2,921 research outputs found

    2023-2024 Catalog

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    The 2023-2024 Governors State University Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog is a comprehensive listing of current information regarding:Degree RequirementsCourse OfferingsUndergraduate and Graduate Rules and Regulation

    Essays in macroeconomics: worker and firm dynamics

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    Defence date: 22 May 2023Examining Board: Prof. Russell Cooper, (EUI, Supervisor); Prof. Thomas Crossley (EUI, Co-Supervisor); Prof. Basile Grassi, (Bocconi University); Prof. Bas van der Klaauw, (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)This thesis comprises three independent essays in applied macroeconomics. The three papers examine unemployment insurance policy, monetary policy transmission to real economic activity, and how government spending passes through production networks. Job Search and the Threat of Unemployment Benefit Sanctions examines the impact of the threat to cut jobseekers’ unemployment benefits in order to spur search effort and accelerate the return to work. Faster exit from unemployment is often associated with worse reentry characteristics associated with a substitution of social insurance transfer payments towards “market insurance". Sectoral Volatility and the Investment Channel of Monetary Policy investigates how the dispersion of individual-level fluctuations in firms’ productivity affects their investment responsiveness to monetary policy operations, with consequences for when monetary policy is more or less powerful over the business cycle. Goverment Spending in Production Networks: Size versus Centrality examines how government spending propagates through the production network. We ask what are the consequences for fiscal spending multipliers when we account for both the networked structure of production and the heterogeneity of firms which occupy important nodes simultaneously. Specifically, we examine whether there is a race between centrality (implying large network effects) and firm size (dampening responsiveness due to slacker constraints).1. Job search and the threat of unemployment benefit sanctions -- 2. Sectoral volatility and the investment channel of monetary policy -- 3. Government spending in firm-level production networks: size versus centralit

    Commercial banking and financial inclusion of Uganda’s middle class - the case of Kampala city

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    Studies have demonstrated that financial inclusion or being part of a formal financial system, has the potential to improve the quality of life, and is one of the key pillars of economic growth, given that it promotes social inclusion and reduces poverty levels. Consequently, a number of jurisdictions including Uganda, have over the years put in place deliberate policies to encourage the financial inclusion of their citizenry. However, the national census of 2014 revealed that approximately 57 percent of the urban households did not have bank accounts. Most of the middle class reside in urban areas and, therefore, it implies that a large number of them appear to be excluded from the banking sector. It is worth noting that in the context of Uganda and this research, bank account do not include mobile money accounts, although mobile money companies are regulated by the Central Bank. The middle class play a significant role in promoting economic growth especially through their purchasing power. As such, their continued exclusion from the formal banking sector, specifically that which is regulated by the Central Bank, could have far-reaching implications on the pace of the country’s economic growth. A significant proportion of bank deposits in the formal banking sector regulated by Bank of Uganda sit in Commercial banks, with a small percentage held in Credit Institutions and Micro finance Deposit Taking Institutions (MDIs). As such, this study, sought to understand the major factors affecting access, usage and quality of commercial banking services accessed by the middle class, using a case study of Kampala which is the capital city of Uganda. It has been ascertained that financial inclusion is sensitive to context and is affected by the emotions of people. It was against this background that a literature review on factors affecting financial inclusion in six (6) countries was conducted. The countries spanned across the developed and less developed world namely: United States of America, United Kingdom, India, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda. The review gave the researcher a broad view of the various factors affecting financial inclusion or access to formal financial services generally, excluding mobile money. These were subjected to further research, to ascertain whether they affected the middle class in Uganda. In order to obtain credible research findings, a mixed methods research approach was adopted. Logistic regression and the Linear Probability Model (LPM) were used to analyse the primary data which was collected using questionnaires completed by a quasi random sample of two sub-groups of the urban middle class. Follow-up qualitative interviews were held with respondents who were willing to share additional information. This enabled the researcher obtain a better appreciation of the motivations and experiences lying behind the statistical results. The results of the study revealed that the major factors affecting financial inclusion amongst the Ugandan middle class were; high bank charges, inadequate handling of customer complaints, fear of compromised privacy, low trust in the banking sector, long lines in banking outlets, negative experiences with banks, unstable internet and ATM services, amongst others. Arising from these findings, and benchmarking with other countries, the study has highlighted a number of recommendations for various stakeholders. The Government of Uganda should consider the need to have a professionally managed and widely marketed Government owned commercial bank with a large branch network to cater better for the needs of the middle and lower class Ugandan. The Central Bank should consider engaging with commercial banks to explore the possibility of opening ‘basic bank accounts’ or ‘no frill accounts’ which do not attract any fees or charges, for certain segments of the population, as has been done in other jurisdictions. Additionally, Bank of Uganda should enhance its effort in strengthening the customer complaints management process by both the commercial banks and within the Central Bank itself. Alternatively they could consider establishing a Consumer Protection Department or Unit for financial services. The Government should intensify its drive of providing stable, faster and affordable internet across the country in order to better support alternative channels of banking. Finally, the public should be better informed about the role of the Deposit Protection Fund of Uganda in compensating depositors up to the insured limit in the event of a bank closure

