bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge construction about port performance evaluation: An international literature analysis
Authors: Somensi Karine , Ensslin Sandra , Dutra Ademar , Ensslin Leonardo , Dezem Vinicius
Published: October 2017

Purpose: This study aims at identifying and analyzing the characteristics of international scientific research that address the literature fragment referring to the Port Performance Evaluation to identify the existence of theoretical alignment of Performance Evaluation notion, as an area of knowledge, with practical area stage, the Port Performance Evaluation.Design/Methodology/Approach: The approach the problem, this paper makes use of qualitative research, since it analyzes the Bibliographical Portfolio characteristics related to the Performance Evaluation Port. The strategy adopted was action research where the authors through their analysis and interpretation made the selection of the  Bibliographical Portfolio.Findings: From the analyzed literature fragment it was possible to identify some misalignment between what has been pointed out in the literature regarding the management practices in the port sector. This discrepancy refers to the management practices that are ignored by port managers, which implies the loss of opportunities and may even come to jeopardize the organization's performance.Research limitations/implications: The literature search was restricted to articles written in the English language, published in indexed scientific journals in the selected databases (ii) the restriction by the time limit of articles published after the year 2000; (iii) the generation of knowledge based on the characteristics selected by the researchers and (iv) the analysis of BP articles regarding the  by the judgment and interpretation of this research authors. It is suggested for future work the expanding this research to other databases, other languages, other features, and continuity of this investigation with the development of "systemic analysis' and 'identifying research opportunities' stages through ProKnow-C.Originality/value: Although two similar works have been developed in the same area of research in 2015, the results achieved have contributed to the advancement of research Port Performance Evaluation, once extended the time horizon, the databases used for research and variables.
From the Field: A Panel on Leadership in Continuing Education
Authors: Graebe Jennifer
Published: October 2017

In July 2017, the American Nurses Credentialing Center held their annual continuing nursing education symposium. The focus was on leadership development for nursing professional development practitioners in continuing nursing education. This article is an overview of the panel discussion from national experts in the field.

J Contin Nurs Educ.
2017;48(11):489–491.
Checklists for New Graduates
Authors: Hickerson Kirsten A.
Published: October 2017

Even highly trained new nurses can feel overwhelmed when starting a new job. A professional development tool, the First Things First Checklist, described in this article, can help new nurses structure their day and prioritize their tasks. This checklist approach can help mitigate stress, structure the day, and promote optimal patient care.

J Contin Educ Nurs.
2017;48(11):494–495.
Preceptor Knowledge on Preceptorship in an Academic Hospital in Kenya
Authors: Nyaga Emily Muthoni , Kyololo O'Brien Munyao
Published: October 2017

Background:

Clinical preceptorship is critical for the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes in nursing care. Cardinal to the development of these competences is the preceptor's knowledge on preceptorship. In low-income countries, the responsibility of preceptorship rests with staff nurses whose knowledge on preceptorship is largely unknown.

Method:

A survey was conducted among 254 nurses using a 3-point Likert scale questionnaire. Mean scale scores were computed for knowledge score. Association between training on preceptorship and level of knowledge was explored using chi square.

Results:

The mean knowledge score was 1.71 (
SD
± 0.41). Few had undergone training on preceptorship; knowledge on preceptorship had been acquired experientially or through role modeling. More nurses who had undergone training agreed that preceptor–trainee roles should be clearly defined at the beginning of clinical placement, χ
2
(1) = 15.54,
p
= .016.

Conclusion:

Although nurses were knowledgeable about preceptorship, few had been trained. A formal training program on preceptorship is warranted.

J Contin Educ Nurs.
2017;48(11):496–500.
Second Order Divide in Internet Usage in Developing Countries
Authors: Purushothaman Aparna , Holmfeld Lone Dirckinck , Kuruvilla Moly
Published: October 2017

Internet literacy is crucial to become information literate and for lifelong learning for today's citizens. However, there is an identified gendered digital divide in Internet usage, as the major proportion of unconnected citizens, especially in the developing economies in asian countries are women. The problems of the gender digital divide are not just limited to connectivity and infrastructural issues, literacy and the cost of access, which are often discussed in the literature. The authors identify some of the second order factors that are often overlooked and arise out of cognitive, psychological and social factors leading to the digital divide. The paper also discusses possible measures that could be taken up to address the second order gender digital divide.
Pedagogy and ICT
Authors: Ciambrone Raffaele
Published: October 2017

While the principles of the personalization of study plans are now affirmed at scientific level and in the school world, new technologies must be used appropriately. Reflections on the personalization of ICT in relation to different learning styles seem scarce, particularly regarding differentiated teaching strategies aimed at supporting students with disabilities or learning difficulties. This article develops a thread of reasoning conducive to exploring the use of ICT in teaching to promote development that is integrated and not alternative to methodologies already experimented by teachers. It focuses on the concept of differentiated teaching, giving examples of integrated learning environments and operational proposals.
Romantic Jealousy on Facebook
Authors: Carpenter Christopher J.
Published: October 2017

