Search results for: qualified opinion

Authors: Ankita Srivastava, Yogesh K. Garg

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Housing provides comforts and well being leading towards the quality of life. Earlier research had established that landscape elements enhance the residents’ quality of life through its significant experiences occur due to their presence in the housing. This paper tries to identify the preference of landscape elements that enhance residents’ quality of life living in the apartment. Hence, landscape elements that can be planned in the open spaces of housing and quality of life components were identified from the secondary data sources. Experts’ were asked to identify the quality of life components with respect to landscape elements. A questionnaire survey of residents’ living in the apartment housing in Bhopal, India was conducted. The statistical analysis of survey data facilitated to explore the preference of landscape elements for the quality of life in the apartment housing. The final ranking compiled from the experts’ opinion, residents’ perception as well as factor analysis results to have an insight of the preference of landscape elements for the quality of life living in the apartment. Preference of landscape elements present in the paper may provide an overview of planning for apartment housing that may be used by architects, planners and developers for enhancing residents’ quality of life.

Keywords: landscape elements, quality of life, residents, housing

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Authors: Mannan Mridha, Usama Gazay, Kosovare V. Aslani, Hugo Linder, Alice Ravizza, Carmelo de Maria

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In most developing countries, although the vast majority of the people are living in the rural areas, the qualified medical doctors are not available there. Health care workers and paramedics, called village doctors, informal healthcare providers, are largely responsible for the rural medical care. Mishaps due to wrong diagnosis and inappropriate medication have been causing serious suffering that is preventable. While innovators have created many devices, the vast majority of these technologies do not find applications to address the needs and conditions in low-resource settings. The primary motive is to address the acute lack of affordable medical technologies for the poor people in low-resource settings. A low cost smart medical device that is portable, battery operated and can be used at any point of care has been developed to detect breathing rate, electrocardiogram (ECG) and arterial pulse rate to improve diagnosis and monitoring of patients and thus improve care and safety. This simple and easy to use smart medical device can be used, managed and maintained effectively and safely by any health worker with some training. In order to empower the health workers and village doctors, our device is being further developed to integrate with ICT tools like smart phones and connect to the medical experts wherever available, to manage the serious health problems.

Keywords: e-health for low resources settings, health awareness education, improve patient care and safety, smart and affordable medical device

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Authors: Farouk Shehu Abdulwahab

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The concept of farmer-farmer knowledge sharing was introduced to bridge the extension worker-farmer ratio gap in developing countries. However, the idea was poorly accepted, especially in typical agrarian communities. Therefore, the study explores the concept of a farmer-to-farmer knowledge-sharing network to enhance extension service delivery. The study collected data from 80 farmers randomly selected through a series of multiple stages. The Data was analysed using a 5-point Likert scale and descriptive statistics. The Likert scale results revealed that 62.5% of the farmers are satisfied with farmer-to-farmer knowledge-sharing networks. Moreover, descriptive statistics show that lack of capacity building and low level of education are the most significant problems affecting farmer-farmer sharing networks. The major implication of these findings is that the concept of farmer-farmer knowledge-sharing networks can work better for farmers in developing countries as it was perceived by them as a reliable alternative for information sharing. Therefore, the study recommends introducing incentives into the concept of farmer-farmer knowledge-sharing networks and enhancing the capabilities of farmers who are opinion leaders in the farmer-farmer concept of knowledge-sharing to make it more sustainable.

Keywords: agricultural productivity, extension, farmer-to-farmer, livelihood, technology transfer

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Authors: Robert Grzeszczak, Magdalena Gniadzik

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The article deals with one of the most significant issues concerning the functioning of the internal market of the European Union – the free movement of workers and free movement of persons. The purpose is to identify the political and legal effects of the “renationalisation process” on the EU and its Member States. The concept of renationalisation is expressed through Member States’ aim to verify the relationship with the EU. The tendency is more visible in the public opinion of several MS’s of the ‘EU core’ and may be confirmed by the changes applied by the regulatory body. The thesis for the article is the return of renationalisation tendencies in the area of the Single Market, which is supported by, among others, an open criticism of the foundations of EU integration or considerations on withdrawal from the EU by some MS. This analysis will focus primarily on the effects that renationalisation may have on the free movement of persons. The free movement of persons is one of the key issues for the development of the European integration. It is still subject to theoretical reflections, new doubts and practical issues. The latest developments in politics, law and jurisprudence demonstrate the need to reflect on the attempts to redefine certain principles regarding migrant EU workers and their protection against nationality-based discrimination.

