bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Sediments From the Sewage Disposal Lagoons for Sustainable Development
Authors: Sharma Susmita , Meenu P. S. , Asha Latha R. , Shashank B. S. , Singh D. N.
Published: February 2016

The incessant growth in urbanization, and the population explosion associated with it, has resulted in an increased discharge in sewage disposal lagoons and has led to their overloading. This results in the improper functioning of these lagoons, which greatly affects the treatment of sludge and wastewater. The influents, which carry along with them a huge load of substance, referred to as socioeconomically generated sediments (SeGSs), substantially reduce the capacity of the lagoons and the retention time of the sewage water and sludge. This situation poses a major challenge to municipal engineers and town planners, and to overcome it, either periodic or once-per-lifetime desiltation of these lagoons is warranted. However, in present-day megacities, there are several concerns associated with the desiltation process, viz., selection of the most economical and efficient technique, the availability of dumping ground(s), and transportation of the SeGSs to these dumping grounds. This is where utilization of SeGSs as a manmade resource could be a good initiative towards sustainable development. However, this endeavor entails a holistic understanding of the SeGSs by conducting detailed investigations to characterize them based on their physical, chemical, morphological, and microbial attributes before postulating a strategy for their sustainable utilization. With this in view, extensive sampling of the SeGSs from sewage disposal lagoons located in the western part of India was conducted followed by their very comprehensive characterization. Details of the methodologies adopted for this exercise were presented in this manuscript, and recommendations were made to utilize SeGSs for sustainable development in the most efficient manner.
An Alternate Test Method for the Void Content of Pervious Concrete
Authors: Torres A. , Hu J.
Published: February 2016

In recent years, pervious concrete has become an emerging material for healthier ground water recharge and superior control of high stormwater runoff. This is facilitated by the high void content of the material. The void content percentage is an important design variable, as it correlates permeability as well as the strength of the material. Therefore, an accurate quantification of the void content is needed. A recently developed ASTM standard (ASTM C1754/C1754M-12) presents a method for determining the density and void content of hardened pervious concrete; however, there are still some issues apparent with this standard. The main issue is that the standard does not consider the absorption of the aggregate or the paste, which could adversely affect the results. Other concerns include the buoyant force due to trapped air when submerging the specimens, the high drying temperature in drying method B, which causes cracking and renders the specimen unusable for other testing, and the lengthy time requirement. This study further articulated these issues and presented two alternative testing techniques, one novel technique (Torres method) and one modified ASTM C1754 test method that can be used to better determine the void content of pervious concrete. The Torres method developed in this study placed the pervious concrete specimen in saturated surface dry (SSD) condition prior to determining the void percentage, such that the absorbed water mass was removed from the calculation. Additionally, a modified ASTM C1754 was developed that also placed the specimens in an SSD condition while still using the water tank used in ASTM C1754. The results from both of the developed methods showed lower void percentages for the specimens tested than with the current ASTM C1754 (drying method A and B) standard. The results indicated that including the absorbed water mass into the calculation ultimately resulted in higher void percentages.
Documento, memória e arquivo na arte contemporânea: algumas reflexões sobre a obra fotográfica Imemorial de Rosagela Rennó
Authors: Monteiro Charles
Published: February 2016

Este artigo problematiza as relações entre a fotografia, história e esquecimento na obra Imemorial (1994) de Rosangela Rennó. A artista problematiza através do projeto Arquivo Universal os usos sociais, o estatuto da fotografia e seu arquivamento nas instituições públicas, bem como a possibilidade de se construírem narrativas alternativas sobre a construção da nação a partir delas.
Brizola nas páginas e fotografias de Veja em 1979: o trabalho do editor de fotografia e do fotógrafo
Authors: Proença Caio De Carvalho
Published: February 2016

O presente artigo procura apresentar o trabalho do editor de fotografia e do fotógrafo contratado na revista Veja, delineando-se para a compreensão de como se realizou a cobertura fotográfica, diagramação e escolha de imagens sobre o retorno de Leonel Brizola do exílio em 1979. O trabalho do fotógrafo Ricardo Chaves; o filtro editorial pelo trabalho de editor de fotografia de Sergio Sade; a narratividade, diagramação e apresentação das fotografias nas páginas deVeja como o produto final, como o fotojornalismo da revista. Apresenta-se aqui um estudo de caso sobre o uso da fotografia a favor do argumento editorial da revista. O uso do visual, em meio à crise da fotografia-documento nos anos 1970. A experiência fotográfica é interpretada para compreender o fotojornalismo como um trabalho feito em conjunto, e não de um homem só.
As Luck Would Have It
Authors: Verhoeven Deb
Published: February 2016

This essay explores the ways in which new developments in digital research infrastructure change our expectations of archival research and offer opportunities for a newly energized feminist approach to the archive. A specific platform, the Humanities Networked Infrastructure, is explored as an example of how digital technologies enable the coproduction of the archive and at the same time extend the possibilities for serendipitous discovery.
An Introduction to the Interviews
Authors: Duckett Victoria
Published: February 2016

