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McDermott, Matthew B. A. (Matthew Brian Andrew). "Deep learning benchmarks on L1000 gene expression data." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2019. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/121738.
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Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2019Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 57-62).
Gene expression data holds the potential to offer deep, physiological insights about the dynamic state of a cell beyond the static coding of the genome alone. I believe that realizing this potential requires specialized machine learning methods capable of using underlying biological structure, but the development of such models is hampered by the lack of an empirical methodological foundation, including published benchmarks and well characterized baselines. In this work, we lay that foundation by profiling a battery of classifiers against newly defined biologically motivated classification tasks on multiple L1000 gene expression datasets. In addition, on our smallest dataset, a privately produced L1000 corpus, we profile per-subject generalizability to provide a novel assessment of performance that is lost in many typical analyses. We compare traditional classifiers, including feed-forward artificial neural networks (FF-ANNs), linear methods, random forests, decision trees, and K nearest neighbor classifiers, as well as graph convolutional neural networks (GCNNs), which augment learning via prior biological domain knowledge. We find GCNNs offer performance improvements given sufficient data, excelling at all tasks on our largest dataset. On smaller datasets, FF-ANNs offer greatest performance. Linear models significantly underperform on all dataset scales, but offer the best per-subject generalizability. Ultimately, these results suggest that structured models such as GCNNs can represent a new direction of focus for the field as our scale of data continues to increase.
by Matthew B. A. McDermott.
S.M.
S.M. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
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White, Shana. "Application and Development of Novel Methods for Pathway Analysis and Visualization of the LINCS L1000 Dataset." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1623241379918016.
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Mekedem, Meriem. "Théorie et applications de modulaire analyse de réponse." Thesis, Université de Montpellier (2022-….), 2022. http://www.theses.fr/2022UMONT002.
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L'inférence des réseaux de régulation est une tâche importante de la biologie des systèmes. Elle permet de transformer des ensembles de données génomiques en connaissances biologiques de haut niveau. Elle consiste en l'ingénierie inverse des réseaux de régulation des gènes à partir des données OMIC, telles que les données RNAseq ou les données protéomiques basées sur la spectrométrie de masse, par le biais de méthodes computationnelles. L'ingénierie inverse des réseaux biologiques à partir d'un système robuste et d'un grand ensemble de données reste le principal défi de la modélisation contemporaine des réseaux. De nombreux efforts ont été faits pour établir des méthodes mais jusqu'à présent aucun gagnant clair n'a émergé. Cette thèse se concentre sur la technique de modélisation mathématique appelée Modular Response Analysis (MRA).J'ai structuré cette thèse en cinq chapitres avec une liste bibliographique de 307 citations.Dans le chapitre 1, je présente les bases de la modélisation mathématique en biologie des systèmes. Je commence par une définition de la biologie des systèmes et de la modélisation mathématique correspondante. Ensuite, je présente les caractéristiques typiques des systèmes biologiques et les modèles correspondants. Cela fournit suffisamment d'informations pour comprendre cette thèse.Dans le chapitre 2, je donne un aperçu général du domaine de l'inférence de réseau. Je me concentre sur les bases et j'essaie de classer les différentes méthodes en fonction de leurs hypothèses et de leur sémantique. Bien entendu, il est impossible de rendre justice à un domaine de recherche aussi riche et étendu dans cette revue.Dans le chapitre 3, je me concentre sur MRA. Cela est dû à sa capacité à traiter des structures biologiques importantes telles que les boucles de rétroaction et la diaphonie, ainsi que les poids de force de connectivité, d'une manière non discrète, ne nécessitant que des quantités gérables de données expérimentales. Je discute d'abord de l'origine et du développement de la théorie de MRA. Ensuite, je présente une amélioration de MRA à l'aide de l'algèbre des blocs linéaires et sa mise en œuvre parallèle. Enfin, je passe brièvement en revue les limites de MRA.Dans le chapitre 4, je présente une application de MRA à un système biologique très stable, tel que le cycle de l'acide tricarboxylique (TCA), qui peut conduire à des équations algébriques linéaires mal conditionnées lorsque des expériences de perturbation induisent de très petits changements dans les données observées. À cette fin, une régularisation de Tikhonov sera mise en œuvre, qui est considérée comme l'une des approches les plus populaires pour résoudre les problèmes discrets mal posés avec des données contaminées par des erreurs.Dans le chapitre 5, je tente d'évaluer l'applicabilité de MRA pour résoudre ce problème de manière pratique. À cette fin, j'ai utilisé des ensembles de données de taille moyenne (>50) et de grande taille (>500). Le premier ensemble de données - de taille moyenne - rapporte l'expression transcriptionnelle de 55 kinases et 6 non-kinases dans 11 conditions expérimentales. Dans chaque condition, les niveaux de transcription de l'ensemble des 61 gènes ont été obtenus par séquençage de l'ARN superficiel, y compris les cellules de type sauvage et les cellules avec des KOs individuels de chaque gène. Le deuxième ensemble de données - de grande taille - a été généré par la nouvelle génération de la carte de connectivité (CMap) en utilisant son nouvel essai L1000. Comme les ensembles de données L1000 sont plus complexes que l'ensemble de données de taille moyenne (ensemble de données sur les kinases) qui est un écran relativement classique, j'introduis, avant de présenter l'article, quelques informations sur la façon dont il a été construitRegulatory network inference is an important task of systems biology. It enables the transformation of genomics datasets into high level biological knowledge. It consists of the reverse engineering of gene regulatory networks from OMICs data, such as RNAseq or mass spectrometry-based proteomics data, through computational methods. Reverse engineering biological networks from robust system and large data set is still the major challenge of contemporary network modelling. Many efforts have been establish methods but so far no clear winner has emerged. This thesis focuses on the mathematical modelling technique called Modular Response Analysis (MRA)I have structured this thesis in five chapters with a bibliographic list of 307 citations.In Chapter 1, I present the basics of mathematical modelling in systems biology. I start with a definition of systems biology and the corresponding mathematical modelling. Then I present the typical characteristics of biological systems and the corresponding models. This provides sufficient information to understand this thesis.In Chapter 2, I give a general overview of the field of network inference. I focus on the basics and try to classify the different methods according to their assumptions and semantics. Of course, it is impossible to do justice to such a rich and extensive field of research in this review.In Chapter 3, I focus on MRA. This is due to its ability to handle important biological structures such as feedback loops and crosstalk, as well as connectivity force weights, in a non-discrete manner, requiring only manageable amounts of experimental data. I first discuss the origin and development of the MRA theory. Then, I present an improvement of MRA using linear block algebra and its parallel implementation. Finally, I briefly review the limitations of MRA.In Chapter 4, I present an application of MRA to a very stable biological system, such as the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, which can lead to ill-conditioned linear algebraic equations when perturbation experiments induce very small changes in the observed data. To this end, a Tikhonov regularisation will be implemented, which is considered one of the most popular approaches to solve ill-posed discrete problems with error-contaminated data (Hochstenbach and Reichel, 2010).In Chapter 5, I attempt to evaluate the applicability of MRA to solve this problem in a practical way. For this purpose, I used medium (>50) and large (>500) datasets. The first - medium-sized - dataset reports the transcriptional expression of 55 kinases and 6 non-kinases in 11 experimental conditions. In each condition, transcript levels of all 61 genes were obtained by surface RNA sequencing, including wild-type cells and cells with individual KOs of each gene. The second - large - dataset was generated by the next generation connectivity map (CMap) using its new L1000 assay. As the L1000 datasets are more complex than the medium-sized dataset (kinase dataset) which is a relatively classical screen, I introduce, before presenting the paper, some information on how it was constructed
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Mahi, Naim. "Connectivity Analysis of Single-cell RNA-seq Derived Transcriptional Signatures." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1613748441148963.
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Petreski, Marjan. "Monetary-regime switch from exchange-rate targeting to inflation targeting : with reference to developing economies." Thesis, Staffordshire University, 2011. http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/1921/.
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The objective of this thesis is to investigate whether a switch from exchange-rate targeting (de-facto a fixed exchange rate) to inflation targeting will facilitate a more appropriate monetary policy and a more stable macroeconomic environment in developing economies. To achieve this objective, the thesis starts by developing the argument that the exchange-rate peg, as a nominal variable, might be unimportant for affecting long-run growth performance, but detrimental to short-run output stability, particularly in times of real shocks. By using a dynamic system-GMM panel estimator, the research finds that the exchange-rate regime is not significant in explaining growth, either overall or in developing countries. Next, the Hausman-Taylor panel method is used to investigate whether the exchange-rate regime is important in determining output volatility. To overcome the spurious-regression problem arising from the potentially persistent rolling-standard-deviation based measure of output volatility, a new measure is defined; namely, the difference between the potential and the actual output, which might arise from either economic policies or external disturbances. The empirical evidence suggests that, for the overall sample and for the developing countries, a terms-of-trade shock larger than 7 percentage points under a fixed, and larger than 9 percentage points under limited-flexible and flexible exchange-rate regimes, will give higher output volatility compared to a float. These findings are in line with the expectation that pegs provide early gains in terms of inflation stabilization, but longer pegs begin to develop into a threat for output stabilization in the aftermath of an aggregate-supply shock and as the economy becomes more financially integrated. Given these findings, the thesis suggests the exchange rate be made flexible and a new nominal anchor established. The thesis argues that the direct targeting of inflation is a rational choice in the aftermath of peg exit. To investigate whether monetary-policy responses change and produce a more stable macroeconomic environment under regime switching from exchange-rate targeting to inflation targeting, allowing for the possibility of an endogenous switch, the thesis adopts the framework of a fairly classical Taylor rule, augmented by the exchange rate. Two modelling approaches are used to undertake the empirical research: a panel switching regression; and a Markov-switching VAR. Results from both suggest that inflation targeting represented a real switch in developing countries and is characterized by a more stable economic environment, by more independent monetary-policy conduct, by policy geared to strict observation of inflation and by marginal consideration of the real fluctuations of the economy.
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Hlivnjak, Sandra. "Current account sustainability : the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina." Thesis, Staffordshire University, 2010. http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/1867/.
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This research investigates whether the persistent current account deficit in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) is sustainable. Initially current account sustainability is investigated by using the concept of a stationary condition and the mean reversion proposition. It is argued that stationarity of the current account presents a minimum requirement for current account sustainability assessment based on less strict intertemporal solvency conditions. It was found that four out of the five Western Balkan countries investigated have a stationary current account to GDP ratio and therefore met this minimum requirement for sustainability. In order to develop an empirical model to assess current account sustainability in BH, next the Fundamental Equilibrium Exchange Rate is estimated. The conclusion drawn from this analysis was that BH‟s high and persistent current account deficit was not caused by exchange rate misalignment, thus there is no need to adjust the peg. The main reason behind the BH current account deficit is its trade deficit. In the absence of previous analyses of trade deficit sustainability in the WB the next question assessed was whether forming an free trade agreement is a helpful policy for BH utilising an ex post empirical analysis. The analysis of the new Central European Free Trade Agreement concentrates upon three effects: on trade flows using gravity equations; on Bosnia and Herzegovina‟s trade potential and on future deficit sustainability in BH. It was found that although BH trade flows were affected by the CEFTA agreement, the net effect was to contribute to a further widening of the trade deficit in BH. Given the finding that BH‟s current account deficit cannot be attributed to (real) exchange rate misalignment the main conclusion is that current account sustainability analysis must be based on understanding the reasons why BH has a persistent trade deficit. The main reason behind BH current account deficit is its trade deficit. The main factor underlying trade deficit in BH is strong demand for imported goods and also BH‟s supply side weaknesses. Policy-makers need to create an environment for the private sector to develop. Hence both micro and macroeconomic conditions would have to be considered by BH policy-makers in order for this country to improve its export competitiveness and its trade position, which could reduce high BH current account deficit.
