The innovation of cotton fiber from recycled cloth as coloring agent for polypropylene via injection moulding

Plastics can be coloured in many different ways. In the present application, the colouring agent that is used in the plastic industries are the dyes and pigments. Both methods are sustantially different and produce specific results. Dyes are defined as colourants that are (completely) soluble in a polymer at the processing temperature. Pigments are organic or inorganic solid particles that are insoluble in polymers..

Mean Reversion in Stock Prices? A Reappraisal of the Empirical Evidence

Recent research based on variance ratios and multiperiod-return autocorrelations concludes that the stock market exhibits mean reversion in the sense that a return in excess of the average tends to be followed by partially offsetting returns in the opposite direction. Dividing history into pre-1926, 1926-46, and post-1946 subperiods, we find that the mean-reversion phenomenon is a feature of the 1926-46 period, but not of the post-1946 period which instead exhibits persistence of returns. Evidence for pre-1926 data is mixed. The statistical significance of test statistics is assessed by estimating their distribution using stratified randomization. Autocorrelations of multiperiod returns imply a forecast of future returns, which is presented for post-war three-year returns using 1926-46, full sample, and sequentially updated coefficient estimates. The correlation between actual and forecasted returns is negative in each case. We conclude that evidence of mean reversion in U.S. stock returns is substantially weaker than reported in the recent literature. If mean-reversion continues to be a feature of the stock market, then the experience of the past forty years has been an aberration.

Scor Quality Model Affecting Manufacturing Firm’s Supply Chain Quality Performance And The Moderating Effect Of Qms

The main objective of this study is hypothesis testing to explain the nature of the relationship between the independent variables (The SCOR quality model) and the dependent variable (Supply Chain Quality Performance) and moderated by (QMS). Objektif utama kajian ini adalah untuk menerangkan hubungan antara model SCOR kualiti dengan prestasi kualiti rantaian bekalan sesebuah firma dan QMS memoderasikan huungan model SCOR kualiti dengan prestasi kuality rantaian bekalan

The European venture capital and private equity country attractiveness index(es)

We calculate composite indexes to compare the attractiveness of 25 European countries for institutional investments into the Venture Capital and Private Equity asset class. To achieve this we use 42 different criteria and propose an aggregation structure that allows for benchmarking on more granular levels. The United Kingdom leads our ranking, followed by Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. While Germany is slightly above the average European attractiveness level, the scores for France, Italy, Spain, and Greece are rather disappointing. Our analyses reveal that while the United Kingdom is similar to the other European countries with respect to many criteria, there are two major differences which ultimately affect its attractiveness: its investor protection and corporate governance rules; and the size and liquidity of its capital market. The state of the capital market is likewise a proxy for the professionalism of the financial community, deal flow and exit opportunities. We determine a reasonable correlation between our attractiveness index scores and actual Venture Capital and Private Equity fundraising activities and prove the robustness of our calculations. Our findings across all the European countries suggest that while investor protection and capital markets are in fact very important determinants of attractiveness, there are numerous other criteria to consider.Venture Capital; Private Equity; Alternative Asset; International Asset Allocation;

The attractiveness of central eastern European countries for venture capital and private equity investors

We address the attractiveness of Central Eastern European countries for VC/PE investors by the construction of a composite index. For the index composition we refer to the results of numerous prior research papers that investigate relevant parameters determining entrepreneurial activity and/or the engagements of institutional investors. We aggregate the index via five different methods and receive country rankings that vary only slightly, signaling a robust index calculation. We clearly identify six tier groups of attractiveness for all of our sample countries. We compare our index with the actual fundraising activities in the particular countries and reveal a reasonable correlation of both figures. The results highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the particular economies and provide guidelines for political improvements and institutional investors' country allocations.Venture capital; Private equity; Central Eastern Europe; Economic transition;

Psychometric Evaluation of the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale in Adults with Functional Limitations

