bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrostatic forces alter particle size distributions in atmospheric dust
Authors: Toth III Joseph R. , Rajupet Siddharth , Squire Henry , Volbers Blaire , Zhou Jùn , Xie Li , Sankaran R. Mohan , Lacks Daniel J.
Published: March 2020

Abstract. Large amounts of dust are lofted into the atmosphere from arid
regions of the world before being transported up to thousands of kilometers.
This atmospheric dust interacts with solar radiation and causes changes in the climate, with larger-sized particles having a heating effect, and
smaller-sized particles having a cooling effect. Previous studies on the
long-range transport of dust have found larger particles than expected,
without a model to explain their transport. Here, we investigate the effect
of electric fields on lofted airborne dust by blowing sand through a
vertically oriented electric field, and characterizing the size distribution
as a function of height. We also model this system, considering the
gravitational, drag, and electrostatic forces on particles, to understand
the effects of the electric field. Our results indicate that electric fields
keep particles suspended at higher elevations and enrich the concentration
of larger particles at higher elevations. We extend our model from the
small-scale system to long-range atmospheric dust transport to develop
insights into the effects of electric fields on size distributions of lofted
dust in the atmosphere. We show that the presence of electric fields and the
resulting electrostatic force on charged particles can help explain the
transport of unexpectedly large particles and cause the size distribution to
become more uniform as a function of elevation. Thus, our experimental and
modeling results indicate that electrostatic forces may in some cases be
relevant regarding the effect of atmospheric dust on the climate.
A mass spectrometric multiple soil-gas flux measurement system with portable high-resolution mass spectrometer MULTUM coupled to automatic chamber for continuous field observation
Authors: Nakayama Noriko , Toma Yo , Iwai Yusuke , Furutani Hiroshi , Hondo Toshinobu , Hatano Ryusuke , Toyoda Michisato
Published: March 2020

Abstract. We developed a mass spectrometric soil-gas flux measurement system using a portable high-resolution multi-turn time-of-flight mass spectrometer, called MULTUM, combined with an automated soil-gas flux chamber for continuous field measurement of multiple gas concentrations. The developed system continuously measures concentrations of four different atmospheric gases (i.e., N2O, CH4, CO2, and O2), of which the concentrations range over six orders of magnitude at a time within a single gas sample. The measurements were performed every 2.5 min with analytical precisions (two standard deviations) of ±34 ppbv for N2O, ±170 ppbv for CH4, ±16 ppmv for CO2, and ±0.60 vol% for O2 at their atmospheric concentrations. The developed system was used for continuous field soil–atmosphere flux measurements of greenhouse gases (GHGs: N2O, CH4, and CO2) and O2 with 1 h resolution. The minimum quantitative fluxes (two standard deviations) were estimated through simulation as 70.2 µg N m−2 h−1 for N2O, 139 µg C m−2 h−1 for CH4, 11.7 mg C m−2 h−1 for CO2, and 9.8 g O2 m−2 h−1 (negative) for O2, whereas the estimated minimum detectable fluxes (two standard deviations) were 17.2 μg N m−2 h −1 for N2O, 35.4 μg C m−2 h−1 for CH4, 2.6 mg C m−2 h−1 for CO2, and 2.9 g O2 m−2 h−1 for O2. The developed system was deployed in the University Farm of the Ehime University (Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan) for a field observation over five days. Interestingly, an abrupt increase in N2O flux from 70 to 682 µg N m−2 h−1 was observed a few hours after the first rainfall, whereas no obvious increase in the CO2 flux was observed, although the temporal responses were different from those observed in a laboratory experiment. No abrupt N2O flux change was observed in succeeding rainfalls. Continuous multiple-gas flux and concentration measurements can be a powerful tool for tracking and understanding of underlying biological and physicochemical processes in the soil through measuring more tracer gases, such as volatile organic carbon gases, reactive-nitrogen gases, and noble gases by taking advantage of the broad versatility of mass spectrometry in detecting broad range of gas species.
Horizontal electric fields from flow of auroral O+(2P) ions at sub-second resolution
Authors: Tuttle Sam , Lanchester Betty , Gustavsson Bjoern , Whiter Daniel , Ivchenko Nickolay , Fear Robert , Lester Mark
Published: March 2020