Keywords: European Union, Singel Market, free movement of persons, posting of workers

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Authors: Tadesse Anberbir, Felix Bankole, Tomio Takara, Girma Mamo

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In the development of a text-to-speech synthesizer, automatic derivation of correct pronunciation from the grapheme form of a text is a central problem. Particularly deriving phonological features which are not shown in orthography is challenging. In the Amharic language, geminates and epenthetic vowels are very crucial for proper pronunciation but neither is shown in orthography. In this paper, we proposed and integrated a morphological analyzer into an Amharic Text-to-Speech system, mainly to predict geminates and epenthetic vowel positions, and prepared a duration modeling method. Amharic Text-to-Speech system (AmhTTS) is a parametric and rule-based system that adopts a cepstral method and uses a source filter model for speech production and a Log Magnitude Approximation (LMA) filter as the vocal tract filter. The naturalness of the system after employing the duration modeling was evaluated by sentence listening test and we achieved an average Mean Opinion Score (MOS) 3.4 (68%) which is moderate. By modeling the duration of geminates and controlling the locations of epenthetic vowel, we are able to synthesize good quality speech. Our system is mainly suitable to be customized for other Ethiopian languages with limited resources.

Keywords: Amharic, gemination, speech synthesis, morphology, epenthesis

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Authors: Jose Carlos Montemayor, Kendrick Thomas Angelo Santos

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Filipinos have been divided on President Rodrigo Duterte’s leadership ever since his election in 2016. This study aimed to gain a thorough, in-depth understanding of the opinions of Filipinos from different age and income brackets on these issues in order to address the lack of studies analysing the current Philippine political landscape. An interview tackling relevant national issues were conducted with twelve respondents from the intersections of four age groups and three income brackets. The government’s handling of some issues received mixed opinions, some had neutral viewpoints, while others had more unfavorable ones. The responses differed on three levels: (1) the general stance on an issue; (2) the strength of a stance; and (3) the factoring in of an issue in forming an overall perception on the administration’s performance. Contrary to previous studies on political thought, opinions varied greatly such that no unique set of viewpoints could be attributed to any of the defined age or income groups. These results will be most useful to political science researchers, political analysts, and candidates shaping their platforms for the upcoming elections. Future studies are recommended to tackle more national issues and to consider other factors that may affect political opinions and behavior.

Keywords: age groups, opinion formation, socioeconomic brackets, Philippine politics, Rodrigo Duterte

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Authors: Luke McDonagh

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Over the past three decades, free and open source software (FOSS) programmers have developed new, innovative and legally binding licences that have in turn enabled the creation of innumerable pieces of everyday software, including Linux, Mozilla Firefox and Open Office. That FOSS has been highly successful in competing with 'closed source software' (e.g. Microsoft Office) is now undeniable, but in noting this success, it is important to examine in detail why this system of FOSS has been so successful. One key reason is the existence of networks or communities of programmers, who are bound together by a key shared social norm of 'reciprocity'. At the same time, these FOSS networks are not unitary – they are highly diverse and there are large divergences of opinion between members regarding which licences are generally preferable: some members favour the flexible ‘free’ or 'no copyleft' licences, such as BSD and MIT, while other members favour the ‘strong open’ or 'strong copyleft' licences such as GPL. This paper argues that without both the existence of the shared norm of reciprocity and the diversity of licences, it is unlikely that the innovative legal framework provided by FOSS would have succeeded to the extent that it has.