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Stojcic, Nebojsa. "Competitiveness, restructuring and firm behaviour in transition : the case Of Croatia." Thesis, Staffordshire University, 2011. http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/1894/.
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The ability of nations to grow and to provide their citizens with a better standard of living depends on the competitiveness of their firms. During the transition from a centrally-planned to a market economy firms had to face the challenging task of restructuring in order to become more competitive. It was expected that through changes in their behaviour they would be able to replace once dominant price-driven competitive profiles with quality-based profiles which can generate higher value added and can lead to higher rates of growth. The aim of this thesis is to investigate competitiveness of firms and industries in Central and East European Countries (CEECs) in general and Croatia in particular. We argue that the competitiveness of firms and industries is a dynamic process closely related to their restructuring activities, characteristics and environment. With that in mind we apply dynamic panel methodology and dynamic shift-and-share analysis to two large firm and industry level datasets for the period 2000-2007, the most recent year for which data was available to us. We compare the behaviour of Croatian firms with that of their rivals from several advanced CEECs, assess the competitive profile of Croatian exporters and examine the competitiveness of Croatian industries on the EU15 market. Our findings indicate that in an advanced stage of transition the behaviour of firms in CEECs and Croatia was typical of price competitive firms with improvements in labour productivity and cost efficiency being their most important forms of restructuring. Furthermore, we identified several agglomeration externalities and government policy measures such as free trade zones as factors which can facilitate the ability of Croatian firms to compete on international markets. We have also demonstrated that Croatian trade with EU15 is mainly of the vertical intra-industry type. Finally, stronger capital and innovation intensity in combination with higher pressure of imports have positive effects on the relative quality of exports from Croatian industries to the EU15 market. Based on these findings we have developed a set of recommendations for Croatian policy makers and managers which we hope can stimulate the innovativeness of firms and industries and increase their ability to compete through quality.
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Golem, Silvia. "The determinants of the size of government in developed market economies." Thesis, Staffordshire University, 2010. http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/1876/.
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This research aims at developing and extending the theoretical and empirical literature on the extent of government sector involvement in the economy. It is primarily concerned to analyse the causes of the generally increasing size of the government sector in developed market economies. Despite the importance of this topic in the field of political economy, the literature review suggests that there is no single core theory of the size of government in the economy, only various fragmented theoretical explanations. In an attempt to bridge this analytical gap in the existing knowledge, this research offers a simple integrative theoretical framework. Within that framework, this research gathers and empirically tests the most relevant theories in this field. To that end, it makes use of data for developed market economies in the period from 1970 to 2008. The obtained results indicate that national income, a country‟s degree of modernisation, trade and financial openness, relative prices of government and private goods and government sector employment play an important role in explaining the size of government in developed market economies. In addition, this research contributes to the existing empirical literature by examining the evolution of long, historical time-series of government expenditures for the four developed market economies for which this data is available (the US, the UK, Italy and Sweden). Contrary to conventional wisdom, statistical examination of the data suggests that the major change in the underlying growth rate of government expenditures occurred around the turn of the 20th century. By contributing to a better understanding of the long-run determinants of the size of government in the economy, this research offers a basis for relevant policy proposals and also informs debate on the appropriate size and role of the public sector in a mixed economy.
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Kotorri, Mrika. "An investigation into economic migration with special reference to Kosova." Thesis, Staffordshire University, 2011. http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/1985/.
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The literature on the economics of migration is immense and it provides three different conceptual frameworks to model the decision to emigrate. In addition to differences among these three models, there are inconsistencies between previous studies within each approach in terms of theoretical rationales for inclusion of variables and their main empirical results. Recently, the literature has focussed more on the effects of migration from the perspective of the home countries, with efforts towards seeking a consensus on the appropriate model of migration decision-making left aside. This thesis is an attempt to fill this gap in the literature. Given the importance of social relations and the system of values, the household is arguably the most appropriate decision-making unit among KS- Albanian households. This thesis tests the applicability of a household perspective in modelling Kosovan migration behaviour. A theoretical framework is outlined where the household as the decision-making unit is modelled as maximising the sum of total expected present value of utilities from current and future household consumption at home and abroad. This theoretical framework is transformed into an empirical proposition that investigates the determinants of whether households plan to send at least one member abroad using a Kosova data set of 2007. This does not cover the second stage of decision making, of which household member(s) will be send. The empirical results are broadly in line with the theoretical expectations of this conceptual framework. The results from the propensity to emigrate suggest that the attitudinal variable, which is unique to this thesis and controls for whether the household head perceives that household income has decreased, is an important determinant. This household perspective is developed to consider the decision on the duration of emigration. The empirical results provide fairly broad support for the theoretical expectations of the model. Additionally, the results indicate that, in addition to economic factors, the prevailing political situation may be important in determining the probability of return conditional on migration duration. Given the major political change in Kosova in 2008, the model developed is further tested by considering its stability over time. The empirical results suggest that the model structure has remained stable over the period of investigation. A further examination based on data from the Albanian LSMS 2008 suggests that the household approach may have greater applicability to migration behaviour in that country. In summary, notwithstanding the countries were chosen to favour the household approach, the results obtained provide broad support for the extended formulation of the household approach.
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Trajkova, Natasha. "Instability and volatility of economic growth under transition : an application of exogenous growth theory." Thesis, Staffordshire University, 2013. http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/2031/.
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The aim of this thesis is to explore growth processes in transition economies (TEs) by analysing differences between growth patterns in the course of transition and the smooth growth paths characteristic of developed market economies. Accordingly, the thesis builds upon the neoclassical growth theory 10 the transition context to develop a modified theoretical model that conceptualizes transition as a non~linear process consisting of three distinct stages or regimes of growth: the crash or adjustment stage; the recovery stage; and the take~off stage. Namely, instead of describing transition as a movement along one steady state linear growth path, this new approach depicts transition as a process of radical adjournments or shifts between growth paths caused by big structural changes in the economy. This theoretical model is tested not only informally against the observed growth patterns under transition, but also through a series of econometric investigations: (1) Perron's procedure for testing for structural breaks in the presence of a unit root in the data series; (2) a univariate Markov Switching Model (MSM) for assessing (a) whether or not the different hypothesized regimes exist in the data an~ (b) if different growth regimes do exist, both the instability between and volatility within growth regimes; and (3), a multivariate MS VAR model estimated as a small vector autoregression that repeats the univariate MSM investigation into growth regimes but conditional on both physical and human capital variables. The empirical evidence supports the concept of non~linear growth characterised by structural changes and regime shifts. In particular, the univariate MS analysis suggests that most TEs (19 from 26) have passed through all three regimes or stages of transition, with variations across groups in terms of the recorded mean GDP growth rates and the volatility in each regime. Conversely, the multivariate analysis brings forward a somewhat different depiction. Namely, although generally confirming the idea of instability and volatility, the MS VAR analysis suggests that only an elite "few", the five most developed TEs, now EU members have managed to pass through all three stages of transition, as identified in our theoretical model. They can be regarded as having completed their journey by becoming developed market economies In contrast; all the others recorded only two distinct regimes. This result is consistent with our theoretical model in identifying three main stages or growth regimes in the transition process. Finally, the thesis appraises a new notion of transition as a process of dramatic non ~ linear changes that require correspondingly bold policies, particularly if the third regime leading to the developed market economy status is to be attained. Although this thesis does not prescribe specific policy recommendations, it does provide a particular perspective for policymaking, namely one oriented to long-run supply-side reforms.
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Rahma, Elsiddig. "The impact of oil price shocks on an oil exporting country : a mixed methods approach." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2016. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/36008/.
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Since the advent of exporting oil in 1999, Sudan’s economy became more reliant on the proceeds of crude oil export. This situation exposed the economy to the negative effect of crude oil price shocks. In general, oil price increase positively impacts the economy of oil exporting countries, while oil importing economies suffer. That is, oil price increase boosts economic activities in oil exporting countries while it retards economic growth in oil importing countries. Unlike developed economies, there is a paucity of research in the relationship between oil Price shocks and the macroeconomy in developing countries. In this context, Sudan lacks appropriate fundamental economic knowledge and understanding of the complex relationship between its macroeconomy and oil price shocks. This research contributed towards filling this gap. To this end, the overall objective of this thesis was to examine the impact of crude oil price shocks on Sudan’s macroeconomy over the period 2000 – 2011. In doing so, this research answered the following question: what was the impact of oil price shocks on the public budget, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and unemployment rates, sectors’ growth rate and current account. The research employs the Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Design, in which the Vector Auto-Regression (VAR) model and Delphi method are used. The main findings show that negative real crude oil price shocks have a greater influence on the majority of the macroeconomic variables compared to positive shocks. Findings from the public budget VAR model suggests that real crude oil price shocks have asymmetric effect on the public budget. This is attributable to the use of a predetermined crude oil price in the annual public budget. This finding is consistent with those of Jbir and Zouri-Ghorbel (2009) and Ibrahim and Mohamed (2012) in the Tunisian and Iranian economies, respectively. Therefore, adoption of a conservative approach in determining the benchmark price in the public budget is very crucial to avoid persistent withdrawals from the Central Bank. Results obtained from the current account VAR model indicate that negative and positive real oil price shocks have symmetrical effects on the trade and current account balances. This finding is in line with those of Le and Chang (2013) and Allegret et al (2014) in Malaysia and some African oil exporting countries, respectively. However, oil increase improves the trade and current account balance, but at the expense of the non-oil exports. Therefore, there is a need for export restructure, diversification and support for non-oil exports. Furthermore, the GDP growth and unemployment VAR model shows that real crude oil price shocks symmetrically affect the GDP growth rates. Similar results of the negative effect on GDP growth is reported in Nigeria and Iran by Akin and Babajide (2011a) and Farzanegan and Markwardt (2009), respectively. However, negative real crude oil price significantly impacted the unemployment rate. Finally, the sectors’ growth VAR model shows that increase in crude oil price positively affected agricultural and service sector growth rates, while it negatively impacted industrial sector growth. Decrease in real crude oil price influenced agricultural sector to increase, whereas industrial and services sectors growth rates suffer. These findings are consistent with those obtained by Binuomote and Odeniyi (2013) and Ahmed and Wadud (2011) in the in Nigerian Malaysian economies, respectively. The significance of this research is its contribution to the existing body of knowledge on the relationship between crude oil price shocks and the macroeconomy in oil exporting developing countries, mainly Sudan, and the use of the mixed method approach in this research investigation. This research addressed the dynamic interrelationship between the crude oil price shocks and the macroeconomy. The outcome of this research provides key decision makers with the relevant information to design appropriate economic policies to mitigate the negative effects of crude oil price shocks.