Abstract. Electric fields are a ubiquitous feature of the ionosphere and are intimately linked with aurora through particle precipitation and field-aligned currents. We present a unique method to estimate ionospheric electric fields beside a dynamic auroral feature by solving the continuity equation for the metastable O+(2P) ions, which emit as they move under the influence of electric fields during their 5 s lifetime. Simultaneous measurements of emission at 732.0 nm (from the O+(2P) ions), and prompt emissions at 673.0 nm (N2) and 777.4 nm (O), all at high spatial (100 m) and temporal (0.05 s) resolution, are used in the solution of the continuity equation, which gives the dynamic changes of the O+ ion population at all heights in a 3D volume close to the magnetic zenith. Perspective effects are taken into account by a new geometric method, which is based on an accurate estimate of the magnetic zenith position. The emissions resulting from the metastable ions are converted to brightness images by projecting onto the plane of the ground, which are compared with the measured images. The flow velocity of the ions is a free parameter in the solution of the continuity equation; the value that minimizes the difference between the modelled and observed images is the extracted flow velocity at each time step. We demonstrate the method with an example event during the passage of a brightening arc feature, lasting about 10 s, in which the inferred electric fields vary between 20 and 120 mV m−1. These inferred electric fields are compared with SuperDARN measurements, which have an average value of 30 mV m−1. An excellent agreement is found in magnitude and direction of the background electric field; an increase in magnitude during the brightening of the arc feature supports theories of small scale auroral arc formation and electrodynamics.
π-theorem generalization of the ice-age theory
Authors: Verbitsky Mikhail Y. , Crucifix Michel
Published: March 2020

Abstract. Analyzing a dynamical system describing the global climate variations
requires, in principle, exploring a large space spanned by the numerous
parameters involved in this model. Dimensional analysis is traditionally
employed to deal with equations governing physical phenomena to reduce the
number of parameters to be explored, but it does not work well with
dynamical ice-age models, because, as a rule, the number of parameters in
such systems is much larger than the number of independent dimensions.
Physical reasoning may, however, allow us to reduce the number of effective
parameters and apply dimensional analysis in a way that is insightful. We
show this with a specific ice-age model (Verbitsky et al., 2018), which is a
low-order dynamical system based on ice-flow physics coupled with a linear
climate feedback. In this model, the ratio of positive-to-negative feedback
is effectively captured by a dimensionless number called the “V number”,
which aggregates several parameters and, hence, reduces the number of
governing parameters. This allows us to apply the central theorem of the
dimensional analysis, the π theorem, efficiently. Specifically, we show
that the relationship between the amplitude and duration of glacial cycles
is governed by a property of scale invariance that does not depend on the
physical nature of the underlying positive and negative feedbacks
incorporated by the system. This specific example suggests a broader idea;
that is, the scale invariance can be deduced as a general property of ice
age dynamics if the latter are effectively governed by a single ratio
between positive and negative feedbacks.
Technical note: A prototype transparent-middle-layer data management and analysis infrastructure for cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating
Authors: Balco Greg
Published: March 2020

Abstract. Geologic dating methods for the most part do not directly measure ages. Instead, interpreting a geochemical observation as a geologically useful parameter – an age or a rate – requires an interpretive middle layer of calculations and supporting data sets. Both of these are the subject of active research and evolve rapidly, so any synoptic analysis requires complete, repeated recalculation of ages from a growing data set of raw observations, using a constantly improving calculation method. Many important applications of geochronology involve regional or global analyses of large and growing data sets, so this characteristic is an obstacle to progress in these applications. This paper describes the ICE-D database project, a prototype computational infrastructure for dealing with this obstacle in one geochronological application – cosmogenic-nuclide exposure-dating – that aims to enable visualization or analysis of large, diverse data sets by making middle-layer calculations dynamic and transparent to the user. An important aspect of this infrastructure is that it is designed as a forward-looking research tool rather than a backward-looking archive: only observational data (which do not become obsolete) are stored, and derived data (which become obsolete as soon as the middle-layer calculations are improved) are not stored, but instead calculated dynamically at the time data are needed by an analysis application. This minimizes lock-in effects associated with archiving derived results subject to rapid obsolescence, and allows assimilation of both new observational data and improvements to middle-layer calculations without creating additional overhead at the level of the analysis application.
Ensemble hindcasting of wind and wave conditions with WRF and WAVEWATCH III® driven by ERA5
Authors: Osinski Robert Daniel , Radtke Hagen
Published: March 2020

Abstract. When hindcasting wave fields of storm events with state-of-the-art wave models, the quality of the results strongly depends on the meteorological forcing dataset. The wave model will inherit the uncertainty of the atmospheric data, and additional discretization errors will be introduced due to a limited spatial and temporal resolution of the forcing data. In this study, we apply an atmospheric downscaling to (i) add regional details to the wind field, (ii) increase the temporal resolution of the wind fields, (iii) provide a more detailed representation of transient events such as storms and (iv) generate ensembles with perturbed atmospheric conditions, which allows for a flow-dependent and spatio-temporally variable uncertainty estimation. We test different strategies to generate an ensemble hindcast of a relatively strong storm event in February 2002 in the Baltic Sea. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model used for this purpose is driven by the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis, and wind fields are passed to the third-generation wave model WAVEWATCH III®. A combination of initial conditions from the ERA5 ensemble of data assimilations and stochastic perturbations during runtime is identified as the most promising strategy. The final aim of the ensemble approach is to quantify the hindcast error, but this approach can also be used to generate alternative representations of historical extreme events to sample the recent climate and to increase the sample size for statistical studies, such as for civil engineering applications for coastal protection studies.
Pressure and inertia sensing drifters for glacial hydrology flow path measurements
Authors: Alexander Andreas , Kruusmaa Maarja , Tuhtan Jeffrey A. , Hodson Andrew J. , Schuler Thomas V. , Kääb Andreas
Published: March 2020

