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This chapter extends the univariate forecasting method proposed by Wang, Luc, and Hsiao (2013) to forecast the multivariate long memory model subject to structural breaks. The approach does not need to estimate the parameters of this multivariate system nor need to detect the structural breaks. The only procedure is to employ a VAR(k) model to approximate the multivariate long memory model subject to structural breaks. Therefore, this approach reduces the computational burden substantially and also avoids estimation of the parameters of the multivariate long memory model, which can lead to poor forecasting performance. Moreover, when there are multiple breaks, when the breaks occur close to the end of the sample or when the breaks occur at different locations for the time series in the system, our VAR approximation approach solves the issue of spurious breaks in finite samples, even though the exact orders of the multivariate long memory process are unknown. Insights from our theoretical analysis are confirmed by a set of Monte Carlo experiments, through which we demonstrate that our approach provides a substantial improvement over existing multivariate prediction methods. Finally, an empirical application to the multivariate realized volatility illustrates the usefulness of our forecasting procedure.

Very large-scale integration (VLSI) digital signal processing became very popular and is predominantly used in several emerging applications. The optimal design of multirate filter with improvement in performance parameters such as less area, high speed and less power is the challenging task in most of the signal processing applications. This study aims to propose several effective multirate filter structures to accomplish sampling rate conversion.

The multirate filter structures considered in this work are polyphase filter and coefficient symmetry-based finite impulse response filter. The symmetry scheme particularly brings down the complexity to significant extent. To bring improvement in speed, delay registers are inserted at appropriate path with the help of pipelining and retiming scheme.

In this paper, the three tasks have been considered. First, the polyphase coefficient symmetry and modified polyphase (MP) structure is designed. Second, the pipelining is applied to the polyphase structure and the obtained results are compared with the polyphase structure. In third, retiming is applied to the polyphase structure and the performance comparison is carried out. The structures are realized for various orders, and the comparative analysis is carried out with the filter order N = 12, 30, 42, 8, 11 and 24 and the results are stated. The performance of all the accomplished structures is analyzed using Altera Quartus with the family cyclone II, device EP2C70F672C6. The results show that the multirate filter using pipelining and retiming offers better performance when examining with the conventional structures. Retimed and pipelined MP structure achieves a speed enhancement of about 33.81% when examining with the conventional polyphase (CP) structure with retiming and pipelining for N = 24 and M = 5. Likewise, the 2/3 structure of pipelined coefficient symmetry approach offers area reduction of about 54.76% over 2/3 structure of pipelined polyphase approach for N = 30 with little reduction in power. The fine grain pipelined and retimed MP structure with N = 11 and M = 3 avails critical path delay reduction of about 28.15% when examining with the corresponding fine grain pipelined and retimed CP structure.

The proposed distinct structures offer better alternative to conventional structures because of the symmetric coefficients, performance enhancement using pipelining and retiming based rate conversion structures. The suggested structures can be used for achieving different rates in software radios.

In the past two decades, much of the literature in the area of government financial management has been devoted to studying the causes of fiscal stress. Most studies emphasized the role of such factors as economic cycles, business relocation and factors beyond the control of policy makers as major causes of fiscal stress. This study extends the scope of the research in this area to investigate whether state and local fiscal structures contribute to fiscal stress. Using a pooled cross-sectional time-series approach with the state-local data ranging from 1982 to 1997, the result shows that: there is more significant difference in the composition of tax structures than that of total revenue; high aggregate spending is associated with high fiscal stress; state and local governments over-commit on the social welfare category; local revenue diversification is associated with low fiscal stress; and fiscal decentralization or high spending responsibility assumed by local governments is associated with low fiscal stress. The findings suggest that local revenue diversification and fiscal decentralization can be used as measures to reduce fiscal stress.

The purpose of this paper is to prepare new organic dyes and use them as sensitisers in dye-sensitised solar cells. These dyes were synthesised and purified and then characterised by analytical techniques. Spectrophotometric evaluations of the prepared dyes were carried out in solution and on a nano-anatase TiO₂ substrate to assess the possible changes in the status of the dyes in different environments. Finally, the photovoltaic properties were investigated in dye-sensitised solar cells.

So as to synthesise dyes, N-substituents carbazole were utilised as the fundamental electron donor group and cyanoacrylic acid or acrylic acid as electron acceptor anchoring groups. Purified dyes were dissolved in solution and coated on TiO₂ substrate. Finally, dye-sensitised solar cells were fabricated to determine the photovoltaic behaviour and conversion efficiency of each individual dye.

The results showed that the dyes form j-type aggregates on the nano TiO₂. The oxidation potential of synthesised carbazole dyes is > 0.2 V vs Fc/Fc+; hence, their high performance in dye-sensitised solar cells. Dye 3 exhibited 2.11 per cent of conversion efficiency in comparison to 2.89 per cent for the identical cells with Dye 9 containing cyanoacrylic acid which acted as the best acceptor group.

The novel dyes look as promising as highly light fast, efficient dyes for dye-sensitised solar cells.

Organic dye provides low cost and less hazardous materials for dye-sensitised solar cells.

A series of new organic dyes were synthesised as sensitisers for dye-sensitised solar cells for the first time.

The new sub‐department of the Local Government Board, recently created for the purpose of dealing with problems relating to the food supply as regards character and quality, is one apparently whose energies will, in the first place, bo chiefly directed to the institution of some control over the purity of the milk supply of the country. This National Pood Bureau appears to be primarily the outcome of the appeals that have been made from time to time to the authorities to exercise the powers invested in certain Government departments more stringently. Presumably attention will not be limited to the milk supply, important though that be, but in the near future various questions relating to cattle in general will bo dealt with. The two subjects of milk and meat are too closely allied to permit of each one being treated separately or without reference to the other. At the same time, if these closely related questions of milk and meat are to be adequately dealt with it is impossible to leave out of sight the subject of the wholesomeness or unwholesomeness of the imported meat that comes in such immense quantities into this country from abroad. At the present time the bulk of the meat so imported reaches this country from the United States, and in increasingly large quantities from South America. The justifiable outcry that was raised some years ago regarding the American meat packing scandals has, it would seem, quite died down; but unfortunately we have the strongest evidence that the temporary falling off in the trade in imported preserved meat between this country and the United States, which followed upon the agitation, has had but little salutary effect, and that the quality of the meat sent to this country from the United States still leaves much to be desired.

This paper applies the mixed logit and the latent class models to analyse the heterogeneity in foreign investment location choices in Central and Eastern Europe. The empirical results show that the responsiveness of the probabilities of choices to invest in a particular location to country-level variables differs both across sectors and across firms of different characteristics. The paper highlights the superiority of the latent class model with regards to the model fit and the interpretation of results.