Waste of money or growth opportunity: The causal effect of EU subsidies on Hungarian SMEs

Although EU subsidies aiming at economic development play a pivotal role not only for Hungary but for the entire European Union as well, there is a debate regarding their effectiveness in the literature. This paper investigates the impact of direct economic development subsidies extended in the context of Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund as part of the 2007–2013 programming period of the European Union on Hungarian micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Based on a micro database, we evaluate the impact of corporates’ first subsidies on various performance indicators, using a combination of propensity score matching and fixed effects panel regression. According to our results, economic development funds had a significant positive effect on the number of employees, sales revenue, gross value added and, in some cases, operating profit. However, the labour productivity of enterprises was not significantly affected by any of the support schemes. Furthermore, by explicitly comparing non-refundable subsidies (grants) and refundable assistance (financial instruments), we find that there is no significant difference in the effectiveness of the two types of subsidy.     

Operational excellence in a green supply chain for environmental management: A case study

Nowadays, organizations have started to become more conscious about the environment in their supply chain operations. The greening process has guided supply chain practices into new ways of thinking according to green standards. The assessment of the performance of green supply chain management (GSCM) requires a holistic view for the whole supply chain. In this context, given that becoming green in the operational side of activities is essential, the performance assessment of operational activities also requires a holistic view to be taken. In this paper, an attempt has been made to improve the performance of GSCM by examining and evaluating the green operational excellence of a hot dip galvanizing company. The framework includes several green operational excellence key criteria, namely, quality management, efficiency management, green production/manufacturing, eco‐packaging, and green design. First, the weights of the criteria and the respective measurements were found by fuzzy analytic network process. Then, the overall operational performance score was found by a weighted scoring method. Finally, both managerial and theoretical implications were suggested according to the outcomes and findings of the case study.     

融合反距离加权和矩阵填充的位置指纹库构建

为解决位置指纹定位在离线阶段构建位置指纹库时耗费的人力和时间成本较大，构建指纹库效率低和利用空间插值法构建的指纹库精度不高的问题，提出了一种融合反距离加权和矩阵填充的位置指纹库构建算法。该算法仅需人工采集定位区域内少量参考点的接收信号强度值用作信标点指纹信息，结合反距离加权算法特性计算出次信标点指纹信息，根据位置指纹库数据矩阵的低秩性，应用奇异值阈值矩阵填充算法构建出位置指纹数据库。仿真实验结果表明，所提算法有效降低了矩阵填充算法构建位置指纹库所需的人工和时间成本，构建出的位置指纹库定位性能优于反距离加权和克里金空间插值法，接近传统人工采集法，显著地提高了位置指纹库的构建效率。     

一种基于Radon变换的微表情识别算法

微表情是人们处在一些与平时生活环境不同的高强度环境下试图控制和掩饰的情感表现，也是一种不曾意识到的瞬时脸部表情,持续时间短，强度弱。为了提高其准确率，提出了基于Radon变换的微表情识别算法。首先，对数据库中的视频序列进行灰度归一化、尺寸归一化和二维主成分分析法（Two-dimensional Principal Component Analysis，2DPCA）降维预处理，使用光流法对降维后图像提取运动特征；然后使用Radon变换算法对光流图像进行处理，得到对应微表情的特征值和特征图像；最后使用支持向量机进行微表情分类识别。实验结果表明，使用Radon变换后得到的微表情特征图像得到了较好的识别效果，在微表情数据集CASME和CASMEⅡ上识别率分别为81.48%和82.17%，通过与选取的其他方法对比说明了该方法具有更好的识别性能。     

利用频移动态特征的辐射源目标盲分选

利用辐射源目标的频移动态特征进行盲分选时，针对已有的分选方法不能很好解决非合作接收数据非周期、间断、交叠的问题，提出了一种改进的逻辑回归分选算法,将信号分选转化为轨迹分类的问题来处理。首先，借鉴多目标航迹起始模型中的M/N逻辑法的框架，设计新的数据关联门限，以建立目标起始曲线；其次，采用最小二乘拟合方法替代卡尔曼滤波，设计新的外推规则，建立载频变化预测曲线；分析新的接收数据与预测曲线的关联性，不断迭代回归或形成新的分支，最后获得目标分选结果。仿真与实测试验表明，利用逻辑回归分选算法，对不同运动目标搭载的同频辐射源可进行自动分选，4个仿真目标与2个真实目标的分选正确率达到100%。同时，该方法拓展了辐射源目标盲分选中的动态频移特征应用，为辐射源个体识别提供了新的支持。     

