bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Open burning of rice, corn and wheat straws: primary emissions, photochemical aging, and secondary organic aerosol formation
Authors: Fang Zheng , Deng Wei , Zhang Yanli , Ding Xiang , Tang Mingjin , Liu Tengyu , Hu Qihou , Zhu Ming , Wang Zhaoyi , Yang Weiqiang , Huang Zhonghui , Song Wei , Bi Xinhui , Chen Jianmin , Sun Yele , George Christian , Wang Xinming
Published: August 2017

Abstract. Agricultural residues are among the most abundant biomass burned globally, especially in China. However, there is rare information on primary emissions and photochemical evolution of agricultural residues burning. In this study, indoor chamber experiments were conducted to investigate primary emissions from open burning of rice, corn and wheat straws and their photochemical aging as well. Emission factors of NOx, NH3, SO2, 67 non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), particulate matter (PM), organic aerosol (OA) and black carbon (BC) under ambient dilution conditions were determined. Olefins accounted for > 50 % of the total NMHCs emission (2.47 to 5.04 g kg−1), indicating high ozone formation potential of straw burning emissions. Emission factors of PM (3.73 to 6.36 g kg−1) and primary organic carbon (POC, 2.05 to 4.11 gC kg−1), measured at dilution ratios of 1300 to 4000, were lower than those reported in previous studies at low dilution ratios, probably due to the evaporation of semi-volatile organic compounds under high dilution conditions. After photochemical aging with OH exposure range of (1.97–4.97) × 1010 molecule cm−3 s in the chamber, large amounts of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) were produced with OA mass enhancement ratios (the mass ratio of total OA to primary OA) of 2.4–7.6. The 20 known precursors could only explain 5.0–27.3 % of the observed SOA mass, suggesting that the major precursors of SOA formed from open straw burning remain unidentified. Aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS) signaled that the aged OA contained less hydrocarbons but more oxygen- and nitrogen-containing compounds than primary OA, and carbon oxidation state (OSc) calculated with AMS resolved O / C and H / C ratios increased linearly (p
Evaluation of turbulence measurement techniques from a single Doppler lidar
Authors: Bonin Timothy A. , Choukulkar Aditya , Brewer W. Alan , Sandberg Scott P. , Weickmann Ann M. , Pichugina Yelena L. , Banta Robert M. , Oncley Steven P. , Wolfe Daniel E.
Published: August 2017

Abstract. Measurements of turbulence are essential to understand and quantify the transport and dispersal of heat, moisture, momentum, and trace gases within the planetary boundary layer (PBL). Through the years, various techniques to measure turbulence using Doppler lidar observations have been proposed. However, the accuracy of these measurements has rarely been validated against trusted in situ instrumentation. Herein, data from the eXperimental Planetary boundary layer Instrumentation Assessment (XPIA) are used to verify Doppler lidar turbulence profiles through comparison with sonic anemometer measurements. For 17 days at the end of the experiment, a single scanning Doppler lidar continuously cycled through different turbulence measurement strategies: velocity–azimuth display (VAD), six-beam scans, and range–height indicators (RHIs) with a vertical stare.Measurements of turbulence kinetic energy (TKE), turbulence intensity, and stress velocity from these techniques are compared with sonic anemometer measurements at six heights on a 300 m tower. The six-beam technique is found to generally measure turbulence kinetic energy and turbulence intensity the most accurately at all heights (r2  ≈  0.78), showing little bias in its observations (slope of  ≈  0. 95). Turbulence measurements from the velocity–azimuth display method tended to be biased low near the surface, as large eddies were not captured by the scan. None of the methods evaluated were able to consistently accurately measure the shear velocity (r2 =  0.15–0.17). Each of the scanning strategies assessed had its own strengths and limitations that need to be considered when selecting the method used in future experiments.
Development of bacterial communities in biological soil crusts along a revegetation chronosequence in the Tengger Desert, northwest China
Authors: Liu Lichao , Liu Yubing , Zhang Peng , Song Guang , Hui Rong , Wang Zengru , Wang Jin
Published: August 2017

Abstract. Knowledge of structure and function of microbial communities in different successional stages of biological soil crusts (BSCs) is still scarce for desert areas. In this study, Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to assess the compositional changes of bacterial communities in different ages of BSCs in the revegetation of Shapotou in the Tengger Desert. The most dominant phyla of bacterial communities shifted with the changed types of BSCs in the successional stages, from Firmicutes in mobile sand and physical crusts to Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria in BSCs, and the most dominant genera shifted from Bacillus, Enterococcus and Lactococcus to RB41_norank and JG34-KF-361_norank. Alpha diversity and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis indicated that bacterial richness and abundance reached their highest levels after 15 years of BSC development. Redundancy analysis showed that silt + clay content and total K were the prime determinants of the bacterial communities of BSCs. The results suggested that bacterial communities of BSCs recovered quickly with the improved soil physicochemical properties in the early stages of BSC succession. Changes in the bacterial community structure may be an important indicator in the biogeochemical cycling and nutrient storage in early successional stages of BSCs in desert ecosystems.
Gross changes in forest area shape the future carbon balance of tropical forests
Authors: Li Wei , Ciais Philippe , Yue Chao , Gasser Thomas , Peng Shushi , Bastos Ana
Published: August 2017