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Bogoev, Jane. "The interest rate and bank lending channels in a small, open and Euroised economy with fixed exchange rate : the case of Macedonia." Thesis, Staffordshire University, 2011. http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/1892/.
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This thesis explores the possibility of conducting a more independent monetary policy through the adoption of an inflation targeting regime in a small, open and Euroised transition economy where banks are dependent on foreign financing. The major aim of this research programme is to investigate the effectiveness and determinants of the interest rate and bank lending channels in the case of Republic of Macedonia, since their effectiveness is seen as one of the preconditions for adoption of an inflation targeting regime. This thesis contributes to the existing literature for transition economies in two main ways. Firstly, it investigates the size and determinants of individual bank‟s lending rate adjustments to changes in the „cost of funds‟ rate. Secondly, it examines two loan functions according to the currency disaggregation of loans, and investigates what bank-specific characteristics are the major determinants. The findings with respect to the first research contribution indicate that the size of the short-run adjustment of lending rates to changes in the „cost of funds‟ rate is quite sluggish and heterogeneous among Macedonian banks. Moreover, bank-specific characteristics and macroeconomic variables play different roles in individual bank‟s lending rate setting decisions. These results are consistent with the presence of aggregation bias in previous research that uses sector-level data, due to the suppression of banks‟ heterogeneous behaviour. The results regarding the second research contribution imply that the bank lending channel in Macedonia works mainly through foreign currency loans and the foreign reference rate, whereas the responsiveness of domestic currency loans to the changes in the domestic reference rate is quite low. Moreover, different banks react differently to changes in the domestic and foreign reference rates due to their specific characteristics. These findings suggest that the impact of domestic monetary policy on the Macedonian economy through the interest rate and bank lending channels is quite limited. Therefore, the current monetary policy regime of a fixed exchange rate may be more effective in achieving the price stability aim than adoption of an inflation targeting regime in economies like Macedonia.
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Amara, Abdulkarim Mohamed K. "A socio-economic analysis of land settlement in Libya : the case of the Wadi Al Hai project." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2005. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/1755/.
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The present study is concerned with the settlement and agricultural development process as it is taking place in the Wadi Al-Hai agricultural project and the influence of some socio-economic factors on the agricultural exploited area. The Wadi Al-Hai project is one of the most important agricultural development projects in Libya. It is located 85 km south-west of the capital city Tripoli, and includes 417 farms, with each farm being 25 hectares, and consisting of a modern house and all agricultural requirements. For the empirical study, two types of analysis will be used: - Descriptive statistical analysis: describing the study the main features of the structure of agriculture development in the Wadi Al-Hai area, and the economic situation of the farmers in the project. The data for this part were analyzed on the basis of simple but appropriate statistical measures, such as frequency ratios, means and distributions, standard error and the chi-square test. - Econometric Analysis: using economic statistical analysis and the relations between different economic and social variables in a set of mathematical models aiming to explore the potential contributions and influences of such factors in this project. In short, a log-linear cross sectional model is developed aiming at relating the relevant socio-economic factors to the exploited areas. Also the study is based on a survey of 105 settlement households located in the Wadi Al- Hai project. Key socio-economic characteristics of the farmers are related to their experience and quantitative survey data are supplemented by qualitative interview material. Additional documents were provided by the Council of Agricultural Development, Secretariat of Planning. The theoretical analysis is based on economic development and growth with reference to agriculture and agricultural development in Libya. A number of weaknesses in the project are identified such as in the operation of co-operatives, marketing arrangements, extension services and water management. In conclusion, some agricultural policy recommendations are made for the exploitation of natural resources and human resources in the project. Our initial results indicate that all the variables studied have statistically significant effects on the agricultural exploited area in the project.
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Colakovic, Belma. "Systemic risks and financial fragility in a small open economy : the case of Bosnia-Herzegovina." Thesis, Staffordshire University, 2014. http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/1980/.
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This thesis investigates the sources of financial system fragility in a small open economy with a traditional banking system, with a focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina. Conducting research on Western Balkan countries is challenging given the shortness of time series, unrepresentative samples, numerous structural breaks, poor quality data and the historical absence of the phenomenon that is the focus of investigation. For this reason, the common assumption that the findings associated with other regions or countries are applicable to the Western Balkans is rejected. Instead, two measures of systemic risk are constructed to assess a country’s financial system fragility that reflects the specific characteristics of a country such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. The liquidity index measures how vulnerable the financial system is to a currency crisis represented by the abandonment of the currency board arrangement. The solvency index is an indicator of banking system fragility at a point in time. Changes over time in both these measures of systemic risk are related to changes in a set of macroeconomic and banking sector specific variables. This thesis contributes to a better understanding of financial system fragility in Bosnia and Herzegovina and similar countries in several ways. It is found that both country and period specifics must be accounted for. Accordingly, each country should develop its own tailored measure of systemic risk, since some of the widely used set of indicators, such as the level of foreign reserves, may distort the perception of risk. A disaggregated approach to systemic analysis is favoured: it is more efficient to interpret two measures of systemic risk jointly rather than to merge them into a single indicator. However, there are substantial gains in modelling the risks of banking and currency crises as a system. It is demonstrated that even in a country with a simple financial system and dominant banking sector a single model cannot explain the evolution of systemic risk over the cycle. The nature of the risk factors, their relations with the perceived level of fragility, as well as the relationship between the measures of systemic risk were found to differ in pre-shock from the post-shock periods. Finally, it is shown that even simple financial systems are inherently unstable, with destabilizing relationships between the risks of banking and currency crises and developments in the real economy. It is concluded that developing a set of country-specific risk measures that indicate the evolution of the risk of banking or currency crises is an imperative.
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Oruc, Nermin. "Impact of ethnic cleansing on human capital formation : empirical evidence from Bosnia-Herzegovina." Thesis, Staffordshire University, 2011. http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/1873/.
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The main aim of this thesis is to analyze the economic consequences of ethnic cleansing in the countries affected, with particular focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina. As one of the key distinguishing characteristics of ethnic cleansing is mass displacement of people, it focuses its investigation on the impact of ethnic cleansing on the stock of human capital in the country affected. Using the framework of the analysis of brain drain developed for voluntary migration, the further analysis is divided into two parts: the first part deals with the negative consequences of ethnic cleansing for human capital through emigration of highly educated (brain drain), while the second part deals with positive reverse effects of such emigration (brain gain). This should eventually allow us to estimate the net effect of migration on the stock of human capital in the country affected by ethnic cleansing. The analysis of the brain drain caused by ethnic cleansing starts with the development of a theoretical model that explains the impact of ethnic cleansing on emigration of highly educated individuals. The model is based on the models of self-selection and amended by incorporating a ―restoration‖ hypothesis, originally developed in this thesis. This model is then tested by two different empirical studies. In the first study, a household level data from Bosnia-Herzegovina was used in order to measure the impact of different factors affecting the household‘s decision to migrate. In the second empirical study, country level data were used to measure the difference in the magnitude of brain drain between countries with different histories of conflict. The second part of the thesis provides the empirical evidence on brain gain by using two different studies. In the first study, country level data were used to analyze the possibility of the ―incentive effect‖ that increases the stock of human capital in the country as a result of migration. In the second study, household level data were used to analyze the effect of remittances inflows on the increase of human capital through increased educational investments by households receiving remittances. By providing evidence on both brain drain and brain gain effects, this thesis gives comprehensive insight into the impact of ethnic cleansing on the stock of human capital in a country. The main findings of these studies are that the negative effects are stronger, while positive effects are weaker compared to the voluntary migration. This suggests that the net effect of ethnic cleansing on human capital stock in a country is likely to be negative. In addition, the thesis offers a new theoretical model of ethnic cleansing which can also, with minor amendments, be used in the context of natural disasters induced and development induced displacement.
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Affleck, Arthur. "Community development finance : a form of social investment." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2011. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/3089/.
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This thesis aims to critically examine the development of Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) in the UK: organisations that lend to businesses unable to access finance from mainstream sources. The overall aim of the research is to capture the development of a proto-type sector into a recognisable and fully-fledged financial sector. The research found there was considerable interest in CDFIs in the late 1990s fuelled by research reports published by the New Economics Foundation. Ideas and influences were being transferred to the UK from North American CDFIs and from micro-finance lenders in the developing world. While a few CDFIs had existed in the UK since the 1970s, from the late 1990s a new generation of organisations were being established to help combat what New Labour had defined as financial exclusion. The thesis identifies this group of CDFIs the ‘British New Wave’, because they were developing their own products and services to meet local needs. After 1997, New Labour ideas about a potential Third Way and Communitarianism were increasingly influential. This thesis argues that the subsequent development of CDFIs can be strongly interpreted as offering a Third Way between the market and the state. Their links with local communities or sectors (such as social enterprise) also enhanced their importance at district, regional and national levels. The research also analyses a number of individual case studies such as the Aston Reinvestment Trust and Street UK, the CDFI sector and government policy to highlight the complexity of the challenges facing CFDIs particularly the range of issues relating to funding. The thesis argues that the government’s initial interest in the sector has waned over time and some of New Labour policies aimed at promoting localism have in practice restricted the growth of CDFIs. At the end of the first decade of the twenty first century, the UK CDFI sector is surviving and offering loans to businesses excluded from finance and offering social and economic benefits that should be recognised and supported through social investment. However, despite the optimistic note in some areas of the thesis, it will be argued many CDFIs remain financially unsustainable precisely because they offer small business loans and work with their borrowers.
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El, Mughrabi Marei A. "An exploration of the impact of international and domestic factors on economic reform programmes in Libya 1987-2004." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2005. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/1937/.
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This thesis seeks to explore the changes of the Libyan economy, which began in the mid-1980s. The core of this research is to examine the influence of these changes on the course of the state and the implementation of the economic reform programmes. The relevant theoretical literature is based upon the relationship between the international and internal factors leading up the economic reform. The globalisation and state power are reviewed. The theory of rentier state and also the discussion of the most relevant aspects of the privatisation process were considered. The contribution of the thesis is its sustained analysis of the Libyan economic policies and, more importantly, its response to the neglect of the international and domestic influences of the economic reform process particularly in oil states. In addition, the literature on Libya and its structural and economic reform suffers from a lack of theoretically-grounded analysis. The methodology of this study is based upon combination of both interviews and questionnaires seemed the ideal methods in examining the economic reform and the privatisation programmes. The documentary research was also an important element for this study. In order to identify the determinants of the changes of the Libyan economy and the implementation process, it employs a variety of Libyan official documents and economic data. In general the study reveals that the relationship and the interaction between the international and domestic factors is extremely vital to understand the economic reform and privatisation programmes in Libya. Despite the significance of the international arena, its impacts are mitigated through the domestic context. Moreover, the previous state policies, the role of the state institutions and the interaction between the state apparatus and the Libyan society are important in understanding the Libyan economy.
