership, the 'side' they were on before and during the Vietnam War etc...

Financial resources for development. Capital markets in developing countries: a study on borrowing by developing countries in the emerging capital markets of the Middle East

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nashashibi, H S

1980-10-01

Private transfers of capital from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to developing countries are intended to complement private transfers from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) by tapping the emerging capital markets in the Middle East. Developing countries will be able to diversify their borrowing and gain additional financing. The long-term investment of oil-producing countries will benefit and the pressures on the banking institutions to recycle funds will lessen. Middle East capital markets include international loans and international bonds. The history of the Kuwaiti dinar (KD) bond market, with its advantages for both investors and borrowers, illustrates the successful development of a capital market. Financial intermediation needs to be improved, however, if the Middle East is to become efficient enough to compete with the Euromarkets. Efficiency will require different measures and should reflect strengthening relationships among Middle East nations. (DCK)

Alternative solutions for public and private catastrophe funding in Austria

Science.gov (United States)

Gruber, M.

2008-07-01

The impacts of natural hazards as well as their frequency of occurrence during the last decades have increased decisively. Therefore, the public as well as the private sector are expected to react to this development by providing sufficient funds, in particular for the improvement of protection measures and an enhanced funding of damage compensation for affected private individuals, corporate and public entities. From the public stance, the establishment of an appropriate regulatory environment seems to be indispensable. Structural and legal changes should, on the one hand, renew and improve the current distribution system of public catastrophe funds as well as the profitable investment of these financial resources, and on the other hand, facilitate the application of alternative mechanisms provided by the capital and insurance markets. In particular, capital markets have developed alternative risk transfer and financing mechanisms, such as captive insurance companies, risk pooling, contingent capital solutions, multi-trigger products and insurance securitisation for hard insurance market phases. These instruments have already been applied to catastrophic (re-)insurance in other countries (mainly the US and off-shore domiciles), and may contribute positively to the insurability of extreme weather events in Austria by enhancing financial capacities. Not only private individuals and corporate entities may use alternative mechanisms in order to retain, thus, to finance certain risks, but also public institutions. This contribution aims at analysing potential solutions for an improved risk management of natural hazards in the private and the public sector by considering alternative mechanisms of the capital and insurance markets. Also the establishment of public-private-partnerships, which may contribute to a more efficient cat funding system in Austria, is considered.

Public Debts and Private Assets: Explaining Capital Flight from Sub-Saharan African Countries

OpenAIRE

Léonce Ndikumana; James K. Boyce

2002-01-01

We investigate the determinants of capital flight from 30 sub-Saharan African countries, including 24 countries classified as severely indebted low-income countries, for the period 1970-1996. The econometric analysis reveals that external borrowing is positively and significantly related to capital flight, suggesting that to a large extent capital flight is debt-fueled. We estimate that for every dollar of external borrowing in the region, roughly 80 cents flowed back as capital flight in the...

Design, Development and Implementation of Decision Support Systems for Private Equity Investment

OpenAIRE

Vroomen, Paul

2017-01-01

The objective of this research is to design, develop and implement an intelligent decision support system (IDSS) for making rational private equity investment decisions. (Private equity investments are capital investments in enterprises that are not traded on public equity markets; they include Equity Buy-Out, Venture Capital, and the new Equity Crowd Funding (ECF) asset classes). The design and development of the IDSS requires the integration of investment science (valuation theory, portfoli...

Tailoring the mechanical and biodegradable properties of binary blends of biomedical thermoplastic elastomer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ang, Hui Ying; Chan, Jingni; Toong, Daniel; Venkatraman, Subbu S; Chia, Sing Joo; Huang, Ying Ying

2018-03-01

Blending polymers with complementary properties capitalizes on the inherent advantages of both components, making it possible to tailor the behaviour of the resultant material. A polymer blend consisting of an elastomer and thermoplastic can help to improve the mechanical integrity of the system without compromising on its processibility. A series of blends of biodegradable Poly(L-lactide-co-ɛ-caprolactone) (PLC) and Poly-(l,l-lactide-co-glycolic acid) (PLLGA), and PLC with Poly-(d,l-lactide-co-glycolic acid) (PDLLGA) were evaluated as a potential material for a biodegradable vesicourethral connector device. Based on the Tg of the blends, PLC/PLLGA formed an immiscible mixture while PLC/PDLLGA resulted in a compatible blend. The results showed that with the blending of PLC, the failure mode of PLLGA and PDLLGA changed from brittle to ductile fracture, with an significant decreas in tensile modulus and strength. SEM images demonstrated the different blend morphologies of different compositions during degradation. Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) and mechanical characterization revealed the degradation behaviour of the blends in this order (fastest to slowest): PDLLGA and PLC/PDLLGA blends > PLLGA and PLC/PLLGA blends > PLC. The PLC/PLLGA (70:30) blend was recommended as a suitable for the vesicourethral connector device application, highlighting the tailoring of blends to achieve a desired mechanical performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New variables for detecting transport disadvantages. The role of social capital

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ciommo, F. di

2016-07-01

This paper explores the potential role of social capital variables on the transport mode choice. Traditionally travel behavior model included social capital as empowerment factor (i.e. social capital as substitute of financial capital) or as social network influence on travel choice. Only recently constraints of social capital are considered as factors influencing travel behavior (Swanen et al, 2015, Di Ciommo & Martens, 2015).This article will show both aspects of empowerments and constraints of social capital in a dynamic way stressing two dynamic aspects of social capital: the building up social capital and use of social capital. Both aspects are related with the value of time: when you are doing something for others ( i.e. Voluntary actions, pick up all family members, etc) you are loosing your time, and your mode choice will be oriented to saving time, therefore a private mode will be chosen, while when you are using your social capital benefit (somebody else is helping you), you will easily choose the less flexible and more time consuming public transport. After defining social capital notion in both aspects of empowerments and constraints, a set of social capital variables is defined. Then two of these variables are tested through a smartphone short panel survey, where 100 individuals living or working in one surrounding southern area of Madrid have participated in entering their travel data for an entire working week. The estimated mixed-logit model that incorporated two “social capital variables: participation in voluntary activities and receiving help for various tasks (i.e. child care) show how people who have less social capital, but that are trying to build it up choose more private than public modes: building social capital stock has a cost in term of time that push people to use more flexible transport mode (i.e. private car), while people who have already a stock of social capital and can use it (i.e. helped people) receive time from others and

Bolivian petroleum privatization taking shape

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1995-01-01

Bolivia is boldly embracing a free market philosophy that extends to liberalization of the country's petroleum sector. Although petroleum industry privatization is being considered by several South American countries, only Argentina has so far completely opened its oil sector and fully privatized its state oil company. The Bolivian government's own version of privatization, capitalization, is a groundbreaking attempt to attract massive investment from the private sector without leaving the government open to accusations of stripping the country's assets for short term electoral gain. The paper discusses the government's strategy to sell the state owned company either as a single unit or to split it into upstream and downstream units. Questions still to be resolved, international interest in the move, bolivian potential, and the gas supply infrastructure are also discussed

The Brazilian Public Health in Contemporary Capitalism.

Science.gov (United States)

Junqueira, Virgínia; Mendes, Áquilas N

2018-01-01

This article examines some political and economic facts that led to an intensification of austerity measures by the Brazilian government, including ones against the Unified Health System (SUS) and its progressive dismantling. In a country where fundamental human rights were never fully respected, nowadays social and labor rights are under severe attacks. The deepening of the capital crisis and the rise of interest-bearing capital dominance have been causing unemployment, social insecurity growth, and resulting public fund appropriation by the private capital. The Brazilian governments in the 1990s and 2000s have implemented deeper cuts in social policy expenditure, freezing security benefits, privatizing services, and prioritizing the payment of public debt interests. The right wing's project involves the demoralization of not only the Workers' Party but also the left as a whole, so that the adoption of austerity measures could be achieved without popular resistance. It is the duty of the Brazilian left wing to denounce such a project and to provoke firm initiatives to rebuild its bonds with the working class.

Alternative solutions for public and private catastrophe funding in Austria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Gruber

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The impacts of natural hazards as well as their frequency of occurrence during the last decades have increased decisively. Therefore, the public as well as the private sector are expected to react to this development by providing sufficient funds, in particular for the improvement of protection measures and an enhanced funding of damage compensation for affected private individuals, corporate and public entities.

From the public stance, the establishment of an appropriate regulatory environment seems to be indispensable. Structural and legal changes should, on the one hand, renew and improve the current distribution system of public catastrophe funds as well as the profitable investment of these financial resources, and on the other hand, facilitate the application of alternative mechanisms provided by the capital and insurance markets.

In particular, capital markets have developed alternative risk transfer and financing mechanisms, such as captive insurance companies, risk pooling, contingent capital solutions, multi-trigger products and insurance securitisation for hard insurance market phases. These instruments have already been applied to catastrophic (re-insurance in other countries (mainly the US and off-shore domiciles, and may contribute positively to the insurability of extreme weather events in Austria by enhancing financial capacities. Not only private individuals and corporate entities may use alternative mechanisms in order to retain, thus, to finance certain risks, but also public institutions.

This contribution aims at analysing potential solutions for an improved risk management of natural hazards in the private and the public sector by considering alternative mechanisms of the capital and insurance markets. Also the establishment of public-private-partnerships, which may contribute to a more efficient cat funding system in Austria, is considered.

People, partnerships and human progress: building community capital.

Science.gov (United States)

Hancock, T

2001-09-01

The Victorian-era journal The Sanitarian used on its masthead the slogan 'A nation's health is a nation's wealth'. Today, we are re-discovering that wisdom, recognizing that health is indeed a form of wealth. Moreover, we are beginning to understand that wealth is not merely our economic capital, but includes three other forms of capital--social, natural and human capital. Health is one key element of human capital. A healthy community is one that has high levels of social, ecological, human and economic 'capital', the combination of which may be thought of as 'community capital'. The challenge for communities in the 21st century will be to increase all four forms of capital simultaneously. This means working with suitable partners in the private sector, making human development the central purpose of governance, and more closely integrating social, environmental and economic policy. Community gardens, sustainable transportation systems and energy conservation programmes in community housing projects are some of the ways in which we can build community capital.

Return on capital of Brazilian electricity distributors: A comparative analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rocha, Katia; Camacho, Fernando; Braganca, Gabriel

2007-01-01

This paper analyzes the electricity distribution segment in Brazil from 1998 to 2005-after the conclusion of privatization process-trying to assess whether the return on capital invested was in line with the risk required in the segment. It concludes that the return on equity in Brazil was systematically negative until 2003. Only in 2005 did the distribution segment really begin to recover, showing profitability consistent with the estimated cost of equity. Comparisons with Argentine, Chilean and American companies reveal that firms in the latter two countries, generally managed to reward shareholders according to the opportunity cost of capital. Estimates are that to sustain annual growth of roughly 3.7% for the next decade, the entire electricity sector will demand US$ 7 billion in capital expenditures a year for the next decade, 67% for generation, 16% for transmission and 17% for distribution. In order to stimulate private capital investment, it is fundamental for the regulator, in the tariff revision processes, to consistently assure a rate of return on capital in line with the segment's real opportunity cost and therefore maintain the health of all the three segments without the burden of subsidies

Chinese Entrepreneurs Human and Social Capital Benefiting Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kent Wickstrøm; Rezaei, Shahamak; Schøtt, Thomas

2016-01-01

An entrepreneur’s innovative work tends to benefit from the entrepreneur’s human capital in the form of entrepreneurial competencies partly based on education, and the entrepreneur’s social capital in the form of a network in the public sphere and a network in the private sphere, although this may...... of human and social capital for innovation, comparing Chinese entrepreneurs in China with Chinese entrepreneurs in the diaspora. We find that the level of education, entrepreneurial competencies and social capital varied between entrepreneurs in home country and diaspora. Of the social and human capitals...... also be a liability. The entrepreneur’s human and social capital depend on the social context, specifically whether the entrepreneur is residing in the home country or in the diaspora. An indigenous entrepreneur is embedded in own country, but a migrant entrepreneur has a dual embeddedness, in the old...

Institutional Determinants of Private Equity Market in Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martina Skalická Dušátková

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A well-functioning private equity and venture capital market is affected by a range of institutional aspects. This study intends to answer the question on what is the current tax and legal environment for private equity and venture capital investments in Czech Republic as previous studies have emphasized that a rather poor scope of resources available. Qualitative data with content analysis proved to be the best way to assess the institutional framework. Data collection methods cover a comparative analysis of scientific literature documents and reports, as well as primary data from interviews with experts in the industry. The results of both secondary and primary data analysis were categorized and serious gaps in the institutional framework were identified and discussed. Our results indicate that the issue of legal and organisational structure suitable for private equity and venture capital funds may be resolved through a national equivalent to a Limited Partnership which has already been adopted into Czech law. However, a tax handicap was identified implying that it is necessary to amend the tax legislation so that the legal regulation extends the tax exemption. Another amendment should then be directed towards eliminating or mitigating the barriers imposed on pension. We believe that our findings provide valuable implications for the government, banks, stock exchanges and venture capital industry while formulating new strategies how to increase the level of investments in this specific environment of Czech Republic.

"We Had a Blast!": An Empirical Affirmation of Blended Learning as the Preferred Learning Mode for Adult Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Asunka, Stephen

2017-01-01

As many important issues pertaining to blended learning within the Sub-Saharan African context remain unexplored, this study implemented a blended learning approach in a graduate level course at a private university in Ghana, with the objective of exploring adult learners' attitudes, experiences and behaviors towards this learning approach, as…

Privatization and Financial Market Development: Theoretical Issues

OpenAIRE

Gabriella Chiesa; Giovanna Nicodano

2003-01-01

Stock market capitalization in developed countries grew while massive privatization plans were in progress. It is however possible that stock market development would have occurred anyway. Below we identify features that are specific to share-issue privatizations (SIPs) and should a priori impact on market liquidity and market size. A positive correlation between such features and market development in a cross section of countries would support the claim that certain types of SIPs contribute ...

Stockholders' interests in the energy system privatization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matei, Magdalena; Matei, Lucian

2004-01-01

The paper highlights the benefits and objectives of competition and privatization in the power sector. The reasons for electric utility privatization are numerous and vary from country to country. Some of the more evident reasons include the following: - Raising revenues for the state through asset sales; - Acquiring investment capital; - Improving managerial performance; - Moving toward market-determined prices; - Technology transfer; - Reducing the frequency of power shortages; - Reducing the cost of electricity to consumers through efficiency gain; - Taking advantage of creating national and regional power grids. Several objectives commonly associated with privatization, includes: - Improving access to private capital resources for the rehabilitation, replacement and eventual expansion of the electric power infrastructure; - Improving access to new technology and management practices designed to improve the performance of the sector; - Reducing corruption through the introduction of commercial practices which will lead to strengthened collections, transparent and accountable delivery of electricity and reduced political interference in commercial operations; - Improving customer service and customer choice through continued reform of the power sector as a result of innovation and reform introduced by the new owners; - Human resources development; - Improving environmental performance . The paper addresses the following items: - Some elements of a successful power sector privatization; - Stockholders' position versus privatization in Romania; - Managing 'The Change'; - Power sector privatization in Romania. The paper demonstrates that the power sector privatization is a key condition for EU's support for Romania accession. The international organization push towards this essential economic change, which will guarantee a real competition and a liberalized energy market in facto. Strategic privatization can be a positive step in improving energy service and

Perceptions of Nongovernmental Organization (NGO Staff about Water Privatization in Developing Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ellis A. Adams

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Almost a billion people globally lack access to potable water. In the early 1990’s, attempts to improve potable water access in the global south included a massive push for water services privatization, often involving the transfer of public water services to private companies. Critics of water privatization claim it rarely improves access to water, and in most cases, unfairly affect poor people. Proponents on the other hand argue that it is necessary for efficient management and capital investment in the water sector. Although development NGOs play an important role in developing country water provision, hardly any studies have sought to understand their perceptions about the potential role of water privatization towards improving access to potable water in developing countries. We interviewed the key staff among 28 international and national NGO staff about water privatization, its opportunities and constraints. Their perceptions were mixed. While most criticized water privatization as increasing water costs to the poor, some noted that privatization is necessary for improving water access through increased capital investment. We present the findings and discuss larger implications for water policies and reforms in developing countries.

Human Capital Externalities : Effects for Low-Educated Workers and Low-Skilled Jobs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broersma, Lourens; Edzes, Arjen J. E.; Van Dijk, Jouke

2016-01-01

Investments in human capital are essential themes in many policy programmes. Besides the direct private returns of education, there is evidence of positive human capital externalities at the level of regions and firms. The results in this paper show that both production and consumption externalities

Creation of Real Estate Based on Public Private Partnership and Municipal Private Partnership Agreements in the Russian Federation

Science.gov (United States)

Voronina, M. D.

2017-11-01

The article considers individual questions connected with the application of the legislation on public private partnership and municipal private partnership agreements as new types of contracts at the newly built property development. Public private partnership and municipal private partnership agreements are contracts at the initial development stage. Their objective is to attract investments in the Russian economy including for the creation of separate real estate types (capital facilities). The Law enables one to build the relationship in such a way that joint efforts result in the grounds for the accrual of the ownership right to the built (reconstructed) asset. This circumstance certainly influences the infrastructural development of the Russian Federation and its municipal units, the rather that it occurs due to the attraction of extra-budgetary sources

Differential effects of public and private funding in the medical device industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Hyunsung D; Ku, David N

2018-02-01

Funding for scientific advancement comes from two dominant sources: public funds used to generate knowledge, and private sector funds in the pursuit of commercial products. It is unclear how to compare the outputs of these two financial mechanisms because both sectors are motivated by common goods but are also governed by divergent forces. Employment within a geographic region may be a metric of mutual value that can be applied equally to assess the societal impacts of two financing sources. Areas covered: The authors focused on the medical device industry, which is a robust sector of growth for the U.S. economy. The U.S. NIH and venture capital community are representatives of public and private capital, respectively. Using a longitudinal employment dataset of 247 distinct locations, the authors found that NIH funding tends to create more jobs directly compared to venture capital funding. Moreover, the indirect effect of governmental funding is initially smaller than that of venture capital funding for the first two years, but eventually surpasses that of venture capital funding. Expert commentary: These findings imply that policy decisions regarding financial allocations in the medical device industry should consider the appropriate typology of financial capital and its consequences.

Using Venture Capital to Improve Army Research and Development

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Held, Bruce

2000-01-01

...) while keeping current equipment relevant and affordable. This issue paper introduces the idea that the Army should fund some of its technology development through a private venture capital organization...

Privatization in Turkey

OpenAIRE

Kjellstrom, Sven B.

1990-01-01

State capitalism has been a basic tenet of the developing strategy for Turkey for half a century, with import-substituting industrialization through state economic enterprises (SEEs) as a guiding principle. By 1980 a serious economic and political crisis called for a reassessment of economic policies. Policy reorientation was radical : from import substitution to export promotion, from interventionism to market forces, and from promotion of SEEs to promotion of the private sector. The state's...

Integrating an Interprofessional Education Model at a Private University

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Ramona Ann; Gottlieb, Helmut; Dominguez, Daniel G.; Sanchez-Diaz, Patricia C.; Jones, Mary Elaine

2015-01-01

In 2012, a private University in South Texas sought to prepare eight cohorts of 25 nursing, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, and health care administration students with an interprofessional education activity as a model for collaborative learning. The two semester interprofessional activity used a blended model (Blackboard Learn®,…

13 CFR 107.1570 - Distributions by Licensee-optional Distribution to private investors and SBA.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Distribution to private investors and SBA. 107.1570 Section 107.1570 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL... private investors and SBA. If you have outstanding Participating Securities or Earmarked Assets, you may... and your private investors in proportion to the capital contributions of each. You must notify SBA of...

Private Tutoring and Social Cohesion

Science.gov (United States)

Heyneman, Stephen P.

2011-01-01

Mastering the public school curriculum is so important to a child's occupational future that in many regions of the world "shadow" education outside of the public system has now become the norm. In one way, this is excellent news because private investment in human capital is a strong contributor to economic and social development.…

Ciemat Relational Capital: Institutional Presence; Capital Relacional del Ciemat: Presencia Institucional

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vaquero Ortiz, E. M.; González Pineda, L. M.; Cascante Díaz, E.

2015-07-01

The resources in any organization for its activity development can be divided into two main groups: tangible assets and intangible assets. In recent decades there has been a recognition of the importance of the intangible assets as value generators for the development and growth of organizations. And the so called Relational Capital is among them Relational Capital arises from the relationship processes that an organization maintains with external agents. Thus, in the case of a public research institution, such as CIEMAT, it includes the relations with projects financing organizations, with partners and with customers (both public and private entities which are serviced), as well as the institutional presence understood as the participation in discussion and coordination forums (foundations, associations, committees…). This report presents a study of CIEMAT institutional presence in the year 2015.

A study to measure the impact of privatized industries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyed Hossein Miri

2012-08-01

Full Text Available One of the most important issues in privatization is to measure the impact of such decisions on improving efficiency of governmental organizations. Privatization, in the past, has had both positive and negative consequences in different countries. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the impact of privatization in Iran to see the outcome of such decision. In this paper, we present an empirical study to measure the financial performance of the privatized firms three years before and three years after privatization happed using pairwise t-student. We use five financial figures of asset turnover, working capital turnover, return on assets, return on equity and earnings per share. The results indicate that there was no meaningful relationship between these financial figures before and after privatization occurred.

Prospects of Foreign Capital Raising for Russian Power Grid Companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. N. Shvets

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The power sector reform in Russia saw capital raising as one of the key objectives. Additional investments are necessary, in particular, for renovation of fixed assets which are ca. 70% worn out. The official Strategy for the development of the Russian power grid also provides for privatization of certain companies and foreign investors are considered among others as the target audience. Upon prospective privatization the sector is expected not only to experience a certain increase in capital expenditures, but also to benefit from foreign expertise and efficiency enhancement. At the moment, however, the privatization plans are hard to implement due to a number of obstacles. Prospective investors are mostly concerned about the lack of transparent regulation and clear development strategy of the industry. This is particularly relevant to the tariff system, which has been continuously altered in recent years. This might be explained by the need of the state support by other sectors, which is often provided at the expense of the power industry. Furthermore, the prospects of foreign capital raising are negatively influenced by the conflict in Ukraine and the corresponding negative perception of potential investors. The above factors result in the decrease in value of power grid companies as well as in the lack of visibility regarding the prospects of the sector development. Privatization thus becomes unreasonable both for the state and prospective investors. At the same time, despite the sector specifics, there are precedents of successful sale of power grid assets to private investors by international peers. Particularly, Vatenfall and Forum have recently closed relevant transactions, nothing to say about the power grid sector of Brazil, majorly controlled by private owners. Transparent regulation, clear pricing rules and well-balanced economic policy are, indeed, indispensable prerequisites for successful privatization. Those might back up a

Privatization in economic theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Drakić Maja

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In reality privatization has never occurred according to the handbook rules of ordinary market transactions. Not even in advanced market economies can privatization transactions be described by the Walrasian or Arrowian, or Leontiefian equilibrium models, or by the equilibrium models of the game theory. In these economies transactions of privatization take place in a fairly organic way – which means that those are driven by the dominance of private property rights and in a market economy. But despite this fact Western privatization also some peculiar features as compared to ordinary company takeovers, since the state as the seller may pursue non – economic goals. Changes in the dominant form of property change positions and status of many individuals and groups in the society. That’s why privatization can even less be explained by ordinary market mechanisms in transition countries where privatizing state-owned property have happened in a mass scale and where markets and private property rights weren't established at the time process of privatization began. In this paper I’ll discuss and analyze the phenomenon of privatization in context of different economic theories arguing that empirical results go in favor of the public choice theory (Buchanan, 1978, theory of "economic constitution" (Brennan and Buchanan 1985, (Buchanan and Tullock, 1989, and theory of "collective action" (Olson, 1982. These theories argues that transition from one economic system into another, for example transition from collectivistic, socialistic system into capitalism and free market economy with dominant private property, will not happen through isolated changes of only few economic institutions, no matter how deep that changes would be. In other words privatization can not give results if it's not followed by comprehensive change of economic system because privatized companied wouldn't be able to operate in old environment.

Outside Entrepreneurial Capital

OpenAIRE

Andy Cosh; Douglas Cumming; Alan Hughes

2005-01-01

This paper investigates the internal versus external financing decisions among 1900 early stage privately held UK firms in 1996-1997. We study the factors that affect rejection rates in applications for outside finance among the different types of investors, taking into account the non-randomness in a firm’s decision to seek outside finance. The data support the traditional pecking order theory; firms with greater capital expenditures / profits are more likely to seek finance and apply for mo...

The response of public and private credit markets to typhoons in China

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, X.; Hsiang, S. M.

2011-12-01

When natural disasters strike, both public and private credit markets may finance the reconstruction of lost capital. We examine the response of public and private credit markets to cyclone events in China, using provincial fiscal data from 1978 to 2008, and find striking differences in the sectors targeted by public and private creditors. Following a cyclone event, public loans to the agricultural sector expand 2% for every additional 10 m/s in local wind exposure, while private loans to industrial and commercial sectors grow 7% for the same event. In addition, we find that these expansions to local credit markets persist at these levels for at least one year following exposure to a storm. We then demonstrate that these results are consistent with a model in which private creditors maximize profits and the government maximizes equity. In this stylized model, we show that when governments value short-term equity and finance risky sectors with plausibly negative net present value, this may have the perverse effect of encouraging populations and capital to remain in disaster-prone regions and lower equity in the long-run.

Fundraising Basics for Private School Facilities

Science.gov (United States)

Roach, Arthur H.

2009-01-01

This report examines the process behind setting up and implementing a "capital campaign": a program for raising money for new or renovated facilities at private K-12 schools. The report covers tax information regarding gifts to institutions then offers advice for setting up a comprehensive development program, including fundraising software and…

Public-Private Partnerships in China’s Urban Water Sector

Science.gov (United States)

Mol, Arthur P. J.; Fu, Tao

2008-01-01

During the past decades, the traditional state monopoly in urban water management has been debated heavily, resulting in different forms and degrees of private sector involvement across the globe. Since the 1990s, China has also started experiments with new modes of urban water service management and governance in which the private sector is involved. It is premature to conclude whether the various forms of private sector involvement will successfully overcome the major problems (capital shortage, inefficient operation, and service quality) in China’s water sector. But at the same time, private sector involvement in water provisioning and waste water treatments seems to have become mainstream in transitional China. PMID:18256780

Public-Private partnership procurement: Game-theoretic studies of the tender process.

OpenAIRE

De Clerck, Dennis

2015-01-01

A Public-private partnership (PPP) is a settlement between a public party and a contractor or private sector consortium to engage in a long-term contractual agreement for designing, building, operating and/or maintaining capital intensive projects, while trying to attain value for money. PPPs are globally gaining importance in the construction industry. The risk transfer from the contracting government towards the private entity has important repercussions on the tender. Contractors need to c...

O CAPITAL COMUNITÁTIO E O PPC: A PARTICIPAÇÃO PÚBLICA, PRIVADA E COMUNITÁRIA NA CONSTRUÇÃO DO DESENVOLVIMENTO LOCAL / THE COMMUNITARIAN CAPITAL AND THE PPCP: THE PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND COMMUNITARIAN PARTICIPATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastião Sibá Machado Oliveira

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The peasant struggle has as its major feature the battle for control of the main means of production in the rural economy: the land. This struggle, in general, is characterized by subsistence production and its connection to capital is very conflicted and it only happens when rural communities become suppliers of inputs and raw materials for agro-industrial complex. When all the productive rural communitarian organizations move to the stage of medium and high complexity of the production process, they form the "Communitarian Capital" and "PPCP" (Public, Private and Communitarian Participation that is, the method of local development in which community appropriates the means of production in whole or in part considering all links of agricultural and forestry supply chains promoted by the state. Our study is an evaluation of the trajectory of peasant struggle in Acre in three phases: a the struggle for land tenure, which began in the 1970s, b rural social movements and the struggle in the land, and c the current moment of the industrialization of Acre and the new version of the capital.

DEDUCTIBILITY OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO VOLUNTARY PRIVATE PENSIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LILIANA MUNTEAN

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper approaches the notion of public and private pension in Romania. Pension can be seen in terms of a replacement income to individuals whose age no longer affords to operate in the labour market. Pension reform in Romania has allowed besides the public pension system, called Pillar I, which is a distributive system based on solidarity between generations also a private pension system that records the contributions of participants in individual accounts, based on capitalization, investment and accumulation of these contributions.

GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS IN THE VENTURE CAPITAL MARKET HOW JEREMIE AFFECTS THE HUNGARIAN VENTURE CAPITAL MARKET?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fazekas Balazs

2014-07-01

Full Text Available JEREMIE (Joint European Resources for Micro to Medium Enterprises program was implemented as a part of the EU cohesion policy in the framework of 2007-2013 programming period. The primary objective of the program was to enhance the financing prospects of SME’s through structural funds that provide financial engineering instruments like loan, guarantee and venture capital. This paper focuses on the effects of JEREMIE on Hungary’s venture capital market. Since 2010, 28 JEREMIE backed venture capital funds were founded in four rounds and 130 billion HUF capital was allocated into these funds with the contribution of Hungarian government. A well-established venture capital market can boost entrepreneurship and innovation, therefore economic growth which is the foundation of government involvement. On the other hand, there is an extensive literature highlighting the limits and possible drawbacks of the active role of public sector in the venture capital market. There is a consensus in the literature that in the long run the extensive role of government in venture capital industry is counterproductive. Substituting market participants by government agencies will hardly result in a competitive and efficient market. However, temporarily as a catalyst public sector can contribute to the development of venture capital market. Direct government intervention supportable temporarily only in the infancy of the industry. The primary objective of every program must be to develop the market to the level where it becomes self-sustaining. This way the success of these programs must not be measured only by the amount of invested capital, financial performance of venture capital funds and venture capital backed companies. Raising private sector awareness and the progress of necessary institutions are also the criteria of a successful program. During the design and implementation of venture capital agendas these aspects must be taken into consideration. This

Enhancing Cross-Cultural Training Efficacy on Expatriate Adjustment through Emotional Intelligence and Social Capital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ely Susanto

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Cross cultural training is widely believed to make a positive contribution to expatriate adjustment. In practice, however, it is very costly and sometimes ineffective for expatriates. Therefore, there is a growing importance placed on increasing the cost effectiveness or enhancing the efficacy of crosscultural training by functioning individual expatriate’s social capital and emotional intelligence as moderating variables towards expatriate’s adjustment and performance. To do so we blend ideas drawn from social capital theory and emotional intelligence to develop the structure that underlies the logic of this paper. Thus, this paper uses social capital and emotional intelligence theories to enrich extant literature on expatriate adjustment

26 CFR 1.147(b)-1 - Bond maturity limitation-treatment of working capital.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... and Local Bonds § 1.147(b)-1 Bond maturity limitation-treatment of working capital. Section 147(b) does not apply to proceeds of a private activity bond issue used to finance working capital... 26 Internal Revenue 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Bond maturity limitation-treatment of working...

THE ROLE OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL IN KNOWLEDGE - BASED SOCIETY

OpenAIRE

Denisa-Elena Parpandel

2013-01-01

In a knowledge - based society, organizations undergo permanent changes and transformations, and the key factor of such changes is intellectual capital regarded as one of the most critical, yet most strategic values an organization might own. Analyzing intelectual capital and knowledge society over the last decades has primarily emerged in private companies, whereas at present there is an increasing concern in all the fields of activity. The goal of this paper is to emphasize the im...

Аccounting and methodological aspects of capital expenditure for land improvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.P. Melnychuk

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The article highlights the process of reflection in accounting the capital costs for land improvement. The main legislation governing this issue is covered. Also the article has agreed the key issues that ensure in accounting for capital expenditures for farmland improving. The survey has benefited such general scientific methods as: induction and deduction, dialectic, historical and systematic methods and specific methods of accounting. Due to the land reform the ownership of the land was changed. Lands which were owned by farms have been privatized and have received a particular owner. Now privatized lands constitute a significant part of farmland. The land managers require quality accounting information about composition and state of the land and improvements that occur to make an effective management. The numerous changes in legislation generate controversies in their interpretation and, consequently, it results in appearance of the discrepancies in the conduct of cost accounting for capital land improvement which will effect on the amount of net profit in future. The article reflects the economic substance of the process and fundamentally describes the implementation method of accounting for capital expenditure for land in accordance with the applicable law.

Globalisation and private infrastructure investments in emerging markets

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Chege, L

2004-11-01

Full Text Available benefit, it is argued that globalisation has brought a mixed basket of hope and disillusionment to emerging markets. On the one hand, there is the euphoria that comes with increased private capital inflows and market access, and on the other...

Inequality in Human Capital and Endogenous Credit Constraints.

Science.gov (United States)

Hai, Rong; Heckman, James J

2017-04-01

This paper investigates the determinants of inequality in human capital with an emphasis on the role of the credit constraints. We develop and estimate a model in which individuals face uninsured human capital risks and invest in education, acquire work experience, accumulate assets and smooth consumption. Agents can borrow from the private lending market and from government student loan programs. The private market credit limit is explicitly derived by extending the natural borrowing limit of Aiyagari (1994) to incorporate endogenous labor supply, human capital accumulation, psychic costs of working, and age. We quantify the effects of cognitive ability, noncognitive ability, parental education, and parental wealth on educational attainment, wages, and consumption. We conduct counterfactual experiments with respect to tuition subsidies and enhanced student loan limits and evaluate their effects on educational attainment and inequality. We compare the performance of our model with an influential ad hoc model in the literature with education-specific fixed loan limits. We find evidence of substantial life cycle credit constraints that affect human capital accumulation and inequality. The constrained fall into two groups: those who are permanently poor over their lifetimes and a group of well-endowed individuals with rising high levels of acquired skills who are constrained early in their life cycles. Equalizing cognitive and noncognitive ability has dramatic effects on inequality. Equalizing parental backgrounds has much weaker effects. Tuition costs have weak effects on inequality.

Limiting the financial risks of electricity generation capital investments under carbon constraints: Applications and opportunities for public policies and private investments

Science.gov (United States)

Newcomer, Adam

Increasing demand for electricity and an aging fleet of generators are the principal drivers behind an increasing need for a large amount of capital investments in the US electric power sector in the near term. The decisions (or lack thereof) by firms, regulators and policy makers in response to this challenge have long lasting consequences, incur large economic and environmental risks, and must be made despite large uncertainties about the future operating and business environment. Capital investment decisions are complex: rates of return are not guaranteed; significant uncertainties about future environmental legislation and regulations exist at both the state and national levels---particularly about carbon dioxide emissions; there is an increasing number of shareholder mandates requiring public utilities to reduce their exposure to potentially large losses from stricter environmental regulations; and there are significant concerns about electricity and fuel price levels, supplies, and security. Large scale, low carbon electricity generation facilities using coal, such as integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) facilities coupled with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies, have been technically proven but are unprofitable in the current regulatory and business environment where there is no explicit or implicit price on carbon dioxide emissions. The paper examines two separate scenarios that are actively discussed by policy and decision makers at corporate, state and national levels: a future US electricity system where coal plays a role; and one where the role of coal is limited or nonexistent. The thesis intends to provide guidance for firms and policy makers and outline applications and opportunities for public policies and for private investment decisions to limit financial risks of electricity generation capital investments under carbon constraints.

Studies of PVC/ENR blends: blend compositions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chantara Thevy Ratnam; Khairul Zaman Mohd Dahlan; Nasir, M.; Baharin, A.

2002-01-01

Blends of poly(vinyl chloride/epoxidized natural rubber (PVC/ENR) were prepared by using Bra bender Plasticorder at compositions ranging from 0-100% PVC. They were blended at 150 degree C mixing temperature, 50 rpm rotor speed and 10 minutes mixing time. The blends were characterized for tensile strength , elongation at break, glass transition temperatures and Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FTIR). Results revealed that as the PVC content increases the blend behaviour changes from elastomeric to glassy. However the blends found to be compatible at all compositions. (Author)

The private partners of public health: public-private alliances for public good.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonnell, Sharon; Bryant, Carol; Harris, Jeff; Campbell, Marci Kramish; Lobb, Ano; Hannon, Peggy A; Cross, Jeffrey L; Gray, Barbara

2009-04-01

We sought to convey lessons learned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Prevention Research Centers (PRCs) about the value and challenges of private-sector alliances resulting in innovative health promotion strategies. Several PRCs based in a variety of workplace and community settings contributed. We conducted interviews with principal investigators, a literature review, and a review of case studies of private-sector alliances in a microbusiness model, a macrobusiness model, and as multiparty partnerships supporting public health research, implementation, and human resource services. Private-sector alliances provide many advantages, particularly access to specialized skills generally beyond the expertise of public health entities. These skills include manufacturing, distribution, marketing, business planning, and development. Alliances also allow ready access to employee populations. Public health entities can offer private-sector partners funding opportunities through special grants, data gathering and analysis skills, and enhanced project credibility and trust. Challenges to successful partnerships include time and resource availability and negotiating the cultural divide between public health and the private sector. Critical to success are knowledge of organizational culture, values, mission, currency, and methods of operation; an understanding of and ability to articulate the benefits of the alliance for each partner; and the ability and time to respond to unexpected changes and opportunities. Private-public health alliances are challenging, and developing them takes time and resources, but aspects of these alliances can capitalize on partners' strengths, counteract weaknesses, and build collaborations that produce better outcomes than otherwise possible. Private partners may be necessary for program initiation or success. CDC guidelines and support materials may help nurture these alliances.

Private management of public schools of Basic Education: a new market under the auspices of the State

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Gawryszewski

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to present the private management of public schools of Basic Education as one of the pillars that support a private-market agenda in the Brazilian contemporary field, based on the belief of greater efficiency and quality in order to ensure equal opportunity to all. The theoretical and methodological approach was the analysis of the current Brazilian situation included in the structural crisis of the capital, followed by the examination of private management in American schools, known as charter schools, and initiatives for the education networks in Brazil. We conclude by stating that the private management of public schools can be seen as a resource to prevent the cyclical crises of capital, which has opened up new market opportunities in the education field under the auspices of the Brazilian state.

75 FR 77190 - Exemptions for Advisers to Venture Capital Funds, Private Fund Advisers With Less Than $150...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-10

...\\ Goldstein v. Securities and Exchange Commission, 451 F.3d 873 (D.C. Cir. 2006) (``Goldstein''). \\19\\ Section....'''). See also Loy Testimony, supra note 40, at 7 (noting the factors by which the venture capital industry... capital'' activity in capital formation for small businesses.\\47\\ The BDC provisions and venture capital...

The importance of size in private equity : Evidence from a survey of limited partners

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Da Rin, Marco; Phalippou, L.

