School outcomes:sharing the responsibility between pupil and school

This paper uses a Data Envelopment Analysis based approach to decompose pupil under-attainment into that attributable to the school the pupil attends and that attributable to the pupil. The approach measures pupil attainment in terms of value added. Data on over 6700 A-level pupils from 122 English schools have been analysed. The results suggest that at current levels of school effectiveness a pupil's own application accounts for the major part of any under-attainment, though schools also have scope to improve their effectiveness.The approach also makes it possible to identify target attainment levels a pupil could be set and the extent to which the attainment of those targets necessitates an improvement in the effectiveness of the school the pupil attends and in the pupil's own efforts.

Investigation of research in DEA literature

The present bibliography includes most of the references published in the field of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) up to the year 2007. Some publications in 2007 are also listed, but not included in the statistics. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this listing appears to be the most complete source of references on DEA and its applications in measuring the efficiency and productivity of decision making units (DMUs). The authors hope that this new updated bibliography will assist researchers and other scholars as they develop new frontiers in DEA. The most utilized/relevant journals, a keyword analysis, and selected statistics are also presented.

The impact of ICT on productivity of airline industry

Airline industry is at the forefront of many technological developments and is often a pioneer in adopting such innovations in a large scale. It needs to improve its efficiency as the current trends for input prices and competitive pressures show that any airline will face increasingly challenging market conditions. This paper has focused on the relationship between ICT investments and efficiency in the airline industry and employed a two-stage analytical investigation, DEA, SFA and the Tobit regression model. In this study, we first estimate the productivity of the airline industry using a balanced panel of 17 airlines over the period 1999–2004 by the Data Envelop Analysis (DEA) and the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) methods. We then evaluate the impacts of the determinants of productivity in the industry concentrating on ICT. The results suggest that regardless of all the negative shocks to the airline industry during the sample period, ICT had a positive effect on productivity during 1999-2004.

A flexible, extensible object oriented real-time near photorealistic visualization system:the system framework design

In this paper we describe a novel, extensible visualization system currently under development at Aston University. We introduce modern programming methods, such as the use of data driven programming, design patterns, and the careful definition of interfaces to allow easy extension using plug-ins, to 3D landscape visualization software. We combine this with modern developments in computer graphics, such as vertex and fragment shaders, to create an extremely flexible, extensible real-time near photorealistic visualization system. In this paper we show the design of the system and the main sub-components. We stress the role of modern programming practices and illustrate the benefits these bring to 3D visualization. © 2006 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Exchange rate forecasting using a combined parametric and nonparametric self-organising modelling approach

Financial prediction has attracted a lot of interest due to the financial implications that the accurate prediction of financial markets can have. A variety of data driven modellingapproaches have been applied but their performance has produced mixed results. In this study we apply both parametric (neural networks with active neurons) and nonparametric (analog complexing) self-organisingmodelling methods for the daily prediction of the exchangerate market. We also propose acombinedapproach where the parametric and nonparametricself-organising methods are combined sequentially, exploiting the advantages of the individual methods with the aim of improving their performance. The combined method is found to produce promising results and to outperform the individual methods when tested with two exchangerates: the American Dollar and the Deutche Mark against the British Pound.

The Generalized Malmquist index and capacity utilization change: an application to the Italian manufacturing, 1989-1994

Several indices of plant capacity utilization based on the concept of best practice frontier have been proposed in the literature (Fare et al. 1992; De Borger and Kerstens, 1998). This paper suggests an alternative measure of capacity utilization change based on Generalized Malmquist index, proposed by Grifell-Tatje' and Lovell in 1998. The advantage of this specification is that it allows the measurement of productivity growth ignoring the nature of scale economies. Afterwards, this index is used to measure capacity change of a panel of Italian firms over the period 1989-94 using Data Envelopment Analysis and then its abilities of explaining the short-run movements of output are assessed.