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Tosuni, Gëzim. "The impact of corporate governance on the performance of financial institutions." Thesis, Staffordshire University, 2013. http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/2030/.
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The aim of this thesis is to investigate corporate governance practices of firms, in particular financial institutions, and their impact on the performance of these institutions. As such it will contribute to the debate on the importance of corporate governance for banks. The investigation will cover examples from developed and transition economies. Corporate scandals in the 1990s and 2000s drew the attention of governments to the importance of corporate governance, and induced legislation to prevent similar situations in the future. This thesis highlights the differences between corporate governance of firms and that of banks and investigates the nature of the relationship between corporate governance practices and performance of banks in the USA (as an example of a developed economy) and Kosova and Montenegro (as examples of South East European (SEE) transition economies). The thesis will also investigate the state of corporate governance in the two SEE countries and its developments since these countries became independent. This thesis will address two methodological issues that have been ignored or not treated jointly by previous research: the endogenous nature of corporate governance; and the dynamic aspect of the relationship with performance. In the context of SEE countries this thesis represents the first attempt to analyse the development of a corporate governance framework for financial institutions in Kosova and Montenegro, involving the creation of an index for the quality of corporate governance and, to the extent that the data permits, the first analysis of the relationship between corporate governance quality and the performance of financial institutions. The thesis investigates these questions by firstly embarking on a critical review of the literature to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the previous work in this area and identify the gap in the literature and secondly engaging in empirical investigation of the relationship. The data used for the empirical part of the thesis consists of published data on corporate governance ranking of US banks and the information on financial operations of banks from the Bankscope database. There are no published datasets on the state of corporate governance in SEE banks. A bank survey was therefore organised by the author to explore the compliance of these banks with OECD Corporate Governance Principles. The data was supplemented with the financial information of individual banks obtained from their annual reports. Using both, cross section and dynamic panel model techniques, the empirical investigation shows that there is a positive relationship between the measure of good corporate governance and the market capitalisation of banks in the USA. A similar relationship also exists between one dimension of corporate governance (shareholders’ rights) and the performance of financial institutions in Kosova and Montenegro. Thus, this research contributes to the scarce empirical research on the relationship between corporate governance and performance of financial institutions in the developed economies, and to the not hitherto investigated relationship in SEE countries.
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Marais, Etienne Barend. "Permeation of excised intestinal tissue by insulin released from Eudragit® L100/Trimethyl chitosan chloride microspheres /E.B. Marais." Thesis, North-West University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/9676.
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The purpose of this research project was to develop and characterise matrix type microspheres prepared from Eudragit® L100, containing insulin as model peptide drug as well as an absorption enhancer, N-trimethyl chitosan chloride (TMC), to improve intestinal absorption via the paracellular route. Insulin loaded microspheres were prepared using a single water in oil emulsification/evaporation method in accordance with a fractional factorial design (23) and subsequently characterised in terms of morphology as well as internal structure. Also, insulin and TMC loading were determined using a high pressure liquid chromatography analysis (HPLC) and colorimetric assay, respectively.
Scanning electron microscopic characterisation revealed that most microsphere formulations showed a spherical shape and smooth surface with a sponge-like internal structure as well as relatively good homogeneity in terms of size distribution. Insulin loading ranged from 27.9 ± 14.25 – 52.4 ± 2.72% between the different formulations. TMC loading was lower than for insulin and ranged from 29.1 ± 3.3 - 37.7 ± 2.3% between the different formulations. The pronounced difference in insulin and TMC loading between the microsphere formulations is probably the result of the multitude parameters involved as well as the complex physicochemical processes which govern emulsification/solvent evaporation. Based on the microsphere characterisation results, two formulations were selected (i.e. B and F) for further characterisation (i.e. particle size distribution, dissolution behaviour, and enteric nature) and for in vitro evaluation of insulin transport across excised Fischer (FSR) rat intestinal tissue using a Sweetana-Grass diffusion chamber. Particle size analysis by means of laser light diffraction of the two selected microsphere formulations revealed that the mean particle size (based on volume) ranged from 135.7 ± 41.05 to 157.3 ± 31.74 m. Dissolution results for microsphere Formulations B and F revealed that both insulin and TMC were released from the microsphere formulations in an alkaline environment (pH 7.4). The mean dissolution time (MDT) for insulin ranged from 34.5 ± 4.01 to 42.6 ± 9.06 min, while the MDT for TMC ranged from 1.2 ± 1.73 to 6.8 ± 6.42 min. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in the MDT of either insulin or TMC (p-value > 0.05) between the two formulations, although the difference between insulin and TMC of each formulation was significant (p-value < 0.05). Microsphere formulations B and F released 36.92 and 48.21% of their total drug content over a period of 1 h in 0.1 M HCl.
Microsphere Formulation B showed 8.3 ± 0.52% and formulation F 8.9 ± 2.26% transport of the initial insulin dose after a period of 120 min across excised rat intestinal tissue. The increase in insulin transport by the microsphere formulations compared to that of the control group (i.e. insulin alone) correlated well with the decrease in transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) caused by the microsphere formulations. The transport of insulin from Formulations B and F represented transport enhancement ratios of 10.67 and 9.68, respectively.
Insulin loaded EudragitL100 microspheres containing TMC were successfully prepared by emulsification/solvent evaporation that demonstrated promising potential to serve as oral drug delivery systems for insulin. The microspheres exhibited improved insulin permeability across intestinal epithelial tissue; however, its enteric properties should be improved and clinical effectiveness need to be confirmed by future in vivo studies.Thesis (MSc (Pharmaceutics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.
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Rizvanolli, Artane. "The effect of human capital on inwards FDI : evidence from European transition economies." Thesis, Staffordshire University, 2012. http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/2011/.
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A country’s human capital has been neglected as a potential determinant of inwards foreign direct investment (FDI), both in theory and empirical research. When human capital has been included in models of the determinants of FDI, it appears simply as a control variable or one of the variables in a “kitchen sink” approach, usually without any theoretical rationale for its inclusion or critical discussion of the measures used. The mis-specification that may result from this is advanced as one of the potential explanations for the very diverse findings in previous literature and the failure of the meta-regression analysis (MRA) reported in this thesis to find an ‘authentic’ effect of human capital on inwards FDI. Accordingly, this research seeks to fill this gap, by identifying the mechanisms through which human capital is expected to attract FDI to European transition economies and drawing conclusions about the most appropriate measures of human capital given the characteristics of the former communist (education) system. The ‘productivity-enhancing’ skills and traits that (foreign) investors are likely to value in such economies are identified and the manner in which these skills are developed is analysed. In the light of this analysis the conventional human capital measures used in empirical analyses are critically assessed. These contributions are used to develop an empirical model for estimating the effect of human capital on inwards FDI at country-, sector- and industry-level in 12 European transition economies during the period 1995-2008. Consistent with the results of previous studies, as suggested by the MRA, no significant effect of traditional volume measures of human capital on FDI inflows/stocks is found. However, some evidence is presented in this thesis indicating that the quality dimension of human capital as measured by cognitive skills proxies may affect inwards FDI in the manufacturing sector. Accordingly, several potential explanations for the findings and some of their implications for future macro-level research focusing on the effects of human capital are explored.
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Eziashi, Julius. "Manufacturing strategy of firms in emerging economy : the study of Nigerian manufacturing SMEs." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2017. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/33886/.
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This doctoral thesis addresses the topic: Manufacturing Strategy of Firms in Emerging Economy: The Study of Nigerian Manufacturing SMEs. The research attempts to fill the knowledge gap by examining the manufacturing strategy process, manufacturing priorities and challenges relating to Nigerian manufacturing SMEs. Extensive reviews of the relevant literature were carried out, providing an insight into the research question and set out research objectives. The extant literature on manufacturing strategy, manufacturing priorities and manufacturing challenges has provided the theoretical perspective of the study. The study adopted a qualitative research method to gain an in-depth insight and understanding of the manufacturing strategy process and practice of Nigerian manufacturing SMEs. The participating manufacturing SMEs were located in six geopolitical zones within Nigeria. Purposive sampling was used in selecting the 17 manufacturing SMEs from the target population. The face to face semi-structured interviews were used as data collection instrument. The data collected from the 17 manufacturing SMEs senior managers were analysed using the template analysis, a form of thematic analysis developed by Professor Nigel King. This analysis identified Nigerian SMEs’ manufacturing challenges, priorities and key decision issue considered important for the manufacturing strategy process and practice. The research findings point to an approach in developing manufacturing strategy in an emerging economy. An approach that is directed towards improving the manufacturing process, product quality, competitiveness, manufacturing capacity and other business needs, which has enabled these manufacturing SMEs to respond to their manufacturing priorities and manufacturing challenges. These findings have possible implications for the government, SMEs, policy makers and managers. This study has made a contribution to knowledge by increasing the understanding of manufacturing strategy of SMEs in context of an emerging economy. The study identified Nigerian manufacturing SMEs priorities, challenges and developed strategy that will aid professional practitioners, policymakers and the government to make manufacturing decisions, thereby contributing to practice.
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Rusk, Michele. "Entrepreneurial leadership by design : the role of design in socio-economic innovation." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2018. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/35436/.
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The case for this PhD by published work is based on reflection on eight years’ reflective practice research into the role of design in entrepreneurial leadership. Specifically, it explores a strategic design approach to socio – economic innovation. It is the culmination of a thirty-year longitudinal study at the interface of leadership, enterprise, innovation and development within the particular challenging environment of the Northern Ireland conflict. One important lesson from the author’s experience of societal crisis has been the pivotal role of innovation in socio - economic regeneration. External environmental pressures are forcing organisations to develop new approaches to cope with uncertainty. These circumstances call for leaders who can innovate whilst navigating complexity. Against this context the research considers entrepreneurial leadership and understands this to be more than the sum of entrepreneurship and leadership but a new phenomenon leveraged in response to the current climate. The focus is on entrepreneurial leadership, strategic design and open innovation as transformational drivers for socio-economic value creation. The study involves a design-led approach that maps transformational drivers against triple helix challenges, to provide a new perspective on the generative role of design. It synthesises organising frameworks that further highlight how entrepreneurial leaders build relationships for developmental innovation. These model the interplay between transfiguring and threshold concepts to yield guiding principles for entrepreneurial leadership practice. They represent antecedent factors for a prospective theory of Design Dynamics. The distinct contribution is an original contextual framework that provides insight into how entrepreneurial leaders employ design to realise innovation. Further, this builds on the extant body of knowledge through the hypothesis of a potential Design Dynamics theory as a support structure to explain and guide entrepreneurial leadership within complex environments. Future research will explore the nature of this structure so that it is applicable to new entrepreneurial contexts.