Using a comprehensive survey, we show that investors with a larger capital allocation to private equity are more specialized − measured by the degree to which the investor focuses on private equity rather than other classes of investments − and have a wider scope of due diligence and investment

Policy Pathways: Joint Public-Private Approaches for Energy Efficiency Finance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-09-06

This Policy Pathway outlines, through the experiences and lessons learned from country examples, the critical elements to put in place a public-private partnership to finance energy efficiency. It focuses on three mechanisms - dedicated credit lines, risk guarantees, and energy performance service contracts and presents the planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating phases of implemention. Accelerating and scaling up private investment in energy efficiency is crucial to exploit the potential of energy efficiency. However many barriers remain to private investment such as access to capital, uncertainty of future energy prices, transaction costs, perceived higher risk, and lack of knowledge. As part of the IEA 25 Energy Efficiency Policy Recommendations, the IEA recommends that governments support private investment in energy efficiency. A joint public-private approach can use public finance and regulatory policy to support the scaling up of private investment in energy efficiency.

Small Private Online Research: A Proposal for A Numerical Methods Course Based on Technology Use and Blended Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Cepeda, Francisco Javier Delgado

2017-01-01

This work presents a proposed model in blended learning for a numerical methods course evolved from traditional teaching into a research lab in scientific visualization. The blended learning approach sets a differentiated and flexible scheme based on a mobile setup and face to face sessions centered on a net of research challenges. Model is…

Private sector participation in the petroleum industry of Trinidad ampersand Tabago

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boopsingh, T.M.

1993-01-01

The limitations of size, domestic capital markets and the relative youth of the country, has seen shifts in the importance attributed to the private sector in energy over the past three (3) decades. The need for foreign capital and expertise has never been considered unimportant, but the corresponding need for deepening and widening the involvement of nationals in all aspects of energy sector developments has tended to make Trinidad and Tobago seek, where practicable, the joint venture as a preferred mode of operation. The need for efficient competition, not always easy to achieve in a mini-state, has led to a plural and diverse mix of arrangements, with state sector energy entities not always co-ordinated in the most efficient manner and with the local private sector in energy operating as small and mostly silent participants. The size of the country, particularly against that of international energy, thus dictates that wide domestic ownership in the energy sector in still some way off. However, the immediate benefits of new foreign capital and technology, new management expertise, more competition and greater efficiency of operations, have provided enough impetus to ensure that the role of the private sector in the energy sector in Trinidad and Tobago will continue to be enhanced to the benefit of the country, as it seeks to prepare itself for the 21st century

Forms of international movement of capital with special emphasis on the PPP and concessions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Šovran Sanja

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The state has always cooperated with the private sector in order to implement various activities in the best interest of public. The first models of public-private partnerships (PPP appeared at the time of the Roman Empire in the context of public works in construction of public baths, markets and ports. Contemporary international movement of capital is a phenomenon that has existed for over a century. When discussing the PPP in modern day terms, the expansion of private involvement in the public sector starts in the 1970s and the 1980s of the previous century, in public infrastructure projects and in most developed economies. The primary purpose of these arrangements is to reduce expenditures in state budgets, but also to achieve faster and better execution of work, reduce risk and efficiently manage the projects. This paper will briefly present the evolution of PPPs and concessions, with an emphasis on understanding money and capital throughout the evolution of PPP, contemporary forms of movement of capital, as well as equity in terms of globalization. The subject of this paper are also examples of the important PPPs and concessions from the construction of the Suez Canal until today.

Ciemat Relational Capital: Institutional Presence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaquero Ortiz, E. M.; González Pineda, L. M.; Cascante Díaz, E.

2015-01-01

The resources in any organization for its activity development can be divided into two main groups: tangible assets and intangible assets. In recent decades there has been a recognition of the importance of the intangible assets as value generators for the development and growth of organizations. And the so called Relational Capital is among them Relational Capital arises from the relationship processes that an organization maintains with external agents. Thus, in the case of a public research institution, such as CIEMAT, it includes the relations with projects financing organizations, with partners and with customers (both public and private entities which are serviced), as well as the institutional presence understood as the participation in discussion and coordination forums (foundations, associations, committees…). This report presents a study of CIEMAT institutional presence in the year 2015.

Does Human Capital Theory Explain the Value of Higher Education? A South African Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

van der Merwe, Alex

2010-01-01

A perennial debate in the economics of education is whether human capital or screening/signalling theories best explain the value of schooling and hence the private demand for, in particular, higher education. Human capital theory proposes that formal training such as that offered by higher education institutions improves the productive capacity…

Europe sees mixed results from public-private partnerships for building and managing health care facilities and services.

Science.gov (United States)

Barlow, James; Roehrich, Jens; Wright, Steve

2013-01-01

Prompted in part by constrained national budgets, European governments are increasingly partnering with the private sector to underwrite the costs of constructing and operating public hospitals and other health care facilities and delivering services. Through such public-private partnerships, governments hope to avoid up-front capital expenditure and to harness private-sector efficiencies, while private-sector partners aim for a return on investment. Our research indicates that to date, experience with these partnerships has been mixed. Early models of these partnerships-for example, in which a private firm builds a hospital and carries out building maintenance, which we term an "accommodation-only" model-arguably have not met expectations for achieving greater efficiencies at lower costs. Newer models described in this article offer greater opportunities for efficiency gains but are administratively harder to set up and manage. Given the shortages in public capital for new infrastructure, it seems likely that the attractiveness of these partnerships to European governments will grow.

A CBO PAPER: The Budgetary Treatment of Leases and Public/Private Ventures

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Clay-Mendex, Deborah

2003-01-01

Federal agencies sometimes use long-term leases and special-purpose public/private ventures to acquire capital assets without having to obtain Congressional appropriations for the full costs up front...

Public funding and private investment for R&D: a survey in China's pharmaceutical industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Lan; Chen, Zi-Ya; Lu, Deng-Yu; Hu, Hao; Wang, Yi-Tao

2014-06-13

In recent years, China has experienced tremendous growth in its pharmaceutical industry. Both the Chinese government and private investors are motivated to invest into pharmaceutical research and development (R&D). However, studies regarding the different behaviors of public and private investment in pharmaceutical R&D are scarce. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the current situation of public funding and private investment into Chinese pharmaceutical R&D. The primary data used in the research were obtained from the China High-tech Industry Statistics Yearbook (2002-2012) and China Statistical Yearbook of Science and Technology (2002-2012). We analyzed public funding and private investment in five aspects: total investment in the industry, funding sources of the whole industry, differences between provinces, difference in subsectors, and private equity/venture capital investment. The vast majority of R&D investment was from private sources. There is a significantly positive correlation between public funding and private investment in different provinces of China. However, public funding was likely to be invested into less developed provinces with abundant natural herbal resources. Compared with the chemical medicine subsector, traditional Chinese medicine and biopharmaceutical subsectors obtained more public funding. Further, the effect of the government was focused on private equity and venture capital investment although private fund is the mainstream of this type of investment. Public funding and private investment play different but complementary roles in pharmaceutical R&D in China. While being less than private investment, public funding shows its significance in R&D investment. With rapid growth of the industry, the pharmaceutical R&D investment in China is expected to increase steadily from both public and private sources.

12 CFR 701.34 - Designation of low income status; Acceptance of secondary capital accounts by low-income...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS AFFECTING CREDIT UNIONS ORGANIZATION AND OPERATION OF... governmental or private entity. (6) Subordination of claim. The secondary capital account investor's claim... investor or into a separate account from which the secondary capital investor may make withdrawals. Losses...

Blend or not to blend: a study investigating faculty members perceptions of blended teaching

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet A Ocak

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This study examined faculty members’ perceptions of blended teaching from several perspectives. A total of 73 faculty members in Turkish Higher Education context participated in the study by completing an online survey that combined quantitative and qualitative approaches. Based on a data analysis, the faculty members’ perceptions were sorted into six categories: (a satisfaction with blended teaching, (b perceived impact on the role of the faculty, (c perceived impact on student learning, (d perceived impact on student motivation, (e advantages of blended teaching, and (f disadvantages of blended teaching. Findings indicated that faculty members were likely to agree that blended teaching provides a high degree of satisfaction and that it requires more time and commitment from the faculty. The faculty members perceived that blended teaching improves student learning and, to some extent, improves motivation. The faculty members also emphasized the importance of institutional support and the use of technology to mitigate student problems. This study presents these faculty members’ perceptions, which are helpful for those planning to implement a blended teaching approach, and makes suggestions for trouble-shooting and taking advantage of the opportunities in a blended environment successfully.

Optimal Provision of Infrastructure Using Public-Private Partnership Contracts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Laan, G.; Ruys, P.H.M.; Talman, A.J.J.

2000-01-01

This paper deals with the optimal provision of infrastructure by means of public-private partnership contracts.In the economic literature infrastructure is characterized as a large, indivisible and non-rival capital good that produces services for its users.Users can be both consumers and producers.

Cyclicality and Firm Size in Private Firm Defaults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Thais Lærkholm; Lando, David; Medhat, Mamdouh

2017-01-01

The Basel II/III and CRD IV Accords reduce capital charges on bank loans to smaller firms by assuming that the default probabilities of smaller firms are less sensitive to macroeconomic cycles. We test this assumption in a default intensity framework using a large sample of bank loans to private...

Private benefits and board size: International evidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shinya Shinozaki

2011-04-01

Full Text Available In our analyses of 10,390 companies from 51 countries, we find that in countries that have small capital markets free cash flow is positively related to board size. However, this positive relation becomes significantly weak for companies in large securities markets. This result suggests that managers in underdeveloped capital markets have an incentive to construct less effective boards to extract private benefits. However, the distorted managerial incentive is alleviated in developed countries that have various disciplinary mechanisms to ensure good governance practices. We do not find clear evidence that legal protection of shareholder rights mitigates the managerial incentive to construct less effective boards.

Capitalism and human flourishing? : The strange story of the bias to activity and the downgrading of work

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D.R. Gasper (Des)

2009-01-01

textabstractWhat interpretation of human flourishing, what ideas of value does capitalism in practice embody and promote? To address this question the paper clarifies first that "capitalism" must be understood as more than merely a system of private property and markets. It contains "the prerogative

Alternative measures of the Federal Reserve Banks' cost of equity capital

OpenAIRE

Barnes, Michelle L.; Lopez, Jose A.

2005-01-01

The Monetary Control Act of 1980 requires the Federal Reserve System to provide payment services to depository institutions through the twelve Federal Reserve Banks at prices that fully reflect the costs a private-sector provider would incur, including a cost of equity capital (COE). Although Fama and French (1997) conclude that COE estimates are “woefully” and “unavoidably” imprecise, the Reserve Banks require such an estimate every year. We examine several COE estimates based on the Capital...

Public funding and private investment for R&D: a survey in China’s pharmaceutical industry

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background In recent years, China has experienced tremendous growth in its pharmaceutical industry. Both the Chinese government and private investors are motivated to invest into pharmaceutical research and development (R&D). However, studies regarding the different behaviors of public and private investment in pharmaceutical R&D are scarce. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the current situation of public funding and private investment into Chinese pharmaceutical R&D. Methods The primary data used in the research were obtained from the China High-tech Industry Statistics Yearbook (2002–2012) and China Statistical Yearbook of Science and Technology (2002–2012). We analyzed public funding and private investment in five aspects: total investment in the industry, funding sources of the whole industry, differences between provinces, difference in subsectors, and private equity/venture capital investment. Results The vast majority of R&D investment was from private sources. There is a significantly positive correlation between public funding and private investment in different provinces of China. However, public funding was likely to be invested into less developed provinces with abundant natural herbal resources. Compared with the chemical medicine subsector, traditional Chinese medicine and biopharmaceutical subsectors obtained more public funding. Further, the effect of the government was focused on private equity and venture capital investment although private fund is the mainstream of this type of investment. Conclusions Public funding and private investment play different but complementary roles in pharmaceutical R&D in China. While being less than private investment, public funding shows its significance in R&D investment. With rapid growth of the industry, the pharmaceutical R&D investment in China is expected to increase steadily from both public and private sources. PMID:24925505

External debt and capital flight in Nigeria: Is there a revolving door?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

OT Ajilore

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Using the residual method of capital flight estimation, this paper estimates Nigerian capital flight over the period 1970 - 2001 and finds a close correlation between external debt and capital flight flows. This phenomenon suggests a paradoxical revolving door of a bi-directional flow of capital, i.e. where capital enters the country in the guise of external borrowing and simultaneously slips out of the country as private capital flight. The research question addressed by this paper is whether such a financial revolving door relationship exists in Nigeria, just as previous empirical researches had established in a number of countries. The paper utilises a simultaneous equation model and three stage least square estimation technique (3SLS, in addition to two-way Granger causality tests, to obtain statistical evidence that confirms the existence of a financial revolving door relationship between the two endogenous variables. In addition, existence of stronger causality from debt to capital flight is instrumental in showing that growing public deficit and the resulting increase in external debt is being used as a transfer mechanism for capital flight.

What do we know about the capital structure of small firms?

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Joeveer, Karin

-, č. 283 (2005), s. 1-38 ISSN 1211-3298 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70850503 Keywords : capital structure * publicly traded and privately hold companies * Europe Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/wp/Wp283.pdf

India's petroleum privatization gathering speed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1994-01-01

Privatization of India's petroleum industry is seen as inevitable, even by the staunchest supporters of the state owned sector there. What has become clear is that the huge investments required for Indian exploration, refining, and marketing are beyond the scope of even the biggest state owned firms, such as Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) and Indian Oil Corp. (IOC). A proposal was put forth last fall to offer Bombay High offshore oil fields to leading multinationals for redevelopment to stem the production slide in India's mainstay producing area. Some of those projects could entail capital outlays of as much as $1 billion. In another step to attract foreign investment to the petroleum sector, India last month decided to take steps for phased decontrol of domestic crude oil prices to bring them in line with world market levels and help set the stage for privatization of ONGC. The paper describes major projects, the slide in oil production, price changes, the need for privatization, and the lukewarm interest in exploration

Private Returns on Education in Ghana: Estimating the Effects of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

national progress as investment in education accrues both private and social returns. ... Universal Basic Education (FCUBE), the Capitation Grant and the School Feeding .... working conditions of media workers in Ghana found a close link between educational ..... jobs, particularly elementary jobs in the formal sector.

Venturing into the private sector: Conclusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

From the very beginning, HEU has been a government-to-government deal. And right fully so. These weapons were produced by the US and Russia over the course of the Cold War. The two superpowers should play the main role in their dismantlement. After all, these aren't cars or microcomputers we're talking about. They are weapons of mass destruction. One day, private business will profit from their dismantlement. But it is truly the responsibility of the US and Russian governments to accomplish the larger objective of the HEU deal: To destroy these weapons, once and for all. But if government can fulfill the role of moral overseer, there's no reason why the private sector should not be involved in implementing the plan. And there is no shortage of companies lining up for a piece of the business. The Russians are all ears. While a deal with the US is their main priority, they've spoken to a number of private companies about blending down and marketing the HEU. In recent months, several US companies have signed preliminary agreements with the Russians. But what actual business these agreements will lead to is very unclear

Judicial Protection of Private Property Rights in Ethiopia: Selected ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Hailu_Elias_&_Muradu

“Property Rights Protection and Private Sector Development in Ethiopia” which was .... Even if land has come under public ownership in Ethiopia since 1975, these ... may be capital contributions and in effect, the ownership of the use right over ..... Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) did not hesitate to register this.

Fatores determinantes da estrutura de capital das maiores empresas que atuam no Brasil Determinant factors of capital structure for the largest companies active in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovani Antonio Silva Brito

2007-04-01

the financial statements of publicly traded and private companies. Multiple linear regression was applied as a statistical technique. The results indicate that risk, firm size, fixed assets and growth are determinants of the firms’ capital structure, while profitability is not a determinant factor. The results also show that the firms’ leverage is unaffected by whether a firm is publicly-traded or private.

13 CFR 107.230 - Permitted sources of Private Capital for Licensees.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... corporation established before October 1, 1987, to the extent that such revenues are reflected in the retained earnings of the corporation; and (iii) “Qualified Non-private Funds” as defined in paragraph (d) of this...

The Hollow University: Disaster Capitalism Befalls American Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Letizia, Angelo J.

2016-01-01

Over the last 40 years, American institutions of higher education have been encouraged to align with the private sector by policymakers, think tank experts and businessmen in order to become more efficient and more accountable. In a wider sense, this new partnership may be evidence of what has been termed "disaster capitalism." In…

Negotiating Professionalism: The Gendered Social Capital of Flexible Time.

Science.gov (United States)

Seron, Carroll; Ferris,Kerry

1995-01-01

From a sample of 1,000 New York attorneys, data from 553 men and 129 women suggest that professional autonomy depends on social capital arrangements that assume overtime, open-ended work demands, and release from private obligations. Access to time is qualitatively different for men and women, especially married women with children. (SK)

CONSUMERS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS INTERNATIONALSUPERMARKET PRIVATE BRAND PRODUCTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

May Chen Yap

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In recent year, we observed the rapid growth of international supermarkets chainslike Tesco, Carrefour, Jusco, and Giant in Malaysia. These internationalsupermarkets are capitalizing on local manufacturers to produce products of theirown brand. No doubt this private brand product price could be as low as otherlocal produce but pricing is not the only factor influencing local consumerspurchase intention. In this paper, we set to investigate consumers’ perceptions onperceived price, perceived quality, confidence, social influence, and brand imagetowards international supermarket private brand products. Using MultipleRegressions, we found all factors significantly influence consumers purchaseintention and price is the key factor that triggerpurchase. These factors wouldprovide international supermarkets to cater for local consumers’ demand.

Capitalism, Identity Politics, and Queerness Converge: LGBT Employee Resource Groups

Science.gov (United States)

Githens, Rod P.

2009-01-01

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employee resource groups have brought about substantial organizational change within corporations. Capitalist structures have enabled these changes to occur more quickly in the private sector than within the public sector. In this article, I explore how capitalism has converged with two approaches of…

Private management and public finance in the Italian water industry: A marriage of convenience?

Science.gov (United States)

Massarutto, Antonio; Paccagnan, Vania; Linares, Elisabetta

2008-12-01

In many countries, reforms of water and sanitation utilities have favored private sector participation. The drivers of this trend are the need to improve efficiency, professional capabilities of service operations, and willingness to relieve public budgets of the heavy burden of investment. Scant attention has been devoted to the great impact this strategy can have on water bills because of the higher cost of capital that is implicit, given the economic risk that the private sector is required to accept. Since it is a capital-intensive industry with a long economic life of its assets, the water industry is particularly vulnerable to the cost of capital. This creates the case for publicly-supported financial schemes in order to keep this cost as low as possible and guarantee long-run viability as well as affordability. The Italian water industry is an excellent case study to investigate the importance of this situation: in the last 15 years, a far-reaching reform has been introduced with the aim of substituting a financing model, based entirely on public spending, with one delegating financial responsibilities to operators through full-cost recovery. Our simulations show that delegating all responsibilities and risks to the private sector can lead to unsustainable price increases once replacement of existing assets are required. The solution is not to give up full-cost recovery, but rather to search for risk allocation patterns that are more coherent with the risk profile of the water industry and help keeping the cost of capital low.

Private Transfer Choices under Uncertainty in Human Capital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo J. Raad

2015-03-01

Full Text Available We develop a theoretical model for parental behavior regarding land inheritance, accounting for consumption and savings strategies. We identify two types of modeling: one with, and another without, strategic behavior. In the first model, we assume that children do not act strategically towards their parent. We find that the child with the highest return to human capital is more likely to receive a larger share of the land if the difference in offspring’s returns is large. In the second model, we allow for each child to influence parent’s optimal choice of bequest by providing services to the latter. We illustrate that the child’s strategy for service provision is sufficient to assure that the one providing more assistance will receive a larger share of the bequest in a Nash equilibrium. We conclude by illustrating our theoretical model with some empirical analysis using longitudinal data for the rural Brazilian Amazon.

An Empirical Analysis of Incremental Capital Structure Decisions Under Managerial Entrenchment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, A.; Veld, C.H.

1998-01-01

We study incremental capital structure decisions of Dutch companies. From 1977 to 1996 these companies have made 110 issues of public and private seasoned equity and 137 public issues of straight debt. Managers of Dutch companies are entrenched. For this reason a discrepancy exists between

SOCIAL CAPITAL AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF SOUTHEAST TOCANTINS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waldecy Rodrigues

2012-05-01

Full Text Available What are the variables as the economic development of localities? The traditional economic view emphasizes the role of natural conditions, human capacity, the public and private investments to the process of economic growth and development, but recently the literature on social capital has been emphasizing that economic variables are not sufficient to explain the process, as the social and civic participation are also relevant. Thus, this paper has as main objective to present and discuss the relationship between social capital and local economic development, taking as a case study in southeastern state of Tocantins. The method employed to collect secondary data on the variables as the development and interviews to assess the social capital of the municipalities surveyed. They were collected in a descriptive way and also created an econometric model to assess the specific importance of social capital on the levels of development in the region. We conclude that social capital is relevant to improving development indicators, but variables related to the advancement of public policies to improve life expectancy, education and direct combat poverty are even more important.

The Free Movement of Capital and Foreign Direct Investment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hindelang, Steffen

2009-01-01

The scope of protection offered to foreign investors by EU law has become a matter of intense political debate. Neo-protectionist policies are on the rise within EU Member States, who are struggling to acclimatise to increasing inward direct investment from developing countries. Strict regulations...... are being implemented to control the flow of this investment, undermining the principle of free movement of capital. Are such policies permitted under EU law? What impact does EU law have on foreign direct investment? This book addresses these questions through a coherent doctrinal reconstruction of the EC...... Treaty provisions on free movement of capital in a third country context. Opening with a timely restatement of the central features of the EU law of free movement of capital, the book then asks the central question: What rights does a private market participant, engaged in cross-border direct investment...

Mechanisms to Support Private Enterprise in the System of State Capitalism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogoutdinov Boris, B.

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Some of the main problems in developing the institute of private enterprise in Russia are ineffectiveness of government support and lack of competence among the entrepreneurs themselves. In the paper the author analyzes the existing mechanisms of business development for small and mediumsized businesses, which in case of effective implementation will drive up the share of self employment, tax revenue and quality of life. The aim of the paper is to develop methods and tools for development of private enterprise institute pursuing the task of forming a highly developed modern society. The mechanisms of support for small entrepreneurs in China, as well as problems of search funds and mittelshtands mechanisms were considered. The practical significance lies in the analysis of the existing enabling mechanism for small and medium-sized businesses with the purpose of development of new mechanisms of transformation of economic systems in Russia.

The role of territorial capital in building the competitive advantages of Podkarpackie Voivodeship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dąbrowska Anna

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In the discussion of regional development factors in recent years, more and more importance has been attributed to territory, locality, site specificity and endogenous resources, as evidenced on theoretical grounds by the concept of territorial capital (Camagni 2008 and regional, place-based policy. This article aims to identify the elements of territorial capital that play a key role in the process of changing the development path of an underdeveloped region - Podkarpackie - as well as ascertaining what consequences territorial capital has for development planning within regional policy. The research highlights the importance of the immobile and intangible development factors - a high level of social capital, extensive networks and the ability to cooperate - which have helped to eliminate the limitations resulting from the weakness of other factors (especially material factors, such as private capital and low GDP.

Power development- private investment and initiatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, B.P.

1995-01-01

In the context of paucity of resources with Central/State public sector companies and to bridge the gap between rapidly growing demand for electricity and supply, a policy to encourage greater investments by private enterprises in the power sector with the objective of mobilizing additional resources for capacity addition in power generation and distribution, had been formulated in 1991 and is currently under implementation. The policy also allows liberal capital structuring and an attractive return on investment

Blended learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dau, Susanne

2016-01-01

Blended Learning has been implemented, evaluated and researched for the last decades within different educational areas and levels. Blended learning has been coupled with different epistemological understandings and learning theories, but the fundamental character and dimensions of learning...... in blended learning are still insufficient. Moreover, blended learning is a misleading concept described as learning, despite the fact that it fundamentally is an instructional and didactic approach (Oliver & Trigwell, 2005) addressing the learning environment (Inglis, Palipoana, Trenhom & Ward, 2011......) instead of the learning processes behind. Much of the existing research within the field seems to miss this perspective. The consequence is a lack of acknowledgement of the driven forces behind the context and the instructional design limiting the knowledge foundation of learning in blended learning. Thus...

Further thoughts on agrarian capitalism: a reply to Albritton.

Science.gov (United States)

Zmolek, M

2001-01-01

In response to Albritton [2000], who asserts that the central dynamic of capitalism's genesis was putting-out manufacturing, I provide a sketch of the processes of agrarian capitalism. The elaboration of the common law in the Middle Ages enabled widespread conversion to leaseholds after the plague. An increasingly privatized system of land ownership resulted from the enclosure movement in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and the upheavals of the seventeenth century represented the triumph of the enclosers. The rise of cottage industry in the eighteenth century was supported by a systematic effort at improving agricultural productivity. By the Industrial Revolution, the principle of individual control over production had long been established.

A Review and Assessment of Privatization in Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aidan R. Vinning

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Most privatizations in Canada occurred in the 10-year period from the mid-1980s to the mid1990s, and while many of the remaining candidates are both politically and economically problematic, the Harper government has signalled its renewed interest in more privatizations. This paper, written by two of Canada’s leading experts on the subject, comprehensively assesses hard data from the earlier privatizations in Canada, including sectors such as energy, transport and telecommunications. They find that the overall impacts have been largely positive, in many cases impressively so. Key economic indicators such as capital expenditures, dividends, tax revenues and sales per employee tended to increase, while others such as employment initially fell, only to rise again over the long term. Ultimately, most of the privatized firms continue to operate efficiently, making them positive contributors to Canadians’ social welfare through the provision of increased economic opportunities, higher profits and taxes. Drawing on lessons learned, the authors propose a common-sense framework to guide future privatizations and ensure all Canadians derive the maximum possible benefits from them. No Canadian government has ever formulated such a plan for a privatization regime, making this paper a must-read for anyone with a stake in the future of Canadian business.

Privatization and the allure of franchising: a Zambian feasibility study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiedler, John L; Wight, Jonathan B

2003-01-01

Efforts to privatize portions of the health sector have proven more difficult to implement than had been anticipated previously. One common bottleneck encountered has been the traditional organizational structure of the private sector, with its plethora of independent, single physician practices. The atomistic nature of the sector has rendered many privatization efforts difficult, slow and costly-in terms of both organizational development and administration. In many parts of Africa, in particular, the shortages of human and social capital, and the fragile nature of legal institutions, undermine the appeal of privatization. The private sector is left with inefficiencies, high prices and costs, and a reduced effective demand. The result is the simultaneous existence of excess capacity and unmet need. One potential method to improve the efficiency of the private sector, and thereby enhance the likelihood of successful privatization, is to transfer managerial technology--via franchising--from models that have proven successful elsewhere. This paper presents a feasibility analysis of franchizing the successful Bolivian PROSALUD system's management package to Zambia. The assessment, based on PROSALUD's financial model, demonstrates that technology transfer requires careful adaptation to local conditions and, in this instance, would still require significant external assistance.

Clarifying the concept of social capital through its three perspectives: individualistic, communitarian and macrosocial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matías Membiela-Pollán

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The concept of social capital has received increasing attention in recent years. The complexity and multidimensionality that accompany the variable of social capital have caused confusion and ambiguity. This article presents a synthesis of social capital in three perspectives. From the individualistic or micro-social perspective, social capital is an "individual resource" that consists of the networks of relations of the focal subject that bring it a set of instrumental and expressive resources. For the communitarian or meso-social perspective, social capital is a "community resource" or set of attributes and properties present in the social structure (shared norms and values, private trust, closure ... that facilitate its functioning and collective action. Finally, for the macrosocial perspective, social capital is a "macrosocial and macroinstitutional resource" resting on aspects such as civic-mindedness, general trust and social cohesion, which favors the functioning of the economy and society in general.

Supporting School Leaders in Blended Learning with Blended Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Acree, Lauren; Gibson, Theresa; Mangum, Nancy; Wolf, Mary Ann; Kellogg, Shaun; Branon, Suzanne

2017-01-01

This study provides a mixed-methods case-study design evaluation of the Leadership in Blended Learning (LBL) program. The LBL program uses blended approaches, including face-to-face and online, to prepare school leaders to implement blended learning initiatives in their schools. This evaluation found that the program designers effectively…

Private sector participation in secondary education in Nigeria: Implications for national development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uyi Kizito Ehigiamusoe

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The study examines private sector participation in secondary education in Nigeria and its implications for national development. The population consisted all the providers and recipients of private secondary education in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT. Simple random sampling was used to select 200 providers and recipients of private secondary education across the six Area Councils in the FCT. An instrument designated Private Sector Participation in Secondary Education (PSPSE was used to collect data. The data were analysed using Chi-Square method to test for the acceptance or rejection of the study hypotheses. The findings revealed that the academic performance of students in private secondary schools is better than the academic performance of students in public secondary schools. The study further revealed that private secondary schools have better infrastructure than public secondary schools in Nigeria, but private secondary schools contribute less to the development of human resources than public schools in Nigeria. Recommendations are proffered to make private secondary education more viable and responsive to the needs of the society.

Fee-for-service, Capitation and Health Provider Choice with Private Contracts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boone, J.

2014-01-01

Contracts between health insurers and providers are private; i.e. not public. By modelling this explicitly, we find the following. Insurers with bigger provider networks,pay higher fee-for-service rates to providers. This makes it more likely that a patient is treated and hence health care costs

Blended Learning

OpenAIRE

Bauerová, Andrea

2013-01-01

This thesis is focused on a new approach of education called blended learning. The history and developement of Blended Learning is described in the first part. Then the methods and tools of Blended Learning are evaluated and compared to the traditional methods of education. At the final part an efficient developement of the educational programs is emphasized.

Privatizing and liberalizing electricity, the case of Hungary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bakos, G. [Kyoto Womens' University (Japan). Institute of Economy

2001-11-01

Hungary, a forerunner in Eastern reforms, has boldly privatized its energy sector with foreign capital. While in the west liberalization resulted in electricity abundance and dramatic tariff cuts, in Hungary as a result of asymmetric market opening it brought excess capacities, transparent cost base prices, but lower tariffs are still ahead. Foreign investors made the branch profitable and are planning to expand capacities. (author)

Fuel cycle financing, capital requirements and sources of funds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manderbach, R.W.

1977-01-01

An issue of global importance today is the economic case for nuclear power and the conservation of precious fossil resources. A question important to all of us is can sufficient financial resources be attracted to the nuclear industry in order to develop a complete fuel cycle industry capable of meeting the requirements of a global nuclear power industry. Future growth of the nuclear power industry will depend to a large extent on the timely development of a private competitive industry covering the total fuel cycle. The report of the Edison Electric Institute on Nuclear Fuels Supply estimates that by 1985 initial capital investment in the nuclear fuel cycle will total $15 billion and by the year 2000, $60 billion will be required. Although undoubtedly the amount of funding projected is manageable from a global availability standpoint, there is a hesitancy to commit financial resources to certain segments of the fuel cycle. This is because of the many unresolved problems in connection with the nuclear industry such as uncertainty regarding local and international governmental regulations and legislation, environmental and alternative technological considerations coupled, of course, with the substantial capital long term commitments needed in each of the several segments of the processes. Activities associated with the nuclear fuel cycle have unique investment requirements. Investments are needed in many diverse unrelated fields such as resource development and high technology process some of which are not yet fully commercialized. Sources of capital will be examined on a national scale, such as net earnings, depreciation, capital market and public subsidies. The paper also examines, in the broader context, capital investments in highly industrialized and developing countries as well as discussing the possible areas of Government guarantees and financing. The intensive capital required in certain segments of the cycle, which are to be developed by private

In-house or outsourced public services? A social and economic analysis of the impact of spending policy on the private wage share in OECD countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Pensiero, Nicola

2017-08-01

This article analyses the relationship between government spending and the distribution of private income between capital and labour. While most previous research assumes that government spending redistributes in favour of the less wealthy, I distinguish between types of expenditures that enhance the bargaining position of labour - that is, unemployment benefits, public sector employment and investment in new capital - and labour-saving and pro-business types of expenditures - that is, outsourcing to private firms. The results are derived from various panel regression techniques on a panel of 19 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in the period 1985-2010 and show that expenditures on public sector employment and, to a lesser extent, on new capital prevented the private wage share from declining further, even after controlling for labour market institutions, globalisation and technological change. Conversely, expenditures on outsourcing substantially contributed to reducing the private wage share. Unemployment benefits had a non-significant and negative effect on the private wage share because their increase was the consequence of higher levels of unemployment rather than policy. Implications for theory and policy are drawn, including the support for a public employment-led spending policy.

In-house or outsourced public services? A social and economic analysis of the impact of spending policy on the private wage share in OECD countries

Science.gov (United States)

Pensiero, Nicola

2017-01-01

This article analyses the relationship between government spending and the distribution of private income between capital and labour. While most previous research assumes that government spending redistributes in favour of the less wealthy, I distinguish between types of expenditures that enhance the bargaining position of labour – that is, unemployment benefits, public sector employment and investment in new capital – and labour-saving and pro-business types of expenditures – that is, outsourcing to private firms. The results are derived from various panel regression techniques on a panel of 19 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in the period 1985–2010 and show that expenditures on public sector employment and, to a lesser extent, on new capital prevented the private wage share from declining further, even after controlling for labour market institutions, globalisation and technological change. Conversely, expenditures on outsourcing substantially contributed to reducing the private wage share. Unemployment benefits had a non-significant and negative effect on the private wage share because their increase was the consequence of higher levels of unemployment rather than policy. Implications for theory and policy are drawn, including the support for a public employment-led spending policy. PMID:28919641

Private sector approaches to workforce enhancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Wendling, Wayne R

2010-06-01

This paper addresses the private practice model of dental care delivery in the US. The great majority of dental care services are delivered through this model and thus changes in the model represent a means to substantially change the supply and availability of dental services. The two main forces that change how private practices function are broad economic factors, which alter the demand for dental care and innovations in practice structure and function which alter the supply and cost of services. Economics has long recognized that although there are private market solutions for many issues, not all problems can be addressed through this model. The private practice of dentistry is a private market solution that works for a substantial share of the market. However, the private market may not work to resolve all issues associated with access and utilization. Solutions for some problems call for creative private - public arrangements - another form of innovation; and market-based solutions may not be feasible for each and every problem. This paper discusses these economic factors and innovation as they relate to the private practice of dentistry, with special emphasis on those elements that have increased the capacity of the dental practice to offer services to those with limited means to access fee-based care. Innovations are frequently described as new care delivery models or new workforce models. However, innovation can occur on an ongoing and regular basis as dental practices examine new ways to combine capital and human resources and to leverage the education and skill of the dentists to a greater number of patients. Innovation occurs within a market context as the current and projected economic returns reward the innovation. Innovation can also occur through private-public arrangements. There are indications of available capacity within the existing delivery system to expand service delivery. The Michigan Medicaid Healthy Kids Dental program is discussed as

Is Peace your Business? The Private Sector and Peace Talks in Colombia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angelika Rettberg

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The escalation of the Colombian conflict over the past few years has placed a considerable burden on the Colombian private sector. This is revealed by climbing rates of capital flight, the destruction of infrastructure such as energy and communication towers and roads, the kidnappings and extortion of business executives, and the growing tax burden to support the war effort. As a result, more business members today realize that the Colombian conflict scares away foreign investors and prevents domestic capital from being used productively.

Proposing changes in legislative and institutional conditions for private equity and venture capital financing in the Czech Republic – a comparative study with Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaroslava Rajchlová

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the conditions of private equity and venture capital financing in the Czech Republic and Poland. Especially the related legislation, taxes and support of this type of financing are discussed in detail. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the conditions, to find factors that have positive influence and to formulate recommendations that would improve the conditions for both PE/VC investors and firms with new business ideas. Improving the conditions for PE/VC financing helps small businesses get the needed capital that cannot be obtained from banks and other institutions. This form of financing has a proven positive effect on whole economy. Identifying and removing obstacles is therefore important and helps the government to promote economic growth. This form of financing is used frequently in other European countries. In the central and eastern Europe it is not used as frequently but the situation is improving according to (Zinecker & Rajchlová, 2010. According to the study made by EVCA an array of legislative shortcoming were identified in the Czech Republic. Poland and Hungary have better conditions for PE/VC financing. According to EVCA studies made in 2004 and 2006 Poland shows that the conditions improve each year. Therefore Poland was chosen in this research for a comparative study with the Czech Republic.

The Impact of Public Capital Investments on the Revenue Growth of Medium Enterprise in Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darius Tirtosuharto

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Public capital investment represents the role of state and local governments in supporting greater capacity of private enterprises to gain success in a market economy measured by revenue growth. Medium enterprises are considered as the catalysts for economic growth and competitiveness particularly in developing countries due to efficiency and flexibility in an adverse economic environment. Using aggregate data of 30 states (provinces in Indonesia from 1997-2002, the impact of public capital investment on the revenue growth of medium enterprise is examined. The paper finds that only medium enterprises in the industrial and trading sector benefited from public capital investments and the most optimum capital investment is in transport infrastructure.

A contemporary perspective on capitated reimbursement for imaging services.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, H W

1995-01-01

Capitation ensures predictability of healthcare costs, requires acceptance of a premium in return for providing all required medical services and defines the actual dollar amount paid to a physician or hospital on a per member per month basis for a service or group of services. Capitation is expected to dramatically affect the marketplace in the near future, as private enterprise demands lower, more stable healthcare costs. Capitation requires detailed quantitative and financial data, including: eligibility and benefits determination, encounter processing, referral management, claims processing, case management, physician compensation, insurance management functions, outcomes reporting, performance management and cost accounting. It is important to understand actuarial risk and capitation marketing when considering a capitation contract. Also, capitated payment methodologies may vary to include modified fee-for-service, incentive pay, risk pool redistributions, merit, or a combination. Risk is directly related to the ability to predict utilization and unit cost of imaging services provided to a specific insured population. In capitated environments, radiologists will have even less control over referrals than they have today and will serve many more "covered lives"; long-term relationships with referring physicians will continue to evaporate; and services will be provided under exclusive, multi-year contracts. In addition to intensified use of technology for image transfer, telecommunications and sophisticated data processing and tracking systems, imaging departments must continue to provide the greatest amount of appropriate diagnostic information in a timely fashion at the lowest feasible cost and risk to the patient.

