bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reforming a state in formation: from Structural Adjustment Programs to Results-Based Management – lessons from two decades of administrative reform in Cameroon
Authors: Tamekou Raoul
Published: November 2018

This article sets out to examine, from a socio-historical standpoint, the administrative change process specific to Cameroon. By analyzing the mechanisms and processes driving the administrative reforms put in place since the end of the 1980s, the study pinpoints the regularities characteristic of the national trajectory of administrative reform in Cameroon. The article is divided into three sections. The first presents the analytical approach chosen. The second part presents the various repertoires of the reforms put in place, as well as an overview of the main programs. The third, finally, sets outs the lessons drawn from the study.

Points for practitioners

The article explores the dynamic relationship between the production of administrative reforms and the impact of reforms on the politico-administrative order in Cameroon. It is thus demonstrated that while reform has become considered over the years as a specialized know-how and an objective framework for the construction of public action, it continues to be plagued by rationales that are foreign to the organizational purpose, and comes across as the “art of doing.”
Comparison of cyanoacrylate closure and radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of incompetent great saphenous veins: 36-Month outcomes of the VeClose randomized controlled trial
Authors: Morrison Nick , Kolluri Raghu , Vasquez Michael , Madsen Monte , Jones Andrew , Gibson Kathleen
Published: November 2018

Objective

To evaluate the 36-month efficacy and safety of cyanoacrylate closure for the treatment of incompetent great saphenous veins in comparison with radiofrequency ablation.

Methods

In this multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial, 222 symptomatic subjects with incompetent great saphenous veins were assigned to either cyanoacrylate closure or radiofrequency ablation. The primary endpoint, complete closure of the target great saphenous vein, was determined using duplex ultrasound examination starting from three-month visit.

Results

At month 36, the great saphenous vein closure rates were 94.4% for the cyanoacrylate closure group and 91.9% for the radiofrequency ablation group. Stable improvement in symptoms and quality of life was observed in both groups. Adverse event rates between the 24- and 36-month visits were similar between the groups as were serious adverse events which were infrequent and judged unrelated to either the device or the procedure in both groups.

Conclusions

This trial continues to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of cyanoacrylate closure for the treatment of great saphenous vein incompetence with great saphenous vein closure rate at 36 months similar to that of radiofrequency ablation, indicating non-inferiority of cyanoacrylate closure to radiofrequency ablation. The improvement in quality of life outcomes were also sustained and similar between the two treatment groups.
Biomechanical Comparison of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction With the Docking Technique Versus Repair With Internal Bracing
Authors: Bodendorfer Blake M. , Looney Austin M. , Lipkin Sloane L. , Nolton Esther C. , Li Jihui , Najarian Robert G. , Chang Edward S.
Published: November 2018

Background:

The modified Jobe technique of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction has previously been biomechanically compared with primary repair augmented with internal bracing. However, the docking technique has not been compared with repair with internal bracing.

Hypothesis:

Load to failure, gapping, and valgus opening angle are similar under valgus loading at 90° of flexion between repair with internal bracing and the docking technique for the UCL.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Nine matched pairs of fresh-frozen cadaveric elbows were potted with the forearm in neutral rotation. The palmaris longus tendon graft was harvested, and the bone was sectioned 14 cm proximal and distal to the elbow joint. First, native UCL testing was performed at 90° of flexion with 0.5 N·m preload, followed by a 5 N·m valgus moment to the elbow in cycles of 1, 10, 100, and 1000 at 1 Hz. The specimens were then loaded to failure at a rate of 0.2 mm/s. Next, the elbows were randomly divided into matched pairs to undergo either UCL reconstruction with docking technique or UCL repair augmented with internal bracing. Last, these specimens underwent testing as aforementioned.

Results:

Load to failure, gapping, and valgus opening angle did not differ significantly between native ligaments that underwent reconstruction or repair with internal bracing, paired native ligaments and reconstructions, paired native ligaments and repairs augmented with internal bracing, or reconstructions and repairs augmented with internal bracing.

Conclusion:

UCL reconstruction with docking technique and repair augmented with internal bracing provides valgus stability to the medial elbow comparable to the native ligament at 90°. No significant differences were noted between docking reconstruction and repair techniques for load to failure, gapping, or valgus opening angle during cyclic loading at time zero.