    Modelling mixed autonomy traffic networks with pricing and routing control

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    Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) are expected to change the way people travel in cities. Before human-driven vehicles (HVs) are completely phased out, the urban traffic flow will be heterogeneous of HVs, CAVs, and public transport vehicles commonly known as mixed autonomy. Mixed autonomy networks are likely to be made up of different route choice behaviours compared with conventional networks with HVs only. While HVs are expected to continue taking individually and selfishly selected shortest paths following user equilibrium (UE), a set of centrally controlled AVs could potentially follow the system optimal (SO) routing behaviour to reduce the selfish and inefficient behaviour of UE-seeking HVs. In this dissertation, a mixed equilibrium simulation-based dynamic traffic assignment (SBDTA) model is developed in which two classes of vehicles with different routing behaviours (UE-seeking HVs and SO-seeking AVs) are present in the network. The dissertation proposes a joint routing and incentive-based congestion pricing scheme in which SO-seeking CAVs are exempt from the toll while UE-seeking HVs have their usual shortest-path routing decisions are subject to a spatially differentiated congestion charge. This control strategy could potentially boost market penetration rate of CAVs while encouraging them to adopt SO routing behaviour and discouraging UE-seeking users from entering congested areas. The dissertation also proposes a distance-based time-dependent optimal ratio control scheme (TORCS) in which an optimal ratio of CAVs is identified and selected to seek SO routing. The objective of the control scheme is to achieve a reasonable compromise between the system efficiency (i.e., total travel time savings) and the control cost that is proportional to the total distance travelled by SO-seeking AVs. The proposed modelling frameworks are then extended to bi-modal networks considering three competing modes (bus, SO-seeking CAVs, and UE-seeking HVs). A nested logit-based mode choice model is applied to capture travellers’ preferences toward three available modes and elasticity in travel demand. A dynamic transit assignment model is also deployed and integrated into the mixed equilibrium SBDTA model to generate equilibrium traffic flow under different scenarios. The applicability and performance of the proposed models are demonstrated on a real large-scale network of Melbourne, Australia. The research outcomes are expected to improve the performance of mixed autonomy traffic networks with optimal pricing and routing control

    Endogenous UMIs as quantifiable reporter elements – validation studies & applications in rAAV vectorology

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    In the creation of recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vectors, terminal DNA elements known ITRs (inverted terminal repeats) of the direct the intracellular synthesis and packaging of nonviral DNA. The need to clonally amplify ITR sequences in one form or another thereby underlies the existence of all rAAV clinical products and research materials worldwide. Their tendency to form strong nonduplex structures raises problems. The genetic precursors to rAAV vectors – typically prokaryotic plasmids – are known to possess heterogenous ITR sequences as a result of replicational instability, the effects of which on vector yield and efficacy are unclear and have not been systematically explored. To shed much-needed light on this decades-old problem, I utilised unique molecular identifiers (UMIs) as reporter elements for different rAAV plasmid preparations, so that massively parallel sequencing could be used to analyse their DNA and RNA derivatives through the course of production and in vivo gene transfer. The range of vector potencies observed, while not calamitous, definitively erases the notion that this problem can be further overlooked. The success of this unconventional strategy proved to be an equally notable outcome, offering unprecedented insights into population kinetics, and achieving quantitative consistency between biological replicates comparable to q/dPCR measurement replicates of single samples. This triggered concerted efforts to formally investigate the capabilities of UMIs used in this fashion. The probabilistic principles underlying the technique were formalised and empirically validated, confirming precision capabilities akin if not superior to dPCR and qPCR at equivalent levels of stringency. Experiments also revealed a pattern of measurement bias with potentially adverse implications for other areas of count analysis including differential gene expression

    Application of knowledge management principles to support maintenance strategies in healthcare organisations