Digital control system programming from process control diagrams

A graphical process control language has been developed as a means of defining process control software. The user configures a block diagram describing the required control system, from a menu of functional blocks, using a graphics software system with graphics terminal. Additions may be made to the menu of functional blocks, to extend the system capability, and a group of blocks may be defined as a composite block. This latter feature provides for segmentation of the overall system diagram and the repeated use of the same group of blocks within the system. The completed diagram is analyzed by a graphics compiler which generates the programs and data structure to realise the run-time software. The run-time software has been designed as a data-driven system which allows for modifications at the run-time level in both parameters and system configuration. Data structures have been specified to ensure efficient execution and minimal storage requirements in the final control software. Machine independence has been accomodated as far as possible using CORAL 66 as the high level language throughout the entire system; the final run-time code being generated by a CORAL 66 compiler appropriate to the target processor.

New insights on measuring bank branches efficiency through DEA:transactional, operational, and profit assessments

This thesis presents a number of methodological developments that were raised by a real life application to measuring the efficiency of bank branches. The advent of internet banking and phone banking is changing the role of bank branches from a predominantly transaction-based one to a sales-oriented role. This fact requires the development of new forms of assessing and comparing branches of a bank. In addition, performance assessment models must also take into account the fact that bank branches are service and for-profit organisations to which providing adequate service quality as well as being profitable are crucial objectives. This study analyses bank branches performance in their new roles in three different areas: their effectiveness in fostering the use of new transaction channels such as the internet and the telephone (transactional efficiency); their effectiveness in increasing sales and their customer base (operational efficiency); and their effectiveness in generating profits without compromising the quality of service (profit efficiency). The chosen methodology for the overall analysis is Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The application attempted here required some adaptations to existing DEA models and indeed some new models so that some specialities of our data could be handled. These concern the development of models that can account for negative data, the development of models to measure profit efficiency, and the development of models that yield production units with targets that are nearer to their observed levels than targets yielded by traditional DEA models. The application of the developed models to a sample of Portuguese bank branches allowed their classification according to the three performance dimensions (transactional, operational and profit efficiency). It also provided useful insights to bank managers regarding how bank branches compare between themselves in terms of their performance, and how, in general, the three performance dimensions are connected between themselves.

Social capital and tacit knowledge sharing in organisational projects in Malaysian ICT companies

An increasing number of organisational researchers have turned to social capital theory in an attempt to better understand the impetus for knowledge sharing at the individual and organisational level. This thesis extends that research by investigating the impact of social capital on knowledge sharing at the group-level in the organisational project context. The objective of the thesis is to investigate the importance of social capital in fostering tacit knowledge sharing among the team members of a project. The analytical focus is on the Nahapiet and Ghoshal framework of social capital but also includes elements of other scholars' work. In brief, social capital is defined as an asset that is embedded in the network of relationships possessed by an individual or social unit. It is argued that the main dimensions of social capital that are of relevance to knowledge sharing are structural, cognitive, and relational because these, among other things, foster the exchange and combination of knowledge and resources among the team members. Empirically, the study is based on the grounded theory method. Data were collected from five projects in large, medium, and small ICT companies in Malaysia. Underpinned by the constant comparative method, data were derived from 55 interviews, and observations. The data were analysed using open, axial, and selective coding. The analysis also involved counting frequency occurrence from the coding generated by grounded theory to find the important items and categories under social capital dimensions and knowledge sharing, and for further explaining sub-groups within the data. The analysis shows that the most important dimension for tacit knowledge sharing is structural capital. Most importantly, the findings also suggest that structural capital is a prerequisite of cognitive capital and relational capital at the group-level in an organisational project. It also found that in a project context, relational capital is hard to realise because it requires time and frequent interactions among the team members. The findings from quantitative analysis show that frequent meetings and interactions, relationship, positions, shared visions, shared objectives, and collaboration are among the factors that foster the sharing of tacit knowledge among the team members. In conclusion, the present study adds to the existing literature on social capital in two main ways. Firstly, it distinguishes the dimensions of social capital and identifies that structural capital is the most important dimension in social capital and it is a prerequisite of cognitive and relational capital in a project context. Secondly, it identifies the causal sequence in the dimension of social capital suggesting avenues for further theoretical and empirical work in this emerging area of inquiry.