Clinical Relevance:

Our results suggest that UCL repair with internal bracing has a similar biomechanical profile at the time of initial fixation compared with the docking technique of UCL reconstruction.
Nonlinear cascade control of high-response proportional solenoid valve based on an extended disturbance observer
Authors: Shi Wenzhuo , Wei Jianhua , Fang Jinhui , Li Mingjie
Published: November 2018

With the gradually increasing usage of high-response proportional solenoid valve in the middle- and high-end electronic hydraulic system, to possess a superior performance controller is always most important for high-response proportional solenoid valve. Thus, many novel nonlinear control algorithms, such as sliding mode control and adaptive robust control, are researched and applied to high-response proportional solenoid valve. However, the strict condition of full-state feedback usually cannot be met, since there are no velocity and acceleration measurements available in high-response proportional solenoid valve. Therefore, we proposed an extended disturbance observer to observe the velocity of the high-response proportional solenoid valve’s spool assembly at first. Or rather, the extended disturbance observer is designed to observe the disturbances in the model of high-response proportional solenoid valve and the velocity is also obtained as a by-product. And then, a nonlinear cascade controller based on the extended disturbance observer is designed. The proposed extended disturbance observer is driven by both the estimation error and the virtual input discrepancy of nonlinear cascade controller. The nonlinear cascade controller is designed by utilizing backstepping technique. The stability of the overall closed-loop system is proved according to the Lyapunov theory. As a comparison, a desired compensation nonlinear cascade controller is also applied to the same high-response proportional solenoid valve. The experiment results demonstrate that the proposed nonlinear cascade controller based on extended disturbance observer has an excellent performance under multiple working conditions. Even when the supply pressure has severe fluctuations, the nonlinear cascade controller based on extended disturbance observer can still maintain high performance.
Reviewing the clinical significance of ‘fear of abandonment’ in borderline personality disorder
Authors: Palihawadana Venura , Broadbear Jillian H , Rao Sathya
Published: November 2018

Objectives:

To review and highlight the clinical significance of the symptom ‘fear of abandonment’ in borderline personality disorder (BPD).

Methods:

A systematic search of the literature was conducted using MEDLINE and PubMed, employing search terms including ‘fear of abandonment’, ‘borderline personality disorder’ and ‘rejection’. The most relevant English-language articles and books were selected for this review.

Results:

Fear of abandonment is widely recognised as a core symptom in BPD; a biopsychosocial explanation for the occurrence of the symptom is presented. While fear of abandonment may differ in its clinical presentation, it has a significant impact on therapeutic engagement, suicidal behaviour and non-suicidal self-injury, clinical management and prognosis. Most evidence based psychotherapies for BPD address the phenomenon of fear of abandonment; however, the lack of specifically targeted treatment interventions is disproportionate to its prominence and clinical significance.

Conclusions:

Given its defining role in BPD, we recommend fear of abandonment as an important subject of future research and a specific therapy target.
Tracking control of suspended microchannel resonators based on Krylov model order reduction method
Authors: Vakilzadeh Mohsen , Vatankhah Ramin , Eghtesad Mohammad
Published: November 2018

In this paper, trajectory tracking control of suspended microchannel resonators (SMRs) is studied. A finite element procedure based on modified strain gradient theory will be used to model the SMR. Finite element methods usually lead to a model with a relatively high number of degrees of freedom. Thus, first, we will utilize the second order Krylov subspace method based on multi-moment matching to obtain a second order bilinear reduced system. Then, an output feedback controller and an optimal controller which take much less computation time and effort will be designed for the reduced system. The SMR is a micro-resonator which oscillates in a special frequency in practical cases, and thus tracking the desired paths is considered here as the control objective. Simulation results show the excellent performance of the proposed controllers.
A wedge disclination in a nonlinear elastic cylinder
Authors: Wu Mao S
Published: November 2018

The stress and displacement fields and the energy of a wedge disclination in a nonlinear elastic cylinder under finite deformation are derived. A second-order elastic theory, which is based on the solutions of the first-order theory, is used for this purpose. It is found that the second-order Cauchy stresses are ratios of quadratic polynomials of ln( R/ ρ), where R is the referential radial coordinate and ρ is the cylinder radius. The numerical results for steel suggest that the first-order theory is insufficiently accurate for disclinations with strength greater than 1o. Parametric studies of the elastic constants show that the second-order circumferential stress on the cylinder boundary is sensitive to the Lamé constants and one of the third-order elastic constants.
Fragmentation studies of selected drugs utilized in palliative care
Authors: Grześkowiak Tomasz , Zgoła-Grześkowiak Agnieszka , Rusińska-Roszak Danuta , Zaporowska-Stachowiak Iwona , Jeszka-Skowron Magdalena
Published: November 2018

