Nowcasting South African gross domestic product using a suite of statistical models

Given lags in the release of data, a central bank must ‘nowcast’ current gross domestic product (GDP) using available quarterly or higher frequency data to understand the current state of economic activity. This paper uses various statistical modelling techniques to draw on a large number of series to nowcast South African GDP. We also show that GDP volatility has increased markedly over the last 5 years, making GDP forecasting more difficult. We show that all the models developed, as well as the Reserve Bank's official forecasts, have tended to overestimate GDP growth over this period. However, several of the statistical nowcasting models we present in this paper provide competitive nowcasts relative to the official Reserve Bank and market analysts' nowcasts.     

The future of the chef occupation and the food and beverage sector after the COVID-19 outbreak: Opinions of Turkish chefs

The aim of the present study is to reveal the opinions of the chefs who working as a manager in the kitchen department within the food and beverage sector about what changes might have occurred in their occupation and food and beverage sector after the COVID-19 outbreak. The data were collected through online interview forms and content analysis was used as a data analysis method. The findings reveal three main categories: general opinions after the COVID-19 outbreak, changes that could occur in the food and beverage sector after COVID-19 outbreak, and thoughts for the future of the chef occupation after the COVID-19 outbreak. Since this paper is the first to reveal the opinions of the chefs about what changes might have occurred in their occupation and food and beverage sector after the COVID-19 outbreak, and no similar study could be found in the existing literature, these findings are original.     

Exploring the use of content analysis methodology in consumer research

Content analysis is a viable way to thematise consumer experiences. The purpose of this review study is to examine the use of content analysis in consumer research (1977–2017). The authors explore how content analysis has been used. The reviewed studies address consumer experiences. The results show that qualitative content analysis is not used as a method in its own right; it is more often applied as a supplement to quantitative testing. There is also a lack of rigorous reporting of methodologies in many studies. The systematic review provides four propositions, content analysis studies: 1) vary in execution and reporting; 2) have a tendency towards methodological vagueness; 3) do not apply content analysis as a sole method; 4) are versatile. The study can also serve as point of departure for novice researchers wishing to engage with content analysis research. We suggest that further research is needed to explore the use of qualitative methodologies in consumer research.     

赋能型领导对员工创造力的影响：个人学习与成就动机的作用

以创造力理论为基础,探究赋能型领导对员工创造力的作用机制,检验个人学习的中介作用和成就动机的调节作用。通过采用验证性因子分析、层次回归分析和Bootstrap法,对收集的309份问卷进行分析。研究结果表明:①赋能型领导对员工创造力有正向影响作用;②个人学习在赋能型领导和员工创造力之间发挥部分中介作用;③成就动机调节了赋能型领导与员工个人学习之间的关系,且被调节的中介模型得到了验证。     

中国自然保护地规划的回顾与对比研究

中国自然保护地历经60余年的发展，形成了多部门主导、保护类型多样的自然保护地体系。面对机构改革和以国家公园为主体的自然保护地体系建立的契机，传统规划的经验积累为新规划体系的构建提供了借鉴的可能。通过回溯机构改革前各类自然保护地规划，对比分析其规划结构体系，并从人地关系视角切入，分析各类规划针对保护对象、保护利用强度,以及社会发展调控上的差异，总结各类自然保护地规划的既有经验，为新时期规划体系的重构提供支撑。     

昆明市工程招投标监管的探索与发展研究

针对工程招标投标领域存在的突出问题,昆明市近几年在工程招标投标监管方面进行了许多新的探索.从昆明市招标投标监管机构设置、标前监管、标中监管、标后监管4个角度对昆明市工程招标投标监管现状进行分析,并对工程招标投标监管领域的一些新趋势进行探讨,提出强化招标投标监管的建议.新技术为招标投标监管提供了新工具,需要进一步探索新技术在招标投标监管领域的应用.     

无人机遥感系统的研究进展与应用前景

对于无人机遥感来说,融合了无人机技术与遥感技术。在无人机遥感技术应用的过程中,涵盖了诸多不同类型的先进技术,比如,无人机驾驶飞行技术、通讯技术、遥感传感器技术等,存在着显著的智能化、自动化等不同方面的特征,能够迅速得到相关资源,并且系统掌握国土、环境等不同方面的信息,然后加以实时化处理,通过建模与科学分析,能够制定出无人机遥感技术运用的具体策略,凸显出其良好的功效。本文针对无人机遥感系统的研究进展进行了详细地分析,同时说明了无人机遥感系统的应用前景,进而对有关研究人员形成一定的启发。     

Optimal capacity and operation design of a robot logistics system for the hotel industry

This study introduces an optimal capacity and operation design of a robot logistics system that can reduce human workload in the hotel industry. In hotels, there are several duties that can be replaced by robots such as accompanying guests to the certain areas, delivering specific items to the guest rooms, and transporting some items that guests want to be removed from the guest rooms. To apply the robot logistics system in the hotel industry, the capacity and operation design should be prepared adequately. For that, a mathematical model-based optimization technique is used to decide the number of robots with the concept of minimizing total investment cost and to derive the optimal job assigning with the purpose of maximizing total covered jobs. In addition, a numerical example is performed to validate the proposed mathematical model and the sensitivity tests are examined to reflect the random features.     

高校新农村研究院：科技支撑乡村振兴的有效载体

[目的]较之前开展的新农村建设,乡村振兴战略是一种更高层次的发展手段和目标。文章旨在对高校新农村研究院推动乡村振兴的实践经验和困难问题进行梳理,分析背后的成因与制约因素,以期为以高校新农村研究院为抓手、从科技引领和支撑的角度推动乡村振兴战略的落地实施提供有针对性的建议。[方法]该文从协同创新理论出发,基于对沈阳农业大学新农村发展研究院的实地调研,采用文献梳理、归纳总结和定性分析等方法对高校新农村研究院为乡村振兴战略提供科技支撑的机理、模式、作用和困难问题进行了梳理。[结果]高校新农村发展研究院通过整合政府、高校、企业等多方资源,从技术协同、人才协同与理念协同3方面为乡村振兴提供了有效支撑。但目前各级政府对高校新农村研究院的作用地位还缺乏充分认识,存在财政支持不到位、技术推广激励与考评机制不完善等问题。[结论]整合各方科技创新资源,构建起各类主体跨界协同、不同技术集成应用、创新资源全链配置、关联产业融合发展的新型农业科技协同创新体系;进一步强化高校新农村发展研究院在农业科技服务中的主体地位,增强财政对新农村发展研究院的持续投入,改革高校农技推广人员职称评定与考核激励机制。     

The role of university Knowledge Transfer Offices: Not just commercialize research outputs!

While there is a prevailing rich body of studies on the role of university knowledge transfer office (KTO) in the commercialization process as part of the Third Mission, research on its role in community engagement activities is relatively neglected, even as funding agencies and policy makers conceive these as instrumental to sustaining social and economic development. This article focuses on the role of university KTO in supporting, facilitating or undertaking Third Mission community engagement activities. Drawing on data from the annual Higher Education Business and Community Interaction survey for the years 2007–2012, this paper empirically explores the relationship between a range of Third Mission activities by university KTO and performance of three key business-community services – provision of consultancy, provision of continuous professional development courses (CPD), and leasing of facilities and equipment (FE). It emerges that the routines of developing strategic plan and creating spin-off are positively associated with all types of community knowledge transfer (CKT) activities. Further, the routines of establishing partnerships with local and regional bodies, and licensing are positively related to CPD and FE, respectively. The article is concluded with implications for theory, practice, policy, and suggestions for future research.