bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Product Innovations and Performance of Audit Firms in Taiwan: Consideration of Life Cycles and Market Segments
Authors: Chen Yahn-Shir , Huang I-Ching
Published: June 2017

This study investigates the relationship between product innovations and financial performance of Taiwanese audit firms in different market segments at varied life cycle stages. In terms of market segmentation, this study divides total samples into national, regional and local audit firms. Further, this study establishes three organisational life cycle stages for each sub-sample: young, adult and old stages. Based on a 16-year time series longitudinal data, this study validates the existence of life cycles in professional service organisations—audit firms. The significant findings are a positive association between product innovations and financial performance in all sub-samples at each life cycle stage. Furthermore, the extent of performance effects of product innovations varies for audit firms in different market segments at different life cycle stages. Findings obtained in this study contribute knowledge to business-related literatures and possess managerial implications to the practitioners.
Exploring the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Scale in India: Item Analysis, Factor Structure and Refinement
Authors: Khan Anna , Khan Mohammed Naved , Adil Mohd.
Published: June 2017

Researchers have raised concerns regarding the applicability of original New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) scale proposed by Dunlap and Van Liere (1978) and validity of dimensions in the context of cultures other than US where the study was originally carried out. Thus, there is a need to test the applicability of the original NEP scale from the point of view of Indian consumers. In the light of the above, the present study attempts to refine and validate original NEP scale keeping in mind the Indian audience. With this objective, data were collected using self-administered structured questionnaire from 429 office-goers in Delhi and Mumbai. The cities were chosen because of their rank as no. 1 and 3, respectively, among the most polluted metropolitan cities of India. Test of reliability and dimensionality of the original NEP scale was carried out with the help of SPSS 18.0. The data were further subjected to Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). It was found that the original scale lacked unidimensionality. As against the three dimensions of the original NEP scale, four dimensions emerged in the case of Indian consumers. The new dimension has been duly identified and named. Due to heavy cross-loadings, three items from the original NEP scale were dropped, reducing it to be a 9-item scale. The scale developed has been named as Indian New Environmental Paradigm (I-NEP) scale or I-NEP in short. The I-NEP fared better in terms of the psychometric properties in comparison to the original NEP scale. It is expected that the proposed I-NEP scale would help in measuring the environmental attitudes of Indians in a more reliable and efficient manner, resulting in savings in terms of time and cost, too.
A Study on Indian Youth for Determining Relationship of Brand Loyalty with Customer Perceptions with Special Reference to Personal Banking Services
Authors: Srivastava Ritu , Prakash Ajay
Published: June 2017

This study is carried on with the aim of understanding the different customer perceptions which contribute to brand loyalty, especially for youth in the Indian industry for personal banking services. The five factors identified through literature review are trust, image, satisfaction, communication and perceived quality. A stratified sampling method was used to obtain 164 responses of different age groups within the youth segment, that is, 18–25 years, 26–35 years and 36–45 years. Correlation and regression techniques have been used to prove the relationships between dependent variable—brand loyalty—and independent variables—trust, image, satisfaction, communication and perceived quality. The results show perceived quality to be the most important factor among the youth to enhance brand loyalty. The results show that company image and customer satisfaction have positive correlation, whereas communication has a negative relationship with brand loyalty. Lastly, a predictor equation is provided for the brand loyalty model.
Causal Analysis of Oil Prices and Macroeconomic Performance: Evidence from India
Authors: Saxena Swami P. , Bhadauriya Sonam
Published: June 2017

The oil price affects every corner of economic activity throughout the world. Economies of all oil-producing and oil-consuming countries are considerably influenced by the volatility in the crude oil prices in the international market. Although a number of studies have investigated on the causation of oil prices on macroeconomic determinants, but in the context of India, not many studies can be traced in the literature, despite the fact that India ranks among the top 10 largest oil-consuming countries. The goal of the article is to shed light on the impact of volatility in international crude oil prices on macroeconomic indicators of Indian economy. For the purpose of this study, West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil Prices are taken as the benchmark, that is, independent variable. The set of dependent variables include selected macroeconomic indicators, that is, balances of payments, inflation, exchange rate, index of industrial production, stock market returns, etc. The empirical analysis that covers data series of 10 financial years from April 2000 to March 2010 is done by using Unit Root Test and Granger Causality Test in Vector Autoregressive (VAR) framework. The findings of the study indicate that inflation in India has bidirectional causal relationship with international crude oil prices.
Seasonality, Quarterly Impact on Net Asset Value of Equity Linked Savings Schemes
Authors: Kumar N. Venkatesh , B.J. Ashwini Kumar
Published: June 2017