INSTITUTE OF THE STATE-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IN THE SPHERE OF THE STATE PURCHASES: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Sh. Subkhonberdiev

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Close cooperation between public and private property within the boundaries of a single firm (mixed company or within various forms of public-private partnerships is a characteristic tendency of modern innovative economy. The term covers a wide range of partnerships from simple contracts with private entrepreneurs in the production of goods, works, the provision of services to large projects needed in the areas where privatization is not possible, but there is a need in private investment. State, attracting private capital to financing of capital-intensive, long payback, but important for innovative economic development projects, does not lose control over them, and the private business gets access to previously closed sectors of the economy, such as transport infr astructure, housing and communal services, bringing with it new efficient technology management. Now there is no single approach to defining the nature and content of the concepts in the economic and legal literature presented different points of view, institutional problems of public-private partnership actively discussed by scientists and practitioners. Analysis of international experience projects shows that the specific features of and peculiarities of the institute of public-private partnership determined by the historical, social and economic characteristics development of each country. In turn, the institutional system public procurement is formed depending on the current in them budgetary and legislative system. Because of the historical development United States, perhaps on other developed countries advanced in the organization system of partnership between the state and private business, based solely on market principles.

Financing Preference Behaviour for Private Finance Initiative (PFI Projects

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Yati Md Lasa

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Project Financing Initiative (PFI projects require the private sector to invest an enormous amount of capital for the development of public projects. The private sector has to seek cost-effective financing sources for their survival in the long-term concession. Conventional financing uses widely; however, Islamic financing promises better financing through profit and loss sharing. This paper reviews financing preferences for PFI projects and the factors influencing the choice of funding. The results show that religious perspective, quality of services, financing facilities and reputation are the factors that are expected will influence the financing preference behaviour, either Islamic or conventional finance.

How do government reforms influence the establishment of private limited companies in Sweden?

OpenAIRE

Patel, Ibrahim; Thörn, Simon

2012-01-01

Background: This study focuses on three reforms which the Swedish government have performed: The abolishment of the audit requirement, the reduction of the legal capital requirement, and the reduction of the employment taxes. What effect have they had on the establishment of private limited companies? Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation is to explain the influence government reforms have on the establishment and re-establishment of private limited companies inSweden. Method: An explanat...

What do we know about private family firms? A meta-analytic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Carney, M.; van Essen, M.; Gedajlovic, E.; Heugens, P.P.M.A.R.

2015-01-01

The universe of family firms is heterogeneous, and findings gleaned from publicly listed firms may not apply to the ubiquitous, but less frequently studied, privately held family firm (PFF). As PFFs are insulated from capital market pressures, owner-managers have greater latitude in setting

Realisation Ratios in the Capital Expenditure Survey

OpenAIRE

Leon Berkelmans; Gareth Spence

2013-01-01

The Australian Bureau of Statistics capital expenditure survey is one of the inputs into the Reserve Bank’s forecasts for private business investment. This article considers several methods for interpreting the expectations data from this survey and evaluates these methods using out-of-sample forecasts. Forecasts based on long-run average realisation ratios are found to be the most accurate of the options considered, although the use of these forecasts for predicting investment in the nationa...

The Post-Privatization Role of Out-growers' Associations in Rural Capital Accumulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Isager, Lotte; Fold, Niels; Nsindagi, Thobias

2018-01-01

Contract farming is widely promoted by multilateral agencies as an engine of economic growth in developing countries. The agencies often stress the need for governments to create strong farmers' organizations that can shoulder the risks associated with contractual relationships with large...... a crucial position with regard to classic agrarian questions of land, labour and capital accumulation....

Liquidity, Technological Opportunities, and the Stage Distribution of Venture Capital Investments.

Science.gov (United States)

Lahr, Henry; Mina, Andrea

2014-06-01

This paper explores the determinants of the stage distribution of European venture capital investments from 1990 to 2011. Consistent with liquidity risk theory, we find that the likelihood of investing in earlier stages increases relative to all private equity investments during liquidity crisis years. While liquidity is the main driver of acquisition investments and, to some extent, of expansion financings, technological opportunities are overall the main driver of early and late stage venture capital investments. In contrast to the dotcom crash, the recent financial crisis negatively affected the relative likelihood of expansion investments, but not of early and late stage investments.

Liquidity, Technological Opportunities, and the Stage Distribution of Venture Capital Investments

Science.gov (United States)

Lahr, Henry; Mina, Andrea

2014-01-01

This paper explores the determinants of the stage distribution of European venture capital investments from 1990 to 2011. Consistent with liquidity risk theory, we find that the likelihood of investing in earlier stages increases relative to all private equity investments during liquidity crisis years. While liquidity is the main driver of acquisition investments and, to some extent, of expansion financings, technological opportunities are overall the main driver of early and late stage venture capital investments. In contrast to the dotcom crash, the recent financial crisis negatively affected the relative likelihood of expansion investments, but not of early and late stage investments. PMID:26166906

Jet A and low sulphur diesel production and blending experience in a synthetic crude-rich environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

The Sunoco Sarnia Refinery has produced large volumes of high quality Jet A and Low Sulphur Diesel without major capital investment. They have done this by blending the synergy between hydrocracked and synthetic-based distillate stocks. The Sunoco Sarnia Refinery has two crude units, a Catalytic Cracker, a Hydrocracker and a Hydrogen unit, two reformers, Alkylation and BTX units. It also has the usual facilities such as gas plants, gasoline treater, and a naphtha pre-treater for former feed and an amine sulphur unit. Refinery distillate products, crudes used, components used for blending the distillate products, cost of the facilities and average production of each product were reviewed. A schematic of the Sarnia Refinery Distillate Production Facility was provided. 1 tab., 1 fig

THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL CAPITAL AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING ON INNOVATION CAPABILITY

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Dhyah Harjanti

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This research examines social capital and knowledge sharing effect on innovation capability among lectures in universities. Social capital was analyzed using three constructs, namely trust, norm and network, while knowledge sharing was broken down into two variables, namely knowledge collecting and knowledge donating. Innovation capability was explained on an individual level based on personality, behavioral and output perspectives. The research model and hypotheses were developed from the literature. Data collection is conducted through a survey on lecturers of private universities in Surabaya. The obtained data from the questionnaires were analyzed with the Partial Least Square (PLS to investigate the research model. The results suggest that social capital significantly influences innovation capability, while high level of knowledge collecting and knowledge donating can lead to high level of innovation capability. This study offers a foundation to analyze the relationships between social capital, knowledge-sharing process, consisting of knowledge collecting and knowledge donating, and innovation capability

HOW DOES THE JEREMIE PROGRAM AFFECT THE HUNGARIAN VENTURE CAPITAL MARKET?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zsuzsanna Széles

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In the 2007-2013 EU's budgetary period a new program was introduced for SMEs. JEREMIE - Joint European Resources for Micro to medium Enterprises - offers to EU Member States and regions the possibility to invest some of their EU structural funds allocations in revolving funds and so recycle financial resources in order to enhance and accelerate investments in enterprises. The market for venture capital and private equity is relatively small in Central and Eastern Europe, but has matured during the past decade and yields are better than in Western Europe. In 2009 Hungary got the first notification for the venture capital part of the JEREMIE program, and started to organize the channel to distribute this renewable source for Hungarian start-up and innovative (from micro to medium enterprises. 2010 was the first year of the “JEREMIE venture capital funds” in Hungary. There are no tangible results yet, but a snapshot could be taken about how this program affects the Hungarian venture capital market.

A New capitalism in Brazil? Fusions & acquisitions on Lula government

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José Carlos Martines Belieiro Junior

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper aims analyze the phenomenon of fusions and acquisitions of companies in Brazil during the government of ex-president Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva, from 2003 to 2010. The adopted point of view is the one of relations between the State an d the economy trying to investigate what the new role of the private capital in the contemporary Brazil. The basic hypothesis that guide this work is to explain the fusions and acquisitions in a broader context of State support to the process of fusions and acquisitions as a new way of global insertion of Brazilian capitalism in a moment of international competitiveness.

Enhancing Cross-Cultural Training Efficacy on Expatriate Adjustment through Emotional Intelligence and Social Capital

OpenAIRE

Susanto, Ely; Rostiani, Rokhima

2012-01-01

Cross cultural training is widely believed to make a positive contribution to expatriate adjustment. In practice, however, it is very costly and sometimes ineffective for expatriates. Therefore, there is a growing importance placed on increasing the cost effectiveness or enhancing the efficacy of crosscultural training by functioning individual expatriate’s social capital and emotional intelligence as moderating variables towards expatriate’s adjustment and performance. To do so we blend idea...

PROBLEMS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir B. Zotov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Public-private partnership (PPP is a complex mechanism, which includes a variety of industry legislation, which together form a system of legislative regulation of relations at the interaction of private and public parties in the realization of long-term capital-intensive investment projects for the development of public infrastructure. The article describes the current state of PPP in the Russian Federation, the analysis of the main problems and needs integrated action (regulatory, institutional and investment to improve and develop this project.

[Analysis of financial statements of Japanese private hospitals (1982-1991)].

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuda, S; Murata, H

1996-06-01

In order to clarify the financial situation of Japanese private hospitals, the financial statements provided by the Social Welfare and Medical Service Corporation were analyzed for the period from 1982 to 1991. The results clarified the low growth rate and low profitability of the Japanese private hospitals, although their financial situation was relatively stable. However, the efficiency of cost has been stalled in recent years and profitability has been declining due to the low turnover rate of capital. According to the CVP analysis, the Profit volume ratio of the investigated hospitals has been increased to the level of 95%. This situation means that, in the current financial situation, more than half of the Japanese private hospitals will go into the red if revenue declines 5% due to some short term change in the managerial environment.

The Impact of Public Capital Investments on the Revenue Growth of Medium Enterprise in Indonesia

OpenAIRE

Tirtosuharto, Darius

2012-01-01

Public capital investment represents the role of state and local governments in supporting greater capacity of private enterprises to gain success in a market economy measured by revenue growth. Medium enterprises are considered as the catalysts for economic growth and competitiveness particularly in developing countries due to efficiency and flexibility in an adverse economic environment. Using aggregate data of 30 states (provinces) in Indonesia from 1997-2002, the impact of public capital ...

Relations between blended learning possibilities and teachers' approaches to blended learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stenalt, Maria Hvid; Nielsen, Tobias Alsted; Bager-Elsborg, Anna

Higher Education has embraced blended learning as a way of enhancing quality in teaching and helping students to learn. This presentation addresses relations between blended learning possiblities presented to teachers in a teacher training project and teachers’ approaches to blended learning. We...... suggest that in order to identify the level of impact of integrating technologies in teaching and learning, we need to understand the factors influencing approaches to design of courses for blended contexts. Participants in the teacher training project come from the Department of Law at Aarhus University......: • Optain locally-embedded knowledge about blended learning • Develop opportunities for law students to receive (more) feedback • Comply with strategic aims The results so far suggest that teachers provide a disciplinary perspective on the key dimensions of blended learning, which influences...

The intellectuals of capital and the mercantilized expansion of brazilian higher education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alisson Slider do Nascimento de Paula

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The study seeks to understand the interests of the capital intellectuals’ movement for Brazilian higher education. We chose a bibliographical study and document, besides using the method of Marxist dialectical analysis to understand reality as a complex totality, an articulated whole. It was verified that intellectuals play a decisive role in taking action on the direction of Brazilian higher education policy, operating directly in the culture of the state university as well as orchestrating a political-juridical framework for the expansion of private higher education institutions. At the limit, intellectuals are not only manifested as individual subjects; however, as organized collective subjects, for example, international financial capital organizations with their orientations towards peripheral countries express intellectuals of capital in their parasitic phase.

Corporal Punishment in Private Schools: The Case of Kathmandu, Nepal

Science.gov (United States)

Khanal, Jeevan; Park, Sae-Hoon

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to elaborate the situation of corporal punishment which is being practiced in Nepalese schools going against new policies that promote the non-violence teaching. It was based on original qualitative study of one private school of Kathmandu (the capital city of Nepal) having more than 2000 students and 100 teachers.…

Oklahoma Aerospace Intellectual Capital/Educational Recommendations: An Inquiry of Oklahoma Aerospace Executives

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Erin M.

2010-01-01

Scope and Method of Study: The purpose of this qualitative study was to conduct detailed personal interviews with aerospace industry executives/managers from both the private and military sectors from across Oklahoma to determine their perceptions of intellectual capital needs of the industry. Interviews with industry executives regarding…

An empirical study to measure the impact of financial and macro economical figures on capital adequacy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohsen Babaei dazghei

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Capital adequacy plays an important role for reducing different risk components in banking industry. In this paper, we present an empirical study to measure the impact of financial and macro economical factors on capital adequacy. We gather the necessary information from financial statements and balance sheets of nine Iranian private banks over the period of 2005-2011. The results of analyzing the data based on the implementation of linear regression technique reveal that there are some meaningful relationship between financial figures, including bank size and profitability, and capital adequacy. However, the survey does not show any relationship between macro economical factors, including growth domestic product and inflations, and capital adequacy.

Assessment of value creation in private equity: the acquisition of Burger King by 3G Capital

OpenAIRE

Hoene, Daniel Jobst Elmar

2016-01-01

This thesis elaborates the creation of value in private equity and in particular analyzes value creation in 3G Capital’s acquisition of Burger King. In this sense, a specific model is applied that composes value creation into several drivers, in order to answer the question of how value creation can be addressed in private equity investments. Although previous research by Achleitner et al. (2010) introduced a specific model that addresses value creation in private equity, the r...

Forecasting Business Investment Using the Capital Expenditure Survey

OpenAIRE

Natasha Cassidy; Emma Doherty; Troy Gill

2012-01-01

Business investment is a key driver of economic growth and is currently around record highs in Australia as a share of GDP. In compiling forecasts for business investment, the Reserve Bank uses a variety of different indicators, including information from liaison as well as survey measures of firms’ investment intentions. The most comprehensive survey is the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) quarterly survey of Private New Capital Expenditure and Expected Expenditure (Capex survey). Whil...

Blended Learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van der Baaren, John

2009-01-01

Van der Baaren, J. (2009). Blended Learning. Presentation given at the Mini symposium 'Blended Learning the way to go?'. November, 5, 2009, The Hague, The Netherlands: Netherlands Defence Academy (NDLA).

Public-Private Partnerships in Republic of Korea: Experience and Results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Jae Sung

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The Republic of Korea came to realize the acute necessity of launching the public-private partnership (PPP at the turn of the 90s, the country happened to fall short of such infra facilities as roadways, railroads, sea ports and airports and the government found itself unable to fully finance their construction works. Although the PPP institutional framework started to get purposely and mostly formed in the first half of the 90s in Korea the PPP itself actually came into occasional practice even before, owing to some legislation, covering roadways and sea ports. There are four main stages to be noted in the development of PPP, consecutively ranging from 1968 to 1994, from 1994 to 1999, from 1999 to 2004 and since 2005 till now. The PPP periods are much related to various amendments to the basic PPP law, initially adopted in August 1994 as the Act on Promotion of Private Capital Investment in Social Overhead Capital which was transformed into the Act on Private Participation in Infrastructure (briefly called the PPP Act in December 1998. Along with this Act, Korea's PPP institutional basis currently laid by the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Public-Private Partnerships in Infrastructure, the PPP Basic Plan and the PPP Implementation Guidelines. It is the PPP Act that determines 49 types of PPP project-eligible infra facilities, categorized into 15 groups such as roads, railroads, ports, airports, communications, water resources, energy, environment, forestry, logistics, welfare, public housing, military housing, education, culture/tourism. In the aspect of the globally-recognized types of PPP procurement methods, the PPP Act primarily determines the use of such mechanisms as BTL, BTO, BOT, BOO.

Farmers’ territory invaded by a water company: The effects of drinking water privatization on rice farmers in Calapan City, the Philippines

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liebrand, J.

2009-01-01

This book documents a water conflict known as the Bayanan water issue in Calapan City, the Philippines. Drinking water privatization in Calapan City was implemented by the book; a private company was granted extensive water rights and subsequently made capital investments in a drinking water system

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AS A FACTOR OF ACCUMULATION OF NOVEL FORMS OF CAPITAL IN THE CONTEMPORARY MARKET ECONOMY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Grazhevska

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The role and importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR is highlighted as an important factor of accumulation of intellectual, social, reputational and cultural capital, ensuring the global competitiveness of modern market economies. The world experience of CSR development in the context of increasing the level of trust in society, accumulation and effective implementation of social capital is analyzed. The peculiarities of CSR development in Ukraine are emphasized, and the state priority actions are grounded in order to promote social responsibility of the business as a factor of accumulation of new forms of capital, namely: institutionally-organizational arrangement of effective interaction of private business and state, state encouragement of private business to implement CSR by providing tax privileges and benefits, informational support for CSR development, promotion of corporate social responsibility principles, spreading the ideas of CSR among employees, customers, communities, deepening of business cooperation with universities and research institutions towards adapting international best practices and training in the field of CSR.

Capital requirements of the US-energy economy up to 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Posner, E.

1976-01-01

Efforts to give the U.S. energy market a new structure in favour of a higher proportion of domestic energy resources involve particular attention to investment problems and the possibilities of the U.S. capital market for providing capital for the planned energy projects. If the doubts lately expressed by members of government, industry and banks with respect to sufficient financing of domestic energy projects prove to be realistic, increased dependence of the U.S.A. on uncertain imported energies, particularly mineral oil, would not be avoidable. Among various studies and estimates of private organizations dealing with these problems, a study carried out by the Bankers Trust Company, which was published at the beginning of this year, is most remarkable. The bank investigated alternative energy consumption structures and calculated these alternatives in an effort to find out whether the objections as to sufficient capital are justified. (orig./UA) [de

Sovereign debt and corporate capital structure: The evidence from selected European countries during the Gglobal Financial and Economic Crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia Mokhova

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The recent Global financial crisis and the following European debt crisis show the significance of country financial stability and its impact on the private sector. Moreover, the sovereign debt as an essential element of government macroeconomic policy influences the financial performances of the companies and their future development and growth. The capital structure and financing decisions represent one of the most significant parts of company’s financial policy and its key to financial strength. There are a lot of external factors influencing the capital structure; however, due to the European debt crisis the aim of this study is to indicate the influence of sovereign debt on capital structure of the private held companies in different European countries. This study examines the evidence from European developed countries and emerging markets for the period 2005–2012, in order to compare the level of its impact on the capital structure according to the countries’ specifics. We find that after Global Financial Crisis the sovereign debt has tendency to increase in all investigated countries. Greece and Italy have the highest level of debt and it exceeds their Gross Domestic Product (GDP. In addition to that, the Czech Republic has the lowest level of sovereign debt to GDP, but at the same time the corporate capital structure exceeds 100%. The sovereign debt levels are strongly and statistically significantly correlated with each other, however, Hungarian debt has weaker relation with other countries. The findings also show the integration and interdependence of European countries. Moreover, Hungarian, Czech and German private sectors are the most depended on the level of sovereign debt.

Measures of indigenous social capital and their relationship with well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

Biddle, Nicholas

2012-12-01

To provide the first estimates of a comprehensive measure of social capital for the Indigenous population and to link the indicators to well-being. Observational study-based. Household survey. Nationally representative sample of 7823 Indigenous Australians aged 15 years and over who were usual residents of private dwellings. Whether or not the respondent felt happy in the last 4 weeks all or most of the time (happiness), and whether or not they felt so sad that nothing could cheer them up at least a little bit of the time over the same period (sadness). There were no consistent differences in social capital measures between Indigenous men and women, nor were there consistent differences between the remote and non-remote population. High levels of social capital were, however, associated with higher subjective well-being. Social capital is both an indicator and determinant of well-being. It was possible to derive an index of social capital for Indigenous Australians that had a strong positive association with self-reported happiness and a negative association with self-reported sadness. However, the analysis also showed that there are a set of related domains of social capital, rather than there being a single underlying concept. © 2012 The Author. Australian Journal of Rural Health © National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

Government budget, public-sector wages and capital taxes in a small open economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chao, C.C.; Yu, E. S. H.; Yu, Wusheng

This paper examines the welfare implications of adjustments in public-sector wages and capital tax rates for a small open economy in a general equilibrium setting. The individually and jointly optimal wage and tax policies are derived and interpreted. Facing reductions in land sales and falls...... in foreign interest rates, a cut in public workers’ pay is needed for making their wage comparable to the private sector and a hike in capital taxes is recommended for a budgetary consideration. Using a computable general equilibrium model for Hong Kong, we numerically evaluate the various optimal policies...

Market and Labour Control in Digital Capitalism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philipp Staab

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Theorists of post capitalism have recently argued for a more or less inevitable end to capitalism. They assume that private accumulation is systematically blocked by the inability of capitalist corporations to create revenues by setting prices as they lose control over the reproduction of their commodities and that in this process, capitalist labour will eventually disappear. Drawing on a case study of Amazon and thoughts on the policies of other leading digital corporations, we challenge these assumptions. Key corporate players of digitization are trying to become powerful monopolies and have partly succeeded in doing so, using the network effects and scaling opportunities of digital goods and building socio-technical ecosystems. These strategies have led to the development of in part isomorphic structures, hence creating a situation of oligopolistic market competition. We draw on basic assumptions of monopoly capital theory to argue that in this situation labour process rationalization becomes key to the corporation’s competitive strategies. We see the expansion of digital control and the organizational structures applied by key corporate players of the digital economy as evidence for the expansion of capitalist labour, not its reduction.

Polymer blends

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, Scott D.; Naik, Sanjeev

2017-08-22

The present invention provides, among other things, extruded blends of aliphatic polycarbonates and polyolefins. In one aspect, provided blends comprise aliphatic polycarbonates such as poly(propylene carbonate) and a lesser amount of a crystalline or semicrystalline polymer. In certain embodiments, provided blends are characterized in that they exhibit unexpected improvements in their elongation properties. In another aspect, the invention provides methods of making such materials and applications of the materials in applications such as the manufacture of consumer packaging materials.

EFL oral skills behaviour when implementing blended learning in a content-subject teachers’ professional development course

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia Sanchez Narvaez

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The increasing use of technology in educational settings (Murray, 2014; Zandi, Thang, & Krish, 2014 encourages teachers to refocus their professional development by centering their efforts on becoming proficient in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs in language lessons (Chen, Chen, & Tsai, 2009. As such, this qualitative action research project intended to describe content-subject teachers’ EFL oral behavior when blended learning was implemented in a professional development course and to determine the influence of blended learning in EFL oral skill behavior. The participants were seven content-subject teachers from a private school in Huila, Colombia. Data were gathered via in-depth interviews, class observations, video recording analysis, teachers’ reflection, students’ artifacts, and a survey. Data were collected during the implementation of an English blended course in which 12 lessons were divided into six face-to-face sessions and six online meetings. The findings suggest that EFL oral skill behavior is connected with use of vocabulary, use of body language, pronunciation and intonation patterns, production of chunks of language, monitoring oral production and, motivation and engagement. In addition, blended learning influenced participants’ oral production.

Blended learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Staugaard, Hans Jørgen

2012-01-01

Forsøg på at indkredse begrebet blended learning i forbindelse med forberedelsen af projekt FlexVid.......Forsøg på at indkredse begrebet blended learning i forbindelse med forberedelsen af projekt FlexVid....

Applying a private sector capitation model to the management of type 2 diabetes in the South African public sector: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Volmink, Heinrich C; Bertram, Melanie Y; Jina, Ruxana; Wade, Alisha N; Hofman, Karen J

2014-09-30

Diabetes mellitus contributes substantially to the non-communicable disease burden in South Africa. The proposed National Health Insurance system provides an opportunity to consider the development of a cost-effective capitation model of care for patients with type 2 diabetes. The objective of the study was to determine the potential cost-effectiveness of adapting a private sector diabetes management programme (DMP) to the South African public sector. Cost-effectiveness analysis was undertaken with a public sector model of the DMP as the intervention and a usual practice model as the comparator. Probabilistic modelling was utilized for incremental cost-effectiveness ratio analysis with life years gained selected as the outcome. Secondary data were used to design the model while cost information was obtained from various sources, taking into account public sector billing. Modelling found an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of ZAR 8 356 (USD 1018) per life year gained (LYG) for the DMP against the usual practice model. This fell substantially below the Willingness-to-Pay threshold with bootstrapping analysis. Furthermore, a national implementation of the intervention could potentially result in an estimated cumulative gain of 96 997 years of life (95% CI 71 073 years - 113 994 years). Probabilistic modelling found the capitation intervention to be cost-effective, with an ICER of ZAR 8 356 (USD 1018) per LYG. Piloting the service within the public sector is recommended as an initial step, as this would provide data for more accurate economic evaluation, and would also allow for qualitative analysis of the programme.

Tax incentives and firm size : effects on private R&D investment in Spain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Labeaga Azcona, J.; Martínez-Ros, E.; Mohnen, P.

2014-01-01

The use of fiscal policy instruments to stimulate private R&D is widespread and important in some countries like Spain. In this paper we explore the effectiveness of R&D tax incentives on knowledge capital accumulation in Spanish manufacturing firms using an unbalanced panel and compare the

Policy changes that encourage private business investment in Colombia

OpenAIRE

Dailami, Mansoor

1989-01-01

Private business investment has expanded remarkably in Colombia's recent economic recovery. Sustained expansion of this investment is considered crucial to continued economic growth and increases in production. Having analyzed demand, the cost of capital, and the availability and allocation of investable funds, the paper makes the following conclusions. First, motivating firms to expand capacity is a key requirement for continued expansion. Secondly, frequent forecasting of such variables as ...

Private Capital, Public Goods: Forest Plantations' Investment in Local Infrastructure and Social Services in Rural Tanzania

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Degnet, M.B.; Werf, van der E.; Ingram, V.J.; Wesseler, Justus

2017-01-01

With the rapid expansion of private forest plantations worldwide, their impacts on local development are under scrutiny by NGOs and researchers alike. This study investigates the impacts of private forest plantations on local infrastructure and social services in rural Tanzania. We take a

Challenges of attracting private capital investments in the Russian power sector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiss, Peter; Sagodi, Attila

2010-09-15

The level of investment required by the Russian power sector by 2020 are expected to be in the range of USD 500-550 billion. It is of vital importance that Russia outlines an appropriate regulatory regime for its energy market that attracts foreign investors and combats corruption. The most important challenges determining the long term development of the country's power sector are skills development, regulatory effectiveness, corporate governance, and assurance regarding private investments.

Polystyrene/Hyperbranched Polyester Blends and Reactive Polystyrene/Hyperbranched Polyester Blends

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Mulkern, Thomas

1999-01-01

.... In this work, the incorporation of HBPs in thermoplastic blends was investigated. Several volume fractions of hydroxyl functionalized hyperbranched polyesters were melt blended with nonreactive polystyrene (PS...

Government health insurance and privatization: an examination of the concept and of equity.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, O W

1988-01-01

After almost a century of the evolution of welfare capitalism in the liberal-democratic countries, and the spread of government intervention in the financing and provision of health services, the debate is now whether or not government can, or should, be as all-encompassing as it has clearly become. What is emerging with greater force is a pattern of private insurance and private provision, though its future is not easy to predict. What is clear, however, is that a modified version of a politically acceptable concept of equity will have to be formulated.

The Localization Characteristic of the Idea and Mission of Private Universities in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fan Jixuan

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The idea and mission of college and university are always assuming a fluxion accompanied with social upheaval. The Chinese private universities' idea and mission take on local characteristic: “As the foundation of a nation, education should meet the needs of social development, should take the responsibility of practical application and take service for the community”, “Education should place people first, attach great importance to the improvement of the students' individual quality and put heavy emphasis on the service quality”, which have become the important content of the faith of Chinese private universities; “To strengthen the internationalization and to open running college”, which is the new direction of faith of Chinese private universities. It became those private universities’ bounden duty to translate normal human resources into quality human capital. So, those private universities have the responsibilities and missions to construct human resources powerful nation, to popular higher education with high standard satisfied by people.

Public and private science at home and abroad: networks among chemists, physicians and industrialists in the 1780s.

Science.gov (United States)

Levere, Trevor H

2002-09-01

The tensions between public and private science, so familiar to us today, were alive in the science of the industrial revolution. These tensions confronted the members of a society of chemists and natural philosophers, physicians, industrialists and instrument makers who met in London from 1780 to 1787. Their meetings, held in private rooms in coffee houses, provided an ideal forum for their blend of public and private science, reinforced by a vital international network of scientific intelligence. The records of those meetings tell us a good deal about communication among natural philosophers in the 1780s, and show that some, at least in Britain, were well-informed about the latest foreign developments.

The Role of Private Stakeholders in Disaster and Humanitarian Operations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tharcisio Cotta Fontainha

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The role of private stakeholders in disaster operations goes far beyond the delivery of profits to its shareholders. Disasters and humanitarian operations literature acknowledges the importance of private sector in disaster lifecycle; however, it lacks an analysis of the risks and benefits of each different form of their engagement in such operations (contractual relationships, one-off relationships and CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility partnerships. To address this research gap, a literature review was conducted on papers covering the perspective of private stakeholders when engaging in disaster and humanitarian operations with stakeholders from public and social groups. The results revealed that some challenges are specific from one approach and others are common for all of them. Moreover, despite the increasing of reputation capital and organizational learning being used to motivate CSR approach, they are mentioned as benefits in approaches with lower engagement - contractual and one-off relationship approaches. Thus, the benefits and risks of each approach need to be carefully addressed by scholars and field professionals in order to seek better results from the engagement of private organizations.

The financial and accounting implications of the privatization of the regional electricity companies in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomson, L.

1993-01-01

This paper reviews some of the financial and accounting implications of the privatization of the electricity distribution and supply sector in England and Wales, specifically the transformation of the Electricity Area Boards into the 12 Regional Electricity Companies (RECs). It considers the factors influencing the setting of post-privatization price control factors; the capital restructuring of the RECs; the valuation placed by the Secretary of State for Energy on each company at flotation, and market reaction to this as shown in subsequent changes in share price; and changes in the information provided in the RECs' accounts over the privatization period. (Author)

THE ROLE OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL IN KNOWLEDGE - BASED SOCIETY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denisa-Elena Parpandel

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In a knowledge - based society, organizations undergo permanent changes and transformations, and the key factor of such changes is intellectual capital regarded as one of the most critical, yet most strategic values an organization might own. Analyzing intelectual capital and knowledge society over the last decades has primarily emerged in private companies, whereas at present there is an increasing concern in all the fields of activity. The goal of this paper is to emphasize the importance of intellectual capital as a source of innovation and novelty used to create competitive advantages for organizations in the era of knowledge where man must rely on intellect, intuition and creativity. The present paper is an exploratory endeavour based on the qualitative method as various information sources are resorted to in order to conceptualize the terms of intellectual capital and knowledge society: specialty literature, case studies, mass-media articles, reports of in-field organizations etc. Organizations should use all the tangible or non-tangible resources they have in order to secure their success and also to build a knowledge society which involves going a long way, based on an ample, complex process where innovation has a major role and a global nature.

Interactions Among Psychological Capital, Performance, Intention to Quit and Job Satisfaction: Moderating Effect of Gender

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatih Çetin

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of this study is to explore the effects of the psychological capital on job satisfaction, job performance and intention to quit and to determine the mediator and moderator roles of job satisfaction and gender in these relations. Focusing just the relations between variables, the data were collected with using survey method from 237 employees working different positions in a large scale private company in Ankara. The instruments were psychological capital scale (Luthans et al, 2007, job satisfaction scale (Hackman & Oldham, 1975, intention to quit scale (Mobley et al, 1978 and job performance ratings. Results showed that psychological capital has positive relations with job satisfaction and job performance, and negative relations with intention to quit; also job satisfaction has a mediator role in the relations between psychological capital and intention to quit. Moreover it was determined that gender has a moderator role in the relations of psychological capital- job satisfaction, and psychological capital-intention to quit. All these results were discussed in the light of previous findings.

CAPITAL STRUCTURE AND VENTURE CAPITAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Becsky-Nagy Patricia

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Venture capital significantly changes the capital structure of the portfolio company at the time of the investment. Venture capitalists contribute to the company’s success through their active involvement in the management and their added value appears in the increase of the value of the equity. At the same time with taking active role in the management, agency problem occurs, that complicates the cooperation and the success of exit. In this article we search the answer for the question whether the preferred equity, that are commonly used in the US for bridging the agency problem, are used and able to help Hungarian venture capitalists to manage agency problems. On the other hand we examined how the venture capital affect capital structure, how the venture capitalists value added appear in the capital structure. During the evaluation of the three case studies, we came to the conclusion, that the venture capital investments have positive effect on the liabilities of the enterprises, as the capital structure indexes show. However, the investors need the ownership, which help them to step up resolutely, when things change for the worse, and companies need the expertise, which the investors bring with their personal assistance. The investor’s new attitude also has positive effect on a mature company, which has an experienced leader, because he can show another aspect, as a person who come from outside. During the examination of the capital structure, we cannot disregard the events of the company’s environment, which have effects on the firm. The investor’s decisions also appear different ways. Because of this, every venture capital investment is different, just as the capital structure of the firms, in which they invest.

Patterns of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum malaria underscore importance of data collection from private health care facilities in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Sangeeta; Gunter, James T; Novak, Robert J; Regens, James L

2009-10-12

This study describes patterns of falciparum and vivax malaria in a private comprehensive-care, multi-specialty hospital in New Delhi from July 2006 to July 2008. Malarial morbidity by Plasmodium species (Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, or Plasmodium sp.) was confirmed using microscopy and antigen tests. The influence of seasonal factors and selected patient demographics on morbidity was evaluated. The proportions of malaria cases caused by P. falciparum at the private facility were compared to data from India's National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) during the same period for the Delhi region. In New Delhi, P. faciparum was the dominant cause of cases requiring treatment in the private hospital during the period examined. The national data reported a smaller proportion of malaria cases caused by P. falciparum in the national capital region than was observed in a private facility within the region. Plasmodium vivax also caused a large proportion of the cases presenting clinically at the private hospital during the summer and monsoon seasons. The proportion of P. falciparum malaria cases tends to be greatest during the post-monsoon season while the proportion of P. vivax malaria cases tends to be greatest in the monsoon season. Private hospital data demonstrate an under-reporting of malaria case incidences in the data from India's national surveillance programme during the same period for the national capital region.

Tuition Fees, as User Prices, and Private Incentives

OpenAIRE

Economides, George; Philippopoulos, Apostolis; Sakkas, Stelios

2016-01-01

This paper studies the aggregate and distributional implications of introducing tuition fees for public education services into a tax system with income and consumption taxes. The setup is a neoclassical growth model where agents differ in capital holdings. We show that the introduction of tuition fees (a) improves individual incentives to work and/or save and (b) can be both efficient and equitable. The focus is on the role of tuition fees as an extra price and how this affects private incen...

Profiling Student Behaviour in a Blended Course: Closing the Gap Between Blended Teaching and Blended Learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bos, Nynke; Brand-Gruwel, Saskia

2018-01-01

Blended learning is often associated with student-oriented learning in which students have varying degrees of control over their learning process. However, the current notion of blended learning is often a teacher- oriented approach in which the teacher identifies the used learning technologies and

Effect of blending temperature on the mechanical properties of PVC/ENR blend upon irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chantara Thevy Ratnam; Khairul Zaman Mohd Dahlan; Nasir, M.; Baharin, A.

2000-01-01

Poly (vinyl chloride) / epoxidized natural rubber blends were prepared with a Brabender plasticorder at 140, 150, 160, 170 and 180 degree C mixing temperatures. They were mixed at 50 rpm rotor speed for 10 min. The blends were irradiated with doses ranging from 0-200 kGy. Changes in tensile strength, modulus at 100% elongation, gel fraction and damping properties (tan δ) of the blends with increasing mixing temperatures and irradiation doses were investigated. In general, it was observed that the mixing temperature is important in maximizing the positive effect of irradiation. Results revealed that a readily miscible blend enjoy maximum benefit from irradiation meanwhile irradiation impart miscibility to a partially miscible PVC/ENR blend. The enhancement in blend properties is believed to be attributed by the irradiation-induced crosslinking along with irradiation-induced interaction between the polymers. The radiation-induced degradation found to be prominent at higher doses for blend that has undergone excessive thermal degradation. However evidence did not reveal the specific nature of radiation-induced reaction responsible for the improved interactions of the blends. (author)

Blending Words Found In Social Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giyatmi Giyatmi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available There are many new words from the social media such as Netizen, Trentop, and Delcon. Those words include in blending. Blending is one of word formations combining two clipped words to form a brand new word. The researchers are interested in analyzing blend words used in the social media such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Blackberry Messenger. This research aims at (1 finding blend words used in the social media (2 describing kinds of blend words used in social media (3 describing the process of blend word formation used in the social media. This research uses some theories dealing with definition of blending and kinds of blending. This research belongs to descriptive qualitative research. Data of the research are English blend words used in social media. Data sources of this research are websites consisting of some English words used in social media and some social media users as the informant. Techniques of data collecting in this research are observation and simak catat. Observation is by observing some websites consisting of some English words used in social media. Simak catat is done by taking some notes on the data and encoding in symbols such as No/Blend words/Kinds of Blending. The researchers use source triangulation to check the data from the researchers with the informant and theory triangulation to determine kinds of blending and blend word formation in social media. There are115 data of blend words. Those data consists of 65 data of Instagram, 47 data of Twitter, 1 datum of Facebook, and 2 data of Blackberry Messenger. There are 2 types of blending used in social media;108 data of blending with clipping and 7 data of blending with overlapping. There are 10 ways of blend word formation found in this research.

Design Principles for the Blend in Blended Learning: A Collective Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Ming; Lam, Kwok Man; Lim, Cher Ping

2016-01-01

This paper reports on a collective case study of three blended courses taught by different instructors in a higher education institution, with the purpose of identifying the different types of blend and how the blend supports student learning. Based on the instructors' and students' interviews, and document analysis of course outlines, two major…

Patient satisfaction and loyalty to the private hospitals in Sana'a, Yemen.

Science.gov (United States)

Anbori, Ali; Ghani, Sirajoon Noor; Yadav, Hematram; Daher, Aqil Mohammad; Su, Tin Tin

2010-08-01

To evaluate patients' satisfaction and loyalty to private hospitals and to identify factors influencing patient loyalty. A cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted between May and September of 2005. Sana'a, the capital city of the Republic of Yemen. Eight hundred and nineteen respondents who were admitted for at least 1 day in a private hospital within last 6 months from the date of interview. The scores on the modified SERVQUAL market research instrument including six domains (tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and cost) that identify perceptions of service quality. In addition, the respondents were asked whether or not they would return to the same facility when they need future medical care (loyalty). Loyalty was higher among females [odds ratio (OR) = 1.44; P loyalty and, tangibility and responsiveness score. Improvements are required to achieve high-quality healthcare services in the private hospitals in Yemen and increase loyalty among patients. Findings from this study could inform private sector healthcare development in low- and middle-income countries.