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Cheng, Michael Jak Lam. "Determinants of occupational choice : the case of the Chinese in Newcastle upon Tyne." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2008. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/2598/.
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Immigrant entrepreneurship is an important feature of the economy. With the growing numbers of visible ethnic minority communities, their presence in the labour market is of increasing importance in contemporary society. The Chinese are an under- researched group as documented by various authors and publications (Parker, 1994; Pang and Lau, 1998). The dissertation aims to address this failing. The Chinese are often associated with heavy concentration in the catering trade, in the form of restaurants and takeaways. The reason for this continued dominance is an interesting issue to explore. This thesis investigates the Chinese in Newcastle upon Tyne and their experiences, mainly within the catering trade, which offers both employment and self-employment opportunities. As will be revealed, this form of labour market participation can lead to social exclusion but at the same time, the creation of a stronger community. One possible element in the decision to enter self-employment is the existence of racial discrimination in the labour market. However, occupational choice is a more complex issue than simply an outcome of discrimination. The two principal research questions that guide this study are: 'Is self-employment a choice or a necessity?' and 'Does discrimination play a role in occupational choice?' An original and unique framework for analysis has been adopted based on prior knowledge held by the researcher by living the experiences as a member of the Chinese ethnic group. This stock of knowledge or indeed 'social capital' formed the basis for ideas and questions used in each of the three stages of research: self- completion questionnaires, semi-structured follow-up interviews and a focus group session. The implementation of these stages has been conducted in order to gain an understanding of the issues surrounding the two main research questions and to provide an insight into the experiences of the Chinese. However, due to the nature of voluntary responses in the chosen methodology, the research does not aim to generalise the Chinese community, as it remains a small-scale qualitative study.
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Moussa, Mohamed Salem Ali. "An eclectic approach to the determinants of foreign direct investment inflows to the Libyan oil and gas sector." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2009. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/1916/.
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This study involves a detailed analysis of the dynamics of the oil sector in Libya, and reviews the process of economic development in order to identify key issues and priorities for future development. As with many other developing countries, Libya has received insignificant FDI inflows over the study period 1962-2003. The experience of the developing world in particular suggests that it is far from certain whether FDI will indeed act as an engine of transition in Libya. Libya places great importance on foreign capital in the oil sector as a critical element of economic growth. The main aim of this study is to identify and analyze the economic factors giving rise to FDI inflows to the Libyan oil sector during the study period. It reviews FDI trends in Libya, both in the regional and international contexts, and takes into account the evolution of various policies and measures introduced in order to attract FDI. Primary data were collected through a questionnaire-based survey from a sample of 35 foreign oil companies in Libya, along with 20 interviews with government officials. Using annual time series data, the study finds that the nationalization of foreign oil companies in 1972 has negatively influenced FDI inflows; whereas country wealth and the lagged value of FDI positively influence FDI inflows to the Libyan oil sector. Since sanctions were lifted, Libya's relations with the world are becoming normalized and there are opportunities for foreign investment in every sector of the economy associated with the government's new open policy of adopting FDI, which is already visibly growing. Libya is considering changing its 40-years old hydrocarbon legislation to improve the terms for foreign investment. Therefore, the Libyan foreign investment environment is promising for the foreseeable future.
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Radicic, Dragana. "The effectiveness of R&D and innovation policy in promoting innovation in European SMEs : an empirical investigation of additionality effects." Thesis, Staffordshire University, 2014. http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/2009/.
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Innovation is crucial for firms’ growth and competitiveness. Yet, because knowledge is a public good, firms may underinvest in innovation activities to avoid freeriding and opportunistic behaviour. Besides market failures, another cause of underinvestment in innovation is associated with the concept of systems failures, advanced in the literature on systems of innovation. Potential adverse effects of market and systems failures provide scope for government intervention designed to foster investment in innovation and bring about innovation activities at the socially optimal level. This thesis investigates the effectiveness of innovation policy for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by exploring whether public support has an "additionality" effect on their innovation activities. First, we investigate the impact of public support on innovation output (output additionality) in traditional manufacturing industries. Second, we focus on the effect of innovation support programmes on innovative behaviour, particularly on networking and cooperation for innovation among Spanish SMEs (behavioural additionality). Finally, we assess both output and behavioural additionality among European SMEs.
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Cole, Denise. "Local economic indicators : practitioners' needs and associated issues of provision and use." Thesis, University of Bedfordshire, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10547/333421.
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The local economic information base for the UK does not meet the demand for local economic indicators emerging from the private and public sectors. This thesis identifies an 'information gap' between the need for and provision of local economic indicators in the public and private sectors. The existence of this 'gap' emerges in the literature review. Empirical evidence of the gap is provided by the thesis' postal survey (which investigates the use of local economic information in forecasting). The dearth of local economic indicators is then confirmed in the analysis of guided interviews with practitioners. The literature review and practitioner interviews identify a rising need for local economic indicators over the last decade. The increased political significance of local space has led to a growth in the need for information at this scale from the public sector. Organisational restructuring and the privatisation of utilities has also led an increase in demand from the private sector for local economic information. This need has been compounded by deficiencies in those local economic indicators which are currently available, in terms of quality, organisation and accessibility. The literature suggests that standardisation of the criteria for organising local economic indicators into a database would greatly assist the organisations that seek this information. However, no such set of criteria has been forthcoming. The thesis therefore incorporates a feasibility study which focuses on the establishment of a standardised local economic database. The research findings steer suggestions for its development, and local economic indicators for the Local Authority District (LAD) ofLuton are collected and organised into a database as a case study. The methodology is documented, and can be reproduced to develop a similar database for any other LAD in the UK.
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Turkedjiev, Emil. "Hybrid neural network analysis of short-term financial shares trading." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2017. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/36122/.
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Recent advances in machine intelligence, particularly Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) and Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO), have introduced conceptually advanced technologies that can be utilised for financial market share trading analysis. The primary goal of the present research is to model short-term daily trading in Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index (FTSE 100) shares to make forecasts with certain levels of confidence and associated risk. The hypothesis to be tested is that financial shares time series contain significant non-linearity and that ANN, either separately or in conjunction with PSO, could be utilised effectively. Validation of the proposed model shows that nonlinear models are likely to be better choices than traditional linear regression for short-term trading. Some periodicity and trend lines were apparent in short- and long-term trading. Experiments showed that a model using an ANN with the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) model features performed significantly better than analysis in the time domain. Mathematical analysis of the PSO algorithm from a systemic point of view along with stability analysis was performed to determine the choice of parameters, and a possible proportional, integral and derivative (PID) algorithm extension was recommended. The proposed extension was found to perform better than traditional PSO. Furthermore, a chaotic local search operator and exponentially varying inertia weight factor algorithm considering constraints were proposed that gave better ability to converge to a high quality solution without oscillations. A hybrid example combining an ANN with the PSO forecasting regression model significantly outperformed the original ANN and PSO approaches in accuracy and computational complexity. The evaluation of statistical confidence for the models gave good results, which is encouraging for further experimentation considering model cross-validation for generalisation to show how accurately the predictive models perform in practice.
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Santos, Lidiane dos. "Preparação e avaliação de cápsulas gastro-resistentes de diclofenaco de sódio." reponame:Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da UFRGS, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10183/6922.
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Cápsulas resistentes ao trato gastrintestinal são freqüentemente usadas com diversos propósitos. Estas cápsulas promovem eficácia farmacológica e farmacocinética de substâncias que são instáveis, ou irritantes para a mucosa gástrica. O diclofenaco de sódio é um antiinflamatório não-esteróide, que, por ser muito utilizado, despertou o interesse do setor magistral para sua manipulação. Porém, o fármaco é irritante para a mucosa gástrica, havendo necessidade de se empregar substâncias capazes de proteger o meio gástrico da ação do medicamento e uma alternativa para o setor magistral é a manipulação de cápsulas gastro-resistentes. Estas cápsulas devem resistir, sem alteração, à ação do suco gástrico, mas desagregar-se rapidamente no suco intestinal. O objetivo deste trabalho foi preparar cápsulas na concentração de 50 mg/cápsula de diclofenaco de sódio formiladas ou revestidas com acetoftalato de celulose ou com Eudragit L100 na máquina de revestimento entérico “Enteric Coating Machine” PCCA ou manualmente. Foram analisados os resultados considerando o perfil de dissolução das formulações. Observou-se que as cápsulas revestidas na máquina com Eudragit L100 e com acetoftalato em acetona revestidas na máquina e manualmente mostraram bons resultados quanto à dissolução, porém, não apresentaram boa aparência no caso das cápsulas de cor vermelha. Quanto às cápsulas revestidas com formol, estas apresentam boa aparência, mas não deram bons resultados no teste de dissolução.
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Adamu, Nenadi. "Young people and the informal economy : understanding their pathways and decision-making within the economy." Thesis, University of Bedfordshire, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10547/621890.
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This is a study of a group of young people that explores their journeys into, and experiences within, the informal economy. Evidence has shown that young people have always been more disadvantaged in a context of high levels of unemployment, limited job opportunities and entitlement to welfare benefits. As an alternative to low paying jobs with poor working conditions, and in addition to strict conditions for claiming benefits, some young people are making the decision to engage in criminal ways of generating income. This study examines the experiences of twenty-six young people from Luton and Cambridge who had engaged in begging, drug dealing and sex work as alternative forms of ‘work’ in their transitions to adulthood. It explores the structural, cultural and biographical factors that influence their informal career decision-making processes, by drawing on Bourdieu’s social field theory. By examining the lived experiences of these young people, the study throws more light on the role of structure and personal agency in the decisions the young people made in engaging in the informal economy. These young people wanted to be seen as ‘normal’ young people. Most were hardworking, and ambitious, and their engagement in informal economic activities was often a ‘means to an end’. This study also identifies strategies that were employed by the young people for their successful navigating of the economy, and highlights the importance of elements like trust, respect and knowledge in their negotiations. It assesses how the issue of risk was managed with the help of what was seen to be an unwritten code of conduct in the field. The study also identified a hierarchy within the field, which was determined by the individual participants, depending on their personal perceptions and perspectives. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews, over a period of a year. The process of collecting data was long and difficult, highlighting the ethical and methodological challenges of conducting research with a ‘hidden’ population. The findings throw new light on the unique challenges young people face both in the formal job market, and in accessing welfare support, in light of the significant changes to social policy in the UK.
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Hope, David. "Britain and the fur trade : commerce and consumers in the North-Atlantic world, 1783-1821." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2016. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/31598/.