This article uses White and Mullen's jealousy model as a basis to derive hypotheses about the causes and effects of Facebook-related romantic jealousy. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to test these hypotheses (N = 196). General Facebook use by the user or the romantic partner were not substantially related to user jealousy. Reports of a variety of interactions between partners and potential rivals were positively related to jealousy, including the partner posting on others' walls and acquiring new Facebook friends which are unknown to the user. Additionally, those interaction were also associated with attempts to improve the relationship using Facebook relational maintenance behaviors as well as intentions to end it or have casual extra-dyadic sex (infidelity).
Technological Disruption as a Driving Force for Coopetition
Authors: Rusko Rauno , Alatalo Lilli , Hänninen Joel , Riipi Juho , Salmela Ville , Vanha Joel
Published: October 2017

Coopetition is still a relatively new perspective and paradigm for considering relationships between networks, firms and organizations, and business units. The literature on coopetition focuses on developing several alternative perspectives of coopetition. Integrating theories on coopetition is an essential challenge for scholars of management and marketing. However, one possibility to challenge the contemporary field of coopetition is to introduce new topical themes of business and society and test their relationships with coopetition perspectives. The authors consider one technical disruption—self-driving cars—and its collaboration networks related to coopetition perspectives. Outcomes show the importance of lead users of this disruptive technology. Furthermore, coopetition, and especially competitive networks, seems to be an important strategy for developing new disruptive technologies according to the needs of markets.
Optimisation of the Bauer Equation Using the Least Squares Method for Thermoplastics Turning
Authors: Farkas János , Csanády Etele , Csóka Levente
Published: October 2017

A number of equations are available for predicting the output of machining processes. These equations are most commonly used for the prediction of surface roughness after tooling. Surface roughness can be influenced by many factors, including cutting parameters, tool geometry and environmental factors such as the coolant used. It is difficult to create a universally applicable equation for all machining because of the variations in different materials' behaviours (e.g. metal, wood, plastic, composite, ceramic). There are also many differences between the various types of machining process such as the machining tools, rotational or translational movements, cutting speeds, cutting methods, etc. The large number of parameters required would make such an equation unusable, and difficult to apply quickly. The goal is thus to create a simple formulation with three or four inputs to predict the final surface roughness of the machined part within adequate tolerances. The two main equations used for this purpose are the Bauer and Brammertz formulas, both of which need to be optimised for a given material. In this paper, the turning of thermoplastics was investigated, with the aim of tuning the Bauer formula for use with thermoplastics. Eleven different plastics were used to develop a material-dependent surface roughness equation. Only new tooling inserts were used to eliminate the effects of tool wear.
An Optimal Image Processing Method for Simultaneous Detection of Weld Seam Position and Weld Gap in Robotic Arc Welding
Authors: Rout Amruta , BBVL Deepak , Biswal Bibhuti Bhusan , Mahanta Golak Bihari , Gunji Bala Murali
Published: October 2017

For robot path planning the weld seam positions need to be known in advance as the industrial robot generally work in teach and playback mode. In this paper, a vision sensor has been utilized for automation of robotic welding path planning. A seam tracking algorithm has been proposed for a butt type of weld joint with varying weld gap for effective measurement of weld path positions and weld gap simultaneously. For this first an image acquisition algorithm technique has been proposed for capturing of image of weld seam in gray scale mode. Then in image processing at first one pattern matching algorithm for tracking of weld seam path is performed. Then different edge detection techniques have been applied to find the most efficient edge detection method for obtaining the characteristics of weld seam edge. Then best edge fitting method has been applied to fit the edges along the weld seam edge and the pixel values on the edges were measured. The weld gap and the midpoint between edges points are measured simultaneously by vision assistant toolbox in LabVIEW software background.
Citizens' Trust and E-government Services Adoption
Authors: Mensah Isaac Kofi , Mi Jianing
Published: October 2017

This article examined citizens' trust and demographic factors such as age, gender, and education as predictors of readiness to use e-government services. This article also sought to explore the moderating role of these demographic factors on the positive relationship between citizens' trust and readiness to use e-government services. The data gathered was captured and analyzed with SPSS. The results indicated that citizens' trust is a significant predictor of readiness to adopt e-government services. However, the demographic factors such as age, gender, and education were all not statistically significant in determining the readiness to use e-government services. The article also found that these demographic factors do not moderate significantly the impact of citizen trust on the readiness to use e-government services. The implications of these findings are further discussed.
Motivations and Behaviors of Young People in Playing Online Games
Authors: He Hanxi , Chiu Dickson K.W. , Ho Kevin K.W.
Published: October 2017

