Abstract: There are pending discussions over the mapping of
country export potential in order to refocus export strategy of firms
and its evidence-based promotion by the Export Credit Agencies
(ECAs) and other permitted vehicles of governments.
In this paper we develop our version of an applied model that
offers “stepwise” elimination of unattractive markets. We modify and
calibrate the model for the particular features of the Czech Republic
and specific pilot cases where we apply an individual approach to
each sector.
Abstract: The use of information and communication
technologies such as computers, mobile phones and the Internet is
becoming prevalent in today’s world; and it is facilitating access to a
vast amount of data, services and applications for the improvement of
people’s lives. However, this prevalence of ICTs is hampered by the
problem of low income levels in developing countries to the point
where people cannot timeously replace or repair their ICT devices
when damaged or lost; and this problem serves as a motivation for
this study whose aim is to examine the perceptions of teachers on the
reliability of cellphones when used for teaching and learning
purposes. The research objectives unfolding this aim are of two
types: Objectives on the selection and design of theories and models,
and objectives on the empirical testing of these theories and models.
The first type of objectives is achieved using content analysis in an
extensive literature survey: and the second type of objectives is
achieved through a survey of high school teachers from the ILembe
and UMgungundlovu districts in the KwaZulu-Natal province of
South Africa. Data collected from this questionnaire based survey is
analysed in SPSS using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations
after checking the reliability and validity of the questionnaires. The
main hypothesis driving this study is that there is a relationship
between the demographics and the attribution identity of teachers on
one hand, and their perceptions on the reliability of cellphones on the
other hand, as suggested by existing literature; except that attribution
identities are considered in this study under three angles: intention,
knowledge and ability, and action. The results of this study confirm
that the perceptions of teachers on the reliability of cellphones for
teaching and learning are affected by the school location of these
teachers, and by their perceptions on learners’ cellphones usage
intentions and actual use.
Abstract: At-site flood frequency analysis is used to estimate
flood quantiles when at-site record length is reasonably long. In
Australia, FLIKE software has been introduced for at-site flood
frequency analysis. The advantage of FLIKE is that, for a given
application, the user can compare a number of most commonly
adopted probability distributions and parameter estimation methods
relatively quickly using a windows interface. The new version of
FLIKE has been incorporated with the multiple Grubbs and Beck test
which can identify multiple numbers of potentially influential low
flows. This paper presents a case study considering six catchments in
eastern Australia which compares two outlier identification tests
(original Grubbs and Beck test and multiple Grubbs and Beck test)
and two commonly applied probability distributions (Generalized
Extreme Value (GEV) and Log Pearson type 3 (LP3)) using FLIKE
software. It has been found that the multiple Grubbs and Beck test
when used with LP3 distribution provides more accurate flood
quantile estimates than when LP3 distribution is used with the
original Grubbs and Beck test. Between these two methods, the
differences in flood quantile estimates have been found to be up to
61% for the six study catchments. It has also been found that GEV
distribution (with L moments) and LP3 distribution with the multiple
Grubbs and Beck test provide quite similar results in most of the
cases; however, a difference up to 38% has been noted for flood
quantiles for annual exceedance probability (AEP) of 1 in 100 for one
catchment. This finding needs to be confirmed with a greater number
of stations across other Australian states.
Abstract: The postharvest quality management of tomatoes is
important to limit the amount of losses that occur due to deterioration
between harvest and consumption. This study was undertaken to
investigate the effects of pre- and postharvest integrated agrotechnologies,
involving greenhouse microclimate and postharvest
storage conditions, on the postharvest quality attributes of four
tomato cultivars. Tomato fruit firmness, colour (hue angle (h°) and
L* value), pH and total soluble solids for the cultivars Bona,
Star 9037, Star 9009 and Zeal, grown in a fan-pad evaporativelycooled
and an open-ended naturally-ventilated tunnel, were harvested
at the mature-green stage. The tomatoes were stored for 28 days
under cold storage conditions, with a temperature of 13°C and RH of
85%, and under ambient air conditions, with a temperature of 23±
2°C and RH of 52± 4%. This study has provided information on the
effect of integrated pre-harvest and postharvest agro-technologies,
involving greenhouse microclimate and postharvest storage
environment on the postharvest quality attributes of four of the
tomato cultivars in South Africa. NVT-grown tomatoes retained
better textural qualities, but ripened faster by changing from green to
red faster, although these were reduced under cold storage conditions.
