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Articles 1 - 14 of 14

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Macroeconomic Determinants Of Corporate Performance And Failure: Evidence From An Emerging Market The Case Of Jordan, Rami Zeitun, Gary Tian, Steve Keen Jan 2007

Macroeconomic Determinants Of Corporate Performance And Failure: Evidence From An Emerging Market The Case Of Jordan, Rami Zeitun, Gary Tian, Steve Keen

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This study investigates the impact of aggregate economic risk on a company’s performance and failure in a panel estimation using 167 Jordanian companies during 1989-2003. Our finding shows that unanticipated changes in interest rate negatively and significantly affect firms’ performance measured by ROA, which suggests that an interest rate rise increases the cost of borrowing and then further negatively affects a firm’s profit. We also found that both the production manufacturing index and Islamic credit facilities positively and significantly affect a firm’s performance. The positive and significant impact of Islamic credit facilities reflects the importance and the significance of the …


Mean Reversion Versus Random Walk In Asian Stock Prices: Evidence From Multiple Structural Breaks, Surachai Chancharat, Abbas Valadkhani Jan 2007

Mean Reversion Versus Random Walk In Asian Stock Prices: Evidence From Multiple Structural Breaks, Surachai Chancharat, Abbas Valadkhani

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper examines whether Asian stock prices for 9 countries are trend stationary or follow a random walk process using the Zivot and Andrews (1992), Lumsdaine and Papell (1997) tests and monthly data (1987:12-2005:12). With one structural break test results provide evidence in favour of random walk hypothesis in 6 countries. Moreover, when two endogenously-determined structural breaks are considered, this hypothesis was rejected for the same 3 countries, suggesting a robust conclusion regarding the non-stationarity of stock prices world wide. In addition, the dates of structural break in most cases point to the Asian crisis in the period 1996-1998.


'Stories From The Cross Disciplinary Trenches' Invited Keynote Address, Warren A. Burt Jan 2007

'Stories From The Cross Disciplinary Trenches' Invited Keynote Address, Warren A. Burt

Faculty of Creative Arts - Papers (Archive)

Far from being a recent invention, cross-disciplinary thinking in the arts goes back at least to ancient Greece. The more recent history of cross-disciplinary thinking in music is referred to, and the author’s own history of cross-disciplinary work is considered. The point is made that music and sound works should be co-equal partners in any collaborative relationship, and the necessity for new venues for this work is discussed.


The Tropical Forest And Fire Emissions Experiment: Trace Gases Emitted By Smoldering Logs And Dung From Deforestation And Pasture Fires In Brazil, Ted J. Christian, Robert J. Yokelson, Joao A. Carvahlo, David W. Griffith, Ernesto C. Alvarado, Jose C. Santos, Turibio Gomes Soares Neto, Carlos A. Gurgel Veras, Wei Min Hao Jan 2007

The Tropical Forest And Fire Emissions Experiment: Trace Gases Emitted By Smoldering Logs And Dung From Deforestation And Pasture Fires In Brazil, Ted J. Christian, Robert J. Yokelson, Joao A. Carvahlo, David W. Griffith, Ernesto C. Alvarado, Jose C. Santos, Turibio Gomes Soares Neto, Carlos A. Gurgel Veras, Wei Min Hao

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Earlier work showed that Amazonian biomass burning produces both lofted and initially unlofted emissions in large amounts. A mobile, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) measured the unlofted emissions of 17 trace gases from residual smoldering combustion (RSC) of logs as part of the Tropical Forest and Fire Emissions Experiment (TROFFEE) during the 2004 Amazonian dry season. The RSC emissions were highly variable and the few earlier RSC measurements lay near the high end of combustion efficiency observed in this study. Fuel consumption by RSC was ∼5% of total for a planned deforestation fire. Much regional RSC probably occurs in the …


Water Quality Assessment - Issues From A Laboratory Management Perspective, Robert John Morrison, Mark R. O'Donnell, D. Springer Jan 2007

Water Quality Assessment - Issues From A Laboratory Management Perspective, Robert John Morrison, Mark R. O'Donnell, D. Springer

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

This paper considers issues relating to the measurement of water quality parameters in the laboratory, especially an external (usually commercial) laboratory. Many organisations now use testing laboratories for water quality measurements, a process that has advantages and some limitations. The interaction between the testing laboratory and the organization requiring the data is crucial, and this paper looks at some aspects where a full appreciation of the role of each partner is important. These include limits of detection and reporting, measurement uncertainty, sample storage and preservation times, and various quality control procedures.