This article studies the motivations and behaviors of young people for playing online games. In this article, the authors used the quantitative methods research methodology to collect young people' game intention information. A survey was conducted to collect responses related to game behavior questions were completed by 82 college students. The discovery was that to a certain extent, personality traits can predict game behaviors. Individual factor, game feature factor, and social factor can affect players' game motivations. The results of this study are not only offering perspective into players' game motivations and behaviors from a different culture but also providing a good reference for game developers to design their future online game systems and services.
Validating the EUCS Model to Measure the Level of Satisfaction of Internet Users in Local Banks in Italy
Authors: Pauluzzo Rubens , Geretto Enrico Fioravante
Published: October 2017

In this study, the EUCS model has been used for measuring online banking user satisfaction in the local banking sector. The authors focused on Italian co-operative banks. The study involved the submission of a questionnaire to a sample of 600 retail consumers of small-sized co-operative banks. The model was tested with SEM techniques. The findings reinforce EUCS theory for internet banking satisfaction with large sample size, and provide evidence about the psychometric stability of the EUCS tool for measuring online banking user satisfaction in the local banking setting. The study will be useful to policy makers and banks to better understand why internet banking is not the favoured channel for service delivery in Italy and which are the main factors able to increase the acceptance of the online banking channel.
Identification of the most common phraseological units in the English language in academic texts: contributions coming from corpora
Authors: Silva Eduardo Batista da , Orenha-Ottaiano Adriane , Babini Maurizio
Published: October 2017

Academic-scientific phraseological units in the English language play a key role in the communication of/to experts, once they reproduce frequent and expected expressions in varied disciplines. This paper aims at identifying and analyzing the 100 non-specialized academic-scientific phraseological units (constituted of 4 words) in the English language, present in eight major fields of knowledge. The theoretical background referred to Phraseology and Corpus Linguistics. Regarding methodology, an academic corpus was compiled with more than 120 million words. The software WordSmith Tools was used for the linguistic-textual process. Through the Juilland dispersion coefficient and use coefficient, the most frequent phraseological units were identified in the academic texts. The list was eventually validated by the Wilcoxon rank sum test (α = 0.05), indicating that the phraseological units identified show a higher use in the academic communication when compared to the use in the general language. The most relevant units are ‘the case of’, ‘as a result of’ and ‘at the end of’. The list with the most functional phraseological units in the English language might provide a valuable pedagogical linguistic reference for the study of the academic genre.
A produção de um ‘policorpo’ para Dilma Rousseff nas eleições presidenciais de 2010: uma análise discursiva dos semanários brasileiros
Authors: Santos Elaine De Moraes , Romualdo Edson Carlos
Published: October 2017

Este artigo discute, sob a perspectiva da Análise do Discurso (AD) de linha francesa, as transformações que configuram não a utilização do corpo político empírico, mas a corporeidade, isto é, a sua discursivização - tal como ela é engendrada nas páginas da mídia impressa brasileira. Para isso, analisamos a forma como o perfil político de Dilma Rousseff foi materializado nos fios discursivos dos semanários de atualidades durante as eleições presidenciais de 2010. A fim de viabilizar o processo teórico-analítico desse cenário, constituímos um arquivo formado pelas 208 edições das revistas CartaCapital, Época, IstoÉ e Veja, publicadas no ano eleitoral. Dentro do quadro teórico adotado, cujos fundamentos baseiam-se principalmente no método arqueogenealógico de Michel Foucault, os resultados mostram que as práticas discursivas dos semanários focalizaram metamorfoses que o corpo da petista teria sofrido para figurar como representante de seu antecessor, produzindo um ‘policorpo’ (Santos, 2014), o qual foi potencializado pela dizibilidade de mecanismos tecnológicos imateriais e inumanos, mas perspicazes na midiatização de uma ‘candidata-corpo’ (Santos & Romualdo, 2013), que foi denunciada pela imprensa como produto eleitoral.
A exclusividade desinencial e a realização do sujeito ‘eu’
Authors: Neves Maria Helena Moura , Goulart Felipe Vivian
Published: October 2017

O objetivo deste artigo é explorar a relação entre a explicitação do sujeito ‘eu’ e a presença de desinências exclusivas da 1ª pessoa do singular. A pesquisa, de base teórica funcionalista e sociolinguística, foi desenvolvida a partir da fala de 13 vlogueiros brasileiros, corpus escolhido particularmente por sua condição de informalidade. A análise põe em confronto as duas possibilidades que o PB oferece no que diz respeito à representação do sujeito de 1ª pessoa do singular (explicitação ou elipse) com as duas possibilidades que esse sujeito tem de combinar-se com um predicado, já que o verbo pode ter, ou não, uma terminação que aponte inequivocamente para a 1ª pessoa do singular. Tendo a análise dos dados evidenciado a forte preferência dos falantes pelo sujeito ‘eu’ explícito, procedeu-se à discussão o modo como a presença de desinências exclusivas interfere nesse resultado. Os resultados obtidos, por um lado, atenderam à hipótese de uma explicitação claramente majoritária no caso de desinência não específica, e, por outro, não responderam à hipótese de uma explicitação minoritária no caso de desinência específica, o que evidencia a existência de outras motivações por trás da expressão do ‘eu’ além da garantia de remissão correta ao referente (exofórico) pretendido.
Editorial
Authors: Passetti Maria Célia Cortêz
Published: October 2017