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This is a study of the mercantile organisation of the British fur trade in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The thesis seeks to answer two over-arching questions. Firstly, why did the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) maintain its Charter and acquire a monopoly of the British fur trade during a period of significant trade liberalisation in British overseas commerce? Secondly, why did London remain the European emporium of the North-Atlantic fur trade despite the rise of the provincial outports in other branches of Britain’s colonial and foreign trades? In seeking to answer these questions, the thesis explores each stage of the British fur trade in order to establish the factors that prolonged the continuation of the London mercantilist system in the trade. Underpinning these explorations is a detailed study of the trade statistics contained within the British customs’ records, as well as, from sale, purchase, and employee ledgers, and correspondence contained within the HBC Archives. The thesis presents the argument that developments occurring on both sides of the North-Atlantic World supported the continuation of the mercantilist system in the fur trade, and that the trade was actually a more robust model of that system in 1821 than it had been in 1783. The factors that led the British government to grant the HBC a de facto monopoly of the British fur trade in 1821 were multifaceted and it was not, as much of the existing literature suggests, a simple business merger. Ecological constraints in North America limited the potential for growth in the trade and made the enterprise ever more specialised, which served to discourage new entrants and to increase pressure on existing participants. Limited prospects for expansion and the presence of the rival North West Company (NWC) restrained the critiques of British manufacturers towards the HBC. From 1815, violent confrontations between the HBC and NWC on the frozen frontiers of the British North American Empire increased political scrutiny of the fur trade and led metropolitan interests to conclude that a single company with a monopoly of the fur trade was preferable to the injurious effects of unrestrained free market competition. The continued importance of the re-export trade and the buying preferences of the consumers who purchased the trade’s high-value products kept the trade centred on the metropolitan economy and restricted its proliferation to other British ports. Finally, the role of Cain and Hopkins’ ‘gentlemanly capitalists’ proved crucial, as the total absence of provincial opposition allowed the future of the fur trade to be solely shaped by the hands of London’s commercial elite.
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Chen, Tzu-Yao, and 陳子堯. "Investigating the functions of unannotated genes using LINCS L1000 big data." Thesis, 2017. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/05564794452357217247.
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碩士國立陽明大學
生物醫學資訊研究所
105
Abstract Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures (LINCS) is an NIH program which aims to understand biology by cataloging changes in gene expression and other cellular processes that occur when cells are exposed to a variety of perturbing agents. L1000 gene expression data, which include about 1.3 million samples, are the most comprehensive data in LINCS. Since each sample indicates the gene expression status under the treatment of different perturbagens, such as chemical compounds, shRNAs, to normal or cancer cells, the aim of this study is to use the comprehensive big data to investigate the functions of unannotated genes. The gene-gene co-expression network under perturbation was constructed based on LINCS L1000 gene expression data and the protein-protein interaction network was constructed using BioGRID database. These two networks were then integrated into the combined network. A gene pair in the combined network indicates that these two genes are co-expressed under perturbation and their corresponding proteins are interacted. Since genes in the local cluster tend to have similar functions, we proposed a simple comparing method to infer the functions of unannotated genes based on their neighbors in the combined network. The proposed method was also applied to three types of networks to evaluate the network performance, and the results showed that the combined network is more appropriate in functional inference of unannotated genes. Further experiments are needed to verify the inferred functions by the proposed network-based approach.
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Liao, Pei-Han, and 廖珮函. "Inferring Drug-Target Interactions Based on Perturbational Profiles in LINCS L1000 Data." Thesis, 2018. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/dw9egx.
Full textAbstract:
碩士國立臺灣大學
生醫電子與資訊學研究所
106
The journey of a drug, from being selected in the laboratory to finally be sold on the market, is tedious, money-consuming and full of risks. It is an urgent need to shorten the process of drug discovery and development. Either accelerating the initial phase – drug discovery or repurposing existing drugs for new indications could be beneficial to achieve the goal. In this study, we have developed an analysis pipeline for predicting potential targets of drugs based on only perturbational profiles in L1000 data. Through analyzing the associations between compounds and short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs), the potential drug-target interactions could be inferred. The performance of the prediction results was evaluated by a known dataset extracted from Drug Repurposing Hub, and an average area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.71 has been achieved. Finally, we further applied our approach to explore opportunities for drug repurposing in cancer and inflammatory diseases through functional analysis. Several putative anti-cancer drugs and anti-inflammatory drugs revealed from the prediction are supported by preclinical or clinical studies, which demonstrated the efficacy of the proposed approach.
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Lyu, Tian-Meng, and 呂天蒙. "The Attribution and Meridian of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Classification Method Explained by Analyzing L1000™ Expression Profiling Data." Thesis, 2018. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/khu5rt.
Full textAbstract:
碩士國立中央大學
系統生物與生物資訊研究所
106
Chinese traditional Chinese medicine has been underestimated by Western modern science, but with the different compounds extracted from various Chinese medicines used to treat diseases which have good effects, therefore, in recent years, Chinese medicine has attracted more and more attention in the medical field. According to ancient Chinese medical literature, Chinese drug are classified into three attribution: cold, medium and heat medicine; Chinese medicine is also classified as Meridian which means that the drug belongs to the meridians it affects. In this study, we attempted to explain the differences between the attribution and meridian of traditional Chinese medicine by analyzing the L1000 expression profile data of cancer cells treated with Chinese drug. After data analysis, we found that functional analysis of differences between various attributes, tastes, and meridian showed different functions between different groups. In addition, we have learned that the pathways leading to the action of cells in some specific properties may affect the development of cancer. Based on this result, we selected four TCMs which mix the attributes and meridians of our interest and we proved three of these drug’s ability of inhibiting MCF7 breast cancer cells through cell biology experiments. Finally, we believe that the results of Chinese medicine classification method studies that explain by the L1000 profile data may be useful for the development of Chinese medicine.
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Mesbah-Oskui, Bahar. "Place Cell Activity in Disc1-L100P Mutant Mice." Thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1807/31356.
Full textAbstract:
DISC1 is an established susceptibility gene for schizophrenia. To gain insight on the neural mechanisms responsible for hippocampal deficits in schizophrenia, we sought to characterize place cell activity and theta rhythm in our Disc1-L100P mouse strain that we have previously shown to express deficits in spatial working memory. Our findings suggest that the rate code of place cells is intact. We found that Disc1-L100P mice have deficits in theta rhythm, increased neural noise, and lower levels of PV+ interneurons in the hippocampus. Our findings are supportive of impaired temporal coding in Disc1-L100P place cells. We found that Disc1-L100P place cell waveforms were broader than those of wild-type mice and putative interneuron waveforms were narrower. These findings suggest that ion-channel function and expression in the hippocampus is altered in Disc1-L100P mice. In schizophrenic subjects deficits in working memory are associated with aberrant oscillatory activity, increased noise, and lower PV+ interneuron expression.
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Rodrigues, Alexandre de Sousa. "Caracterização do comportamento do adesivo estrutural Sikaforce 7710 L100." Master's thesis, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10316/83206.
Full textAbstract:
Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Engenharia Civil apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências e TecnologiaDevido ao impacto estético e arquitetónico que o vidro introduz nas construções atuais, tem-se vindo a verificar um aumento do interesse na sua utilização no ramo da construção. Numa época em que se vive uma crise financeira a nível europeu, a importância do uso de vidro é comprovada através da disponibilização de verbas por parte da União Europeia com o intuito da elaboração do EC10 (referente ao vidro). Contudo, existem algumas desvantagens da sua utilização como elemento estrutural, pelo que a necessidade de melhoramento é cada vez maior. Assim, visando o aperfeiçoamento das suas propriedades para fins estruturais tem-se recorrido, entre outros avanços, à utilização de sistemas híbridos.Na presente dissertação procura-se caracterizar o comportamento de um adesivo com foco na aplicação em assemblagem de sistemas híbridos, como uma viga vidro-aço, de geometria em “I” ou “T” e com a alma em vidro e os banzos metálicos. O adesivo estudado é um poliuretano semirrígido denominado SikaForce 7710 L100, fornecido pela empresa Sika. A caracterização de um elastómero é, usualmente, conseguida através da calibração de um modelo hiperelástico. Dada a complexidade associada a materiais hiperelásticos, torna-se necessário efetuar diversos ensaios e testar diferentes tipos de deformação para obter uma caracterização correta seja obtida. Para tal, procedeu-se à realização de um ensaio de tração uniaxial, de tração plana e de compressão uniaxial, com o objetivo de calibrar um modelo hiperelástico e um ensaio de corte simples, para validação do modelo calibrado. Posteriormente, de forma a obter os coeficientes característicos de cada modelo, efetuou-se um ajuste do ensaio de tração uniaxial e do de tração plana a determinados modelos da bibliografia por intermédio do software de elementos finitos, ABAQUS. Visando a validação dos resultados obtidos, procedeu-se a uma previsão do comportamento do ensaio de corte simples através do modelo hiperelástico Mooney-Rivlin, primeiro, com base nos coeficientes resultantes do ajuste desse modelo ao ensaio de tração uniaxial e ao de tração plana e, em seguida, fazendo uso apenas do ensaio de tração uniaxial para ajuste e obtenção dos coeficientes desse mesmo modelo. Finalmente, estabeleceu-se uma comparação dos dois tipos de previsões ao ensaio de corte simples.
Due to the aesthetic and architectural impact that glass introduces in current constructions, there has been a great demand of its use in the construction sector. Despite the actual financial crisis, the importance of glass is also reviewed in the funds made available by the European Union for the elaboration of the Glass EC10. However, there are some disadvantages associated with its use has a structural element, therefore the need for improvement is increasing. Thus, aiming at improving its properties for structural purposes, we have resorted, among other advances, to the use of hybrid systems.The main objective of the presented thesis is the characterrization of the behavior of an adhesive for the assembly of hybrid systems, such as glass-steel beam, with an “I” or “T” geometry and a glass soul and metal “banzos”. The adhesive studied is a semi-rigid polyurethane named SikaForce 7710 L100, provided by the company Sika. The behavioral characterization of an elastomer is, usually, accomplished through the calibration of a hyperelastic model. Due to the complexity associated with hyperelatic materials, it becomes necessary to proceed with several tests in order to obtain a correct characterization. For such, it was carried out an uniaxial tension test, a planar tension test and an uniaxial compression test to calibrate the model and a simple shear test, to validate the previously calibrated model. Then, in order to determine the characteristic coefficients of each model, an adjustement of the uniaxial tension test and the planar tension test to certain models of the literature was made using the finite elements software, ABAQUS. Aiming at the validation of the results obtained, it was made a prediction of the simple shear test through the Mooney-Riylin hyperelastic model, firstly, based on the coefficients resulting from the adjustment of this model to the uniaxial tension test and the planar tension test and afterwards, using only the uniaxial tension test to adjust and obtain the coefficients of that same model. Finally, it was established a comparison between the two types of predictions used for the simple shear test.
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Bruce, Caroline Dietzsch 1976. "Recrystallization of guaifenesin from hot-melt extrudates containing Acryl-EZE® or Eudragit® L100-55." Thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/3851.