This article explores the work that female archivists undertake today. It is based upon a series of six interviews—conducted largely in Europe in 2015—with noted female archivists, curators, and programmers. Through conversations with Bryony Dixon (British Film Institute), Giovanna Fossati (EYE Film Institute, Amsterdam), Karola Gramann (Kinothek Asta Nielsen, Frankfurt), Mariann Lewinsky (Il Cinema Ritrovato, Bologna), Elif Rongen-Kaynakçi (EYE Film Institute, Amsterdam), and Meg Labrum (National Film and Sound Archive, Canberra), it argues that women have a disproportionate impact upon the programming of silent film at festivals. It also suggests that there is a growing public that is attracted to festivals such as Il Cinema Ritrovato precisely because these festivals give us access to a vision of film history and feminism that we cannot find in traditional history books. Finally, it asks how these women work and, specifically, how the change to digital has impacted archival outreach and access today.
The Psychological Representation of Musical Intervals in a Twelve-Tone Context
Authors: Brown Jenine L.
Published: February 2016

Previous studies of twelve-tone music suggest that participants can learn a twelve-tone row and identify it in a forced-choice test (Bigand, D’Adamo, & Poulin, 2003; Krumhansl, Sandell, & Sergeant, 1987). However, these findings invite speculation about the extent to which participants were attuning to intervals to complete the task. The present study builds upon these previous experiments by specifically investigating whether participants implicitly attune to repetitive interval patterns embedded in twelve-tone melodies. After passive exposure to a monophonic twelve-tone melody dominated by intervals 1 and 3 (in semitones), musician listeners with no formal training in nontonal music theory demonstrated learning of the frequent intervals (and directed interval pairs) in both forced-choice and ratings tasks. Experiment 2 tested a new group of participants with similar backgrounds, although this time the twelve-tone melody heard in familiarization was predominated with intervals 2 and 5. Participants showed learning of directed interval pairs, but not intervals (possibly due to the more tonal nature of interval successions within familiarization). These findings have pedagogical and analytical implications.
Roll Over Beethoven? An Initial Investigation of Listeners’ Perception of Chords Used in Rock Music
Authors: Craton Lincoln G. , Juergens Daniel S. , Michalak Hannah R. , Poirier Christopher R.
Published: February 2016

Popular mainstream music (hereafter, rock) employs the basic set of chords built on the diatonic scale but also many others (de Clercq & Temperley, 2011; Stephenson, 2002). In an initial investigation of listeners’ perception of rock harmony, we adapted a rating task developed by Krumhansl (1990) in her pioneering studies of the common-practice harmonic hierarchy. Participants provided surprise and liking ratings for 35 (major, minor, dominant 7, and control) target chords that followed short key-establishing musical passages (a major scale + tonic major triad, or a major pentatonic scale + tonic major triad) or white noise. Liking ratings for targets that followed a musical passage indicated that listeners prefer some chords that are common in rock, but that lie outside the basic diatonic set, to atypical chords; this effect depended on chord quality and was clearest for major target chords. The findings provide an impetus for further research exploring the harmonic hierarchy in listeners with varying musical backgrounds; it appears to be more inclusive and less differentiated than is commonly thought.
Effect of Dry Heat, Direct Flame, and Straw Burning on Seed Germination of Weed Species Found in Lowbush Blueberry Fields
Authors: White Scott N. , Boyd Nathan S.
Published: February 2016

Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dry heat, direct flame, and straw burning on germination of several weed species from lowbush blueberry fields. Dry heat experiments were designed as factorial arrangements of temperature (100, 200, and 300 C in experiment 1 and room temperature, 100, 200, and 300 C in experiment 2) and exposure time (0, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 s in experiment 1 and 2, 5, 10, and 20 s in experiment 2) to determine the exposure time required to reduce germination for each temperature. Susceptibility to dry heat varied across species tested, but germination of spreading dogbane, meadow salsify, fireweed, and hair fescue seeds collected from lowbush blueberry fields in Nova Scotia, Canada generally declined exponentially as a function of duration of heat exposure at the temperatures tested. Germination decreased more rapidly at higher temperatures in all species, although the duration of heat exposure required to reduce germination by 50 and 90% varied across temperatures and species. Exposure of seeds to direct flame rapidly reduced germination, with less than 1 s of exposure required to reduce seed germination of witchgrass, spreading dogbane, and meadow salsify by > 90%. Straw burning did not consistently reduce germination of hair fescue or winter bentgrass, indicating that a surface burn occurring above weed seeds may not be consistently effective at reducing seed viability. These results provide important estimates of the temperature and exposure times required to reduce viability of weed seeds in lowbush blueberry fields and suggest that thermal technologies that expose weed seeds to direct flame will be the most consistent in reducing seed viability.
Intrarow Weed Removal in Broccoli and Transplanted Lettuce with an Intelligent Cultivator
Authors: Lati Ran N. , Siemens Mark C. , Rachuy John S. , Fennimore Steven A.
Published: February 2016

