Board of director’s Characteristics and Bank’s Insolvency Risk: Evidence from Tunisia

Since the changes of banks’ environment at the end of the Eighties, Tunisian banks tried to expand their activities in order to provide suitable strategic answers to these changes but their performance indicators have greatly deteriorated. This underperformance was partly explained by the weak framework of corporate governance in Tunisian banks. Our objective is to explore board of directors’ diversity as well as the presence of independent directors, the size of the board and its leadership structure on insolvency risk of Tunisian banks. The results show that demographic diversity enhances the insolvency risk of the Tunisian banks but cognitive diversity contributes to its reduction. The results show also that the size of the board of directors as well as duality have positive effects on the insolvency risk but the percentage of independent directors is associated with a lower risk. Keywords: Banks, Insolvency risk, Board of directors, Diversity, Tunisi

Using Hybrid Automata for Diagnosis of Hybrid Dynamical Systems

Physical systems can fail. For this reason the problem of identifying and reacting to faults has received a large attention in the control and computer science communities. In this paper we study the fault diagnosis problem and modeling of Hybrid Dynamical Systems (HDS). Generally speaking, HDS is a system mixing continuous and discrete behaviors that cannot be faithfully modeled neither by using formalism with continuous dynamics only nor by a formalism including only discrete dynamics. We use the well known framework of hybrid automata for modeling hybrid systems, because they combine the continous and discretes parts on the same structure. Hybrid automaton is a states-transitions graph, whose dynamic evolution is represented by discretes and continous steps alternations, also, continous evolution happens in the automaton apexes, while discrete evolution is realized by transitions crossing (arcs) of the graph. Their simulation presents many problems mainly the synchronisation between the two models. Stateflow, used to describe the discrete model, is co-ordinated with Matlab, used to describe the continuous model. This article is a description of a case study, which is a two tanks system

Optimization approach for the early design of safety critical automotive embedded systems

The embedded system design is a challenging task. The engineers are faced with technological, cost, complexity and safety constraints. These constraints have a big impact on the system architecture and consequently on the final cost. we propose in this thesis an approach for system design and architecture optimization driven by safety and cost constraints. It consists of an architecture synthesis approach that takes into account the safety constraints in the ISO 26262 context. It allows, at one hand, to reach a system preliminary architecture by choosing the architecture elements that reduce the overall cost. On the other hand, it leads to a functions mapping that respects the safety constraints related to the integrity levels and to the dependent failures. We use exhaustive and genetic algorithm for the design space exploration. By applying it on an industrial study-case we demonstrate its contribution in reaching compliant design and its capability in reducing the safety constraints costs

Using Interval Constrained Petri Nets and Fuzzy Method for Regulation of Quality: The Case of Weight in Tobacco Factory

The existence of maximal durations drastically modifies the performance evaluation in Discrete Event Systems (DES). The same particularity may be found on systems where the associated constraints do not concern the time. For example weight measures, in chemical industry, are used in order to control the quantity of consumed raw materials. This parameter also takes a fundamental part in the product quality as the correct transformation process is based upon a given percentage of each essence. Weight regulation therefore increases the global productivity of the system by decreasing the quantity of rejected products. In this paper we present an approach based on mixing different characteristics theories, the fuzzy system and Petri net system to describe the behaviour. An industriel application on a tobacco manufacturing plant, where the critical parameter is the weight is presented as an illustration

La régulation de la glycémie : une étude de cas en première S

L’enseignement/apprentissage de la régulation en biologie a fait l’objet de différentes recherches en didactique (Schneeberger, 1992 ; Rumelhard, 1994). Cette étude s’intéresse à la régulation de la glycémie et propose d’analyser des observations réalisées dans une classe de première S. En reprenant en partie les résultats des recherches antérieures, nous nous interrogeons sur les points suivants : – la légitimité épistémologique de l’utilisation de la modélisation systémique dans l’enseignement de la régulation de la glycémie ; – la relation élève/modèle : la manière selon laquelle l’élève construit, s’approprie et applique un modèle formel dans le cadre de la régulation de la glycémie. Outre une étude épistémologique, nous avons conduit une analyse détaillée d’une séance de débat pour repérer comment les élèves parviennent à appliquer un modèle formel à un cas particulier. Les outils d’analyse du débat ont été conçus à partir des travaux de Martinand et Orange. Ce type de travail contribue à montrer l’importance de l’activité langagière des élèves dans l’élaboration du savoir

