The impact of price change on consumer choice of automobiles

The objective of this paper is to examine whether a change in the price of a given model of national automobiles affects the choice of alternative car models by consumers. Four models of national automobiles - Saga 1.3cc, Saga 1.5cc, Wira 1.3cc, and Wira 1.5cc - are considered over the period 2000–2002. The results based on the conditional logit model indicate that all of the alternative models are substitutes to each other

Issues & challenges of applying Islamic banking in Zanzibar: a way forward

The operation of Islamic banking in Zanzibar started in 2011 to boost economic activities and meet the demand of its people. However, the introduction of Islamic banking was not followed by any legal amendment to suit the operation of Islamic banking in the country as per Islamic principles. This paper, therefore, examines different laws which governed the Islamic banking in Zanzibar to find how far they support the operation of Islamic banking. The findings of this paper revealed that some of the laws in Zanzibar contain provisions that do not support Islamic banking transactions. The methodology adopted in this paper is based on the content analysis of legislations, leading textbooks, and journal articles. The study used a comparative method to address the study in question. The study recommends amendment of some laws such as the Contract Decree, 1917 and Transfer of Property Decree, 1917, Stamp Duty Act 2017, and Value Added Tax Act, 1998 for improving the legal regime governing Islamic banking transactions in Zanzibar

Islamic Development Bank (IDB), foreign aid and the challenges for sustainable development in Africa

Foreign aid/development assistance involves the transfer of resources in whatever form from the developed countries or multilateral financial institutions like World Bank, IMF, Islamic Development Bank (IDB) etc. to less developed or developing countries for the purpose of promoting and stimulating their economies for growth and development. Unfortunately, most of these countries, especially the African countries are characterized by multiple problems such as bad leadership and governance, mismanagement and corruption, debt crisis, insufficient and poor infrastructure, chronic poverty etc.; and all these problems have continued to make nonsense of foreign aid’s judicious and optimal utilization and impact on their economies.However, considering the position and role of IDB over the years in the global economic development; this paper examined the developmental activities of IDB in Africa and some of the challenges for sustainable development.In line with the Financial Two Gap Model (Double Deficit Model) and also the Islamic economic principle of Wide Circulation of Wealth, this paper therefore argues that there are a lot of challenges confronting the continent, which the Bank could assist in resolving through its development assistance, especially in the Muslim populated countries i.e. African Muslim Countries (AMCs). Challenges like Human capital development (HCD), poverty alleviation, corruption and mismanagement, infrastructural development, and good governance among others have enormous implications for sustainable development in the continent. And hence, this paper recommends that IDB should give more attention and priority to growth promoting types of foreign aid like program aid, sectoral aid, technical assistance etc. rather than financial aid, which is often squander. Doing this would facilitate the development process and by extension the desire for sustainability in the continent

The Impact af a Price Change on Consumer Choice of Automobiles

This paper studies the impact of price change on the consumer choice of four selected automobiles in Malaysia: Saga 1.3cc, Saga 1.5cc, Wira 1.3cc, and Wira 1.5cc. The data were obtained from automobile reports compiled by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), and analysed using the conditional and nested logit models. Our empirical analysis produced several key findings. Firstly, the sales of Saga 1.3cc appeared to be affected by  change in the price of Wira 1.3cc only, and vice versa. Secondly, the sales of Saga 1.5cc did not appear to be affected by change in the price of other models. Finally, the sales of Wira 1.5cc also did not appear to be affected by  change in the price of other models. Taken together, these results suggested that, except for Saga 1.3cc and Wira 1.3cc, there is little or no evidence that all of the car models under consideration are substitutes to each other in a pairwise comparison.