This article attempts to (a) understand the quarterly seasonal behaviour of Net Asset Value of Equity Linked Savings Schemes (ELSS—Tax Saver Schemes), (b) analyse statistical significance of quarterly seasonal behaviour, (c) investigate the existence of unit root (Stationarity and Non-Stationarity time series of deseasonalised NAV) and (d) examine the weak form of efficient market hypothesis. Twenty tax saver schemes launched on or prior to 2006 were selected for analysis. The quarterly NAV data for the study period between 2006 and 2011 were obtained from respective asset management companies. The study reveals that (i) majority of the selected funds follow normal distribution, that is, seasonalised NAV is not skewed, (ii) 3rd quarter and 4th quarter of a calendar year are seen as appropriate for structuring investment decisions, (iii) statistical significance exists among the seasonal indices across quarters, (iv) autocorrelation function among the selected schemes are statistically significant, that is, deseasonalised NAV is non-stationary, (v) majority of schemes contains unit root at base level, that is, deseasonalised NAV is non-stationary, (vi) all schemes do not contain unit root at first differences, that is, deseasonalised NAV is stationary, (vii) deseasonalised NAV is weak–form inefficient, that is, cautious investors can have greater mileage by exploiting historical NAV and at the same time historical NAV facilitates to forecast future NAV on account of its non-randomness. Hence, this study accentuates that mutual fund investments are beneficial in the long run.
Proposing a Model to Assist Indian Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Their ERP Implementation
Authors: Upadhyay Parijat
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to present the findings of a study based on analysis of ERP implementation issues in context to Indian micro, small and medium scale enterprises with the objective of highlighting the key issues confronting them.

Design/Methodology/Approach

The research study is based on wide variety of literature review focusing on issues influencing ERP adoption. Responses were collected on the basis of questionnaires and personal interviews given by officials who were closely involved in the implementation process. Initially, factor analysis has been performed on SPSS with principal component analysis using Varimax rotation and the factors were grouped on the basis of factor loading. Further to this, the researchers developed a model by SEM.

Findings

The analysis showed statistically significant relationship between the predictor and the outcome variables for the four hypotheses.

Research Limitations/Implications

Besides the identified issues, there may be other factors that need to be explored. There is also a scope to enhance this research study by taking different industries into consideration and also by factoring the state of the economy and by increasing the number of respondents.

Practical Implications

This study will help information system managers who plan to implement ERP systems in their organisations. It will help those with useable but less than satisfactory ERP implementations to understand the underlying issues why they had problems and it will help them to avoid facing problems in future projects. It will also help those who failed to implement their planned ERP system when they try again; it will help those who have not yet tried. Even ERP vendors can take input from this study in their implementation approach while targeting SME sector.

Originality/Value

There is no published literature that followed a similar approach in identification of critical issues in implementing ERP projects in small and mid-sized organisation in India or any other developing economy.
Telecommunication Service Quality Assessment: A Comparative Study of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and Reliance Communications Limited
Authors: Jain Pankaj
Published: June 2017

This study compared the customers’ perception of quality of telecom services provided by Reliance Communications Limited (a private player) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (a public player) in western Uttar Pradesh. Using modified SERVPERF scale, thirty scale items, customers’ perceptions were sought on eight aspects of service quality. In addition to standard five dimensions, three more dimensions, network quality, customer complaint and convenience, were added to the scale. Most of the research studies comparing private and public enterprises in India show that customers’ level of satisfaction is comparatively more for private enterprise than that of public sector enterprise. So it was felt that Reliance Communications Limited (RCOM) would outperform Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on the measures of service quality. This contention was largely supported. The results also indicated that both groups have room for improvement.
Share Repurchases, Signalling Effect and Implications for Corporate Governance: Evidence from India
Authors: Reddy Kotapati Srinivasa , Nangia Vinay Kumar , Agrawal Rajat
Published: June 2017

It is worth mentioning that a great deal of financial liberalisation, privatisation and internationalisation policies in emerging economies have significantly increased the corporate restructuring activities like mergers, acquisitions, share repurchases and stock splits, among others. Indeed, the activity that is investigated in this article is ‘share repurchases’ and its effect on stock returns and price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. More deeply, this article will answer the research question—does a share repurchase offer abnormal returns around the announcement? Thus, it is performed in one of the Asian emerging markets—India. To do so, we use event-study method to examine abnormal returns and P/E signalling around the announcement of 64 share repurchases, announced during 2008–2009. It is found that stock performance is not adequate and notices lower as well as negative earnings during post-buyback period. Briefly, we conclude that share repurchases assure short-term returns and observe lower P/E compared to pre-buyback period. In addition, we show some interesting results that derived from industrial and services sectors. The outcome of this article would help financial analysts, financial advisors, corporate enterprises and regulatory bodies in designing policies on earnings distribution, managerial incentives, takeovers and so forth of regulatory aspects.
Book Review: Ambani & Sons
Authors: Kumar Ashutosh
Published: June 2017

Hamish McDonald, Ambani & Sons, 2010, New Delhi: The Lotus Collection, An imprint of Roli Books Pvt. Ltd, pp. Xii+396, ₹395 (Paperback)
The Effect of Organisational Structure and Hoteliers’ Risk Proclivity on Innovativeness
Authors: Tajeddini Kayhan
Published: June 2017

