New descriptions and understandings of internationalisation: A tale of knowledge-intensive SMEs

This research seeks to generate and foster new descriptions and understandings of processes underlying the internationalisation experienced by small- and medium-sized, knowledge-intensive enterprises. The longitudinal study centres on the growth and internationalisation of a cluster of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the most southern state of Australia, of which a number were 'bom global.' It draws on both retrospective data such as corporate archives, as well as observations and interviews as events unfolded over a period of eighteen months to garner insights into processes underlying the SMEs' internationalisation. The approach to inquiry is influenced by an epistemology of social constructionism, interpretive narrative, sensemaking and dramaturgical theoretical perspectives, and elements of cultural anthropology. Exploratory in the early stages, a funnel approach characteristic of ethnographic enquiry was used whereby the study became progressively focused over time. The extended period of fieldwork led to observations and interpretations that cast the retrospective data in new light, and the use of the construct 'legitimacy' as a lens through which to view activities and events infusing the firms' internationalisation. A generic narrative scheme that offers a temporal ordering of actions, context and meaning attributions in relation to legitimation behaviours and internationalisation processes is developed. This narrative scheme is then used to garner a deeper understanding of three activities that were central to the firms' internationalisation over time: the choice of geographic export markets, strategic participation in international standard-setting committees, and portfolio entrepreneurship. In addition, the study offers a rich story of the growth and internationalisation of the cluster of knowledge-intensive SMEs. The tale of growth and internationalisation pursued by the cluster of knowledgeintensive SMEs spans the period from 1975 to mid 1997, and may prove a useful resource for the theorising of others.

Towards a framework for combining stochastic and deterministic descriptions of nonstationary financial time series

We present in this paper ideas to tackle the problem of analysing and forecasting nonstationary time series within the financial domain. Accepting the stochastic nature of the underlying data generator we assume that the evolution of the generator's parameters is restricted on a deterministic manifold. Therefore we propose methods for determining the characteristics of the time-localised distribution. Starting with the assumption of a static normal distribution we refine this hypothesis according to the empirical results obtained with the methods anc conclude with the indication of a dynamic non-Gaussian behaviour with varying dependency for the time series under consideration.

From detection of complex motion to descriptions of moving surfaces in human vision

A preliminary study by Freeman et al (1996b) has suggested that when complex patterns of motion elicit impressions of 2-dimensionality, odd-item-out detection improves given targets can be differentiated on the basis of surface properties. Their results can be accounted for, it if is supposed that observers are permitted efficient access to 3-D surface descriptions but access to 2-D motion descriptions is restricted. To test the hypothesis, a standard search technique was employed, in which targets could be discussed on the basis of slant sign. In one experiment, slant impressions were induced through the summing of deformation and translation components. In a second theory were induced through the summing of shear and translation components. Neither showed any evidence of efficient access. A third experiment explored the possibility that access to these representations may have been hindered by a lack of grouping between the stimuli. Attempts to improve grouping failed to produce convincing evidence in support of life. An alternative explanation is that complex patterns of motion are simply not processed simultaneously. Psychophysical and physiological studies have, however, suggested that multiple mechanisms selective for complex motion do exist. Using a subthreshold summation technique I found evidence supporting the notion that complex motions are processed in parallel. Furthermore, in a spatial summation experiment, coherence thresholds were measured for displays containing different numbers of complex motion patches. Consistent with the idea that complex motion processing proceeds in parallel, increases in the number of motion patches were seen to decrease thresholds, both for expansion and rotation. Moreover, the rates of decrease were higher than those typically expected from probability summation, thus implying mechanisms are available, which can pool signals from spatially distinct complex motion flows.

Lagrangian and Eulerian descriptions of inertial particles in random flows

We study how the spatial distribution of inertial particles evolves with time in a random flow. We describe an explosive appearance of caustics and show how they influence an exponential growth of clusters due to smooth parts of the flow, leading in particular to an exponential growth of the average distance between particles. We demonstrate how caustics restrict applicability of Lagrangian description to inertial particles.

Using genetic programming and decision trees for generating structural descriptions of four bar mechanisms

Four bar mechanisms are basic components of many important mechanical devices. The kinematic synthesis of four bar mechanisms is a difficult design problem. A novel method that combines the genetic programming and decision tree learning methods is presented. We give a structural description for the class of mechanisms that produce desired coupler curves. Constructive induction is used to find and characterize feasible regions of the design space. Decision trees constitute the learning engine, and the new features are created by genetic programming.

