Low Technological Level Research Articles

Investigation of Voltage Control at Consumers Connection Points Based on Smart Approach

More and more functions are performed automatically with the use of various electrical appliances and sophisticated control systems in all spheres of human life. In this regard, the demand for reliable and quality power supply is increasing. To date, low power quality, in particular unacceptable voltage levels, is an important deterrent for introducing technologies of smart electricity consumers (smart homes, smart companies, smart cities). This paper presents a comprehensive solution of this problem with the use of a voltage control system in the distribution grids, which is oriented on grids with a large number of heterogeneous loads and low level of Information Technology (IT) penetration. It is proposed to be installed on distribution substation special devices that perform continuous measurements of voltage levels, produce short-term forecasts and transmit the permissible ranges of voltage control to the power supply centers. The computing unit at the primary substation analyzes the data received from all distribution substations, and determines the optimum control actions to meet the requirements of all consumers. The proposed system was compared with conventional voltage control methods. The results have proved the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Measuring the sustainable performance of industrial land utilization in major industrial zones of China

In this study, we analyze the dynamic changes of industrial land green use efficiency (ILGUE) for the four main industrial zones in China during 2003–2013, using the global generalized directional distance function (GGDDF) and global Malmquist-Luenberger index (GML) approaches. Further, we investigate the impacts of influencing factors on the ILGUE, including industrial land policy and prices. The results show that (1) The Pearl River Delta zone enjoys the highest ILGUE, while the Central and South Liaoning zone suffers the worst. All four zones have potential for using industrial land more efficiently. The relatively low ILGUE is mainly due to the low level of industrial production technology. (2) The central government's land policies apply only in the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan zone. The local government's land financing policy has a significant negative effect on improving ILGUE, except in the Yangtze River Delta zone. Active governmental pursuit of foreign industrial investment leads to ILGUE improvement in all four of the zones. (3) The shadow prices of industrial land indicate upward trends in all four of the zones, with the actual prices in most cities being significantly lower than the shadow prices. Therefore, the actual prices of these cities should be appropriately adjusted over time.

Structural Solutions for Low-Cost Bamboo Frames: Experimental Tests and Constructive Assessments.

Experimental tests and constructive assessments are presented for a simple bamboo framed structure with innovative low-cost and low technology joints, specifically conceived for small buildings in developing countries. Two full scale one-storey bamboo frames have been designed by using the simplest joints solution among three different tested typologies. The entire building process is based on low-technology and natural materials: bamboo canes, wooden cylinders, plywood plates and canapé rods. The first full scale specimen (Unit A) is a one-storey single deck truss structure subjected to monotonic collapse test; the second full scale specimen (Unit B) is a one-storey double deck truss structure used to evaluate the construction time throughout assembling tests. The first full scale specimen showed ductility in collapse and ease in strengthening; the second one showed remarkable ease and speed in assembling structural elements. Finally several constructive solutions are suggested for the design of simple one-storey buildings; they are addressed to four purposes (housing, school, chapel, health center) by the composition of the proposed full scale bamboo frames. Ease of use and maintenance with a low level of technology contribute to application in developing countries although not exclusively.

Selection of inbred maize (Zea mays L.) progenies by topcrosses conducted in contrasting environments.

The aim of this study was to identify inbred progenies of S0:1 maize (Zea mays L.) plants that were efficient at a low level of technology and responsive at a high level of technology through the use of topcrosses. Two contrasting environments were created using two levels of base fertilization and topdressing, so that the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were applied four times higher in one environment than in the other. We used S0:1 progenies derived from commercial hybrids in topcrosses with two testers (an elite line from the flint heterotic group and an elite line from the dent heterotic group). The progenies and three controls were evaluated in an augmented block design in Nossa Senhora das Dores, SE, Brazil in the 2010 crop season. The average grain yield in the high-technological level was 21.44% greater than that in the low-technological level. There were no changes in progeny behavior in the two technological levels for grain yield. The testers did not differ in the average grain yield of the progenies at the two technological levels. Therefore, it is possible to select progenies derived from commercial hybrids that have an efficient response to fertilization.

