The introduction of derivatives at the financial market of the United Arab Emirate (UAE) is to enhance liquidity and broadens the range of securities. This is because it brings exciting opportunities for investors to diversify their investment in an efficient and cost-effective way. Evidence from previous studies has shown that financial market derivatives help to reduce risk. Even though trading losses produced by unsuitable derivative activity are frequently big enough to create financial problems and even bankruptcy, there is minimal research on how bank profitability and performance are affected. The study examines the determinants of financial derivatives on the performance of commercial banks in UAE and the financial risk exposure between derivatives financial assets and derivatives financial liabilities. The research employs Pecking order theory, panel ARDL and data from 30 commercial banks’ financial statements in 2020 in UAE. The study found that an increase in the level of return on assets will create an increase in traded financial derivatives that will enhance bank performance by a high level of percentage. Stability of the banking sector in UAE is recommended to enhance better performances of commercial banks on financial derivatives in UAE.

Patient Bed Assignment (PBA) consists of assigning patients to hospital beds according to specific requirements such as patient diagnosis, equipment requirements, age and gender policies, among others. We worked in conjunction with the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio (HUSI) with the goal of designing an application to support decision-making during the bed assignment process. We introduced a mathematical model for the PBA. We used Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to determine the weights attributed to each part of the objective function. Due to the long execution time required, we used a Greedy Algorithm and Tabu Search (TS) to optimize the match between the patient’s requirements and the characteristics of the assigned bed. To test the algorithms, we created 15 test instances of various sizes. The results showed that the gap between the value of the objective function resulting from using the Greedy/TS in comparison with the optimal solution is on average 6.2%. Also, the TS takes 84% less time than the MILP for medium and large instances. We collected data from real life instances and compared the actual method with the designed metaheuristic. On average, the value of the objective function resulting from using the proposed Greedy/Tabu algorithm is 8.6% higher.

A study of the stress-strain state (SSS) of disc specimens has been conducted when testing specimens with stress concentrators (grooves). The research has shown that the truncation of circular discs along two symmetrical chords makes it possible to change the type (the ratio of principal stresses) of SSS that occurs at the destruction site. Therefore, these specimens can be used to assess the structural strength of materials on standard single-drive testing machines, taking into account the real type of SSS that occurs in the bearing elements of machines. The results of numerical SSS modeling have been used to build the dependences of the SSS type and level on geometric parameters of specimens. Geometrical parameters can be chosen for a certain SSS type to assess both the static and fatigue strengths of materials used in the manufacture of bearing elements.

The organization strives to provide timely service according to customer needs. Organizations must communicate and make the right decisions quickly to improve performance. The research aims to assess the influence of project management capability, integration, and coordination in improving organizational performance. Data is collected using a questionnaire designed with a five-point Likert scale. The respondents are all suppliers or vendors of high school educational Institutions in East Java. The organization has a project manager responsible for all procurement and projects. The criteria of suppliers or vendors are those who have paid taxes, have a taxpayer number, and have an adequate bank account. Data analysis used the SEM-PLS approach employing SmartPLS software version 4.0. The data processing results showed that project management capability positively affected information technology integration by 0.712, supply coordination by 0.432, and process innovation by 0.250. Information technology integration positively impacted supply coordination by 0.445, process innovation by 0.254, and organizational performance by 0.304. Supply coordination positively affected process innovation by 0.366 and organizational performance by 0.385. Finally, process innovation had a positive effect on organizational performance by 0.234. The research provides insights for foundations to optimize the role of departments in building supply coordination using information technology. Project managers must optimize integrated information technology by maintaining investment and upgrading equipment, making a theoretical contribution to supply chain enrichment, and using a resource-based view.

Although prior studies draw upon natural resource-based views, environmental strategy permits competitive advantages, and as such, gains financial performance. However, empirical results are mixed. To shed light on this issue, this study proposes that environmental performance mediates the link between environmental strategy and financial performance. Data were collected from 175 third-party logistic providers currently operating in Vietnam to test the hypotheses. Partial least square structural equation modeling was borrowed to test the data. The results reveal environmental performance partially mediates the link between environmental strategy and financial performance. By considering the mediating effect, this study contributes to the literature by addressing the intervening mechanism of environmental performance on the inconclusive relationship between environmental strategy and financial performance. Besides, this study also extends prior studies by borrowing a concept of environmental strategy, which captures the extent of organizations pursuing this strategy, to explain how and why pursuing this strategy permits environmental and financial performance.