Abstract. Bookkeeping models are used to estimate land-use change (LUC) carbon fluxes (ELUC). These models combine time series of areas subject to different LUC types with response curves of carbon pools in ecosystems and harvested products after a unit change of land use. The level of detail of bookkeeping models depends on the number of response curves used for different regions, the carbon pools they represent, and the diversity of LUC types considered. The uncertainty of bookkeeping models arises from data used to define response curves (usually local data) and their representativeness of large regions. Here, we compare biomass recovery curves derived from a recent synthesis of secondary forest plots data by Poorter et al. (2016) with the curves used in bookkeeping models from Houghton (1999) and Hansis et al. (2015) in Latin America. We find that both Houghton (1999) and Hansis et al. (2015) overestimate the long-term (100 years) biomass carbon density of secondary forest, by about 25 %. We also show the importance of considering gross forest area change in addition to the net forest area change for estimating regional ELUC. To do so, simulations are constructed with a bookkeeping model calibrated with three different sets of response curves (linear, exponential and logarithmic) to study ELUC created by a pulse of net forest area change, with different gross-to-net forest area change ratios (γAnetAgross). Following the initial pulse of forest area change, ELUC is subsequently calculated over 100 years. Considering a region subject to a net gain in forest area during one year, different values of gross forest area changes that sum up to this initial net gain can change the magnitude and even the sign of ELUC with a given time horizon after the initial forest area change. In other words, in the case of a net gain in forest area composed of a large gross loss and a large gross gain, the initial gross loss has an important legacy effect that the system can be a net source of CO2 to the atmosphere. We show the existence of a critical value of γAnetAgross above which ELUC switches from CO2 sink to source with a given time horizon after the initial forest area change. This critical ratio derived from the structure of the bookkeeping model is compared against real-world high resolution Landsat TM observations of gross forest area change in the Amazon to distinguish areas where current forest land turnover will legate LUC carbon emissions or sinks in 20 years, 50 years and 100 years in the future.
C5 glycolipids of heterocystous cyanobacteria track symbiont abundance in the diatom Hemiaulus hauckii
across the tropical north Atlantic
Authors: Bale Nicole J. , Villareal Tracy A. , Hopmans Ellen C. , Brussaard Corina P. D. , Besseling Marc , Dorhout Denise , Sinninghe Damsté Jaap S. , Schouten Stefan
Published: August 2017

Abstract. Diatom-diazotroph associations (DDAs) include marine heterocystous cyanobacteria found as exoand endosymbionts in multiple diatom species. Heterocysts are the site of N2 fixation and have a thickened cell walls containing unique heterocyst glycolipids which maintain a low oxygen environment within the heterocyst. The endosymbiotic cyanobacteria Richelia intracellularis found in species of the diatom genus Hemiaulus and Rhizosolenia makes heterocyst glycolipids (HGs) containing pentose (C5) moieties that are distinct from limnetic cyanobacterial HGs with C6 moieties. Here we applied a method for analysis of intact polar lipids (IPLs) to the study of HGs in suspended particulate matter (SPM) and surface sediment from across the tropical North Atlantic. The study focused on the Amazon plume region where DDAs are documented to form extensive surface blooms in order to examine the utility of C5 HGs as markers for DDAs as well as their transportation to underlying sediments. C5 HGs were detected in both marine SPM and surface sediments. We found a significant correlation between the water column concentration of C5 HGs and DDA symbiont counts. In particular, the concentrations of both the C5 HGs (1-(O-ribose)-3,27,29-triacontanetriol (C5 HG30 triol) and 1-(O-ribose)- 3,29,31-dotriacontanetriol (C5 HG32 triol)) in SPM exhibited a significant correlation with the number of Hemiaulus hauckii symbionts. This result strengthens the idea that C5 HGs can be applied as biomarkers for marine endosymbiotic heterocystous cyanobacteria. The presence of the C5 HGs in surface sediment provides evidence that they are effectively transported to the sediment and hence have potential as biomarkers for studies of the contribution of DDAs to the paleo-marine N-cycle.
Possibilities of further improvement of 1 s fluxgate variometers
Authors: Marusenkov Andriy
Published: August 2017