DETERMINANTS OF HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURE ON HUMAN CAPITAL AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN BANGLADESH: A LONGITUDINAL DATA ANALYSIS FROM 1995-2010

OpenAIRE

SHONGKOUR ROY

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the determinants of healthcare expenditure in Bangladesh between 1995 and 2010 byapplying the World development indicator data. First, I developed an empirical model for longitudinal data analysis to determinant thehealthcare expenditure under the human capital and economic growth. Next, I explored the dynamic relationships among healthcareexpenditure, human capital and economic growth usingOLSmodel. The expenditure in private healthcare was 2.3% and...

How government venture capital guiding funds work in financing high-tech start ups in China? A 'strategic exchange' perspective

OpenAIRE

Wang, Jinmin; Wang, Jing; Ni, Hua; He, Shaowei

2013-01-01

Under its specific institutional context, the public/private partnership approach needs to be interpreted differently from strategic level to operational level in China to improve the performance of venture capital guiding funds.

The Effect of Private Brands on Business Performance in Retail

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radojko LUKIĆ

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In the length of time many new retail features were developed, as a part of the total value chain (from manufacturer to customer. One such feature is: the development of private brands (private-label merchandise, private-label brands, store brands, house brands, own brands. Because of economic importance, both in theory and in practice, more complex stress was put on its research from various perspectives: the individual countries and regions - geographic, retail companies and formats (types of stores, product categories, as well as from the perspective of the perception of customers / consumers. In the context of it, special empirical emphasis was placed on the effects of private brands on business performance in retail, in particular, on cost, gross margin, profit, in other words, on profit indicators, such as: rate of profits from sales, profit rate of assets and the rate of profit of the share capital. Having such starting point, this paper attempts to, as thoroughly as it can, primarily empirically, investigate the impact of the development of private brands in the retail business performance. Using the latest available relevant data gathered from various scientific and professional sources, including well-known agencies that primarily conduct empirical analysis of private brands in some countries, companies and retail formats and product categories. The results should serve as a reliable basis for creating the most efficient strategy for managing the development of private brands in order to improve business performance in retail. This is especially true of the so-called "emerging market" private brands, as it is the case with Serbia.

POLÍTICA HABITACIONAL E O CAPITAL PRIVADO EM PRESIDENTE PRUDENTE-SP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sibila Corral de Arêa Leão Honda

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This article seeks the discussion of the implementation of social housing in medium- sized cities in Brazil in the 2000s decade, reflecting in the production of urban space. The emphasis is on the role of Local Government and its relationship with private enterprise for the production of low-income housing. It discusses the relationship between the urban and housing policies and the enterprises implementation by private initiative, its mechanisms and effects on the production of urban space, taking as study case projects financed by the Residential Leasing Program (PAR of Caixa Econômica Federal, in the city of Presidente Prudente, located in the west of Sao Paulo state. In the case dealt, the lack of urban policy with clear guidelines for housing policy leads to a direct action of private capital, which contributes to the production of exclusive and segregated spaces.

Analysis of debt leveraging in private power projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahn, E.P.; Meal, M.; Doerrer, S.; Morse, S.

1992-08-01

As private power (non-utility generation) has grown to become a significant part of the electricity system, increasing concern about its financial implications has arisen. In many cases, the source of this concern has been the substantial reliance of these projects on debt financing. This study examines debt leveraging in private power projects. The policy debate on these issues has typically been conducted at a high level of generality. Critics of the private power industry assert that high debt leveraging confers an unfair competitive advantage by lowering the cost of capital, and that this leveraging is only possible because risks are shifted to the utility. Further, debt leveraging is claimed to be a threat to reliability. On the opposite side, it is argued that debt leveraging imposes costs and obligations not home by utilities, and so there is no financial advantage. The private producers also argue that on balance more risk is shifted away from utilities than to them, and that incentives for reliability are strong. In this study we examine the project finance mechanisms used in private power lending in detail, relying on a sample of actual loan documents. This review and its findings should be relevant to the further evolution of this debate. State regulatory commissions are likely to be interested in it, and Federal legislation to amend the Public Utility Holding Company Act (PUHCA) could require states to consider the implications of debt leveraging in relation to their oversight of utility power purchase programs

Analysis of debt leveraging in private power projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kahn, E.P. (Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)); Meal, M.; Doerrer, S.; Morse, S. (Morse, Richard, Weisenmiller Associates, Inc., Oakland, CA (United States))

1992-08-01

As private power has grown to become a significant part of the electricity system, increasing concern about its financial implications has arisen. In many cases, the source of this concern has been the substantial reliance of these projects on debt financing. This study examines debt leveraging in private power projects. The policy debate on these issues has typically been conducted at a high level of generality. Critics of the private power industry assert that high debt leveraging confers an unfair competitive advantage by lowering the cost of capital. This leveraging is only possible because risks are shifted to the utility. Further, debt leveraging is claimed to be a threat to reliability. On the opposite side, it is argued that debt leveraging imposes costs and obligations not borne by utilities, and so there is no financial advantage. The private producers also argue that on balance more risk is shifted away from utilities than to them, and that incentives for reliability are strong. In this study we examine the project finance mechanisms used in private power lending in detail, relying on a sample of actual loan documents. This review and its findings should be relevant to the further evolution of this debate. State regulatory commissions are likely to be interested in it, and Federal legislation to amend the Public Utility Holding Company Act (PUHCA) could require states to consider the implications of debt leveraging in relation to their oversight of utility power purchase programs.

Blended acquisition with dispersed source arrays

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berkhout, A.J.

2012-01-01

Blended source arrays are historically configured with equal source units, such as broadband vibrators (land) and broadband air-gun arrays (marine). I refer to this concept as homogeneous blending. I have proposed to extend the blending concept to inhomogeneous blending, meaning that a blended

Timing of Investment and Dynamic Pricing in Privatized Sectors

OpenAIRE

Sandro Brusco; Ornella Tarola; Sandro Trento

2012-01-01

In equipment-intensive sectors - such as water utilities, power generation, gas - billions of dollars are spent in capital equipment. We discuss and characterize the optimal policy of a profit-maximizing firm and compare it with the optimal policy of a welfare-maximizing planner. When there is no technical progress, the duration of the plant is longer for a private firm. With technical progress, we show that duration tends to increase when the installed capacity increases over time, while it ...

Evaluation of Private Sector Roles in Space Resource Development

Science.gov (United States)

Lamassoure, Elisabeth S.; Blair, Brad R.; Diaz, Javier; Oderman, Mark; Duke, Michael B.; Vaucher, Marc; Manvi, Ramachandra; Easter, Robert W.

2003-01-01

An integrated engineering and financial modeling approach has been developed and used to evaluate the potential for private sector investment in space resource development, and to assess possible roles of the public sector in fostering private interest. This paper presents the modeling approach and its results for a transportation service using propellant extracted from lunar regolith. The analysis starts with careful case study definition, including an analysis of the customer base and market requirements, which are the basis for design of a modular, scalable space architecture. The derived non-recurring, recurring and operations costs become inputs for a `standard' financial model, as used in any commercial business plan. This model generates pro forma financial statements, calculates the amount of capitalization required, and generates return on equity calculations using two valuation metrics of direct interest to private investors: market enterprise value and multiples of key financial measures. Use of this model on an architecture to sell transportation services in Earth orbit based on lunar propellants shows how to rapidly test various assumptions and identify interesting architectural options, key areas for investment in exploration and technology, or innovative business approaches that could produce an economically viable industry. The same approach can be used to evaluate any other possible private ventures in space, and conclude on the respective roles of NASA and the private sector in space resource development and solar system exploration.

THE DETERMINATION OF BETA COEFFICIENTS OF PUBLICLY-HELD COMPANIES BY A REGRESSION MODEL AND AN APPLICATION ON PRIVATE FIRMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

METİN KAMİL ERCAN

2013-06-01

Full Text Available It is possible to determine the value of private companies by means of suggestions and assumptions derived from their financial statements. However, there comes out a serious problem in the determination of equity costs of these private companies using Capital Assets Pricing Model (CAPM as beta coefficients are unknown or unavailable. In this study, firstly, a regression model that represents the relationship between the beta coefficients and financial statements’ Variables of publicly-held companies will be developed. Then, this model will be tested and applied on private companies.

Blended Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Imbriale, Ryan

2013-01-01

Teachers always have been and always will be the essential element in the classroom. They can create magic inside four walls, but they have never been able to create learning environments outside the classroom like they can today, thanks to blended learning. Blended learning allows students and teachers to break free of the isolation of the…

Apparatus for blending small particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bradley, R.A.; Reese, C.R.; Sease, J.D.

1975-01-01

An apparatus is described for blending small particles and uniformly loading the blended particles in a receptacle. Measured volumes of various particles are simultaneously fed into a funnel to accomplish radial blending and then directed onto the apex of a conical splitter which collects the blended particles in a multiplicity of equal subvolumes. Thereafter the apparatus sequentially discharges the subvolumes for loading in a receptacle. A system for blending nuclear fuel particles and loading them into fuel rod molds is described in a preferred embodiment

A study on determinants of capital structure in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anshu Handoo

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The paper identifies the most important determinants of capital structure of 870 listed Indian firms comprising both private sector companies and government companies for the period 2001–2010. Ten independent variables and three dependent variables have been tested using regression analysis. It has been concluded that factors such as profitability, growth, asset tangibility, size, cost of debt, tax rate, and debt serving capacity have significant impact on the leverage structure chosen by firms in the Indian context.

Investigating different factors influencing on return of private banks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pegah Motamedi

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Return of Investment has always been an interesting area of research among academics as well as investors. Although capital asset pricing model (CAPM is capable of estimating risk of investment, many people argue that CAPM is not able to predict long-term return, properly. This paper presents an empirical investigation to find the effects of different financial figures including systematic risk (Beta, size of firm, ratio of book value to market share, volume of trade and the ratio of price/earnings (P/E on return of private banks in Iran. The study gathers the necessary information over the period 2005-2011 from private banks in Iran. The study uses multiple regression technique to find the effects of mentioned variables on return of private banks. The results indicate that there are some meaningful and positive relationship between return of banks and systematic risk (Beta, size, volume of trade and P/E. The study also finds some meaningful and reverse relationship between bank return and book value on market value.

Investigation of diesel-ethanol blended fuel properties with palm methyl ester as co-solvent and blends enhancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mat Taib Norhidayah

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Diesel engine is known as the most efficient engine with high efficiency and power but always reported as high fuel emission. Malaysia National Automotive Policy (NAP was targeting to improve competitive regional focusing on green technology development in reducing the emission of the engine. Therefore, ethanol was introduced to reduce the emission of the engine and while increasing its performance, Palm methyl ester was introduced as blend enhancer to improve engine performance and improve diesel-ethanol blends stability. This paper aimed to study the characteristics of the blends and to prove the ability of palm-methyl-ester as co-solvent in ethanol-diesel blends. Stability and thermophysical test were carried out for different fuel compositions. The stability of diesel-ethanol blended was proved to be improved with the addition of PME at the longer period and the stability of the blends changed depending on temperature and ethanol content. Density and viscosity of diesel-ethanol-PME blends also give higher result than diesel-ethanol blends and it's proved that PME is able to increase density and viscosity of blends. Besides, heating value of the blends also increases with the increasing PME in diesel-ethanol blends.

77 FR 16048 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB Public/Private Partnerships for...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-19

... Proposed Information Collection to OMB Public/Private Partnerships for the Mixed-Finance Development of... Mixed-Finance development of public housing units. This meant that Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) could create public housing projects using public housing grant or capital funds and non-HUD sources of...

Staff working in hospital units with greater social capital experience less work-home conflict: Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nitzsche, Anika; Kuntz, Ludwig; Miedaner, Felix

2017-10-01

When the interplay between work and private life does not function correctly (work-home conflict), this constitutes a well-known risk factor for poorer health, increased absenteeism and lower work performance. Information about influencing factors of work-home conflict is therefore indispensable in order to avoid it. In this study, we analyse whether a good working atmosphere that fosters mutual trust, support and a 'sense of unity' (organizational social capital) can reduce an employee's conflict between work and private life. This study investigates the link between organizational social capital and work-home conflict in health professionals. This issue was investigated using a cross-sectional study conducted in 2013. Data from questionnaires completed by physicians and nurses (n=1733) were linked with structural data from 66 neonatal intensive care units in Germany. Using multi-level analyses, we investigated associations between organizational social capital at the ward level and work-home conflict at the level of individual employees, taking into account additional structural and individual characteristics. Employees on wards with greater social capital reported significantly less work-home conflict. Our results support the hypothesis that organizational social capital is an important collective resource. As such, more attention should be given to establishing a good working atmosphere that fosters mutual trust, support and a 'sense of unity', and this should be encouraged in a targeted fashion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Croatian Hotel Industry Financial Features Within the Period of Privatization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jasmina Lončar

2004-11-01

Full Text Available The Croatian tourist sector has been stagnating during the period of transition. By analyzing the balance of Croatian hotels, the influence on the changes and courses of balance, the author points out the increasing seriousness of the situation in Croatian hotel industry measured in the relation of property, debts and owners’ capital. The connection between the financial structure, balance liabilities and the diversification of the instruments of property structure, defines the optimal financial adjustment of firms in tourism. In present-day Croatian hotel companies, uncertain profits make the company risky, not only in the aspect of debts but also considering the equity capital, which is then reflected in unsatisfactory business results. Similar researches are crucial ways towards a global knowledge about privatization in Croatian tourism today.

Does a Formal Wiki Event Contribute to the Formation of a Network of Practice? A Social Capital Perspective on the Potential for Informal Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Rehm, Martin; Littlejohn, Allison; Rienties, Bart

2018-01-01

Informal learning in blended and online settings plays an increasingly important role in the continuous professional development of individuals. Yet, how do individuals engage into these types of activities? We argue that social capital theory can provide valuable insights into how people behave and decide to take part in (in)formal learning.…

Capital Markets, Infrastructure Investment and Growth in the Asia Pacific Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Regan

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the relationship between infrastructure investment activity, capital market development, the role of public institutions and economic development in the Asia Pacific. It adopts a review approach drawing on empirical evidence over recent decades. Infrastructure is shown to be an important asset class playing a central role in a nation’s output, growth, productivity and microeconomic performance. Infrastructure investment also requires investment and predictions of a widening gap in the future supply of infrastructure in the Asia Pacific will require new forms of capital from both traditional and new sources including wider use of private participation, institutional investment, asset recycling and revenue bonds. Capital market development is also necessary to raise long-term local currency finance and evidence suggests that progress with regional capital market integration is slow and a continuing reform agenda is required. The dividend for regional countries is the prospect of higher levels of economic growth with infrastructure investment, capital market development, and foreign direct investment shown to have a strong and positive association with growth. A crucial link in this association identified in the review is the part played by national and regional institutions in improving the efficiency with which infrastructure is managed and providing promising ground for further research where the importance of these links can be researched in greater depth.

Urban frontiers in the global struggle for capital gains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Mörtenböck

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This article examines different ways in which finance models have become the ruling mode of spatializing relationships, arguing that the ongoing convergence of economic and spatial investment has transformed our environments into heavily contested ‘financescapes’. First, it reflects upon architecture’s capacity to give both material and symbolic form to these processes and considers the impacts this has on the emergence of novel kinds of urban investment frontiers, including luxury brand real estate, free zones, private cities, and urban innovation hubs. Focusing on speculative urban developments in Morocco and the United Arab Emirates, the article then highlights the performative dimension of such building programs: how architectural capital is put to work by actively performing the frontiers of future development. Physically staking out future financial gains, this mode of operation is today becoming increasingly manifested in urban crowdfunding schemes. We argue that, far from promoting new models of civic participation, such schemes are functioning as a testbed for speculation around new patterns of spatial production in which architecture acts less as the flagstaff of capital than as a capital system in itself.

FUNDOS DE PENSÃO, CAPITAL ESTATAL E NEODESENVOLVIMENTISMO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Menezes Gomes

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the limits of conception of economic development arising from the change of the international scenery, since 2003, with the alteration of the international flux of capitals to the sub-developed countries, accompanied of chinese expansion and commodities’ appreciation. It highlights the assigned role to the pension funds by Lula da Silva’s government to justify the counter-reform of the Provident Funds. It approaches the role of BNDES and the subsidy to the grand capital. Demarcates the fall of the basic tax in the USA and its impacts on the Brazilian economy. Argues that the payment of taxes and the amortization of the public debt was converted in the mechanism through which the State withdraw resources from workers, through the direct and indirect taxes and refer those to the bankers and pension funds. Emphasizes the generalization of neoliberalism, seeking to resolve the capitalist crisis through the renegotiation of external debt, of the commercial and financial openings, and of privatizations.

Intellectual Capital.

Science.gov (United States)

Snyder, Herbert W.; Pierce, Jennifer Burek

2002-01-01

This review focuses on intellectual capital and its relationship to information professionals. Discusses asset recognition; national practices and the acceptance of intellectual capital; definitions of intellectual capital; measuring intellectual capital, including multiple and single variable measures; managing intellectual capital; and knowledge…

THE FORMING OF ROMANIAN NATIONAL CAPITAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ion Gr. IONESCU

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The evolution of the international economic and social-politic life, after 1821 was strongly marked by visible trends and renewing action, animated by the idea of civic freedoms and feudal privileges deleting, emancipation of the peoples and nations. As an expression of the capitalist development, we assist at the constitution intensification of the global market, at the same time, with many differences in opinions, misunderstandings, disagreements and controversies, between the developed strong states, for domination. Politically, this situation has led to convolutions interstate relations, first of all, in Western Europe. Because capitalist relationships were deeply consolidated in this part of the continent, it is easy to understand that countries regarded as great powers - economic, military - were therefore acting, for domination and expansion. The level of economic freedom, as well as the rules of private property defining, have varied, from historical stage, at historical stage. However, on the territory of Romania, the penetration and the development of capitalism and its specific relations have been carried out slower, comparatively, with the West and even the center of Europe. The present study is the fruit of a profound research, through archives, libraries, published papers, periodicals, general and special works, of which, some of them have been finalized with conclusions in order to better understand the processuality and phenomenology of the capital accumulation and capital market formation, drawing of models and templates, depending on conditions and causalities, for knowing their effects.

78 FR 76973 - Regulatory Capital Rules: Regulatory Capital, Implementation of Basel III, Capital Adequacy...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-20

... Discipline and Disclosure Requirements, Advanced Approaches Risk-Based Capital Rule, and Market Risk Capital..., 2013, a document adopting a final rule that revises its risk-based and leverage capital requirements... risk-based and leverage capital requirements for banking organizations. An allowance for additional...

Dealing with Cultural Differences in Public-Private R&D Projects: The Experience of the Australian Seafood Sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dentoni, D.; English, F.

2012-01-01

This essay 1) discusses the current agribusiness managers’ human capital problem of dealing with cultural differences in public-private Research & Development (R&D) projects involving firms, government agencies and universities and 2) proposes a “learning by doing” process for managers to

Radiation effect on PVC/ENR blends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chantara Thevy Ratnam; Khairul Zaman Mohd Dahlan

1997-01-01

The effect of irradiation on the physical properties of Polyvinyl Chloride / Epoxidised Natural Rubber Blends (PVC/ENR blends) were investigated. The enhancement in tensile strength, elongation at break, hardness and aging properties of the blends have confirmed the positive effect of irradiation on the blends. It is evident from gel fraction and infra red spectroscopic studies that the blends of PVC and ENR cross-linked upon irradiation. The results also revealed that at any blend composition, the enhancement in properties depend on irradiation dose which controls the degree of radiation induced cross-linking. In an attempt to maximize the constructive effect of irradiation, the influence of various additives such as stabilizers, radiation sensitizers, fillers and processing aids on the blend properties were studied. The changes in blend properties upon irradiation with the presents of above additives were also presented in this paper

Blending into the mix

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adams, R.G.; Gibb, W.H.; Majid, K.A. [Power Technology (United Kingdom)

1999-07-01

Successful coal blending requires finding a careful balance between fuel costs and plant performance. A recent study of a Malaysian power plant shows how the utility (Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB)) could reduce fuel costs while avoiding boiler operating problems normally associated with firing low-grade coals. TNB`s Kaper 2220 MW power station in Selangor needed an improved method of coal blending for two new 500 MW units and for two existing 300 MW units. UK`s Power Technology was commissioned to identify what coal blends the boiler could tolerate. A Coal Quality Impact Model (CQIM) analysis of the effect of different coals and coal blends on combustion performance and economics, and a performance analysis of coal yard handling facility was made to determine whether the accuracy of the required blend could be achieved (using a Coal Handling Simulation, CHAS, software package). The CQIM study showed that the proportion of cheaper coals could be increased from 20% to 50% provided each shipment was adequately sampled. The CHAS study showed that use of a flat back reclaimer or modifications to the dry coal stove would allow accurate blending. 5 figs., 1 tab.

Decentralized Blended Acquisition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berkhout, A.J.

2013-01-01

The concept of blending and deblending is reviewed, making use of traditional and dispersed source arrays. The network concept of distributed blended acquisition is introduced. A million-trace robot system is proposed, illustrating that decentralization may bring about a revolution in the way we

The rise of regulatory capitalism and the decline of auditor independence: A critical and experimental examination of auditors' conflicts of interests

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Warming-Rasmussen, Bent

2009-01-01

This study investigates the decline of auditor independence coinciding with the rise of regulatory capitalism. A critical analysis supported by experimental evidence reveals regulatory capitalism's influence on auditor independence. Regulatory capitalism began in the United States during the 1970s...... that now promote and diffuse regulatory capitalism worldwide. Regulatory capitalism is further facilitated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the PCAOB that provide interconnections of powerful non-democratic private regulators such as the IFAC and IAASB. An experiment reveals auditors' ethical predisposition...... to provide consistently high quality independence judgments required by IFAC's code of ethics. The majority of this sample of 174 Danish auditors was not consistently independent in the context of client economic factors, indicating that the code of ethics' appeal to auditors' altruistic behavior has failed...

Blended Learning: enabling Higher Education Reform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathleen Matheos

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Blended learning research and practice have been areas of growth for two decades in Canada, with over 95% of Canadian higher education institutions involved in some form of blended learning. Despite strong evidence based research and practice blended learning, for the most part, has remained at sidelined in Canadian universities. The article argues the need for blended learning to situate itself within the timely and crucial Higher Education Reform (HER agenda. By aligning the affordances of blended learning with the components of HER, blended learning can clearly serve as an enabler for HER.

DESIGNING PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP FOR BONTANG INDUSTRIAL ESTATE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adjie Pamungkas

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Bontang Local Government has planned Bontang Industrial Estate (BIE to accommodate oil, gas, condensate and other industries.  The estate will need investment for about IDR. 2.27 Trillion while the total annual local government budget is near to IDR 2 Trillion. Moreover, the estate has to be operated in a business manner while the local government officers have a culture in non-profit organisation as part of bureaucracy. However, the BIE feasibility study 2013 has determined that the estate will generate economic multipliers boosting the city development.  Therefore, a partnership among government and private parties should be determined and accommodated in a proper cooperation arrangement. To design the partnership, we review literature, interview related private parties and confirm opinions of the private parties to the governments. A content analysis was used to assess information from the interviews. Considering the final outputs, BIE should be organised by a pure private enterprise or Ltd. to ensure the economic viable of the estate. The Ltd. is a partnership among the government and private parties via shareholders. The government can still hold a majority share with special arrangement in investment scheme. For the initial investments, the government can use its assets valued as 51% of total share while private parties can inject cash money equal to 49% of the total.  With this capital arrangement, the estate can be operated with initial investment for about IDR. 267.11 Billion on 244.97 Ha land. This initial investment can be profitable with IDR. 650 Billion NPV, 19.93% IRR and 13.95 year PP.Bontang Local Government has planned Bontang Industrial Estate (BIE to accommodate oil, gas, condensate and other industries.

7 CFR 989.16 - Blend.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Blend. 989.16 Section 989.16 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and... CALIFORNIA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 989.16 Blend. Blend means to mix or commingle raisins. ...

Effect of Blending on the Composition and Acceptability of Blends of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

However the blend was found deficient in lysine, leucine, iso-leucine and phenylalanine when compared with the FAO recommendations for infants. Increased levels of pigeon pea in the blend also resulted in significant increases in potassium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium and calcium. Similarly, increased levels of ...

Narrative-collaborative group coaching develops social capital

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stelter, Reinhard; Nielsen, Glen; Wikman, Johan Michael

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of narrative-collaborative group coaching on career development, self-reflection and the general functioning of young sports talents with the goal of achieving integration of their sports careers, educational demands and private lives...... study included six participants. The group-coaching intervention had a significant effect on the scores for social recovery and general well-being. The qualitative study showed that groupcoaching participants valued the shared process of meaning-making as especially valuable. Narrative......-collaborative group coaching can be understood as a community psychological intervention that helps to support the development of durable social networks and the increase of social capital....

Morphology stabilization of heterogeneous blends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

A heterogeneous elastomer blend is described, consisting of at least two elastomer components which are cross-linkable by irradiation and having a stabilized morphology formed by subjecting the blend to high energy radiation to a point from below to slightly above the gel dose of the blend. (author)

Locally restricted blending of Blobtrees

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groot, de Erwin; Wyvill, B.; Wetering, van de H.M.M.

2009-01-01

Blobtrees are volume representations particularly useful for models which require smooth blending. When blending is applied to two or more Blobtree models, extra volume will be created in between the two surfaces to form a smooth connection. Although it is easy to apply blending, it is hard to

Performance of Blended Learning in University Teaching:

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Reiss

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Blended learning as a combination of classroom teaching and e-learning has become a widely represented standard in employee and management development of companies. The exploratory survey “Blended Learning@University” conducted in 2008 investigated the integration of blended learning in higher education. The results of the survey show that the majority of participating academic teachers use blended learning in single courses, but not as a program of study and thus do not exploit the core performance potential of blended learning. According to the study, the main driver of blended learning performance is its embeddedness in higher education. Integrated blended programs of study deliver the best results. In blended learning, learning infrastructure (in terms of software, culture, skills, funding, content providing, etc. does not play the role of a performance driver but serves as an enabler for blended learning.

THE EFFECT OF HUMAN CAPITAL ON SOCIAL CAPITAL AMONG ENTREPRENEURS

OpenAIRE

HANNES OTTÓSSON; KIM KLYVER

2010-01-01

Using data collected from 714 entrepreneurs in a random sample of 10,000 Danes, this study provides an investigation of the effect of human capital on social capital among entrepreneurs. Previous entrepreneurship research has extensively investigated the separated effect of human capital and social capital on different entrepreneurial outputs. The study takes a step back and investigates how these two capital concepts are related — specifically how human capital influences social capital. In ...

Green Capital: Student Capital student-led evaluation

OpenAIRE

Runkle, Q.; Haines, T.; Piper, K.; Leach, S.

2016-01-01

To assess and evaluate the impact of the Green Capital: Student Capital project, the partnership (the University of the West of England, the University of Bristol, the Students’ Union at UWE, and Bristol Students’ Union) worked with NUS to train a team of students from both universities to lead an evaluation process. There were two key aims for the evaluation: \\ud \\ud • To verify the quantitative outputs of the Green Capital: Student Capital project; \\ud • And to make a qualitative assessment...

Blended-mode pedagogical model fosters nuclear engineering education in Southern Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kruger, J.H.; Fick, J.I.J.

2010-01-01

Social upliftment requires access to energy. Especially in the Southern Africa region, affordable energy gives communities access to improved living conditions, potable water and life-changing educational opportunities. Distributed nuclear power generation can make a significant difference in a continent where communities are geographically widely dispersed and where technology centres are few and far between. Unfortunately, for a country to obtain a nuclear capability and be part of the renaissance, it needs a skilled and educated workforce - a workforce that must be trained through an educational system facing the same challenges of dispersed human resources and lack of infrastructure as the community it serves. The blended-mode pedagogical model developed by the Postgraduate School for Nuclear Science and Engineering at the North-West University (NWU) in South Africa represents one manner in which the problem of dispersed resources can be addressed. As a matter of national policy, South Africa has embarked on a drive to not only innovate in terms of reactor technology, but to also develop and sustain a skilled workforce in the nuclear engineering field. Due to a severe shortage of personnel in the local nuclear community, the NWU devised a blended-mode teaching system to link overseas lecturers with local students to expand the local workforce through training and human capital development. The blended-mode delivery takes place through the online Sakai system that uses powerful learning management tools to achieve the learning outcomes. Students are guided in distance self-study for the larger part of the course and a contact session is then used to contextualize and integrate the knowledge. In this manner, a virtual collaborative environment between geographically dispersed faculty members and students is created which provides essential flexibility in terms of time and human resource management. The blended-mode teaching model has already achieved great

Triads of capital

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svendsen, Gunnar Lind Haase

of capital means a coherent stock of capital, including social, cultural and physical capital, which belongs to a local community. The case of civic organization in rural Denmark 1800-1900 shows how the three capitals successively acted as driving forces: physical capital about year 1800, social capital...... about year 1880, and cultural capital about year 1900. In each case, one form of capital changed the two others in a chain reaction process, which ultimately led to a major reorganization of the triads of capital in the local rural communities....

Waiting for capitalism or anti-capitalistically thinking and acting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vratuša Vera

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper is sought the answer to the self-reflexive question which pose to themselves individually and collectively sociologists, as typical ideological representatives of highly educated petite bourgeoisie, in the conditions of systemic crisis of hyper-accumulation of capital in the world proportions: is it my/our job to contribute to normalization and legitimization of the (neocolonial capitalism restauration completion in former countries of really existing socialism of the Second world, people’s democracies of the Third World and peripherialised welfare states of the First world, or is it my/our job to critically reflect so far insufficiently successful attempts at abolition of capitalist relations of wage slaves’ exploitation and permanent wars of occupation and destruction of life sustaining milieu for private profit, with the aim to find and apply more successful forms of collective self-governing control over social productive forces of humanity and of the exchange of meter with nature as our own un-organic body?.

Does low workplace social capital have detrimental effect on workers' health?

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Etsuji; Takao, Soshi; Subramanian, S V; Komatsu, Hirokazu; Doi, Hiroyuki; Kawachi, Ichiro

2010-05-01

While the majority of studies of social capital and health have focused on conceptualizing social capital at the geographic level, evidence remains sparse on workplace social capital. We examined the association between workplace social capital and health status among Japanese private sector employees in a cross-sectional study. By employing a two-stage stratified random sampling procedure, 1147 employees were identified from 46 companies in Okayama in 2007. Workplace social capital was measured based on two components; trust and reciprocity. Company-level social capital was based on aggregating employee responses and calculating the proportion of workers reporting mistrust and lack of reciprocity. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was conducted using Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods to explore whether individual- and company-level mistrust and lack of reciprocity were associated with poor self-rated health. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% credible intervals (CIs) for poor health were obtained for each variable. Workers reporting individual-level mistrust and lack of reciprocity had approximately double the odds of poor health even after controlling for sex, age, occupation, educational attainment, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, body mass index, and chronic diseases. While we found some suggestion of a contextual association between company-level mistrust and poor health, no association was found between company-level lack of reciprocity and health. Despite the thorough examination of cross-level interaction terms between company-level social capital and individual characteristics, no clear patterns were observed. Individual perceptions of mistrust and lack of reciprocity at work have adverse effects on self-rated health among Japanese workers. Although the present study possibly suggests the contextual effect of workplace mistrust on workers' health, the contextual effect of workplace lack of reciprocity was not supported. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd

How Unexamined Premises Lead to World Oppression: John Locke, The Theory of Private Property and Money. The Iconoclast.

Science.gov (United States)

McMurtry, John

1997-01-01

Criticizes some of the basic principles expounded in John Locke's "Second Treatise on Government." Argues that Locke's ideas on private property, capital investment, and social good are inherently contradictory. Asserts that the market theory of property inevitably leads to endemic economic exploitation and oppression. (MJP)

Intellectual Capital

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bukh, Per Nikolaj; Christensen, Karina Skovvang

2015-01-01

Intellectual capital (IC) consists of human capital, organizational capital, and relational capital, and their relationships. It has been said to be important to explain the difference between market value and book value of a firm, but measurement of IC is more likely to be important because...

Informação, conhecimento e capitalismo: uma abordagem dialética | Information, knowledge and capitalism: a dialectical approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Moreno Marques

2011-10-01

rapidly progressed aiming to institute the private appropriation of the general intellect. Keywords information, knowledge, capitalism, dialectical materialism, private appropriation of the general intellect.

Private Islamic Higher Education in Asean Economic Community (AEC Era

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mulyawan Safwandy Nugraha

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This article explores the challenge faced by Indonesia in ASEAN Economic Community (AEC era. It is also revealed the Private Islamic Religion Institution (PTKIS strategic to play its role and function in generating human resource. The method used is qualitative in the form of literature study. The result shows that PTKIS are required to adapt and see the AEC as an opportunity to change. A private status should be used as an institutional capital to create and innovate freely, by maximally utilizing the available resources. The management of a reputable institution is seen to be a significant factor for reinforcement. Aspects of visionary leadership, qualified lecturers, a curriculum that is responsive to a change, and an adequate infrastructure become a strengthening point toward the management accountability of universities in creating graduates who are competitive, skillful and qualified.

Principals' Personal Variables and Information and Communication Technology Utilization in Federal Capital Territory Senior Secondary Schools, Abuja, Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Ogunshola, Roseline Folashade; Adeniyi, Abiodun

2017-01-01

The study investigated principals' personal variables and information and communication technology utilization in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) senior secondary schools, Abuja, Nigeria. The study adopted the correlational research design. The study used a sample of 94 senior secondary schools (including public and private) in FCT. Stratified…

12 CFR 1229.5 - Capital distributions for adequately capitalized Banks.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... capitalized Banks. 1229.5 Section 1229.5 Banks and Banking FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY ENTITY REGULATIONS CAPITAL CLASSIFICATIONS AND PROMPT CORRECTIVE ACTION Federal Home Loan Banks § 1229.5 Capital... classification of adequately capitalized. A Bank may not make a capital distribution if such distribution would...

78 FR 62417 - Regulatory Capital Rules: Regulatory Capital, Implementation of Basel III, Capital Adequacy...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-22

..., Standardized Approach for Risk-Weighted Assets, Market Discipline and Disclosure Requirements, Advanced Approaches Risk-Based Capital Rule, and Market Risk Capital Rule AGENCY: Federal Deposit Insurance... Assets, Market Discipline and Disclosure Requirements, Advanced Approaches Risk-Based Capital Rule, and...

Blended Learning over Two Decades

Science.gov (United States)

Zhonggen, Yu; Yuexiu, Zhejiang

2015-01-01

The 21st century has witnessed vast amounts of research into blended learning since the conception of online learning formed the possibility of blended learning in the early 1990s. The theme of this paper is blended learning in mainstream disciplinary communities. In particular, the paper reports on findings from the last two decades which looked…

Evaporation characteristics of ETBE-blended gasoline.

Science.gov (United States)

Okamoto, Katsuhiro; Hiramatsu, Muneyuki; Hino, Tomonori; Otake, Takuma; Okamoto, Takashi; Miyamoto, Hiroki; Honma, Masakatsu; Watanabe, Norimichi

2015-04-28

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming, production of gasoline blended with ethyl tert-buthyl ether (ETBE) is increasing annually. The flash point of ETBE is higher than that of gasoline, and blending ETBE into gasoline will change the flash point and the vapor pressure. Therefore, it is expected that the fire hazard caused by ETBE-blended gasoline would differ from that caused by normal gasoline. The aim of this study was to acquire the knowledge required for estimating the fire hazard of ETBE-blended gasoline. Supposing that ETBE-blended gasoline was a two-component mixture of gasoline and ETBE, we developed a prediction model that describes the vapor pressure and flash point of ETBE-blended gasoline in an arbitrary ETBE blending ratio. We chose 8-component hydrocarbon mixture as a model gasoline, and defined the relation between molar mass of gasoline and mass loss fraction. We measured the changes in the vapor pressure and flash point of gasoline by blending ETBE and evaporation, and compared the predicted values with the measured values in order to verify the prediction model. The calculated values of vapor pressures and flash points corresponded well to the measured values. Thus, we confirmed that the change in the evaporation characteristics of ETBE-blended gasoline by evaporation could be predicted by the proposed model. Furthermore, the vapor pressure constants of ETBE-blended gasoline were obtained by the model, and then the distillation curves were developed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaporation characteristics of ETBE-blended gasoline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Katsuhiro; Hiramatsu, Muneyuki; Hino, Tomonori; Otake, Takuma; Okamoto, Takashi; Miyamoto, Hiroki; Honma, Masakatsu; Watanabe, Norimichi

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We chose 8-component hydrocarbon mixture as a model gasoline, and defined the molar mass of gasoline. • We proposed an evaporation model assuming a 2-component mixture of gasoline and ETBE. • We predicted the change in the vapor pressure of ETBE-blended gasoline by evaporation. • The vapor pressures were measured and compared as a means of verifying the model. • We presented the method for predicting flash points of the ETBE-blended gasoline. - Abstract: To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming, production of gasoline blended with ethyl tert-buthyl ether (ETBE) is increasing annually. The flash point of ETBE is higher than that of gasoline, and blending ETBE into gasoline will change the flash point and the vapor pressure. Therefore, it is expected that the fire hazard caused by ETBE-blended gasoline would differ from that caused by normal gasoline. The aim of this study was to acquire the knowledge required for estimating the fire hazard of ETBE-blended gasoline. Supposing that ETBE-blended gasoline was a two-component mixture of gasoline and ETBE, we developed a prediction model that describes the vapor pressure and flash point of ETBE-blended gasoline in an arbitrary ETBE blending ratio. We chose 8-component hydrocarbon mixture as a model gasoline, and defined the relation between molar mass of gasoline and mass loss fraction. We measured the changes in the vapor pressure and flash point of gasoline by blending ETBE and evaporation, and compared the predicted values with the measured values in order to verify the prediction model. The calculated values of vapor pressures and flash points corresponded well to the measured values. Thus, we confirmed that the change in the evaporation characteristics of ETBE-blended gasoline by evaporation could be predicted by the proposed model. Furthermore, the vapor pressure constants of ETBE-blended gasoline were obtained by the model, and then the distillation curves were

Evaporation characteristics of ETBE-blended gasoline

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okamoto, Katsuhiro, E-mail: okamoto@nrips.go.jp [National Research Institute of Police Science, 6-3-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882 (Japan); Hiramatsu, Muneyuki [Yamanashi Prefectural Police H.Q., 312-4 Kubonakajima, Isawa-cho, Usui, Yamanashi 406-0036 (Japan); Hino, Tomonori; Otake, Takuma [Metropolitan Police Department, 2-1-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8929 (Japan); Okamoto, Takashi; Miyamoto, Hiroki; Honma, Masakatsu; Watanabe, Norimichi [National Research Institute of Police Science, 6-3-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882 (Japan)

2015-04-28

Highlights: • We chose 8-component hydrocarbon mixture as a model gasoline, and defined the molar mass of gasoline. • We proposed an evaporation model assuming a 2-component mixture of gasoline and ETBE. • We predicted the change in the vapor pressure of ETBE-blended gasoline by evaporation. • The vapor pressures were measured and compared as a means of verifying the model. • We presented the method for predicting flash points of the ETBE-blended gasoline. - Abstract: To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming, production of gasoline blended with ethyl tert-buthyl ether (ETBE) is increasing annually. The flash point of ETBE is higher than that of gasoline, and blending ETBE into gasoline will change the flash point and the vapor pressure. Therefore, it is expected that the fire hazard caused by ETBE-blended gasoline would differ from that caused by normal gasoline. The aim of this study was to acquire the knowledge required for estimating the fire hazard of ETBE-blended gasoline. Supposing that ETBE-blended gasoline was a two-component mixture of gasoline and ETBE, we developed a prediction model that describes the vapor pressure and flash point of ETBE-blended gasoline in an arbitrary ETBE blending ratio. We chose 8-component hydrocarbon mixture as a model gasoline, and defined the relation between molar mass of gasoline and mass loss fraction. We measured the changes in the vapor pressure and flash point of gasoline by blending ETBE and evaporation, and compared the predicted values with the measured values in order to verify the prediction model. The calculated values of vapor pressures and flash points corresponded well to the measured values. Thus, we confirmed that the change in the evaporation characteristics of ETBE-blended gasoline by evaporation could be predicted by the proposed model. Furthermore, the vapor pressure constants of ETBE-blended gasoline were obtained by the model, and then the distillation curves were

AKRO/SF: Blend System

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Blend was the system used by the NMFS Alaska Regional Office to monitor groundfish catch from 1991 until 2002. The Blend system combined data from industry...