FPVT-grown tomatoes had lower firmness, but ripened slowly with
higher colour attributes. With cold storage conditions, the firmness of
FPVT-grown tomatoes was maintained. Cultivar Bona firmness and
colour qualities depreciated the fastest, but it had higher TSS content
and lower pH values. Star 9009 and Star 9037 presented better
quality, by retaining higher firmness and ripening slowly, but they
had the lowest TSS contents and high pH values, especially
Star 9037. Cold storage improved the firmness of tomato cultivars
with poor textural quality and faster colour changes.
Abstract: Hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films have
been synthesized by a radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical
vapor deposition (rf-PECVD) technique with different bias voltage
from 0.0 to -0.5 kV. The Raman spectra displayed the polymer-like
hydrogenated amorphous carbon (PLCH) film with 0.0 to -0.1 and
a-C:H films with -0.2 to -0.5 kV of bias voltages. The surface chemical
information of all films were studied by X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy (XPS) technique, presented to C-C (sp2 and sp3) and C-O
bonds, and relative carbon (C) and oxygen (O) atomics contents. The
O contamination had affected on structure and optical properties. The
true density of PLCH and a-C:H films were characterized by X-ray
refractivity (XRR) method, showed the result as in the range of
1.16-1.73 g/cm3 that depending on an increasing of bias voltage. The
hardness was proportional to the true density of films. In addition, the
optical properties i.e. refractive index (n) and extinction coefficient (k)
of these films were determined by a spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE)
method that give formation to in 1.62-2.10 (n) and 0.04-0.15 (k)
respectively. These results indicated that the optical properties
confirmed the Raman results as presenting the structure changed with
applied bias voltage increased.
Abstract: In structures, stress concentration is a factor of fatigue
fracture. Basically, the stress concentration is a phenomenon that
should be avoided. However, it is difficult to avoid the stress
concentration. Therefore, relaxation of the stress concentration is
important. The stress concentration arises from notches and circular
holes. There is a relaxation method that a composite patch covers a
notch and a circular hole. This relaxation method is used to repair
aerial wings, but it is not systematized. Composites are more
expensive than single materials. Accordingly, we propose the
relaxation method that a single material patch covers a notch and a
circular hole, and aim to systematize this relaxation method.
We performed FEA (Finite Element Analysis) about an object by
using a three-dimensional FEA model. The object was that a patch
adheres to a plate with a circular hole. And, a uniaxial tensile load acts
on the patched plate with a circular hole. In the three-dimensional FEA
model, it is not easy to model the adhesion layer. Basically, the yield
stress of the adhesive is smaller than that of adherents. Accordingly,
the adhesion layer gets to plastic deformation earlier than the adherents
under the yield load of adherents. Therefore, we propose the
three-dimensional FEA model which is applied a nonlinear elastic
region to the adhesion layer. The nonlinear elastic region was
calculated by a bilinear approximation. We compared the analysis
results with the tensile test results to confirm whether the analysis
model has usefulness. As a result, the analysis results agreed with the
tensile test results. And, we confirmed that the analysis model has
usefulness.
As a result that the three-dimensional FEA model was used to the
analysis, it was confirmed that an out-of-plane deformation occurred
to the patched plate with a circular hole. The out-of-plane deformation
causes stress increase of the patched plate with a circular hole.
Therefore, we investigated that the out-of-plane deformation affects
relaxation of the stress concentration in the plate with a circular hole
on this relaxation method. As a result, it was confirmed that the
out-of-plane deformation inhibits relaxation of the stress concentration
on the plate with a circular hole.
Abstract: Nations are still finding it quite difficult to win mega
sport competitions despite the major contribution of sport to society
in terms of social and economic development, personal health, and in
education. Even though the world of sports has been transformed into
a huge global economy, it is important to note that the first step of
sport is usually its introduction to children at school through physical
education or PE. In other words, nations who do not win mega sport
competitions also suffer from a weak and neglected PE system. This
problem of the neglect of PE systems is the main motivation of this
research aimed at examining the factors affecting the perceived
awareness of physical education teachers on the ICTs that are
adoptable for the teaching and learning of physical education. Two
types of research objectives will materialize this aim: relevant
theories will be identified in relation to the analysis of the perceived
ICT awareness of PE teachers and subsequent models will be
compiled and designed from existing literature; the empirical testing
of such theories and models will also be achieved through the survey
of PE teachers from the Camperdown magisterial district of the
KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The main hypothesis at the
heart of this study is the relationship between the demographics of PE
teachers, their behavior both as individuals and as social entities, and
their perceived awareness of the ICTs that are adoptable for PE, as
postulated by existing literature; except that this study categorizes
human behavior under performance expectancy, computer attitude,
and social influence. This hypothesis was partially confirmed by the
survey conducted by this research in the sense that performance
expectancy and teachers’ age, gender, computer usage, and class size
were found to be the only factors affecting their awareness of ICTs
for physical education.