Abstract. Glacial hydrology plays an important role in the control of glacier dynamics, of sediment transport, and of fjord and proglacial ecosystems. Surface meltwater drains through glaciers via supraglacial, englacial and subglacial systems. Due to challenging field conditions, the processes driving surface processes in glacial hydrology remain sparsely studied. Recently, sensing drifters have shown promise in river, coastal and oceanographic studies. However, practical experience with drifters in glacial hydrology remains limited. Before drifters can be used as general tools in glacial studies, it is necessary to quantify the variability of their measurements. To address this, we conducted repeated field experiments in a 450 m long supraglacial channel with small cylindrical drifters equipped with pressure, magnetometer, acceleration and rotation rate sensors and compared the results. The experiments (n=55) in the supraglacial channel show that the pressure sensors consistently yielded the most accurate data, where values remained within ±0.11 % of the total pressure time-averaged mean (95 % confidence interval). Magnetometer readings also exhibited low variability across deployments, maintaining readings within ±2.45 % of the time-averaged mean of the magnetometer magnitudes. Linear acceleration measurements were found to have a substantially higher variability of ±34.4 % of the time-averaged mean magnitude, and the calculated speeds remained within ±24.5 % of the time-averaged mean along the flow path. Furthermore, our results indicate that prominent shapes in the sensor records are likely to be linked to variations in channel morphology and the associated flow field. Our results show that multimodal drifters can be a useful tool for field measurements inside supraglacial channels. Future deployments of drifters into englacial and subglacial channels promise new opportunities for determining hydraulic and morphologic conditions from repeated measurements of such inaccessible environments.
Quantifying iceberg calving fluxes with underwater noise
Authors: Glowacki Oskar , Deane Grant B.
Published: March 2020

Abstract. Accurate estimates of calving fluxes are essential in
understanding small-scale glacier dynamics and quantifying the contribution of
marine-terminating glaciers to both eustatic sea-level rise (SLR) and the
freshwater budget of polar regions. Here we investigate the application of
acoustical oceanography to measure calving flux using the underwater sounds
of iceberg–water impact. A combination of time-lapse photography and passive
acoustics is used to determine the relationship between the mass and impact
noise of 169 icebergs generated by subaerial calving events from Hansbreen,
Svalbard. The analysis includes three major factors affecting the observed
noise: (1) time dependency of the thermohaline structure, (2) variability in
the ocean depth along the waveguide and (3) reflection of impact noise from
the glacier terminus. A correlation of 0.76 is found between the
(log-transformed) kinetic energy of the falling iceberg and the
corresponding measured acoustic energy corrected for these three factors. An
error-in-variables linear regression is applied to estimate the coefficients
of this relationship. Energy conversion coefficients for non-transformed
variables are 8×10-7 and 0.92, respectively, for the
multiplication factor and exponent of the power law. This simple model can
be used to measure solid ice discharge from Hansbreen. Uncertainty in the
estimate is a function of the number of calving events observed; 50 %
uncertainty is expected for eight blocks dropping to 20 % and 10 %,
respectively, for 40 and 135 calving events. It may be possible to lower
these errors if the influence of different calving styles on the received
noise spectra can be determined.
Wind speed deviations in complex terrain
Authors: Ingenhorst Christian , Jacobs Georg , Stößel Laura , Schelenz Ralf , Juretzki Björn
Published: March 2020

Abstract. Wind farm sites within complex terrain are subject to local wind phenomena, which have a huge impact on a wind turbine's annual energy production. To reduce investment risk, an extensive site evaluation is therefore mandatory. Stationary long-term measurements are supplemented by CFD simulations, which are a commonly used tool to analyse and understand the three-dimensional wind flows above complex terrain. Though being under heavy research, such simulations still show a huge sensitivity for various input parameters like terrain, atmosphere and numerical setup. Within this paper, a different approach aims to measure instead of simulate wind speed deviations above complex terrain by using a flexible, airborne measurement system. An unmanned aerial vehicle is equipped with a standard ultrasonic anemometer. The uncertainty of the system is evaluated against stationary anemometer at different heights and shows very good agreement, especially in mean wind speed (
Grid-forming control strategies for blackstart by offshore wind farms
Authors: Jain Anubhav , Sakamuri Jayachandra N. , Cutululis Nicolaos A.
Published: March 2020