Evaluation of different banana genotypes for resistance to panama disease

Panama disease, or fusarium wilt disease, caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense is a disease causing great losses in banana production worldwide, hindering production in certain areas of the world. In Brazil, banana crop has suffered great losses due to favorable soil and climate conditions for the development of pests and diseases and, also, by the low technological level used in most growing areas of the country. Therefore, the use of genetic resistance for the control of this disease becomes a promising alternative, making possible the cultivation of bananas in some areas that had been decimated by this pathogen. Thus, this study evaluated the performance of banana genotypes subjected to artificial inoculation with F. oxysporum f.sp. cubense in a nursery and in the field. The genotypes Tropical, Pacovan, Caipira, Japira, Princesa and Fhia-18, besides ‘Prata Ana’, as a susceptible control, were evaluated in a completely randomized design, with 4 replications, and each replication consisted of two plants . The seedling were also subjected to a field test in a completely randomized design, with three replications. Disease severity, for external symptoms, was evaluated 50 days after inoculation, using a rating scale in which, all plants, except for Fhia-18, which did not show symptoms, had initial yellowing of older leaves. Field evaluations consisted of measuring plant height and diameter, and after harvesting the banana bunches, internal symptoms were observed in the pseudostems. Cultivars Prata-Ana and Caipira had greater susceptibility to the disease.

The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers in the Twenty-first Century: China's Rise and the Fate of America's Global Position

Unipolarity is arguably the most popular concept used to analyze the U.S. global position that emerged in 1991, but the concept is totally inadequate for assessing how that position has changed in the years since. A new framework that avoids unipolarity's conceptual pitfalls and provides a systematic approach to measuring how the distribution of capabilities is changing in twenty-first-century global politics demonstrates that the United States will long remain the only state with the capability to be a superpower. In addition, China is in a class by itself, one that the unipolarity concept cannot explain. To assess the speed with which China's rise might transform this into something other than a one-superpower system, analogies from past power transitions are misleading. Unlike past rising powers, China is at a much lower technological level than the leading state, and the gap separating Chinese and U.S. military capabilities is much larger than it was in the past. In addition, the very nature of power has changed: the greatly enhanced difficulty of converting economic capacity into military capacity makes the transition from a great power to a superpower much harder now than it was in the past. Still, China's rise is real and change is afoot.

Production and health constraints to sustainable Nile tilapia production by small-holders, using net cages at the Três Marias reservoir, Brazil

Production and health constraints to sustainable Nile tilapia production by small-holders, using net cages at the Três Marias reservoir, Brazil

SOCIAL WELL-BEING OF Stavropol in employment: THE RUSSIAN ENVIRONMENT

The article reflects the results of monitoring the social well-being of the labour community in the Russian environment. The level of stability in the region is largely determined by the social well-being of the population. In this context the most important aspect is a population estimation of the labor market and employment conditions. To this end there has been carried out questionnaire in 2006, 2009 and 2012, the sample - quota, the sample size - more than 1,000 people. The analysis of empirical material used the research “Monitoring the quality of life of the population of the Stavropol Territory” (2014). Comparative analysis of the data allows to suggest a narrowing of the labor market being accompanied by the outflow of labor, especially the young, and by the expansion of the share of pensioners. Detected trend is typical for economically underdeveloped areas. This creates a negative social well-being. However, the natural conditions in the Stavropol region are optimal for the development of agriculture and processing industry, which is especially important in the conditions of implementation of the policy of import substitution. The results confirm the low technological level of production in the economic region, the economic potential is insignificant. Social well-being of the labor community territory corresponds to national trends subsidized regions. This situation leads to the preservation of the investment unattractive edge, social and economic instability of the region, low labor activity of Stavropol region citizens. In the analyzed context must be entered in the policy of the regional authorities innovative mechanisms for socio-economic development of the region, must make the transition from the conservative version of social and economic development of the region in the moderately optimistic.