The results of research on selected drugs used in palliative care are presented, including fentanyl, tramadol, metoclopramide, hyoscine butylbromide, midazolam, haloperidol, levomepromazine and clonazepam. Interpretation of their ESI mass spectra obtained by the use of a triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer is given. As a result, fragmentation pathways described in the literature are complemented and presented with more details. On their basis, transitions for quantitative analysis are selected and chromatographic conditions for the determination of the palliative care drugs are proposed as well. These results enable future studies on palliative care drugs in elderly patients including both their quantitation in body fluids and easier identification of their metabolites.
Monitoring and characterization of vibration and shock conditions aboard high-performance marine craft
Authors: de Alwis Manudul Pahansen , Garme Karl
Published: November 2018

The stochastic environmental conditions together with craft design and operational characteristics make it difficult to predict the vibration environments aboard high-performance marine craft, particularly the risk of impact acceleration events and the shock component of the exposure often being associated with structural failure and human injuries. The different timescales and the magnitudes involved complicate the real-time analysis of vibration and shock conditions aboard these craft. The article introduces a new measure, severity index, indicating the risk of severe impact acceleration, and proposes a method for real-time feedback on the severity of impact exposure together with accumulated vibration exposure. The method analyzes the immediate 60 s of vibration exposure history and computes the severity of impact exposure as for the present state based on severity index. The severity index probes the characteristic of the present acceleration stochastic process, that is, the risk of an upcoming heavy impact, and serves as an alert to the crew. The accumulated vibration exposure, important for mapping and logging the crew exposure, is determined by the ISO 2631:1997 vibration dose value. The severity due to the impact and accumulated vibration exposure is communicated to the crew every second as a color-coded indicator: green, yellow and red, representing low, medium and high, based on defined impact and dose limits. The severity index and feedback method are developed and validated by a data set of 27 three-hour simulations of a planning craft in irregular waves and verified for its feasibility in real-world applications by full-scale acceleration data recorded aboard high-speed planing craft in operation.
Not Chinese exceptionalism, but comparative institutionalism!
Authors: Zhang Jun
Published: November 2018

In this commentary, I endorse Töpfer’s critique on the conceptual centrality of ‘lead firms’ in the existing global production network/global financial network analyses and her argument to restore the primary role of the state in theorizing global financial integration. I suggest that the next step on the research agenda is to go beyond Chinese exceptionalism and develop an integrated politico-institutional framework that can enable critical, comparative studies of territorially variegated economic globalization.
Inside global financial networks
Authors: Töpfer Laura-Marie
Published: November 2018

The commentaries on this forum’s anchor article, ‘China’s Integration into the Global Financial System: Toward a State-led Conception of Global Financial Networks’, examine how the state is shaping global financial networks (GFNs). In response to these reviews, this article discusses three common themes that bind the different commentaries: (1) different types of agency, power, and the rise of new actors; (2) the methodology behind studying state-led GFNs; and (3) the structural question of ‘Chinese exceptionalism’ as a mode of capitalism. Overall, this article affirms that the state remains central to our understanding of competitive hierarchies and firm behavior in financial networks.
Implementation and Impact of Results-Based Accountability Learning: Successes and Challenges With Human Service Professionals of Color in Urban Agencies
Authors: Hopkins Karen , Meyer Megan , Cohen-Callow Amy , Mattocks Nicole , Afkinich Jenny
Published: November 2018

A foundation–university partnership was developed to expand the bench of human service professionals (HSPs) of color trained in performance management with the results-based accountability (RBA) framework. Interviews and survey data reflect the RBA learning, application, and implementation experiences among three cohorts of HSPs of color ( n = 39) representing a variety of urban nonprofit and public agencies ( n = 35) in a metropolitan area. The HSPs reported valuable training experiences that provided an opportunity to make a greater impact within their organizations. However, some found the training to be missing a strategy on how to manage RBA in their work organizations. The participants reported appreciating the peer coaching process for its mutual support structure, focus on application, and the opportunity to network with others doing similar work across the region. The most common barrier reported by the HSPs was that they did not hold high enough leadership positions or have enough authority within their organizations, a common scenario for women of color in particular, to enact substantial change in performance management agencywide. Moving forward, strategies are needed to improve the implementation of RBA into urban nonprofit and public agencies and support the upward mobility of HSPs of color to oversee performance results using RBA.
The research domain criteria framework in drug discovery for neuropsychiatric diseases: focus on negative valence
Authors: Nicholson Janet R. , Sommer Bernd
Published: November 2018