Financialisation in health care: An analysis of private equity fund investments in Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Eren Vural, Ipek

2017-08-01

The 2007-2008 global financial crisis revived interest in the impacts of financial markets and actors on our social and economic life. Nevertheless, research on health care financialisation remains scant. This article presents findings from research on one modality of financial investments in health care: global private equity funds' investments in private hospitals. Adopting a political economy approach, it analyses the drivers and impacts of the upsurge of global private equity investments in the Turkish private hospital sector amid the global financial crisis. The analysis derives from review of research and archival literature, as well as six in-depth interviews held with owners/executive board directors/general managers of the largest private hospital chains in Turkey and the general partners of their PE investors. The interviewing process took place between January and November 2016. All interviews were conducted by the author in Istanbul. The findings point to a mutually reinforcing relationship between neoliberal policies and financialisation processes in health care. The article shows that neoliberal healthcare reforms, introduced under consecutive Justice and Development Party (JDP) governments in Turkey, have been important precursors of private equity investments in healthcare services. These private equity investments, in turn, intensified and broadened the process of marketisation in health care services. Four impacts are identified, through which private equity investments hasten the marketisation of health care services. These relate to the impacts of private equity investments on a) advancing the process of chain formation by large hospital groups, b) spreading financial imperatives into the operations of private hospitals c) fostering internationalisation of capital, and d) augmenting inequities in access to health care services and standards. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Harnessing private sector expertise to improve complementary feeding within a regulatory framework: Where is the evidence?

Science.gov (United States)

van Liere, Marti J; Tarlton, Dessie; Menon, Ravi; Yellamanda, M; Reerink, Ietje

2017-10-01

Global recognition that the complex and multicausal problems of malnutrition require all players to collaborate and to invest towards the same objective has led to increased private sector engagement as exemplified through the Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network and mechanisms for blended financing and matched funding, such as the Global Nutrition for Growth Compact. The careful steps made over the past 5 to 10 years have however not taken away or reduced the hesitation and scepticism of the public sector actors towards commercial or even social businesses. Evidence of impact or even a positive contribution of a private sector approach to intermediate nutrition outcomes is still lacking. This commentary aims to discuss the multiple ways in which private sector can leverage its expertise to improve nutrition in general, and complementary feeding in particular. It draws on specific lessons learned in Bangladesh, Côte d'Ivoire, India, Indonesia, and Madagascar on how private sector expertise has contributed, within the boundaries of a regulatory framework, to improve availability, accessibility, affordability, and adequate use of nutritious foods. It concludes that a solid evidence base regarding the contribution of private sector to complementary feeding is still lacking and that the development of a systematic learning agenda is essential to make progress in the area of private sector engagement in nutrition. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Entanglement in miscible blends

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Hiroshi

2010-03-01

The entanglement length Le of polymer chains (corresponding to the entanglement molecular weight Me) is not an intrinsic material parameter but changes with the interaction with surrounding chains. For miscible blends of cis-polyisoprene (PI) and poly(tert-butyl styrene) (PtBS), changes of Le on blending was examined. It turned out that the Le averaged over the number fractions of the Kuhn segments of the components (PI and PtBS) satisfactorily describes the viscoelastic behavior of pseudo-monodisperse blends in which the terminal relaxation time is the same for PI and PtBS.

Miscibility evolution of polycarbonate/polystyrene blends during compounding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chuai, Chengzhi; Almdal, Kristoffer; Johannsen, Ib

2002-01-01

The miscibility evolution of polycarbonate/polystyrene (PC/PS) blends during the compounding process in three blending methods of industrial relevance, namely melt blending, remelt blending in a twin-screw extruder and third melt blending in an injection molding machine, was investigated...... polymer in the other. The observed solubility strongly depends on blend composition and blending method. The T-g measurements showed maximum mutual solubility around 50/50 composition. The miscibility of PC/PS blended after the third stage (melt injection molding) was higher than that after the first...... by measuring their glass transition temperatures (T-g) and their specific heat increment (DeltaC(p)). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to examine nine blend compositions. Shifts in glass transition temperature (T-g) of the two phases in melt-mixed PC/PS blends suggest partial miscibility of one...

Effects of Blended-Cement Paste Chemical Composition Changes on Some Strength Gains of Blended-Mortars

Science.gov (United States)

Kirgiz, Mehmet Serkan

2014-01-01

Effects of chemical compositions changes of blended-cement pastes (BCPCCC) on some strength gains of blended cement mortars (BCMSG) were monitored in order to gain a better understanding for developments of hydration and strength of blended cements. Blended cements (BC) were prepared by blending of 5% gypsum and 6%, 20%, 21%, and 35% marble powder (MP) or 6%, 20%, 21%, and 35% brick powder (BP) for CEMI42.5N cement clinker and grinding these portions in ball mill at 30 (min). Pastes and mortars, containing the MP-BC and the BP-BC and the reference cement (RC) and tap water and standard mortar sand, were also mixed and they were cured within water until testing. Experiments included chemical compositions of pastes and compressive strengths (CS) and flexural strengths (FS) of mortars were determined at 7th-day, 28th-day, and 90th-day according to TS EN 196-2 and TS EN 196-1 present standards. Experimental results indicated that ups and downs of silica oxide (SiO2), sodium oxide (Na2O), and alkali at MP-BCPCC and continuously rising movement of silica oxide (SiO2) at BP-BCPCC positively influenced CS and FS of blended cement mortars (BCM) in comparison with reference mortars (RM) at whole cure days as MP up to 6% or BP up to 35% was blended for cement. PMID:24587737

Effects of Blended-Cement Paste Chemical Composition Changes on Some Strength Gains of Blended-Mortars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet Serkan Kirgiz

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Effects of chemical compositions changes of blended-cement pastes (BCPCCC on some strength gains of blended cement mortars (BCMSG were monitored in order to gain a better understanding for developments of hydration and strength of blended cements. Blended cements (BC were prepared by blending of 5% gypsum and 6%, 20%, 21%, and 35% marble powder (MP or 6%, 20%, 21%, and 35% brick powder (BP for CEMI42.5N cement clinker and grinding these portions in ball mill at 30 (min. Pastes and mortars, containing the MP-BC and the BP-BC and the reference cement (RC and tap water and standard mortar sand, were also mixed and they were cured within water until testing. Experiments included chemical compositions of pastes and compressive strengths (CS and flexural strengths (FS of mortars were determined at 7th-day, 28th-day, and 90th-day according to TS EN 196-2 and TS EN 196-1 present standards. Experimental results indicated that ups and downs of silica oxide (SiO2, sodium oxide (Na2O, and alkali at MP-BCPCC and continuously rising movement of silica oxide (SiO2 at BP-BCPCC positively influenced CS and FS of blended cement mortars (BCM in comparison with reference mortars (RM at whole cure days as MP up to 6% or BP up to 35% was blended for cement.

Fuel-cycle financing, capital requirements and sources of funds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manderbach, R.W.

1977-01-01

An issue of global importance today is the economic case fro nuclear power and the conservation of precious fossil resources. An important question is whether sufficient financial resources can be attracted to the nuclear industry in order to develop a complete fuel-cycle industry capable of meeting the requirements of a global nuclear power industry. Future growth of the nuclear power industry will depend largely on the timely development of a private competitive industry covering the total fuel cycle. The report of the Edison Electric Institute on Nuclear Fuels Supply estimates that by 1985 initial capital investmentor in the nuclear fuel cycle will total US$15x10 9 and by the year 2000, US$60x10 9 will be required. Although the amount of funding projected is manageable from a global availability standpoint, there is a hesitancy to commit financial resources to certain segments of the fuel cycle, because of the many unresolved problems in connection with the nuclear industry - uncertainty regarding local and international governmental regulations and legislation, environmental and alternative technological considerations coupled with the substantial long-term capital commitments needed in each of the several segments of the processes. Activities associated with the nuclear fuel cycle have unique investment requirements, which are needed in many diverse unrelated fields such as resource development and high technology process. This paper examines sources of capital on a national scale, such as net earnings, depreciation, capital market and public subsidies; and, in the broader context, capital investments in highly industrialized and developing countries. Possible areas of government guarantees and financing; and the situation on financing fuel-cycle projects in the USA and in other countries is also discussed. Comments are included on the money market and investment climate in developing countries, particularly regarding the development of uranium resources

Introducing blended e-learning course design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gyamfi, Samuel Adu; Ryberg, Thomas

2012-01-01

In the face of diminishing education budgets in higher education, blended learning has been found to be a viable and effective approach to deliver high-quality, up-to-date, on-demand solutions to developing cross-curricular skills of undergraduates. However, research has also shown that blended...... learning solutions do not often live up to the potential of the approach or fail to produce the intended results because the students are not always equipped to handle the technical, psychological and organisational challenges of blended learning approaches. This project surveyed seventy-five first year...... the students’ e-readiness for an implementation of a blend-ed course design....

THE CAPITAL STRUCTURE OF VENTURE CAPITAL FIRMS IN INDONESIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andi Buchari

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Venture capital (VC is an important fund source for small and medium enterprises (SMEs and start up, particularly to deliver its main product of equity participation. Therefore, capital structure and factors that affect it are very crucial. This study aims to analyze the capital structure of VC firms in Indonesia using econometric model of panel data regression. This study utilizes secondary data of six years period (2009-2014 monthly financial statements of 27 samples out of 58 VC firms to form 1,944 observations. The study reveals that capital structure of VC firms in Indonesia is dominated by debt/loan rather than capital with DER on average is 136.95%. In addition, the research confirms that VC firms’ capital structure is affected simultaneously by financial aspects which are asset size, profitability, liquidity, asset/investment quality, and earning asset structure. The attentions to financial aspects that affect the VC firms’ capital structure as well as other initiatives related to capital increases are necessary so that the VC firms could carry out its role effectively.

Private capital requirements for international biomass energy projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldemberg, J [University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo (Brazil)

1995-12-01

In developing countries, the use of biomass for energy production faces two contradictory pressures. On the one hand, biomass costs very little and it is used inefficiently for fuel or charcoal production, leading to widespread destruction of forested areas and environmental degradation; this problem is being attenuated by the promotion, through aid programmes, of more efficient cook stoves for poor people. On the other hand, the conversion of biomass into high-grade fuel such as ethanol from sugar cane or burning urban refuse or gasifying it to produce electricity is not economically competitive at this time and requires subsidies of approximately 30% to make it as attractive as conventional fuels. Only electricity production using residues from sawmills, crops and other biomass by-products is competitive, and a number of plants are in operation in some countries, particularly the United States. For such plants, the usual rates of return and long-term contract purchases that characterize investments of this kind are applied. Although technologies are available for the widespread efficient use of biomass, the financial hurdle of high initial costs has impeded their market penetration, which in turn precludes any decline in costs that might otherwise have come from production increases. Intervention by governments or by GEF, justified on grounds of environmental protection, is needed to accelerate the introduction of the new technologies. The only private flows that are taking place at the moment are those from enlightened investors wishing to guarantee themselves a strong position in the area for the future or to preempt command and control regulations, such as carbon taxes, imposed by governments. The joint implementation of biomass technologies between industrialized and developing countries might be one method of accelerating this flow. (author) 9 refs, 4 figs, 3 tabs

Private capital requirements for international biomass energy projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldemberg, J.

1995-01-01

In developing countries, the use of biomass for energy production faces two contradictory pressures. On the one hand, biomass costs very little and it is used inefficiently for fuel or charcoal production, leading to widespread destruction of forested areas and environmental degradation; this problem is being attenuated by the promotion, through aid programmes, of more efficient cook stoves for poor people. On the other hand, the conversion of biomass into high-grade fuel such as ethanol from sugar cane or burning urban refuse or gasifying it to produce electricity is not economically competitive at this time and requires subsidies of approximately 30% to make it as attractive as conventional fuels. Only electricity production using residues from sawmills, crops and other biomass by-products is competitive, and a number of plants are in operation in some countries, particularly the United States. For such plants, the usual rates of return and long-term contract purchases that characterize investments of this kind are applied. Although technologies are available for the widespread efficient use of biomass, the financial hurdle of high initial costs has impeded their market penetration, which in turn precludes any decline in costs that might otherwise have come from production increases. Intervention by governments or by GEF, justified on grounds of environmental protection, is needed to accelerate the introduction of the new technologies. The only private flows that are taking place at the moment are those from enlightened investors wishing to guarantee themselves a strong position in the area for the future or to preempt command and control regulations, such as carbon taxes, imposed by governments. The joint implementation of biomass technologies between industrialized and developing countries might be one method of accelerating this flow. (author)

Public lending to private hedge funds is inefficient, unstable, unconstitutional and unanimously disagreeable

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sankarshan Acharya

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Public funds include federally insured deposits held under the custody of private banks, central bank loans and taxpayer funds. The principal finding of this paper is that lending such public funds through a private banking system to private hedge funds allied with the banks is inefficient, unstable, fundamentally unfair (unconstitutional and unanimously disagreeable. This finding is akin to the unanimously agreeable safe central banking policy (Acharya, 1991-2016 which, in dynamic general equilibrium, (a eliminates federal guarantee of bank deposits, (b offers every business enterprise and household an option to keep in the central bank any part of its deposits it wants to be held absolutely safely, (c completely deregulates all private banks without any privilege to rob public or private wealth like too-big-to-fail or too-big-to-be-jailed status or the power of market making and clearing. Safe central banking is the only way to make private banks responsible to hold sufficient capital to attract uninsured private deposits like the trading houses currently do. The private banks will then have complete freedom to lend their uninsured deposits to private hedge funds. The Volker Rule (NYT, January 30, 2010, incorporated in the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, is an infeasible and unworkable band-aid for the moral-hazard driven systemic robbery of wealth creators wrought by the government-ordained private banking custody of public funds. The established systemic moral-hazard problem can be efficiently and constitutionally resolved only through unanimously agreeable safe central banking. Current proposals on overhauling of Fannie and Freddie made by various pundits of systemic robbery amount to a gargantuan amount of public lending to private hedge funds and, hence, inefficient, unstable, unconstitutional and unanimously disagreeable.

How many Enrons? Mark-ups in the stated capital cost of independent power producers' (IPPs') power projects in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phadke, Amol

2009-01-01

I analyze the determinants of the stated capital cost of IPPs' power projects which significantly influences their price of power. I show that IPPs face a strong incentive to overstate their capital cost and argue that effective competition or regulatory scrutiny will limit the extent of the same. I analyze the stated capital costs of combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) IPP projects in eight developing countries which became operational during 1990-2006 and find that the stated capital cost of projects selected without competitive bidding is 44-56% higher than those selected with competitive bidding, even after controlling for the effect of cost differences among projects. The extent to which the stated capital costs of projects selected without competitive bidding are higher compared those selected with competitive bidding, is a lower bound on the extent to which they are overstated. My results indicate the drawbacks associated with a policy of promoting private sector participation without an adequate focus on improving competition or regulation. (author)

The entrepreneurial state debunking public vs. private sector myths

CERN Document Server

Mazzucato, Mariana

2015-01-01

This new bestseller from leading economist Mariana Mazzucato – named by the ‘New Republic’ as one of the ‘most important innovation thinkers’ today – is stirring up much-needed debates worldwide about the role of the State in innovation. Debunking the myth of a laggard State at odds with a dynamic private sector, Mazzucato reveals in case study after case study that in fact the opposite situation is true, with the private sector only finding the courage to invest after the entrepreneurial State has made the high-risk investments. Case studies include examples of the State’s role in the ‘green revolution’, in biotech and pharmaceuticals, as well as several detailed examples from Silicon Valley. In an intensely researched chapter, she reveals that every technology that makes the iPhone so ‘smart’ was government funded: the Internet, GPS, its touch-screen display and the voice-activated Siri. Mazzucato also controversially argues that in the history of modern capitalism the State has not on...

Determinants of the cost of capital for privately financed hospital projects in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Colla, Paolo; Hellowell, Mark; Vecchi, Veronica; Gatti, Stefano

2015-11-01

Many governments make use of private finance contracts to deliver healthcare infrastructure. Previous work has shown that the rate of return to investors in these markets often exceeds the efficient level. Our focus is on the factors that influence that return. We examine the effect of macroeconomic, project- and firm-level variables using a detailed sample of 84 UK private finance initiative (PFI) contracts signed between 1997 and 2010. Of the above variables, macroeconomic conditions and lead sponsor size are related to the investor return. However, our results show a remarkable degree of stability in the return to investors over the 14-year period. We find evidence of a 'prevailing norm' that is robust to project- and firm-level variation. The sustainability of excess returns over a long period is indicative of a concentrated market structure. We argue that policymakers should consider new mechanisms for increasing competition in the equity market, while ensuring that authorities have the specialist resources required to negotiate efficient contract prices. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coalescence in PLA-PBAT blends under shear flow: Effects of blend preparation and PLA molecular weight

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nofar, M. [Center for High Performance Polymer and Composite Systems (CREPEC), Chemical Engineering Department, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4, Canada and CREPEC, Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B2 (Canada); Heuzey, M. C.; Carreau, P. J., E-mail: pierre.carreau@polymtl.ca [Center for High Performance Polymer and Composite Systems (CREPEC), Chemical Engineering Department, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4 (Canada); Kamal, M. R. [CREPEC, Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B2 (Canada); Randall, J. [NatureWorks LLC, 15305 Minnetonka Boulevard, Minnetonka, Minnesota 55345 (United States)

2016-07-15

Blends containing 75 wt. % of an amorphous polylactide (PLA) with two different molecular weights and 25 wt. % of a poly[(butylene adipate)-co-terephthalate] (PBAT) were prepared using either a Brabender batch mixer or a twin-screw extruder. These compounds were selected because blending PLA with PBAT can overcome various drawbacks of PLA such as its brittleness and processability limitations. In this study, we investigated the effects of varying the molecular weight of the PLA matrix and of two different mixing processes on the blend morphology and, further, on droplet coalescence during shearing. The rheological properties of these blends were investigated and the interfacial properties were analyzed using the Palierne emulsion model. Droplet coalescence was investigated by applying shear flows of 0.05 and 0.20 s{sup −1} at a fixed strain of 60. Subsequently, small amplitude oscillatory shear tests were conducted to investigate changes in the viscoelastic properties. The morphology of the blends was also examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs. It was observed that the PBAT droplets were much smaller when twin-screw extrusion was used for the blend preparation. Shearing at 0.05 s{sup −1} induced significant droplet coalescence in all blends, but coalescence and changes in the viscoelastic properties were much more pronounced for the PLA-PBAT blend based on a lower molecular weight PLA. The viscoelastic responses were also somehow affected by the thermal degradation of the PLA matrix during the experiments.

Coalescence in PLA-PBAT blends under shear flow: Effects of blend preparation and PLA molecular weight

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nofar, M.; Heuzey, M. C.; Carreau, P. J.; Kamal, M. R.; Randall, J.

2016-01-01

Blends containing 75 wt. % of an amorphous polylactide (PLA) with two different molecular weights and 25 wt. % of a poly[(butylene adipate)-co-terephthalate] (PBAT) were prepared using either a Brabender batch mixer or a twin-screw extruder. These compounds were selected because blending PLA with PBAT can overcome various drawbacks of PLA such as its brittleness and processability limitations. In this study, we investigated the effects of varying the molecular weight of the PLA matrix and of two different mixing processes on the blend morphology and, further, on droplet coalescence during shearing. The rheological properties of these blends were investigated and the interfacial properties were analyzed using the Palierne emulsion model. Droplet coalescence was investigated by applying shear flows of 0.05 and 0.20 s"−"1 at a fixed strain of 60. Subsequently, small amplitude oscillatory shear tests were conducted to investigate changes in the viscoelastic properties. The morphology of the blends was also examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs. It was observed that the PBAT droplets were much smaller when twin-screw extrusion was used for the blend preparation. Shearing at 0.05 s"−"1 induced significant droplet coalescence in all blends, but coalescence and changes in the viscoelastic properties were much more pronounced for the PLA-PBAT blend based on a lower molecular weight PLA. The viscoelastic responses were also somehow affected by the thermal degradation of the PLA matrix during the experiments.

Natural capital and ecosystem services informing decisions: From promise to practice

Science.gov (United States)

Guerry, Anne D.; Polasky, Stephen; Lubchenco, Jane; Chaplin-Kramer, Rebecca; Daily, Gretchen C.; Griffin, Robert; Ruckelshaus, Mary; Bateman, Ian J.; Duraiappah, Anantha; Elmqvist, Thomas; Feldman, Marcus W.; Folke, Carl; Hoekstra, Jon; Kareiva, Peter M.; Keeler, Bonnie L.; Li, Shuzhuo; McKenzie, Emily; Ouyang, Zhiyun; Reyers, Belinda; Ricketts, Taylor H.; Rockström, Johan; Tallis, Heather; Vira, Bhaskar

2015-01-01

The central challenge of the 21st century is to develop economic, social, and governance systems capable of ending poverty and achieving sustainable levels of population and consumption while securing the life-support systems underpinning current and future human well-being. Essential to meeting this challenge is the incorporation of natural capital and the ecosystem services it provides into decision-making. We explore progress and crucial gaps at this frontier, reflecting upon the 10 y since the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. We focus on three key dimensions of progress and ongoing challenges: raising awareness of the interdependence of ecosystems and human well-being, advancing the fundamental interdisciplinary science of ecosystem services, and implementing this science in decisions to restore natural capital and use it sustainably. Awareness of human dependence on nature is at an all-time high, the science of ecosystem services is rapidly advancing, and talk of natural capital is now common from governments to corporate boardrooms. However, successful implementation is still in early stages. We explore why ecosystem service information has yet to fundamentally change decision-making and suggest a path forward that emphasizes: (i) developing solid evidence linking decisions to impacts on natural capital and ecosystem services, and then to human well-being; (ii) working closely with leaders in government, business, and civil society to develop the knowledge, tools, and practices necessary to integrate natural capital and ecosystem services into everyday decision-making; and (iii) reforming institutions to change policy and practices to better align private short-term goals with societal long-term goals. PMID:26082539

Natural capital and ecosystem services informing decisions: From promise to practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Guerry, Anne D; Polasky, Stephen; Lubchenco, Jane; Chaplin-Kramer, Rebecca; Daily, Gretchen C; Griffin, Robert; Ruckelshaus, Mary; Bateman, Ian J; Duraiappah, Anantha; Elmqvist, Thomas; Feldman, Marcus W; Folke, Carl; Hoekstra, Jon; Kareiva, Peter M; Keeler, Bonnie L; Li, Shuzhuo; McKenzie, Emily; Ouyang, Zhiyun; Reyers, Belinda; Ricketts, Taylor H; Rockström, Johan; Tallis, Heather; Vira, Bhaskar

2015-06-16

The central challenge of the 21st century is to develop economic, social, and governance systems capable of ending poverty and achieving sustainable levels of population and consumption while securing the life-support systems underpinning current and future human well-being. Essential to meeting this challenge is the incorporation of natural capital and the ecosystem services it provides into decision-making. We explore progress and crucial gaps at this frontier, reflecting upon the 10 y since the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. We focus on three key dimensions of progress and ongoing challenges: raising awareness of the interdependence of ecosystems and human well-being, advancing the fundamental interdisciplinary science of ecosystem services, and implementing this science in decisions to restore natural capital and use it sustainably. Awareness of human dependence on nature is at an all-time high, the science of ecosystem services is rapidly advancing, and talk of natural capital is now common from governments to corporate boardrooms. However, successful implementation is still in early stages. We explore why ecosystem service information has yet to fundamentally change decision-making and suggest a path forward that emphasizes: (i) developing solid evidence linking decisions to impacts on natural capital and ecosystem services, and then to human well-being; (ii) working closely with leaders in government, business, and civil society to develop the knowledge, tools, and practices necessary to integrate natural capital and ecosystem services into everyday decision-making; and (iii) reforming institutions to change policy and practices to better align private short-term goals with societal long-term goals.

Morphology Evolution of Polycarbonate-Polystyrene Blends During Compounding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chuai, Chengzhi; Almdal, Kristoffer; Johannsen, Ib

2001-01-01

The morphology evolution of polycarbonate-polystyrene (PC/PS) blends during the compounding process in three blending methods of industrial relevance, namely melt blending, re-melt blending in a twin-screw extruder and tri-melt blending in an injection-moulding machine, was investigated using......-empirical model. The results show that the formation of co-continuous morphology strongly depends on blend composition and melt blending method, whereas the model prediction for phase inversion deviates from the experimental values. Further, we found that the initial mechanism of morphology evolution involves...... scanning electron microscopy (SEM) Co examine nine blend compositions. Blends were prepared at compositions where phase inversion was expected to occur according to model predictions. The experimental results were compared to the values of the point of phase inversion calculated with the semi...

Thin Capitalization Rules and Multinational Firm Capital Structure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blouin, J.; Huizinga, H.P.; Laeven, L.; Nicodeme, G.

2014-01-01

Abstract: This paper examines the impact of thin capitalization rules that limit the tax deductibility of interest on the capital structure of the foreign affiliates of US multinationals. We construct a new data set on thin capitalization rules in 54 countries for the period 1982-2004. Using

On the capitalization and cultivation of social capital

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waldstrøm, Christian; Svendsen, Gunnar Lind Haase

2008-01-01

a dual focus on social capital as both immediately and potentially productive resources, i.e. assets that can be immediately capitalized by individuals as well as ‘cultivated' for future use. We argue that to further operationalize this concept we must distinguish between actual/potential social capital...

A Global Review of Public Private Partnerships Trends and Challenges for Social Infrastructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oktavianus Adrianto

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In developing countries, the government which has limited budget for public infrastructure development should choose which infrastructure should be developed. Most countries decided to build more economic infrastructure than social infrastructure because former have direct economic impact for society. The involvement of private sector in public infrastructure financing has been accomplished for decades in the form of Public Private Partnership (PPP. However, the implementation is also more often for economic infrastructure, but some countries have started to implement PPP for social infrastructure (education, healthcare, care of the elderly, etc. when they think to add human capital and improve quality of life. This study attempts to review a set of public private partnership implementation models relevant for social infrastructure development in some countries. Moreover, this study also more explores to the challenges and issues in different areas of social infrastructure. The outcome is to show a trend public-private partnership for social infrastructure in some successful projects from different countries. The challenges and issues about implementation public-private partnership for social infrastructure also be a part of the results from this study. Finally, the study has a valuable input for implementation of PPP on social infrastructure in Indonesia.

Family socio-economic profile and private spending on educational goods and services in Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdalena Rokicka

2014-01-01

Full Text Available According to theory, educational goods and services have an important impact on a child’s human capital. Although the majority of educational services in Poland are delivered within a public education system, various educational costs are borne by parents. This paper looks at the socio-economic determinants of private spending on education, including fees, private tutoring and courses, educational goods and materials, and the internet. The analysis was performed using the Polish Household Budget Survey for 2009 and 2010. Results from a logit regression suggest that disposable household income per capita and parental level of education, especially mother’s level of education have the greatest impact on spending on educational goods and services. This was true for all analysed categories of expenditure. Regional disparities and community size were an important factor especially with regards to spending on private tutoring and additional courses.

Blended Learning Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Lise

2015-01-01

University College Lillebaelt has decided that 30 percent of all educational elements must be generated as blended learning by the end of the year 2015 as part of a modernization addressing following educational needs: 1. Blended learning can help match the expectations of the future students who...... learning. 4. Blended learning can contribute to supporting and improving efficiency of educational efforts. This can for instance be done through programmes for several classes by using video conferencing, allocating traditional face to face teaching to synchronous and asynchronous study activities produce...... digital materials which can be employed didactically and reused by the teachers. This can also mean that the particular competencies which teaches have in Svendborg can be used at other locations in UCL and disseminated to a larger group of students without further costs. Educational Innovation...

Blended Learning: How Teachers Balance the Blend of Online and Classroom Components

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffrey, Lynn M.; Milne, John; Suddaby, Gordon

2014-01-01

Despite teacher resistance to the use of technology in education, blended learning has increased rapidly, driven by evidence of its advantages over either online or classroom teaching alone. However, blended learning courses still fail to maximize the benefits this format offers. Much research has been conducted on various aspects of this problem,…

Trends Affecting Ohio State University Extension in the 21st Century and the Implications for Human Capital

Science.gov (United States)

Cochran, Graham R.; Ferrari, Theresa M.; Chen, Claire Yueh-Ti

2012-01-01

Research with a diverse array of organizations in the public and private sectors has documented a common set of trends affecting organizations and their human capital in the 21st century. Similar trends have been identified as important for Extension organizations and the Cooperative Extension System. It is important to determine if such trends…

Capital mobility, tax competition, and lobbying for redistributive capital taxation

OpenAIRE

Lorz, Jens Oliver

1996-01-01

This paper analyzes the impact of international capital mobility on redistributive capital taxation and on lobbying activities by interest groups. It employs a model where different capital endowments lead to a conflict between households concerning their most preferred capital tax rate. Three main results are derived: First, redistributive source based capital taxes or subsidies decline as international tax competition intensifies. Second, lobbying activities of certain interest groups may e...

Networking for conservation: social capital and perceptions of organizational success among land trust boards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatyana B. Ruseva

2016-06-01

Full Text Available As an important component in collaborative natural resource management and nonprofit governance, social capital is expected to be related to variations in the performance of land trusts. Land trusts are charitable organizations that work to conserve private land locally, regionally, or nationally. The purpose of this paper is to identify the level of structural and cognitive social capital among local land trusts, and how these two types of social capital relate to the perceived success of land trusts. The analysis integrates data for land trusts operating in the U.S. south-central Appalachian region, which includes western North Carolina, southwest Virginia, and east Tennessee. We use factor analysis to elicit different dimensions of cognitive social capital, including cooperation among board members, shared values, common norms, and communication effectiveness. Measures of structural social capital include the size and diversity of organizational networks of both land trusts and their board members. Finally, a hierarchical linear regression model is employed to estimate how cognitive and structural social capital measures, along with other organizational and individual-level attributes, relate to perceptions of land trust success, defined here as achievement of the land trusts' mission, conservation, and financial goals. Results show that the diversity of organizational partnerships, cooperation, and shared values among land trust board members are associated with higher levels of perceived success. Organizational capacity, land trust accreditation, volunteerism, and financial support are also important factors influencing perceptions of success among local, nonprofit land trusts.

Discerning urban spiritualities: Tahrir Square, Occupy Wall Street and the idols of global market capitalism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Calvyn C. du Toit

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Discernment might be said to be a process of searching for meaning in the light of an (un articulated Absolute. This search takes place in the tension between the private and public spheres of life, mostly mitigated by a community. Intermediate communities, such as churches or social movements, construct symbolic spirituality systems for its adherers to search for meaning in the light of an (unarticulated Absolute. The urban events of Occupy Wall Street and Tahrir Square also step into the tension between the public and private spheres of life, creating a (temporary symbolic spirituality system for its adherers. These events were attempts to construct alternatives to the meta-narrative of global market capitalism. As events attempting to symbolise an urban spirituality, Tahrir Square and Occupy Wall Street dissipated rapidly, effecting rather little change at the heart of global market capitalism. This article theorises a possible reason for these urban spiritualities� dissipation, namely an overlap with global market capitalism�s idols of instant gratification and technology.Interdisciplinary Implications: Viewing Occupy Walls Street and Tahrir Square as symbolic systems of spirituality further strengthens theological urban discourse whilst adding weight to viewing mass movements as spiritualities attempting discernment.

SPILLOVER EFFECTS OF PENSION FUNDS ON CAPITAL MARKETS. THE EU-15 COUNTRIES CASE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MILOŞ LAURA RAISA

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The paper aims at providing new empirical evidence for the connection between pension reform and domestic stock market development, in the case of the old member states of European Union. We seek to measure the impact of private pension funds’ assets on the capital market development, using a panel data regression and after controlling for other explanatory variables. As predicted in the literature, the results show a positive connection.

Thin films of polymer blends deposited by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation: Effects of blending ratios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paun, Irina Alexandra; Ion, Valentin; Moldovan, Antoniu; Dinescu, Maria

2011-01-01

In this work, we show successful use of matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) for obtaining thin films of PEG:PLGA blends, in the view of their use for controlled drug delivery. In particular, we investigate the influence of the blending ratios on the characteristics of the films. We show that the roughness of the polymeric films is affected by the ratio of each polymer within the blend. In addition, we perform Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements and we find that the intensities ratios of the infrared absorption bands of the two polymers are consistent with the blending ratios. Finally, we assess the optical constants of the polymeric films by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). We point out that the blending ratios exert an influence on the optical characteristics of the films and we validate the SE results by atomic force microscopy and UV-vis spectrophotometry. In all, we stress that the ratios in which the two polymers are blended have significant impact on the morphology, chemical structure and optical characteristics of the polymeric films deposited by MAPLE.

Emissions characteristics of higher alcohol/gasoline blends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gautam, M.; Martin, D.W.; Carder, D.

2000-01-01

An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the emissions characteristics of higher alcohols and gasoline (UTG96) blends. While lower alcohols (methanol and ethanol) have been used in blends with gasoline, very little work has been done or reported on higher alcohols (propanol, butanol and pentanol). Comparisons of emissions and fuel characteristics between higher alcohol/gasoline blends and neat gasoline were made to determine the advantages and disadvantages of blending higher alcohols with gasoline. All tests were conducted on a single-cylinder Waukesha Cooperative Fuel Research engine operating at steady state conditions and stoichiometric air-fuel (A/F) ratio. Emissions test were conducted at the optimum spark timing-knock limiting compression ratio combination for the particular blend being tested. The cycle emission [mass per unit time (g/h)] of CO, CO 2 and organic matter hydrocarbon equivalent (OMHCE) from the higher alcohol/gasoline blends were very similar to those from neat gasoline. Cycle emissions of NO x from the blends were higher than those from neat gasoline. However, for all the emissions species considered, the brake specific emissions (g/kW h) were significantly lower for the higher alcohol/gasoline blends than for neat gasoline. This was because the blends had greater resistance to knock and allowed higher compression ratios, which increased engine power output. The contribution of alcohols and aldehydes to the overall OMHCE emissions was found to be minimal. Cycle fuel consumption (g/h) of higher alcohol/gasoline blends was slightly higher than with neat gasoline due to the lower stoichiometric A/F ratios required by the blends. However, the brake specific fuel consumption (g/kW h) for the blends was significantly lower than that for neat gasoline. (Author)

[Personal experiences with induced abortions in private clinics in Northeast Brazil].

Science.gov (United States)

Silveira, Paloma; McCallum, Cecilia; Menezes, Greice

2016-02-01

Based on a qualitative study conducted in 2012, the article analyzes middle-class individuals' experiences with induced abortions performed in private clinics. Thirty-four stories of induced abortions were narrated by 19 women and five men living in two state capitals in Northeast Brazil. Thematic analysis revealed differences in types of clinics and care provided by the physicians. The article shows that abortion in private clinics fails to guarantee safe or humane care. The narratives furnish descriptions of diverse situations and practices, ranging from flaws such as lack of information on medicines to others involving severe abuses like procedures performed without anesthesia. The article concludes that criminalization of abortion in Brazil allows clinics to operate with no state regulation; it does not prevent women from having abortions, but exposes them to total vulnerability and violation of human rights.

The determinants of capital structure: the evidence from the European Union

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia Mokhova

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to indicate the influence of several internal determinants on capital structure in different European countries and retrace its tendency taking into consideration the membership of the European Union. Nowadays there are a lot of debates according the future of the European Union. The recent global financial crisis and the following European debt crisis show the significance of the country financial stability and its impact on the private sector. The paper investigates 32 countries of European Union dividing them into three groups as (1 old EU members (15 countries, (2 new EU members (12 countries and (3 EU candidates (4 candidate countries and 1 acceding country.The managers make their financial decisions according to the source of financing and capital structure based on the macroeconomic conditions and country specifics and obviously on company’s advantages and disadvantages, i.e. its internal characteristics. Based on the analysis of previous studies we have chosen several significant internal determinants of capital structure as profitability, tangibility, growth opportunities, non-debt tax shields and firm’s size.The findings show that the country’s specifics, EU membership and corporate debt structure influence the relation between capital structure and its internal characteristics. The capital structure in all countries has tendency to increase, furthermore the old members rely more on debt then candidates or new members.There is no doubt that the majority of countries support Pecking Order Theory then Trade off Theory regarding investigated relations. In most countries the profitability and size have negative and significant influence on corporate capital structure. At the same time tangibility, growth opportunities and non-debt tax shields split up: selected countries experience positive impact, another part negative, supporting different theories.

Seeding Social Capital? Urban Community Gardening and Social Capital

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Søren

2017-01-01

There is a continuing debate regarding urban community gardening’s benefits to local communities, and a particularly interesting branch of this debate has focused on community gardens capacity to encourage and facilitate social interaction, which may generate social capital. Social capital...... is an increasingly important concept in international research and measures of social capital have been associated with various measures of health. In a meta-analysis of literature published between 2000 and 2016 regarding community gardens’ social advantages, through the lens of the concept of social capital......, it is demonstrated that several studies substantiate that urban community gardens create social capital, both bonding and bridging, and exhibit indications of linking. It is moreover identified how there is much to be learned from future research, illuminating how urban community gardens can foster social capital...