Improvement and Assessment of the Geometric Accuracy of Chinese High-Resolution Optical Satellites

During the 5 years following the launch of CBERS-02B in September 2007, China launched a sequence of high-resolution optical satellites that are able to acquire high-resolution images globally. However, most of the satellites launched before 2012 have such poor geometric accuracy, due to both the low technological level of the hardware and design defects, so that their application (e.g., to surveys of land resources) is greatly restricted. Thus, they cannot meet national demands for high-resolution optical images with good geometric accuracy. Following the launch of ZiYuan3-01 (ZY3-01) on January 9, 2012, the retrieval of its images has demonstrated the excellent geometric accuracy that has led Chinese high-resolution optical satellites (CHROSs) to attract much attention from international researchers. As CHROSs suffer from more complex errors than international commercial satellites, such as SPOT and IKONOS, conventional processes widely used in the international field to improve accuracy cannot be applied to them. This paper focuses on the in-orbit active CHROSs and proposes a series of methods for improvement of geometric accuracy. Using high-accuracy ground control data collected from different areas, the accuracy of CHROSs following the improvement measures is assessed. The results indicate that good geometric accuracy could be achieved using the proposed methods, given the conditions of both the low level of the hardware technology and the inherent design defects of CHROSs.

ECONOMICAL AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF AVIARIES FOR THE INTEGRATION OF BROILERS UNDER CONDITIONS OF RISK

Financial investment projects are characterized by uncertainties. When quantified, these will determine the probability of their occurrence and the condition of risk. This information might be analyzed via simulation of Monte Carlo Method, which will establish the level of associated risk. To understand the financial risks of broiler production in integration system, cash flow models for aviaries were formulated with different technological levels. Using deterministic techniques, the value of the main economic viability indicators were calculated, which were incorporated to the risk through a probabilistic model of pseudo-random numbers, generated with Monte Carlo Method. The uncertainties associated to financial projects show that broiler production in different integration systems is economically viable. However, the best financial return and smallest risk are obtained with an aviary which contains low technological level and the least financial investment.

Regional differences of pollution emissions in China: contributing factors and mitigation strategies

Pollution emissions have become a matter of public concern in recent years. However, the vast majority of existing researches on PM2.5 pollution are from the natural science perspective, and few studies have been conducted from an economic point of view. This paper adopts provincial panel data from 2001 to 2012 and panel data models to analyze the key driving forces of PM2.5 emissions at the regional level in China. The results show that economic growth is a decisive factor of PM2.5 emissions. The impacts of urbanization on PM2.5 emissions vary across regions and decrease continuously from the central region to the western and eastern regions. The effects of private cars and coal consumption on PM2.5 emissions in the eastern region are greater than that in the central and western regions because of significant differences in R&D investment, private car ownership and total coal consumption. Energy efficiency improvement has greater potential to mitigate PM2.5 emissions in the central and western regions than that in the eastern region due to its low level of technology. Hence, in order to effectively reduce emissions, the Chinese government should consider all these factors as well as regional heterogeneity in developing appropriate mitigation policies.

COOPERATIVE ORGANIZATION AS A FACTOR OF COMPETITIVENESS AND SUSTAINABILITY IN CROATIAN AGRICULTURE

Low competitiveness and poor positioning of Croatian agriculture on the EU market is the consequence of a number of constraints such as possession of a small and fragmented land parcels, undeveloped market infrastructure, low technological level of production, etc. In such circumstances, one of the basic prerequisites for increasing the competitiveness of domestic agriculture is production and marketing organizing family farms. Numerous experience in the EU and around the world show that cooperatives operate as a successful business model of the farmers’ organizations and contribute to their competitiveness in the global food market and strengthening the bargaining power in the food supply chains. According to available data we describe the institutional and normative support of the current situation in Croatian cooperatives in agriculture sector and compare it with the agricultural cooperatives in selected EU member states. An analysis showed the marginal contribution of cooperatives in the production, purchase and turnover of agricultural products in Croatia. Cooperative legislation in Croatia is regulated by EU standards, but the financial and institutional support is insufficient for the incentive development of agricultural cooperatives. In order to raise the competitiveness of Croatian agriculture there should be transparent promotion of cooperatives as a successful business model organization of family farms.