The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of organisational structure and hoteliers’ risk proclivity on innovativeness in the context of the Japanese hotel industry. Survey questionnaires were used to collect relevant data from 115 hotels in Japan. Using a multiple regression analysis, the antecedents of innovativeness in the hotel industry are been examined. The findings are mixed with previous research but provide new insights by exploring the effect of organisational structure and hoteliers’ risk proclivity on innovativeness. As a result, we believe that this research is valuable in understanding some key important drivers in innovative activities in the context of the hotel industry.
Environmental Factors Influencing the Intention to Adopt RFID Technology in Retail Industry: An Empirical Study
Authors: Paydar Soleyman , Endut Intan Rohani , Yahya Saadiah , Rahman Siti Hamidah Abdull
Published: June 2017

Today, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is considered as a paramount tool in boosting the competitiveness of supply chain firms. There is an overall consensus regarding the remarkable influence of RFID upon the productivity level of firms. The realisation of such influences will only be tangible if, and when, RFID’s systems are extensively spread and used in the supply chain. It is crucial to realise the determinants of RFID adoption intention among the firms. There exists several reviews within the literature section on ‘RFID adoption models exemplified at the individualistic level’ and even fewer at the organisation level. Drawing upon diffusion of innovation (DOI) model, this study analyses the environmental factors influencing the RFID adoption intention among the retail firms in Malaysia. A questionnaire survey on 96 retail firms in Malaysia is conducted to test the proposed research hypotheses using logistic regression. Empirical results indicate that social uncertainty and competitive pressure are demonstrated to have significant negative and positive effects on the firm’s intention to adopt RFID technology respectively. While majority of prior works considered technological factors influencing the adoption decision among both adopters and non-adopters, this study uses a wide range of environmental constructs with relative measurement items to explore the initial determinants of RFID adoption intention among only non-adopters. Thus, the components and findings of this study are valuable for potential retail companies that have not yet adopted RFID technology. The study also provides several important suggestions for researches who study in innovation adoption domain.
Riskiness of Commercial Banks and Basel II Norms—Evidence from India
Authors: Reddy K. Sriharsha
Published: June 2017

The objective is to understand the riskiness of Indian banks using risk index and probability of insolvency across bank groups and also to understand the impact of Basel II norms on riskiness of banks in India. Overall risk of the Indian banks is captured through risk index suggested by Hannan and Hanweck ( 1988 ). The risk index is often referred to as the distance-to-default and the Z-score incorporates net income volatility, the level of returns and the amount of capital held in a single measure. Inclusion of capital in the measure is important as it serves as a buffer against failure. The article provides empirical insights about the impact of Basel II norms on riskiness of Indian banks. It is found that foreign banks have least riskiness followed by state bank group, nationalised banks and private banks. The riskiness of Indian banking industry has decreased the probability of insolvency after implementation of Basel norms. The article includes implications for the banks to understand degree of riskiness for a bank with reference to a bank group and entire banking industry. This article fulfils an identified need to study how Basel II norms affected riskiness of Indian banks and relative riskiness of the bank groups.
Book Review: Robert O. Keohane, After Hegemony: Cooperation and Discord in the World Political Economy
Authors: Bhat Imtiyaz Ahmad
Published: June 2017

Robert O. Keohane, After Hegemony: Cooperation and Discord in the World Political Economy, 1984, Princeton: Princeton University Press, pp. 320, ₹2,450 (Imported Edition), ISBN: 9780691122489.
Exploring Attitudes of Pakistani and Canadian Children towards Television Advertisements: A Cross-cultural Comparative Analysis
Authors: Langrial Sitwat , Kashif Muhammad , Ehsan Usman
Published: June 2017

Children from different socio-cultural backgrounds experience and cognise television advertisements differently, which is always interesting research area to investigate. Previously advertising researchers have reported that children are valuable consumers with the ability to develop their own attitudes towards television advertisements. This article reports findings from a qualitative study that examines children’s attitudes towards television advertisements in a cross-cultural context. Focus-groups were conducted in Pakistan and Canada because of distinctive cultural differences between the two countries. In all, 72 children volunteered to partake the study (N = 72) where 36 participants were recruited from Canada and the same number of Pakistani teens participated. The study compared the attitudes of Canadian and Pakistani teenagers towards television advertisements in the product category of foods and snacks. This research study is unique in presenting a cross-cultural picture of children’s attitudes towards televised food advertisements. The uniqueness of study is evident in its contribution to the cross-cultural consumer socialisation phenomenon that would be beneficial for practitioners and regulatory authorities. The findings outline significant differences between the two subject groups. Importantly, the study presents theoretical and practical implications for researchers. It adds to the literature related to children’s socialisation issues and attitudes towards television advertisements. Additionally, it highlights key implications for marketing agencies that strive to develop a foothold in Pakistani and Canadian food markets.
Investors Rationality for IPOs Using Meta Analysis and Forest Plots in Neyeloff et al. (2012) Framework: An Investigation
Authors: Jindal Mani , Chander Ramesh
Published: June 2017