Full textAbstract:
The physical stability of guaifenesin in melt-extruded acrylic matrix tablets was investigated. The initial study found that recrystallization was caused by guaifenesin supersaturation in Eudragit[Trademark] L100-55, and that the instability was confined to tablet surfaces. Drug release was not affected by crystal growth as guaifenesin is very water soluble. The addition of a polymer in which guaifenesin showed a higher solubility to the matrix blend decreased recrystallization on storage as supersaturation levels dropped. The second investigation identified heterogeneous nucleation as an additional factor in guaifenesin recrystallization. A quantitative assay showed that talc in matrix tablets accelerated the onset and extent of the recrystallization due to a nucleating effect on guaifenesin. Storage under elevated humidity conditions promoted recrystallization as well, but crystal growth was not correlated with water uptake, which implied a nucleating effect of moisture on guaifenesin. The third study investigated the effect of aqueous film-coating of the matrix tablets to stabilize amorphous guaifenesin using either hypromellose or ethylcellulose as coating polymers. The selection of the coating polymer influenced crystal morphology, and was a major factor in delaying the onset of crystallization, ranging from 1-3 weeks (ethylcellulose film-coatings) to 3-6 months (hypromellose film-coatings). Higher weight gains retarded recrystallization. Factors promoting drug and polymer diffusion, such as long curing times and elevated temperatures during both curing and storage, incomplete film coalescence and high core drug concentrations all resulted in an earlier onset of crystallization. The effects of single-screw extrusion (SSE) and twin-screw extrusion (TSE) of diltiazem hydrochloride and guaifenesin-containing blends in Eudragit[Trademark] L100-55 on drug morphology and dispersion were studied in the fourth project. Guaifenesin solubilized diltiazem hydrochloride, and plasticized Eudragit[Trademark] L100-55. Extrusion temperature influenced the drug morphology in single-screw extrudates, while TSE rendered all formulations amorphous due to higher dispersive mixing capabilities. Drug distribution improved with extrusion temperature and by TSE over SSE. Homogeneous matrices showed the slowest drug release at pH 1.0. Recrystallization was inversely correlated to drug distribution. In conclusion, the physical stability of guaifenesin in hot melt-extruded acrylic matrix tablets was shown to be affected by formulation, processing and post-processing factors.text
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Doucet, Jean-Sebastien. "Animal Models of Prophylaxis and Prevention of Schizophrenia: Prenatal Seasonal Influenza Vaccine and Postnatal Valproate." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1807/33400.
Full textAbstract:
Schizophrenia is a mental illness with early adult onset. Prophylactic treatments would be clinically important and therefore we investigated the effect of two interventions: influenza vaccination of pregnant mothers and valproate treatment during late adolescence. Maternal immune response during pregnancy is thought to adversely affect brain development. We sought to assess whether immune activation by influenza vaccine could itself cause behavioural abnormalities in a mouse model. Our data suggest that further work is needed to make firm conclusions about the behavioural effects of the influenza vaccine. The second part of this thesis describes an analysis of valproate treatment on cortical neuron morphology in Disc1 L100P mice, a model for schizophrenia. Valproate was previously shown to prevent the onset of abnormal behaviours in Disc1 L100P mice. Contrary to expectations, valproate decreased apical spine density and the number of dendritic processes rather than reversing the dendritic deficits seen in Disc1 L100P mice.
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Haque, F. Nipa. "Disc1 Mutant Mice Subjected to Chronic Social Defeat Stress as a Model of Gene-Environment Interaction in Schizophrenia and Depression." Thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1807/18335.
Full textAbstract:
Human genetic data suggests DISC1 (Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1) is a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia and depression. Disc1 Q31L-/- mutants show depression-like behaviour and Disc1 L100P-/- mutants schizophrenia-like behaviour. Heterozygous mutants show an intermediate phenotype. In a gene-environment interaction study, we exposed heterozygotes to chronic social defeat (CSD) stress and phenotyped behaviour. Disc1, Bdnf(III) and Pde4b mRNA levels were also measured. Moreover, as epigenetic mechanisms may mediate some effects of CSD, we also exposed wildtype mice to CSD concurrently with the histone deacetylase inhibitor valproate. We found that CSD increased anxiety in L100P-/+ mutants, and that levels of Disc1, Bdnf(III) and Pde4b mRNA were higher in this mutant. Valproate treatment did not correct CSD-induced behavioural changes. In conclusion, we have demonstrated an interaction between a strong susceptibility gene for psychiatric disease and an environmental manipulation similar to stressors known to affect mental illness.
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Cunha, Sara Las. "O impacto da utilização de sistemas inteligentes na mitigação das causas de insucesso das alianças estratégicas em Portugal." Doctoral thesis, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10071/22881.
Full textAbstract:
Apesar da importância estratégica das alianças e dos inúmeros benefícios que esta estratégia
corporativa traz às empresas, as taxas de sucesso são ainda muito reduzidas, sendo várias as
causas de fracasso apresentadas na literatura. Por outro lado, a implementação de sistemas
inteligentes tem-se revelado bastante promissora quando aplicada às diferentes ferramentas da
gestão empresarial. No sentido de encontrar soluções para esta problemática, o principal
objetivo desta investigação prendeu-se com o estudo do impacto que a utilização de sistemas
inteligentes tem na otimização operacional da empresa e na mitigação das causas de insucesso
das alianças estratégicas em Portugal. Para tal, foi utilizada uma abordagem mista de métodos
qualitativos e quantitativos, com a análise de 17 entrevistas e 280 questionários, respetivamente.
De entre as várias conclusões deste trabalho, destaca-se a capacidade de a implementação de
sistemas inteligentes por parte dos gestores ser capaz de colmatar 7 das 10 principais causas de
insucesso das alianças, ajudando as empresas a facilitar o processo colaborativo. Por fim, e
como recomendações futuras decorrentes da análise de conteúdo feita, salientam-se a
necessidade de repensar o modelo tradicional de alianças estratégicas para um formato mais
integrado e dinâmico, e ainda a necessidade de adaptar o atual paradigma do trabalho às novas
circunstâncias sociais provocadas pelo desenvolvimento tecnológico.Despite the strategic importance of alliances and the numerous benefits that this corporate strategy brings to companies, success rates are still very low, with several causes of failure presented in the literature. On the other hand, the implementation of smart systems has proved to be very promising when applied to the different tools of business management. In order to find solutions to this problem, the main objective of this investigation was to study the impact that the use of smart systems has on the operational optimization of the company and in mitigating the causes of failure of strategic alliances in Portugal. For this, a mixed approach of qualitative and quantitative methods was used, with the analysis of 17 interviews and 280 questionnaires, respectively. Among the various conclusions of this work, we highlight the ability of managers to implement smart systems to mitigate 7 of the 10 main causes of failure of alliances, helping companies to facilitate the collaborative process. Finally, and as future recommendations arising from the content analysis carried out, we stress the need to rethink the traditional model of strategic alliances for a more integrated and dynamic format, and the need to adapt the current paradigm of work to the new social circumstances caused by technological development.
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Duarte, Filipe Emanuel de Sousa. "Os desafios da internacionalização para o crescimento das empresas Portuguesas." Master's thesis, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10071/18819.
Full textAbstract:
A presente dissertação de mestrado aborda a internacionalização das empresas portuguesas, e os seus desafios inerentes. A internacionalização é uma estratégia onde uma empresa expande a sua atividade para fora das suas fronteiras nacionais, o que poderá ocorrer na forma de exportação até produção no exterior.
Uma vez que a globalização tem tido uma forte acentuação de há uns anos a esta parte, assim como o aumento da competitividade, a internacionalização das empresas portuguesas poderá ser de grande importância para a sua sobrevivência. Alguns modelos de negócios não são viáveis baseados apenas no mercado interno, que poderá não ser grande o suficiente. Além disso, o processo de internacionalização tem um peso significativo no PIB (Produto Interno Bruto) nacional, o que influência a competitividade nacional.
Nesse sentido, foi aplicada uma metodologia qualitativa a 15 entrevistas realizadas a diferentes gestores portugueses que representam empresas portuguesas com atividade internacional. Através de uma análise de conteúdo, a atividade internacional foi analisada, com intuito de perceber os desafios que essas empresas enfrentam desde a sua expansão para o exterior.
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Através deste estudo, foi possível concluir que a proximidade geográfica e cultural são dois dos principais vetores na escolha de mercados para onde as empresas portuguesas optam por se internacionalizar. Também foi possível identificar múltiplas influencias na escolha do modo de entrada e percebeu-se que as empresas portuguesas são igualmente influenciadas por fatores internos e externos, não havendo preponderância de uma em relação a outra. Além disso, conclui-se que Portugal não tem expressão internacional nos setores em que as empresas analisadas operam. Por conseguinte, estas empresas não beneficiam da imagem do mercado português, uma vez que não acrescenta valor aos produtos e serviços que exportam. Por fim, foi possível verificar que a internacionalização permitiu melhorar a performance das empresas portuguesas analisadas.This Master thesis aims to bring a focus on the Portuguese companies’ internationalization, along with the associated challenges. Internationalization is a strategy from witch a company expands its activity outside its own national borders, which could be in the form of export activity and/or production abroad. Since the globalization has been highlighted several years, along with the rising up of competitiveness, the internationalization of Portuguese companies could be of major importance for its survival. Some business models are not possible if only based on the domestic market, which could be not big enough. Moreover, the process of internationalization could have a significant weight in the national GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and influence national competitiveness. In this sense, a qualitative methodology, has been applied to a total of 15 interviews made to different Portuguese managers behind companies with international activity. Through content analysis, its activity was analyzed, based on the challenges these companies are facing up since its abroad expansion. From this study, it was possible to conclude that geographical and cultural proximity are the major drivers in the choice of markets where Portuguese companies choose to internationalize. It was also possible to identity multiple influences in the choice of input mode, and Portuguese companies are equally influenced by internal and external factors, with no predominance of one in relation to another. Moreover, Portugal does not have international expression in the sectors in which the analyzed companies operate. Therefore, these companies do not benefit from Portuguese external market image, since no added value are associated to the products and services that they export. Finally, it was possible to verify that the internationalization has allowed to improve the performance of the analyzed Portuguese companies.
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Vasconcellos, Flavia Cotias. "Posicionamento estratégico de um serviço de oncologia pediátrica, segundo a visão baseada nos recursos." Master's thesis, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10071/24995.
Full textAbstract:
A visão baseada nos recursos representa uma das principais correntes de pensamento da área de estratégia empresarial. Os recursos de uma organização podem ser fonte de vantagem competitiva, desde que reconhecidos como valiosos, raros, difíceis de serem copiados e explorados pela empresa. Esta tese procurou-se identificar quais recursos e capacidades representam fonte de vantagem competitiva sustentável para um serviço de oncologia pediátrica, de um hospital privado, sob a ótica do modelo VRIO. Para tanto, a metodologia utilizada, foi a coleta de diferentes fontes de dados através de entrevistas realizadas com os responsáveis por clientes da oncologia pediátrica. Foi aplicado um roteiro de entrevista semiestruturado, onde se inquiriu sobre os recursos disponíveis, agrupados em cinco categorias: físicos e estruturais, humanos, organizacionais, tecnológicos e reputacionais.