FINANCIAL AND NON-FINANCIAL FACTORS INFLUENCING INTERNET FINANCIAL AND SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING (IFSR) IN INDONESIA STOCK EXCHANGE

Internet Financial and Sustainability Reporting (IFSR) is voluntary in nature. With no specific regulations on IFSR, there is a disparity of IFSR practices among companies. Some companies disclose only partial financial statement using a low level of technology, while others disclose full sets of financial reports using sophistications of the web such as multimedia and analytical tools. Sustainability (1999) addressed the benefits (global reach, immediacy, ease of updating, transparency, link ability, and interactivity) of reporting social and environmental information on the website and thus the factors that affect decision of whether or not to use this communication medium. By placing information on the firm’s website, users can search, filter, retrieve, download, and even reconfigure such information at low cost in a timely fashion. The purpose of this study was to examine financial variables that affect Internet Financial and Sustainability Reporting (IFSR) of listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange companies. The ordinal logistic regression used to examine variables that affect Internet Financial and Sustainability Reporting (IFSR). The sample of this research is companies that listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange. The 203 observations were divided into three categories: 87 companies not providing financial and sustainability report in the internet (No website), 62 companies providing financial and sustainability report in the internet with low index (Low Index) and 54 companies providing financial and sustainability report in the internet with high index (High Index). The result shows that firm size, majority shareholders, auditor size and industry type as a determinant factor of internet financial and sustainability-reporting index in Indonesia, whereas leverage and profitability not statistically significant as determinant factors of internet financial and sustainability reporting index in Indonesia. Keywords: internet financial reporting, website, traditional financial reporting, internet, financial statement, voluntary disclosure.

Índices de desempenho zootécnico e econômico de sistemas de produção de leite com diferentes níveis tecnológicos

The objective of this study was to estimate reference zootechnical and economic performance indexes, examine the influence of different technological levels on technical and economic results on dairy farms and identify the components that had higher representativeness on total and effective operational cost. Thirty-eight size, zootechnical and economic indicators of 61 milk production systems, grouped according to three technological levels, were analyzed. The data were collected during January 2002 to December 2011 period. It was adopted the structure of the operating cost and the total cost as methodology for calculating the costs. The results were compared by ANOVA test (normal distribution), complemented by LSD test, and Kruskal-Wallis test (non-normal distribution), also complemented by LSD test. The stratification of milk production systems according to technological level does not seem to be a good criterion to be used when it wants to make comparisons between different groups of producers, evidenced by the lack of statistical significance (P>0.05) in comparing of size and zootechnical indexes between low and medium technological level groups. Producers of high technological level made investments without proper analysis of return on investment and risk. The items of total and effective operational cost that had higher representativeness were, in descending order, feeding and labor.

Facilities management practices in the Nigerian public universities

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the diffusion of facilities management (FM) as a sustainable tool to facility performance within the perspective of public universities in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approach– A review of the literature reveals the practices of FM in both the educational and institutional buildings. Factors influencing the practices and strategies for sustaining facilities condition were evaluated. Data were collected through a well-structured questionnaire administered on both the technical and managerial officers in charge of FM in Nigeria public universities. Data collected were subjected to both the descriptive and inferential statistical tools.Findings– The FM practice in the Nigeria public universities is found to be lagging behind private sector experience, despite the significant benefits of FM to learning process. In particular, passive actions are being taken to manage facilities, even when most are obsolete and deteriorated. Critical challenges to FM practice are low level of technology, poor funding and poor policy implementation. Outsourcing of technical personnel is essential to ameliorate the conditions of public universities’ facilities in Nigeria.Practical implications– This paper helps policymakers and administrators to know the condition of facilities and understand the FM practice in the Nigerian public universities.Originality/value– Reactive/passive practice is the norm in FM of public universities in Nigeria. However, outsourcing of technical personnel in FM has a great potential for functional facilities in public universities.