Abstract. The paper discusses the possibility of improving temperature and noise characteristics of fluxgate variometers. The new fluxgate sensor with a Co-based amorphous ring core is described. This sensor is capable of improving the signal-to-noise ratio at the recording short-period geomagnetic variations. Besides the sensor performance, it is very important to create the high-stability compensation field that cancels the main Earth magnetic field inside the magnetic cores. For this purpose the new digitally controlled current source with low noise level and high temperature stability is developed.
Shallow water table effects on water, sediment and pesticide
transport in vegetative filter strips: Part B. model coupling,
application, factor importance and uncertainty
Authors: Lauvernet Claire , Muñoz-Carpena Rafael
Published: August 2017

Abstract. Vegetative filter strips are often used for protecting surface waters from pollution transferred by surface runoff in agricultural watersheds. In Europe, they are often prescribed along the stream banks, where a seasonal shallow water table (WT) could decrease the buffer zone efficiency. In spite of this potentially important effect, there are no systematic experimental or theoretical studies on the effect of this soil boundary condition on the VFS efficiency. In the companion paper, we developed a physically-based numerical algorithm (SWINGO) that allows representing soil infiltration with a shallow water table. Here we present the dynamic coupling of SWINGO with VFSMOD, an overland flow and transport mathematical model to study the WT influence on VFS efficiency in terms of reductions of overland flow, sediment and pesticide transport. This new version of VFSMOD was evaluated with two contrasted benchmark field studies in France (sandy-loam soil under Mediterranean semi-continental climate, and silty-clay under temperate Oceanic climate), where testing of the model with field data showed promising results. The analysis showed that for the conditions of the studies, VFS efficiency decreases markedly when the water table is 0 to 1.5 m from the surface. In order to evaluate the relative importance of WT among other input factors controlling VFS efficiency, two global sensitivity and uncertainty analysis (GSA) methods, Morris and eFAST, were applied on the benchmark studies. The most important factors found for VFS overland flow reduction were saturated hydraulic conductivity and WT, added to sediment characteristics and VFS dimensions for sediment and pesticide reductions. The relative importance of WT varied as a function of soil type (most important at the silty-clay soil) and hydraulic loading (rainfall + incoming runoff) at each site. The presence of WT introduced more complex responses dominated by strong interactions in the modelled system response, reducing the predominance of saturated hydraulic conductivity on infiltration under typical deep water table conditions. This study demonstrates that when present, WT should be considered as a key hydrologic factor in buffer design and evaluation as a water quality mitigation practice.
Improvement of model evaluation by incorporating prediction and measurement uncertainty
Authors: Chen Lei , Li Shuang , Zhong Yucen , Shen Zhenyao
Published: August 2017

Abstract. Numerous research studies have been conducted to assess uncertainty in hydrological and nonpoint source pollution predictions, but few studies have considered both prediction and measurement uncertainty in the model evaluation process. In this study, the Cumulative Distribution Function Approach (CDFA) and the Monte Carlo Approach (MCA) were used to develop two new approaches for model evaluation within an uncertainty framework. For the CDFA, a new distance between the cumulative distribution functions of the predicted data and the measured data was established, whereas the MCA was proposed to address conditions with dispersed data points. These new approaches were then applied in combination with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool in the Three Gorges Region, China. Based on the results, these two new approaches provided more accurate goodness-of-fit indicators for model evaluation compared to traditional methods. The model performance worsened when the error range became larger, and the choice of probability density functions (PDFs) affected model performance, especially for non-point source (NPS) predictions. The case study showed that if the measured error is small and if the distribution can be specified, the CDFA and MCA could be extended to other model applications within an uncertain condition.
Multiphase Boudinage: a case study of Amphibolites in Marble in the Naxos Migmatite core
Authors: Virgo Simon , von Hagke Christoph , Urai Janos L.
Published: August 2017

Abstract. In multiply deformed terrains, multiphase boudinage should be common, but identification and analysis of these is difficult. Here we present an analysis of multiphase boudinage and fold structures in deformed amphibolite layers in marble from the migmatitic center of the Naxos metamorphic core complex. Reconstruction of multiple boudinage generations is possible due to the exceptional 3D outcrop conditions. We identify five distinct generations of boudinage, reflecting the transition from high-strain – high-temperature ductile deformation to medium to low strain brittle boudins on the retrograde path during cooling and exhumation. All boudin generations indicate E-W horizontal shortening and variable directions of bedding parallel extension, evolving from subvertical extension in the earliest boudins to subhorizontal N-S extension during exhumation. Two phases of E-W shortening can be inferred, indicating E-W shortening in the Aegean before activity of the brittle North Anatolian Fault. This study highlights the wealth of information that can be gained from detailed analysis of multiphase boudinage structures.
Evaluation of snow cover and snow depth on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau derived from passive microwave remote sensing
Authors: Dai Liyun , Che Tao , Ding Yongjian , Hao Xiaohua
Published: August 2017