This research article focuses on the contours of investors’ rationality as regard to the initial public offering (IPO). For last 20 years, financial world has been very volatile. Now the investors have actively started to participate in the investment activities. The investment markets are becoming more risky; time makes investors to behave differently. It is crucial to perceive the responses of the investors and to identify the factors of the investment decisions. This research article is to generalise research findings emanating from the research on the investors rationality conducted during 2001 to 2012. To achieve the objective of this study, the previous 20 research studies is taken as a sample; meta analyses is used as a statistical tool for analysing the data and to get results whether the investors are rational (or not) in making investment decisions in the IPOs market. And the result indicates that the meta analysis matches with the sample data and shows that the investors are rational for investing in the IPOs.
Liquidity Management: A Multivariate Analysis of Financial Indicators of Two Steel Plants
Authors: Mukherjee Paroma Mitra , Roy Dilip
Published: June 2017

Private and public organisations have experienced significant changes in recent years. To develop the core competencies greater skills are required in planning, analysis and control nowadays.

This article develops a multivariate statistical model for the analysis to compare the short-term liquidity management of two giant steel companies in India. Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP; a sister plant of Steel Authority of India Ltd.) under public sector firm and Tata Steel plant as a whole is selected, which is the biggest private sector firm of India. Simultaneously, we have selected three financial ratios (current ratio (CR), inventory turnover ratio (ITR) and debtors turnover ratio (DTR)) describing liquidity position of a firm. These measures are interdependent and thus it can be considered to be a vector measure. Our objective is to verify whether the two sectors differ or not in respect of the mean vector measures. This hypothesis is examined with the help of Hotelling’s T2—statistic under the assumption of equal dispersion. Significant differences have been observed in respect of liquidity position of these two firms. Along with that individual ratios have been checked for any significant difference or not for the said firms.
People, Places, Power: Medicaid Concentration and Local Political Participation
Authors: Michener Jamila D.
Published: June 2017

The geographic concentration of disadvantage is a key mechanism of inequity. In the United States, the spatial patterning of disadvantage renders it more than the sum of its individual parts and disproportionately harms economically and racially marginalized Americans. This article focuses specifically on the political effects of Medicaid beneficiaries being concentrated in particular locales. After offering a framework for conceptualizing the community-wide consequences of such policy concentration, I analyze aggregate multiyear data to examine the effect of Medicaid density on county-level voter turnout and local organizational strength. I find that, as the proportion of county residents enrolled in Medicaid increases, the prevalence of civic and political membership associations declines and aggregate rates of voting decrease. These results suggest that, if grassroots political action is to be part of a strategy to achieve health equity, policy makers and local organizations must make efforts to counteract the sometimes demobilizing “place-based” political effects of “people-based” policies such as Medicaid.
Missed Opportunity? Leveraging Mobile Technology to Reduce Racial Health Disparities
Authors: Ray Rashawn , Sewell Abigail A. , Gilbert Keon L. , Roberts Jennifer D.
Published: June 2017

Blacks and Latinos are less likely than whites to access health insurance and utilize health care. One way to overcome some of these racial barriers to health equity may be through advances in technology that allow people to access and utilize health care in innovative ways. Yet, little research has focused on whether the racial gap that exists for health care utilization also exists for accessing health information online and through mobile technologies. Using data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), we examine racial differences in obtaining health information online via mobile devices. We find that blacks and Latinos are more likely to trust online newspapers to get health information than whites. Minorities who have access to a mobile device are more likely to rely on the Internet for health information in a time of strong need. Federally insured individuals who are connected to mobile devices have the highest probability of reliance on the Internet as a go-to source of health information. We conclude by discussing the importance of mobile technologies for health policy, particularly related to developing health literacy, improving health outcomes, and contributing to reducing health disparities by race and health insurance status.
The Empirical Implications of the Interest-Rate Lower Bound
Authors: Gust Christopher , Herbst Edward , López-Salido David , Smith Matthew E.
Published: June 2017

Using Bayesian methods, we estimate a nonlinear DSGE model in which the interest-rate lower bound is occasionally binding. We quantify the size and nature of disturbances that pushed the US economy to the lower bound in late 2008 as well as the contribution of the lower bound constraint to the resulting economic slump. We find that the interest-rate lower bound was a significant constraint on monetary policy that exacerbated the recession and inhibited the recovery, as our mean estimates imply that the zero lower bound (ZLB) accounted for about 30 percent of the sharp contraction in US GDP that occurred in 2009 and an even larger fraction of the slow recovery that followed. (JEL C11, C32, E12, E23, E32, E43, E52, G01)
Investment Banks as Corporate Monitors in the Early Twentieth Century United States
Authors: Frydman Carola , Hilt Eric
Published: June 2017