تحليل بعض مؤشرات الأداء في قطاع خدمة الهاتف النقال في الجزائر

This study deals with the subject of performance in the market of mobile telephony in Algeria. Indeed, the latter is a component of great interest for large economic enterprises and one of the key factors that determine their success. We focused in this study on the overall performance of the mobile industry saw its leading role as one of the prerequisites for each industry and its impact on industrial structure and strategies adopted by companies belonging to the sector. To evaluate performance, we opted for the choice of the three following indicators: profitability, the growth of certain economic indicators and technical progress. At the end of our study, it was observed a rapid growth in some economic indicators such as market share and turnover, as well as constantly growing profitability rate. We also noted the low level of technology in this sector and which does not meet the expectations of customers in particular with regard to services provided to businesses and businessmen. Despite the current situation of the sector, the indicators mentioned above constitute factors of attraction for companies that want to invest in this industry like Orange and Vodafone. Keywords : performance, business strategy, information technology and communication, profitability, the mobile phone market, the industry structure ,.

Productivity of Industrial Capital and Labor, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (1995-2008)

Productivity is growing in importance in Kurdistan as it evolves into a more formal, market-based economy. The measurement of productivity and factors of production - labor and capital – are important indicators of industrial firm performance, with an increase in productivity positively affecting economic growth. This research attempts to quantify the impacts of labor & capital on industrial productivity in the Kurdistan region, Iraq. Moreover, the correspondence between a number of hypotheses and empirical findings are examined. Specifically, this research creates a protocol to enable comparison among productivity indicators in production units in industrial firms. We examine the role of capital and labor forces on productivity in industries of Kurdistan over the 1995-2008 period. The study uses the added values of output, the number of workers, and capital value on productivity. Total Factor Productivity (TFP) is another indicator that is estimated in this research. The results indicate that the growth of industrial firms in Kurdistan is influenced more by labor than by capital productivity. The measurement of these effects is 0.65 and 1.42 for labor and capital, respectively. The production function exhibits increasing returns to scale. It can be concluded that labor is more significant to productivity than capital in this region. It reinforces the low level of technology in firms. Capital per worker (k=K/L) has a positive and significant effect on productivity in industrial firms of Kurdistan region.

Research on Adopting Application in Agricultural Products Supply Chain Based on Internet of Things

With the further deepening of the development economy, China's agriculture will face a huge crisis. Under the impact of global competition, our country agriculture showed a low level of industrialization, the low level of management, the value chain of low level and low degree of information technology. Organizational decentralization and shortcomings are lack of food quality and safety. China's agriculture is to survive in such a fierce competition environment, must to actively use advanced technology, management method and system to the effective integration of agricultural products supply chain. In this paper, through the supply chain of agricultural products in the internet of things technology, the overall framework for establishing network analysis technology application of business process of the supply chain of agricultural products in the application mode, to sort out the various links of production. In the supply chain of agricultural products processing, storage, transportation and sales; through the proposed strategy layer, the implementation of three layer and support layer network hierarchical structure of agricultural products supply chain management system, the management system of existing network system and agricultural products in the supply chain (ERP, MIS, CRM) to the organic integration, and the supply chain strategy and daily operation planning and supply chain management system together, so that the whole agricultural product supply chain has become a highly efficient, reasonable overall.