The performance of the Robovator (F. Poulsen Engineering ApS, Hvals⊘, Denmark), a commercial robotic intrarow cultivator, was evaluated in direct-seeded broccoli and transplanted lettuce during 2014 and 2015 in Salinas, CA, and Yuma, AZ. The main objective was to evaluate the crop stand after cultivation, crop yield, and weed control efficacy of the Robovator compared with a standard cultivator. A second objective was to compare hand weeding time after cultivation within a complete integrated weed management (IWM) system. Herbicides were included as a component of the IWM system. The Robovator did not reduce crop stand or marketable yield compared with the standard cultivator. The Robovator removed 18 to 41% more weeds at moderate to high weed densities and reduced hand-weeding times by 20 to 45% compared with the standard cultivator. At low weed densities there was little difference between the cultivators in terms of weed control and hand-weeding times. The lower-hand weeding time with the Robovator treatments suggest that robotic intrarow cultivators can reduce dependency on hand weeding compared with standard cultivators. Technological advancements and price reductions of these types of machines will likely improve their weed removal efficacy and the long-term viability of IWM programs that will use them.
The Reservoirs Act 1975 and reservoir risk designations
Authors: Acford Mark
Published: February 2016

The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 amends the Reservoirs Act 1975 and introduced a new responsibility that requires the Environment Agency to consider whether or not to give all large raised reservoirs in England a high-risk designation. Reservoirs that are not designated as high risk will no longer be subject to the full requirements of the Reservoirs Act 1975 and in particular will no longer be legally required to have their structures inspected and supervised by panel engineers. This paper explains the legal background to the risk designation process, outlines the approach that has been taken to the work and outlines how challenges to risk designations can be made.
Interpreting Shocks to the Relative Price of Investment with a Two-Sector Model
Authors: Guerrieri Luca , Henderson Dale , Kim Jinill
Published: February 2016

Consumption and investment comove over the business cycle in response to shocks that permanently move the price of investment. The interpretation of these shocks has relied on standard one-sector models or on models with two or more sectors that can be aggregated. However, the same interpretation continues to go through in models that cannot be aggregated into a standard one-sector model. Furthermore, such a two-sector model with distinct factor input shares across production sectors and commingling of sectoral outputs in the assembly of final consumption and investment goods, in line with the U.S. Input-Output Tables, has implications for aggregate variables. It yields a closer match to the empirical evidence of positive comovement for consumption and investment.
Policy Externalities and Banking Integration
Authors: Smolyansky Michael
Published: February 2016

Can policies directed at the banking sector in one jurisdiction spill over and affect real economic activity elsewhere? To investigate this question, I exploit changes in tax rates on bank profits across U.S. states. Banks respond by reallocating small-business lending to otherwise unaffected states. Moreover, counties in non-tax-changing states that have more exposure to “treated” banks experience greater changes in lending, which in turn impacts local employment. The findings demonstrate that policies aimed at the banking sector in one jurisdiction can impose externalities on other regions. Critically, financial linkages between regions serve as the transmission channel for these policy externalities.
Cástulo en las fuentes geográficas árabes: evidencias de un santuario altomedieval en su territorio
Authors: Rosado Llamas María Dolores
Published: February 2016

Dado que las referencias a Cástulo en las fuentes geográficas árabes son prácticamente inexistentes, este artículo quiere dar a conocer la información que, sobre esta ciudad, proporciona un autor árabe medieval: al-Qazwīnī (s. XIII), cuyas noticias sobre Cástulo no han sido traducidas hasta ahora; así como, a la luz de este texto, reinterpretar la información que proporcionan el resto de geógrafos árabes porque, gracias a al-Qazwīnī, podemos inferir la existencia de un santuario rupestre y probable eremitorio altomedieval, visigodo y/o mozárabe, en el propio Cástulo o en su territorio.
Las aceñas de acequia (islámicas) del sistema hidráulico andalusí de Murcia (Senda de Granada). Antecedentes tecnológicos y propuesta funcional
Authors: García Blánquez Luis A.
Published: February 2016