Abstract. Snow cover on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) plays a significant role in the global climate system and is an important water resource for rivers in the high-elevation region of Asia. At present, passive microwave (PMW) remote sensing data are the only efficient way to monitor temporal and spatial variations in snow depth at large scale. However, existing snow depth products show the largest uncertainties across the QTP. In this study, MODIS fractional snow cover product, point, line and intense sampling data are synthesized to evaluate the accuracy of snow cover and snow depth derived from PMW remote sensing data and to analyze the possible causes of uncertainties. The results show that the accuracy of snow cover extents varies spatially and depends on the fraction of snow cover. Based on the assumption that grids with MODIS snow cover fraction > 10 % are regarded as snow cover, the overall accuracy in snow cover is 66.7 %, overestimation error is 56.1 %, underestimation error is 21.1 %, commission error is 27.6 % and omission error is 47.4 %. The commission and overestimation errors of snow cover primarily occur in the northwest and southeast areas with low ground temperature. Omission error primarily occurs in cold desert areas with shallow snow, and underestimation error mainly occurs in glacier and lake areas. With the increase of snow cover fraction, the overestimation error decreases and the omission error increases. A comparison between snow depths measured in field experiments, measured at meteorological stations and estimated across the QTP shows that agreement between observation and retrieval improves with an increasing number of observation points in a PMW grid. The misclassification and errors between observed and retrieved snow depth are associated with the relatively coarse resolution of PMW remote sensing, ground temperature, snow characteristics and topography. To accurately understand the variation in snow depth across the QTP, new algorithms should be developed to retrieve snow depth with higher spatial resolution and should consider the variation in brightness temperatures at different frequencies emitted from ground with changing ground features.
Between Stalin and Dionysus: Bakhtin's Theory of the Carnival
Authors: Groys Boris
Published: August 2017

The essay by Russian American philologist Boris Groys and nine commentaries followed by Groys’ reply to them in this special issue: “Deconstructing Bakhtin, Carnival with Evil”, present a provocative discussion about Bakhtin’s conceptual work and legacy for education and beyond. Boris Groys argued that Bakhtin embraced a dangerous play with Stalin’s totalitarianism through fusing art and life, prioritizing cosmic carnival over human rights and by being mesmerised by dionysian passions. The following nine commentaries, written by educationalists and non-educationalists, present a diverse spectrum of reactions to Groys’ criticism of Bakhtin: from passionate rejections to sympathetic acceptance seriously considering implications of Groys’ charges. The biggest implication for education is the relationship between the teacher and the student, specifically whether the teacher authors the student and the student’s education or not. The first commentary, written by Caryl Emerson provides a brilliant overview of all these diverse positions, in education and beyond. – DPJ Editors: Eugene Matusov and Ana Marjanovic-Shane
The Bakhtin of Boris Groys: Pro and Contra
Authors: Emerson Caryl
Published: August 2017

No abstarct
Between Groys and Gasparov
Authors: Zholkovsky Alexander
Published: August 2017

No abstract
The pros and cons of deconstructing Bakhtin: A reflection on Boris Groys
Authors: Sandler Sergeiy
Published: August 2017

No abstract
Boris Groys between Dialogue and Ideology, or Why It Is So Easy to Fall into the Trap of Fleeting Political Circumstances
Authors: Lobok Alexander
Published: August 2017

No abstract
O paradoxo do tratado constitucional europeu: entre o planejamento e a evolução da Europa comunitária
Authors: Schwartz Germano , Meinero Fernando
Published: August 2017

A introdução da tentativa de um Tratado Constitucional Europeu no sistema do Direito coloca em xeque duas das mais enraizadas instituições jurídicas do Ocidente: as Constituições e os Tratados, já que ambas partem, desde o ponto de vista da doutrina tradicional, de pressupostos conceituais diferenciados. O paradoxo está ligado às condições de evolução e de planificação do sistema social global. Com isso, o presente artigo busca analisar o modo pelo qual os dois modelos de diplomas legais – amplamente utilizados na sociedade global – passaram a receber um sentido diverso em função da co-evolução citada. Para tanto, analisa os dois institutos a partir de um ângulo relacionado à possibilidade de planejamento e de controle da evolução de determinada sociedade, no caso específico a Comunidade Europeia, em que tanto o referendo quanto a aprovação parlamentar demonstraram-se ineficazes para a necessidade de se compreender o sentido de uma nova conformação jurídica. A metodologia utilizada está alicerçada repousa no funcionalismo estrutural de Niklas Luhmann na vertente autopoiética de sua teoria dos sistemas sociais autopoiéticos. Para essa linha, o referendo é, pois, um mecanismo de auto-referência do sistema jurídico. Os resultados vertidos nas urnas europeias mostra esse paradoxo, deixando exposta a dúvida sobre a necessidade de planejamento do espaço comunitário ou a evolução a partir das suas próprias características. Este último conceito é o que explica tal fracasso, diante da complexidade das estruturas de uma sociedade transfronteiriça por excelência como a europeia.
Missed opportunities for the diagnosis of Brucella infection among slaughterhouse workers at the Kumasi Abattoir, Ghana
Authors: Amegashie Esimebia Adjovi , Annan Augustina Angelina , Afum-Adjei Awuah Anthony , Larbi Richard , Addofoh Nicholas , Feglo Patrick Kwame , Owusu-Dabo Ellis
Published: August 2017