Abstract: The current study explored the effect of economic
development, financial development and institutional quality on
environmental destruction in upper-middle income countries during
the time period of 1999-2011. The dependent variable is logarithm of
carbon dioxide emissions that can be considered as an index for
destruction or quality of the environment given to its effects on the
environment. Financial development and institutional development
variables as well as some control variables were considered. In order
to study cross-sectional correlation among the countries under study,
Pesaran and Friz test was used. Since the results of both tests show
cross-sectional correlation in the countries under study, seemingly
unrelated regression method was utilized for model estimation. The
results disclosed that Kuznets’ environmental curve hypothesis is
confirmed in upper-middle income countries and also, financial
development and institutional quality have a significant effect on
environmental quality. The results of this study can be considered by
policy makers in countries with different income groups to have
access to a growth accompanied by improved environmental quality.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate graduate
students’ visual attention and perceptions of a Prezi presentation. Ten
postgraduate master students were presented with a Prezi presentation
at the Centre for Instructional Technology and Multimedia, Universiti
Sains Malaysia (USM). The eye movement indicators such as dwell
time, average fixation on the areas of interests, heat maps and focus
maps were abstracted to indicate the students’ visual attention.
Descriptive statistics was employed to analyze the students’
perception of the Prezi presentation in terms of text, slide design,
images, layout and overall presentation. The result revealed that the
students paid more attention to the text followed by the images and
sub heading presented through the Prezi presentation.
Abstract: The objectives of this study is to investigate the
existence of the sticky cost behavior of firms listed in the Indonesia
Stock Exchange (IDX) and to find evidence on the effects of sticky
operating expenses (SG&A expenses) on profitability of firms. For
the first objective, this study finds that the sticky cost behavior does
exist. For the second objective, this study finds that the stickier the
operating expenses the lesser future profitability of the firms. This
study concludes that sticky cost affects negatively to the performance
and, therefore, firms should include flexibility in designing the cost
structure of their firms.
Abstract: Kuosheng nuclear power plant (NPP) is a BWR/6 type
NPP and located on the northern coast of Taiwan. First, Kuosheng
NPP TRACE model were developed in this research. In order to assess
the system response of Kuosheng NPP TRACE model, startup tests
data were used to evaluate Kuosheng NPP TRACE model. Second, the
overpressurization transient analysis of Kuosheng NPP TRACE model
was performed. Besides, in order to confirm the mechanical property
and integrity of fuel rods, FRAPTRAN analysis was also performed in
this study.
Abstract: The purpose of the present work is to review some
data for the management challenges that the aquaculture industry in
Greece is currently facing. The results indicate that Greek
aquaculture fish farms apply Human Resources Management (HRM)
practices which can increase motivation, commitment and job
satisfaction of their personnel. In turn, these practices can increase
the productivity of the business. The Greek fish farms appear to
invest in research and technological innovation with a good record in
research activities and the generation of patents. Interestingly, the
results of the present work were carried out during the period of the
recent economic crisis in Greece. Several sectors of the Greek
economy were severely affected by the financial problems of the
Greek government and the Greek banks. Under the adverse
economical conditions created by the Greek economic crisis, even the
Greek aquaculture industry, which historically is considered as a
thriving national exporting business sector, experienced harsh
economic and market conditions. As a result of the global, European
and national economic crisis, consumption of fish dropped while
companies had to hold most of their stocked fish in order to regulated
the flow to the market and the price. This occurred at a time where
Banks in Greece had their own financial crisis – banking crisis -
which resulted in limited access to lending for the all business sectors
of the national economy including the Greek aquaculture industry. In
spite of these economic conditions, the Greek aquaculture industry,
after a series of mergers and acquisitions, has now stabilized
production and exhibits very good prospects for future growth.
Evidently, the firms had to cut salaries and on some occasions even
pay their staff in arrears. Nevertheless, the results presented in this
paper indicate that during the economic crisis, the surveyed fish
farms maintained their HRM practices, investing in their human
capital and technological input. In fact, human capital and
technological input are the ticket for future success of companies in
any business sector.
