<p>Economic growth around the world has not been equal for a long time. Some economics grow faster while others grow slower. But economists have predicted that the slower growing economics will eventually converge with the faster growing economy as some point in the future. This is known as the convergence hypothesis. In this study, we test this hypothesis for Ghana and the Western Europeans countries with UK been a proxy for these countries, using time series data to determine whether or not it holds. We determine how fast or slow this convergence process is by using the returns to scale concept on Ghana’s economy and latter account for factor that determines economic growth in sectors. The study supported the null hypothesis of convergence i.e. Ghana is catching up with the Western European countries. The study also shown that Ghana growth accounting exhibit decreasing returns meaning convergence is relatively slow and also signifies that Ghana is not on a balanced growth path (this refers to the simultaneous, coordinated expansion of several sectors of the economy). The study showed a negative relationship between GDP and labour both in the long run and short run relationship. Again the study showed a positive relationship between GDP and capital, Agric and Industrial sector. Lastly, the study showed a negative relationship between GDP and AID and Service in the long run and positive relationship in the short run.</p>

Adaptive filtering may be applied in areas where an optimal filtering algorithm may not be known a-priori and where the filtering operation may be non-stationary. This field, or more generally, the field of adaptive systems, is one which may be regarded as mature, having been the subject of considerable research effort in the areas of control and signal processing for almost four decades. DFE (decision feedback equalization) in various forms has been proposed for detection on magnetic recording channel. An allpass filter is an alternative to the FIR (finite impulse response) forward equalizer which is normally implemented with DFE. This is because the allpass filter is a lower power and complexity alternative, though its behavior and performance are not very well understood yet. Here, an allpass structure implemented as first and second order IIR (infinite impulse response) filters is examined. Convergence for the LMS (least mean square) adaptation algorithm is studied and, moreover, some convergence conditions and bounds are developed, similarly to the well known FIR case. This thesis provides an useful analytical study of convergence of IIR adaptive filtering. This is accomplished by a systematic approximation of the covariance terms of the adaptive coefficients. The range of the step-size parameter of the LMS algorithm is developed under some simplifying assumptions. All the results obtained are verified by simulation (Matlab and C routines are used). / Graduation date: 1998

by Fernando Javier Rodilla Luque. / Bibliography: p. 33-34. / "September, 1981." / NSF Grant 79-20834

This study assesses the suitability of four sectional shear methods for predicting the shear capacity of reinforced concrete members which do not comply with S6-06 Section 14 stirrup spacing and area requirements. The results of the evaluations indicate that the sectional shear provisions in S6-06, AASHTO LRFD-05 and software Response 2000 appropriately account for variations in stirrup spacing and area detailing, and present with good agreement between predicted and tested shear capacities for member with deficient shear reinforcement. However, shear capacities calculated using ACI 318-08 do not agree well with tested capacities for members with less than minimum stirrups. Two modified shear methods are proposed, which revise the diagonal crack spacing and concrete contribution area assumed by S6-06. The modified shear methods improve predictions of shear capacity relative to predictions calculated using S6-06 and eliminate the issue of non-convergent shear capacity predictions which can result from evaluation using S6-06. / Structural Engineering

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Economic growth around the world has not been equal for a long time. Some economics grow faster while others grow slower. But economists have predicted that the slower growing economics will eventually converge with the faster growing economy as some point in the future. This is known as the convergence hypothesis. In this study, we test this hypothesis for Ghana and the Western Europeans countries with UK been a proxy for these countries, using time series data to determine whether or not it holds. We determine how fast or slow this convergence process is by using the returns to scale concept on Ghana’s economy and latter account for factor that determines economic growth in sectors. The study supported the null hypothesis of convergence i.e. Ghana is catching up with the Western European countries. The study also shown that Ghana growth accounting exhibit decreasing returns meaning convergence is relatively slow and also signifies that Ghana is not on a balanced growth path (this refers to the simultaneous, coordinated expansion of several sectors of the economy). The study showed a negative relationship between GDP and labour both in the long run and short run relationship. Again the study showed a positive relationship between GDP and capital, Agric and Industrial sector. Lastly, the study showed a negative relationship between GDP and AID and Service in the long run and positive relationship in the short run.

