Manufacturing processes in the textile industry. Expert Systems for fabrics production

 The textile industry is characterized by the economic activity whose objective is the production of fibres, yarns, fabrics, clothing and textile goods for home and decoration, as well as technical and industrial purposes. Within manufacturing, the Textile is one of the oldest and most complex sectors which includes a large number of sub-sectors covering the entire production cycle, from raw materials and intermediate products, to the production of final products. Textile industry activities present different subdivisions,each with its own traits. The length of the textile process and the variety of its technicalprocesses lead to the coexistence of different sub-sectors in regards to their business structure and integration. The textile industry is developing expert systems applicationsto increase production, improve quality and reduce costs. The analysis of textile designs or structures includes the use of mathematical models to simulate the behavior of the textile structures (yarns, fabrics and knitting). The Finite Element Method (FEM) has largely facilitated the prediction of the behavior of that textile structure under mechanical loads. For classification problems Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) have proved to be a very effective tool as a quick and accurate solution. The Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) method proposed in this study complements the results of the finite element simulation, mathematical modeling and neural networks methods

Globalisation of production and markets.

Internationale Arbeitsteilung; Direktinvestition; Internationale Unternehmenskooperation; Industriegüteraußenhandel; Internationaler Wettbewerb; Welt; EU-Staaten; USA; Japan;

Product differentiation and intra-industrial trade: Quantitative assessment in the case of Tunisia

In this article we try to analyze the extend of product differentiation in the Tunisian’s context, by relying on an investigation drived at a sufficiently disaggregated level of sectors. In the first section, we tend to expose the relationship between market structure, product differentiation and intra-industrial trade. Then, we reexamine in the second section some operational proxies of products variety that were previously analyzed by the empirical literature. In the third section, we tend to appreciate the strength of products differentiation in the specific case of Tunisia and in 8 different sectors

Do industry specialists and business risk auditors enhance audit reporting accuracy?.

A number of prior studies have examined audit reporting quality using size (Big 8/6/5/4) as a proxy for quality (i.e. Lennox, 1999b; Francis and Krishnan, 1999; Weber and Willenborg, 2003). In this paper we move beyond the traditional definition of a high quality auditor, and investigate whether enhanced industry knowledge or an increased focus on business risk auditing methodologies improve audit reporting accuracy. In addition, we examine whether industry specialists and business risk auditors have a comparative advantage in judging the adequacy of mitigating management actions implemented by financially distressed companies. Using a sample of US companies from manufacturing industries (SIC 20-39) that went bankrupt between 1998-2001, we do not find evidence supporting that specialist auditors are more likely to issue a going concern opinion for companies that subsequently go bankrupt. However, our evidence does indicate that specialists are not fooled by operating initiatives (whereas non-specialists are). Interestingly and counter to our expectations, we find that audit firms using a business risk methodology are less likely to issue a going–concern opinion for a firm that subsequently goes bankrupt. Further, our evidence also suggests that business risk auditors may be 'fooled' by short term operating efforts to reduce financial distress. Finally, we also find very strong evidence that auditors, irrespective of their type, are 'fooled' into not issuing a going concern opinion for clients that subsequently go bankrupt when the client is planning on raising cash in the short term.Behavior; Control; Cost; Exchange; Information; Negotiations; Performance; Power; Research; Theory; Law; Effects; Trade; Flows; Country; Intensity; Imports; Import; United States; Trade liberalization; Industry; Industries; Business; Risk; Reporting; Studies; Quality; Size; Knowledge; Auditing; Comparative advantage; Management; Companies; Manufacturing; Firms; Planning;

ICS Materials. Towards a re-Interpretation of material qualities through interactive, connected, and smart materials.

The domain of materials for design is changing under the influence of an increased technological advancement, miniaturization and democratization. Materials are becoming connected, augmented, computational, interactive, active, responsive, and dynamic. These are ICS Materials, an acronym that stands for Interactive, Connected and Smart. While labs around the world are experimenting with these new materials, there is the need to reflect on their potentials and impact on design. This paper is a first step in this direction: to interpret and describe the qualities of ICS materials, considering their experiential pattern, their expressive sensorial dimension, and their aesthetic of interaction. Through case studies, we analyse and classify these emerging ICS Materials and identified common characteristics, and challenges, e.g. the ability to change over time or their programmability by the designers and users. On that basis, we argue there is the need to reframe and redesign existing models to describe ICS materials, making their qualities emerge

Bioengineered Textiles and Nonwovens – the convergence of bio-miniaturisation and electroactive conductive polymers for assistive healthcare, portable power and design-led wearable technology

Today, there is an opportunity to bring together creative design activities to exploit the responsive and adaptive ‘smart’ materials that are a result of rapid development in electro, photo active polymers or OFEDs (organic thin film electronic devices), bio-responsive hydrogels, integrated into MEMS/NEMS devices and systems respectively. Some of these integrated systems are summarised in this paper, highlighting their use to create enhanced functionality in textiles, fabrics and non-woven large area thin films. By understanding the characteristics and properties of OFEDs and bio polymers and how they can be transformed into implementable physical forms, innovative products and services can be developed, with wide implications. The paper outlines some of these opportunities and applications, in particular, an ambient living platform, dealing with human centred needs, of people at work, people at home and people at play. The innovative design affords the accelerated development of intelligent materials (interactive, responsive and adaptive) for a new product & service design landscape, encompassing assistive healthcare (smart bandages and digital theranostics), ambient living, renewable energy (organic PV and solar textiles), interactive consumer products, interactive personal & beauty care (e-Scent) and a more intelligent built environment

Recommendations to Improve GSP Labor Rights Criteria and Review Process

Testimony by Brian Campbell of ILRF to the Committee on Ways and Means, Sub-Committee on Trade, recommending the improvement of the generalized System of Preferences labor rights criteria

Interest Groups and Government Spending in Italy, 1876-1913

In the last two decades of the XIX century Italy became an industrial country. Historians maintain that this process was affected by the action of some interest groups that pursued both state protection from competition and specific public expenditure programs. Starting from the economic literature of interest groups, this paper attempts to empirically investigate the role of the interest groups in public expenditure decisions in Italy from 1876 to 1913. We argue that a proper indicator of the role of interest groups is their output. The analysis suggests that government spending was sensitive to the preferences of heavy industry rather then those of textile and cereal cultivators. We therefore highlight the role of the political process in setting economic policy at the early stages of Italian development.special interest groups, public expenditure, Italian economic history