Drug discovery, particularly in the field of central nervous system, has had very limited success in the last few decades. A likely contributor is the poor translation between preclinical and clinical phases. The Research Domain Criteria of the National Institutes of Mental Health is a framework which aims to identify new ways of classifying mental illnesses that are based on observable behaviour and neurobiological measures, and to provide a guiding and evolving framework to improve the translation from preclinical to clinical research. At the core of the Research Domain Criteria approach is the assumption that the dimensional constructs described can be assessed across different units of analysis, thus enabling a more precise quantitative understanding of their neurobiological underpinnings, increasing the likelihood of identifying new and effective therapeutic approaches. In the present review, we discuss how the Research Domain Criteria can be applied to drug discovery with the domain Negative Valence, construct Potential Threat (‘Anxiety’) as an example. We will discuss the evidence supporting the utility of the Research Domain Criteria approach and evaluate how close we are to achieving a common thread of translational research from gene to self-report.
Healthcare-associated infections in intensive care units in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan: recent trends based on national surveillance reports
Authors: Chiang Cho-Han , Pan Sung-Ching , Yang Tyan-Shin , Matsuda Keisuke , Kim Hong Bin , Choi Young Hwa , Hori Satoshi , Wang Jann-Tay , Sheng Wang-Huei , Chen Yee-Chun , Chang Feng-Yee , Chang Shan-Chwen
Published: November 2018

Background

Sustainable systematic interventions are important for infection prevention and control (IPC). Data from surveillance of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) provides feedback for implementation of IPC programs. To address the paucity of such data in Asia, we searched for national HAI surveillance and IPC programs in this region.

Methods

Data were analysed from open access national surveillance reports of three Asian countries: Taiwan, South Korea and Japan from 2008 to 2015. National IPC programs were identified.

Results

There were differences among the countries in surveillance protocols, hospital coverage rates, and national IPC policies and programs. Nevertheless, there was a 53.0% reduction in overall HAI over the 8-year period. This consisted of a decrease from 9.34 to 5.03 infections per 1000 patient-days in Taiwan, from 7.56 to 2.76 in Korea, and from 4.41 to 2.74 in Japan (Poisson regression, all p < 0.05). Across the three countries, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans were the major pathogens for urinary tract infection. Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii and Enterococcus faecium were common bloodstream pathogens. For pneumonia, S. aureus, A. baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the predominant pathogens, with considerable country differences. There was a 64.6% decrease in the number of isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus, 38.4% decrease in carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa and 49.2% decrease in carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) in Taiwan (all p < 0.05), and similarly in Korea with the exception of CRAB (30.5 and 50.4% reduction, respectively, both p < 0.05).

Conclusion

We found a significant decrease in HAI across the three countries in association with sequential multifaceted interventions such as hand hygiene, care bundles, and antimicrobial stewardships. Further regional collaboration could be forged to develop joint strategies to prevent HAI.
Recent updates for biomaterials used in total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Hu Chang Yong , Yoon Taek-Rim
Published: November 2018

Background

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is probably one of the most successful surgical interventions performed in medicine. Through the revolution of hip arthroplasty by principles of low friction arthroplasty was introduced by Sir John Charnley in 1960s. Thereafter, new bearing materials, fixation methods, and new designs has been improved. The main concern regarding failure of THA has been the biological response to particulate polyethylene debris generated by conventional metal on polyethylene bearing surfaces leading to osteolysis and aseptic loosening of the prosthesis. To resolve these problems, the materials of the modern THA were developed since then.

Methods

A literature search strategy was conducted using various search terms in PUBMED. The highest quality articles that met the inclusion criteria and best answered the topics of focus of this review were selected. Key search terms included ‘total hip arthroplasty’, ‘biomaterials’, ‘stainless steel’, ‘cobalt-chromium’, ‘titanium’, ‘polyethylene’, and ‘ceramic’.

Results

The initial search retrieved 6921 articles. Thirty-two articles were selected and used in the review.