Abstract: Age ratings are very helpful in providing parents with
relevant information for the purchase and use of digital technologies
by the children; this is why the non-definition of age ratings for the
use of ICTs by children in schools is a major concern; and this
problem serves as a motivation for this study whose aim is to
examine the factors affecting the perceptions of educators on the
learners’ youngest age for the introduction of ICTs in schools. This
aim is achieved through two types of research objectives: the
identification and design of theories and models on age ratings, and
the empirical testing of such theories and models in a survey of
educators from the Camperdown district of the South African
KwaZulu-Natal province. A questionnaire is used for the collection
of the data of this survey whose validity and reliability is checked in
SPSS prior to its descriptive and correlative quantitative analysis. The
main hypothesis supporting this research is the association between
the demographics of educators, their personality, and their
perceptions on the learners’ youngest age for the introduction of ICTs
in schools; as claimed by existing research; except that the present
study looks at personality from three dimensions: self-actualized
personalities, fully functioning personalities, and healthy
personalities. This hypothesis was fully confirmed by the empirical
study conducted by this research except for the demographic factor
where only the educators’ grade or class was found to be associated
with the personality of educators.
Abstract: Innovations not only contribute to competitiveness of
the company but have also positive effects on revenues. On average,
product innovations account to 14 percent of companies’ sales.
Innovation management has substantially changed during the last
decade, because of growing reliance on external partners. As a
consequence, a new task for purchasing arises, as firms need to
understand which suppliers actually do have high potential
contributing to the innovativeness of the firm and which do not.
Proper organization of the purchasing function is important since
for the majority of manufacturing companies deal with substantial
material costs which pass through the purchasing function. In the past
the purchasing function was largely seen as a transaction-oriented,
clerical function but today purchasing is the intermediate with supply
chain partners contributing to innovations, be it product or process
innovations. Therefore, purchasing function has to be organized
differently to enable firm innovation potential.
However, innovations are inherently risky. There are behavioral
risk (that some partner will take advantage of the other party),
technological risk in terms of complexity of products and processes
of manufacturing and incoming materials and finally market risks,
which in fact judge the value of the innovation. These risks are
investigated in this work. Specifically, technological risks which deal
with complexity of the products, and processes will be investigated
more thoroughly. Buying components or such high edge technologies
necessities careful investigation of technical features and therefore is
usually conducted by a team of experts. Therefore it is hypothesized
that higher the technological risk, higher will be the centralization of
the purchasing function as an interface with other supply chain
members.
Main contribution of this research lies is in the fact that analysis
was performed on a large data set of 1493 companies, from 25
countries collected in the GMRG 4 survey. Most analyses of
purchasing function are done by case study analysis of innovative
firms. Therefore this study contributes with empirical evaluations that
can be generalized.
Abstract: Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)
are pervasive nowadays, including in education where they are
expected to improve the performance of learners. However, the hope
placed in ICTs to find viable solutions to the problem of poor
academic performance in schools in the developing world has not yet
yielded the expected benefits. This problem serves as a motivation to
this study whose aim is to examine the perceptions of educators on
the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning. This aim will be
subdivided into two types of research objectives. Objectives on the
identification and design of theories and models will be achieved
using content analysis and literature review. However, the objective
on the empirical testing of such theories and models will be achieved
through the survey of educators from different schools in the
Pinetown District of the South African Kwazulu-Natal province.
SPSS is used to quantitatively analyse the data collected by the
questionnaire of this survey using descriptive statistics and Pearson
correlations after assessing the validity and the reliability of the data.
The main hypothesis driving this study is that there is a relationship
between the demographics of educators’ and their adherence to
learning theories on one side, and their perceptions on the advantages
and disadvantages of e-learning on the other side, as argued by
existing research; but this research views these learning theories
under three perspectives: educators’ adherence to self-regulated
learning, to constructivism, and to progressivism. This hypothesis
was fully confirmed by the empirical study except for the
demographic factor where teachers’ level of education was found to
be the only demographic factor affecting the perceptions of educators
on the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning.
Abstract: The manufacturing technology of band cotton is very
delicate and depends to choice of certain parameters such as torsion
of warp yarn.
The fabric elasticity is achieved without the use of any elastic
material, chemical expansion, artificial or synthetic and it’s capable
of creating pressures useful for therapeutic treatments.