Resolving ambiguous descriptions through visual information

The project “Reference in Discourse” deals with the selection of a specific object from a visual scene in a natural language situation. The goal of this research is to explain this everyday discourse reference task in terms of a concept generation process based on subconceptual visual and verbal information. The system OINC (Object Identification in Natural Communicators) aims at solving this problem in a psychologically adequate way. The system’s difficulties occurring with incomplete and deviant descriptions correspond to the data from experiments with human subjects. The results of these experiments are reported.

Conditions of Effectiveness of Pattern Recognition Problem Solution Using Logical Level Descriptions of Classes

Earlier the authors have suggested a logical level description of classes which allows to reduce a solution of various pattern recognition problems to solution of a sequence of one-type problems with the less dimension. Here conditions of the effectiveness of the use of such a level descriptions are proposed.

Simulation-based Approach to Verification of Logical Descriptions with Functional Indeterminacy

A verification task of proving the equivalence of two descriptions of the same device is examined for the case, when one of the descriptions is partially defined. In this case, the verification task is reduced to checking out whether logical descriptions are equivalent on the domain of the incompletely defined one. Simulation-based approach to solving this task for different vector forms of description representations is proposed. Fast Boolean computations over Boolean and ternary vectors having big sizes underlie the offered methods.

XML Editors Overview and the Challenge to Build XML-Oriented Editor for Mediaeval Manuscript Descriptions

* The research presented here is partially supported by the project KT-DigiCult-Bg (FP6) and by the ICT Agency in Bulgaria.

The Butler wears Prada. A Hungarian case-study based on the analysis of the uniform and hotel industry from the point of sustainability

What is the connection between the hotel and fashion industry? The authors aim to answer this question approaching from different aspects. It can be stated that both of these industries are harmful for the environment from the point of sustainability. On the other hand there is a common solution from the viewpoint of sustainability: the uniforms and the primary materials, which are used during the production, such as the man-made and natural fibres. In our research the authors introduce the main problems which are related to the fashion industry, especially focusing on producing fibres from the viewpoint of sustainability. We introduce the solution for the fashion industry based on the literature and also present the emerging problems and solutions of the hotel industry based on the best practices. As a part of it, we are introducing the best practices from the hotel industry, where environmentally friendly uniforms are used. Finally, as a primary research part of our paper, we interpret the results of a Hungarian case-study.

Introductory catalog. Supplement: Course descriptions. [1972-1973]

https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/catalogs/1060/thumbnail.jpg

Morphology and Typification of Mastogloia Smithii and M. Lacustris, with Descriptions of Two New Species from the Florida Everglades and the Caribbean Region

The names Mastogloia smithii Thwaites ex Smith and M. smithii var. lacustris Grunow have been attributed to a variety of related diatom morphologies, partly due to the poor availability of type material and complicated nomenclatural history. The history is detailed, clarifying the type morphologies of M. smithii and reconfirming a neglected elevation of M. smithii var. lacustris to M. lacustris (Grunow) Grunow. Populations reported as M. smithii and M. lacustris from the temperate zone (Ontario, Canada and Iowa and Michigan, USA), karstic wetlands of the subtropical Everglades (Florida, USA) and the tropics (Jamaica, Mexico and Belize) are compared with each other. Based on morphological differences including density of partecta, striae and areolae, M. calcarea sp. nov. and M. pseudosmithii sp. nov. are described from the Everglades and the Caribbean region, and a lectotype of M. smithii and a neotype of M. lacustris are designated.

A Comparative Study of Concurrent Acoustic and Diver Survey Data, and Fish Community Descriptions of a High Latitude Coral Reef, Florida, USA

Fisheries independent data on relatively unstudied nekton communities were used to explore the efficacy of new tools to be applied in the investigation of shallow coastal coral reef habitats. These data obtained through concurrent diver visual and acoustic surveys provided descriptions of spatial community distribution patterns across seasonal temporal scales in a previously undocumented region. Fish density estimates by both diver and acoustic methodologies showed a general agreement in ability to detect distributional patterns across reef tracts, though magnitude of density estimates were different. Fish communities in southeastern Florida showed significant trends in spatial distribution and seasonal abundance, with higher estimates of biomass obtained in the dry season. Further, community composition shifted across reef tracts and seasons as a function of the movements of several key reef species.

Navigating the past, envisioning the future : Octavia Butler's heroines

In this thesis, I examined three novels by African American science fiction novelist Octavia Butler: Kindred (1979), Parable of the Sower (1994), Parable of the Talents (1998) and Dawn (1987). I analyzed Butler's belief that society has become too firmly attached to old customs and belief systems, initiating destructive, self-defeating cycles in our history. She looks to African American females to take up leadership roles and exact radical change to ensure society's continued survival as well as progress, acceptance and autonomy within our communities. I also established Butler's significant contributions to the African American literary canon as she examines the history of African Americans and speculates on their necessary roles of shaping the future of society.