Conclusion

This article introduces biomaterials used in THA and discusses various bearing materials in currentclinical use in THA as well as the newer biomaterials which may even further decrease wear and improve THA survivorship.
The Big Data Newsvendor: Practical Insights from Machine Learning
Authors: Ban Gah-Yi , Rudin Cynthia
Published: November 2018

In Ban and Rudin’s (2018) “The Big Data Newsvendor: Practical Insights from Machine Learning,” the authors take an innovative machine-learning approach to a classic problem solved by almost every company, every day, for inventory management. By allowing companies to use large amounts of data to predict the correct answers to decisions directly, they avoid intermediate questions, such as “how many customers will we get tomorrow?” and instead can tell the company how much inventory to stock for these customers. This has implications for almost all other decision-making problems considered in operations research, which has traditionally considered data estimation separately from the decision optimization. Their proposed methods are shown to work both analytically and empirically with the latter explored in a hospital nurse staffing example in which the best one-step, feature-based newsvendor algorithm (the kernel-weights optimization method) is shown to beat the best-practice benchmark by 24% in the out-of-sample cost at a fraction of the speed.
THE LARGE BUSINESSES OF RUSSIA: AN INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
Authors: Barkhatov Viktor , Bents Daria , Belova Irina , Kapkaev Yuner
Published: November 2018

The aim of the article is to analyze the distribution of large Russian enterprises in key areas of activity within each federal district. Analytical and review articles concern problems of large, medium and small businesses, their role in the national economy and regional economic policy, problems of interaction between the state and business structures are the basis of theoretical and methodological approach of this research. The information base for this research is the data of accounting and tax reporting of large Russian enterprises in 2016. This data was provided by the First Independent Rating Agency. We show an uneven distribution of large enterprises across the Russian territory. More than a half of the large-sized enterprises are located in the Central Federal District. We identify areas of activity peculiar to large enterprises in each federal district and also areas of activity that are not very popular among large businesses. In the majority of regions, the greatest percent of the enterprises are presented by wholesale and retail trade. On the second place there are the enterprises of the manufacturing industry. As for mining, large business is concentrated in those regions where minerals are extracted. Among the least popular sectors are the spheres of research and development. The results will be a platform for further evaluation of the contribution of large business to the welfare of Russian regions.
PHENOMENON OF A TRANSACTIONAL RENT IN AGRARIAN BUSINESS
Authors: Barkhatov Viktor , Bents Daria , Silova Elena , Kozlova Elena
Published: November 2018

The phenomenon of a transactional rent in agrarian business in Russian regions is studied in the presented paperwork. The authors have found such phenomenon while they were analyzing contractual relations in regional agrarian branches. The  research was supported by the state grant for young scientists in 2015-2016. The authors gathered a set of qualitative and quantitative results exploring the problem of agrarian contractual relations.The article’s purpose is to research the nature and forms of transactional rent, to develop a technique of the quantitative assessment of contractual relations’ efficiency, and to evaluate that level.Transactional rent is understood as the income gained by one subject (contractor) while there are reasons to suppose that this income shall belong to the other subject of a transaction (if the market is perfect). Transactional rent is a result of imperfection in the market mechanism. The authors consider inefficiency of the contractual relations as the main problem of agrarian market functioning. That is shown by the presence of high market barriers, discriminating conditions, multiplicity of subjects of a contractual chain, and lack of regulation of contractual relations in business practice. The high prices of food for customers, monopolization of markets at the level of retail trade, high level of shadow operations in this market and, respectively, imperfection of monitoring over food quality are the consequences of similar inefficiencies of contractual relations. Threat of food security and regional economic stability in general can arise as the result of a high level of transactional rent. The research is based on neoinstitutional methodology. Key methods of research are statistical and econometric as a method of economic modeling. For carrying out empirical research, authors have access to the paid database (FIRA PRO) where a huge number of statistical information on the agrarian market is available. For the analysis of the level of transactional rent in agrarian business, the authors use a technique with such indicators as effectiveness ratio of the contract relations and coefficient of opportunism. In the conducted statistical research, it is established that the greatest transactional rent is formed at the third element of an agrarian contract chain (wholesale trade).
GOING BEYOND: EFFECTIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GOVERNANCE ACROSS ORGANIZATIONAL LEVELS
Authors: Barolli Ezmolda , Kurti Ilir
Published: November 2018

Although information technology today is a driving force behind public sector innovation, harnessing the benefits of investing in such technology is challenging for governments worldwide. Hence, a wide number of governments are endeavoring to implement governance projects for effective information technology. This study expands on earlier research into information technology governance within the public sector. The earlier study proposed a new construct to analyze the critical success factors. While the previous work mainly focused on the strategic level, this current study spans the organizational levels of strategic, tactical, and operational. Apart from a general consensus on Critical Success Factors, the results reveal a number of differences between the levels that affect every organization. Failure to minimize these differences could have a negative effect on the aligning business with information technology.
DETERMINANTS OF INTRA-INDUSTRY TRADE: AN INVESTIGATION WITH BMA FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION
Authors: Beck Krzysztof
Published: November 2018