Abstract. Large-scale integration of renewable energy sources with power-electronic converters is pushing the power system closer to its dynamic stability limit. This has increased the risk of wide-area blackouts. Thus, the changing generation profile in the power system necessitates the use of alternate sources of energy such as wind power plants, to provide blackstart services in the future. This however, requires grid-forming and not the traditionally prevalent grid-following wind turbines. In this paper, four different grid-forming control strategies have been implemented in an HVDC-connected wind farm. A simulation study has been carried out to test the different control schemes for the different stages of energization of onshore load by the wind farm. Their transient behaviour during transformer inrush, converter pre-charge and de-blocking, and onshore block-load pickup, has been compared to demonstrate the blackstart capabilities of grid-forming wind power plants for early participation in power system restoration.
Exploring the Nexus Between Culture, Values, Institutions, Happiness and Philanthropy: A Global Evidence
Authors: Mushtaq Maham , Siddiqui Danish Ahmed
Published: March 2020

The main aim of this study was to investigate the impact of culture, values, institutions, and happiness on the world’s philanthropy. Culture is measured by Hofstede index (i.e. individualism-collectivism, masculinity-femininity, long and short-run orientation, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, and indulgence-restraint). The measurement of value is WVS (World Value Survey) and it consists of the emotion of happiness, active/ inactive membership of a church or religious organization, important in life; religion, confidence on charitable/ humanitarian organization and active/ inactive membership of charitable/ humanitarian organization. Institutions are measured by WGI (World Governance Indicators) and it consists of corruption, regulatory quality, accountability and voice, rule of law, political stability and government effectiveness, the sub-variables of happiness (index) are social support, freedom to take decisions and generosity and world’s philanthropy is measured by CAF (Charitable Aid Foundation) world giving index. We have gathered panel data (from the period 2010 to 2014) of CAF index, happiness index and WGI of 62 countries and cross-sectional data of CAF index, Hofstede index, WGI, happiness index and WVS of 24 countries. The result (of panel data) shows that there is a significant relation of WGI, social support and freedom of choice with CAF index whereas there is an insignificant connection between generosity and CAF index. The findings (of cross-sectional data of all factors combined) shows that there is a relation of the Hofstede index and happiness index with the CAF index while there is no linkage of WGI and WVS with the CAF index. The study suggests that charitable organizations should personify their value in order to build trust among the public. Countries should improve their governance because this will lead to equality and by doing this countries will also manage their resources efficiently and effectively.
A Model of Intensification of Dairy Production as an Alternative for the Modernization of Family Farming in the Tropics
Authors: Otaviano Penna Júnior César , Daher Rogério Figueiredo , Alves de Almeida Júnior Gercílio , Souza Paulo Marcelo de , Ponciano Niraldo José , Haddade Ismail Ramalho , Wendling Ivan Jannotti , Menezes Bruna Rafaela da Silva , Souza Alexandre Gomes de , Santos Raiane Mariani
Published: March 2020

Dairy farming is an activity of great socioeconomic relevance for family farming in Brazil, but is still characterized by low productivity, low technology employed, and low remuneration. The objective of this article is to verify how the indicators of technological intensification were aligned with gains in productivity indicators based on an irrigated grazing system under intermittent stocking, in a typical family farm in the south region of the Espírito Santo state. The farm from which data were collected was conveniently selected for having been monitored for 42 months, a period when the technological transition in a production model was occurred. The intermittent stocking management in the irrigated tropical pasture, in a module of 0.86 ha of Mombaça grass, has led to an increase in animal productivity (from 16 to 23 animal units per hectare), labor (96 liters of milk per family farming labor per day), and land indicators (from 219 to 349 liters of milk per hectare per day), but the increase in the scale of production is a limiting factor for competitiveness in the present case study. The proposed intensification model can become a feasible option for the modernization of dairy farming in tropics.
Nietzsche as Critic and Proponent of Socialism: A Reappraisal Based on Human, All Too Human
Authors: Miner Robert
Published: March 2020

Against the impression that what he says about socialism is either indiscriminately hostile or somewhat superficial, I show Nietzsche to be a subtle and nuanced judge of socialism in his first three “middle period” works—Human, All Too Human, Assorted Opinions and Maxims, and The Wanderer and His Shadow. First, I argue that the critique of socialism contained within the two volumes of HH cuts deeper than generic dismissals of socialism found in later work. Second, I contend that Nietzsche's critique of socialism is not his final word, but comes with an equally pointed critique of the “property-minded.” Third, I demonstrate that although Nietzsche diagnoses both pro-socialists and anti-socialists as driven by factionalism, he is not committed to a position of neutrality. Finally, I examine his claim that when economic equalities grow extreme, determinedly socialist policies merit strong support, and argue for the contemporary relevance of Nietzsche's thinking about socialism.
Low-Level Laser Therapy for Osteoarthritis Treatment in Dogs at Missouri Veterinary Practice
Authors: Barger Brenna K. , Bisges Adam M. , Fox Derek B. , Torres Bryan
Published: March 2020