Utilização do método monte carlo para avaliação econômica de policultivos de jundiás, carpas e tilápias-do-nilo como uma alternativa de modelo de cultivo de peixes para pequenas propriedades

Com o crescimento da população mundial e o aumento da demanda por alimentos de qualidade e em quantidades suficientes, a aquicultura se encaixa neste contexto como atividade produtora de proteína animal de alta qualidade e em grande quantidade por área utilizada. A produção de peixes em tanques de cultivo já é praticada a mais de cinco décadas no Rio Grande do Sul, e o sistema comumente utilizado é o policultivo de carpas, que consiste na consorciação de diferentes espécies de carpas visando melhorar o rendimento de cada uma e consequentemente obter uma produtividade maior. Porém o policultivo de carpas atualmente utilizado possui baixo nível tecnológico, a produção obtida é considerada pequena e, além disso, ocorre a liberação de água eutrofizada nos corpos naturais d’água ocasionando um desequilíbrio no ambiente aquático natural. Estudos já foram realizados acrescentando o jundiá, ao policultivo tradicional, obtendo com isso bons resultados. Alguns estudos sobre viabilidade econômica foram efetuados, porém com espécies isoladas, ou consorciadas, como é o caso do policultivo de camarões e tilápias-do-nilo. Realizou-se a avaliação do projeto e o método de avaliação na condição de risco para o Método Monte Carlo. Concluiu-se que a substituição de 25% das carpas por jundiás e tilápias-do-nilo apresenta maior produção de biomassa, parâmetros de efluente com melhor qualidade, e que um investimento em policultivo com vida útil de 25 anos é viável economicamente para uma Taxa Mínima de Atratividade (TMA) de 6,17%.

Internet Financial Reporting Quality and Corporate Characteristics: The Case of Construction Companies Listed in Greek and Cypriot Stock Exchange

1. Introduction Internet is undoubtedly one of most significant means of communication in our days. Its use enables worldwide dissemination of information and encourages investments (Aly, Simon & Hussainey, 2010). In addition, it supports better functioning of capital markets by enhancing companies' ability to provide investors with up to date, timely information (Abdelasalam, Bryant & Street, 2007). Consequently, its wide use in a business environment can have a significant impact on business activities and related requirements for financial reporting. According to International Accounting Standards Board the objective of financial reporting is to provide financial information about reporting entity that is useful to present and potential equity investors, lenders and other creditors in making decisions in their capacity as capital providers (IASB, 2008). In this context, web based business information is considered helpful in making investment and other business decisions, (Financial Accounting Standards Board 2000). Companies have several potential motives to provide financial information on internet, which among others include, reduction of cost and time for distribution of information, communication with previously unidentified consumers, supplementation of traditional disclosure practices, increase of amount and type of information disclosed and improvement of access to potential investors for small companies, (FASB, 2000). The objective of this study is twofold. On one hand, it aims to examine disclosure practices of listed construction companies and assess quality of their financial reporting provided through internet. On other hand, it purports to investigate association of selected firm characteristics with level of internet financial reporting. For this purpose a disclosure index was constructed consisting of 51 items that cover 4 broad categories: content, technology, user support and timeliness. Since 2009 and especially 2010, deep concern on solvency of European states has highly affected financial markets. Therefore, study of internet disclosures in Greece and Cyprus presents an additional interest due to specific financial conditions created by economic crisis in these countries. Moreover, financial reporting of Greek companies provided through internet is perceived by auditors to be of moderate quality (Tasios & Bekiaris, 2012). The findings of study contribute to existing literature of internet financial reporting by strengthening evidence on relationship between extent of disclosure and profitability, leverage, firm age and ownership dispersion. Furthermore, index of study could be a useful tool to managers of companies in their effort to improve quality of internet reporting by identifying areas with weaknesses and inefficiencies. The remainder of paper is organized as follows: part two presents an overview of relevant research, while part three develops research hypotheses examined in study. Research methodology is presented in part four, which includes construction of index and development of research model. The results of study are included in part five and a summary of conclusions is presented in part six. 2. Literature Review Internet financial disclosures are voluntary and as no relevant or common legal framework that regulates them exists, differences occur in corporate disclosure practices. Some companies disclose only a part of their financial statements using a low level of technology, while others disclose a whole set of financial statements using technological advancements of internet such as, multimedia and analytical tools, (Budisusetyo & Almilia, 2008). As purpose of financial reporting is to provide information useful for decision making, timeliness consists another crucial element of internet financial reporting (Liapis, Katsianis and Galanos, 2013; Eriotis, 2004; Soltani, 2002). …