The empirical literature on the determinants of intra-industry trade (IIT) is vast and comprehensive, yet as authors failed to properly account for model uncertainty it has brought inconsistent and conflicting results. To resolve this issue, Bayesian model averaging was applied to investigate the robustness of 48 potential determinants of bilateral IIT for the panel of 26 European Union countries over the 1999-2011 period. Application of BMA demonstrated that 11 of them are robust determinants of IIT, namely real GDP products, trade openness, membership in the European Union and the Euro area, corruption, and differences in factor abundance. Among the factors of production, the key role in the determination of IIT patterns can be assigned to the differences in human capital. Yet, transportation cost and cultural similarity have no impact on the IIT patterns.
THE ADOPTION AND USE OF NEW INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AT THE LEVEL OF CEE-EU COUNTRIES
Authors: Costea Mihai , Arionesei Gabriela , Hapenciuc Cristian Valentin
Published: November 2018

This paper focuses on determining the current state of adoption of new information and communication technologies by the population of EU countries from the Central and Eastern parts of Europe (referred in the paper as CEE-EU countries). We have conducted a detailed analysis between Romania and Bulgaria because there are historical, geographical, political and economic similarities between these two neighbouring countries. In order to objectively reflect the results of the comparative analysis at the regional level, we have used the data provided by the World Economic Forum through the Competitiveness Index, the International Institute for Management Development through the Competitiveness Yearbook and the International Telecommunication Union through the ICT Development Index. The results of the comparative analysis reflect many regional disparities. At the same time, it can be noticed that both Romania and Bulgaria are the countries with the weakest results regarding the penetration rate of Internet accessibility in their populations, a fact which leads to a low degree of adaptability of the human capital to new information technologies and, implicitly, a low rate of adoption of the Internet in the sphere of business and public services. This is explained by the insufficient development of ICT infrastructure in the rural area, caused by numerous factors such as insufficient economic development and the low purchasing power of the population, but also by the relatively low level of education in ICT use. Although the influx of information and communication technologies occurred after the 1990s, namely at a time when even countries like Romania or Bulgaria were already part of the free market economy, the gaps recorded during the communist regime (economic, but especially socio-cultural), were apparently difficult to recover in the years to come, therefore this upsurge in information technology has been somewhat delayed in the South-Eastern area of Europe.
BUSINESS VALUE CREATED BY MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING
Authors: Daraban Marius Costin
Published: November 2018

Porter stated in his value chain concept that business support activities are contributing to the value creation process of a business organization. In the “classical view” business support activities are considered as indirect productive and not having a clear and direct contribution to the business organization value chain. The information age has enabled and leveraged business support activities to become decisive contributors to the value creation process of any business. Can this value contribution be somehow determined or quantified? Management accounting is a classical business support activity that contributes to the business organization value chain. Through usage of value management and value driven performance indicators, the value contribution can be determined and quantified.  The present paper is highlighting one possible alternative to determine the value contribution by using indicators like economic value added and economic profit. The value-based approach is putting indirect productive business activities into a new position, the one of a clear and important business value creator that cannot be ignored in the 21st century, a century driven by data, a nd information and knowledge that can sustain a decisive sustainable competitive advantage.
COST SAVING STRATEGY FOR POST OFFICE
Authors: Dutková Silvia
Published: November 2018

The paper displays a system optimization strategy that leads to cost savings for a particular post office. It involves the queuing theory used as a tool to optimize system of incoming customers passing through service areas in order to satisfy their need Using characteristics of the system, it is possible to determine the number of service compartments that are serving during the opening time so that the system is able to manage a number of incoming customers while waiting time remains acceptable for customers. The cost savings from optimizing the number of service compartments mainly relate to the wages of post office employees. By optimizing the number of working compartments according to the intensity of arriving customers, the study depicts the number of compartments needed to fulfill customer service at given time interval. Using this method, a manager can also optimize the working schedule of the employees operating in the  post office compartments. The aim of this paper is to analyze the queuing system of the Bytca post office in Slovak and useknowledge from the analysis to optimize the number of compartments and thus reduce the operating costs of the post office.
INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES IN STATE AND MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT
Authors: Gaisinsky Ilya , Niсonenko Natalya , Perova Marina Perova
Published: November 2018