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    Healthcare is a vital service that touches people's lives on a daily basis by providing treatment and resolving patients' health problems through the staff. Human lives are ultimately dependent on the skilled hands of the staff and those who manage the infrastructure that supports the daily operations of the service, making it a compelling reason for a dedicated research study. However, the UK healthcare sector is undergoing rapid changes, driven by rising costs, technological advancements, changing patient expectations, and increasing pressure to deliver sustainable healthcare. With the global rise in healthcare challenges, the need for sustainable healthcare delivery has become imperative. Sustainable healthcare delivery requires the integration of various practices that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare infrastructural assets. One critical area that requires attention is the management of healthcare facilities. Healthcare facilitiesis considered one of the core elements in the delivery of effective healthcare services, as shortcomings in the provision of facilities management (FM) services in hospitals may have much more drastic negative effects than in any other general forms of buildings. An essential element in healthcare FM is linked to the relationship between action and knowledge. With a full sense of understanding of infrastructural assets, it is possible to improve, manage and make buildings suitable to the needs of users and to ensure the functionality of the structure and processes. The premise of FM is that an organisation's effectiveness and efficiency are linked to the physical environment in which it operates and that improving the environment can result in direct benefits in operational performance. The goal of healthcare FM is to support the achievement of organisational mission and goals by designing and managing space and infrastructural assets in the best combination of suitability, efficiency, and cost. In operational terms, performance refers to how well a building contributes to fulfilling its intended functions. Therefore, comprehensive deployment of efficient FM approaches is essential for ensuring quality healthcare provision while positively impacting overall patient experiences. In this regard, incorporating knowledge management (KM) principles into hospitals' FM processes contributes significantly to ensuring sustainable healthcare provision and enhancement of patient experiences. Organisations implementing KM principles are better positioned to navigate the constantly evolving business ecosystem easily. Furthermore, KM is vital in processes and service improvement, strategic decision-making, and organisational adaptation and renewal. In this regard, KM principles can be applied to improve hospital FM, thereby ensuring sustainable healthcare delivery. Knowledge management assumes that organisations that manage their organisational and individual knowledge more effectively will be able to cope more successfully with the challenges of the new business ecosystem. There is also the argument that KM plays a crucial role in improving processes and services, strategic decision-making, and adapting and renewing an organisation. The goal of KM is to aid action – providing "a knowledge pull" rather than the information overload most people experience in healthcare FM. Other motivations for seeking better KM in healthcare FM include patient safety, evidence-based care, and cost efficiency as the dominant drivers. The most evidence exists for the success of such approaches at knowledge bottlenecks, such as infection prevention and control, working safely, compliances, automated systems and reminders, and recall based on best practices. The ability to cultivate, nurture and maximise knowledge at multiple levels and in multiple contexts is one of the most significant challenges for those responsible for KM. However, despite the potential benefits, applying KM principles in hospital facilities is still limited. There is a lack of understanding of how KM can be effectively applied in this context, and few studies have explored the potential challenges and opportunities associated with implementing KM principles in hospitals facilities for sustainable healthcare delivery. This study explores applying KM principles to support maintenance strategies in healthcare organisations. The study also explores the challenges and opportunities, for healthcare organisations and FM practitioners, in operationalising a framework which draws the interconnectedness between healthcare. The study begins by defining healthcare FM and its importance in the healthcare industry. It then discusses the concept of KM and the different types of knowledge that are relevant in the healthcare FM sector. The study also examines the challenges that healthcare FM face in managing knowledge and how the application of KM principles can help to overcome these challenges. The study then explores the different KM strategies that can be applied in healthcare FM. The KM benefits include improved patient outcomes, reduced costs, increased efficiency, and enhanced collaboration among healthcare professionals. Additionally, issues like creating a culture of innovation, technology, and benchmarking are considered. In addition, a framework that integrates the essential concepts of KM in healthcare FM will be presented and discussed. The field of KM is introduced as a complex adaptive system with numerous possibilities and challenges. In this context, and in consideration of healthcare FM, five objectives have been formulated to achieve the research aim. As part of the research, a number of objectives will be evaluated, including appraising the concept of KM and how knowledge is created, stored, transferred, and utilised in healthcare FM, evaluating the impact of organisational structure on job satisfaction as well as exploring how cultural differences impact knowledge sharing and performance in healthcare FM organisations. This study uses a combination of qualitative methods, such as meetings, observations, document analysis (internal and external), and semi-structured interviews, to discover the subjective experiences of healthcare FM employees and to understand the phenomenon within a real-world context and attitudes of healthcare FM as the data collection method, using open questions to allow probing where appropriate and facilitating KM development in the delivery and practice of healthcare FM. The study describes the research methodology using the theoretical concept of the "research onion". The qualitative research was conducted in the NHS acute and non-acute hospitals in Northwest England. Findings from the research study revealed that while the concept of KM has grown significantly in recent years, KM in healthcare FM has received little or no attention. The target population was fifty (five FM directors, five academics, five industry experts, ten managers, ten supervisors, five team leaders and ten operatives). These seven groups were purposively selected as the target population because they play a crucial role in KM enhancement in healthcare FM. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with all participants based on their pre-determined availability. Out of the 50-target population, only 25 were successfully interviewed to the point of saturation. Data collected from the interview were coded and analysed using NVivo to identify themes and patterns related to KM in healthcare FM. The study is divided into eight major sections. First, it discusses literature findings regarding healthcare FM and KM, including underlying trends in FM, KM in general, and KM in healthcare FM. Second, the research establishes the study's methodology, introducing the five research objectives, questions and hypothesis. The chapter introduces the literature on methodology elements, including philosophical views and inquiry strategies. The interview and data analysis look at the feedback from the interviews. Lastly, a conclusion and recommendation summarise the research objectives and suggest further research. Overall, this study highlights the importance of KM in healthcare FM and provides insights for healthcare FM directors, managers, supervisors, academia, researchers and operatives on effectively leveraging knowledge to improve patient care and organisational effectiveness
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