Studies of solar radiation and its measurement

A mathematical model has been developed for predicting the spectral distribution of solar radiation incident on a horizontal surface. The solar spectrum in the wavelength range 0.29 to 4.0 micrometers has been divided in 144 intervals. Two variables in the model are the atmospheric water vapour content and atmospheric turbidity. After allowing for absorption and scattering in the atmosphere, the spectral intensity of direct and diffuse components of radiation are computed. When the predicted radiation levels are compared with the measured values for the total radiation and the values with glass filters RG715, RG630 and OG530, a close agreement (± 5%) has been achieved under clear sky conditions. A solar radiation measuring facility, close to the centre of Birmingham, has been set up utilising a microcomputer based data logging system. A suite of computer programs in the BASIC programming language has been developed and extensively tested for solar radiation data, logging, analysis and plotting. Two commonly used instruments, the Eppley PSP pyranometer and the Kipp and Zonen CM5 pyranometer, have been compared under different experimental conditions. Three models for computing the inclined plane irradiation, using total and diffuse radiation on a horizontal surface, have been tested for Birmingham. The anisotropic-alI-sky model, proposed by Klucher, provides a good agreement between the measured and the predicted radiation levels. Measurements of solar spectral distribution, using glass filters, are also reported for a number of inclines facing South.

A comparison of U.S. and Japanese management systems and their transferability to Singapore industry

This research compares U.S. and Japanese management systems and evaluates their transferability to the Singaporean manufacturing industry. The objectives were:- a) To determine the effectiveness of U.S. and Japanese management systems when applied to Singapore. b) Determine the extent of transferability of U.S. and Japanese management systems to Singapore. c) Survey general problems ecountered in the application of U.S. and Japanese management systems to the Singapore industry. The study using questionnaire survey and interviews covered a total of eighty companies from four groups of firms in four industrial sectors comprising of U.S. and Japanese subsidiaries based in Singapore and their respective parent companies. Data from the questionnaires and interviews were used to investigate environmental conditions, management philosophy, management functions/practices, management effectiveness, and firm productivity. Two-way analysis of variance was used to analyse the questionnaire data. The analysis of the perceptual data from the questionnaire survey and interviews suggested that both U.S. and Japanese parent companies performed better in almost all the management variables studied when compared to their subsidiaries in Singapore. U.S. subsidiaries have less difficulty in adjusting to the Singapore environmental conditions and obtained better results than the Japanese subsidiaries in management functions/practices and management philosophy than the U.S. subsidiaries. In addition, the firm productivity (in terms of labour and capital productivity) of U.S. subsidiaries in Singapore was found to be higher than those of the Japanese subsidiaries. It was found that the Japanese parent companies returned the highest score among the four groups of firms in all the four industrial sectors for all the four management variables (i.e. environmental conditions, management philosophy, management functions/practices, and management effectiveness) surveyed using questionnaires. In contrast, the average score for Japanese subsidiaries in Singapore was generally the lowest among the four groups of firms. Thus the results of this study suggest that the transfer of U.S. management system into the Singapore industry is more successful than the Japanese management system. The problems encountered in the application of U.S. and Japanese management in Singapore were identified and discussed by the study. General recommendations for the Singaporean manufacturing industry were then made based on the findings of the questionnaire survey and interview analysis.

Decompression illness and its regulation in contemporary UK tunnelling : an engineering perspective:an engineering perspective

This thesis records the findings of a retrospective study of decompression illness (DCI) in the UK compressed air tunnelling industry since the mid-1980s. The thesis describes how the study arose, its scope and objectives, along with an overview of tunnelling and shaft-sinking. The development of compressed air working techniques is reviewed along with a description of decompression practice and DCI, and an outline of relevant legislation and guidance. The acquisition and manipulation of data to form a number of databases and spreadsheets on which the analysis was performed is discussed. That analysis examined measures of DCI incidence and quantified that incidence using these measures. Also considered is the variation in tolerance and susceptibility to DCI in the workforce, and the phenomenon of acclimatisation. An examination of the extent to which men worked on multiple contracts and the variation in their susceptibility to DCI on these contracts is included. Options are then considered for reducing the incidence of DCI. The first retained air-only decompression through the application of restrictions on exposure. The second related to the use of oxygen decompression. Finally the adequacy of the existing Regulations and Guidance is considered and recommendations made for possible changes to them, arising from the study. The main conclusions are that a number of measures of DCI incidence were identified, some more appropriate than others and that the incidence of DCI when so measured was high, disproportionately so in shift workers. No reasonably practicable restrictions on exposure were identified which would have allowed the retention of air-only decompression. Oxygen decompression looked promising but had yet to be used sufficiently extensively to generate enough data for analysis. Recommendations included one that an alternative technique for monitoring the effectiveness of decompression should be developed. The thesis ends with recommendations for further research.