Editorial, Volume 39(4) de 2017
Innate Immune Activation by cGMP-AMP Nanoparticles Leads to Potent and Long-Acting Antiretroviral Response against HIV-1
Authors: Aroh Chukwuemika , Wang Zhaohui , Dobbs Nicole , Luo Min , Chen Zhijian , Gao Jinming , Yan Nan
Published: October 2017

HIV-1 evades immune detection by the cGAS-STING cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway during acute infection. STING is a critical mediator of type I IFN production, and STING agonists such as cGMP-AMP (cGAMP) and other cyclic dinucleotides elicit potent immune and antitumor response. In this article, we show that administration of cGAMP, delivered by an ultra–pH-sensitive nanoparticle (NP; PC7A), in human PBMCs induces potent and long-acting antiretroviral response against several laboratory-adapted and clinical HIV-1 isolates. cGAMP-PC7A NP requires endocytosis for intracellular delivery and immune signaling activation. cGAMP-PC7A NP-induced protection is mediated through type I IFN signaling and requires monocytes in PBMCs. cGAMP-PC7A NPs also inhibit HIV-1 replication in HIV+ patient PBMCs after ex vivo reactivation. Because pattern recognition receptor agonists continue to show more clinical benefits than the traditional IFN therapy, our data present important evidence for potentially developing cGAMP or other STING agonists as a new class of immune-stimulating long-acting antiretroviral agents.
Expressions of IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB in the skin of Chinese brown frog (Rana dybowskii)
Authors: Xi Liqin , Wang Chen , Chen Pengyu , Yang Qi , Hu Ruiqi , Zhang Haolin , Weng Qiang , Xu Meiyu
Published: October 2017

The cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) mediates a wide range of inflammatory and immune responses. Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNF-α) has a myriad of pro-inflammatory effects on the skin. In this study, we investigated the localizations and expression levels of IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB in the skin of Rana dybowskii during the breeding period and pre-hibernation. Histologically, the skin of Rana dybowskii consists of epidermis and dermis. Four kinds of cells were identified in the epidermis during the breeding period and pre-hibernation, while the dermis was composed of homogenous gel, mucous glands and granular glands. IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB were immunolocalized in the epithelial and glandular cells in both periods. Western blotting showed that IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB were significantly higher in the pre-hibernation compared to the breeding period. Real-Time PCR revealed that the relative mRNA levels of IL-6 and NB-κB in the pre-hibernation increased significantly compared with the breeding period, while the TNF-α mRNA expression levels were no significant difference between these two periods. These results suggested that IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB may collectively play important roles in the skin immune system of Rana dybowskii during the breeding period and pre-hibernation.
The method, rights and resources model for evaluation of the effectiveness of environmental impact assessment systems
Authors: Machaka Rowan K.
Published: October 2017

Background: The need to measure the effectiveness of environmental impact assessment (EIA) systems has been fuelled by the debate over the relevance of EIA systems as environmental management tools. Researchers have developed different models for evaluating the effectiveness of EIA systems. However, the models face the challenges related to objectivity and the quantification of environmental impacts which have restricted the measurement of the effectiveness to procedural evaluation.Objectives: The purpose of this article is to propose and discuss an alternative conceptual and practical model to evaluating the effectiveness of EIA systems.Method: This article reviewed the objectives of EIA systems as enshrined in the Rio Declaration and the Local Agenda 21 to derive the theoretical framework. The concepts of compliance, participation and capacity were identified as important elements of a framework for evaluating both procedural and substantive EIA system effectiveness.Results: Through literature review, the article identified and critiqued models for evaluating EIA systems in terms of objectivity and substantiveness.The method, rights and resources (MRR) model focussed on substantive and procedural effectiveness, objectivity of EIA system effectiveness evaluation and provided a theoretical framework. The MRR model was conceptualised as an indicator-based model.Conclusion: The MRR model introduces a divergence from previous models in that objective evaluation of the effectiveness of EIA systems is built into the EIA system rather than applied externally on the EIA system.
Stakeholders’ perspectives on the management of diabetic retinopathy for a district health system – South Africa
Authors: Abdool Zaheera , Naidoo Kovin S. , Visser Linda
Published: October 2017