In the modern society, Internet technologies are essential and are used in various fields of activity. This article covers the application of Internet technologies in the state and the municipal management areas. It includes the tools of Internet technologies most in demand at present for effective information interaction of authorities with citizens. The study explores new means of disseminating information using network technologies, such as the ‘Internet of Things’, and examines their application in state and municipal management areas. Social services of the Internet, which are the main technological trends of the third technology platform in the state and municipal management areas, are discussed with emphasis on the Internet technologies used in implementing ‘smart cities’. The scope of the study comprises the situation in Russia and the Rostov region. The paper concludes on the importance of using these technologies in the state and municipal management areas.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF CUSTOMERS OF THE POSTAL COMPANY ON THE SPATIAL AVAILABILITY OF ACCESS AND CONTACT POINTS OF THE PUBLIC POSTAL NETWORK
Authors: Hoštáková Dominika
Published: November 2018

In today's globalized world, in the light of evolving electronic communications and alternative delivery methods, there is a decline in submitted consignments. Despite this fact, postal communications still play a significant role in distribution services. In order try to solve this problem, it is essential to identify the causes and the factors of postal market that affect a decline in submitted consignments. The goal of the article is to identify factors that influence the selection of a particular post office based on the customer requirements. To identify these factors, we conducted primary marketing research. Space availability as a major criterion is used for evaluation of the impact of the development of postal infrastructure on the economic level. Determining the criteria of spatial availability preferred by customers and their subsequent alignment with the statutory requirements can not only lead to an increase in the quality of the universal postal service but also to an increase in demand for postal services at certain post offices.
BRAND IMAGE AND THE FIGHT AGAINST COUNTERFEITING BY THE GUCCI COMPANY
Authors: Kasztalska Anastazja Magdalena
Published: November 2018

Gucci is a company that represents a modern approach to the image in the fashion industry. This article aims to answer the question of how taking care of brand imagine results in a higher company income. The research method used in this article is a survey made with the cooperation of buyers of the luxury brand Gucci. Unquestionably, there is a strong link between care for the brand image and fight against counterfeiting. Further research can be focused on an answering the question of how to prevent counterfeiting. Without a doubt, customers prefer brands that have a strong and unique brand image. Counterfeiting unfortunately puts in doubt the value of the brand and is an existing danger for the Gucci company.
THE OPTIMIZATION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION ACTIVITIES OF A MUNICIPAL POLICE
Authors: Kubás Jozef , Šoltés Viktor , Štofková Zuzana
Published: November 2018

Public administration in Slovakia is organized on three levels, one of which is self-government. A local self-administration is defined as a territorial self-government, which is lower on the hierarchy than a regional government. In the Republics of Slovak and Czech, local self-government consists of municipals of privileged entities or incorporations that are attempting to achieve the most secure environment for their citizens. Obtaining this status is possible with a sufficient local budget to form and use services of municipal police. The municipal police force is a disciplinary unit within an area of its territory. In study is the possibility of improving the municipal police of the Slovak Republic. To identify limitations, the Slovak municipal police force is compared with that of another nation exercising activities under similar conditions. For this purpose, the municipal police force of the Czech Republic is compared with that of the Slovak Republic using various indicators. The results show several weaknesses of the municipal police force of Slovak Republic and recommendations are provided to improve its effectiveness.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PRACTICES AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH
Authors: Landwójtowicz Aneta Kucińska
Published: November 2018

Continuous Improvement is a concept recognized in literature and management practice as essential in today's business environment. This article deals with the analysis of the importance and placement of project management in the implementation and application of Continuous Improvement (CI) practices in manufacturing companies. The first part of the article presents the conclusions resulting from the literature review of the improvement projects management. The problems appearing in this area of the organization's activity were analyzed. Then are presented the results of the empirical research carried out in the production company. A case study has allowed the characteristics of the realized projects to be determined and the identification of the factors that are conducive to and obstructive to the achievements of their objectives.
EVOLUTION OF THE THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR MARKETING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE NEW ECONOMY FORMATION
Authors: Larkina Nataliya G. , Ovcharenko Georgi V. , Tagaev Alexei V.
Published: November 2018

New paradigms affect major economic patterns and categories. This article discusses the semantic meaning of the evolution of marketing under the direction of socio-ecological processes in a new economy and grounds new understanding of the function of marketing. Authors provide a number of statements considering different views on the marketing essence, its ideas, and purpose. Moreover, the article describes a new approach to the specifics of innovative marketing in a neo-information society in a new economy. Authors give clear examples of innovative marketing in the context of a certain company and industry. The study concludes that the evolution of marketing indicates the real need for the development and creation of innovative marketing NEO-tools to determine the noo-sphere development of society.
THE EVALUATION OF THE EXPEDIENCY’S DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT OF SMALL INNOVATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN RUSSIA
Authors: Litvinova Anzhela , Paleev Denis
Published: November 2018