We study the effect of financial relationships on firms' investment decisions and access to external finance. In the early twentieth century, securities underwriters commonly held directorships with American corporations. Section 10 of the Clayton Antitrust Act prohibited bankers from serving on the boards of railroads for which they underwrote securities. We find that following the implementation of Section 10, railroads with strong preexisting relationships with underwriters saw declines in their investment rates, valuations, and leverage, and increases in their costs of external funds. Reassuringly, we do not observe similar effects among industrials and utilities, which were not subject to Section 10. Our results are consistent with underwriters on corporate boards acting as delegated monitors, and highlight the potential for regulations intended to address conflicts of interest to disrupt valuable information flows. (JEL G24, G31, G32, G34, K22, N21, N22)
Lumboperitoneal shunt insertion without fluoroscopy guidance: Accuracy of placement in a series of 107 procedures
Authors: Al-Rashed Sabah , Kareem Haider , Kalra Neeraj , D’Antona Linda , Obeidat Mouness , Patel Bhavesh , Toma Ahmed
Published: June 2017

Background: Lumboperitoneal (LP) shunts were the mainstay of cerebrospinal fluid diversion therapy for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). The traditionally cited advantage of LP shunts over ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts is the ease of insertion in IIH. This needs to be placed at the level of L3/4 to be below the level of the spinal cord. The objective of this study was to analyse the position of LP shunts inserted without portable fluoroscopy guidance. Methods: A retrospective analysis of radiology was performed for patients who underwent lumboperitoneal shunts between 2006 and 2016 at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. Patients who had insertion of a LP shunt without fluoroscopy guidance were selected.  Patients without post-procedural imaging were excluded.

A retrospective analysis of the clinical notes was also performed. Results: Between 2006 and 2016, 163 lumboperitoneal shunts were inserted in 105 patients. A total of 56 cases were excluded due to lack of post-procedural imaging; therefore, 107 post-procedural x-rays were reviewed. In 17 (15.8%) cases the proximal end of the LP shunt was placed at L1/L2 level or above. Conclusions: Insertion of LP shunts without portable fluoroscopy guidance gives a 15.8% risk of incorrect positioning of the proximal end of the catheter. We suggest that x-ray is recommended to avoid incorrect level placement. Further investigation could be carried out with a control group with fluoroscopy against patients without.
Service evaluation of the implementation of a digitally-enabled care pathway for the recognition and management of acute kidney injury
Authors: Connell Alistair , Montgomery Hugh , Morris Stephen , Nightingale Claire , Stanley Sarah , Emerson Mary , Jones Gareth , Sadeghi-Alavijeh Omid , Merrick Charles , King Dominic , Karthikesalingam Alan , Hughes Cian , Ledsam Joseph , Back Trevor , Rees Geraint , Raine Rosalind , Laing Christopher
Published: June 2017

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), an abrupt deterioration in kidney function, is defined by changes in urine output or serum creatinine. AKI is common (affecting up to 20% of acute hospital admissions in the United Kingdom), associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and expensive (excess costs to the National Health Service in England alone may exceed £1 billion per year). NHS England has mandated the implementation of an automated algorithm to detect AKI based on changes in serum creatinine, and to alert clinicians. It is uncertain, however, whether ‘alerting’ alone improves care quality.

We have thus developed a digitally-enabled care pathway as a clinical service to inpatients in the Royal Free Hospital (RFH), a large London hospital. This pathway incorporates a mobile software application - the “Streams-AKI” app, developed by DeepMind Health - that applies the NHS AKI algorithm to routinely collected serum creatinine data in hospital inpatients. Streams-AKI alerts clinicians to potential AKI cases, furnishing them with a trend view of kidney function alongside other relevant data, in real-time, on a mobile device. A clinical response team comprising nephrologists and critical care nurses responds to these AKI alerts by reviewing individual patients and administering interventions according to existing clinical practice guidelines.

We propose a mixed methods service evaluation of the implementation of this care pathway. This evaluation will assess how the care pathway meets the health and care needs of service users (RFH inpatients), in terms of clinical outcome, processes of care, and NHS costs. It will also seek to assess acceptance of the pathway by members of the response team and wider hospital community. All analyses will be undertaken by the service evaluation team from UCL (Department of Applied Health Research) and St George’s, University of London (Population Health Research Institute).
ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНЫЕ УЧАСТНИКИ РОССИЙСКОГО ФОНДОВОГО РЫНКА: ГАБИТУС И ПРАКТИКИ
Authors: Podgorny Boris Borisovich
Published: June 2017