Evaluating productive efficiency:comparative study of commercial banks in Gulf countries

Financial institutes are an integral part of any modern economy. In the 1970s and 1980s, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries made significant progress in financial deepening and in building a modern financial infrastructure. This study aims to evaluate the performance (efficiency) of financial institutes (banking sector) in GCC countries. Since, the selected variables include negative data for some banks and positive for others, and the available evaluation methods are not helpful in this case, so we developed a Semi Oriented Radial Model to perform this evaluation. Furthermore, since the SORM evaluation result provides a limited information for any decision maker (bankers, investors, etc...), we proposed a second stage analysis using classification and regression (C&R) method to get further results combining SORM results with other environmental data (Financial, economical and political) to set rules for the efficient banks, hence, the results will be useful for bankers in order to improve their bank performance and to the investors, maximize their returns. Mainly there are two approaches to evaluate the performance of Decision Making Units (DMUs), under each of them there are different methods with different assumptions. Parametric approach is based on the econometric regression theory and nonparametric approach is based on a mathematical linear programming theory. Under the nonparametric approaches, there are two methods: Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Free Disposal Hull (FDH). While there are three methods under the parametric approach: Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA); Thick Frontier Analysis (TFA) and Distribution-Free Analysis (DFA). The result shows that DEA and SFA are the most applicable methods in banking sector, but DEA is seem to be most popular between researchers. However DEA as SFA still facing many challenges, one of these challenges is how to deal with negative data, since it requires the assumption that all the input and output values are non-negative, while in many applications negative outputs could appear e.g. losses in contrast with profit. Although there are few developed Models under DEA to deal with negative data but we believe that each of them has it is own limitations, therefore we developed a Semi-Oriented-Radial-Model (SORM) that could handle the negativity issue in DEA. The application result using SORM shows that the overall performance of GCC banking is relatively high (85.6%). Although, the efficiency score is fluctuated over the study period (1998-2007) due to the second Gulf War and to the international financial crisis, but still higher than the efficiency score of their counterpart in other countries. Banks operating in Saudi Arabia seem to be the highest efficient banks followed by UAE, Omani and Bahraini banks, while banks operating in Qatar and Kuwait seem to be the lowest efficient banks; this is because these two countries are the most affected country in the second Gulf War. Also, the result shows that there is no statistical relationship between the operating style (Islamic or Conventional) and bank efficiency. Even though there is no statistical differences due to the operational style, but Islamic bank seem to be more efficient than the Conventional bank, since on average their efficiency score is 86.33% compare to 85.38% for Conventional banks. Furthermore, the Islamic banks seem to be more affected by the political crisis (second Gulf War), whereas Conventional banks seem to be more affected by the financial crisis.

Extracting protein-protein interactions from MEDLINE using the hidden vector state model

A major challenge in text mining for biomedicine is automatically extracting protein-protein interactions from the vast amount of biomedical literature. We have constructed an information extraction system based on the Hidden Vector State (HVS) model for protein-protein interactions. The HVS model can be trained using only lightly annotated data whilst simultaneously retaining sufficient ability to capture the hierarchical structure. When applied in extracting protein-protein interactions, we found that it performed better than other established statistical methods and achieved 61.5% in F-score with balanced recall and precision values. Moreover, the statistical nature of the pure data-driven HVS model makes it intrinsically robust and it can be easily adapted to other domains.

Is there life in the old dogs yet? Making break-tests work on financial contagion

Many tests of financial contagion require a definition of the dates separating calm from crisis periods. We propose to use a battery of break search procedures for individual time series to objectively identify potential break dates in relationships between countries. Applied to the biggest European stock markets and combined with two well established tests for financial contagion, this approach results in break dates which correctly identify the timing of changes in cross-country transmission mechanisms. Application of break search procedures breathes new life into the established contagion tests, allowing for an objective, data-driven timing of crisis periods.