La excavación arqueológica de un sector de la huerta de Murcia cercano a la ciudad, puso al descubierto un conjunto de estructuras hidráulicas andalusíes, junto a varios lotes de arcaduces tudmiríes que fechan los hallazgos entre el siglo X y finales del siglo XI o inicios del XII. El hallazgo de estas estructuras islámicas sobre un contexto arqueológico tardoantiguo, reabrió en Murcia el antiguo debate sobre el posible origen pre-árabe de su sistema de riego, dando lugar a diversas interpretaciones acerca de sus antecedentes clásicos. Sin embargo, la conclusión del estudio de las estructuras, contextos estratigráficos y materiales han refutado aquella tesis, al menos respecto del heredamiento Norte (o de Aljufía), y confirmado nuestras hipótesis iniciales, en tres aspectos fundamentales: primero, la indudable filiación islámica de las estructuras hidráulicas documentadas y, en consecuencia, del sistema de irrigación del heredamiento Norte de Murcia; segundo, la extensión del perímetro de irrigación de esta parte del sistema hidráulico y su datación en el siglo X; y tercero, la primera identificación arqueológica en al-Andalus, de la que hemos denominado aceña de acequia, empleada para extraer agua de una acequia de riego a cielo abierto. Desde el punto de vista tecnológico realizamos una breve revisión de los modelos actuales y andalusíes y de su antecedente clásico la rueda extractora de tracción animal, representada en un monumento funerario de Kôm el-Dikka (Alejandría, Egipto). Finalmente, aunque no es el objeto de este estudio, los resultados arqueológicos relativos a su datación y extensión en el heredamiento Norte, nos permiten de forma indirecta hacer extensivas estas conclusiones al resto del sistema hidráulico murciano y al momento de su fundación, y plantear nuevas hipótesis acerca de su proceso de construcción.
Review of the Role of Remote Sensing for Submarine Groundwater Discharge
Authors: Mukherjee Subham
Published: February 2016

Coastal aquifers discharge their subsurface flow into the sea either through seepage or submarine springs wherefractures predominate. The specific objective of this review article is to explore the potentiality of remote sensing as a tool for the identification, analysis, and rendering of potential areas of submarine groundwater discharges especially where non‐point seepages of groundwater exist. The principal means of the assessment is to use various optical and thermal infrared remote sensing techniques. Identification of the geologic and anthropogenic controls on SGDs through an analysis of available offshore and onshore geological spatial datasets and available satellite imagery within a geographic information system framework is the main goal of this review article. It would be helpfulfor the future research works to determine the location and the significance of SGDs to the nutrient load on the coastal and estuarine ecosystem.
Stakeholders' Participation in Sustainable Water Resource Management, Lessons from Tsurumi River for Muda River Basin
Authors: Mei Sim Lay , Weng Chan Ngai , Ao Masazumi
Published: February 2016

Rivers in Malaysia play an important role in regional economic development as well as water source for industrial, domestic, agricultural, aquaculture, hydroelectric power generation, and environment. The aim of this research is to examine the applicability of lessons drawn from the Tsurumi River Basin for improving the management of the Muda River Basin in Malaysia as well as highlighting the major problems in existing water resources management in Muda River Basin address the problems. There is little or no stakeholders involvement in Muda River Basin and water resource management is not holistic and not integrated as it should be. Besides that, there is little or no Integrated Resources Water Management, a pre‐requisite for sustainable water resources. It is concluded that full support and participation from public stakeholders (meaning the non‐government and non‐private sector stakeholders) are important factors towards an integrated water resources management (IWRM) approach for sustainable water use in Muda River Basin.
Simultaneous Quantification of Ciprofloxacin, Quinine and 3-hyrdoxyquinine in Human Plasma using a HPLC Method
Authors: Adegbola Adebanjo J. , Soyinka Julius O.
Published: February 2016

Malaria has been shown to strongly predispose patients in areas of malaria endemicity to bacteremia with severe outcomes, thus justifying the use of antibiotics in combination with antimalarial therapy in patients with severe malaria. This study describes a High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) method for simultaneous determinations of Ciprofloxacin (CPN), Quinine (QN), and its major metabolite, 3-Hydroxyquinine (3-HQN), in human plasma. Following a simple precipitation with acetonitrile, chromatographic separation was achieved on a reversed-phase Agilent Zorbax (CN) column (5 μm, 150 X 4.6 mm i.d) using a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile: potassium dihydrogen phosphate (pH = 2.8; 0.02 M) (42:58, v/v). Retention times for CPN, 3-HQN, IS and QN were 2.7, 3.3, 3.6 and 4.9 minutes respectively. The limits of detection and validated lower limits of quantitation were 30 and 70 ng/ml for both QN and 3-HQN while the corresponding values were 50 and 100 ng/ml for CPN, respectively. The new HPLC method here developed, when compared with previous methods for the analysis of either or both drugs is simple, rapid, selective, reproducible and costeffective. It is also suitable for conducting a simultaneous therapeutic monitoring of quinine and ciprofloxacin in patients when concomittantly administered as demonstrated in five healthy volunteers.
Effect of Mentha viridis L. Extracts on Pathogenic Bacteria Adhesion
Authors: Chelli-Chentouf N. , Tirtouil Meddah A. , Mullie C. , Bouachria M. , Meddah B.
Published: February 2016

Micro-organisms do not always exist in planctonic forms (single cells or small groups). To survive, especially in limiting media, they may adhere to inert or living surfaces. This enables them to multiply within a community protected by an extracellular matrix, thus forming a biofilm which protects them from antimicrobials especially antibiotics. In this paper, the aim of this study was to investigate autoaggregation, co-aggragation, surface hydrophobicity and exopolysaccharides production of different pathogenic bacteria treated with methanolic, hydro-methanolic and aqueous extract of Mentha viridis collected in El Bayadh (South West of Algeria). The qualitative analysis revealed the presence of polyphenols and flavonoids, which were confirmed-by-quantitative-analysis. All extracts showed an antibacterial activity (antiadhesiveness).The percentage of autoaggregation, coaggregation decreased in presence of extract comparing to control. E.coli was hydrophobic while the others hydrophilic. The amount of exopolysaccharides (EPS) produces by bacteria decreased considerably with all extracts comparatively to control (without extracts).
Anticonvulsant and Antioxidant Effects of Methanol Extract of Stems of G. arborea Roxb.
Authors: Acharya Niyati S. , Acharya S. R. , Kumar V. , Barai P.
Published: February 2016