A qualitative survey was electronically distributed to practicing veterinarians in the state of Missouri to evaluate the frequency of use and economic impact of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs in Missouri. The survey response rate was 10% (89/867). Approximately half (43%) of respondents had LLLT units, of which all used LLLT for OA treatment in dogs. In respondents without LLLT units, 20% referred patients for LLLT OA treatment. Training was most often obtained in-house by a representative of the LLLT unit manufacturer (76%). Treatment dose was largely unknown and chosen by predetermined settings on the LLLT unit (65%). In the majority of patients (84%), no treatment site preparation was performed. An average of four patients with OA were treated per wk with an average cost per treated joint of $28 (range: $15–45). This study provides insight into the current clinical use and estimated annual economic impact ($6.2 million per year) of treating a single OA joint in dogs with LLLT by Missouri veterinarians. The frequency with which LLLT is used in the treatment of OA combined with the variation in training and treatment protocols supports the need for further research regarding the application and efficacy of LLLT in dogs with OA.
Nimustine Treatment of 11 Cases of Canine Histiocytic Sarcoma
Authors: Tani Hiroyuki , Kurita Sena , Miyamoto Ryo , Sawada Harumi , Fujiwara-Igarashi Aki , Michishita Masaki , Azakami Daigo , Hasegawa Daisuke , Tamura Kyoichi , Bonkobara Makoto
Published: March 2020

The objective of this retrospective study was to report treatment outcomes in dogs with histiocytic sarcoma (HS) that were treated with nimustine (ACNU). This study evaluated data from 11 dogs including 5 with macroscopic tumors that were treated in the primary setting and 6 that underwent aggressive local therapy while being treated in the adjuvant setting. The median ACNU starting dose was 25 mg/m2 (range, 20–30 mg/m2; 3- to 5-wk intervals, 1–8 administrations). The median overall survival in the primary and adjuvant settings was 120 days (median progression-free survival [PFS], 63 days) and 400 days (median PFS, 212 days), respectively. Neutropenia was observed in eight cases (grade 1, n = 1; grade 2, n = 2; grade 3, n = 2; grade 4, n = 3) with nadir neutrophil count at 1 wk after ACNU administration. Mild gastrointestinal toxicity (grade 1–2) was observed in three cases. ACNU was well tolerated and showed a similar outcome to that seen for lomustine, which is a drug commonly used to treat canine HS, in terms of overall survival and PFS in the current study population. Further investigations will need to be undertaken to definitively determine if ACNU is an appropriate alternative to lomustine for the treatment of HS.
Gastric Intravascular Lymphoma in a Dog: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Guillén Alexandra , Rossanese Matteo , Ricci Emanuele , German Alexander James , Blackwood Laura
Published: March 2020

Intravascular lymphoma (IVL) is a rare, high-grade, extranodal lymphoma characterized by selective proliferation of neoplastic lymphocytes within the lumen of small vessels. A 10 yr old female intact mixed-breed dog was presented with a 7 mo history of vomiting and anorexia. Physical examination revealed abdominal discomfort. Ultrasonography and endoscopy identified a submucosal gastric mass. Excision was performed by partial gastrectomy and histopathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed a T-cell IVL. The owner declined chemotherapy, and the dog was instead treated palliatively with prednisolone. Two months after surgery, vomiting recurred and abdominal ultrasonography revealed a large gastric ulcer with focal peritonitis. The dog was euthanized 4 mo after initial presentation and postmortem examination confirmed IVL recurrence in the stomach and an isolated nodule of neoplastic cells in the omentum. No involvement of other organs was found following histopathological examination. This is the first description of primary gastric intravascular lymphoma causing chronic vomiting in a dog.
Airway management in bariatric surgery patients, our experience in Qatar: A prospective observational cohort study
Authors: Raju Vegesna Atchyuta R. , Al-Anee Kassim N. , Bashah Moataz Mahmoud M. , Faraj Jafar H.
Published: March 2020

Background: Obesity has always been considered a criterion of difficult airway management, and many authors have tackled this subject. We are presenting our experience in airway management in obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery in Qatar and comparing the results with previous studies. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to explore the relationship between difficult mask ventilation and difficult intubation. The secondary objective was to identify other factors that may play a role in either difficulty such as gender, associated comorbidities, and the skill and experience of anesthetists. Design: This study was a prospective observational cohort study. Sample: A total of 401 patients were selected for various elective bariatric surgery in Hamad General Hospital, including 130 males and 271 females with an average body mass index(BMI) of 46.03 kg m− 2. Results: We used Pearson Chi-Square and Yates corrected Chi-square statistical tests in our statistical analysis. Neck circumference had a p value of 0.001 in both genders. The male gender had a p value of 0.052 and 0.012 in mask ventilation and difficult intubation, respectively. The Mallampati score had a p value of 0.56 and 0.006 in mask ventilation and intubation, respectively. In general, neck circumference, Mallampati score, gender, obstructive sleep apnea, and diabetes mellitus had greater negative effects on airway management than BMI alone. Conclusion: It was hard to intubate 25% of patients who had difficult mask ventilation (DMV). All DMV and 20 out of 23 of difficult intubation patients were in the high BMI group ( ≥ 40). Neck circumference, Mallampati score, and male gender were major independent factors; however, other factors, such as obstructive sleep apnea, and diabetes mellitus, should be kept in mind as additional risks.
The Importance of Various Indicators of Active Learning on the Enhancement of Saudi Students’ Motivation and English Achievement: An Experimental Study
Authors: Alrashidi Oqab
Published: March 2020