Background: Clinical practice guidelines for the management of diabetic retinopathy (DR) adopted in various countries show variations in methods of examinations, screeners and classification systems. The South African National Guidelines for the frequency of referral of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) for DR assessment were developed more than a decade ago. They do not specify the role of primary healthcare workers (PHCW) to manage DR at primary healthcare (PHC) level. The primary objective of this study was to establish the current role of PHCW in managing diabetic eye disease.Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted, and questionnaires were distributed to a total of 181 healthcare practitioners (HCPs) in public health institutions situated in the northern eThekwini district of KwaZulu-Natal. Clinics and community health centres (CHCs) were selected based on the assumption that PHC nurses, general practitioners or medical officers (MOs) and ophthalmic nurses practice at these institutions. The hospitals selected were the referral institutions for the selected clinics and CHCs. The questionnaires distributed included questions relating to the DR classification systems usage, HCP interaction and opinions on how HCPs could be valuable in managing DR.Results: Only two out of the five ophthalmic nurses were familiar with the grading classification systems for DR. Ophthalmic nurses had less interaction with general practitioners or MOs (40.0%) than the PHC nurses (60.0%). Only 2.4% of the PHC nurses interacted with ophthalmologists. Four of the five ophthalmic nurses indicated that PHC nurses would be valuable in the management of DR by taking visual acuity (VA) and conducting a pinhole test. More than 60% of the general practitioners or MOs (65.6%) suggested that ophthalmic nurses do a fundus examination. Ophthalmologists indicated that the PHC nurses were the least capable (17.7%) to screen for DR.Conclusion: Primary healthcare workers such as PHC nurses, ophthalmic nurses, general practitioners or MOs and optometrists have specific roles to play in DR management, which includes its prevention, detection, grading, referral and monitoring.
Nurses’ knowledge and attitudes regarding malnutrition in children and its management in Ghana
Authors: Mogre Victor , Yakubu Alaru , Fuseini Musah , Amalba Anthony , Aguree Sixtus
Published: October 2017

Background: Malnutrition contributes significantly to child morbidity and mortality. Nurses require appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes to prevent and treat malnutrition in children using appropriate guidelines or protocols.Objectives: The aim of this article was to assess nurses’ knowledge, attitudes towards malnutrition and its management using the World Health Organization (WHO) or United Nations International Children’s Fund guidelines for the treatment of severely malnourished children and to evaluate factors associated with their knowledge and attitudes.Methods: Participants included 104 nurses working in the outpatient and paediatric units or departments of four hospitals in Tamale metropolis. An 88-item questionnaire was used to measure nurses’ socio-demographic characteristics as well as their knowledge and attitudes towards malnutrition in children and its management using the WHO guidelines for the inpatient treatment of severely malnourished children.Results: Nurses’ knowledge in malnutrition and its management was slightly above average (54.0%), but their attitudes were highly positive. Factors that were associated with nurses’ knowledge were number of nutrition courses undertaken in nursing school, number of years working as a nurse, receipt of a refresher course on nutrition after school and receipt of training on the guidelines. Nurses’ attitudes were associated with report of having awareness on the guidelines, number of years a nurse has been involved in the treatment of a severely malnourished child.Conclusion: Nurses’ knowledge levels in the inpatient treatment of severely malnourished children were not desirable. However, their attitudes were generally positive. Receipt of previous training, awareness of the WHO guidelines, practice experience and number of years as a nurse significantly affected knowledge and attitude scores in the positive direction.
The Church as Christ’s broken body responding to the emerging global challenges in a divided world
Authors: Hewitt Roderick R.
Published: October 2017

Public debate about the role of the church within society has gained momentum especially because the contemporary changing global political and economic landscape has resulted in deeply a divided world. People are asking questions about the missional identity and vocation of the church. If the church is the broken body of Christ in the world, what are the ways in which it is expressing that brokenness in practical ways? This vulnerable status necessitates modelling the politics of Jesus that risks putting up resistance against all threats that prevent people from experiencing fullness of life. The contemporary era of global governance is characterised by ‘moral lowlifes’ in political leadership that uses judicial and executive overreach to weaken democracy and empower the wealthy elites. Furthermore, the impact of technology and computation on shaping human relations has produced a consequential decline in human trust and relationships. Therefore, the missional agenda of the church as the broken body of Christ serving a divided world, calls for building life-affirming relationships that overcome dehumanising barriers.
Cyber bullying: Child and youth spirituality
Authors: Apostolides Anastasia
Published: October 2017

Digital culture is part of children’s and adolescents’ everyday lives. Digital culture has both positive and negative consequences. One such negative consequence is cyber violence that has been termed cyber bullying. Cyber bullying can cause serious emotional, behavioural and academic problems for both the victim and the bully. Although there is ongoing research on the effects of cyber bullying on children and youth in South Africa, no research has been carried out on how children’s and youth’s spirituality may be affected when they are cyber bullied. This article discusses the accumulative results from different South African institutes that have researched the cyber bullying effects on children and adolescents. These results point to the spiritual effects that children and youth may experience as a result of cyber bullying. This article proposes that spirituality may prevent cyber bullying and even help children and youth heal from the trauma caused by cyber bullying. This article contributes in starting a conversation that may result in more specific research being done on how the spiritual lives of children and adolescents may be affected through the trauma caused by cyber bullying.
Redaksioneel: Sarel van der Merwe
Authors: Knoetze Johannes J.
Published: October 2017

No abstract available.
Editorial: Sarel van der Merwe
Authors: Knoetze Johannes J.
Published: October 2017

No abstract avialable.
Krap uit die see besonder aangenaam op die poëtiese palet
Authors: Koen Dewald
Published: October 2017