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease in humans with its public health importance. Laboratory diagnostic methods targeting brucellosis are not performed in hospital settings across Ghana. Very little is known about the comparative diagnostic abilities of the various tests available presently. The aim of this study therefore was to evaluate and compare diagnostic performances of Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT), Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) employed in diagnosing Brucella infection.Two hundred and twenty Abattoir workers were randomly selected in Kumasi, Ghana. Blood samples were collected, serum extracted and tested for the presence of anti-Brucella antibodies and compared among three different techniques, using ELISA, RBPT and PCR.From the 220 participants tested for antibodies against Brucella spp., 3 (1.4%), 4 (1.8%) and 21 (9.6%) were positive for Rose Bengal Plate test, anti-Brucella ELISA IgM and anti-Brucella ELISA IgG respectively. A total of 98 (44.5%) participants tested positive by PCR. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive values and Kappa value for Rose Bengal in comparison with PCR were 66.7%, 55.8%, 2.0%, 100% and 0.013 respectively while that for ELISA IgG in comparison with PCR were 85.7%, 71.3%, 18.4%, 98.5% and 0.212 respectively.PCR yielded the highest sensitivity and specificity among the three diagnostic methods in this study and should be considered for use at strategic reference laboratories to augment existing routine serological tests for brucella performed in laboratories in Ghana.
University-Industry Knowledge Transfer: Channels of Sport Research Interaction
Authors: Zaharia Noni
Published: August 2017

The reputation of academic programs is increasingly defined in terms of both the generation of high-quality research and the success in transferring scientific findings into commercial development. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the particular channels of research interaction between sport academia and sport companies. The purpose of this study was to assess, for the first time, the degree to which different channels of research interaction could be used to inform the research involvement levels of sport organizations with sport academia. Information was gathered from 292 sport managers working for United States sport companies. The results provide evidence that sport managers who collaborated with sport management academia are more concerned with working on joint research projects with sport management scholars and departments than with academic engagement in patenting and licenses, or involvement in networking, scholars’ mobility, and publication research channels.
The Impact of Perceived Leadership Style on Performance Appraisal Satisfaction and Organizational Diagnosis in terms of Turnover Intention
Authors: Gozukara Izlem , Hatipoglu Zeynep , Oncel Gunes Ozlem
Published: August 2017

The present paper aimed to examine the extent to which the leadership style perceived by employees affects organizational development and employees’ satisfaction with performance appraisal system and turnover intention between such relationships. For this purpose, this study utilized a descriptive survey method and collected data using questionnaires. The study sample included 245 participants. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results demonstrated that perceived leadership style has a positive effect on both organizational diagnosis and performance appraisal satisfaction, while turnover intention is only negatively affected by performance appraisal satisfaction.
Control Management System Evaluation Applied in Greater Amman Municipality (GAM)
Authors: Assaf Nasser , Abu Khalaf Wisam , Elkareem Alzoubi Abed , Zighan Saed
Published: August 2017

Purpose: This Paper studies the group rewards effects as a result of the tight action control system applied in (GAM), how they deal with this issue especially the fair treatment for rewards distribution and what is the criteria the organization follows at the end of the year.GAM gives group rewards as bonuses depending on the self-opinion of the general manager believes in the ability of the team to accomplish the project, which might cause conflicts and unfair bonuses distribution among the group members.This study diagnosis the problem and suggests solutions in order to fix the lack of confidence between the employees and the high management decisions especially with rewards, if it is not processing fairly, the organization will face un-commitment behaviors from employees to achieve the organizational objectives, in addition, they will start looking for external opportunities sooner if this issue is not solved. Employees’ motivation varies among individuals, some are motivated by monetary compensations, while others by promotions and so on.Future implications: GAM should design a group rewards system that fairly distribute the rewards among the group members. Human resource management should follow a role in evaluations of individuals performance in order to give the HR his tasks.
Health Care Service Quality and Its Impact on Patient Satisfaction “Case of Al-Bashir Hospital”
Authors: Al-Damen Rula
Published: August 2017

This study aimed to measure the impact of perceived health care service quality on patient satisfaction at a major government hospital in Jordan. For this purpose, the study developed an instrument based on modified ‘SERVQUAL’ using five service quality dimensions, namely: empathy, tangible, reliability, responsiveness and assurance. A survey was conducted to collect data with a total of 448 outpatient participants. Statistical techniques such as descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were employed to test the hypotheses. Results show that there is an impact of perceived health care service quality on overall patient satisfaction. Reliability had the most influence, followed by empathy and assurance. The study provided a set of recommendations.
Linkage Strategies, Resource Conditions and University Performance
Authors: Michael Ngala Orucho , Awino Zachary Bolo
Published: August 2017