Rethinking the economics of capital mobility and capital controls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas I. Palley

2009-09-01

Full Text Available This paper reexamines the issue of international financial capital mobility, which is today's economic orthodoxy. Discussion is often framed in terms of the impossible trinity. That framing distorts discussion by representing capital mobility as having equal significance with sovereign monetary policy and control over exchange rates. It also distorts discussion by ignoring possibilities for coordinated monetary policy and exchange rates, and for managed capital flows. The case for capital mobility rests on neo-classical economic efficiency arguments and neo-liberal political arguments. The case against capital mobility is based on Keynesian macroeconomic inefficiency arguments, neo-Walrasian market failure arguments, and neo-Marxian arguments regarding distortion of the social structure of accumulation. Close examination shows the case for capital mobility to be extremely flimsy, pointing to the ideological dimension behind today's policy orthodoxy.

40 CFR 80.82 - Butane blending.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Reformulated Gasoline § 80.82 Butane blending. A refiner for any refinery that produces gasoline by blending butane with conventional gasoline or reformulated gasoline or RBOB may meet... paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the refiner may: (i) Blend the butane with conventional gasoline, or...

Development of high-performance blended cements

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zichao

2000-10-01

This thesis presents the development of high-performance blended cements from industrial by-products. To overcome the low-early strength of blended cements, several chemicals were studied as the activators for cement hydration. Sodium sulfate was discovered as the best activator. The blending proportions were optimized by Taguchi experimental design. The optimized blended cements containing up to 80% fly ash performed better than Type I cement in strength development and durability. Maintaining a constant cement content, concrete produced from the optimized blended cements had equal or higher strength and higher durability than that produced from Type I cement alone. The key for the activation mechanism was the reaction between added SO4 2- and Ca2+ dissolved from cement hydration products.

Bridges in social capital: a review of the definitions and the social capital of social capital researchers

OpenAIRE

Akcomak, S.

2009-01-01

There has been a recent surge of interest in social economics and social capital. Articles on social capital that are published in the last five years constitute more than 60 percent of all articles on social capital. Research on social capital is now massive and spans sociology, economics, management, political science and health sciences. Despite this interest there is still not a consensus on the definition and the measurement of social capital. This paper argues that this is due to lack o...

Financial potential of migrants’ capital in Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I.М. Krupka

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In today’s globalized world, labor migration is an important source of remittances and other transfers of migrants to their homeland, which expands the country’s capacity for the development of the national economy and financial markets in particular. Due to the transformational changes in the domestic economy in the 1990th many citizens became migrant workers and their remittances now exceed foreign direct investment in the country. Until 2013 remittances in Ukraine were mainly coming through the banking system, but recently the dominant role is being played by international payment systems, as well as quite a significant amount is incoming by informal channels. In order to increase the role of formal financial market infrastructure in providing capital inflows of migrants first of all the cost of transfer must be reduced.Unfortunately, the capital of Ukrainian migrant workers is directed primarily at the consumer market, real estate market, as well as the shadow economy. The investment focus has actually only investments in real estate and private business (own entrepreneurship. Migrant workers invest in those areas of the economy that are the least compliant to investment and bank lending standards. At the same time, migrants almost do not use capital to purchase shares and bonds, but use it actively to invest in such financial market tool as deposits. Regardless of significant efforts by the Government of Ukraine to attract funds in the state budget by selling different variations of bonds a notable success in modern conditions was not achieved. Nowadays remittances have enabled us to soften financial instability, balance of payments deficit; to strengthen the exchange rate of the national currency and they also have the positive impact on international credit ratings of Ukraine. However, the effectiveness of government policy to direct remittances into investment is very low, and it actualizes the search of effective tools to realize

Disposiciones espaciales y valorización del capital. El caso de Nordelta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia Berti

2005-01-01

Full Text Available We are witnessing the expantion of a strictly capitalistic logic in metropolitan development, granting the urban increased value the rank of basic urban criterion (de Mattos, 2002. The state government is replaced by governance and the private enterprise revalues its role as a constructor and decision-maker. The State withdraws and capital finds new niches to valorize itself. The normative redefinition and private management alter the city's constitutive property as a value of complex use (Topalov, 1979. Capital is valued in itself and achieves partial control over rights, public services and goods while producing urban elements which were previously unfeasible. Thus, city planning and the commercialization of a new lifestyle for privileged sectors becomes a new form of capital valorization. Can estate agents by themselves create lebenswelt (Habermas, 1987, in its double concept of sociability spaces and appraisal horizon and therefore assure their consumers? The megaenterprise takes form in its inhabitantsïlifestyles, a metamorphosis undergone in its dispositions and spatial scope reorganizes the sense of its territorial representation and actions. These habitus (Bourdieu, 1997 are constituted together with the new spatiality as a structure structured by enterprises such as Nordelta and as structuring structure of these new urban objects. That is, the habitus (Bourdieu, 1997 are not the consequence of the mechanical impression of the capitalistic social structures but a complex process irreducible to the known dichotomies between objectivism-subjectivism, action-structure, etc. The dispositions and spatial scope can be thought as the articulation of the dialectic pair presented by Santos (1996 who refers to the geographic space as a set of object systems and action systems, considered as the unique context in which history occurs.

HUMAN CAPITAL IN ISLAMIC BANK AND ITS EFFECT ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF HEALTHY ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muafi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Human resources have become one of strategic issues of Islamic banking in Indonesia. Islamic bank is important to have a good human capital, who has specialized knowledge and expertise related to Islamic aspects. The quality of human resource that is bad will affect the organization to grow unhealthy and also the employee performance. This research aims to test and analyze the role of human capital that affect the healthy organization and the employee performance. This research was conducted on all employees of Islamic banks in the Province of Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY and East Java. The reason is because nowadays, Islamic banking in Indonesia is experiencing a slowdown growth of business performance, especially market share so that it needs human capital with good quality. Sampling technique is using purposive sampling. Bank employees came from Islamic bank, government bank, and private bank. The result concludes that human capital (HC has significant positive effect on the improvement of employee performance (EP and healthy organization (HO. Meanwhile, healthy organization (HO has significant positive effect on the improvement of employee performance (EP. Healthy organization mediates the relationship between human capital and employee performance.

THE COMBUSTION CHARACTERISTICS OF LIGNITE BLENDS

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Cheng Jun; Zhou Junhu; Cao Xinyu; Cen Kefa

2000-01-01

The combustion characteristics of lignite blends were studied with a thermogravimetric analyzer (t.g.a.), at constant heating rate.The characteristic temperatures were determined from the burning profiles.It was found that the characteristic times of combustion reaction moved forward, the ignition temperature dropped and the burnout efficiency slightly changed when blending lignites.The characteristic parameters of blends could not be predicted as a linear function of the average values of the individual lignites.when blending with less reactive coal, the ignition and burnout characteristics of lignite turned worse.

Efficiency improvement of the investment and innovation activities in the transport facility construction field with public-private partnership involvement

Science.gov (United States)

Shibayeva, Marina; Serebryakova, Yelena; Shalnev, Oleg

2017-10-01

Growing demand to increase the investment volume in modernization and development projects for transport infrastructure define the urgency of the current study. The amount of private sector investments in the field is insufficient to implement the projects for road construction due to their significant capital intensity and long payoff period. The implementation of social significant infrastructure projects on the principles of public-private partnership is one of the key strategic directions of growth for transport facilities. The authors come up with a concept and methodology for modeling the investment and innovation activity in the transport facility construction. Furthermore, there is developed a model to find the balance between public and private sector investments in implementing construction projects for transport infrastructure with involvement of PPP (further - public-private partnership). The suggested concepts aim to improve the efficiency rate of the investment and innovation activity in the field of transport facility construction on the basis of public and private sectors collaboration.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACTIVITY OF BANKS WITH FOREIGN CAPITAL IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RADULESCU MAGDALENA

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The privatization has as purpose to reestablish the functionality of a type of property under the public agreement. The privatization of banks brings both positive and beneficial aspects, but also some notions with a negative impact that influence the capital markets and banking system. Among the benefits we can include: the increase of the effectiveness and performance of the banking operations, the implementation of some effective structures that lead to the gradual integration of the banking system into the greatly developed economies, the improvement and perfecting of the bank services. In Romania, the privatization of banks started rather late and in some cases it turned up to be very difficult. Romanian banking system is dominated by the Austrian and Greek investors. The Romanian banking system is very concentrated, but the intermediation level is still lower than in other European or Eastern European countries.

Structural characterization of HDPE/LLDPE blend-based nano composites obtained by different blending sequence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Passador, Fabio R.; Ruvolo Filho, Adhemar; Pessan, Luiz A.

2011-01-01

The blending sequence affects the morphology formation of the nanocomposites. In this work, the blending sequences were explored to determine its influence in the rheological behavior of HDPE/LLDPE/OMMT nanocomposites. The nanocomposites were obtained by melt-intercalation using a mixture of LLDPE-g-MA and HDPE-g-MA as compatibilizer system in a torque rheometer at 180 deg C and five blending sequences were studied. The materials structures were characterized by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and by rheological properties. The nanoclay's addition increased the shear viscosity at low shear rates, changing the behavior of HDPE/LLDPE matrix to a Bingham model behavior with an apparent yield stress. Intense interactions were obtained for the blending sequence where LLDPE and/or LLDPE-g-MA were first reinforced with organoclay since the intercalation process occurs preferentially in the amorphous phase. (author)

Supply Chain Sustainability Analysis of Indirect Liquefaction of Blended Biomass to Produce High Octane Gasoline

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cai, Hao [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Canter, Christina E. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Dunn, Jennifer B. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Tan, Eric [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Biddy, Mary [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Talmadge, Michael [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hartley, Damon S. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Snowden-Swan, Lesley [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2015-09-01

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) aims at developing and deploying technologies to transform renewable biomass resources into commercially viable, high-performance biofuels, bioproducts and biopower through public and private partnerships (DOE, 2015). BETO also performs a supply chain sustainability analysis (SCSA). This report describes the SCSA of the production of renewable high octane gasoline (HOG) via indirect liquefaction (IDL) of lignocellulosic biomass. This SCSA was developed for the 2017 design case for feedstock logistics (INL, 2014) and for the 2022 target case for HOG production via IDL (Tan et al., 2015). The design includes advancements that are likely and targeted to be achieved by 2017 for the feedstock logistics and 2022 for the IDL conversion process. The 2017 design case for feedstock logistics demonstrated a delivered feedstock cost of $80 per dry U.S. short ton by the year 2017 (INL, 2014). The 2022 design case for the conversion process, as modeled in Tan et al. (2015), uses the feedstock 2017 design case blend of biomass feedstocks consisting of pulpwood, wood residue, switchgrass, and construction and demolition waste (C&D) with performance properties consistent with a sole woody feedstock type (e.g., pine or poplar). The HOG SCSA case considers the 2017 feedstock design case (the blend) as well as individual feedstock cases separately as alternative scenarios when the feedstock blend ratio varies as a result of a change in feedstock availability. These scenarios could be viewed as bounding SCSA results because of distinctive requirements for energy and chemical inputs for the production and logistics of different components of the blend feedstocks.

Reform of Budgeting for Acquisition: Lessons from Private Sector Capital Budgeting for the Department of Defense

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

McCaffery, Jerry L; Jones, Lawrence R

2006-01-01

.... The governments of New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom, as well as most of the states in the United States have adopted some private budgeting methods with varying degrees of success...

The Impact of Capital Structure on Economic Capital and Risk Adjusted Performance

OpenAIRE

Porteous, Bruce; Tapadar, Pradip

2008-01-01

The impact that capital structure and capital asset allocation have on financial services firm economic capital and risk adjusted performance is considered. A stochastic modelling approach is used in conjunction with banking and insurance examples. It is demonstrated that gearing up Tier 1 capital with Tier 2 capital can be in the interests of bank Tier 1 capital providers, but may not always be so for insurance Tier 1 capital providers. It is also shown that, by allocating a bank or insuranc...

The Relationship between Reports of Psychological Capital and Reports of Job Satisfaction among Administrative Personnel at a Private Institution of Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Mello, James A.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this single-site case study was to investigate the relationship between administrative personnel's reports of psychological capital (Luthans, Youssef, & Avolio, 2007) and their reports of job satisfaction (Hackman & Oldham, 1980). Specifically, two surveys, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (Luthans, Youssef, &…

The privatization of medical education in Brazil: trends and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Scheffer, Mário C; Dal Poz, Mario R

2015-12-17

Like other countries, Brazil is struggling with issues related to public policies designed to influence the distribution, establishment, supply and education of doctors. While the number of undergraduate medical schools and places available on medical schools has risen, the increase in the number of doctors in Brazil in recent decades has not benefitted the population homogeneously. The government has expanded the medical schools at the country's federal universities, while providing incentives for the creation of new undergraduate courses at private establishments. This article examines the trends and challenges of the privatization of medical education in Brazil. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study based on secondary data from official government databases on medical schools and courses and institutions offering such courses in Brazil. It takes into account the year when the medical schools received authorization to initiatte the activities, where they are situated, whether they are run by a public or private entity, how many places they offer, how many students they have enrolled, and their performance according to Ministry of Education evaluations. Brazil had 241 medical schools in 2014, offering a total of 20,340 places. The private higher education institutions are responsible for most of the enrolment of medical students nationally (54 %), especially in the southeast. However, enrolment in public institutions predominate more in the capitals than in other cities. Overal, the public medical schools performed better than the private schools in the last two National Exam of Students' (ENADE). The privatization of the teaching of medicine at undergraduate level in Brazil represents a great challenge: how to expand the number of places while assuring quality and democratic access to this form of education. Upon seeking to understand the configuration and trends in medical education in Brazil, it is hoped that this analysis may contribute to a broader

Motivations for recreating on farmlands, private forests, and state or national parks.

Science.gov (United States)

Sotomayor, Sandra; Barbieri, Carla; Wilhelm Stanis, Sonja; Aguilar, Francisco X; Smith, Jordan W

2014-07-01

This study explores the importance of different motivations to visit three types of recreational settings--farms, private forests, and state or national parks. Data were collected via a mail-back questionnaire administered to a stratified random sample of households in Missouri (USA). Descriptive and inferential statistics reveal both similarities and discontinuities in motivations for visiting farms, private forests, and state or national parks for recreation. Being with family, viewing natural scenery, and enjoying the smells and sounds of nature were all highly important motivations for visiting the three types of settings. However, all 15 motivations examined were perceived to be significantly more important for visits to state or national parks than to farms or private forests. Findings suggest that individuals are more strongly motivated to recreate at state and national parks relative to farmlands or forests. Post hoc paired t tests comparing motivations between both agricultural settings (farms and private forests) revealed significant differences in eight different recreational motivations. Individuals tended to place more importance on the ability to use equipment and test their skills when considering recreating on private forests. Conversely, social motivations (e.g., doing something with the family) were more important when individuals were considering recreating on farmland. Collectively, the findings suggest individuals expect distinctly different outcomes from their visits to farmlands, private forests, or state or national parks. Consequently, all three types of recreational settings have competitive advantages that their managers could capitalize on when making decisions about how to attract new visitors or produce the most desirable experiences for current recreationists.

Place, Capital Flows and Property Regimes: The Elites’ Former Houses in Beijing’s South Luogu Lane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhifen Cheng

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Place is seen as a process whereby social and cultural forms are reproduced. This process is closely linked to capital flows, which are, in turn, shaped by changing property regimes. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the relationship between property regimes, capital flows and place-making. The goal of this paper is to highlight the role of changing property regimes in the production of place. Our research area is South Luogu Lane (SLL in Central Beijing. We take elites’ former houses in SLL as the main unit of analysis in this study. From studying this changing landscape, we draw four main conclusions. First, the location of SSL was critical in enabling it to emerge as a high-status residential community near the imperial city. Second, historical patterns of capital accumulation influenced subsequent rounds of private investment into particular areas of SLL. Third, as laws relating to the ownership of land and real estate changed fundamentally in the early 1950s and again in the 1980s, the target and intensity of capital flows into housing in SLL changed too. Fourth, these changes in capital flow are linked to ongoing changes in the place image of SLL.

GROWTH AND VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY-BASED SMALL FIRMS THE CASE OF HUNGARY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Becsky Nagy Patricia

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Venture capital backed enterprises represent a low proportion of companies, even of innovative ones. The research question was, whether these companies have an important role in innovation and economic growth in Hungary compared to other countries. In the first part of the article I present the theoretical background of technology-based small firms, highlighting the most important models and theories of the economic impact and the special development of innovative technology-oriented small firms. In the second part of the article I present the status of the most important indicators of innovation in connection with entrepreneurship, than I elaborate on the measures of start-ups, mainly the high-tech ones with high-growth potential. I describe the current position of venture capital industry, detailing the venture capital investments, with particular emphasis on classical venture capital investments that points out the number and the amount of venture capital investments financing early stage firms with high-growth potential. At the end I summarize the status of Hungarian technology-based small firms and their possibilities to get financial sources form venture capital investors, with regards to the status and the prospects of the JEREMIE program. In Hungary the number of internationally competitive firms, ready and willing to obtain venture capital, is much lower than in the US or Western European countries. Hungary could take advantage of its competitive edges in some special fields of innovation. The efficiency of information flow would reduce the information gap between the demand and the supply side of the venture capital market and more Hungarian firms could be internationally successful through venture capital financing. The recent years’ policy and special programs like JEREMIE generated more transactions, that helped to inform the entrepreneurs about venture capital and helped to co-invest public resources with private equity more

Human Capital and Optimal Positive Taxation of Capital Income

NARCIS (Netherlands)

B. Jacobs (Bas); A.L. Bovenberg (Lans)

2005-01-01

textabstractThis paper analyzes optimal linear taxes on capital and labor incomes in a life-cycle model of human capital investment, financial savings, and labor supply with heteroge- nous individuals. A dual income tax with a positive marginal tax rate on not only labor income but also capital

Polyethylene/hydrophilic polymer blends for biomedical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Brynda, E; Houska, M; Novikova, S P; Dobrova, N B

1987-01-01

Polyethylene blends with poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [poly(HEMA)] or poly(2,3-dihydroxypropyl methacrylate) [poly(DHPMA)] were prepared by swelling polyethylene with HEMA or 2,3-epoxypropyl methacrylate (EPMA) and by polymerization of the respective monomers. Poly(EPMA) in blends was hydrolysed to poly(DHPMA) with acetic acid. The blends had similar surface and bulk compositions. Swelling with water and surface wettability were proportional to the content of the hydrophilic component; at the same content the polyethylene/poly(DHPMA) blends appeared more hydrophilic than those of polyethylene/poly(HEMA). Thrombus formation in contact with blood examined ex vivo and in vivo was considerably slower on the blends than on unmodified polyethylene. The tests indicated optima in composition; the best biological response was achieved with the blends containing about 14% poly(HEMA) or 16% poly(DHPMA).

HEU to LEU conversion and blending facility: Metal blending alternative to produce LEU oxide for disposal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-09-01

US DOE is examining options for disposing of surplus weapons-usable fissile materials and storage of all weapons-usable fissile materials. The nuclear material is converted to a form more proliferation- resistant than the original form. Blending HEU (highly enriched uranium) with less-enriched uranium to form LEU has been proposed as a disposition option. Five technologies are being assessed for blending HEU. This document provides data to be used in environmental impact analysis for the HEU-LEU disposition option that uses metal blending with an oxide waste product. It is divided into: mission and assumptions, conversion and blending facility descriptions, process descriptions and requirements, resource needs, employment needs, waste and emissions from plant, hazards discussion, and intersite transportation.

HEU to LEU conversion and blending facility: Metal blending alternative to produce LEU oxide for disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-09-01

US DOE is examining options for disposing of surplus weapons-usable fissile materials and storage of all weapons-usable fissile materials. The nuclear material is converted to a form more proliferation- resistant than the original form. Blending HEU (highly enriched uranium) with less-enriched uranium to form LEU has been proposed as a disposition option. Five technologies are being assessed for blending HEU. This document provides data to be used in environmental impact analysis for the HEU-LEU disposition option that uses metal blending with an oxide waste product. It is divided into: mission and assumptions, conversion and blending facility descriptions, process descriptions and requirements, resource needs, employment needs, waste and emissions from plant, hazards discussion, and intersite transportation

Private Venture Capital’s Investment on University Spin-Offs: A Case Study of Tsinghua University Based on Triple Helix Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gao, Yuchen; Hu, Yimei; Wang, Jingyi

2015-01-01

and transition economies where governments are transforming their roles. Thus the main purpose of this study is to investigate how private venture capitals’ investment willingness on university spin-offs are influenced by universities and governments under the Chinese context based on the triple helix model....... Through an in-depth case study on the interactions of triple helix actors of Tsinghua University’s spin-offs, it is found that government and university developing an environment of marketization exert positive influences on the investment willingness of private venture capitals. Whilst financial direct...

Solid waste management practices under public and private sector in Lahore, Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Usman Ashraf

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Solid waste management (SWM practices in Lahore, provincial capital of Punjab, were privatised in 2012. This study draws a comparison of solid waste management practices by public and private sector in Lahore. The comparison is done by taking following factors in consideration; administrative structure, waste collection, street sweeping, waste storage capacity and logistics, disposal, mechanical sweeping and washing, monitoring system. Privatisation of solid waste management in Lahore is celebrated as complete success story. In contrast to this, we found the results of privatisation are mixed. Privatisation has improved some components of the system. Monitoring system has been the key innovation under private sector. It has enabled better allocation, management and channelization of available resources. Yet little to no improvement has been done in street sweeping, disposal of waste and administrative structure of waste management in the city.

HEU to LEU conversion and blending facility: UNH blending alternative to produce LEU oxide for disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-09-01

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is examining options for the disposition of surplus weapons-usable fissile materials and storage of all weapons-usable fissile materials. Disposition is a process of use or disposal of material that results in the material being converted to a form that is substantially and inherently more proliferation-resistant than is the original form. Examining options for increasing the proliferation resistance of highly enriched uranium (HEU) is part of this effort. This report provides data to be used in the environmental impact analysis for the uranyl nitrate hexahydrate blending option to produce oxide for disposal. This the Conversion and Blending Facility (CBF) alternative will have two missions (1) convert HEU materials into HEU uranyl nitrate (UNH) and (2) blend the HEU uranyl nitrate with depleted and natural assay uranyl nitrate to produce an oxide that can be stored until an acceptable disposal approach is available. The primary emphasis of this blending operation will be to destroy the weapons capability of large, surplus stockpiles of HEU. The blended LEU product can only be made weapons capable again by the uranium enrichment process. The blended LEU will be produced as a waste suitable for storage or disposal

HEU to LEU conversion and blending facility: UNH blending alternative to produce LEU oxide for disposal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-09-01

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is examining options for the disposition of surplus weapons-usable fissile materials and storage of all weapons-usable fissile materials. Disposition is a process of use or disposal of material that results in the material being converted to a form that is substantially and inherently more proliferation-resistant than is the original form. Examining options for increasing the proliferation resistance of highly enriched uranium (HEU) is part of this effort. This report provides data to be used in the environmental impact analysis for the uranyl nitrate hexahydrate blending option to produce oxide for disposal. This the Conversion and Blending Facility (CBF) alternative will have two missions (1) convert HEU materials into HEU uranyl nitrate (UNH) and (2) blend the HEU uranyl nitrate with depleted and natural assay uranyl nitrate to produce an oxide that can be stored until an acceptable disposal approach is available. The primary emphasis of this blending operation will be to destroy the weapons capability of large, surplus stockpiles of HEU. The blended LEU product can only be made weapons capable again by the uranium enrichment process. The blended LEU will be produced as a waste suitable for storage or disposal.

Viscoelastic properties of PLA/PCL blends compatibilized with different methods

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Boo Young; Han, Do Hung

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to observe changes in the viscoelastic properties of PLA/PCL (80/20) blends produced using different compatibilization methods. Reactive extrusion and high-energy radiation methods were used for blend compatibilization. Storage and loss moduli, complex viscosity, transient stress relaxation modulus, and tan δ of blends were analyzed and blend morphologies were examined. All compatibilized PLA/PCL blends had smaller dispersed particle sizes than the non-compatibilized blend, and well compatibilized blends had finer morphologies than poorly compatibilized blends. Viscoelastic properties differentiated well compatibilized and poorly compatibilized blends. Well compatibilized blends had higher storage and loss moduli and complex viscosities than those calculated by the log-additive mixing rule due to strong interfacial adhesion, whereas poorly compatibilized blends showed negative deviations due to weak interfacial adhesion. Moreover, well compatibilized blends had much slower stress relaxation than poorly compatibilized blends and didn't show tan δ plateau region caused by slippage at the interface between continuous and dispersed phases.

SOCIO-TERRITORIAL CAPITAL AND DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY IN BRAZIL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sylvio Bandeira de Mello e Silva

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes, based on data from 2010, the social organization in Brazil, measured by the distribution of Private Foundations and Non-Profit Associations (FASFIL, comparing them with the main socioeconomic indicators. The concept of socio-territorial capital is adopted, based on the notion of social capital (PUTNAM, 1996. This concept values the territorial networking, the bonds of cohesion and cooperation and the territorial rooting, that is, the interaction in different sectors and scales. An analysis is made for the relation between by FASFIL and GDP per capita for the Major Regions and for the Federation Units. The results confirm regional imbalances and interstate imbalances, that is, where there is more FASFIL income is higher. The analysis is also done for the main metropolitan regions and for the metropolises, now involving, in addition to GDP per capita, seven socioeconomic indicators (HDI, Gini index, Life expectancy at birth, Infant mortality, Persons with complete upper level, Percentage of vulnerable to poverty and Formalization of the employed. The results are more expressive than in the scale of the Federation Units, especially at the level of the metropolises, that is, they express more prominently the relation between FASFIL and socio territorial capital.

Mechanical properties of irradiated rubber-blends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nasr, G.M.; Madani, M.

2005-01-01

A study has been made on blend ratios of natural rubber (NR) and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) that are loaded with general purpose furnace (GPE) carbon black and irradiated at different gamma radiation doses. It was fount that the mechanical properties of such blend are highly affected by γ- irradiation dose and the composition ratios of its constituents. The elongation at break for blends was found to increase slightly with increasing NBR loafing which is mainly due to the stiffness of blending matrix formation between NR and GPF carbon black particles. The hysteresis loss, extension ratio and shape factor have been calculated for the different un-irradiated and irradiated samples

From political capitalism to clientelist capitalism? The case of Croatia

OpenAIRE

Vladimir Cvijanovic; Denis Redzepagic

2011-01-01

The paper analyses the typology of capitalism in Croatia. The Croatian form of capitalism is specific, in form and origin, with links between the pre-independence and post-independence periods, implying that capitalism has gradually evolved – from the political during the eighties towards current clientelistic capitalism. The manufacturing focus aims to facilitate the analysis of institutional, political and economic changes over the past forty years, emphasising the implications of instituti...

Binary blend Nanoparticles with defined morphology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghazy, O.A.H.

2008-01-01

The word blend in linguistics means a word formed from two parts of two words. In polymer science polymer blends means polymer mixtures, a class of materials analogues to the metal alloys. Blending of polymers is a simple and economic way to create new materials meeting specific desired properties. The other alternative is to synthesize such materials eventually facing the organic chemistry design difficulties. The low entropy of mixing polymers makes the process thermodynamically unfavorable, unless there are some specific interactions between the mixed polymers. As a result, in thermal equilibrium typically a phase separation between the blend components takes place. The main challenge facing the blending of polymers is the control of the length scale of the phase separation. One of the most important applications, where the control of the phase separation is crucial for the performance is the organic solar cells. In organic solar cells a blend of an electron donating polymer and electron accepting one is formed. The dimensions of the phase separation between the two polymers should be in the range of the exciton diffusion length [1-3] (in semiconductors, exciton diffusion length is the average distance traveled by the electron-hole pair before recombination). Only under this condition the charge transfer at the interface between the two polymer layers can take place and the solar cell performs efficiently. The thin polymer blend layers for such applications are commonly deposited by spin coating from solution containing both polymers. The morphology of the thin layer prepared in this way is highly influenced by the preparation conditions such as the surface properties of the substrate, the solvent from which the blend was deposited, the temperature, and the annealing temperature [4-9]. Therefore controlling the length scale of phase separation in layers casted or spin coated from solutions is difficult and is a matter of trials and errors. Recently a novel

Assessment of patient safety culture in private and public hospitals in Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Arrieta, Alejandro; Suárez, Gabriela; Hakim, Galed

2018-04-01

To assess the patient safety culture in Peruvian hospitals from the perspective of healthcare professionals, and to test for differences between the private and public healthcare sectors. Patient safety is defined as the avoidance and prevention of patient injuries or adverse events resulting from the processes of healthcare delivery. A non-random cross-sectional study conducted online. An online survey was administered from July to August 2016, in Peru. This study reports results from Lima and Callao, which are the capital and the port region of Peru. A total of 1679 healthcare professionals completed the survey. Participants were physicians, medical residents and nurses working in healthcare facilities from the private sector and public sector. Assessment of the degree of patient safety and 12 dimensions of patient safety culture in hospital units as perceived by healthcare professionals. Only 18% of healthcare professionals assess the degree of patient safety in their unit of work as excellent or very good. Significant differences are observed between the patient safety grades in the private sector (37%) compared to the public sub-sectors (13-15%). Moreover, in all patient safety culture dimensions, healthcare professionals from the private sector give more favorable responses for patient safety, than those from the public sub-systems. The most significant difference in support comes from patient safety administrators through communication and information about errors. Overall, the degree of patient safety in Peru is low, with significant gaps that exist between the private and the public sectors.

Face-to-Face Activities in Blended Learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærgaard, Annemette

While blended learning combines online and face-to-face teaching, research on blended learning has primarily focused on the role of technology and the opportunities it creates for engaging students. Less focus has been put on face-to-face activities in blended learning. This paper argues...... that it is not only the online activities in blended learning that provide new opportunities for rethinking pedagogy in higher education, it is also imperative to reconsider the face-to-face activities when part of the learning is provided online. Based on a review of blended learning in business and management...... education, we identify what forms of teaching and learning are suggested to take place face-to-face when other activities are moved online. We draw from the Community of Inquiry framework to analyze how face-to-face activities contribute to a blended learning pedagogy and discuss the implications...

BLENDED LEARNING STRATEGY IN TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marian F. Byrka

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article examines the implementation of blended learning strategy in teacher training programs as an innovation in online learning. The blended learning idea comes from blending elements which use online technology with more traditional face-to-face teaching in the same course. The article analyses teacher training programs offered by Chernivtsi Regional Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education. Additional data were gathered through a questionnaire administered to teachers who attended training courses. The characteristics of blended learning strategy, its benefits and limitations for teacher training are supported by a review of literature. The article closes with the comparison of curriculum components (content delivery, learner activities, materials, and required competences between traditional and blended learning teacher training programs. Having obvious benefits in teacher training programs, the implementation of blended learning strategy sets some additional requirements to a learner, as well as to course instructors and lectors.

You have more capital than you think.

Science.gov (United States)

Merton, Robert C

2005-11-01

Senior executives typically delegate the responsibility for managing a firm's derivatives portfolio to in-house financial experts and the company's financial advisers. That's a strategic blunder, argues this Nobel laureate, because the inventiveness of modern financial markets makes it possible for companies to double or even triple their capacity to invest in their strategic assets and competencies. Risks fall into two categories: either a company adds value by assuming them on behalf of its shareholders or it does not. By hedging or insuring against non-value-adding risks with derivative securities and contracts, thereby removing them from what the author calls the risk balance sheet, managers can release equity capital for assuming more value-adding risk. This is not just a theoretical possibility. One innovation-the interest rate swap, introduced about 20 years ago-has already enabled the banking industry to dramatically increase its capacity for adding value to each dollar of invested equity capital. With the range of derivative instruments growing, there is no reason why other companies could not similarly remove strategic risks, potentially creating billions of dollars in shareholder value. The possibilities are especially important for private companies that have no access to public equity markets and therefore cannot easily increase their equity capital by issuing more shares. The author describes how derivative contracts of various kinds are already being employed strategically to mitigate or eliminate various risks. He also shows how companies can use the risk balance sheet to identify risks they should not bear directly and to determine how much equity capacity they can release for assuming more value-adding risk.

27 CFR 24.213 - Heavy bodied blending wine.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Heavy bodied blending wine..., DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS WINE Production of Other Than Standard Wine § 24.213 Heavy bodied blending wine. Heavy bodied blending wine is wine made for blending purposes from grapes or other fruit without...

78 FR 55339 - Regulatory Capital Rules: Regulatory Capital, Implementation of Basel III, Capital Adequacy...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-10

... countercyclical capital buffer was designed to take into account the macro-financial environment in which large... ability to raise capital to meet the increased minimum requirements in the current environment and upon...

[Blending powdered antineoplastic medicine in disposable ointment container].

Science.gov (United States)

Miyazaki, Yasunori; Uchino, Tomonobu; Kagawa, Yoshiyuki

2014-01-01

On dispensing powdered antineoplastic medicines, it is important to prevent cross-contamination and environmental exposure. Recently, we developed a method for blending powdered medicine in a disposable ointment container using a planetary centrifugal mixer. The disposable container prevents cross-contamination. In addition, environmental exposure associated with washing the apparatus does not arise because no blending blade is used. In this study, we aimed to confirm the uniformity of the mixture and weight loss of medicine in the blending procedure. We blended colored lactose powder with Leukerin(®) or Mablin(®) powders using the new method and the ordinary pestle and mortar method. Then, the blending state was monitored using image analysis. Blending variables, such as the blending ratio (1:9-9:1), container size (35-125 mL), and charging rate (20-50%) in the container were also investigated under the operational conditions of 500 rpm and 50 s. At a 20% charging rate in a 35 mL container, the blending precision of the mixtures was not influenced by the blending ratio, and was less than 6.08%, indicating homogeneity. With an increase in the charging rate, however, the blending precision decreased. The possible amount of both mixtures rose to about 17 g with a 20% charging rate in a 125 mL container. Furthermore, weight loss of medicines with this method was smaller than that with the pestle and mortar method, suggesting that this method is safer for pharmacists. In conclusion, we have established a precise and safe method for blending powdered medicines in pharmacies.

How do dual practitioners divide their time? The cases of three African capital cities.

Science.gov (United States)

McPake, Barbara; Russo, Giuliano; Tseng, Fu-Min

2014-12-01

Health professionals dual practice has received increasing attention, particularly in the context of the universal health coverage movement. This paper explores the determinants of doctors' choices to become a dual practitioner and of dual practitioners' choices to allocate time to the private sector in the capital cities of Mozambique, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde. The data are drawn from a survey conducted in 2012 among 329 physicians. We use a two-part model to analyse the decision of both public and private practitioners to become dual practitioners, and to allocate time between public and private sectors. We impute potential earnings in public and private practice by using nearest-neighbour propensity score matching. Our results show that hourly wage in the private sector, number of dependents, length of time as a physician, work outside city, and being a specialist with or without technology all have a positive association with the probability of being a dual physician, while number of dependents displays a negative sign. Level of salaries in the public sector are not associated with dual practice engagement, with important implications for attempts aimed at retaining professionals in the public sector through wage increases. As predicted by theory that recognises doctors' role in price setting, earnings rates are not significant predictors of private sector time allocation; personal characteristics of physicians appear more important, such as age, number of dependents, specialist without technology, specialist with technology, and three reasons for not working more hours in the private sector. Answers to questions about the factors that limit working hours in the private sector have significant predictive power, suggesting that type of employment in the private sector may be an underlying determinant of both dual practice engagement and time allocation decisions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Optimum Blend: Affordances and Challenges of Blended Learning For Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nuray Gedik

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to elicit students’ perceptions regarding the most facilitative and most challenging features (affordances and barriers in a blended course design. Following the phenomenological approach of qualitative inquiry, data were collected from ten undergraduate students who had experiences in a blended learning environment. Data were collected from the students’ weekly reşection papers, interviews with students, and documents, and analyzed by structurally and texturally describing the resulting experiences and perceptions. The findings of the study indicate that used together, online and face-to-face course structures offer several opportunities and challenges for students. The participating students mentioned interaction and communication opportunities, increased motivation, increased opportunities to voice their opinions, and reinforcement of learning as the affordances in the blended learning environment. The barriers included increased workload, cultural and technical barriers, and the inter-dependence of the two environments. Implications and suggestions are offered for instructors in higher education settings

The Optimum Blend: Affordances and Challenges of Blended Learning For Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nuray Gedik

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to elicit students’ perceptions regarding the most facilitative and most challenging features (affordances and barriers in a blended course design. Following the phenomenological approach of qualitative inquiry, data were collected from ten undergraduate students who had experiences in a blended learning environment. Data were collected from the students’ weekly reflection papers, interviews with students, and documents, and analyzed by structurally and texturally describing the resulting experiences and perceptions. The findings of the study indicate that used together, online and face-to-face course structures offer several opportunities and challenges for students. The participating students mentioned interaction and communication opportunities, increased motivation, increased opportunities to voice their opinions, and reinforcement of learning as the affordances in the blended learning environment. The barriers included increased workload, cultural and technical barriers, and the inter-dependence of the two environments. Implications and suggestions are offered for instructors in higher education settings.

Wavelet and Blend maps for texture synthesis

OpenAIRE

Du Jin-Lian; Wang Song; Meng Xianhai

2011-01-01

blending is now a popular technology for large realtime texture synthesis .Nevertheless, creating blend map during rendering is time and computation consuming work. In this paper, we exploited a method to create a kind of blend tile which can be tile together seamlessly. Note that blend map is in fact a kind of image, which is Markov Random Field, contains multiresolution signals, while wavelet is a powerful way to process multiresolution signals, we use wavelet to process the traditional ble...

Silk fibroin/pullulan blend films: Preparation and characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shivananda, C. S.; Rao, B. Lakshmeesha; Madhukumar, R.; Asha, S. [Department of Studies in Physics, Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri – 574 199 (India); Sarojini, B. K. [Department of Industrial Chemistry, Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri, Mangalore –574 199 (India); Somashekhar, R. [Department of Studies in Physics, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore – 570 006 (India); Sangappa, Y., E-mail: syhalabhavi@yahoo.co.in [Department of Studies in Physics, Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri – 574 199 (India); School of Material Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 (United States)

2016-05-23

In this work silk fibroin/pullulan blend films have been prepared by solution casting method. The blend films were examined for structural, and thermal properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimatric (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. The XRD results indicate that with the introduction of pullulan, the interaction between SF and pullulan in the blend films induced the conformation transition of SF films and amorphous phase increases with increasing pullulan ratio. The thermal properties of the blend films were improved significantly in the blend films.

