Trade liberalization and the efficiency of firms in Indian manufacturing

Has the efficiency of firms in India improved since its liberalization in 1991? The authors attempt to answer this question by analyzing the determinants of firm-level efficiency in six manufacturing sectors in India while focusing on the effects of liberalization and domestic competition. They find that there was an increase in overall efficiency in the post-reform period in India in five out of six sectors. While imports do not seem to improve efficiency, liberalization did increase efficiency in four of the sectors.

A combined neural network and DEA for measuring efficiency of large scale datasets

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is one of the most widely used methods in the measurement of the efficiency and productivity of Decision Making Units (DMUs). DEA for a large dataset with many inputs/outputs would require huge computer resources in terms of memory and CPU time. This paper proposes a neural network back-propagation Data Envelopment Analysis to address this problem for the very large scale datasets now emerging in practice. Neural network requirements for computer memory and CPU time are far less than that needed by conventional DEA methods and can therefore be a useful tool in measuring the efficiency of large datasets. Finally, the back-propagation DEA algorithm is applied to five large datasets and compared with the results obtained by conventional DEA.

A note on the modelling the efficiency of top Arab banks

The major aim of this research is benchmarking top Arab banks using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) technique and to compare the results with that of published recently in Mostafa (2007a,b) [Mostafa, M. M. (2007a). Modeling the efficiency of top Arab banks: A DEA–neural network approach. Expert Systems with Applications, doi:10.1016/j.eswa.2007.09.001; Mostafa M. M. (2007b), Benchmarking top Arab banks’ efficiency through efficient frontier analysis, Industrial Management & Data Systems, 107(6) 802–823]. Data for 85 Arab banks used to conduct the analysis of relative efficiency. Our findings indicate that (1) the efficiency of Arab banks reported in Mostafa (2007a,b) is incorrect, hence, readers should take extra caution of using such results, (2) the corrected efficiency scores suggest that there is potential for significant improvements in Arab banks. In summary, this study overcomes with some data and methodology issues in measuring efficiency of Arab banks and highlights the importance of encouraging increased efficiency throughout the banking industry in the Arab world using the new results.

ICT and technical efficiency of the manufacturing industries in Iran

This paper extends the existing evidence on the relationship between Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and productivity using data from the entire Iranian manufacturing sector (22 industries) over the period 1993?1999. Estimates of efficiency using panel data confirm the positive and significant impact of ICT investments on productivity. Our finding is consistent with the most recent literatures in the context of developed and a few middle-income developing countries. Human capital and increasing ICT capital are probably two determining factors in gaining the positive payoffs from ICT investments in Iran.

FDI, linkages and the efficiency of state-owned enterprises in China

As China seeks to consolidate its position as an emerging global economic power, reforming the largely inefficient state-owned enterprises (SOEs) presents a major challenge. Using a comprehensive micro data set, we investigate whether SOEs in China have benefited from the managerial, technical and organisational skills possessed by multinational firms operating in the economy, and conclude that the evidence in favour of positive spillovers is not overwhelming. Limited regional linkages and low level of absorptive capacity are found to be the main reasons for this disappointing performance. Policy makers involved in the reform of SOEs should ensure that managers have the right incentives to make long-term investment in absorptive capacity development.

A semi-oriented radial measure for measuring the efficiency of decision making units with negative data, using DEA

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a nonparametric method for measuring the efficiency of a set of decision making units such as firms or public sector agencies, first introduced into the operational research and management science literature by Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes (CCR) [Charnes, A., Cooper, W.W., Rhodes, E., 1978. Measuring the efficiency of decision making units. European Journal of Operational Research 2, 429–444]. The original DEA models were applicable only to technologies characterized by positive inputs/outputs. In subsequent literature there have been various approaches to enable DEA to deal with negative data. In this paper, we propose a semi-oriented radial measure, which permits the presence of variables which can take both negative and positive values. The model is applied to data on a notional effluent processing system to compare the results with those yielded by two alternative methods for dealing with negative data in DEA: The modified slacks-based model suggested by Sharp et al. [Sharp, J.A., Liu, W.B., Meng, W., 2006. A modified slacks-based measure model for data envelopment analysis with ‘natural’ negative outputs and inputs. Journal of Operational Research Society 57 (11) 1–6] and the range directional model developed by Portela et al. [Portela, M.C.A.S., Thanassoulis, E., Simpson, G., 2004. A directional distance approach to deal with negative data in DEA: An application to bank branches. Journal of Operational Research Society 55 (10) 1111–1121]. A further example explores the advantages of using the new model.