叶尔羌河平原绿洲土地生态安全预警演变与时空格局分析

[目的]探索叶尔羌河平原绿洲土地生态安全预警问题及其时空格局变化,旨在为叶尔羌河平原绿洲土地生态安全及可持续利用提供科学的参考依据。[方法]文章运用PSR模型构建预警指标体系,采用熵值法测算各指标权重,对2000—2016年叶尔羌河平原绿洲土地生态安全警情格局进行综合分析,并利用GIS技术分析其2000年、2005年、2010年和2016年土地生态安全空间格局变化,最后运用障碍度模型探索其障碍因子。[结果](1)2000—2016年叶尔羌河平原绿洲土地生态安全综合预警指数总体呈上升态势,生态预警状态由"较不安全"转为"临界安全",警度亦由"重警"变为"中警"。(2)从空间格局来看,空间上各县域土地生态安全水平差异明显,研究初期西部地区土地生态安全状态优于东部地区, 2016年呈现出中部高、东北—西南部低的态势。(3)近17年叶尔羌河平原绿洲各县域土地生态环境状况有所改善,安全状态经历了"极不安全—临界安全—较安全"的发展历程。(4)影响土地生态安全的主要障碍因子包括单位面积耕地农药负荷、人口密度、单位面积耕地化肥负荷、土地垦殖率、人口自然增长率和单位面积耕地地膜负荷等。[结论]研究期间叶尔羌河平原绿洲土地生态安全得到明显的提升与改善,并在良好的方向发展。     

Foreign direct investment and economic growth: Is more financial development better?

We investigate the extent to which an increase in financial development affects the positive effect of foreign direct investment on economic growth. Although the financial sector is beneficial for economic growth, the effect of further financial development on growth is found to become insignificant. Using a dynamic panel threshold model on 62 middle- and high-income countries spanning the period 1987–2016, we re-examine the possible nonlinearity between finance, foreign direct investment, and growth. Consistent with the “vanishing effect” of financial development, we find significant evidence that foreign direct investment fosters growth in general, but the growth effect of foreign direct investment becomes negligible when the ratio of private sector credit to gross domestic product exceeds 95.6%. This finding is robust to different econometric methods, various subsamples and interaction analyses, and distinct financial development indicators.     

TFP growth in Chinese cities: The role of factor-intensity and industrial agglomeration

This article estimates agglomeration effects via calculating EG (Elilsion & Glaeser) and TFP growth (Total Factor Production) by considering the undesired output of the industrial enterprise database and the entropy weight method. Using panel data of 207 county-level cities in China and 28 two-digit manufacturing industries from 2003 to 2013 based on SIC codes, this paper analyzes the relationship between agglomeration and TFP growth through the smooth transition model under different regions and factor-intensity. The results are as follows. (1) A negative relationship appears in manufacturing productivity. The agglomeration effect changes to the crowded effect. Environmental pollution is also generated by transportation and inadequate pollution treatment technology. (2) The excessive agglomeration phenomenon of developed areas (eastern region) is less than the less developed areas (central and western regions). (3) Resource-intensity industries present two thresholds that indicate complex regional features. For various intensive industries in different regions, the relationship between GML and agglomeration is different. High agglomeration does not always promote TFP growth. (4) At different levels of urban industrial agglomeration, the influences of efficiency change and technical change on GML are different. Overall, moderate agglomeration in all regions helps promote economic development.     

基于行为—结果—反馈的粤西北山区“十二五”高标准农田建设绩效评价及低效因子诊断

[目的]弥补现有绩效观的不足,提出并解析了基于行为—结果—反馈的土地整治绩效评价内涵,开展粤西北山区"十二五"高标准农田建设绩效评价及低效因子诊断。[方法]从实施行为、效益结果、调查反馈3个方面建立指标体系,采用熵权改进的TOPSIS法和障碍度模型量化评估绩效水平并诊断低效因子。[结果]粤西北山区各县市在组织实施、综合效益和调查反馈方面各有不足,"十二五"高标准农田建设绩效水平总体有待进一步提高,绩效评价结果具有显著的区域差异,罗定市绩效值最高,绩效水平为良好;英德市、蕉岭县、南雄市、仁化县的绩效水平为中级;郁南县、龙川县、始兴县、云安县的绩效水平为低级;对于粤西北山区大多数县(市),实施行为作为首位低效因子,对高标准农田建设绩效的贡献度最小。[结论]基于行为—结果—反馈的绩效观,采用熵权改进的TOPSIS法和障碍度模型的绩效评价,能够客观衡量研究区高标准农田建设绩效水平。增加田间道路建设、提高土地流转面积、加强专项工作经费落实对于提高粤西北山区高标准农田建设水平具有普适性。     

中国区域农业科技资源配置能力及比较优势研究*——基于省级农业科学院视角

[目的]通过测算各地区农业科技资源的配置能力,分析其比较优势并找出不足以便弥补差距,促进各区域农业科技配置能力的提高,为各地区农业经济的发展提供支持。省级农业科学院作为各省市规模最大、综合实力最强的农业科研机构,是农业科技创新的重要主体之一,分析其科技资源配置能力具有重要的现实意义。[方法]基于2009—2016年相关数据,遴选了有代表性的评价指标体系,运用突变级数法计算农业科技资源配置能力,运用NRCA模型定量分析农业科技资源配置效益的比较优势。[结果]山东农业科学院科技资源配置能力位居全国第一,甘肃、江苏、青海农业科学院分别在农业科技人力、物力、财力资源方面具有明显的比较优势。[结论]省级农业科学院科技资源配置能力区域差异十分明显,但区域格局变化不大,且大致与各地区经济实力相吻合;农业科技资源配置能力较高的农业科学院大多在农业科技物力资源配置效益方面具有比较优势,在农业科技人力、财力资源配置效益方面不具备比较优势。