Correspondence Theory and Phonological Blending in French

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Scott

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Though less productive than rival word-formation processes like compounding and affixation, blending is still a rich source of neologisms in French. Despite this productivity, however, blends are often seen by scholars as unpredictable, uninteresting, or both. This analysis picks up where recent studies of blending have left off, using Correspondence Theory and a bundle of segmental constraints to deal with this phenomenon as it pertains to French. More specifically, it shows that blending is the result of a single output standing in correspondence with two or more other outputs, and that we do not need to refer to prosodic information, which is crucial in accounts of blending in languages with lexical stress like English, to account for the process in French. The analysis also differs from previous studies in that it locates blending exclusively within the phonology, leaving its morphological and semantic characteristics to be handled by other processes in the grammar.

Blended working: for whom it may (not work.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nico W Van Yperen

Full Text Available Similarly to related developments such as blended learning and blended care, blended working is a pervasive and booming trend in modern societies. Blended working combines on-site and off-site working in an optimal way to improve workers' and organizations' outcomes. In this paper, we examine the degree to which workers feel that the two defining features of blended working (i.e., time-independent working and location-independent working enhance their own functioning in their jobs. Blended working, enabled through the continuing advance and improvement of high-tech ICT software, devices, and infrastructure, may be considered beneficial for workers' perceived effectiveness because it increases their job autonomy. However, because blended working may have downsides as well, it is important to know for whom blended working may (not work. As hypothesized, in a sample of 348 workers (51.7% women, representing a wide range of occupations and organizations, we found that the perceived personal effectiveness of blended working was contingent upon workers' psychological need strength. Specifically, the perceived effectiveness of both time-independent working and location-independent working was positively related to individuals' need for autonomy at work, and negatively related to their need for relatedness and need for structure at work.

Moisture sorption and thermal characteristics of polyaramide blend fabrics

OpenAIRE

Genç, Gözde; Alp, Burcu; Balköse, Devrim; Ülkü, Semra; Cireli, Aysun

2006-01-01

Four types of fabrics woven from various polyaramid fibers of Nomex and Kevlar blends were characterized by morphology, XRD, elemental analysis, thermal analysis, and moisture adsorption isotherms. The blends consisted of Polybenzimidazole/ Kevlar blend (40% FBI and 60% Kevlar®), Nomex Delta A (blend of 60% Kevlar and 40% Nomex®), Nomex Delta T (blend of 75% Nomex, 23% Kevlar, and 2% P140 antistatic fiber), and Nomex III (fabric with a 95/5 blend of Nomex and Kevlar) containing 1% steel fiber...

Creators of private health care businesses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: profile and sources of start-up funds.

Science.gov (United States)

Bukonda, Ngoyi K Zacharie; Chand, Masud; Disashi, Tumba G

2011-01-01

A survey was conducted in Jury 2010 to explore the creation of private health care businesses in Mbuji Mayi, the capital city of the Eastern Kasai Province (EKP), Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The survey yielded 68 responses. The results indicated that the entrepreneurs were predominantly Congolese men with backgrounds in the health services field who had raised their start-up capital mostly from personal savings or from friends and family. Their businesses, which were mostly in the form of sole proprietorships, were likely to be located in areas underserved by government-owned medical facilities.

Using Blended Teaching to Teach Blended Learning: Lessons Learned from Pre-Service Teachers in an Instructional Methods Course

Science.gov (United States)

Shand, Kristen; Farrelly, Susan Glassett

2017-01-01

In this study, we explore the design and delivery of a blended social studies teaching methods course to examine the elements of the blended design that pre-service teachers found most constructive. In focus groups at the completion of the course, pre-service teachers were asked to reflect on their experience in the blended course, identify the…

LENRA as compatibilizer in NR/HDPE blends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dahlan Mohd; Mahathir Mohamed

2006-01-01

Polymer blends of 60/40 NR/RDPE were prepared using Brabender PL2000 Plasticorder with 60 g capacity. The blends were added with radiation-sensitive natural rubber (NR)-based compatibilizer, known as LENRA. They were irradiated with electron-beam radiation at various doses. The efficacy of the compatibilizer was monitored by measuring various properties of the blends such as physical and dynamic mechanical properties including morphological studies by electron microscopic technique. Early results show that the addition of LENRA improves the properties of the TPNR blends. (Author)

Blended learning within an undergraduate exercise physiology laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Elmer, Steven J; Carter, Kathryn R; Armga, Austin J; Carter, Jason R

2016-03-01

In physiological education, blended course formats (integration of face-to-face and online instruction) can facilitate increased student learning, performance, and satisfaction in classroom settings. There is limited evidence on the effectiveness of using blending course formats in laboratory settings. We evaluated the impact of blended learning on student performance and perceptions in an undergraduate exercise physiology laboratory. Using a randomized, crossover design, four laboratory topics were delivered in either a blended or traditional format. For blended laboratories, content was offloaded to self-paced video demonstrations (∼15 min). Laboratory section 1 (n = 16) completed blended laboratories for 1) neuromuscular power and 2) blood lactate, whereas section 2 (n = 17) completed blended laboratories for 1) maximal O2 consumption and 2) muscle electromyography. Both sections completed the same assignments (scored in a blinded manner using a standardized rubric) and practicum exams (evaluated by two independent investigators). Pre- and postcourse surveys were used to assess student perceptions. Most students (∼79%) watched videos for both blended laboratories. Assignment scores did not differ between blended and traditional laboratories (P = 0.62) or between sections (P = 0.91). Practicum scores did not differ between sections (both P > 0.05). At the end of the course, students' perceived value of the blended format increased (P learning key foundational content through video demonstrations before class greatly enhanced their learning of course material compared with a preassigned reading (94% vs. 78%, P Blended exercise physiology laboratories provided an alternative method for delivering content that was favorably perceived by students and did not compromise student performance. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

A Phase Blending Study on Rubber Blends Based on the Solubility Preference of Curatives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guo, R.; Talma, Auke; Datta, Rabin; Dierkes, Wilma K.; Noordermeer, Jacobus W.M.

2009-01-01

Using previously obtained data on the solubilities of curatives in SBR, EPDM and in NBR, different mixing procedures were performed on 50/50 SBR/EPDM and NBR/EPDM blends. In contrast to a previous phase-mixing study, the curatives were added to separate phases before final blending, in an attempt to

Rising Inequality and Intergenerational Mobility: The Role of Public Investments in Human Capital.

Science.gov (United States)

Aizer, Anna

2014-06-01

One consequence of the rise in inequality witnessed over the past 40 years is its potentially negative impact on intergenerational mobility if parents at the bottom of the income distribution invest significantly less in their children's human capital. I consider whether public investments in children can potentially offset the inequality of private investments. Specifically, examining changes in public spending in 25 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries over the period 2000-2009, I find that increases in spending on health are most strongly associated with reductions in the importance of family background and declines in inequality in the production of child human capital as measured by the Program for International Student Assessment test scores among 15-year-olds. Public spending on family support, housing, and education are also moderately related. In contrast, increased spending on the elderly is associated with increases in the importance of parental background and inequality of child test scores. These results suggest that public investments in child human capital have the potential to offset the potentially negative impact of increasing income inequality on intergenerational mobility and inequality of the next generation. Further research firmly establishing a causal relationship is needed.

Rising Inequality and Intergenerational Mobility: The Role of Public Investments in Human Capital

Science.gov (United States)

Aizer, Anna

2014-01-01

One consequence of the rise in inequality witnessed over the past 40 years is its potentially negative impact on intergenerational mobility if parents at the bottom of the income distribution invest significantly less in their children's human capital. I consider whether public investments in children can potentially offset the inequality of private investments. Specifically, examining changes in public spending in 25 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries over the period 2000–2009, I find that increases in spending on health are most strongly associated with reductions in the importance of family background and declines in inequality in the production of child human capital as measured by the Program for International Student Assessment test scores among 15-year-olds. Public spending on family support, housing, and education are also moderately related. In contrast, increased spending on the elderly is associated with increases in the importance of parental background and inequality of child test scores. These results suggest that public investments in child human capital have the potential to offset the potentially negative impact of increasing income inequality on intergenerational mobility and inequality of the next generation. Further research firmly establishing a causal relationship is needed. PMID:25419203

Mobilizing the private sector. Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferraz-tabor, L

1993-12-01

The national diarrheal disease control program has made progress against diarrheal illness in Indonesia, but diarrhea still accounts for 130,000 deaths of under-5 year olds annually. The potential of the private sector had been virtually untapped until the PRITECH Project designed and implemented a private sector based program to complement government efforts to reduce childhood morbidity and mortality related to diarrhea. PRITECH wanted to motivate commercial firms to invest the capital necessary to commercialize oral rehydration salts (ORS) so that program self-sufficiency would be maximized over the long term without depending upon donor support. Sections describe the lack of commercial sector ORS promotion, supply and demand factors, raising interest in ORS, conditions for change, the potential market for ORS, demand, production capacity, previous collaborative efforts, areas for improvement, PRITECH's role as catalyst, coordination with commercial companies, marketing workshops, collaboration with the Indonesian Medical Association, the handwashing campaign, and program impact. Although the program has been in place for just 1 year, sales of ORS have increased along with the degree of sustainable collaboration among local institutions. The author stresses that for the model to be successfully replicated elsewhere, the government, medical and pediatric associations, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, groups which can promote oral rehydration therapy, and opinion leaders in the medical community must be involved. Finally, note is made that the image of ORS must be improved and that the work of the public and commercial sectors can be complementary.

Government Sponsored Venture Capital: Blessing Or Curse?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erika Jáki

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Young companies with growth opportunities face serious problems when it comes to financing. The private venture capital (VC market fails to provide sufficient funding for this segment. First, we present the main characteristics of start-up companies and market failures that can lead to government intervention. These failures include asymmetric information embodied in the business plan; high transaction costs of the investment process from the investment decision to the exit; and positive externalities in the economy, as the government prefers other goals than profit realization. Government participation is categorized as direct or indirect intervention. We present international studies showing that indirect government intervention can have both beneficial and negative effects on the vc market. Finally, the Hungarian government’s participation and intervention are evaluated on the domestic VC market.

Blended Learning: An Innovative Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Lalima; Dangwal, Kiran Lata

2017-01-01

Blended learning is an innovative concept that embraces the advantages of both traditional teaching in the classroom and ICT supported learning including both offline learning and online learning. It has scope for collaborative learning; constructive learning and computer assisted learning (CAI). Blended learning needs rigorous efforts, right…

Measuring Capital

OpenAIRE

W. Erwin Diewert

2003-01-01

The paper revisits Harper, Berndt and Wood (1989) and calculates Canadian reproducible capital services aggregates under alternative assumptions about the form of depreciation, the opportunity cost of capital and the treatment of capital gains. Five different models of depreciation are considered: (1) one hoss shay; (2) straight line depreciation; (3) declining balance or geometric depreciation; (4) linearly declining efficiency profiles and (5) linearly increasing maintenance profiles. The l...

LENRA as compatibilizer in NR/HDPE blends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahathir Mohamed; Dahlan Mohd

2004-01-01

Polymer blends of 60/40 NR/HDPE were prepared using Brabender PL2000 plasticorder with 60g capacity. The blends were added with radiation sensitive natural rubber (NR)-based compatibilizer, known as LENRA. They were irradiated in air with electron beam radiation at various doses. The efficacy of the compatibilizer was monitored by measuring various properties of the blends such as physical and dynamic mechanical properties including morphological studies by electron microscopic technique. Early results show that the addition of LENRA improves the properties of the TPNR blends. (Author)

Promoting Islamic Private Equity Fund As An Ideal Financial Intermediary Institution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nashr Akbar

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The existence of financial intermediation institution is quite necessary to support the economic activity. It serves both surplus unit and deficit unit to meet their wants whereby the former wants to invest his money in the lack of skill, while the latter wants to develop their businesses but does not have adequate capital. Bank institution is the most common institution serving the people’s need of financial intermediation. However, bank has several weaknesses that may harm and hamper the economic development. This paper aims to explore the weaknesses of banks as financial intermediary institutions and then promote Islamic Private Equity Fund as alternative. The result showed that the weaknesses of banks are: 1 fractional reserve banking, 2 fiat money, 3 debt-based investment, 4 risk averse. Furthermore, the study also found that Islamic Private Equity Fund can serve as an ideal financial intermediary institution due to some strengths: 1 no fractional reserve banking, 2 equity-based investment and 3 risk taker

Spent-fuel storage: a private sector option

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, J.A.; Ross, S.R.

1983-01-01

The investigation was performed to delineate the legal and financial considerations for establishing private sector support for the planning and development of an independent spent-fuel storage facility (ISFSF). The preferred institutional structure was found to be one in which a not-for-profit corporation contracts with a limited partnership to handle the spent fuel. The limited partnership acquires the necessary land and constructs the ISFSF facility and then leases the facility to the not-for-profit corporation, which acquires spent-fuel rods from the utilities. The DOE must agree to purchase the spent-fuel rods at the expiration of term and warrant continued operation of the facility if policy changes at the federal level force the removal of the rods prior to completion of the contracted storage cycle. The DOE planning base estimate of spent-fuel storage requirements indicates a market potential adequate to support 10,000 MTU or more of spent-fuel storage prior to the time a government repository is available to accept spent fuel around the turn of the century. The estimated construction cost of a 5000-MTU water basin facility is $552 million. The total capital requirements to finance such a facility are estimated to be $695 million, based on an assumed capital structure of 70 percent debt and 30 percent equity. The estimated total levelized cost of storage, including operating costs, for the assumed 17-year life of the facility is $223 per kilogram of uranium. This is equivalent to a slightly less than one mill per kilowatt-hour increase in nuclear fuel costs at the nuclear power station that was the source of the spent fuel. In conclusion, within the context of the new Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, the study points to both the need for and the advantages of private sector support for one or more ISFSFs and establishes a workable mechanism for the recovery of the costs of owning and operating such facilities. 3 figures, 4 tables

Performance evaluation of gamma irradiated SiR-EPDM blends

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deepalaxmi, R., E-mail: deepalaxmivaithi@gmail.com; Rajini, V.

2014-07-01

Highlights: • The effects of gamma irradiation on SiR-EPDM blend are examined. • Cross-linking reaction is dominant in blends C, D and E, due to higher EPDM content. • The tensile strength and hardness of blend E is improved by gamma irradiation. • The blend C and EPDM rich blends (D, E) are found to have superior performance. • Among C, D and E, suitable blend can be selected for a particular NPP application. - Abstract: Cable insulation materials (CIM) should perform their safety functions throughout their installed life in nuclear power plants (NPP). The CIM will be exposed to gamma irradiation at the installed locations. In order to forecast long-term performance of CIM, the short time accelerated testing was carried out. Due to its good mechanical strength, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) is widely used as CIM. Silicone rubber (SiR) is used in high temperature environments, due to its good di-electric properties/hydrophobicity. The blending of these two polymers may result in the improvement in their specific properties. This paper analyses the effects of gamma irradiation on the five different compositions (90-10; 70-30; 50-50; 30-70; 10-90) of SiR-EPDM blends. The blends were exposed to four different doses (25 Mrad, 100 Mrad, 200 Mrad and 250 Mrad) of gamma irradiation. The electrical and mechanical parameters like volume resistivity (VRY), surface resistivity (SRY), tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EB), hardness (H) of the virgin and gamma irradiated blends were determined as per ASTM/IEC standards. The nature of degradation was investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The simultaneous occurrence of cross-linking and chain scission is found to be the mechanism for ageing in SiR-EPDM blends. The electrical parameters such as volume resistivity and surface resistivity of all the blends are found to improve for all doses of gamma irradiation. To validate the influence of cross-linking reaction of the Si

Blended Learning: A Dangerous Idea?

Science.gov (United States)

Moskal, Patsy; Dziuban, Charles; Hartman, Joel

2013-01-01

The authors make the case that implementation of a successful blended learning program requires alignment of institutional, faculty, and student goals. Reliable and robust infrastructure must be in place to support students and faculty. Continuous evaluation can effectively track the impact of blended learning on students, faculty, and the…

Empowering Learners through Blended Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Owston, Ron

2018-01-01

Blended learning appears to facilitate learner empowerment more readily than either face-to-face or fully online courses. This contention is supported by a review of literature on the affordances of blended learning that support Thomas and Velthouse's (1990) four conditions of empowerment: choice, meaningfulness, competence, and impact. Blended…

The Basics of Blended Instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Catlin R.

2013-01-01

Even though many of teachers do not have technology-rich classrooms, the rapidly evolving education landscape increasingly requires them to incorporate technology to customize student learning. Blended learning, with its mix of technology and traditional face-to-face instruction, is a great approach. Blended learning combines classroom learning…

BLENDED LEARNING (BL AS PEDAGOGICAL ALTERNATIVE TO TEACH BUSINESS COMMUNICATION COURSE: Case Study of UUM Executive Diploma Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hisham DZAKIRIA

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Globally, blended learning (BL technologies have been increasingly applied in a variety of fields, both public and private sectors. In recent years, universities, public and private businesses and organizations are among those employing blended learning methods and technologies in training and re-training of professionals in the workforce. In Malaysia, the increasing use of blended learning to enhance learning and enriching of soft skills among professionals and individuals in the work place is evident. The advancement of technology is an onset to many new avenues and tool for learning and teaching, and it is the coalescing of these various technologies with particular pedagogy or andragogy has helped to popularize BL. However, when an institution makes the critical choice of delivery methods, it is pertinent that the university needs to consider various success factors. One in particular is student-centered approach that entails the need to understand the students as the beneficiary of learning, and the support system they need to help them learn. This qualitative study reports in detail the experience of a small group of students undertaking Executive Diplomas at Executive Development Centre (EDC, Universiti Utara Malaysia as they progress through their Executive program. This paper looks at learning experiences as described by the learners- it is their story, their experience, and their perspective. This study suggests that BL offered a comfortable middle ground, and has lots of potential in higher education in Malaysia. It is a pedagogical alternative that could play a significant role not only for teaching Business Communication, but has the potential to promote lifelong learning initiatives in Malaysia in a much meaningful and inviting way. Although this study shows that BL contributed a significant and meaningful learning particularly for adult learners, it needs more definitive studies. Such information can be used to guide policy makers

78 FR 62017 - Regulatory Capital Rules: Regulatory Capital, Implementation of Basel III, Capital Adequacy...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-11

... unlevel playing field between banking organizations and other financial services providers. For example, a... for banking organizations. The final rule consolidates three separate notices of proposed rulemaking... minimum capital requirement, a higher minimum tier 1 capital requirement, and, for banking organizations...

12 CFR 325.103 - Capital measures and capital category definitions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY CAPITAL MAINTENANCE Prompt Corrective Action § 325.103 Capital measures and... agreement, order, capital directive, or prompt corrective action directive issued by the FDIC pursuant to... CFR 28.15(b), or to comply with asset maintenance requirements pursuant to 12 CFR 28.20; or (B) The...

The Art of Blending: Benefits and Challenges of a Blended Course for Preservice Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Shand, Kristen; Farrelly, Susan Glassett

2018-01-01

In this study, we explore the design and delivery of a blended social studies teaching methods course according to principles and core attributes of blended course design. In a survey at the end of the course, pre-service teachers were asked to reflect on their experience in the course, and identify the benefits and challenges of the blended…

The Pro-Cyclical Impact of Basel III Regulatory Capital on Bank Capital Risk

OpenAIRE

Song, Guoxiang

2014-01-01

To raise the quality of regulatory capital, Basel III capital rules recognize unrealized gains and losses on all available-for-sale (AFS) securities in Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (CET1). However, by examining the correlations between U.S. GDP growth rate, interest rates and regulatory capital ratios computed using Basel III regulatory capital definition for six U.S. global systemically important banks (G-SIBs) since 2007, this chapter finds that Basel III regulatory capital will enhance the...

Tank 21 and Tank 24 Blend and Feed Study: Blending Times, Settling Times, and Transfers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S.; Leishear, R.; Poirier, M.

2012-01-01

The Salt Disposition Integration (SDI) portfolio of projects provides the infrastructure within existing Liquid Waste facilities to support the startup and long term operation of the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). Within SDI, the Blend and Feed Project will equip existing waste tanks in the Tank Farms to serve as Blend Tanks where salt solutions of up to 1.2 million gallons will be blended in 1.3 million gallon tanks and qualified for use as feedstock for SWPF. In particular, Tanks 21 and 24 are planned to be used for blending and transferring to the SDI feed tank. These tanks were evaluated here to determine blending times, to determine a range of settling times for disturbed sludge, and to determine that the SWPF Waste Acceptance Criteria that less than 1200 mg/liter of solids will be entrained in salt solutions during transfers from the Tank 21 and Tank 24 will be met. Overall conclusions for Tank 21 and Tank 24 operations include: (1) Experimental correction factors were applied to CFD (computational fluid dynamics) models to establish blending times between approximately two and five hours. As shown in Phase 2 research, blending times may be as much as ten times greater, or more, if lighter fluids are added to heavier fluids (i.e., water added to salt solution). As the densities of two salt solutions converge this effect may be minimized, but additional confirmatory research was not performed. (2) At the current sludge levels and the presently planned operating heights of the transfer pumps, solids entrainment will be less than 1200 mg/liter, assuming a conservative, slow settling sludge simulant. (3) Based on theoretical calculations, particles in the density range of 2.5 to 5.0 g/mL must be greater than 2-4 (micro)m in diameter to ensure they settle adequately in 30-60 days to meet the SWPF feed criterion ( 60 days) settling times in Tank 21.

Silk fibroin membranes from solvent-crystallized silk fibroin/gelatin blends: Effects of blend and solvent composition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gil, Eun S. [Fiber and Polymer Science Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Frankowski, David J. [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Hudson, Samuel M. [Fiber and Polymer Science Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Spontak, Richard J. [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States) and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States)]. E-mail: Rich_Spontak@ncsu.edu

2007-04-15

Protein membranes have been prepared by mixing gelatin (G) with Bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF) and using aqueous methanol (MeOH) to induce SF crystallization. Amorphous blends of these polymers appear quasi-homogeneous, as discerned from visual observation, electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Upon subsequent exposure to aqueous MeOH, SF undergoes a conformational change from random-coil to {beta}-sheet. This transformation occurs in pure SF, as well as in each of the G/SF blends, as discerned from FTIR spectroscopy and thermal calorimetry. The influence of MeOH-induced SF crystallization on structure and property development has been measured as functions of blend and solvent composition. By preserving a support scaffold above the G helix-to-coil transition temperature, the formation of crystalline SF networks in G/SF blends can be used to stabilize G-based hydrogels or generate SF membranes for biomaterial, pharmaceutical and gas-separation purposes. The present study not only examines the properties of G/SF blends before and after SF crystallization, but also establishes the foundation for future research into thermally-responsive G/SF bioconjugates.

NESDIS Blended Rain Rate (RR) Products

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The blended Rain Rate (RR) product is derived from multiple sensors/satellites. The blended products were merged from polar-orbiting and geostationary satellite...

A Group in Urban: The Social Capital of Ciliwung Depok Community (KCD)

Science.gov (United States)

Tampi, D. M.; Sumabrata, J.; Zubair, A.; Kinan, N. H.

2018-03-01

Climate change is a phenomenon that not only affects physical aspect of the environment, but also the social aspect. As a consequence, the urban communities are also its group which is highly vulnerable to climate change impact. Depok Ciliwung Community or Komunitas Ciliwung Depok (KCD) is located under Grand Depok City Bridge to keep an environment such as land conversion and garbage. This study aims to determine the social capital of KCD’s group related to the potential of social resilience in Ciliwung riverbank along Depok City. Data were gathered from in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation within 4 months. KCD invited the local people to keep and maintain an environment of Ciliwung riverbank. The result of this study lies on the strengths and weaknesses of KCD’s Group and involvement of human resources, with the support of public and private sectors facilities. Their commitments and actions on behalf of social interests protecting the rights of individuals in society. The conclusions of this research are KCD group have several aspects of social capital that consists of strengths and weaknesses. The presence of social capital and the potential of social resilience helped KCD and the surrounding of Ciliwung riverbank in facing of climate change/threat of natural disruption caused by the humans itself.

Novel bio-based and biodegradable polymer blends

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shengzhe

Most plastic materials, including high performance thermoplastics and thermosets are produced entirely from petroleum-based products. The volatility of the natural oil markets and the increasing cost of petroleum have led to a push to reduce the dependence on petroleum products. Together with an increase in environmental awareness, this has promoted the use of alternative, biorenewable, environmentally-friendly products, such as biomass. The growing interest in replacing petroleum-based products by inexpensive, renewable, natural materials is important for sustainable development into the future and will have a significant impact on the polymer industry and the environment. This thesis involved characterization and development of two series of novel bio-based polymer blends, namely polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)/polyamide (PA) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/soy protein. Blends with different concentrations and compatible microstructures were prepared using twin-screw extruder. For PHA/PA blends, the poor mechanical properties of PHA improved significantly with an excellent combination of strength, stiffness and toughness by adding PA. Furthermore, the effect of blending on the viscoelastic properties has been investigated using small-amplitude oscillatory shear flow experiments as a function of blend composition and angular frequency. The elastic shear modulus (G‧) and complex viscosity of the blends increased significantly with increasing the concentration of PHA. Blending PLA with soy protein aims at reducing production cost, as well as accelerating the biodegradation rate in soil medium. In this work, the mechanical, thermal and morphological properties of the blends were investigated using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and tensile tests.

The processing of blend words in naming and sentence reading.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Rebecca L; Slate, Sarah Rose; Teevan, Allison R; Juhasz, Barbara J

2018-04-01

Research exploring the processing of morphologically complex words, such as compound words, has found that they are decomposed into their constituent parts during processing. Although much is known about the processing of compound words, very little is known about the processing of lexicalised blend words, which are created from parts of two words, often with phoneme overlap (e.g., brunch). In the current study, blends were matched with non-blend words on a variety of lexical characteristics, and blend processing was examined using two tasks: a naming task and an eye-tracking task that recorded eye movements during reading. Results showed that blend words were processed more slowly than non-blend control words in both tasks. Blend words led to longer reaction times in naming and longer processing times on several eye movement measures compared to non-blend words. This was especially true for blends that were long, rated low in word familiarity, but were easily recognisable as blends.

Evaluation of non-linear blending in dual-energy computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holmes, David R.; Fletcher, Joel G.; Apel, Anja; Huprich, James E.; Siddiki, Hassan; Hough, David M.; Schmidt, Bernhard; Flohr, Thomas G.; Robb, Richard; McCollough, Cynthia; Wittmer, Michael; Eusemann, Christian

2008-01-01

Dual-energy CT scanning has significant potential for disease identification and classification. However, it dramatically increases the amount of data collected and therefore impacts the clinical workflow. One way to simplify image review is to fuse CT datasets of different tube energies into a unique blended dataset with desirable properties. A non-linear blending method based on a modified sigmoid function was compared to a standard 0.3 linear blending method. The methods were evaluated in both a liver phantom and patient study. The liver phantom contained six syringes of known CT contrast which were placed in a bovine liver. After scanning at multiple tube currents (45, 55, 65, 75, 85, 95, 105, and 115 mAs for the 140-kV tube), the datasets were blended using both methods. A contrast-to-noise (CNR) measure was calculated for each syringe. In addition, all eight scans were normalized using the effective dose and statistically compared. In the patient study, 45 dual-energy CT scans were retrospectively mixed using the 0.3 linear blending and modified sigmoid blending functions. The scans were compared visually by two radiologists. For the 15, 45, and 64 HU syringes, the non-linear blended images exhibited similar CNR to the linear blended images; however, for the 79, 116, and 145 HU syringes, the non-linear blended images consistently had a higher CNR across dose settings. The radiologists qualitatively preferred the non-linear blended images of the phantom. In the patient study, the radiologists preferred non-linear blending in 31 of 45 cases with a strong preference in bowel and liver cases. Non-linear blending of dual energy data can provide an improvement in CNR over linear blending and is accompanied by a visual preference for non-linear blended images. Further study on selection of blending parameters and lesion conspicuity in non-linear blended images is being pursued

From political capitalism to clientelist capitalism? The case of Croatia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denis Redžepagić

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The paper analyses the typology of capitalism in Croatia. The Croatian form of capitalism is specific, in form and origin, with links between the pre-independence and post-independence periods, implying that capitalism has gradually evolved – from the political during the eighties towards current clientelistic capitalism. The manufacturing focus aims to facilitate the analysis of institutional, political and economic changes over the past forty years, emphasising the implications of institutional changes which have to a great extent, apart from the war of course, influenced the evolution of capitalism. The paper finds that the transition generated a number of costs, mainly generated by the state (fall in employment, manufacturing and social capital. The claim that the manufacturing industry has inherited low competitiveness neglects the necessary discussion on the role of the state in the formation of industrial policy and market actions. It is also an ex post argument for the claim that restructuring should have been implemented prior to privatisation as this would reduce negative impacts. Institutional changes led to a drastic reduction of the role of the manufacturing sector in the economy. The main finding in this paper is that the change in the interaction between the financial and the real sectors of the economy, the educational system and industrial relations system exposed the vulnerability of the current institutional environment. Despite similarities, institutional advantages of political capitalism are lost in the new type of Croatian capitalism, due to the complexity of the double transition process and the institutional or socio-economic particularities.

Classifying K-12 Blended Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Staker, Heather; Horn, Michael B.

2012-01-01

The growth of online learning in the K-12 sector is occurring both remotely through virtual schools and on campuses through blended learning. In emerging fields, definitions are important because they create a shared language that enables people to talk about the new phenomena. The blended-learning taxonomy and definitions presented in this paper…

Radiation crosslinking of polymer blends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spenadel, L.

1979-01-01

Rocked by the one-two punch of rising energy costs and tougher pollution controls, a growing number of companies are looking to radiation crosslinking as a cheaper, cleaner alternative to heat and costly chemical crosslinking agents such as peroxides. With the development of larger, more powerful electron beam machines it is now possible to irradiate parts as thick as 400 mils in a single pass. Two application areas which have been investigated at our laboratory are the electron beam processing of thermoplastic elastomeric automotive parts and EPDM electrical insulation. This paper covers work carried out to develop the necessary technology base for the radiation crosslinking of ethylene propylene/polyolefin blends. Initial results indicate that EP/PE blends of electrical insulation quality cross-link quite readily when irradiated. On the other hand, EP/PP blends developed for automotive fascia require the addition of crosslinking monomers such as trimethylol propane trimethacrylate in order for crosslinking to predominate over chain scission. Crosslinking EP/PP blends improve mar resistance, flexural set and deformation at elevated temperatures. These are all key properties for automotive fascia. (author)

Heating plant privatization stagnates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janoska, J.; Benka, M.; Sobinkovic, B.; Haluza, I.

2005-01-01

The state has been talking about privatization of 6 municipal heating plants since 2001. The tenders were to start last year. But nothing has happened and the future is uncertain. The city councils would prefer to receive, if not 100%, then at least a majority stake in the heating plants free of charge. But the Cabinet has decided to sell 51% to investors. The privatization agency - the National Property Fund (FNM) is preparing a proposal to increase the stake offered for sale to 67%. According to information provided by the FNM the sale will begin after Cabinet approval. The Fund intends to apply the same model to the sale of all the heating plants. Last year, a major German company Verbundnetz Gas declared its interest in purchasing large municipal heating plants in Slovakia. But it has been waiting for a response ever since. The French company - Dalkia, which has 10-years' experience of doing business in Slovakia, is interested in all the heating plants to be offered for sale. The Austrian company - Stefe is not new to the business either, it is interested mainly in the regions where it has already established itself - Central and Eastern Slovakia. Strategic investors expect financial groups to show interest too. The Penta Group has not hid its ambitions - it has already privatised a company which represents the key to the future development of heat management in Bratislava - Paroplynovy cyklus. Whereas Penta is not new to the heat production business another financial group - Slavia Capital is still surveying the sector. Should it not succeed, it plans several projects that would allow it to take a stake in the sector

Radiation processing of thermoplastic starch by blending aromatic additives: Effect of blend composition and radiation parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Khandal, Dhriti; Mikus, Pierre-Yves; Dole, Patrice; Coqueret, Xavier

2013-03-01

This paper reports on the effects of electron beam (EB) irradiation on poly α-1,4-glucose oligomers (maltodextrins) in the presence of water and of various aromatic additives, as model blends for gaining a better understanding at a molecular level the modifications occurring in amorphous starch-lignin blends submitted to ionizing irradiation for improving the properties of this type of bio-based thermoplastic material. A series of aromatic compounds, namely p-methoxy benzyl alcohol, benzene dimethanol, cinnamyl alcohol and some related carboxylic acids namely cinnamic acid, coumaric acid, and ferulic acid, was thus studied for assessing the ability of each additive to counteract chain scission of the polysaccharide and induce interchain covalent linkages. Gel formation in EB-irradiated blends comprising of maltodextrin was shown to be dependent on three main factors: the type of aromatic additive, presence of glycerol, and irradiation dose. The chain scission versus grafting phenomenon as a function of blend composition and dose were studied using Size Exclusion Chromatography by determining the changes in molecular weight distribution (MWD) from Refractive Index (RI) chromatograms and the presence of aromatic grafts onto the maltodextrin chains from UV chromatograms. The occurrence of crosslinking was quantified by gel fraction measurements allowing for ranking the cross-linking efficiency of the additives. When applying the method to destructurized starch blends, gel formation was also shown to be strongly affected by the moisture content of the sample submitted to irradiation. The results demonstrate the possibility to tune the reactivity of tailored blend for minimizing chain degradation and control the degree of cross-linking.

Teaching Science in Engineering Freshman Class in Private University in Jordan

Science.gov (United States)

Hawarey, M. M.; Malkawi, M. I.

2012-04-01

A United Nations initiative for the Arab region that established and calculated National Intellectual Capital Index has shown that Jordan is the wealthiest Arab country in its National Human Capital Index (i.e. metrics: literacy rate, number of tertiary schools per capita, percentage of primary teachers with required qualifications, number of tertiary students per capita, cumulative tertiary graduates per capita, percentage of male grade 1 net intake, percentage of female grade 1 net intake) and National Market Capital Index (i.e. metrics: high-technology exports as a percentage of GDP, number of patents granted by USPTO per capita, number of meetings hosted per capita) despite its low ranking when it comes to National Financial Capital (i.e. metric: GDP per capita). The societal fabric in Jordan fully justifies this: the attention paid to education is extreme and sometimes is considered fanatic (e.g. marriage of a lot of couples needs to wait until both graduate from the university). Also, the low financial capital has forced a lot of people to become resourceful in order to provide decent living standard to their beloved ones. This reality is partially manifested in the sharp increase in the number of universities (i.e. 10 public and 20 private ones) relative to a population of around 6.5 million. Once in an engineering freshman classroom, it is totally up to the lecturers teaching science in private Jordanian universities to excel in their performance and find a way to inject the needed scientific concepts into the students' brains. For that, clips from movies that are relevant to the topics and truthful in their scientific essence have been tested (e.g. to explain the pressure on humans due to rapidly increasing "g" force, a clip from the movie "Armageddon" proved very helpful to Physics 101 students, and entertaining at the same time), plastic toys have also been tested to illustrate simple physical concepts to the same students (e.g. a set called The Junior

Characterization of polycaprolactone and starch blends for potential ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Thermally blending starch and polycaprolactone with the compatibilizer methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) distributed in the polyester phase had been previously confirmed to enhance the mechanical properties and interface between the two phases of the blends. In this study, blends of polycaprolactone with various ...

Public-Private Investment Partnerships: Efficiency Estimation Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandr Valeryevich Trynov

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The article focuses on assessing the effectiveness of investment projects implemented on the principles of public-private partnership (PPP. This article puts forward the hypothesis that the inclusion of multiplicative economic effects will increase the attractiveness of public-private partnership projects, which in turn will contribute to the more efficient use of budgetary resources. The author proposed a methodological approach and methods of evaluating the economic efficiency of PPP projects. The author’s technique is based upon the synthesis of approaches to evaluation of the project implemented in the private and public sector and in contrast to the existing methods allows taking into account the indirect (multiplicative effect arising during the implementation of project. In the article, to estimate the multiplier effect, the model of regional economy — social accounting matrix (SAM was developed. The matrix is based on the data of the Sverdlovsk region for 2013. In the article, the genesis of the balance models of economic systems is presented. The evolution of balance models in the Russian (Soviet and foreign sources from their emergence up to now are observed. It is shown that SAM is widely used in the world for a wide range of applications, primarily to assess the impact on the regional economy of various exogenous factors. In order to clarify the estimates of multiplicative effects, the disaggregation of the account of the “industry” of the matrix of social accounts was carried out in accordance with the All-Russian Classifier of Types of Economic Activities (OKVED. This step allows to consider the particular characteristics of the industry of the estimated investment project. The method was tested on the example of evaluating the effectiveness of the construction of a toll road in the Sverdlovsk region. It is proved that due to the multiplier effect, the more capital-intensive version of the project may be more beneficial in

Blending effects on coal burnout and NO emissions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

B. Arias; R. Backreedy; A. Arenillas; J.M. Jones; F. Rubiera; M. Pourkashanian; A. Williams; J.J. Pis [Instituto Nacional del Carbon, CSIC Oviedo (Spain)

2003-07-01

In this work, the combustion behaviour of individual coals of different rank and their blends was evaluated. The study was focused on burnout and NO emissions during blend combustion. Preliminary combustion tests of the coals and their blends were carried out in a thermogravimetric analyser (TGA). Some characteristic temperatures were obtained to evaluate the combustibility of the samples. These temperatures indicate an improvement in the combustibility of the less reactive coal when it is blended. An entrained flow reactor (EFR) was employed to study the behaviour of the samples at high heating rates and short residence times. Burnout and NO emissions were measured during EFR combustion tests. In some blends the results can be predicted from the weighted average of the values of the individual coals. However, other blends show an increase, from the averaged values, in burnout and especially in NO emissions. 14 refs., 10 figs., 3 tabs.

BLENDED LEARNING COURSE FOR FUTURE PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IMPLEMENTATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vira V. Kotkova

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Ukrainian and foreign scientists’ views on the essence of blended learning are analyzed in the article. The author's definition of a blended learning course is presented. The process of such course designing is described according to target, motivational, substantive, operational and diagnostic components. Both the structure of the blended learning course implementation as well as students’ educational-cognitive activity distribution between classroom learning and distance course are shown. The problems for students, teachers, and educational institutions of blended courses effective implementation are summarized. Students’ academic performance of three years study is analyzed. The results of students’ questioning to determine their perception of blended learning course are described according to the following categories: the effectiveness of blended course, evaluation objectivity, motivation to study, the use of plagiarism in studies, understanding of blended learning course.