This experimental study sought to examine the impact of four indicators of active learning (i.e., elaborated feedback, group work, situated learning, and videos and pictures in classroom instruction) on the enhancement of Saudi students’ various motivational constructs (i.e., self-efficacy, task value, and effort expenditure) and English achievement. Participants were 289 university students, and the data were collected at three time points: Time 1 (before the intervention), Time 2 (in the middle of the intervention), and Time 3 (after the intervention). The findings of repeated measures ANOVA and follow-up t-tests revealed that the intervention had small impacts on all the variables at Time 2 (in the middle of the intervention). However, at Time 3 (after the intervention), the intervention had small impacts on effort expenditure and task value, a moderate impact on academic achievement, and a large impact on self-efficacy. In general, the evidence obtained provides important implications for educational practices and further research development.
Uncovered Interest Rate Parity and Investment: A Tripartite Analysis of Nigeria, United States of America and China
Authors: Ubi Peter , Nyiputen Ishaku Rimamtanung
Published: March 2020

This study comparatively examined the validity of the theory of uncovered interest rate parity (UIP) for Nigeria and United States of America (USA) and for Nigeria and China, using USA and China as anchor countries respectively. The study also examined the impact of the theory (UIP) on investment in Nigeria. Using annual time series data spanning from 1980-2017, the pre-estimation test (Augmented Dickey-Fuller Unit root test) was conducted. Given that the variables were integrated of order one and order zero, Autoregressive Distributed lag bound testing approach (ARDL) and Toda- Yamamoto causality test were employed for analysis. The ARDL result indicates that there is no long run relationship between Nigeria and USA but there is a long run relationship between Nigeria and China. By implication, the theory of UIP does not hold between Nigeria and USA but between Nigeria and China, the theory of UIP holds. Also, the result of Toda-Yamamoto indicates that the theory of UIP positively and significantly impacts on investment in Nigeria. The study recommended that the government should strengthen her economic relationship especially with China so as to encourage more investments by China in Nigeria.
The Effects of Ethical Factors in Financial Statement Examination: Ethical Framework of the Input Process Output (IPO) Model in Auditing System Basis
Authors: Agus Andi , Aziza Nurna
Published: March 2020

This study attempts to analyze ethical factors within the framework of the IPO model (input-process-output) as a proxy of audit quality. In more detail, this study creates a model framework that analyzes the influence of ethical factors consisting of integrity, objectivity and independence on audit quality with specific variables. This study was conducted by analyzing 220 respondents from auditors working in public accounting firms in major cities in Java, Indonesia, and analyzed using linear regression techniques. The study results show that the integrity variable has a positive and significant effect on output, and the objectivity variable has a significant effect on input, process and output. Meanwhile, the independence variable has not been empirically proven to have a significant effect on audit quality. These results emphasize the importance of increasing auditor independence in carrying out their duties, and theoretically prove the effect of abstract ethical factor values in empirical testing on audit quality.
The Mediating Effect of Intellectual Capital Disclosure Between Firm Characteristics and Firm Value: Empirical Evidence From Indonesian Company With Non-recursive Model Analysis
Authors: Heryana Toni , Wahyudi Sugeng , Mawardi Wisnu
Published: March 2020

Based on the signaling theory, this study seeks to explain the interaction of corporate value and the disclosure of intellectual capital in a framework of analysis of recursive models. Testing the recursive model also involves firm size and company growth as a characteristic of the company to clarify the mediating role of intellectual capital in mediating both of the firm's values. We find a positive relationship between firm size and growth on intellectual capital disclosure. The greater the size and growth of the company, the more it encourages companies to disclose intellectual capital in the company's annual report. Also, we find a non-recursive model between intellectual capital disclosure and firm value. This shows that the broader the disclosure of IC information by the company, the better the investor's perception of the company is reflected in the value of the company. Meanwhile, at different times the current condition of the company's value will encourage companies to disclose more complete IC information.
Imperatives of Effective Working Capital Management and Profitability in the Banking Industry in Nigeria
Authors: Osuji Casmir C. , Agbada Andrew O.
Published: March 2020

This study explored the imperatives of effective Working Capital Management (WCM) and Profitability in the banking industry in Nigeria. WCM core variables namely: Short-term Investments; Credits to customers and Account Receivables and Payables were used as proxy. Survey design was adopted and data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed with Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC) denoted by ‘r’. The findings to an extent counter apriori expectation. Though the values of ‘r’ exhibited positive signs affirming positive relationship, the strength of relationship is on the average. This was affirmed by the values of (r2), especially that of the variable ‘Credits to customers’ which stood low at 0.2229, meaning that the variable explained only 22.29% variation in Profitability. By implications, the results suggest that WCM variables have not yielded sufficient cash flows that could optimize profits. We therefore recommend efficient surveillance of WCM variables in order to reduce instances that lead to funds losses.
Do Investors’ Exhibit Cognitive Biases: Evidence From Indian Equity Market
Authors: Sharma Manika , Firoz Mohammad
Published: March 2020