Comparative Analysis Of Virulence Genes, Genetic Diversity, And Phylogeny Of Commensal And Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli Isolates From Weaned Pigs, Xi-Yang Wu, Toni A. Chapman, Darren J. Trott, Karl A Bettelheim, Thuy N. Do, Steve Driesen, Mark J. Walker, James Chin Jan 2007

Comparative Analysis Of Virulence Genes, Genetic Diversity, And Phylogeny Of Commensal And Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli Isolates From Weaned Pigs, Xi-Yang Wu, Toni A. Chapman, Darren J. Trott, Karl A Bettelheim, Thuy N. Do, Steve Driesen, Mark J. Walker, James Chin

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

If the acquisition of virulence genes (VGs) for pathogenicity were not solely acquired through horizontal gene transfers of pathogenicity islands, transposons, and phages, then clonal clusters of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) would contain few or even none of the VGs found in strains responsible for extraintestinal infections. To evaluate this possibility, 47 postweaning diarrhea (PWD) ETEC strains from different geographical origins and 158 commensal E. coli isolates from the gastrointestinal tracts of eight group-housed healthy pigs were screened for 36 extraintestinal and 18 enteric VGs using multiplex PCR assays. Of 36 extraintestinal VGs, only 8 were detected (fimH, …


Long-Term Tropospheric Formaldehyde Concentrations Deduced From Ground-Based Fourier Transform Solar Infrared Measurements, Nicholas B. Jones, K Riedel, Barbara M. Allen, S. W. Wood, Paul Palmer, K Chance, Justus Notholt Jan 2007

Long-Term Tropospheric Formaldehyde Concentrations Deduced From Ground-Based Fourier Transform Solar Infrared Measurements, Nicholas B. Jones, K Riedel, Barbara M. Allen, S. W. Wood, Paul Palmer, K Chance, Justus Notholt

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

We report a 13-year (1992–2005) dataset of total column measurements of formaldehyde (HCHO) over Lauder, New Zealand, inferred from solar infrared spectra measured using a high-resolution Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS). Ambient HCHO concentrations at this rural location are often close to levels typical of remote marine environments (<250 ppt), which are close to the detection limit using standard techniques. Consequently we develop a new method that successfully produces HCHO columns with sufficient sensitivity throughout the whole season. HCHO columns over Lauder have a strong seasonal cycle (±50%), with a mean column of 4.9×1015 molecules cm−2, peaking during summer months. A simple box model of CH4 oxidation reproduces the observed broad-scale seasonal cycle, but significantly underestimates the seasonal peak HCHO ground concentrations during summer. This suggests the existence of an additional significant source of HCHO, possibly isoprene that cannot be explained by oxidation of CH4 alone. The ground-based FTS column data compare well with collocated HCHO column measurements from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) satellite instrument during the operational period of GOME (1996–2001, r2=0.65, mean bias=10%, n=48).


Ground-Based Solar Absorption Ftir Spectroscopy: Characterization Of Retrievals And First Results From A Novel Optical Design Instrument At A New Ndacc Complementary Station, Aldona Waiacek, J R. Taylor, K Strong, R Saari, T Kertzenmacher, Nicholas B. Jones, David W. Griffith Jan 2007

Ground-Based Solar Absorption Ftir Spectroscopy: Characterization Of Retrievals And First Results From A Novel Optical Design Instrument At A New Ndacc Complementary Station, Aldona Waiacek, J R. Taylor, K Strong, R Saari, T Kertzenmacher, Nicholas B. Jones, David W. Griffith