Desta forma, foi possível identificar diferentes arranjos de recursos e capacidades como fontes de vantagem competitiva sustentável, notadamente, em maior ou menor grau, os recursos humanos, organizacionais e reputacionais. Além disso, também foi detectado que os recursos físicos, provenientes da estrutura hospitalar e tecnológicos, demonstram distintas formas de obtenção de vantagens competitivas temporária analisados no contexto. Desta forma, os recursos avaliados são capazes de concorrer para o posicionamento estratégico do serviço de oncologia pediátrica dentro de uma empresa de saúde.The resource-based view represents one of the main strands of thought in the business strategy’s fields. An organization's resources can be a source of competitive advantage, if they are recognized as valuable, rare, difficult to be copied and exploited by the company. This study intends to identify which resources and capabilities represent a source of sustainable competitive advantage for a pediatric oncology service in a private hospital, from the perspective of the VRIO model. Therefore, the methodology used was the collection of different data sources through interviews conducted with responsible for pediatric oncology clients. A semi-structured interview script was applied, where the available resources were questioned, clustered into five categories: physical and structural, human, organizational, technological, and reputational. In this way, it was possible to identify different arrangements of resources and capabilities as sources of sustainable competitive advantage, notably, to a greater or lesser extent, human, organizational and reputational resources. In addition, it was also detected that physical resources, from the hospital structure and technology, demonstrate different ways of obtaining temporary competitive advantages analyzed in the context. In this way, the resources evaluated can contribute to the strategic positioning of the pediatric oncology service within a healthcare company.
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Ventura, Teresa Garcia Prego. "Quantifying the economic impact of CETA on Portugal." Master's thesis, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10071/15773.
Full textAbstract:
The European Union and Canada recently signed a Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement
(CETA) which covers virtually all sectors and aspects of Canada-EU trade. For small open
economies, like Portugal, trade is a key factor in productivity and competitiveness gains that
foster economic performance and growth. Canada is among Portugal's top 10 importing
countries, and wine is Portugal's main export good to Canada. The wine sector represents an
important source of economic revenue for Portugal, contributing very significantly to the final
value of agricultural production and exports. This dissertation studies the impact of CETA on
Portugal-Canada wine trade, assessing its effects on the Portuguese wine sector. After a
thorough examination of the Canadian wine sector, the Canadian consumer profile and market
trends, an analysis was made to address the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
related to Portugal's positioning in the Canadian market in view of CETA's entry into force.A União Europeia e o Canadá assinaram recentemente um acordo de livre comércio, conhecido por "Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement" (CETA), que abrange praticamente todos os sectores e aspectos do comércio Canadá-UE. Para pequenas economias, como Portugal, o comércio é um factor-chave nos ganhos de produtividade e competitividade que fomentam o desempenho económico e crescimento. O Canadá está entre os 10 maiores mercados importadores de vinho português, sendo este o principal produto das exportações portuguesas para o Canadá. O sector do vinho representa uma importante fonte de receitas para Portugal, contribuindo significativamente para o valor final da produção agrícola e exportações nacionais. Esta dissertação estuda o impacto do CETA no comércio de vinho entre Portugal e o Canadá, avaliando os seus efeitos no sector vitivinícola português. Após uma análise ao sector do vinho no Canadá, o perfil do consumidor e as tendências de mercado, avaliaram-se os pontos fortes, fracos, oportunidades e ameaças relacionados com o posicionamento de Portugal no mercado canadiano face à entrada em vigor do CETA.
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Silva, João Maria Martins Rodrigues da. "The impact of artificial intelligence on customer loyalty and entrepreneurship." Master's thesis, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10071/21636.
Full textAbstract:
Nowadays, every company struggles to success, however there are few of them that actually
do. Artificial intelligence is something that is revolutionize the market, as well as, the way that
companies structure themselves. This work pretends to illuminate who is searching about the
effects that the artificial intelligence can have on customer loyalty and on entrepreneurship. To
do that, I created an online survey, answered by 103 people and I made eleven interviews to
people that worked or are working in one of these three areas. With these, I pretend to have a
better notion about the impact that AI is having or can have in a near future in these areas, the
benefits and disadvantages that can create for the companies, or even the utility that can be for
a worker launch his own business. After conducting the questionnaire and the interviews and
comparing it with the literature review, I came to some conclusions right now that in a very
near future the use of AI will be fundamental to the success of any company. You will inevitably
have to use AI tools to optimize processes, save costs, but never mischaracterize the company.
On the other hand, customer satisfaction is extremely important because it leads to a buyback
from the clientes and the good publicity they will do with third parties, however this is only
achieved when there is a good mix between the quality of the salesman and the product.Hoje em dia, todas as empresas lutam para serem bem-sucedidas, no entanto, poucas delas realmente o são. A inteligência artificial é algo que está a revolucionar o mercado, bem como a forma como as empresas se estruturam e por isso pode ter um papel fundamental. Com este trabalho pretendo iluminar quem está à procura de respostas sobre os efeitos que a inteligência artificial pode ter na fidelidade do cliente e no empreendedorismo. Para isso, realizei um inquérito "online", respondido por 103 pessoas e fiz 11 entrevistas a pessoas que trabalharam ou estão a trabalhar numa destas três áreas. Com isso, pretendo ter uma melhor noção sobre o impacto que a IA está a ter ou pode vir a ter num futuro próximo nestas áreas, os benefícios e desvantagens que podem criar para as empresas, ou mesmo a utilidade que pode ter para o lançamento de um negócio próprio. Após realizar o questionário e as entrevistas e comparando com a revisão de literatura cheguei a algumas conclusões desde já o facto de num futuro bastante próximo a IA ser fundamental para o sucesso de qualquer empresa. Terá inevitavelmente de usar ferramentas de AI para otimizar processos, poupar nos custos, mas nunca descaracterizando a empresa. Por outro lado, a satisfação do cliente é extremamente importante pois leva a uma recompra por parte dos mesmos e à boa publicidade que irão fazer junto de terceiros, porém isto só é conseguido quando existe um bom mix entre a qualidade do vendedor e do produto.
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Cunha, Sara Las. "Formulação estratégica no CIEE Lisboa." Master's thesis, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10071/17749.
Full textAbstract:
A maioria das organizações atuais vive num contexto cada vez mais competitivo e globalizado, o que as obriga a repensar as suas estratégias corporativas, adaptando-as ao meio turbulento e imprevisível que caracteriza os dias de hoje. Numa era em que o mercado está em rápida
e constante mudança, as empresas deixaram de ser detentoras de vantagens competitivas permanentes, vendo-se forçadas, caso queiram sobreviver, a apostar na inovação e na busca de
alternativas. O recurso a estratégias corporativas apresenta-se, deste modo, como uma opção
viável para dar resposta às necessidades do mercado e dos seus clientes, contribuindo para o
aumento da vantagem competitiva e níveis de performance empresariais. O objetivo desta
investigação é precisamente averiguar se o CIEE Lisboa está a recorrer à implementação de
estratégias corporativas com o intuito de atingir os seus objetivos estratégicos, ampliar a sua
área de atuação e aumentar a sua performance empresarial. Para tal, foi feita uma pesquisa
detalhada com base em três estratégias corporativas específicas - diversificação, alianças estratégicas e fusões e/ou aquisições – no sentido de apurar quais as características mais relevantes de cada estratégia em particular, nomeadamente no que diz respeito aos benefícios e
riscos associados, às suas vantagens e desvantagens e aos fatores chave para o sucesso de cada uma delas, fazendo, posteriormente, uma constatação da aplicação prática dos conceitos
relativamente à estratégia atual implementada pelo CIEE Lisboa.Most of today's organizations live in an increasingly competitive and globalized context, which forces them to rethink their corporate strategies and adapt to turbulent and unpredictable environments. Market is rapidly changing and companies no longer have permanent competitive advantages and thus are being forced to innovate in their search for alternative survival plans. Corporate strategies are a viable option to meet market and customers’ needs, increasing competitive advantage and improving business performance. This research aims to verify if CIEE Lisbon is implementing corporate strategies to reach its strategic goals. Therefore, detailed research was carried out based on three specific corporate strategies: diversification, strategic alliances and mergers and acquisitions. This study seeks to understand the most relevant characteristics of each, including benefits and risks, advantages and disadvantages, and key factors that influence the success of each strategy. Current strategy implementation by CIEE Lisbon was then compared with the knowledge acquired during the literature review and the concepts defended by the aforementioned authors.
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Moreira, Paulo Rodrigues Pinheiro de Sousa. "O contributo do marketing relacional e da formação contínua na fidelização de clientes." Master's thesis, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10071/19694.
Full textAbstract:
Actualmente as empresas vivem num contexto globalizado cada vez mais competitivo, o
que as obriga a redefinir o seu posicionamento e as estratégias de marketing e vendas,
para se manterem adaptadas ao mercado dinâmico e incerto que é característico dos dias
de hoje. A busca de projectos inovadores e diferenciadores é assim imprescindível para
reforçar as suas vantagens competitivas. Os clientes tornaram-se o bem mais precioso
das organizações e para isso é necessário preservá-los, dando resposta às suas
necessidades. O objectivo desta investigação é justamente analisar a importância que a
transição do Marketing Tradicional para o Marketing Relacional tem no sector B-to-B,
tendo como base a fidelização de clientes, suportada por eventos de formação contínua
que permitem essa relação de longo prazo. Para tal, foi realizada uma pesquisa assente
nesses conceitos, através do estudo de caso do evento de formação contínua Hoya
Faculty, realizado pela subsidiária Ibérica da Hoya Corporation. Adoptou-se uma
metodologia quantitativa, através da utilização de um questionário online, realizado aos
clientes portugueses e espanhóis que participaram no evento em 2015/2016 e
2018/2019, no sentido de apurar a sua percepção face a esta prioridade estratégica. O
estudo evidenciou uma visão dos clientes que vai ao encontro da mudança de paradigma
do Marketing Transaccional para o Marketing Relacional, valorizando este último.
Fornece ainda alguns contributos que poderão ser considerados na empresa pelas
equipas de marketing e de vendas, permitindo ajustar estratégias às necessidades e
expectativas dos clientes, tendo em vista a sua fidelização.Nowadays, companies live in a global context that is becoming more competitive every day. This situation, implies redefining their positioning and marketing/ sales strategies in order to keep up with this dynamic and uncertain market. The continuous search for innovative projects is now extremely necessary (almost mandatory) to reinforce their competitive advantages. The clients have become the most precious good in any company, that is why it is crucial to preserve and constantly answer/prevent their needs. The main goal of this investigation is to analyse the importance of the transition from traditional marketing to relationship marketing in the B-to-B market, focusing on customer loyalty, supported by continuous training events that will reinforce this long term relationship. To this end, a research based on this concepts was carried out trough the study of Hoya Faculty continuous education event, conducted by the Iberian subsidiary of Hoya Corporation. For this purpose, a quantitative methodology was adopted through the use of an online questionnaire, conducted to Spanish and Portuguese clients who participated in the 2015/2016 and 2018/2019 events, in order to investigate their perception about this strategic priority. This study showed that the clients agreed to change the vision of the paradigm of the transitional marketing to the relationship marketing. The study also gave some insights that can be used by the companies marketing and sales teams, helping them to adjust the strategies of customer needs and expectations, focusing on loyalty.