Проверенным вариантом привлечения сбережений массового населения в развитие экономики, подтвержденным успешными результатами ведущих мировых экономик, является первичный фондовый рынок. Однако российский фондовый рынок сегодня действует преимущественно как вторичный или спекулятивный, не способствуя привлечению средств для развития экономики и созданию сообщества массовых собственников. Исключение составляют нечастые первичные размещения акций, о которых, как правило, массовому населению неизвестно. Направленность инвестиционной деятельности на фондовом рынке в значительной степени зависит от профессиональных участников, которые практически формируют курс его развития. В настоящей статье проводятся результаты исследования существующего сегодня габитуса профессиональных участников российского фондового рынка. Cуществующий сегодня габитус российских профессиональных участников фондового рынка можно охарактеризовать, как спекулятивный. Кроме того, исследование также показало явную заинтересованность профессиональных участников фондового рынка в таком развитии. Ведь доход профессиональных участников находится в прямой зависимости от количества сделок, совершенных их клиентами, что является весомым аргументом для принятия мер по организации деятельности своих клиентов на фондовом рынке как спекулятивной, используя для этого легитимные и нелегитимные методы и приемы. Дальнейшая теоретизация полученных результатов даст возможность определить, какие меры необходимо принять для изменения габитуса профессиональных участников фондового рынка со спекулятивного на инвестиционный, что будет способствовать развитию первичного фондового рынка как основной составляющей массового долевого участия населения в развитии российской экономики.
ANALYSIS OF THE CAUSES OF DISTORTION CASTINGS AFTER HEAT TREATMENT
Authors: Kalincová Daniela , Ťavodová Miroslava , Čierna Helena , Beňo Pavel
Published: June 2017

The article is focused on the use of Quality Management tools to identify causes of formation deviations dimensions in cylinder head castings. Moreover, methods of production of castings made from alloy AlSi9Cu1, heat treatment of castings, as well as requirements of their quality are described. Research of the influence heat treatment parameters on the changes of castings' dimensions, with using Quality Management tools (Ishikawa diagram) is described too. In order to optimize the process for eliminate of deviations, experiment for modelling parameters of heat treatment was designed. The results processed in the Pareto diagram clearly pointed out the causes. Dimensional deviations were created during the heat treatment process. We have found the largest distortions in castings were created during rapid cooling. The article gives important information about using of research results in the production of cylinder head castings.
EVALUATION OF THE METALLURGICAL PARAMETERS EFFECT ON TENSILE PROPERTIES IN AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEELS
Authors: Di Schino Andrea , Richetta Maria
Published: June 2017

Even if relations predicting the mechanical properties on bars of austenitic stainless steels are already available, but no systematic works was carried out in order to predict mechanical properties in after cold rolling and annealing. The tensile properties of a large number of cold rolled and annealed AISI 304 stainless steel are here correlated with their chemical composition and microstructure. Quantitative effects of various strengthening mechanisms such as grain size, – ferrite content and solid solution strengthening by both interstitial and substitutional solutes are described. Interstitial solutes have by far the greatest strengthening effect and, among the substitutional solutes, the ferrite – stabilising elements have a greater effect than the austenite – stabilising elements. Regression equations are developed which predict with good accuracy the proof stress and tensile strength in AISI 304 stainless steels.
Connecting Medical Records: An Evaluation of Benefits and Challenges for Primary Care Practices
Authors: Compeau Deborah Ruth , Terry Amanda
Published: June 2017

Background: Implementation of systems to support health information sharing has lagged other areas of healthcare IT, yet offers a strong possibility for benefit.  Clinical acceptance is a key limiting factor in health IT adoption.Objectives:  To assess the benefits and challenges experienced by clinicians using a custom-developed health information exchange system, and to show how perceptions of benefits and challenges influence perceptions of productivity and care-related outcomes.Methods: We used a mixed methods design with two phases. First, we conducted interviews with stakeholders who were familiar with the health information exchange system to inform the development of a measure of benefits and challenges of the use of this system. Second, using this measure we conducted a survey of current and former users of the health information exchange system using a modified Dillman method.Results: 105 current and former users completed the survey. The results showed information quality, ease of completing tasks and clinical process improvement as key benefits that reduced workload and improved patient care.  Challenges related to system reliability, quality of reports and service quality increased workload and decreased impact on care, though the effect of the challenges was smaller than that of the benefits.Conclusions:  Even very limited health information exchange capabilities can improve outcomes for primary care users.  Improving perceptions of benefits may be even more important the removing challenges to use, though it is likely that a threshold of quality must be achieved for this to be true.
AVALIAÇÃO DA UNIFORMIDADE DE PESO E DE DOSES DE RANITIDINA EM CÁPSULAS MAGISTRAIS
Authors: Barquette Bruna do Carmo , Belo Mariana Coleta Campolina , Silva Rafaela Mafia da Cruz , Costa André Lima de Oliveira
Published: June 2017