TORQUE HYSTERESIS CONTROLLER FOR BRUSHLESS DC MOTOR DRIVES

The presence of the commutator and brushes in a dc machine enforce severe limitations on its voltage and current ratings, means that the output power capability of a dc machine is restricted. The mechanical commutator in a dc machine limits its high speed capabilities. Both the brushes and commutator of a dc machine require regular maintenance. In addition, dc machines are prone to sparking and cannot be normally used in explosive atmosphere. The dust produced by brush wear, makes the dc machine undesirable for use in certain industries like the semiconductor or food industries. Thus, to overcome this problem BLDC machine is proposed due to its advantages over the conventional dc machine. The torque hysteresis controller is presented as the technique chosen to control the phase current and torque of the BLDC machine. This method used to replace the voltage control in BLDC machine. Voltage control is conventional methods used but have a very high current overshoot, by using torque hysteresis controller it will provide current protection which is the value of current and torque will stay within certain limits around with reference valu

Direct Torque Control of BLDC Motor with Constant Switching Frequency

Direct torque control (DTC) has become a popular technique for brushless motor control because it provides fast dynamic torque response. Hysteresis band control is the most popular techniques used in the DTC BLDC motor drive caused the simplest technique. However the conventional DTC have problems as switching frequency that varies with operating conditions and high torque ripple. This paper presents direct torque control (DTC) of BLDC motor with constant switching frequency torque controller. The torque ripple will get reduced by this method constant switching frequency operation. The feasibility of this method in minimizing the torque ripple is verified through some simulation results

Time Influence on Thickness and Grains for Molybdenum Thin Film

In this paper, DC magnetron sputtering technique was used to deposit high purity molybdenum (Mo) thin films on blank Si substrate. The deposition condition for all samples has not been changed except for the deposition time in order to study the time influence on the surface morphology of the molybdenum. The surface profiler has been sued to measure the surface thickness. Atomic force microscopy technique was employed to investigate grain structure of Mo thin film. Grains analysis and thickness for all samples show a direct relation with time. The thickness and grain parameters of molybdenum thin films increase with respect to time. Grain area, size, length and perimeter parameters are used in grain analysis

Bounce back harder: resilience and reinvention of entrepreneurship

This study aims to investigate how entrepreneurs deal with business challenges. Specifically, the objectives of this study are twofold; first, to examine how entrepreneurs acquire resilience in facing business challenges, and second, to how the entrepreneurs rebuild their businesses. The study proposed to conduct a literature review analysis as data collection to investigate the inquiries. The study attempts to focus on psychological attributes, social support networks, and organizational capacities and the function of resilience in minimizing the impact of exogenous shocks on entrepreneurial initiatives. In addition, the study will analyze literature on reinvention, where a business's ability to pivot in response to changing market conditions, technological breakthroughs, or other external variables. It is expected that the findings could contribute to providing an in-depth understanding of how entrepreneurs deal with business challenges. The findings would be useful for entrepreneurs to develop skills and training in dealing with business challenges. Overall, the goal of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the dynamic and ever-changing character of entrepreneurship, as well as the role of resilience and reinvention in achieving entrepreneurial achievement

Bambara Groundnut: An Underutilized Leguminous Crop for Global Food Security and Nutrition.

Rapid population growth, climate change, intensive monoculture farming, and resource depletion are among the challenges that threaten the increasingly vulnerable global agri-food system. Heavy reliance on a few major crops is also linked to a monotonous diet, poor dietary habits, and micronutrient deficiencies, which are often associated with diet-related diseases. Diversification-of both agricultural production systems and diet-is a practical and sustainable approach to address these challenges and to improve global food and nutritional security. This strategy is aligned with the recommendations from the EAT-Lancet report, which highlighted the urgent need for increased consumption of plant-based foods to sustain population and planetary health. Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.), an underutilized African legume, has the potential to contribute to improved food and nutrition security, while providing solutions for environmental sustainability and equity in food availability and affordability. This paper discusses the potential role of Bambara groundnut in diversifying agri-food systems and contributing to enhanced dietary and planetary sustainability, with emphasis on areas that span the value chain: from genetics, agroecology, nutrition, processing, and utilization, through to its socioeconomic potential. Bambara groundnut is a sustainable, low-cost source of complex carbohydrates, plant-based protein, unsaturated fatty acids, and essential minerals (magnesium, iron, zinc, and potassium), especially for those living in arid and semi-arid regions. As a legume, Bambara groundnut fixes atmospheric nitrogen to improve soil fertility. It is resilient to adverse environmental conditions and can yield on poor soil. Despite its impressive nutritional and agroecological profile, the potential of Bambara groundnut in improving the global food system is undermined by several factors, including resource limitation, knowledge gap, social stigma, and lack of policy incentives. Multiple research efforts to address these hurdles have led to a more promising outlook for Bambara groundnut; however, there is an urgent need to continue research to realize its full potential