Gmelina arborea Roxb. (Verbenaceae) is greatly valued plant reported in Indian traditional system of medicine for various ailments. In this study, anticonvulsant and antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of stems (MES) of Gmelina arborea Roxb. was investigated. Protective effects were evaluated in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) (60 mg/kg, s.c.) and strychnine (STR) (2 mg/kg, i.p.) induced seizure models in adult albino mice (250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg) using diazepam as a standard.

Total phenolics and flavonoids content in MES were determined and antioxidant activity was evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2- picryl- hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, scavenging of hydrogen peroxide and through reducing power assay. The onset and duration of seizures (tonic-clonic convulsions), mortality rate and number of mice convulsing or not convulsing within the observation period were noted in PTZ and STR induced seizure models.  MES showed good reductive capability and free radical scavenging effects with IC50 47.47 µg/ml for DPPH radical assay and 97.33 µg/ml for hydrogen peroxidescavenging in a dose dependent manner.MES at the dose of 500 mg/kg, exhibited maximum delay in onset of convulsions (8.188 min in PTZ and 11.81 min in STR induced seizures) in both the models with increased latency period.

The suppression of seizures by MES (500 mg/kg) might be observed due to enhanced gamma amino butyric acid neurotransmission in PTZ induced animals. The constituents of MES might also have glycine inhibitory potential to impart protection in STR induces seizures in our study. Further considerable presence of flavonoids and phenolic have provided good antioxidant activity as a supportive underlying mechanism for anticonvulsant effects. This study justifies the multilevel therapeutic uses of stem bark and heartwood of G. arborea in Indian system of medicine.
Ethno-medicines for Mosquito Transmitted Diseases from South-western Nigeria
Authors: Sonibare Mubo A. , Okorie Patricia N. , Aremu Tolulope O. , Adegoke Ayodamope
Published: February 2016

The present study presents an ethnobotanical survey of the plants used in the treatment of mosquito transmitted diseases in Egbeda, Oluyole, Ibadan South-East and Akinyele, Local Government Areas in Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria. The survey was conducted through interviews using semi structured questionnaires. Twenty-four respondents, comprising of Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs), herbalists, herb sellers, and the elderly were interviewed. Fourteen (58.3%) of them were males while ten (41.7%) were females and their ages ranged from 28 to 65 years. The Use-Mentions index (UMi) was calculated for each plant. Thirty-seven plant species belonging to 25 families were found to be useful for the treatment of mosquito transmitted diseases in the study areas. Ethno-medicinal information gathered on the plants includes vernacular names, plant parts used, forms of application and method of administration. The most prominent plant family is Euphorbiaceae with four species, while Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, Meliaceae had three species each. Other plant families include Apocynaceae, Combretaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Asteraceae with two species each. In all, the commonest species among the recipes given by the respondents was Hyptis suaveolens having a UMi of 0.250. Ocimum gratissimum, Xylopia aethiopica, Chromolaena odorata, and Nicotiana tabacum all had UMi of 0.167each. The study plays an important role in documenting and conserving traditional knowledge on medicinal plants used in treating insect transmitted diseases.
Effect of Extraction Solvent on the Phytoconstituents of Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa
Authors: Sulaiman C. T. , Shahida V. , Balachandran Indira
Published: February 2016

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of extraction solvents such as absolute ethanol, absolute methanol, aqueous ethanol (ethanol: water, 80:20 v/v), aqueous methanol (methanol: water, 80:20 v/v), hydro alcohol (ethanol: water 50:50 v/v) and water on phytochemicals of different parts of Aegle marmelos. The chemical comparison was done using thin layer chromatography. Major class of compounds such as phenolics and flavonoids were quantitatively estimated spectrophotometrically. Among the six solvents used for the extraction, hydro alcohol showed the maximum yield of extract. In the case of root, the yield of hydro alcoholic extract was 42.05 % higher than that of aqueous extract. The increase of yield for stem and fruit were found as 27.5 % and 46.35 % respectively. Due to the higher yield of extract, use of hydro alcohol instead of water for the preparation of herbal formulations can be considered and it may lead to the judicious use of raw materials.
La disputa por el mar: El soft power boliviano ante organismos multilaterales
Authors: Correa Vera Loreto , Vera Vega Lidia
Published: February 2016