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The authors describe the optical design of a high-resolution Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS), which serves as the primary instrument at the University of Toronto Atmospheric Observatory (TAO). The FTS is dedicated to ground-based infrared solar absorption atmospheric measurements from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Instrument performance is discussed in terms of instrumental line shape (ILS) and phase error and modulation efficiency as a function of optical path difference. Typical measurement parameters are presented together with retrieval parameters used to derive total and partial column concentrations of ozone. Retrievals at TAO employ the optimal estimation method (OEM), and some impacts of the necessary …


Co Measurements From The Ace-Fts Satellite Instrument: Data Analysis And Validation Using Ground-Based, Airborne And Spaceborne Observations, C Clerbaux, M George, S Turquety, K A. Walker, Nicholas B. Jones, David W. Griffith, C P Rinsland, E Mahieu, M De Maziere, A. Kagawa, J Hannigan, M Coffey, F Hase, M Hopfner, P Duchatelet, I Kramer, A Strandberg, K Strong, Y Kasai, B Barret, P Ricaud, D Murtagh, E Dupuy, V Catoire, C Robert, C Senten, N J. Livesey, M Luo, M Lopez-Puertas, Ph Medelec, A Pazmino, H Pumphrey, T Borsdorff, P F. Coheur, J P. Cammas, James Drummond, R De Zafra, M Deeter, L Emmons, F Eddounia, J C. Gille, E Le Flochmoen, C Boone, B Funke, M Schneider, G P. Stiller, P Bernath, D P. Edwards Jan 2007

Co Measurements From The Ace-Fts Satellite Instrument: Data Analysis And Validation Using Ground-Based, Airborne And Spaceborne Observations, C Clerbaux, M George, S Turquety, K A. Walker, Nicholas B. Jones, David W. Griffith, C P Rinsland, E Mahieu, M De Maziere, A. Kagawa, J Hannigan, M Coffey, F Hase, M Hopfner, P Duchatelet, I Kramer, A Strandberg, K Strong, Y Kasai, B Barret, P Ricaud, D Murtagh, E Dupuy, V Catoire, C Robert, C Senten, N J. Livesey, M Luo, M Lopez-Puertas, Ph Medelec, A Pazmino, H Pumphrey, T Borsdorff, P F. Coheur, J P. Cammas, James Drummond, R De Zafra, M Deeter, L Emmons, F Eddounia, J C. Gille, E Le Flochmoen, C Boone, B Funke, M Schneider, G P. Stiller, P Bernath, D P. Edwards

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) mission was launched in August 2003 to sound the atmosphere by solar occultation. Carbon monoxide (CO), a good tracer of pollution plumes and atmospheric dynamics, is one of the key species provided by the primary instrument, the ACE-Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS). This instrument performs measurements in both the CO 1-0 and 2-0 ro-vibrational bands, from which vertically resolved CO concentration profiles are retrieved, from the mid-troposphere to the thermosphere. This paper presents an updated description of the ACE-FTS version 2.2 CO data product, along with a comprehensive validation of these profiles using available observations (February …


Reef Development At High-Latitudes During Multiple Interglacial Cycles: New Evidence From Lord Howe Island, Southwestern Pacific, David Kennedy, Colin D. Woodroffe, J -X Zhao Jan 2007

Reef Development At High-Latitudes During Multiple Interglacial Cycles: New Evidence From Lord Howe Island, Southwestern Pacific, David Kennedy, Colin D. Woodroffe, J -X Zhao

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Reef development during past Interglacial periods, when sea level and sea surface temperatures were higher than today, provide unique insights into how reef systems may respond to projected human-induced global warming. Lord Howe Island currently represents the southernmost limit of reef development in the Pacific. Reef growth of Pleistocene age has been inferred to have occurred around the island, and this paper provides the fi rst detailed descriptions on the character of this development. Two phases of reef growth are identifi ed, which occurred as isolated fringing reefs along the edge of the basaltic hills of the island. Uranium-series dating …