This study sought to contribute to knowledge by assessing the moderating effect of resource conditions on the relationship between linkage strategies and performance of universities in Kenya. Resource based view was used as the main theory anchoring the study. Cross-Sectional survey was adopted as the research design. The population of the study consists of sixty five (65) public and private universities incorporated in Kenya. Out of this, a sample of forty seven (47) universities which had undergone at least one graduation cycle was taken. Primary and secondary data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and review of existing university documents and regulatory bodies’ websites respectively. Correlation and regression analyses were carried out to analyse data and to test hypotheses. Although it was not possible to include all the determinants of institutional performance, balanced score card was appropriately used to represent financial and non-financial aspects that constitute performance indicators. It was established that resource conditions have enhancing moderating effect on the relationship between linkage strategies and university performance in Kenya. The significance of firm resources and linkage components in strategy formulation and implementation cannot be overlooked. The key recommendation that the study offers as insights to theory, university authorities and policy makers, is the need to consider firm resource conditions as critical determinants during strategy formulation and implementation process in order to enhance university performance. The main limitation of this study is that primary data was collected from only one respondent per university but common methods bias was mitigated through the use of additional secondary data to validate primary data.
Capital Structure Theories and Firm’s Value-Evidence from Bursa Malaysia Construction Sector
Authors: Razak Abdul Hadi Abdul , Nadiah Md Lazim Nur Farah , Iqbal Tahir
Published: August 2017

This paper examines the relevance of Capital Structure theories to the performance of construction firms listed at Bursa Malaysia. Within the framework of Modigliani-Miller and Trade-Off theories, this paper uses Generalized Method of Moments as an estimation model employing yearly panel data over the observed period from 2010 through 2015. The test results from GMM indicate that earnings per share (EPS), dividend per share (DPS) and debt-equity ratio (D/E) have no significant relationship with firm’s value as represented by market price per share (MPPS).  Even though the findings are rather shocking, one must admit there is an absence of Modigliani-Miller and Trade-Off theories in those construction firms at Bursa Malaysia.  Obviously, this is an indication that the efficient market hypothesis prevails to a certain level at Bursa Malaysia.
The Impact of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) and Organizational Commitment on Market-Orientation of the Banks (Case Study: Parsian Bank Branches in Tehran)
Authors: Khoshnammoghadam Fariba
Published: August 2017

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) and organizational commitment on market-orientation of the banks (case study: branches of Parsian bank in Tehran). The approach of the study was quantitative descriptive-survey, timely cross-sectional and the purpose was practical. The statistical society of the study were branches of the Parsian bank in Tehran, winter 2016, where based on the reason and nature of inquiry, 60 of the employees were selected as the sample size simple randomly. In addition to the standard library research, the main tool were three questionnaire that their reliability was determined 0.84 by Cronbach's alpha test. To analyze the data, descriptive and inferential statistical methods and software SPSS, version 22, was used. The results showed that OCB and also organizational commitment and its components have a significant positive impact on market-orientation of Parsian Bank.
The Role of Internal Auditing in Controlling the Performance for Jordanian Industrial Companies: Empirical Evidence
Authors: Soud Alqadi Faris
Published: August 2017

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of internal auditing in controlling the performance of Jordanian industrial companies. To achieve the study objective, the researcher distributed a questionnaire to (150) of the employees in the Jordanian industrial companies, (91) questionnaires were returned which was (60.67%). In addition, the study attempted to verify the basic hypotheses and that of the study. On order to analyze the data, the researcher used the Mean, Standard Deviation, Percentages, and T-test. The result of the study revealed the presence of a very high degree relationship between the independence and objectivity of the internal auditor and his ability to control financial and administrative performance with (89.2%), also there is a very high degree relationship between the adoption of clear criteria-tools for internal auditor and his ability to control the financial administrative performance with (75.76%). Based on the result of hypotheses tested, the two null hypotheses of the study were rejected. In the light of the finding, the researcher gave a number of recommendations that are necessary to achieve the competitive advantages and quality assurance. The results of this study revealed that the internal audit function is one of the basic functions in Jordanian industrial companies and the internal auditor has the ability to discrimination indicator mistakes and distortions in the records and financial statements.
Integrated Reporting and Italian Companies: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Paolucci Guido , Cerioni Eva
Published: August 2017