Enjoyment is an important construct for understanding physical activity participation, and it has not been examined in adults with functional limitations. This secondary analysis reported the reliability and validity of the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) in a convenience sample of 40 adults with functional limitations. The participants completed the PACES, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Late Life Function and Disability Instrument (LLFDI) prior to beginning a 12-week feasibility dance intervention study. Results indicated reliability as Cronbach\u27s alpha was .95 and mean inter-item correlation was .52. To further support reliability, homogeneity of the instrument was evaluated using item-to-total scale correlations. Homogeneity was supported as all items had corrected item-to-total correlations greater than .30. For validity, the PACES was significantly related to only the Physical Function component of the LLFDI (r = .38, p = .02), but not the CES-D. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 3-factor structure that accounted for 73.76% of the variance. This feasibility intervention dance study represented the first attempt to examine the psychometric properties of the PACES in adults with functional limitations. The findings demonstrate support for the scale\u27s reliability and validity among adults with functional limitations. Results are informative as further psychometric testing of the PACES is recommended using randomized clinical trials with larger sample sizes. Enjoyment for physical activity is an important construct for understanding physical activity participation in adults with functional limitations

The development of a brief measure of learner autonomy in university students

A great deal of attention is paid to the requirement for university students to become autonomous learners. A review of the literature revealed a lack of relatively short psychometrically sound measures of autonomous learning despite its purported importance. This study aimed to develop a brief, psychometrically sound, measure of autonomous learning to facilitate empirical research in this area. Items for the scale were selected from reviewing the literature, and face validity was confirmed by experienced academics. In the first study, first‐year psychology students (n = 214) completed the measure. Principal components analysis produced a 12‐item measure with two subscales that appeared to be psychometrically sound. The factor structure was reproduced with a more diverse group of undergraduates (n =172) in a second study. The internal reliability and the concurrent validity of the scale were both found to be satisfactory, suggesting that this measure may prove useful to educational researchers

On the Response of Economic Aggregates to Monetary Policy Shocks

This study empirically investigates how shocks to monetary policy measures (short-term nominal interest rate and broad money supply) affect economic aggregates: output growth, price levels and nominal exchange rate. The study is carried out for Pakistan using quarterly data covering the period from 1980 to 2009. In doing this, Johansen’s (1988) co integration technique and vector error correction model are applied to explore the long-run relationship among the variables. We find significant evidence on the existence of a long-run stable relationship between our monetary measures and economic aggregates. The impulse response functions (IRFs) are computed to examine the response of each macroeconomic variable to a standard deviation shock to monetary measures. The IRF graphs reveal a price puzzle in closed as well as in open economy model. However, an initial appreciation of exchange rate is observed, indicating the overshooting hypothesis phenomenon for Pakistan.Monetary Policy, Economic Aggregates, VECM, Impulse Response Function.

New resonance approach to competitiveness interventions in lagging regions: the case of Ukraine before the armed conflict

Regional competitiveness is considered to be an alternative basis for the determination of regional interventions. However, the composite competitiveness indicator is quite sensitive to the weights of sub-indicators, no matter what methodology is being used. To avoid this uncertainty in the determination of regional interventions, we proposed a new non-compensatory resonance approach that is focused on the hierarchical coincidence between weaknesses of NUTS 1 and NUTS 2 regions measuring the extensive and intensive components of competitiveness. Such a coincidence, being perceived as a resonance effect, is supposed to increase the effectiveness of interventions triggering synergetic effects and stirring up local regional potentials. The components of competitiveness are obtained through synthesising DEA methodology and Hellwig's index, correspondingly focusing on the measurement of technical efficiency and resource level. In analysing Ukrainian regions, no correlation between resonance interventions and the composite competitiveness indicator or GDP per capita was found, pointing toward a completely different direction in resonance approach. In western Ukraine, the congestion of six NUTS 2 regions was defined as a homogeneous area of analogous resonance interventions focused on improving business efficiency.Web of Science171562