No abstract available.
Literator USAN-uitgawe voorwoord
Authors: Viljoen Louise , Lourens Amanda
Published: October 2017

No abstract available.
Accounting firms’ managers’ and trainees’ perceptions of managerial competencies required to manage diversity in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Authors: Mkhize Msizi V.
Published: October 2017

Background: In South Africa, there is a shortage of black chartered accountants, with some progress being made in transforming the industry. Accounting firms’ managers must be prepared to effectively manage the increasing diversity of the profession.Aim: The purpose of the study was to identify the managerial competencies required by accounting firms managers to effectively manage diversity in KwaZulu-Natal.Setting: The setting for this study is accounting firms in KwaZulu-Natal.Methods: A prospective, descriptive and analytical, cross-sectional design using systematic sampling was employed. The responses of 45 accounting firms’ managers and 114 trainees were analysed.Results: Both managers and trainees perceived the six managerial competencies important in managing diversity, but the ranking order of perceived importance indicated that there are variations in ratings. Teamwork and self-management competencies were highly rated by managers, while communication and teamwork competencies were highly rated by trainees.Conclusion: The managerial competencies are vital for the accounting firms’ managers. The study suggests that the accounting firms’ managers should consider the importance given by trainees and by themselves in prioritising the most important competencies they require in managing diversity. Accounting firms are encouraged to incorporate the six managerial competencies into the job descriptions or job advertisements and in the firms’ management development programme or training and development programme as the managerial competencies will assist managers in managing the diverse workforce effectively.
Antecedents and outcomes of satisfaction in buyer–supplier relationships in South Africa: A replication study
Authors: Roberts-Lombard Mornay , Mpinganjira Mercy , Svensson Göran
Published: October 2017

Background: There is a clear difference of opinion amongst researchers on the interrelatedness of the variables trust, commitment, satisfaction, coordination, cooperation and continuity in a business-to-business (B2B) environment. The reason is that in previous studies much emphasis has been placed on creating and testing new theories, and not on providing practical generalities.Aim: The aim of this study was to determine how the variable satisfaction is positioned in relation to trust and commitment, and how satisfaction relates to the variables coordination, cooperation and continuity in a South African B2B environment.Setting: This study replicates a similar study conducted in 2013 in a B2B environment in South Africa and hopes to validate the outcome of that study by determining the relationship between the constructs postulated in the current study. The relationships between the different constructs in the proposed model will, therefore, provide a longitudinal perspective which is unique in terms of B2B research in South Africa.Methods: Both the original and replication studies followed a quantitative approach and targeted large companies in South Africa. In the original study, data were collected from 500 large South African companies, while in the replication study data were collected from 250 large companies. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data.Results: The findings specifically point to the need for organisations to direct resources towards the establishment of relationships that are founded on trust and commitment. Doing so will help ensure increased satisfaction, which, in turn, will result in greater coordination and cooperation in B2B relationships as well as long-term continuation of the relationship.Conclusion: The foundation for strong B2B relationships is to secure customer satisfaction. Business managers ought to understand that when business customers are dissatisfied, it can result in the discontinuation of the business relationship.
Assessing the impact of macroeconomic variables on pension benefits in Ghana: A case of Social Security and National Insurance Trust
Authors: Ofori-Abebrese Grace , Pickson Robert Becker , Abubakari Sherifatu
Published: October 2017

Background: One of the most pressing phases for all economic agents is post-retirement standard of living. Irrespective of the higher returns on pension contribution and varied pension reforms, there are possible factors that can render these pension benefits inadequate, which can affect the longevity of retirees. Studies conducted in other countries have concluded that inflation deteriorates the value of pension benefits. Aim: This study, thus, sought to assess the impact of some major economic indicators in the Ghanaian environment on pension benefits.Setting: This study was carried out in Ghana by obtaining quarterly data frequencies on pension benefits and economic indicators spanning the period 2000Q1 to 2014Q4.Method: The Auto-regressive Distributed Lag Model was utilised to examine the long run and short run dynamics of some major economic indicators and pension benefits.Results: The empirical evidence indicated that inflation deteriorates total pension benefits. Increasing monetary policy rate and depreciation of the domestic currency should be an issue to contend with only in the short run rather than in the long run. The study also found the prominence of the implementation of the National Pension Reform in 2008.Conclusion: The study concluded that if policy makers target the reduction in the monetary policy rate and the appreciation of the domestic currency in an effort to stabilise the value of total pension benefits in the long run, it would not be effective in the long run because of their insignificant nature. Policy makers should rather target inflation as the prime tool for stabilising the standard of living of retirees in the long run.
Using systems thinking to conceptually link the monitoring and evaluation function within development interventions and public policy
Authors: Wotela Kambidima
Published: October 2017