Corporate reporting has undergone many changes. One main reason is that stakeholders see their needs change and evolve, thus making it necessary for them toexpress their various requests for information which, in turn, forces companies to rethink their external reporting practices. Recent studies support the position that the traditional annual report does not provide stakeholders with an adequate picture of the assets and the value created by the company. In response to this, Integrated Reporting (IR) has been adopted as a solution capable of providing both a holistic view of a company’s ability to create value in a sustainable way and an integrated vision of the company from a financial and a non-financial point of view.. Thus, this paper aims to examine the real reasons that have pushed major Italian companies to opt for IR and, especially, to explore the benefits that can now be identified a few years beyond the first publication of an Integrated Report. To investigate this topic, an exploratory field study involving ten Italian companies was conducted. The methodology relied on a qualitative approach, as it allows researchers to deal with complex “how” questions and, at the same time, offers a wide and complete picture of the phenomenon. The paper gives senior managers an overview of Italian companies that have already developed this new form of information reporting while providing valuable insights and an understanding of the perceived organizational benefits of implementing IR requirements. The study also contributes to the debate on managerial motives for producing an Integrated Report and how that may affect future decisions. The findings reveal a common thread among all the study participants, summarized by the completeness and transparency of the results. They also highlight an exhaustive list of benefits reported by these companies, which may serve as an incentive for those that have not yet adopted IR.
GARCH Models with Fat-Tailed Distributions and the Hong Kong Stock Market Returns
Authors: Guo Zi-Yi
Published: August 2017

As one of the world’s largest securities markets, the Hong Kong stock market plays a significant role in facilitating the development of Chinese economy. In this paper, we investigate a suite of widely-used models, the GARCH models in risk management of the Hong Kong stock market returns. To account for conditional volatilities, we consider a new type of fat-tailed distribution, the normal reciprocal inverse Gaussian distribution (NRIG), and compare its empirical performance with two other popular types of fat-tailed distribution, the Student’s t distribution and the normal inverse Gaussian distribution (NIG). We show that the NRIG distribution performs slightly better than the other two types of distribution. Also, our results indicate that it is important to introduce both GJR-terms and the NRIG distribution to improve the models’ performance. Our results illustrate that the asymmetric GARCH NRIG model has practical advantages in quantitative risk management, and serves as a very useful tool for industry participants.
The Linkage between ESG Performance and Credit Ratings: A Firm-Level Perspective Analysis
Authors: Devalle Alain , Fiandrino Simona , Cantino Valter
Published: August 2017

This paper investigates the effect of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance on credit ratings. We argue that ESG factors should be considered in the credit analysis and the creditworthiness evaluation of borrowers because they affect borrowers’ cash flows and the likelihood of default on their debt obligations. Consequently, we develop our research by firstly reviewing the literature regarding ESG commitments within financial decision-making processes and then addressing the relation between ESG performance and the cost of debt financing. We reveal no unanimous results and no clear-cut boundaries on this matter yet. Secondly, to disentangle this relationship, which is not well defined by scholars, we empirically investigate the nexus between ESG performance and credit rating issues on a sample of 56 Italian and Spanish public firms for which ESG performance in 2015 was achieved. Our final sample includes 15 variables for 56 observations: 840 items are under analysis. Our findings suggest that ESG performance, especially concerning social and governance metrics, meaningfully affects credit ratings. We do not sort out significant results referring to environmental scores, so further research is needed to investigate this ever-growing matter and strengthen this considerable nexus.
An Assessment of the Access to Credit-Welfare Nexus: Evidence from Mauritania
Authors: Amendola Alessandra , Boccia Marinella , Mele Gianluca , Sensini Luca
Published: August 2017

This paper evaluates the impact of access to credit from banks and other financial institutions on household welfare in Mauritania. Household level data are used to evaluate the relationship between credit access, a range of household characteristics, and welfare indicators. To address the threats of potential endogeneity, an index of household isolation is used to instrument access to credit. Evidence on the validity of the exclusion restriction is provided showing that household isolation is unrelated with households and area characteristics six years prior to the measurements on which this analysis is based. Results show that households with older and more educated heads are more likely to access financial services, as are households living in urban areas. In addition, greater financial access is associated with a reduced dependence on household production and increased investment in human capital. The policy conclusions from our analysis support strategies for expanding financial infrastructures in underserved rural areas of Mauritania.
On Forecasting Taiwanese Stock Index Option Prices: The Role of Implied Volatility Index
Authors: Wang Jying-Nan , Liu Hung-Chun , Chen Lu-Jui
Published: August 2017

This paper aims to propose four volatility measures: The first is the GARCH model advocated by Bollerslev (1986); the second is the GARCHVIX model which extends the GARCH model by including the volatility index (VIX) as explanatory variable for volatility; the last two are HS20D and HS252D, which represent the historical volatilities generated by traditional rolling window technique with 20- and 252-day historical index returns data, respectively. We examine the price information on VIX to improve the predictive performance of GARCH model for valuing TAIEX stock index call options (TXO) over the period from January 2014 to May 2015. Empirical results firstly indicate that both the GARCH and GARCHVIX models consistently perform better than the historical volatility models for forecasting call value of TXO under different moneynesses. Secondly, the GARCHVIX model significantly outperforms the GARCH model for most cases, indicating that the GARCH-based option price forecasts can be effectively improved with the additional information contained in VIX. Finally, the use of GARCHVIX model can greatly reduce model mispricing especially for out-the-money TXO option case. Thus, volatility index is crucial for option traders to efficiently predict TXO option value with GARCH model.
The Long Run Effect of Female Work Force Participation on Child Labour
Authors: Sahin Soumya , Ghosh Ambar Nath
Published: August 2017