Desde su primer gobierno el presidente Evo Morales ha asumido la refundación del estado como una prioridad. El presente artículo analiza el soft power en la política exterior boliviana y la introducción de la lógica ciudadano-céntrica en los discursos referentes al tema marítimo del presidente Evo Morales y del canciller David Choquehuanca ante diversos foros internacionales, contexto en el que la integración se configura como soporte de la reivindicación marítima boliviana. Este estudio toma algunos elementos de la teoría del realismo periférico acuñada por el politólogo argentino Carlos Escudé para tratar el tema marítimo que divide a Bolivia y Chile, marco conceptual que, al tratarse de la perspectiva centro-periferia de Prebisch y CEPAL, permite un análisis con enfoque regional.
The Changing Retail Environment: Its Influence On Professionalism In Chain And Independently Owned Pharmacies
Authors: Szeinbach Sheryl L. , Barnes James H. , Summers Kent H. , Banahan III Benjamin F.
Published: February 2016

The purpose of this study was to determine if pharmacists could be differentiated with respect to practice site based on their responses to several questions related to professionalism and its consequential influence on pharmacy image. Results revealed that several qualities associated with professionalism (e.g., skills, knowledge, ethics, service, and environment) could be used to distinguish pharmacists by practice site. In general, pharmacists whose primary practice sites were a chain store pharmacy evaluated the items relating to professionalism, work environment, and image more negatively than pharmacists whose primary practice sites were an independently owned pharmacy. Implications for the retail marketing environment, pharmacy management, and pharmacy image are also discussed.
Occupational Licensure In The Accounting Profession Effects Of Public Regulation On Accountants Earnings
Authors: Schaefer James , Zimmer Michael
Published: February 2016

This paper examines the effects of CPA licensure requirements on earnings in the accounting profession. Using micro data from the U.S. Census, we estimate a model of individual earnings in which explicit controls are included for occupational requirements in the accountants state of residence. Two findings are noteworthy. First, states which require additional credit hours beyond the four-year degree appear to be characterized by higher earnings. Second, states which do not have experience requirements are associated with lower earnings. The subject appears fruitful for further research.
Measuring Pension Liabilities: An Examination Of The Funding Levels Of Defined Benefit Pension Plans
Authors: Blankley Alan I. , Tang Rober Y. W.
Published: February 2016

We examine pension funding measures and interest rate disclosures for 223 firms from the Fortune 500. Three different liability measures are used to develop funding ratios, which indicate sample firms funding condition. We then examine firms discount rate estimates and compare these estimates with their funding levels. Using chi-square tests to examine dependence between rates and funding, we determine whether over (under) funding is simply an artifact of the choice of discount rates or the result of authentic economic conditions surrounding the pension plan.
An Empirical Analysis Of The Impact Of Tax Rates On Subchapter S Elections
Authors: Burilovich Linda
Published: February 2016

Selecting the appropriate form of organization may be a difficult choice for a small business firm. The corporate form offers legal liability but imposes double taxation. The choice often becomes a trade-off between the nontax benefits of incorporating and the costs of double taxation. Certain small businesses qualify to make an election under Subchapter S of the tax code which allows them to operate as a corporation, but avoid the corporate tax by passing through taxable income or loss to shareholders. These firms are known as S corporations. This article examines the impact of personal and corporate tax rates on the propensity for small businesses to elect to operate as S corporations. The behavior of gain and loss firms is analyzed separately. Empirical tests suggest that tax rates do have a significant and sometimes surprising impact on this choice. These findings have significance for policymakers in attempting to reduce the costs of taxes to new firms which may be inhibited from entering the market due to the impact of double taxation.
External Liberalization Of Banking And Industrial Concentration: The Evidence From Spain
Authors: Bonitsis Theologos Homer , Rivera-Solis Luis Eduardo
Published: February 2016

This paper investigates the effect of international liberalization on industrial bank concentration in Spain. By employing time series modeling techniques, it is shown that, albeit a weak short run effect may exist, there has been no long run effect on industrial bank concentration from external liberalization. The data base for the study consists of monthly time series for the period 1974-1982.
Using Financial Statement Data To Identify Factors Associated With Fraudulent Financial Reporting
Authors: Persons Obeua S.
Published: February 2016

Based on stepwise-logistic models, this study finds that financial leverage, capital turnover, asset composition and firm size are significant factors associated with fraudulent financial reporting Prediction results suggest that these models outperform a nae strategy of classifying all firms as nonfraud firms for all levels of relative costs of type I and type II errors. The models also correctly identify a large percentage of fraud firms and misclassify a relatively small percentage of nonfraud firms when realistic relative error costs are assumed.
Do Economic Statistics Leak Out Before Their Official Announcements?
Authors: Kersey Bruce
Published: February 2016

The finding of this study is that most of the 14 economic data examined in this study appear to not leak out before the official announcement. However, it appears that three of the 14 may indeed become available to some traders. This statement is based on the facts that for each of the three number of positive observations are considerably above the halfway mark, and the net positive weighted values for each of the three are fairly high. These three variables are the Producer Price Inde3x, Consumer Credit, and the Purchasing Managers Survey.
Firm Size, Insider Ownership, And Accounting-Based Debt Covenants
Authors: Griner Emmett H. , Huss H. Fenwick
Published: February 2016