The monitoring and evaluation function provides for accountability and to some extent transparency and, therefore, governance. However, this function can only be effective if it is conceptually linked within development interventions and public policy. There is an explicit discussion of the middle-third tier (how to monitor and evaluate) as well as the bottom-third tier (data collection and storage, data processing and analysis, reporting results and findings, integrating results and findings into planning and implementation as well as overall decision making). Unfortunately, the top-third tier that links monitoring and evaluation within development interventions (the what) and public policy (the how) is implicit, if present. The discussions often point out that monitoring and evaluation is a management and decision-making tool but they omit or fail to link it to development interventions and public policy, leadership and governance. In this paper, we interrogate literature from a systems thinking perspective to derive a model that conceptually links the monitoring and evaluation function within development interventions and public policy. In doing so, we point out and link the five components (cultural, political, economic, social and environmental) and two processes (imminent and immanent) of development. Similarly, we point out and link the five components (leadership, governance, political-economy, institutional arrangements and organisation arrangements) and three processes (research, decision-making and the public policy cycle) of public policy. It is in the latter that we point out, situate and link the monitoring and evaluation function. We envisage that the proposed model may be useful in reconfiguring institutional and organisational arrangements to foster effective monitoring and evaluation of development interventions.
О признаках обратимости и гурвицевости
Authors: Perov Anatoliy Ivanovich
Published: October 2017

В обобщении теоремы Фидлера приводится блочный признак обратимости оператора, дополненный оценкой операторной матрицы обратного оператора. Устанавливается блочный признак гурвицевости оператора содержащий оценку его спектральной абсциссы.
О произведении ядерных операторов
Authors: Reinov Oleg Ivanovich
Published: October 2017

Рассматривается вопрос о возможности факторизации произведения ядерных операторов через операторы из класса фон Неймана-Шаттена. В частности, произведение двух ядерных операторов факторизуется, вообще говоря, только через оператор Гильберта-Шмидта.
Логарифмические дифференциальные формы на многообразиях с особенностями
Authors: Aleksandrov Aleksandr Grigor'evich
Published: October 2017

В статье вводится понятие дифференциальной формы с логарифмическими полюсами вдоль дивизора Картье, заданного на многообразии с особенностями, обсуждаются свойства таких форм и описываются весьма эффективные методы вычисления рядов Пуанкаре и систем образующих модулей логарифмических дифференциальных форм в разных ситуациях. Разбирается серия конкретных примеров, в которых все эти методы применяются для изучения дивизоров, лежащих на многообразиях с особенностями многих типов, включая квазиоднородные полные пересечения, нормальные и детерминантные многообразия, жесткие многообразия и другие.
О некоторых свойствах топологического давления
Authors: Vetokhin Alexandr Nikolaevich
Published: October 2017

Рассматривается параметрическое семейство непрерывных отображений компактного метрического пространства, непрерывно зависящих от параметра из некоторого метрического пространства. Для любого такого семейства топологическое давление его отображений изучается как функция параметра с точки зрения бэровской классификации функций.
Об эквивалентности некоторых утверждений о неподвижных точках сжатий
Authors: Semenov Pavel Vladimirovich
Published: October 2017

В заметке показано, что ряд недавно (2012-2016 гг.) предложенных обобщений понятия сжатия ($F$-сжатия, слабые $F$-сжатия и др.) на самом деле редуцируются к уже известным классам сжатий (Браудера, Бойда-Вонга, Меира-Килера и др.).
Las lluvias torrenciales e inundaciones de los días 17 y 18 de diciembre de 2016 en la Región de Murcia con particular incidencia en el área vertiente del Mar Menor
Authors: Espín Sánchez D. , García Lorenzo R. , Ruiz Álvarez V. , Conesa García C.
Published: October 2017

El episodio lluvioso del 17 y 18 de diciembre de 2016 es uno de los más significativos acaecidos en el Sureste Peninsular durante las dos últimas décadas. En el presente trabajo se analiza la incidencia de dicho suceso en la Región de Murcia, y de manera particular en el área vertiente del Mar Menor, donde se produjeron las inundaciones más importantes. Mediante el seguimiento de diferentes bandas satelitales del METEOSAT, imágenes de radares meteorológicos y datos de sondeos atmosféricos se han estudiado las situaciones sinópticas y la dinámica atmosférica que acompañó al suceso. A partir de los registros de un total de 129 estaciones meteorológicas, pertenecientes a diferentes Organismos, se ha confeccionado un mapa de la precipitación acumulada durante el episodio y otro de anomalía pluviométrica de diciembre de 2016 en comparación con el promedio de dicho mes en el período 1981-2010. También ha sido analizada la precipitación máxima alcanzada en 1 y 12 horas para un total de 64 estaciones, en relación con los umbrales y niveles de aviso establecidos por AEMET. Finalmente, se han empleado dos métodos hidrometeorológicos, el HU adimensional del SCS (HU SCS) y el HU de Témez (HUT), para el cálculo de los caudales pico de avenida que circularon por las ramblas litorales del Mar Menor y causaron inundaciones en la zona de Los Alcázares. Según los resultados más consistentes del modelo HU SCS, los caudales punta de las ramblas del Albujón y de la Maraña generados por este suceso en dicha zona se estiman en torno a 820 y 258 m3/s respectivamente.
Bob Mould's Workbook
Authors: Biggins Walter , Couch Daniel
Published: October 2017

In 1989, Bob Mould took a left turn. Already legendary before his 30th birthday for his noise-and-nuance work in Hüsker Dü, Mould had recently walked away from his old band. He re-emerged with his debut solo album: Workbook. Filled with chiming acoustic guitars, multitracked vocals, pristine production, and even a cello, Workbook was both admired and questioned for Mould’s perceived departure from his post-punk roots.