We develop a simple overlapping generations model to show how an increased level of female labour force participation(FLFP) could add to GDP and also make society, especially, women and children better off in the long run. It will also enumerate some of the reasons behind the gender gap in employment and suggest ways to overcome the gap.
Human Resource Management and Nudging: An Experimental Analysis on Goal Settings in German Companies
Authors: Grunewald Mara , Hammermann Andrea , Placke Beate
Published: August 2017

We analyse how human resource managers and directors in German companies can become aware of the application of incentive systems like goalsetting and performance-based pay. In particular, we analyse to what extent a nudge can increase the interest of experts in goalsetting and performance-based pay. The nudge consists of giving information concerning the diffusion rate of goalsetting and performance-based pay, as well as the potential productivity increase. In fact, surveyed HR managers who received the information reported a higher interest in goalsetting and performance-based pay compared to the control group of HR managers without such information. Furthermore, the study showed a consistent answering behaviour between statements about intended activities with the performance management and statements about the actual implementation one year later.
Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Education and Learning, Vol. 6, No. 3
Authors: Sun Barbara
Published: August 2017

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Education and Learning, Vol. 6, No. 3, 2017
Reading Comprehension and Tolerance against Comprehension Ambiguities: An Empirical Study of Iranian GFL-Learners in Communicative Education
Authors: Haghani Nader , Bahmannejad Fereshteh
Published: August 2017

The present study examines the influence of ambiguity tolerance on the performance of Iranian GFL-learners (Note 1) at level B1 in the processing of gap-filling-text tests. It is assumed that learners with more tolerance of ambiguity achieve better results in the reading comprehension or in the contextual guessing of the omitted words. 34 GFL learners at Level B1 in Iran Language Institute in Mashhad have completed a three-part pilot gap-filling test as well as the pilot questionnaire called SLTAS (Note 2) to assess their ambiguity tolerance. In order to examine the hypothesis and to answer the research question, the total score of the subjects who participated in the pilot and the main study were analyzed by SPSS program version 18.0. The quantitative-correlative analysis did not demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between the tolerance of ambiguity and reading comprehension. In conclusion, with regard to the multi-dimensionality of reading comprehension, and despite the divergent empirical evidence in research literature, it is still advisable to take into account the affective, cognitive, and extra-linguistic determinants of reading comprehension in further empirical studies from various aspects and to greater extents. This study provides suggestions for the recognition of the interaction between different affective, and cognitive influential factors in the multidimensional reading process, as well as a basis for the teachers’ and linguists’ methodology with respect to learners in terms of their individual differences while instructing reading comprehension in German as a foreign language.
Design, Development and Delivery of Active Learning Tools in Software Verification & Validation Education
Authors: Acharya Sushil , Manohar Priyadarshan Anant , Wu Peter , Maxim Bruce , Hansen Mary
Published: August 2017

Active learning tools are critical in imparting real world experiences to the students within a classroom environment. This is important because graduates are expected to develop software that meets rigorous quality standards in functional and application domains with little to no training. However, there is a well-recognized need for the availability of effective active tools. This need has been addressed by the authors by designing, developing, and delivering, twenty delivery hours of Case Studies, sixteen delivery hours of Class Exercises, and six delivery hours of Video Case Studies for use in V&V courses. The active learning tools focus on some specific SV&V topics such as requirements engineering, software reviews, configuration management, and software testing. Four key skill areas sought after by employers, namely communication skills, applied knowledge of methods, applied knowledge of tools, and research exposure have been used to drive the development funded by a National Science Foundation grant and perfected through an industry-academia partnership. These tools have been successfully disseminated to over 25 universities with many CS, IS, SE programs incorporating the tools in their existing courses and others designing new courses based on these tools.In this paper we present data on the student feedback and pedagogical effectiveness of the strategies used to effectively incorporate and deliver the developed active learning tools by instructors at two universities. Traditional and flipped classroom delivery strategies are discussed as well as topics like pre-requisite knowledge preparation prior to class, course module presentation sequence, homework, team/individual work, collaborative discussions, and assessment tools are deliberated. The student questionnaire data from the two University Partners who used the V&V instructional activities were quite positive and showed that students were interested in the activities, saw the real-world applications, and communicated with their classmates as they solved the problems. Educational outcomes assessment demonstrated more effective learning in all key learning areas.