This article analyzes the situation of innovative approaches to building business processes and interaction between universities, the government,  and representatives of the business environment. A methodology is proposed by the authors for calculating the feasibility of government support for small innovative enterprises (SIEs) as independent small business entities organized at higher educational institutions of the Russian Federation, the activities of which are aimed at research, development, implementation, and commercialization.The importance and role of small innovative entrepreneurship in the economy of the country and large cities is becoming the main world trend. Russia is trying to match its innovation strategy in small business, but the success is, unfortunately, still negligible. On the part of the government, millions of rubles are allocated to support small innovative entrepreneurship, as well as the construction of technology parks, the creation of business incubators, technological laboratories, and platforms being organized at universities in order to ensure the implementation of innovative projects. In accordance with the Federal Law of the Russian Federation No. 217-FL of August 2, 2009, universities were able to register small innovative enterprises on their territory as independent small businesses in the sphere of innovative development, whose activities are focused mainly on the commercialization of intellectual property objects and their active promotion in the market.Nevertheless, the implementation of new technologies and know-how is associated with greater risks of SIEs and needs a methodical approach to assess the appropriateness of providing government support to such enterprises. We are going to consider and calculate the indicator of the feasibility of government support for a small innovative enterprise in the amount of 50 million rubles for a period of five years for its development and will prove the increase in the efficiency of the enterprise and the possibilities for its development through the government support mechanisms for innovations.
SPECIAL ASPECTS OF THE MODERN WORLD ECONOMY: TRANSITION FROM A UNIPOLAR TO A MULTIPOLAR WORLD SYSTEM
Authors: Minakova Irina V. , Bukreeva Tatyana N. , Solodukhina Оlga I. , Timofeeva Оlga G.
Published: November 2018

This paper reveals the consequences of the unipolar system of the world economy provided by the United States leadership in the military-technological, financial-economic, geopolitical and information-ideological spheres. It was established that after the collapse of the socialist camp, the concepts of ‘humanitarian intervention’ and ‘spreading democracy’ were brought to the forefront. In practice, Western European countries have demonstrated their readiness to judge the solutions of domestic political disputes in other countries of the world, especially when it comes to geopolitically important countries. A series of ‘colour revolutions’ have become a demonstration of this policy. Therefore, the globalization of the modern world does not mean the homogenization of development indicators of countries’, but instead leads to further delamination and inequality. The gap between the world leaders and the rest of the world in terms of indicators reflecting the dynamics of the standard of living, the quality of life, scientific and technological progress, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, has significantly increased.It is illustrated that attempts of the US to consolidate its hegemony in the form of ‘leadership’ in the world had led to the erosion of international legal principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. Therefore, the United States attempts to solve the problems in Iraq and Afghanistan unilaterally has failed.The objective and subjective signs of a global restructuring of the existing unipolar world system are revealed.
BASIC DIRECTIONS OF THE THIRD SECTOR STRUCTUREDNESS
Authors: Ponomarev Maxim , Ponomarev Alexander , Ponomareva Alexandra , Yurchenko Darya
Published: November 2018

The article proposes a number of criteria that allow the systematization of non-commercial organizations in order to reflect the essense of their economic activities. It is necessary to structure the formation, development and functioning of non-profit organizations, taking into account such characteristics as economic goals, differentiation of types of activities, property formation sources, economic and financial criteria for activity, technology, management, etc.
TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGES IN INTERNATIONAL LABOR MIGRATION UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION
Authors: Rubinskaya Eteri
Published: November 2018

Under the conditions of globalization the role and the place of international migration within the system of the world economy are experiencing many changes. International labor migration today is characterized not as much by enlargement or by the increased number of countries engaged in the international migratory processes, but more by changes in the structure and dynamics of migration flows which, in their turn, are one of the manifestations of the changing demands of countries at their post-industrial stage of development. In this article, we make an attempt to determine the chronology of development for the process of globalization of the world’s economy in parallel to also determining the specificity of international migration at each of these stages. We have found, inter alia, that international migration is a large-scale, multi-factor and highly dynamic socioeconomic phenomenon and is also a vital factor of influence upon the demographic development and economic growth of countries since it promotes and supports the ongoing process of globalization.