Para garantir a eficácia, a segurança e a credibilidade aos medicamentos dispensados à população, as farmácias magistrais devem aplicar as Boas Práticas de Manipulação, de acordo com a Anvisa. Ainda que limitada a aplicação integral das análises farmacopeicas nas farmácias de manipulação, a resolução estabelece os ensaios mínimos exigidos aocontrole da qualidade das preparações magistrais e oficinais. Demais testes são aplicáveis nos casos de manipulação de estoque mínimo ou análises trimestrais como forma de monitoramento do processo magistral. Neste estudo, a uniformidade de peso e de conteúdo foram avaliadas em cápsulas de ranitidina de seis diferentes farmácias magistrais em Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. As preparações foram Analisadas de acordo com os procedimentos de determinação de peso e de uniformidade de doses unitárias preconizados na Farmacopeia Brasileira e no Formulário Nacional. Apenas uma farmácia apresentou cápsulas com resultado insatisfatório no teste de determinação de peso. Em relação à uniformidade de doses, os produtos de todas as farmácias foram reprovados nos critérios do teste. Os resultados mostram que as cápsulas com uniformidade de peso não apresentam, necessariamente, uma distribuição homogênea do princípio ativo. O controle rigoroso do processo de manipulação é essencial para a garantia de produtos de qualidade, eficazes e seguros.
FOTOPROTETOR: DESENVOLVIMENTO, ESTUDO DE ESTABILIDADE PRELIMINAR E AVALIAÇÃO IN VITRO DO FATOR DE PROTEÇÃO SOLAR (FPS).
Authors: GONÇALVES TAMARA , De Almeida Aline Cordeiro , Louchard Bianca Oliveira
Published: June 2017

O uso de protetor solar é uma das medidas de fotoproteção mais utilizadas pela população, portanto esses produtos devem oferecer eficácia na proteção contra as radiações solares além de garantir segurança e qualidade da formulação desenvolvida. Os autores tiveram como objetivo desenvolver, avaliar a estabilidade preliminar e determinar o FPS in vitro de emulsões fotoprotetoras. Foram preparadas cinco formulações, pelo método de inversão de fases, utilizando diferentes concentrações de base autoemulsionante não iônica, tensoativo não iônico e agente de consistência. O Fator de Proteção Solar (FPS) foi determinado in vitro por método espectrofotométrico, e as formulações armazenadas a 25 e 37°C durante quinze dias. Foram realizados os ensaios de centrifugação, análise visual, medidas de pH e viscosidade. Os resultados demonstraram que duas formulações (F4 e F5), apresentaram estabilidade, porém a formulação F4 apresentou alta viscosidade. Em conclusão, a formulação F5 (FPS 24.32±0.025) apresentou estabilidade e adequadas propriedades sensoriais.
Crystal and electronic structure, N–H⋯N and C–H⋯O interactions in novel spiro-[chroman-chromene]-carboxylate
Authors: Vrábel Viktor , Sivý Július , Švorc Ľubomír , Světlík Jan , Peter Šafař
Published: June 2017

We report here the structure of new spiro-derivative, namely methyl (2R,4R)-4-(5-methylthiazol- 2-ylamino)spiro[chroman-2,2’-chromene]-3’-carboxylate, C23H20N2O4S, which crystallizes as racemate in the space group P-1. In this compound, the chromanone moiety consists of a benzene ring fused with a sixmembered heterocyclic ring which adopts a distorted half-chair conformation. The molecules are linked by a combination of N–H⋯N hydrogen bonds and weak C–H⋯O, C-H⋯S, C-H⋯π, inter- and intramolecular interactions resulting in a two-dimensional network in the crystal structure.
An exact block algorithm for no-idle RPQ problem
Authors: Pempera Jaroslaw
Published: June 2017

In the work a single-machine scheduling problem is being considered, in which all tasks have a fixed availability (release) and delivery time. In the analyzed variant no-idle time is allowed on a machine. The purpose of optimization is to determine such order of tasks that minimizes the makespan, i.e. the time of execution of all the tasks. There is also a number of properties of the problem presented, in particular there are formulated block eliminating properties for no-idle constraint. There was an exact B&B algorithm based on the block properties proposed.
Efficacy of plant-derived formulation “Argus Ras” in Varroa destructor control
Authors: Stanimirović Zoran , Glavinić Uroš , Lakić Nada , Radović Dejan , Ristanić Marko , Tarić Elmin , Stevanović Jevrosima
Published: June 2017

Varroa destructor is the most important honey bee parasite. There are various methods used in the control of this mite, but none of them meets all requested criteria, to be safe, effective and easy to apply. The objective of this study was to evaluate the varroacidal efficacy of newly created plant-derived formulation Argus Ras (mixture of extracts of Sophora flavescens, Ginkgo biloba, Gleditsia chinensis and Teucrium chamaedrys) in a field trial. The investigation was conducted on 240 Apis mellifera colonies equalized in respect of brood amount, adult bee population and food reserves. Efficiency was evaluated by applying Argus Ras consecutively with two other acaricides, amitraz and oxalic acid. Average acaricidal efficacy of Argus Ras was 80.89%, being higher of other previously tested essential oils. Besides, it showed a potential in knocking down the mites resistant to other acaricides. It should not be neglected that Argus Ras requires a smaller number of treatments and financial investments than other formulations used for the control of Varroa mites.
Evaluation and application of the TTA-rapid method in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture
Authors: Arican Mustafa , Parlak Kurtuluş , Şahin Hüseyin
Published: June 2017

The objective of this study intended the application of the current technique of modified tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA)-rapid method in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CrCL) and reports on the clinical outcome and complications. The study material consisted of 17 male dogs of different breeds between the ages of 2-8 years, average weight of 32 kg with a diagnosed unilateral CCL rupture. Hudson Visual Analog Scale (HVAS)-Walking Test Rating, Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CPBI)-Pain Rating) were examined, and rupture of the CCL was diagnosed based on direct radiographic examination. The pre-operative evaluation of the implant to be used in TTA-Rapid technique was determined by measuring radiographic images of the CCL in dogs. Post-operative evaluation in the 1st, 2nd, and at 3 month was performed by radiographic examination, gait and pain tests. Major complications were recorded in 17.6% of the cases. Fourteen (82.4%) dogs had a good to excellent outcome 3 months after surgery. Lameness and pain assessment were performed up to 15 days prior to the operation and 1, 2, and 3 months after the TTA-Rapid technique procedure.