This paper investigates firm heterogeneity in total factor productivity across Vietnam domestic private sector with sixteen manufacturing subindustries over the period 2010-2016, with a focus on labor size and based on total factor productivity (TFP); including TFP level, TFP distance, and TFP dispersion. Our results indicate that, in the private sector, labor heterogeneity on productivity are very dependent on specific manufacturing sectors, and on type of TFP. From an industrial policy perspective, there is hence productivity related reason on why Vietnamese policy makers should prefer large and extremely large firms over small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in some manufacturing and vice versa. Our results provide a support for both SMEs and large private consortiums, depending on specific manufacturing sectors. In addition, since there is a strong evidence to suggest that labor heterogeneity in TFP exists in some manufacturing sectors, the rationality behind policies to support SMEs and large firms at every manufacturing sectors seems to be questionable.

Supply chain integration is a key factor in improving business performance. Despite this growing interest, little research has highlighted this issue that will determine the survival of many companies. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the supply chain integration practices (SCMP) and the financial and operational performance of Tunisian manufacturing companies. To achieve this, a questionnaire was used as a research tool for data collection. Multiple regression analysis using SPSS26 software was used to answer study questions and examine study hypotheses. According to research, SCMP includes customer relationship management (CRM), supplier relationship management (SRM), buyer-supplier collaboration (BSC), joint knowledge creation (JCK), level of information sharing (IS), goal congruence (GC) , risk management (RM), internet usage (IU), quality management (QM) , except information quality (IQ), collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment practices (CPFR), and just-in-time (JIT), are all significantly related to the financial and operational performance of the companies surveyed. Some recommendations are proposed to help managers better manage knowledge throughout the supply chain.

A new series of 4-amino-4H-1,2,4-triazole derivatives, 3a-f and 5a-f were synthesized by using various aryl aldehydes and ketones. FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and mass spectral studies were characteristic of the synthesized compounds. These new compounds were screened in male wistar rats and compared with the standard drug for their anticonvulsant activity against maximal electroshock seizure (MES) model. Compounds 3b and 5d of this sequence were found to be the most active. The same compound did not demonstrate neurotoxicity at the administered maximum dose (100 mg / kg) and these compounds showed good protection compared to other compounds.

Large-scale wind turbines mostly use Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) as the transmission system, which is highly efficient. However, it comes with high complexity and cost too. In contrast, the small-scale wind turbines that are available in the market offer a one-speed gearing system only where no gear ratios are varied, resulting in low efficiency of harvesting energy and leading to gears failure. In this research, an unsupervised machine-learning algorithm is proposed to address the energy efficiency of the automatic transmission system in vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT), to increase its efficiency in harvesting energy. The aim is to find the best adjustment for VAWT while the automatic transmission system is taken into account. For this purpose, the system is simulated and tested under various gear ratios conditions while a centrifugal clutch is applied to automatic gear shifting. The outcomes indicated that the automatic transmission system could successfully adjust the spinning in line with the wind speed. As a result, the obtained level of harvested voltage and power by VAWT with the automatic transmission system are improved significantly. Consequently, it is concluded that automatic VAWTs, equipped with the machine-learning capability can readjust themselves with the wind speed more efficiently.

This study aims to examine the effects of the business environment and supply chain governance on business strategies and their impact on the performance of state-owned enterprises in Indonesia. Using Partial Least Square (PLS) and quantitative research, this study took state companies management and commissioners as the respondents. The study concludes that the business environment has a positive and significant effect on business strategy, and supply chain governance has a positive and significant effect on business strategy. Moreover, the results show that the business environment influences corporate performance, and supply chain governance has an effect on corporate performance. Business strategy influences corporate performance, and business strategy can mediate the influence of the business environment on corporate performance. Lastly, business strategy can mediate the influence of supply chain governance on corporate performance. The results theoretically confirm the supply chain governance in business practice and practically encouraged the company management to develop risk-management and effective internal controls to create competitive business climate and more agile supply chain management.