Neoclassical models imply convergence of the entire distribution, not just the mean income levels. In this paper, we analyze convergence in income inequality by using the considerably enlarged data bases, from the World Bank (Povcal) and the World Institute for Development Economic Research (WIDER). Convergence in gini indices of inequality is tested across 55 countries. We consider three sample subsets; one for the developing countries, second of the developed countries and third with all countries together. We test for convergence in gini indices over a period of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years. Additionally we use cross-section (OLS),panel (GMM) and a novel OLS estimation methods. Our results uniformly indicate that inequality levels among developing countries converged. Evidence of convergence is weaker among developed countries. Developing countries appear to converge faster than developed countries.

In this paper, we investigate the topology convergence problem for the gossip-based Gradient overlay network. In an overlay network where each node has a local utility value, a Gradient overlay network is characterized by the properties that each node has a set of neighbors containing higher utility values, such that paths of increasing utilities emerge in the network topology. The Gradient overlay network is built using gossiping and a preference function that samples from nodes using a uniform random peer sampling service. We analyze it using tools from matrix analysis, and we prove both the necessary and sufficient conditions for convergence to a complete gradient structure, as well as estimating the convergence time. Finally, we show in simulations the potential of the Gradient overlay, by building a more efficient live-streaming peer-to-peer (P2P) system than one built using uniform random peer sampling. / <p>© 2011 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. QC 20111124</p>

The viscoelastic and creep properties of salt create challenges in the design of salt mines. Salt undergoes steady state creep for a long period of time, and the time of failure is not easily predicted. Developing functions for creep behavior is important in predicting the deformation of salt pillars. Through literature reviews, it was found that there are many relationships to determine the deformation rate of salt specimens through constitutive models. Mine panels have also been modeled to understand the stress and deformational behavior of the pillars. The purpose of this was project was to develop a relationship that determines the convergence rate from knowing the pillar width to pillar height ratio and thickness of the salt strata immediately above and below the mine. The third power law was adopted in the modeling of salt pillars, which is applicable to low stresses of less than 10 MPa that is typical of salt mine conditions. The finite difference software, FLAC3D was used for the simulations of salt pillar models. A square pillar was modeled using four pillar width to pillar height ratios from 1.5 to 4.6. In mining practices, the pillar width to pillar height ratios are designed to be 1.0 to 5.0. Three sets of pillar dimensions were used for each pillar width to pillar height ratio, this was done to determine whether different room and pillar dimensions for each pillar width to pillar height ratio resulted in different convergence rates. Eight salt thicknesses of 0 m to 26 m were modeled for each set of pillar dimensions, which was sufficient to determine the effect of salt thickness on convergence rate. From the modeled results, general trends among the various pillar width to pillar height ratios were observed. The convergence rate increased as the pillar width to pillar height ratio decreased. In addition, an exponential relationship was found between the convergence rate and the pillar width to pillar height ratio. There was a strong correlation between convergence values calculated from the developed function and the modeled values for the power law exponent of three. The developed expression can be used to estimate the convergence rate due to pillar compression and room convergence.

Nowadays, most of the TV stations in Taiwan have the same acts, which are involving in online business, but different in scopes. Some of them are running all kinds of different tasks online, such as e-commerce, ad-sells, pay per view and information offering. However, others are just providing the information offering service. According to this, we can notice that there has no identical processing procedure in the industry. Every firm has its own strategy about running business online. And it seems like the different entry strategies have play a important role in it. Thus, the study focuses on knowing how TV stations decided to run online business and formulated their entry strategies while conducting the diversification management. Within that, it also contains issues of strategic goals, business scopes and performance evaluations which will also be discussed in the study. This article uses case study approach and analyses two TV stations¡¦, Formosa Television and TVBS, diversification strategies. Combining the results and theories with secondary sources, we suggest that: (1) TV stations¡¦ Internet strategies are based on digital strategies. (2) The Internet plays a support function to the TV stations. (3) Diversification defines the scopes of the Internet business. (4) Owners¡¦ attitude. (5) Popularity decides the marketing platforms. (6) Functional resource-based view. (7) Program division decides the results of the promotion. (8) A mixing departmental performance assessment. (9) Unique performance assessment between different strategic activities.