The objective of this study is to investigate the separate and joint effects of firm size and insider ownership on the types of debt covenants required by creditors. An economic argument is developed to predict the types of covenants that will be required by creditors of firms of different sizes and with differing levels of insider ownership. The main finding is that creditors of small, high-insider-ownership firms demand liquidity covenants as protection against wealth transfers. An additional finding is that creditors of large firms demand covenants based on tangible assets, regardless of the level of insider ownership. The main conclusion is that the specific types of debt covenants required by creditors depend on creditors expectations concerning the effects of size and insider ownership on management actions.
The Relationship Between Earnings Goals And Expenditures For Repairs And Maintenance
Authors: Perry Susan , Grinaker Robert
Published: February 2016

This study examines whether American industry adjusts to the level expenditures for repairs and maintenance to meet earnings goals. We examine changes in repairs and maintenance expenditures when earnings vary from expectations and find evidence of a direct relation between these variables. This finding raises concerns since deviation from consistent repairs and maintenance programs solely to meet earnings goals may have a detrimental effect on the competitiveness of U.S. firms.
Note On A Stochastic Present Value Model Arising In Investment Analysis
Authors: Voudouri Aggeliki P. , Artikis Panagiotis T.
Published: February 2016

Several stochastic present value models have been adopted in many areas of financial theory and practice. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new stochastic present value model and offer an application in investment evaluation.
A Note On Interstate Migration And Tax Burdens: New Evidence
Authors: Hsing Yu
Published: February 2016

This study extends the work of Cebula (1990) and examines interstate in-migration for 48 contiguous states based on the 1990 Census data. We find that the optimal value for the state and local tax burden is $1,943 per capita. Interstate in-migration rates are likely to increase (decrease) given a change in tax burdens, if the current tax level is below (above) the optimal tax level. We also find that more sunshine, employment growth, and income encourage in-migration and that higher heating degree days, percent of metropolitan area population, and violent crime reduce in-migration.
The Contribution Of Administrative Credit Controls TO Greek Industrial Sector Capital Asset Formation
Authors: Bellas A. P. , Sougiannis A. S.
Published: February 2016

This article analyses the effects of Selective Credit Policies (S.C.P.s), pursued by greek monetary authorities over the period 1968-1987, on industrial business behaviour. Selective Credit Policies comprise the exogenous determination of the volume and structure of bank lending, as well as of the levels and term structure of interest rates. Business behavior as reflected in decisions affecting investment in plant and equipment, on the one hand, and liquid assets, on the other. Liquid assets include inventories, credit to customers and cash accounts.The conclusion of this study is that the S.C.P.s, although might have played some positive role in channeling long-term funds to industrial firms, they did not succeed in making any considerable contribution to capital asset formation. Conversely, the impact of investment inducing fiscal policies was proved to much stronger. Additionally, the combination of centrally administered nominal interest rates and high inflation rates that prevailed in the period under review, seriously limited any success of S.C.P.s in achieving the goals of promotion investment activity and the growth of industrial output.
The Effects Of Spousal Support And Gender On Workers Stress And Job Satisfaction: A Cross National Investigation Of Dual Career Couples
Authors: Bures Allen L. , Henderson Dale , Mayfield Jacqueline , Mayfield Milton , Worley Joel
Published: February 2016

This paper investigates the relationships between the level of spousal support that a dual career marriage participant receives and the individuals job satisfaction and work stress. Results indicate that a high level of spousal support leads to higher levels of job satisfaction. Data analysis also suggests that gender moderates the relationship between spousal support and work stress. At a low level of spousal support, but men and women reported approximately equal stress. However, data show that a high level of spousal support reduces mens work stress, but does not significantly decrease womens stress level.
A Study Of Differential Attitudes Held BY Auditors From Large And Small U.S. Firms Toward Audits Performed By Small Public Accounting Firms.
Authors: King James , Welker Robert B.
Published: February 2016

In an experiment (N=46), auditors from large U.S. firms attached greater relevancy to GAAS and assigned higher levels of quality to audit procedures applied to a small business audit than did auditors from small U.S. firms. These findings suggest the existence of a perception gap. Auditors from large firms may not be fully aware of the audit dilemmas facing small firms with small business audit clients.
Accounting For Convertible Bonds: An Alternative Approach
Authors: Rue Joseph C. , Stevens William T. , Volkan Ara
Published: February 2016