Free Fatty Acids From The Crude Hexane Extract Of The Aerial Parts Of Heliotropium Indicum Linn. Growing In Phitsanulok, Thailand, Theeraphan Machan, Jurgen Korth, Boonsom Liawruangrath, Saisunee Liawruangrath, Apiwat Baramee, Stephen G. Pyne Jan 2007

Free Fatty Acids From The Crude Hexane Extract Of The Aerial Parts Of Heliotropium Indicum Linn. Growing In Phitsanulok, Thailand, Theeraphan Machan, Jurgen Korth, Boonsom Liawruangrath, Saisunee Liawruangrath, Apiwat Baramee, Stephen G. Pyne

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Sixteen free fatty acids from the crude hexane extract of the aerial parts of Heliotropium indicum Linn. growing in Phitsanulok, Thailand, have been identified after conversion to their methyl esters with boron trifluoride-methanol followed by quantification by GC-FID and identification by GC-MS analysis. They accounted for 95% of the chromatographable components, with 9,12-octadecadienoic acid, (39.7%), 9-octadecenoic acid (32.4%), hexadecanoic acid (14.2%) and octadecanoic acid (5.1%), as the major constituents. A small amount of 6,10,14-trimethyl-2-pentadecanone and 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol as well as a homologous series of n-alkanes present at trace level and ranging from C25 to C31 was also found …


Effect Of Overlying Water Ph, Dissolved Oxygen, Salinity And Sediment Disturbances On Metal Release And Sequestration From Metal Contaminated Marine Sediments, Clare Atkinson, Dianne F. Jolley, Stuart L. Simpson Jan 2007

Effect Of Overlying Water Ph, Dissolved Oxygen, Salinity And Sediment Disturbances On Metal Release And Sequestration From Metal Contaminated Marine Sediments, Clare Atkinson, Dianne F. Jolley, Stuart L. Simpson

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Experiments were undertaken to examine the key variables affecting metal release and sequestration processes in marine sediments with metal concentrations in sediments reaching up to 86, 240, 700, and 3000mgkg1 (dry weight) for Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, respectively. The metal release and sequestration rates were affected to a much greater extent by changes in overlying water pH (5.58.0) and sediment disturbance (by physical mixing) than by changes in dissolved oxygen concentration (38mgl1) or salinity (1545 practical salinity units). The physical disturbance of sediments was also found to release metals more rapidly than biological disturbance (bioturbation). The rate of oxidative …


Chinese Rice Trade And Shipping From The North Vietnamese Port Of Hai Phong, Julia T. Martinez Jan 2007

Chinese Rice Trade And Shipping From The North Vietnamese Port Of Hai Phong, Julia T. Martinez

Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive)

This overview of Chinese trade in northern Vietnam explores the role of the Chinese rice traders there, especially in Hải Phòng, and their connections with Hong Kong and southern China, during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It shows they were never mere colonial middlemen but economic actors with ties to German and English business interests as well as to the French. The article traces what various primary sources can tell us of their community and business history, as well as revealing the intricate business ties of Chinese rice exporters in colonial Hải Phòng with German shipping companies, up until …


The Paradoxical Food Buying Behaviour Of Parents: Insights From The Uk And Australia, Gary I. Noble, Sandra C. Jones, Danielle Mcvie, Laura Mcdermott, Martine Stead Jan 2007

The Paradoxical Food Buying Behaviour Of Parents: Insights From The Uk And Australia, Gary I. Noble, Sandra C. Jones, Danielle Mcvie, Laura Mcdermott, Martine Stead

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

AbstractPurpose - This article aims to explore the apparent paradox between the nutritional knowledge ofparents of pre-school children and their actual food purchase and preparation behaviour.Design/methodology/approach - Two separate qualitative data collection exercises wereconducted, an exploratory focus group study in the UK and a projective technique study in Australia.Findings - The UK study found that, despite believing that vegetables were good for children'shealth, mothers also perceived that it was extremely difficult to encourage children to eat them. Theresults of Australian study suggest that the purchase of unhealthy "treats" or "bribes" is explainedthrough the concept of "expediency" whereas what this study …