Morphology development in immiscible polymer blends

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cardinaels, R.M.; Moldenaers, P.; Guo, Qipeng

This chapter discusses the morphology development of immiscible binary polymer blends. It first describes morphology development in droplet-matrix structures, the dynamics of fibrillar structures and cocontinuous structures. The chapter then considers binary immiscible polymer blends, such systems

Synthesis of geopolymer from biomass-coal ash blends

Science.gov (United States)

Samadhi, Tjokorde Walmiki; Wulandari, Winny; Prasetyo, Muhammad Iqbal; Fernando, Muhammad Rizki; Purbasari, Aprilina

2017-09-01

Geopolymer is an environmentally attractive Portland cement substitute, owing to its lower carbon footprint and its ability to consume various aluminosilicate waste materials as its precursors. This work describes the development of geopolymer formulation based on biomass-coal ash blends, which is predicted to be the prevalent type of waste when biomass-based thermal energy production becomes mainstream in Indonesia. The ash blends contain an ASTM Class F coal fly ash (FA), rice husk ash (RHA), and coconut shell ash (CSA). A mixture of Na2SiO3 and concentrated KOH is used as the activator solution. A preliminary experiment identified the appropriate activator/ash mass ratio to be 2.0, while the activator Na2SiO3/KOH ratio varies from 0.8 to 2.0 with increasing ash blend Si/Al ratio. Both non-blended FA and CSA are able to produce geopolymer mortars with 7-day compressive strength exceeding the Indonesian national SNI 15-2049-2004 standard minimum value of 2.0 MPa stipulated for Portland cement mortars. Ash blends have to be formulated with a maximum RHA content of approximately 50 %-mass to yield satisfactory 7-day strength. No optimum ash blend composition is identified within the simplex ternary ash blend compositional region. The strength decreases with Si/Al ratio of the ash blends due to increasing amount of unreacted silicate raw materials at the end of the geopolymer hardening period. Overall, it is confirmed that CSA and blended RHA are feasible raw materials for geopolymer production..

Public Spending On Human Capital In Major Industrialized Countries = Endüstrileşmenin En Yüksek Olduğu Ülkelerde Beşeri Sermayeye Yönelik Kamu Harcamalari

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meriç Subaşı ERTEKİN

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Human capital is important for firms and nations in the knowledge based economy that needs skills. Thus, investment in education is a public policy to support human capital formation and offset the magnitude of capital looses. Policies and reforms designed to foster early learning which are determined as a high quality of education, early intervention and job training programs and promote skill formation. The public sector plays an important role in the funding of all education in major industrialized countries. Public spending on primary, secondary, post-secondary and tertiary educational institutions is higher than private spending.

Enzymatic degradation of polycaprolactone–gelatin blend

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, Aditi; Chatterjee, Kaushik; Madras, Giridhar

2015-01-01

Blends of polycaprolactone (PCL), a synthetic polymer and gelatin, natural polymer offer a optimal combination of strength, water wettability and cytocompatibility for use as a resorbable biomaterial. The enzymatic degradation of PCL, gelatin and PCL–gelatin blended films was studied in the presence of lipase (Novozym 435, immobilized) and lysozyme. Novozym 435 degraded the PCL films whereas lysozyme degraded the gelatin. Though Novozym 435 and lysozyme individually could degrade PCL–gelatin blended films, the combination of these enzymes showed the highest degradation of these blended films. Moreover, the enzymatic degradation was much faster when fresh enzymes were added at regular intervals. The changes in physico-chemical properties of polymer films due to degradation were studied by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. These results have important implications for designing resorbable biomedical implants. (paper)

EVA reactive blending with Si–H terminated polysiloxane by carbonyl hydrosilylation reaction: From compatibilised blends to crosslinking networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonnet, J.; Bounor-Legaré, V.; Alcouffe, P.; Cassagnau, P.

2012-01-01

A new and original method based on carbonyl hydrosilylation was developed to prepare ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)/polysiloxane polymer blends. This focused on the addition of hydrogenosilane groups (SiH) from polysiloxane to the carbonyl groups of EVA. The influence of the nature of the polysiloxane on blend properties was investigated by rheology and scanning electron microscopy. Mixing of a low viscosity polysiloxane with a high viscosity EVA matrix produced a two-phase morphology. The occurrence of the hydrosilylation reaction at the EVA/polysiloxane interface promoted a homogenisation of the blend depending on the molar ratio SiH/vinyl acetate groups, [SiH]/[VA], and the viscosity ratio of the blend. Two distinct behaviours were observed. The formation of a crosslinked network under shear was obtained for a low viscosity ratio between polysiloxane and EVA (λ polysiloxane/EVA = 4.0 × 10 −6 ) with a high concentration of SiH groups ([SiH]/[VA] = 0.5), while the formation of a compatibilised blend was observed for high molar mass polysiloxanes (Mn > 15,000 g mol −1 ) with a low concentration of SiH ([SiH]/[VA] −3 ). -- Highlights: ► Carbonyl hydrosilylation reaction was found to enhance EVA/polysiloxane immiscible blends. ► EVA crosslinking was obtained with a low molar mass polysiloxane. ► EVA compatibilisation was obtained with a high molar mass polysiloxane. ► Shear rate was found to improve the hydrosilylation reaction at the interface. ► A two-phase morphology of the blends was observed after reaction with fine polysiloxane nodules.

BioBlend.objects: metacomputing with Galaxy.

Science.gov (United States)

Leo, Simone; Pireddu, Luca; Cuccuru, Gianmauro; Lianas, Luca; Soranzo, Nicola; Afgan, Enis; Zanetti, Gianluigi

2014-10-01

BioBlend.objects is a new component of the BioBlend package, adding an object-oriented interface for the Galaxy REST-based application programming interface. It improves support for metacomputing on Galaxy entities by providing higher-level functionality and allowing users to more easily create programs to explore, query and create Galaxy datasets and workflows. BioBlend.objects is available online at https://github.com/afgane/bioblend. The new object-oriented API is implemented by the galaxy/objects subpackage. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

Investment in capital markets

OpenAIRE

Ledenyov, Dimitri O.; Ledenyov, Viktor O.

2017-01-01

Investment in Capital Markets creates a strategic vision on the financial capital investment in the capital markets with the aim to get an increased return premium in the short and long time periods. The book is written with a main goal to explain the pros and cons of the financial capital investment in the capital markets, discussing the sophisticated investment concepts and techniques in the simple understandable readable general format language. We would like to highlight the three interes...

Minority Capital Resource Handbook. A Guide to Raising Capital for Minority Entrepreneurs. Second Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ewing, Samuel D., Jr.; Maloney, Clifton H. W.

This minority capital resource handbook consists of a guide to raising capital for minority entrepreneurs and a listing of sources that provide such capital. The first section deals with the process of raising capital. The realities of raising capital, intermediaries and financial advisors, and assessing needs are outlined. Factors considered in…

Game innovation through conceptual blending

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Möring, Sebastian Martin

In  this  paper  I  wish  to  apply implications of  the  Conceptual  Blending  Theory  to  computer  games.  I  will  analyze  chosen  examples  and  discuss  them  as  a  result  of  video  game  innovation  made  possible  through  "conceptual  blending."  Conceptual  blending  links  at  least.......,  Hell.  The  purpose  of  my  approach  is  not  so  much  to  validate  the  ideas  of  conceptual  blending  theory  through  another  field  of  examples  (computer  games)  but  to  name  and analyze characteristics of the mentioned games with the  help of a given method.......  integration  network  consisting  of  at  least  two  input  spaces,  a  generic  space  and  a  blended  space  as  well  as  its  governing  principles  consisting  of  composition,  completion,  and  elaboration.  With  the  help  of  these  instruments  I  analyze computer  games like  Tuper  Tario  Tros...

How private are Europe's private forests?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nichiforel, Liviu; Keary, Kevin; Deuffic, Philippe

2018-01-01

Private forests are widespread in Europe providing a range of ecosystem services of significant value to society, and there are calls for novel policies to enhance their provision and to face the challenges of environmental changes. Such policies need to acknowledge the importance of private...... across jurisdictions, we constructed an original Property Rights Index for Forestry encompassing five rights domains (access, withdrawal, management, exclusion and alienation). We documented substantial variation of the private forest owners' rights, and notably to i) make decisions in operational...... management and the formulation of management goals, ii) withdraw timber resources from their forest, and iii) exclude others from the use of forest resources. We identified broad relations between the scope for decision making of private forest owners and jurisdictions' former socio-political background...

Social Capital Database

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paldam, Martin; Svendsen, Gert Tinggaard

2005-01-01

  This report has two purposes: The first purpose is to present our 4-page question­naire, which measures social capital. It is close to the main definitions of social capital and contains the most successful measures from the literature. Also it is easy to apply as discussed. The second purpose...... is to present the social capital database we have collected for 21 countries using the question­naire. We do this by comparing the level of social capital in the countries covered. That is, the report compares the marginals from the 21 surveys....

A study of coal-solid waste blend reactivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nayibe Guerrero

2008-05-01

Full Text Available The Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method was used for analysing coal-solid waste blend reactivity in an oxidising atmosphere. The presence of biomass strongly affected coal combustion kinetics when the blend contained more than 30% of it. Activation energy values (evaluated by different blends were 28.7495 kJ/mol for 0% biomass, 31.3915 kJ/mol for 30% biomass, 39.0365 kJ/mol for 50% biomass, 102.431 kJ/mol for 70% biomass and 107.8075 kJ/mol for 100% biomass; these values were close to those reported in the literature. First-order kinetics correlated the data ve-ry well for the 100% coal sample and the blend having 30% biomass and 70% coal. Eighth-order kinetics were more suitable for correlating the experimental data for the 70% biomass-30% coal blend and the 100% biomass sample. Combustion was done without previous pyrolysis of the blends; however segregation of phenomena could be appre-ciated. This seems to indicate that combustion and devolatilisation are independent processes which should be taken into account when building equipment using these kinds of blend.

Production of silk sericin/silk fibroin blend nanofibers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Xianhua

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Silk sericin (SS/silk fibroin (SF blend nanofibers have been produced by electrospinning in a binary SS/SF trifluoroacetic acid (TFA solution system, which was prepared by mixing 20 wt.% SS TFA solution and 10 wt.% SF TFA solution to give different compositions. The diameters of the SS/SF nanofibers ranged from 33 to 837 nm, and they showed a round cross section. The surface of the SS/SF nanofibers was smooth, and the fibers possessed a bead-free structure. The average diameters of the SS/SF (75/25, 50/50, and 25/75 blend nanofibers were much thicker than that of SS and SF nanofibers. The SS/SF (100/0, 75/25, and 50/50 blend nanofibers were easily dissolved in water, while the SS/SF (25/75 and 0/100 blend nanofibers could not be completely dissolved in water. The SS/SF blend nanofibers could not be completely dissolved in methanol. The SS/SF blend nanofibers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and differential thermal analysis. FTIR showed that the SS/SF blend nanofibers possessed a random coil conformation and ß-sheet structure.

Corporate Reputation,Auditor Reputation and the Cost of Equity Capital--An Empirical Analysis of Chinese Listed Private Companies%公司声誉、审计师声誉与权益资本成本基于中国民营上市公司的经验证据

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

张嘉兴; 余冬根; 刘艳春

2016-01-01

By taking A-share listed private companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Ex-changes from 2009 to 2013 as research objects,this paper examines empirically the relation among the auditor reputation,the corporate reputation and the cost of equity capital.The results show that the auditor reputation and the corporate reputation respectively has significant negative cor-relation with the cost of company's equity capital by controlling other conditions.Besides,further study finds that as the corporate reputation is established gradually,the influence of the auditor reputation on the company's equity capital cost will be gradually weakened,in another word,the corporate reputation has a substitution effect on the auditor reputation.The findings expand the research of the auditor reputation and corporate reputation mechanism,and provide a valuable reference for the future corporate governance of private companies.%以2009~2013年中国沪深两市 A 股民营上市公司为样本，实证检验审计师声誉、公司声誉与权益资本成本的关系。研究发现：限制其他条件，审计师声誉、公司声誉分别与公司权益资本成本呈显著负相关。进一步研究发现，随着公司自身声誉的逐步建立，审计师声誉对于公司权益资本成本的影响将会逐渐减弱，公司声誉对于审计师声誉具有替代作用。

Blended Learning as Transformational Institutional Learning

Science.gov (United States)

VanDerLinden, Kim

2014-01-01

This chapter reviews institutional approaches to blended learning and the ways in which institutions support faculty in the intentional redesign of courses to produce optimal learning. The chapter positions blended learning as a strategic opportunity to engage in organizational learning.

[Autonomy for financial management in public and private healthcare facilities in Brazil].

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Maria Angelica Borges dos; Madeira, Fátima Carvalho; Passos, Sonia Regina Lambert; Bakr, Felipe; Oliveira, Klivia Brayner de; Andreazzi, Marco Antonio Ratzsch de

2014-01-01

Autonomy in financial management is an advantage in public administration. A 2009 National Healthcare Facility Survey showed that 3.9% of Brazil's 52,055 public healthcare facilities had some degree of financial autonomy. Such autonomy was more common in inpatient facilities (17.8%), those managed by State governments (26.3%), and in Southern Brazil (6.6%). Autonomy was mainly partial (for resources in specific areas, relating to small outlays, consumables and capital goods, and outsourced services or personnel). 74.3% of 2,264 public facilities with any financial autonomy were under direct government administration. Financial autonomy in public healthcare facilities appears to be linked to local political decisions and not necessarily to the facility's specific legal and administrative status. However, legal status displays distinct scopes of autonomy - those under direct government administration tend to be less autonomous, and those under private businesses more autonomous; 85.8% of the 45,394 private healthcare facilities reported that they were financially autonomous.

Multi-level, cross-sectional study of workplace social capital and smoking among Japanese employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Etsuji; Fujiwara, Takeo; Takao, Soshi; Subramanian, S V; Yamamoto, Eiji; Kawachi, Ichiro

2010-08-17

Social capital is hypothesized to be relevant to health promotion, and the association between community social capital and cigarette smoking has been examined. Individual-level social capital has been found to be associated with smoking cessation, but evidence remains sparse on the contextual effect of social capital and smoking. Further, evidence remains sparse on the association between smoking and social capital in the workplace, where people are spending an increasing portion of their daily lives. We examined the association between workplace social capital and smoking status among Japanese private sector employees. We employed a two-stage stratified random sampling procedure. Of the total of 1,800 subjects in 60 companies, 1,171 (men/women; 834/337) employees (65.1%) were identified from 46 companies in Okayama in 2007. Workplace social capital was assessed in two dimensions; trust and reciprocity. Company-level social capital was based on inquiring about employee perceptions of trust and reciprocity among co-workers, and then aggregating their responses in order to calculate the proportion of workers reporting mistrust and lack of reciprocity. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was conducted using Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods to explore whether individual- and company-level social capital was associated with smoking. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% credible intervals (CIs) for current smoking were obtained. Overall, 33.3% of the subjects smoked currently. There was no relationship between individual-level mistrust of others and smoking status. By contrast, one-standard deviation change in company-level mistrust was associated with higher odds of smoking (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.06-1.46) even after controlling for individual-level mistrust, sex, age, occupation, educational attainment, alcohol use, physical activity, body mass index, and chronic diseases. No clear associations were found between lack of reciprocity and smoking both at the individual- and

Blended Learning within an Undergraduate Exercise Physiology Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Elmer, Steven J.; Carter, Kathryn R.; Armga, Austin J.; Carter, Jason R.

2016-01-01

In physiological education, blended course formats (integration of face-to-face and online instruction) can facilitate increased student learning, performance, and satisfaction in classroom settings. There is limited evidence on the effectiveness of using blending course formats in laboratory settings. We evaluated the impact of blended learning…

The Performance of Intellectual Capital

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Murthy, Vijaya; Mouritsen, Jan

2011-01-01

Purpose – This paper aims to analyse the relationship between intellectual capital and financial capital using a case study. This makes it possible to discuss how intellectual capital is related to value creation with a degree of nuance that is absent from most statistical studies of relationships...... between human, organisational, relational and financial capital. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a case study of a firm that invests in intellectual capital in order to develop financial capital. It traces the relationship between intellectual capital elements and financial capital via...... interviews. This allows the development of a nuanced account of the performance of intellectual capital. This account questions the universality of the linear model typically found in statistical studies. The model makes it possible to show how items of intellectual capital not only interact but also compete...

Private Schools

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Homeland Security — This Private Schools feature dataset is composed of all Private elementary and secondary education features in the United States as defined by the Private School...

Potential Application of ENR/EPDM Blends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B.L. Chan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Since the process and conversion of natural rubber into epoxidized natural rubber (ENR was discovered and patented by I. R. Gelling of the Malaysian Rubber Product Research Association  (or now known as the Tun Razak laboratory, Brickendonbury, Hertford, in the United Kingdom, there are more than 10 000 technical and technological papers cited in the internet. Information on ENR is available, not only in the the English language but also other languages like Chinese, Malay, French, Thai and even German languages are used. NR is the most versatile and reactive rubber/elastomer. It is an advanced natural rubber which could be potentially used as a starting material for the development of other rubbers, modifie elastomers, for grafting, plastic-based materials and also thermoplastic rubbers. Its reactivity is dependent on its epoxy groups, the opening of its ring structure, and also the subsequent structures of carboxylic groups and the in-situ side-chains “carbon – carbon” double bonds (> C = C <. In some instances, up to 65% epoxidation of NR is possible and achieved for more oil resistance. For these reasons, there are many new and advanced materials which have been formed and developed in the last two decades. Among them, some of the recent research work is listed here. Apart from studies of compounding the ENR itself and its potential uses, there are many rubber-rubber blends and ENR rubber-plastics blends, some of the studies cited are “uses of new and advanced chemicals”  and synthetic rubbers:  ENR/NBR, ENR/PVC, ENR/polylactic acid blends, ENR/copolyester blends, ENR/Copolyamide Blends, ENR/poly (vinylidene fluorideblends, ENR/Carbon Nanotubes with co-agent Trimethylol Propane Triacrylate, ENR /recycled silicon materials, and ENR/copolymer of n-butyl acrylate/butyl methacrylate “grafted”. Each of these blends has its own characteristics in terms of processing, enhancement of processing like safety, scorch, oil and water

Teaching of anatomical sciences: A blended learning approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalil, Mohammed K; Abdel Meguid, Eiman M; Elkhider, Ihsan A

2018-04-01

Blended learning is the integration of different learning approaches, new technologies, and activities that combine traditional face-to-face teaching methods with authentic online methodologies. Although advances in educational technology have helped to expand the selection of different pedagogies, the teaching of anatomical sciences has been challenged by implementation difficulties and other limitations. These challenges are reported to include lack of time, costs, and lack of qualified teachers. Easy access to online information and advances in technology make it possible to resolve these limitations by adopting blended learning approaches. Blended learning strategies have been shown to improve students' academic performance, motivation, attitude, and satisfaction, and to provide convenient and flexible learning. Implementation of blended learning strategies has also proved cost effective. This article provides a theoretical foundation for blended learning and proposes a validated framework for the design of blended learning activities in the teaching and learning of anatomical sciences. Clin. Anat. 31:323-329, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Generating capital: improving investor confidence in Ontario's electricity industry to induce new generation investment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Beers, R.

2004-01-01

This paper is a critical discussion on improving investor confidence in Ontario's electricity industry to induce new generation investment. The reason that investor confidence is critical in the electric power industry is due to the fact that the industry is capital intensive, the asset life is long, it is impossible to model political/regulatory risk and political action is virtually inevitable. The paper concludes that ultimately private sector investors will bear little risk, the tax payer will be on the hook for almost all risk

Natural Capital Management: An Evolutionary Paradigm for Sustainable Restoration Investment - 13455

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koetz, Maureen T.

2013-01-01

Unlike other forms of capital assets (built infrastructure, labor, financial capital), the supply of usable or accessible air, land, and water elements (termed Natural Capital Assets or NCA) available to enterprise processes is structurally shrinking due to increased demand and regulatory restriction. This supply/demand imbalance is affecting all forms of public and private enterprise (including Federal Facilities) in the form of encroachment, production limits, cost increases, and reduced competitiveness. Department of Energy (DOE) sites are comprised of significant stocks of NCA that function as both conserved capital (providing ecosystem services and other reserve capacity), and as natural infrastructure (supporting major Federal enterprise programs). The current rubric of 'Environmental Stewardship' provides an unduly constrained management paradigm that is focused largely on compliance process metrics, and lacks a value platform for quantifying, documenting, and sustainably re-deploying re-capitalized natural asset capacity and capability. By adopting value-based system concepts similar to built infrastructure accounting and information management, 'stewarded' natural assets relegated to liability- or compliance-focused outcomes become 're-capitalized' operational assets able to support new or expanded mission. This growing need for new accounting and management paradigms to capture natural capital value is achieving global recognition, most recently by the United Nations, world leaders, and international corporations at the Rio+20 Summit in June of 2012. Natural Capital Asset Management (NCAM) TM is such an accounting framework tool. Using a quantification-based design, NCAM TM provides inventory, capacity and value data to owners or managers of natural assets such as the DOE that parallel comparable information systems currently used for facility assets. Applied to Environmental Management (EM) and other DOE program activities, the natural asset capacity and

Natural Capital Management: An Evolutionary Paradigm for Sustainable Restoration Investment - 13455

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koetz, Maureen T. [Koetz and Duncan LLC, Suite 30J, 355 South End Avenue, New York, NY 10280 (United States)

2013-07-01

Unlike other forms of capital assets (built infrastructure, labor, financial capital), the supply of usable or accessible air, land, and water elements (termed Natural Capital Assets or NCA) available to enterprise processes is structurally shrinking due to increased demand and regulatory restriction. This supply/demand imbalance is affecting all forms of public and private enterprise (including Federal Facilities) in the form of encroachment, production limits, cost increases, and reduced competitiveness. Department of Energy (DOE) sites are comprised of significant stocks of NCA that function as both conserved capital (providing ecosystem services and other reserve capacity), and as natural infrastructure (supporting major Federal enterprise programs). The current rubric of 'Environmental Stewardship' provides an unduly constrained management paradigm that is focused largely on compliance process metrics, and lacks a value platform for quantifying, documenting, and sustainably re-deploying re-capitalized natural asset capacity and capability. By adopting value-based system concepts similar to built infrastructure accounting and information management, 'stewarded' natural assets relegated to liability- or compliance-focused outcomes become 're-capitalized' operational assets able to support new or expanded mission. This growing need for new accounting and management paradigms to capture natural capital value is achieving global recognition, most recently by the United Nations, world leaders, and international corporations at the Rio+20 Summit in June of 2012. Natural Capital Asset Management (NCAM){sup TM} is such an accounting framework tool. Using a quantification-based design, NCAM{sup TM} provides inventory, capacity and value data to owners or managers of natural assets such as the DOE that parallel comparable information systems currently used for facility assets. Applied to Environmental Management (EM) and other DOE program

Polymer blends of polylactic acid (PLA) and polybutylene succinate-adipate

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Wenguang

A series of blends consisting of polylactic acid (PLA) and aliphatic succinate polyester (BionolleRTM #3000) had been prepared and investigated. The results of mechanical property investigations showed that using 20 wt% Bionolle#3000 can significantly increase the toughness of PLA. BionolleRTM #3000 also reduces the physical aging rate of PLA so blends remain tough longer. Conversely, the stiffness of BionolleRTM #3000 can be significantly increased by blending in PLA. DMA and DSC results show that PLA/BionolleRTM 3000 blends are not thermodynamically miscible, but are compatible blends. Studies have also been performed to determine the amount and rate of aerobic biodegradation of PLA/aliphatic succinate polyester blends in biologically active composting, enzymatic, and soil environments. The changes in molecular weight, molecular structure and thermal properties in the composting environment were also studied by GPC, NMR and DSC analyses. The research results showed BionolleRTM #3000 had a high degradation rate, while PLA had a low degradation rate. PLA/BionolleRTM #3000 blends had moderate degradation rates that increased with BionolleRTM #3000 content. The melt flow behavior of PLA/BionolleRTM #3000 blends has been studied by capillary rheometry. The relationship of the blends' viscosity with their composition, shear stress, shear rate, and temperature has been investigated. Power law index and activation energy of PLA, BionolleRTM #3000 and their blends have been calculated. The experimental and theoretical data can let us understand the processability of PLA/BionolleRTM #3000 blends. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to investigate the morphological structure of the PLA/BionolleRTM #3000 blends. Micrographs of the samples made from different methods (blown film, extrudate and compression molding sheet) were taken; their differences in morphology were compared. For comparison, the micrographs of blend PLA/BionolleRTM #6000 was also studied. The

Finding a balance in dimensions of blended learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verkroost, M.; Meijerink, L.; Lintsen, H.W.; Veen, W.

2008-01-01

This article is a formative evaluation of a course in which a blended learning environment was created and a good balance in dimensions of blended learning was sought. Blended learning is defined as the total mix of pedagogical methods, using a combination of different learning strategies, both with

Cultural Capital: A Concept Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohashi, Yuki; Taguchi, Atsuko; Omori, Junko; Ozaki, Akiko

2017-07-01

Harnessing community assets may help public health nurses address health inequalities. Cultural factor is one such asset, which is assumed to be capital in a community. Cultural capital is a key concept for understanding the causes of public health issues. This paper provided an in-depth analysis of "cultural capital" as a concept. Rodgers' evolutionary methodology was used for concept analysis. Forty-two studies published in English between 1998 and 2015 were retrieved from MEDLINE by searching for "cultural capital" in the title field. Antecedents of cultural capital included "educational environment," "belongingness in one's social group," "existing health/social inequalities," and "daily behavior." Cultural capital's identified attributes were "social cultivation," "reproductive rubric," "practical knowledge," and "autogenic ability." Cultural capital's consequences were "improving productivity," "reducing health/social inequality," and "enhancing well-being." Cultural capital is defined as capital characterized by cultivation, rubric, knowledge, and ability. These aspects of cultural capital are typically autogenic, and accumulate and reproduce through lifelong community membership. Cultural capital reduces inequality and ultimately enhances the well-being of individuals and the community through bonding, bridging, and linking economic and social capital. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

NOx emissions and combustibility characteristics of coal blends

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rubiera, F.; Arenillas, A.; Arias, B.; Pis, J.J. [CSIC, Instituto Nacional del Carbon, Oviedo (Spain). Dept. of Energy and Environment

2001-07-01

In this work, a series of coals with different origin and rank were blended and several aspects of the resultant blends were studied. This included determination of the grindability of individual coals and blends by means of the Hardgrove Grindability Index (HGI), and temperature programmed combustion test, which were carried out in a thermogravimetric analyser (TG) coupled to a quadruple mass spectrometer (MS) for evolved gas analysis. Special attention was paid to the combustibility parameters and the NO emissions during blends combustion. It was found that while some coal blends present interaction between the individual coals, others do not. This behaviour was assumed to be due to the differences in coal structure and functional groups composition. 18 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs.

Quarterly Aggregate Capital Input and the Cost of Capital for the

OpenAIRE

Subhash C. Sharma; Yijian He

1995-01-01

It is the flow of capital services, instead of the capital stock, along with the flows of other inputs which is related to the flows of outputs in economic theory of cost and production. In applied research, quite often to capture the dynamic phenomena which occurs within a year, there is a need to use quarterly data which may not be captured by annual data. However, quarterly data on capital input and the cost of capital are not readily available. Thus, in this paper the quarterly real and n...

On The compatibility and dynamic vulcanization of Pom/Nbr blends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mortezaee, M.; Naveed Family, M.H.; Mehrabzadeh, M.

2001-01-01

Polymer blends based on polyacetal butadiene rubber were prepared by melt blending technique. The mixing parameters such ad temperature, time and speed of mixing were varied to obtain a wide range of properties. The mixing parameters were optimized by evaluating the mechanical properties of the blend over a wide range of mixing conditions. The morphology of the blend indicated a two-phase structure. This study describes an attempt to improve the tensile strength of Pom/Nbr blends by means of compatibility and dynamic vulcanization. A commercial compatibility, maleic anhydride (Ma), has been used to control the phase morphology of the blend system. Dicumyl peroxide is used to dynamically vulcanize the Nbr elastomer in the blend. The tensile strength of the compatibility systems showed improvement. Dynamic vulcanization raises elastic recovery and tensile modulus of the blends, but the elongation at break decreases

Capitalization of renewable energy sources: Romanian case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voronca, Mihai-Marius; Cruceru, Mihai

2007-01-01

One of the major challenges of the recent integration of Romania in the European Union is the extension of use, at national scale, of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). Targeting private operators and municipalities, authors have as objective to deliver an investigation on the interesting 'Acquis' in financing and implementing RES projects in Romania. Using as method of investigation the accurate screening of their experience as well as the extended international experience in the field, authors have reviewed in the present paper different possibilities in RES investment financing, frequent obstacles and barriers, and ways for overcoming them. Recent results are motivating authors to consider the national experience of an encouraging success and to act towards the capitalization of such investments replication potential to a national and regional scale. (authors)

Does the private sector help or hurt the environment? Evidence from carbon dioxide pollution in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Talukdar, D.; Meisner, C.M.

2001-01-01

How does the nature of enterprise ownership affect the environment in an economy? Conventional wisdom and theoretical conjectures are split on this important question. In this paper we estimate a reduced-form, random-effects model using data from 44 developing countries over nine years (1987-95) to study for any systematic empirical relationship between the relative level of private sector involvement in an economy and the environmental performance of the economy in terms of its emission of industrial carbon dioxide. We control for both observed and unobserved crosscountry heterogeneity along various institutional and structural dimensions such as the scope of financial market, industrial sector composition and level of foreign direct investment. The regression results indicate that the higher the degree of private sector involvement in a developing economy, the lower is its environmental degradation. In addition, its environmental degradation is likely to be further reduced in presence of a well-functioning domestic capital market and through increased participation by developed economies in its private sector development. (author)

A different capitalism? : Guanxi-capitalism and the importance of family in modern China

OpenAIRE

Rühle, Susanne

2011-01-01

The emergence of Capitalism is said to always lead to extreme changes in the structure of a society. This view implies that Capitalism is a universal and unique concept that needs an explicit institutional framework and should not discriminate between a German or US Capitalism. In contrast, this work argues that the ‘ideal type’ of Capitalism in a Weberian sense does not exist. It will be demonstrated that Capitalism is not a concept that shapes a uniform institutional framework within every ...

Piketty’s Capital

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Øjvind

2016-01-01

Piketty’s Capital in Twenty-First Century has posed a totally new platform for the discussion of the economy and capitalism. Piketty has reinvented the classical political economy founded by Adam Smith in his 1776 Wealth of Nations. Piketty has shown via massive historical research how growth...... and inequality have developed since 1793. Piketty’s conclusion is that the French Revolution did not change the existing inequality either in the medium or in the long term. Piketty’s prediction is that a new form of global capitalism will arise, patrimonial capitalism, in which inequality will develop further...

Evaluation of the ignition behaviour of coals and blends

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

J. Faundez; F. Rubiera; X. Garcia; A. Arenillas; A.L. Gordon; J.J. Pis [CSIC, Instituto Nacional del Carbon, Oviedo (Spain). Department of Energy and Environment

2003-07-01

An experimental study about ignition of coals and blends was carried out by using an entrained flow reactor (EFR) with continuous feed. Seven coals of varying rank, from subbituminous to semianthracite, were tested and evolving gases (O{sub 2}, CO, CO{sub 2}, NO) were measured. The ignition temperature was evaluated from the evolution profiles of these gases, and correlated inversely to the reactivity of coals, as reflected by increasing values of ignition temperatures in the sequence subbituminous, high volatile bituminous, low volatile bituminous and semianthracite coals. Mechanism of ignition varied from an heterogeneous mechanism (for subbituminous, low volatile bituminous and semianthracite coals) to an homogeneous mechanism (for high volatile bituminous coal). Experiments with coal blends showed that if a low volatile bituminous coal is blended with a high volatile bituminous coal, the latter determines the value of the ignition temperature and ignition mechanism of the blend, when its percentage in the blend is 50% or higher. For blends of subbituminous and high volatile bituminous coals, the ignition mechanism of the blend is determined by the ignition mechanism of the coal with a higher content in the blend. 12 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.

Measuring Social Capital

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svendsen, Gert Tinggaard; Bjørnskov, Christian

2007-01-01

How to construct a robust measure of social capital? This paper contains two contributions. The first is an attempt to establish a broad social capital measure based on four indicators, the Freedom House Index, an index of perceived corruption from Transparency International, and scores on civic...... participation and generalized trust. This measure is then applied by comparing the level of social capital in 25 countries from Western and Eastern Europe. Our nine cluster analysis shows that Switzerland has the highest score, followed by the Netherlands and Scandinavia. At the other end of the continuum we...... find post-communist countries and Southern Italy. The findings for this specific sample suggest that institutions matter for social capital and the relationship between decentralization and social capital emerges as a promising line of inquiry. Thus, the highest scoring countries in the sample may...

Cultural Capital Today

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prieur, Annick; Skjøtt-Larsen, Jakob; Rosenlund, Lennart

2008-01-01

Based on Danish survey data subjected to correspondence analysis, this article aims at carrying out a critical assessment of Pierre Bourdieu's theory of social differentiation in advanced societies as a multi-dimensional phenomenon. As his theory goes, capital volume (economic + cultural capital......) and capital composition (the relative weight of the two) are the main dimensions of social differentiation, which structure the space of social positions as well as the space of lifestyles. The central discussion of the article concerns the character of cultural capital, and the role it plays in the formation......, as those adhering to the preferences that are most typical for the cultural elite tend to simultaneously avoid or mark distance to popular expressions of taste. Fourth, are there traces of new forms of cultural capital? The study uncovers a cleavage between a global orientation or a form of cosmopolitanism...

Arrangement of financing for highway infrastructure projects under the conditions of Public–Private Partnership

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vialeta Khmel

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This study focused on the mechanism of attracting funds to finance projects in the field of highway infrastructure construction through Public–Private Partnership (PPP. The basis and principles for development of the financial strategy of a project company were defined in this paper. The proposed financial strategy was developed on the basis of diversification of sources of funds and financing instruments with regard to the stages of the project life cycle. The parameters for development of the financial strategy were defined to improve the mechanisms of attraction of the capital for the project and increase the capacity of the project company to pay debts. The proposed financial strategy can be taken as a basis for development of the financial strategy for any project implemented through PPP. The capital market is not stable; therefore, in addition, an algorithm was proposed for more precise selection of sources of financial resources.

Change in psychological distress following change in workplace social capital: results from the panel surveys of the J-HOPE study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuboya, Toru; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Kawachi, Ichiro

2015-03-01

Research on the longitudinal association of workplace social capital and mental health is limited. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prospective association of social capital in the workplace with mental distress, measured by K6, adjusting for individuals factors as well as workplace-related factors among employees in Japan. The participants included 6387 men and 1825 women from 12 private companies in Japan. Questionnaires, inquiring about workplace social capital, K6, job strain and effort-reward imbalance were administered at the baseline survey between October 2010 and December 2011 (response rate=77.4%). At 1-year follow-up, social capital and K6 were assessed again (follow-up rate=79.5%), and a generalised linear model was used to estimate the association between changes in workplace social capital and change in K6. After adjusting for baseline demographic characteristics and workplace-related factors (Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERIQ)), increased workplace social capital between waves was associated with improved psychological distress (β=-0.2327, pwomen, all age groups, and among employees with high or low baseline mental health. The association was stronger among those who reported higher stress at baseline. Boosting workplace social capital may promote mental health in the workplace. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

In-use product stocks link manufactured capital to natural capital.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wei-Qiang; Graedel, T E

2015-05-19

In-use stock of a product is the amount of the product in active use. In-use product stocks provide various functions or services on which we rely in our daily work and lives, and the concept of in-use product stock for industrial ecologists is similar to the concept of net manufactured capital stock for economists. This study estimates historical physical in-use stocks of 91 products and 9 product groups and uses monetary data on net capital stocks of 56 products to either approximate or compare with in-use stocks of the corresponding products in the United States. Findings include the following: (i) The development of new products and the buildup of their in-use stocks result in the increase in variety of in-use product stocks and of manufactured capital; (ii) substitution among products providing similar or identical functions reflects the improvement in quality of in-use product stocks and of manufactured capital; and (iii) the historical evolution of stocks of the 156 products or product groups in absolute, per capita, or per-household terms shows that stocks of most products have reached or are approaching an upper limit. Because the buildup, renewal, renovation, maintenance, and operation of in-use product stocks drive the anthropogenic cycles of materials that are used to produce products and that originate from natural capital, the determination of in-use product stocks together with modeling of anthropogenic material cycles provides an analytic perspective on the material linkage between manufactured capital and natural capital.

Developing a stochastic traffic volume prediction model for public-private partnership projects

Science.gov (United States)

Phong, Nguyen Thanh; Likhitruangsilp, Veerasak; Onishi, Masamitsu

2017-11-01

Transportation projects require an enormous amount of capital investment resulting from their tremendous size, complexity, and risk. Due to the limitation of public finances, the private sector is invited to participate in transportation project development. The private sector can entirely or partially invest in transportation projects in the form of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme, which has been an attractive option for several developing countries, including Vietnam. There are many factors affecting the success of PPP projects. The accurate prediction of traffic volume is considered one of the key success factors of PPP transportation projects. However, only few research works investigated how to predict traffic volume over a long period of time. Moreover, conventional traffic volume forecasting methods are usually based on deterministic models which predict a single value of traffic volume but do not consider risk and uncertainty. This knowledge gap makes it difficult for concessionaires to estimate PPP transportation project revenues accurately. The objective of this paper is to develop a probabilistic traffic volume prediction model. First, traffic volumes were estimated following the Geometric Brownian Motion (GBM) process. Monte Carlo technique is then applied to simulate different scenarios. The results show that this stochastic approach can systematically analyze variations in the traffic volume and yield more reliable estimates for PPP projects.

Design of Sustainable Blended Products using an Integrated Methodology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yunus, Nor Alafiza Binti; Gernaey, Krist; Woodley, John

2013-01-01

This paper presents a systematic methodology for designing blended products consisting of three stages; product design, process identification and experimental verification. The product design stage is considered in this paper. The objective of this stage is to screen and select suitable chemicals...... to be used as building blocks in the mixture design, and then to propose the blend formulations that fulfill the desired product attributes. The result is a set of blends that match the constraints, the compositions, values of the target properties and information about their miscibility. The methodology has...... been applied to design several blended products. A case study on design of blended lubricants is highlighted. The objective is to identify blended products that satisfy the product attributes with at least similar or better performance compared to conventional products....