Accounting for convertible bonds (CBs) has been a source of controversy for more than two decades. The main question relates to the nature of CBs. Should they be defined as: 1) debt; 2) equity; or 3) hybrid securities having both debt and equity characteristics? The disagreements revolve around the definition of several financial statement elements and fundamental concepts of accounting measurement. We believe that current procedures in accounting for CBs are flawed and alternative measures of reporting and recognizing CBs are required in order to provide useful information to external users of financial statements. After a review of alternative methods of accounting for CBs, we conclude that a CB is a partially executed contract which has equity characteristics. The purchaser has committed to buy stock at a fixed price in a future time period. The seller is committed to issue stock in the future and is committed to provide a cash dividend at a fixed rate (i.e. interest) until the stock is issued. The issuance allows the buyer to receive a return of the subscription price in the future if he fails to exercise his right or if the issue is called by the seller. Our approach of accounting for CBs emphasizes the economics reality of the situation rather than accounting by recording a liability which is replaced by equity when the issue is converted.
Stability Of Excellence: Revealed Patterns In Tobins q-Ratios
Authors: Jose Manuel L. , Lancaster Carol , Stevens Jerry L.
Published: February 2016

Much has been written about characteristics of excellent firms, but little attention has been given to the possibility that excellence, once attained, is the result of a random process. This study uses market valuation concepts to construct a single measure of the multiple dimensions of excellent asset management to test the stability of excellence for a large sample of firms over a 20-year period. The findings suggest that firms are unable to sustain excellence from year-to-year, but excellence is maintained over longer run holding periods. The results also help explain findings in other studies where excellent firms have subsequently provided low rates of return to investors.
An Examination Of Audit Reporting For Accounting Principles Changes
Authors: Jordan Charles E. , Clark Stanley J.
Published: February 2016

This article examines audit reporting of accounting principles changes under SAS 58 and compares the results to prior research. The study indicates that auditors both before and after SAS 58 exhibited great diversity in their decisions to modify reports for changes in principles. This lack of uniformity suggests report modifications for changes in principle may be providing little or no relevant information to users.
Evaluating Firms In Financial Distress: An Event History Analysis
Authors: Hill Nancy Thorley , Perry Susan E. , Andes Steven
Published: February 2016

This study uses event history methodology and dynamic models to examine bankruptcy and financial distress. Dynamic models incorporate the conditional probability of a firms financial status changing from financially distressed to stable or bankrupt and enable us to simultaneously examine stable, financially distressed and bankrupt firms. We also add to the literature by incorporating two economic indicator variables and extend prior research with an analysis by industry segment.
Managing Information Technology With Outsourcing: An Assessment Of Employee Perceptions
Authors: Khosrowpour Mehdi , Subramanian Girish H. , Gunderman John , Aber Al
Published: February 2016

Outsourcing is the contracting out of all or part of a companys information systems functions to outside parties. This research provides preliminary findings on the perceptions of IS (Information Systems) professionals on outsourcing. The findings of this study indicate that in order to effectively deal with the human aspects of outsourcing, management must understand what perceptions exist within the employee ranks and develop a plan which addresses employee needs and perceptions. Such a management action plan is presented in this paper.
Firm Dynamics Of International Joint Ventures In Shanghais Manufacturing Sector: Testing The Validity Of Gibrats Law
Authors: Wing Clement Chow Kong , Yiu Michael Fung Ka
Published: February 2016

How joint ventures (JVs) grow over time has important implications on government JV policies and enterprises decisions in JV formation. This paper studies JVs in the manufacturing industries of Shanghai by analyzing the empirical relationship between the size of JVs with their growth over time. Whether Gibrats Law can describe the dynamic behavior of JVs is tested by using the panel data of four Shanghai industries from 1989 to 1992. Two empirical results are obtained: (1) Small JVs are better in creating jobs than large JVs. (2) In terms of output growth, both small and large JVs follows a simple stochastic growth process which is more or less dictated by the Gibrats Law.
Quantifying The Tradeoffs Between Cost And Quality For Systems Service Support
Authors: Boronico Jes S. , Zirkler Andre , Siegel Philip H.
Published: February 2016

Rapidly increasing computer systems complexity has caused many companies to increase awareness of customer services. Many firms in the computer hardware and/or software industries have devoted increased effort towards customer service through the development of help desk support systems. Help desk support systems development currently face a number of problems, including escalating growth in customer usage, high staff turn-over, maintaining service quality and controlling costs. Industry has responded by providing additional staff training, increasing systems automation, and introducing knowledge based tools. These actions have increased help desk efficiency, but fail to provide a quantitative means for optimizing help desk operations. This paper addresses this problem through the development of a mathematical model which minimizes expected help desk costs by considering both operational costs and social costs. This model provides a basic framework through which policy makers may analyze the effectiveness of capacity decisions as they apply to help desk support systems in a multi-echelon, networked service station.
Significant Historic Origins That Influenced The Team Concept In Major Japanese Companies
Authors: Tudor Thomas R. , Trumble Robert R. , George Gerard
Published: February 2016

Major historical aspects of the Japanese people reinforce their continued inclination to conform to societal norms at the cost of their own individualism. We look at this unique characteristic of their country, often referred to as a need for dependence versus the need for independence, with a historic perspective. We seek to identify these historic roots and its ramifications on the successful team-based Japanese management style. This paper examines the team concept as witnessed in (a) rice growing activities (100 BC to present); (b) religious influences, (500 BC to present); (c) the Tokugawa Period (1660-1867); and (d) the Meiji Period (1868-1911).