4,614 research outputs found
Lessons from Post-colonial Malaysian Economic Development
Malaysian economic development has been shaped by public policy in response to changing national and external conditions. Public investments peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s, until the policy reversals driven by sovereign debt concerns and new policy ideology fads. Foreign investments continued to be favoured after independence for ethnic political reasons. Thus, foreign investments continued to be very significant in financial services as well as manufacturing growth, both for import substitution from the 1960s and for export from the 1970s. Private investments were attracted by government provision of infrastructure, cheap but schooled labour, tax incentives, lax environmental regulations and an undervalued currency. Poverty reduction and ownership redistribution by ethnicity were most successful during the 1970s and early 1980s, although it is unclear how much these improved inter-ethnic relations. Economic liberalization and the growing influence of business interests and political elites have undermined the government’s developmental role, culminating in the 1997–8 financial crisis and lacklustre growth since. Malaysian industrialization could only have been achieved with appropriate incentives for investments and technical progress through key policy interventions.Malaysia, development strategies, liberalization, intervention
Distributed Local Linear Parameter Estimation using Gaussian SPAWN
We consider the problem of estimating local sensor parameters, where the
local parameters and sensor observations are related through linear stochastic
models. Sensors exchange messages and cooperate with each other to estimate
their own local parameters iteratively. We study the Gaussian Sum-Product
Algorithm over a Wireless Network (gSPAWN) procedure, which is based on belief
propagation, but uses fixed size broadcast messages at each sensor instead.
Compared with the popular diffusion strategies for performing network parameter
estimation, whose communication cost at each sensor increases with increasing
network density, the gSPAWN algorithm allows sensors to broadcast a message
whose size does not depend on the network size or density, making it more
suitable for applications in wireless sensor networks. We show that the gSPAWN
algorithm converges in mean and has mean-square stability under some technical
sufficient conditions, and we describe an application of the gSPAWN algorithm
to a network localization problem in non-line-of-sight environments. Numerical
results suggest that gSPAWN converges much faster in general than the diffusion
method, and has lower communication costs, with comparable root mean square
errors
Are individual differences in Information-Processing styles related to transformational leadership? A test of the cognitive experiential leadership model
The recently proposed Cognitive Experiential Leadership Model (CELM) states that leaders’ preference for rational thinking and behavioral coping will be related to their level of transformational leadership. The CELM was based on research that principally used cross-sectional self-report methods. Study 1 compared both self-ratings and follower-ratings of leadership styles with leaders’ self-rated thinking styles in 160 leader-follower dyads. Study 2 compared both self-ratings and coworker-ratings of leadership styles with leaders’ self-rated thinking styles for 74 leaders rated by 607 coworkers. In both Studies, leaders’ rational thinking, imaginative thinking, and behavioral coping correlated positively with their self-rated transformational leadership. However, only behavioral coping, but not rational thinking, was correlated with follower-rated (FR) transformational leadership in Study 1, and thinking styles were unrelated to other-rated transformational leadership in Study 2. These results partly support and partly challenge the CELM. Practically, this study suggests that leadership may be improved by leaders developing their capacity for behavioral coping
Charge Offset Stability in Si Single Electron Devices with Al Gates
We report on the charge offset drift (time stability) in Si single electron
devices (SEDs) defined with aluminum (Al) gates. The size of the charge offset
drift (0.15 ) is intermediate between that of Al/AlO/Al tunnel junctions
(greater than 1 ) and Si SEDs defined with Si gates (0.01 ). This range
of values suggests that defects in the AlO are the main cause of the charge
offset drift instability
Manufacturing technology adoption among lean manufacturers: An initial study
Lean manufacturing is a technique that allows work to be performed without bottlenecks or delays while eliminating wasteful activities by linking and balancing equal amounts of work steps together, enabling products to be consumed directly into the next step, one piece at a time until completed.The aim of this research is to analyse the level of implementation of manufacturing technology among lean practitioners in Malaysia.It highlights on the types of technologies applied in the lean practice and to
what extend the level of technologies being used. A questionnaire survey was used to identify the
different manufacturing technologies being used and the level of applications among lean
manufacturers in Malaysia. From the questionnaire results, it shows that there are 3 groups of
manufacturing technology used by manufacturers, mainly the direct, indirect and administrative
technology.Meanwhile, according to the results the level of technologies used by lean manufacturers
in Malaysia is considered as within medium level. This might be due to the cost of applying such
technologies or the lack of information regarding each manufacturing technologies
Structural and electronic properties of Al nanowires: an ab initio pseudopotential study
The stability and electronic structure of a single monatomic Al wire has been
studied using the ab initio pseudopotential method. The Al wire undergoes two
structural rearrangements under compression, i.e., zigzag configurations at
angles of and . The evolution of electronic structures of the Al
chain as a function of structural phase transition has been investigated. The
relationship between electronic structure and geometric stability is also
discussed. The 2p bands in the Al nanowire are shown to play a critical role in
its stability. The effects of density functionals (GGA and LDA) on cohesive
energy and bond length of Al nanostructures (dimmer, chains, and monolayers)
are also examined. The link between low dimensional 0D structure (dimmer) to
high dimensional 3D bulk Al is estimated. An example of optimized tip-suspended
finite atomic chain is presented to bridge the gap between hypothetical
infinite chains and experimental finite chains.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure
Management control systems and organisational learning: the effects of design and use
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a study on relationships between the design of management control systems (MCS), the use of MCS and organisational learning (OL). Design/methodology/approach – This study adopted a survey method. A written questionnaire was prepared and mailed out to collect quantitative data. After analysis of the empirical results, follow-up interviews were conducted to develop a deeper understanding of the empirical results. Findings – Findings of the study show that both the design and use of MCS are significantly associated with levels of OL activities in organisations, and the use of MCS is found to be a more influential factor in OL. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the accounting literature by providing empirical evidence on the relative impacts of the design and use of MCS on OL activities in organisations and the interaction between the design and use of MCS in influencing OL
The Benefits and Detriments of Macrophages/Microglia in Models of Multiple Sclerosis
The central nervous system (CNS) is immune privileged with access to leukocytes being limited. In several neurological diseases, however, infiltration of immune cells from the periphery into the CNS is largely observed and accounts for the increased representation of macrophages within the CNS. In addition to extensive leukocyte infiltration, the activation of microglia is frequently observed. The functions of activated macrophages/microglia within the CNS are complex. In three animal models of multiple sclerosis (MS), namely, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and cuprizone- and lysolecithin-induced demyelination, there have been many reported detrimental roles associated with the involvement of macrophages and microglia. Such detriments include toxicity to neurons and oligodendrocyte precursor cells, release of proteases, release of inflammatory cytokines and free radicals, and recruitment and reactivation of T lymphocytes in the CNS. Many studies, however, have also reported beneficial roles of macrophages/microglia, including axon regenerative roles, assistance in promoting remyelination, clearance of inhibitory myelin debris, and the release of neurotrophic factors. This review will discuss the evidence supporting the detrimental and beneficial aspects of macrophages/microglia in models of MS, provide a discussion of the mechanisms underlying the dichotomous roles, and describe a few therapies in clinical use in MS that impinge on the activity of macrophages/microglia
The Color Octet Effect from at B Factory
We study the initial state radiation process
for production at B factory, and find the cross section is 61% larger
than it's Born one for color octet part and is about half as it's Born one for
color singlet part. Furthermore, the color singlet and color octet signal are
very clearly separated in it's spectra due to kinematics difference.
We suggest to measure this spectra at B factory to determine the
color octet effect.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures and 1 tabl
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