Three decades later, the album has emerged as a key for understanding the nascent alternative rock genre and the concerns Mould would explore for the duration of his career. Fusing post-punk sound and confessional lyrics with a richer emotional and musical range, Mould’s Workbook merged worlds that seemed unbridgeable at the time. Alternative rock emerged from the wreckage of the 1980s, and Workbook was a model for the genre’s maturation.

Workbook serves its title in two ways—as a map for musicians to follow into a new mode, and as a journal of Mould’s struggle toward adulthood. It opens conversations about rock, identity, spirituality, authenticity, and the perils and promises of mainstream culture. Walter Biggins and Daniel Couch, two critics who grew up with Workbook, extend these conversations—through letters and emails to each other, and through correspondence with Mould and Workbook’s musicians and producers. That crosstalk leads to, through this seminal album, a deeper understanding of “alternative rock” at the moment of its inception, just before it took over the radio.
Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs
Authors: Eidelstein Eric
Published: October 2017

The Suburbs is an incredibly sentimental and nostalgic album, which generally moved critics but was jarring to others. But it also made a heavy impact on fans and – to the surprise of many – won Album of the Year at the 2011 Grammy Awards. This immensely visceral album triggers a sincere celebration of not formative years spent in a cookie-cutter development, but of feeling self-important, immortal, and desperate to escape. It examines youth and amplifies an innate sense of longing and remembrance.

Eric Eidelstein’s The Suburbs explores this weird, utopic recollection of youth by comparing the album to suburban scenes in film and television, such as Blue Velvet, Mad Men, The Americans, and Spike Jonze’s Scenes from the Suburbs. Through the close examination of film and televised depictions of the suburbs, both past and present, Eidelstein delves into the societal factors and artistic depictions that make the suburbs such a fascinating cultural construct, and uncovers why the album creates such a relatable and universal sense of reminiscence.
The Influence of Václav Klaus on Czech Public Opinion Regarding the European Union
Authors: Miller Daniel E.
Published: October 2017

While president of the Czech Republic between 2003 and 2013, Václav Klaus, an outspoken critic of the European Union, employed speeches, interviews, and writings as a means of discrediting the EU in the eyes of Czech citizens.  The author used opinion polls from Eurobarometer and the Public Opinion Research Center (CVVM) of the Czech Academy of Sciences to establish the correlation between Klaus’s popularity and Euroskepticism.  In the early years of Klaus’s presidency, scepticism about the EU among Czechs grew, and between 2006 and 2010, there was a strong correlation between Klaus’s popularity and Czech Euroskepticism.  As Klaus’s popularity waned during his last years in office, Czech confidence in the EU began to rise.  This study not only helps to explain some bases of Czech Euroskepticism, but it also addresses the influence Czech presidents have in shaping public opinion in their country.
El discurso de la autopromoción y la autenticidad en las redes sociales: la marca personal y la microcelebridad
Authors: Caro Castaño Lucía
Published: October 2017

Este trabajo presenta una propuesta teórica sobre dos nuevos conjuntos de prácticas comunicativas desarrolladas por los usuarios en las redes sociales que comparten el discurso autopromocional y la mercantilización de la identidad: la microcelebridad y la marca personal. Concretamente, el artículo conecta diferentes filosofías de branding con el modo en que muchos usuarios desarrollan sus propias estrategias para competir por la atención e involucrar a sus contactos. De este modo, se observan características del branding de personalidad en la práctica de la microcelebridad, donde el valor predominante es trasladar un mensaje de autenticidad y cercanía. Por el contrario, entre los usuarios que gestionan su perfil como una marca personal se encuentra una comunicación más centrada en sus atributos profesionales, ofreciendo claras similitudes con la filosofía del “branding de producto” (Fernández Gómez, 2013). Estas aproximaciones, al ejercicio de la autopromoción son contextualizadas asimismo en el marco de distintas herencias culturales. Así, la microcelebridad forma parte del metaproceso de celebritización de la sociedad (Driessens, 2013) y su práctica se relaciona con la presunción de que la comunicación en los medios sociales sería más auténtica que la de los massmedia. En el caso de la marca personal, la noción fue formulada desde el ámbito de la mercadotecnia y el emprendimiento empresarial. Esta herencia cultural ha derivado en fórmulas comunicativas excesivamente centradas en trasladar atributos profesionales y que pueden provocar redundancia informativa y “despersonalización” en la presentación del sujeto.