The current article examines the influence of cognitive biases on the process of decision making among equity investors of India. The research is being directed by conducting a survey on a sample of 400 investors investing in Indian capital market. This study measures behavioural biases of individual investors' using a structured questionnaire as a research instrument of the study. By means of cross section data analysis, this analysis steadily provides evidence that behavioural biases adversely affect rational decision-making of an investor. This research indicates that a statistically significant relationship exists between behavioural biases among investors and the process of rational decision-making. The findings of the study are imperative to investors investing Indian capital market, brokers, financial consultants and investment advisors; responsible for managing assets and constructing portfolios for investment clients, as they can alter the investment decision by accessing the susceptibility of investors towards cognitive biases, which often lead to erroneous decision.
Exploring the Role of Trust in Mobile-Banking Use by Indonesian Customer Using Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage Technology
Authors: Saparudin Mohamad , Rahayu Agus , Hurriyati Ratih , Sultan Mokh. Adib
Published: March 2020

M-banking is an innovative digital application that provides convenience in transactions and this technology benefits both customers and banks. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that influence the customer's intention to use m-banking and the role of trust in influencing the UTAUT construct. The UTAUT model that is expanded with trust variables is used in this study. Data was collected through an empirical study based survey of 243 participants in Jakarta, using convenience sampling. The study results show that there is a significant relationship between performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and trust with behavioral intention. Moreover, trust significantly influence performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence. The findings theoretically are able to prove the factors that influence the customer's mobile banking adoption, where the effort expectancy factor is the factor that most influences the intention to use m-banking in Indonesia.
Firm Size, Profitability, Leverage as Determinants of Audit Report Lag: Evidence From Indonesia
Authors: Fujianti Lailah , Satria Indra
Published: March 2020

This study examines the factors that influence Audit Report Lag in Indonesia. This factor is seen from the financial performance of the company size, profitability and corporate leverage. The research sample was 91 manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) for the period of 2015 and 2016. The total observation for 2 years amounted to 182. The method of data analysis is random effect models. The results showed that company size and profitability are variables that can shorten Audit Report Lag. Meanwhile, leverage has not empirically proven to have a significant effect. The findings implies that large companies have better information and technology systems compared to smaller companies so as to strengthen internal control and speed of presentation of financial statements. High profitability encourages companies to present financial reports on time so that the impact of ARL decline.
Determinants of Dividend Pay-Out Policy of Listed Non-financial Firms in Malaysia
Authors: Tahir Hussain , Masri Ridzuan , Rahman Mahfuzur
Published: March 2020

This research paper scrutinizes to recognize the determinants of dividend pay-out. A total of 203 Malaysian non-financial firms representing from various industries were scrutinized over a period of fourteen financial years covering 2005 to 2018. The panel data form specified the time series and cross-sectional nature used for this research paper. Fixed effect and random effects description techniques were used for investigation. The outcomes reveal a statistically significant and positive association between corporate board size, ROA and dividend pay-out. However, financial leverage has a negative and significant relationship with dividend policies. But the study reveals a statistically insignificant and positive relationship between board diversity and dividend pay-out. This paper suggestions insight to policy-makers of emerging economies interested in the development of the financial structure mechanism. This study guides companies in the structure and employment of dividend pay-out.
Canadian Banking Industry Profitability: Exploring the Relevance of Two Competing Hypotheses
Authors: Oredegbe Abayomi
Published: March 2020

This study investigates the Canadian banking industry profitability and seeks to determine if there is evidence of market power hypothesis (MPH) and/or efficiency structure hypothesis (ESH) in the industry. Using GMM and data from 2006 to 2018, it finds no support for the structure-conduct-performance (SCP) component of MPH. However, evidence of relative market power (RMP) in the industry reflects partial support for MPH, implying that banks that offer differentiated products are able to exercise market power, increase market share, and achieve better profitability. The lack of support for X-efficiency (ESX) and scale efficiency (ESS), which are components of ESH, indicates no support for the ESH. The finding that QLH holds in the industry suggests the level of competition is inadequate and that managers in the industry exhibit suboptimal behaviour. Therefore, increasing the level of competition in the industry will stimulate managerial effectiveness. Findings relating to the control variables show that spread impedes profitability, whereas capitalization and the joint influence of spread and liquidity risk have facilitating effects. Credit risk is immaterial to profitability however, the effect of economic growth can be positive. This study provides a better understanding of the industry, which is important to managers, regulators, and policy makers. The robustness checks affirm the consistency of the findings and policy implications.
Evaluation of Five Essential Oils by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and their Effect on Fungal Growth Inhibition and Sensory Acceptability of Soymilk
Authors: Niyibituronsa Marguerite , Onyango Arnold Nola , Gaidashova Svetlana , Imathiu Samuel , Ming Zhang , Ruinan Yang , Weiqi Zhang , XiuPin Wang , Qi Zhang , Zhaowei Zhang , Peiwu Li
Published: March 2020