The efficiency of encapsulation within surface rehydrated polymersomes

The key to the use of polymersomes as effective molecular delivery systems is in the ability to design processing routes that can efficiently encapsulate the molecular payload. We have evaluated various surface rehydration mechanisms for encapsulation, in each case characterizing the morphologies formed using DLS and confocal microscopy as well as determining the encapsulation efficiency for the hydrophilic dye Rhodamine B. In contrast to bulk methods, where the encapsulation efficiencies are low, we find that higher efficiencies can be obtained by the rehydration of thin films. We relate these results to the non-equilibrium mechanisms that underlie vesicle formation and discuss how an understanding of these mechanisms can help optimize encapsulation efficiencies. Our conclusion is that, even considering the good encapsulation efficiency, surface methods are still unsuitable for the massive scale-up needed when applied to commercial mass market molecular delivery scenarios. However, targeting more specialized applications for high value ingredients (like pharmaceuticals) might be more feasible.

Effect of fibre base and reflectors profile on the efficiency of ultra- long laser cavities

We study the effect of fibre base and grating profile on the efficiency of ultra-long Raman lasers. We show that for the studied parameters, FBG profile does not affect the performance when operating away from the zero-dispersion wavelength.

A study in the reduction of efficiency of nitrogen oxide removal catalysts for automobiles

Automotive catalysts are the most effective short-term answer to air pollution from automobiles. Since strict control of exhaust emissions is, or will be,covered by legislation in most developed countries in the world, catalytic devices will be increasingly fitted to cars. There is consequently an urgent need for the development of catalysts that will not compete for scarce precious metal resources. A number of problems have already been identified in connection with base metal catalysts but quantitative investigations are lacking. The base metal reduction catalysts developed by Imperial Chemical Industries Limited, catalysts and Chemical Group, in collaboration with the Air Pollution Control Laboratory, B L Cars Limited for automotive emission control, are susceptible to de-activation by three major mechanisms. These are: physical loss of the wash-coat (a high surface area coating which supports the active species), aggregation of the active species and poisoning by fuel and engine oil additives. This thesis is especially concerned with the first two of these and attempts to indicate the relative magnitude .of their effect on the activity of. the catalysts. Aggregation of the active species or sintering, as it is loosely called, was studied by using impregnated granules to overcome effects due to the loss of the wash-coat. Samples were aged in a synthetic exhaust gas, free from poisons, and metal crystallite sizes were measured by scanning-electron microscopy. The increase in particle size was correlated with the loss in catalytic activity. In order to maintain a link with the real conditions of service a number of monolithic catalysts were tested in an engine-dynamometer and several previously tested endurance catalysts were examined. A mechanism is proposed for the break-up and subsequent 10s.5 of the wash-coat and suggestions for improved resistance to loss of the' coating and active species are proposed.

Drying processess in the United Kingdom:assessment of industrial energy utilisation and efficiency of drying systems and the modelling of drying characters using neural networks (BL)

Drying is an important unit operation in process industry. Results have suggested that the energy used for drying has increased from 12% in 1978 to 18% of the total energy used in 1990. A literature survey of previous studies regarding overall drying energy consumption has demonstrated that there is little continuity of methods and energy trends could not be established. In the ceramics, timber and paper industrial sectors specific energy consumption and energy trends have been investigated by auditing drying equipment. Ceramic products examined have included tableware, tiles, sanitaryware, electrical ceramics, plasterboard, refractories, bricks and abrasives. Data from industry has shown that drying energy has not varied significantly in the ceramics sector over the last decade, representing about 31% of the total energy consumed. Information from the timber industry has established that radical changes have occurred over the last 20 years, both in terms of equipment and energy utilisation. The energy efficiency of hardwood drying has improved by 15% since the 1970s, although no significant savings have been realised for softwood. A survey estimating the energy efficiency and operating characteristics of 192 paper dryer sections has been conducted. Drying energy was found to increase to nearly 60% of the total energy used in the early 1980s, but has fallen over the last decade, representing 23% of the total in 1993. These results have demonstrated that effective energy saving measures, such as improved pressing and heat recovery, have been successfully implemented since the 1970s. Artificial neural networks have successfully been applied to model process characteristics of microwave and convective drying of paper coated gypsum cove. Parameters modelled have included product moisture loss, core gypsum temperature and quality factors relating to paper burning and bubbling defects. Evaluation of thermal and dielectric properties have highlighted gypsum's heat sensitive characteristics in convective and electromagnetic regimes. Modelling experimental data has shown that the networks were capable of simulating drying process characteristics to a high degree of accuracy. Product weight and temperature were predicted to within 0.5% and 5C of the target data respectively. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the underlying properties of the data could be predicted through a high level of input noise.

Efficiency of energy deposition by fundamental and second harmonics in femtosecond laser inscription

We present the results of numerical modelling of energy deposition in single-shot femtosecond laser inscription for fundamental and second harmonics, which shows that second harmonic is more efficient considering the amount of absorbed energy

Comparative numerical study of efficiency of energy deposition in femtosecond microfabrication with fundamental and second harmonics of Yb-doped fiber laser

We present the results of comparative numerical study of energy deposition in single shot femtosecond laser inscription for fundamental and second harmonic of Yb-doped fiber laser. We have found that second harmonic is more efficient in absorbing energy which leads to lower inscription threshold. Hence this regime is more attractive for applications in femtosecond laser microfabrication.