Evaluación en campo del trampeo masivo de la mosca mediterránea de la fruta con Tripack® como alternativa a los tratamientos cebo con malatión en huertos de cítricos

The mass trapping technique based on the use of the female-targeted attractant lure Tri-pack® as an alternative to malathion bait-spraying (control treatment) was tested in two citrus orchards in the North of Tunisia against the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata during 2006 and 2007. Results of mass trapping trials in 2006 and 2007 indicated that adult males Medfly captures showed reductions respect to control of 37.62% and 40.2% respectively in mandarin orange variety (Citrus reticulata) orchard compared to 36.48% and 47.29% in Washington navel orange variety (Citrus sinensis) field. Fruit damage assessment showed significant differences between the mass trapping with Tripack® and malathion bait-spraying techniques in the reduction of the percentage of fruit punctures. The percentage of punctured fruit at harvest was significantly different between the treated and the control field in 2006 and in 2007 in the mandarin orange orchard. Nevertheless, in the Washington navel orange orchard, the percentage of punctured fruit at harvest was significantly different between the treated and the control field only in 2006. Thus, results obtained from this study showed that the mass trapping technique based on the use of the female-targeted lure Tri-pack® could be involved as an appropriate strategy for the control of the Medfly and is as effective as malathion bait spraying treatment without leaving pesticide residues on fruit.Se probó en dos huertos de cítricos, en el norte de Túnez en 2006 y 2007, la técnica del trampeo masivo utilizando el atrayente de hembras Tri-Pack® contra la mosca mediterránea de la fruta, Ceratitis capitata como alternativa a los tratamientos cebo con malatión, que constituye la forma convencional de control utilizada por los agricultores y que se utilizó como tratamiento control. En 2006 y 2007, en los ensayos de trampeo masivo las capturas de machos adultos del insecto se redujeron respecto el control, respectivamente, un 37,62% y un 40,2% en la variedad de mandarina (Citrus reticulata) en comparación con un 36,48% y un 47,29% en la variedad de naranja Washington navel (Citrus sinensis). Al evaluar los daños en los frutos se observaron diferencias significativas entre el trampeo masivo con Tripack® y los tratamientos cebo con malatión con una reducción de las picaduras en los frutos El porcentaje de frutos con picaduras en el momento de la cosecha fue significativamente diferente en las parcelas control y tratada en el huerto de mandarina tanto en 2006 como en 2007. Sin embargo, en el huerto de naranja Washington navel, el porcentaje de frutos con picaduras recolectados fue significativamente diferente entre el tratado y el control sólo en 2006. Por tanto, los resultados obtenidos en este estudio muestran que la técnica de trampeo masivo utilizando el atrayente de hembras Tri-Pack® podría ser una estrategia adecuada para el control de la mosca mediterránea de la fruta y es tan efectiva como el tratamiento cebo con malatión, pero sin dejar residuos de plaguicidas en la fruta

Benign osteoblastoma in an unusual mastoid location

SummaryIntroductionBenign osteoblastoma (OB) is an unusual primary bone tumor. The preferred locations are the posterior arch of vertebrae and long bones. We report herein an extremely rare location of an OB in the mastoid process of the temporal bone.Case reportA 22-year-old woman presented with painful left retro-auricular swelling. Computed tomography features were suggestive of an aggressive osteolytic lesion of the left mastoid. The pathologic examination of bone curettage material revealed a benign OB. A complete resection of the tumor was performed later, with no evidence of recurrence at 1 year.Discussion/ConclusionTo our knowledge, this is the 14th reported case of OB confined to the mastoid process of temporal bone. Its histological diagnosis can be difficult and osteosarcoma is its principal differential diagnosis. Although generally regarded as benign, OB has potential for recurrence and local invasion. As such, complete resection, whenever possible, is preferred over conventional curettage

Interaction effect between product and process innovation: the case of Tunisian banks

The authors examine the impact of the relationship between two types of financial innovation and bank performance. The research attempts to test hypotheses that are not yet validated by previous studies focusing on the financial services industry, thus, giving the study an exploratory look. The authors try, specifically, to determine the interaction effect of both types of financial innovation on bank performance and, then, try to enrich innovation theory with new hypotheses on product and process innovation. The results show that Tunisian banks have begun, probably, to see the importance or the need for the simultaneous adoption of two types of financial innovation since 1995 to improve their poor performance. The authors also find that the interaction effect of product and process innovation reduces profitability. However, efficiency is achieved in terms of market share and value. The authors conclude that financial innovation is a value creation instrument for Tunisian bank