Before use, the band is subjected to treatments of specific
preparation for obtaining certain elasticity, however, during its
treatment, there are some regression parameters. The dependence of
manufacturing parameters on the quality of the chemical treatment
was confirmed.
The aim of this work is to improve the properties of the fabric
through the development of manufacturing technology appropriately.
Finally for the treatment of the strip pancake 100% cotton, a
treatment method is recommended.
Abstract: This article presents summary on preparation and
characterization of zinc, copper, cadmium and cobalt chromite
nanocrystals, embedded in an amorphous silica matrix. The
ZnCr2O4/SiO2, CuCr2O4/SiO2, CdCr2O4/SiO2 and CoCr2O4/SiO2
nanocomposites were prepared by a conventional sol-gel method
under acid catalysis. Final heat treatment of the samples was carried
out at temperatures in the range of 900−1200 ◦C to adjust the
phase composition and the crystallite size, respectively. The resulting
samples were characterized by Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD),
High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM),
Raman/FTIR spectroscopy and magnetic measurements. Formation
of the spinel phase was confirmed in all samples. The average size of
the nanocrystals was determined from the PXRD data and by direct
particle size observation on HRTEM; both results were correlated.
The mean particle size (reviewed by HRTEM) was in the range from
∼4 to 46 nm. The results showed that the sol-gel method can be
effectively used for preparation of the spinel chromite nanoparticles
embedded in the silica matrix and the particle size is driven by the
type of the cation A2+ in the spinel structure and the temperature
of the final heat treatment. Magnetic properties of the nanocrystals
were found to be just moderately modified in comparison to the bulk
phases.
Abstract: The fundamental issues in ICT Governance (ICTG)
implementation for Malaysian Public Sector (MPS) is how ICT be
applied to support improvements in productivity, management
effectiveness and the quality of services offered to its citizens. Our
main concern is to develop and adopt a common definition and
framework to illustrate how ICTG can be used to better align ICT
with government’s operations and strategic focus. In particular, we
want to identify and categorize factors that drive a successful ICTG
process. This paper presents the results of an exploratory study to
identify, validate and refine such Critical Success Factors (CSFs) and
confirmed seven CSFs and nineteen sub-factors as influential factors
that fit MPS after further validated and refined. The Delphi method
applied in validation and refining process before being endorsed as
appropriate for MPS. The identified CSFs reflect the focus areas that
need to be considered strategically to strengthen ICT Governance
implementation and ensure business success.
Abstract: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has
increased in conjunction with obesity. The accuracy of risk factors
for detecting NAFLD in obese adolescents has not undergone a
formal evaluation. The aim of this study was to evaluate predictors of
NAFLD among Egyptian female obese adolescents. The study
included 162 obese female adolescents. All were subjected to
anthropometry, biochemical analysis and abdominal ultrasongraphic
assessment. Metabolic syndrome (MS) was diagnosed according to
the IDF criteria. Significant association between presence of MS and
NAFLD was observed. Obese adolescents with NAFLD had
significantly higher levels of ALT, triglycerides, fasting glucose,
insulin, blood pressure and HOMA-IR, whereas decreased HDL-C
levels as compared with obese cases without NAFLD. Receiver–
operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis shows that ALT is a
sensitive predictor for NAFLD, confirming that ALT can be used as a
marker of NAFLD.
Abstract: The purpose of this research was to identify factors
that influenced the success of e-commerce implementation within
SMEs businesses. In order to achieve the objectives of this research,
the researcher collected data from random firms in Thailand, both the
users and those who are not using the e-commerce. The data was
comprised of the results of 310 questionnaires, as well as 10
interviews with owner/managers of businesses who are currently
using e-commerce successfully. The data were analyzed by using
descriptive statistics, which included frequency, percentages, mean,
and the standard deviation of pertinent factors. Independent t-test and
one-way ANOVA test were also used. The findings of this research
revealed that 50% of all the firms surveyed had e-commerce website,
whereas, over 20% of all firms surveyed had developing an ecommerce
strategy. The result findings also indicate that
organizational factors, technological factors and environment factors
as significant factors effecting success of e-commerce
implementation in SMEs. From the hypotheses testing, the findings
revealed that the different level of support use ecommerce by
owner/manager had different success in e-commerce implementation.
Moreover, the difference in e-commerce management approach
affected the success in terms of higher total sales for the business or
higher number of retained or returning customers.