It can be concluded that TTA-Rapid technique procedure is a fast, easy to learn and non-invasive treatment of CrCL ruptures in dogs.
Economic Evaluation of Nano and Organic Fertilisers As an Alternative Source to Chemical Fertilisers on Carum Carvi L. Plant Yield and Components
Authors: Mahmoud Abdel Wahab Mohamed , El-Din El-Attar Asmaa Badr , Mahmoud Abeer Abdel
Published: June 2017

To show the benefits of organic agriculture, safe and sustainable production, the present research was performed in an open field (new reclaimed area of desert) of Wadi El-Notron, Beheira Governorate, Egypt, for two successive years (2013 and 2014) aimed at a better understanding and to investigate the role of alternative source of chemical fertilisers represented by humic substances, natural nano-zeolite-loaded nitrogen and biofertilisers (HNB) on yield, morphological, leaf and seed anatomy, chemical compositions reflected in macro and micro nutrients, indigenous hormones, plant pigments, total carbohydrates, ascorbic acid, thiamine, total phenolics, total flavonoids, total fatty acids, oil yield and constituents of caraway (Carum carvi L.) plants. Our results revealed that plants receiving a combination treatment (HNB) recorded significant increases over control in both growing seasons. Moreover, economic evaluation reflects the profound influence of combination treatment (HNB) that realized the maximum gross income and minimum production cost. These findings emphasize the magnitude of the role of natural soil additions and organic fertilisers in mitigating environmental pollution while providing safe production and also minimizing total costs of chemical fertilisers.
New Developments of Solar Energy Utilization in the Aspect of EU Directives
Authors: Barwicki Jan , Kuboń Maciej , Marczuk Andrzej
Published: June 2017

Photovoltaic systems are very efficient concerning proper utilization of solar radiation. However, the nanotechnology solution can replace the photovoltaic by the use of new production technology to lower the price of solar cells to one tenth. Sun provides nearly unlimited energy resource, but existing solar energy harvesting technologies are quite expensive and cannot compete with fossil fuels. The central part of Poland, which represents about 50 percent of the area, gives solar radiation at the level of 1000 kWh·m−2/year. Other new developments, which can help improve existing efficiency of solar systems are: diatoms utilization, artificial photosynthesis, nanoleaves and rotation solar towers.
Black hole spectroscopy via an action invariance in noncommutative spacetimes
Authors: Liu ChengZhou , Liu HaiWen
Published: June 2017

Spectroscopy for a modified Schwarzschild black hole in noncommutative spacetimes is investigated. By utilizing an action invariance of black holes, the equally spaced entropy spectrum characteristic of Bekenstein’s original derivation is recovered. The derived spectrum is independent of the noncommutative parameter θ, and holds for all the existed noncommutative black holes independent of mass. On the other hand, the obtained area spectrum is not always equidistant due to the noncommutativity effects of the modified spacetimes. For large black holes, the equally spaced area spectrum spectrum can be obtained at the leading order in θ. But, for small black holes, the derived area spectrum is not equidistant, and it depends the noncommutative parameter. In addition, the one loop back reaction effect on the spectroscopy of the noncommutative Schwarzschild black hole is discussed. In this calculation, due to the back reaction effect, the equidistant area spectrum can not be obtained for all the noncommutative black holes with both large and small mass. Conversely, the back reaction effect has no influence on the entropy spectrum. The obtained entropy spectrum is equidistant and consistent with the original Bekenstein’s spectrum for all the existed noncommutative Schwarzschild black holes.
Feasibility Study of the Method Choice of Manufacturing Screw Cleaning Elements with the Development and Use of Software
Authors: Rogatinskiy Roman , Hevko Ivan , Gypka Andriy , Garmatyk Oksana , Martsenko Sergiy
Published: June 2017

computer simulation of a curved profile formation on a helical spiral was carried out. A feasibility study was conducted in order to choose the method suitable for manufacturing of L-shaped helical spirals using specially developed software for calculating of the costs of helical spiral formation processes. The tables presenting technological characteristics of the design parameters of screw coiling working bodies manufactured by different methods are provided. The production costs for 1 meter of helical spiral with a curved profile manufactured by different methods are calculated. Theoretical and experimental investigations proved that the most cost-effective method of L-shaped helical spiral manufacturing is to coil it along the inner face from rectangular pieces with simultaneous or subsequent shelve formation.