Essential oils are widely used in the food industry as natural food preservatives to extend product shelf life and as flavoring agents. However, not much has been done on their use in soymilk. The aim of the study is to determine the compounds of five essential oils by GC-MS and their effect on fungal growth inhibition and sensory acceptability of soymilk. The components of the essential oils of five spices, namely citronella, basil, cinnamon, eucalyptus and mint were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the essential oils was tested on the fungus Aspergillus flavus 3.4408 on PDA (agar dilution method). Sensory evaluation of soymilk flavored with the essential oils of citronella, basil and mint at different concentrations was done by ten member panelists using a 9-point hedonic scale. The main compound for basil was eugenol 83.26%. Cinnamon contained cinnamaldehyde (97.3%). The main compounds in citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) were limonene (38.51%), citronellal (30.29%). Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) essential oil mainly contained eucalyptol/cineole (76.70%), and Mint (Mentha arvensis): Menthol 42.72%, Menthone 25.72%. The MICs of citronella, basil, cinnamon, eucalyptus and mint were 5-10 µl/ml, 0.5-1 µl/ml, ≤0.1 µl/ml, >>10 µl/ml and 10-20 µl/ml, respectively. Thus, cinnamon was the most effective in inhibiting fungal growth, while eucalyptus was the least effective. These essential oils improved the soymilk flavor. Mint was the most preferred flavor, followed by citronella and basil. Thus, essential oils especially mint and citronella can be used for improving acceptability of soymilk at low concentration.
Idyllic Ruralities, Displacement and Changing Forms of Gentrification in Rural Hertfordshire, England
Authors: Phillips Martin , Smith Darren , Brooking Hannah , Duer Mara
Published: March 2020

This paper considers the significance of representations of rurality and displacement in relation to the concept of rural gentrification. Studies of rural gentrification have often drawn upon notions of the rural idyll, but have often neglected to consider the presence, or not, of displacement. It has been argued that this lack of attention reflects an absence of displacement connected with middle class in-migration, particularly in early decades of counterurbanisation. This paper aims to examine these arguments drawing on the research publications and archived materials stemming from a study by Ray Pahl of four villages in the English county of Hertfordshire in the early 1960s, alongside material generated from a questionnaire survey conducted in three of these villages. The research demonstrates continuities in processes of gentrification and displacement between the two studies, as well as the emergence of new forms of gentrification and the operation of diverse forms of displacement.
Functions of the Contemporary Family in the Aspect of Developing a Security Culture
Authors: Wiraszka Piotr
Published: March 2020

The family is the target of interest for many scientific fields. The family is often defined as the basic social cell, irreplaceable and a fundamental element of every society. The purpose of this article is to attempt to place a family in three dimensions, in the aspect of three security pillars, as a security entity that is responsible for shaping and modelling a security culture. The aim of this article is to try to establish a family position in three dimensions, in the three pillars of security, as a security entity responsible for shaping and modelling a security culture. A culture of security is a continuous process in which the family as an entity acts in many fields and in many ways. This process is aimed at shaping the desired social attitudes, behaviors, norms and values and developing personality under the influence of many factors, events, experiences and beliefs. The article tries to confirm the thesis that the family is the foundation on which society is built and should be under special protection, with its security unconditionally belonging to the mainstream activities in every sphere of human life.
Preparation and Properties of Lauryl Alcohol-Caprylic Acid Eutectics/Activated Charcoal Composites as Shape-stabilized Phase Change Materials for Cold Energy Storage
Authors: LIU Yuan , CHEN Yanghua
Published: March 2020

A novel form-stable composite phase change materials for cold energy storage were prepared using physical blending adsorption method. In the shape-stabilized composites, lauryl alcohol (LA) and caprylic acid (CA) were employed as phase change materials, which were blended together at specific mass ratio based on theoretical calculations. Activated charcoal (AC) was selected as supporting material due to its advantages like large specific surface area and high thermal conductivity. The composites were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The results of FE-SEM and FT-IR displayed that the eutectics of LA and CA was well absorbed and dispersed homogeneously into the porous network structure of the AC and the melted eutectics was not easy to leak from the reticular structure. Moreover, there was only physical absorption between the eutectic mixture and AC. The results of DSC and TGA indicated that phase change temperature and latent heat of the prepared composites increased with the increase of the binary eutectics mass ratio and AC can enhance the thermal stability of composites. The composites with the mass ratio 60% of the eutectics melted at – 0.21 ℃ with a latent heat enthalpy of 28.08 J/g and solidified at – 2.33 ℃ with a latent solidification enthalpy of 29.70 J/g. The prepared composites will contribute to cold energy storage of low temperature range.