Keywords: open source, copyright, licensing, copyleft

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Authors: Munish Saroch, Amit Saini

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Introduction: Many children with congenital malformation of inner ear have undergone cochlear implant (CI) surgery. The results for cochlear implant surgery in these children are very encouraging and provide a ray of hope for these patients. Objective: The main objective of this presentation is to prove that even in Mondini’s deformity Minimal incision cochlear implantation improves cosmesis, reduces post-operative infection and earliest switch on of device. Methods: We report a case of two-year-old child suffering from Mondini’s deformity who underwent CI with minimal incision cochlear implantation (MICI). MICI has been developed with the aims of reducing the impact of surgery on the patient without any preoperative shaving of hairs. Results: Patient after surgery with MICI showed better looking postauricular scar, low post-operative morbidity in comparison to conventional wider access approach and hence earliest switch on of device (1st post operative day). Conclusion: We are of opinion that MICI is safe and successful in Mondini’s deformity.

Keywords: CI, Cochlear Implant, MICI, Minimal Incision Cochlear Implantation, HL, Hearing Loss, HRCT, High Resolution Computer Tomography, MRI, Magnetic resonance imaging, SCI, Standard cochlear implantation

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Authors: Rian de Villiers

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Human mobility is one of the most significant development, foreign policy and domestic issues in the world today. Teacher loss due to migration is a global phenomenon that is impacting both developed and developing nations the world over. The purpose of this study was to find out how many newly qualified South African teachers were planning to teach in a foreign country; what were the prospective migrant teachers’ motives for migration; what destination countries were the most popular and why; and what were the prospective migrant teachers’ information needs before leaving South Africa. A group of final-year Bachelor of Education student teachers from a single university responded to a questionnaire on intra-and intercontinental migration. The responses were analysed quantitatively and/or qualitatively. The findings showed that 79% of the students indicated that they would be teaching in South Africa, 9% were planning to teach in another country, while 8% were undecided. More than a third of the students (38%) said that they would like to teach in another country in five years time. Just more than a quarter of the students (27%) preferred Australia as a destination, followed by the United Kingdom (16%), Korea (16%) and the USA (14%). The student teachers’ most important motive to teach in a foreign country was the opportunity to travel (27%), followed by earning a higher salary (26%) and professional development (23%). The student teachers indicated that their most important migration needs before leaving South Africa were information about health care, accommodation and banking assistance. Huge loss of teachers to host countries has a serious, negative impact upon the education system of most developing and/or source countries, including South Africa. Several steps and strategies to resolve teacher loss in South Africa are discussed.

Keywords: migration, academic mobility, teachers, teacher students, South Africa

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Authors: Lison Carlier

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The English language that is taught in school or used in media nowadays is defined as 'standard English,' although unstandardized Englishes, or 'parallel' Englishes, are practiced throughout the world. The existence of these 'parallel' Englishes has challenged standardization by imposing its own specific vocabulary or grammar. These non-standard languages tend to be regarded as inferior and, therefore, pose a problem regarding their translation. In the USA, 'slanguage', or slang, is a good example of a 'parallel' language. It consists of a particular set of vocabulary, used mostly in speech, and rarely in writing. Qualified as vulgar, often reduced to an urban language spoken by young people from lower classes, slanguage – or the language that is often first spoken between youths – is still the most common language used in the English-speaking world. Moreover, it appears that the prime meaning of 'informal' (as in an informal language) – a language that is spoken with persons the speaker knows – has been put aside and replaced in the general mind by the idea of vulgarity and non-appropriateness, when in fact informality is a sign of intimacy, not of vulgarity. When it comes to translating American slang, the main problem a translator encounters is the image and the cultural background usually associated with this 'parallel' language. Indeed, one will have, unwillingly, a predisposition to categorize a speaker of a 'parallel' language as being part of a particular group of people. The way one sees a speaker using it is paramount, and needs to be transposed into the target language. This paper will conduct an analysis of American slang – its use, perception and the image it gives of its speakers – and its translation into French, using the novel Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and other concerns) by way of example. In her autobiography/personal essay book, comedy writer, actress and author Mindy Kaling speaks with a very familiar English, including slang, which participates in the construction of her own voice and style, and enables a deeper connection with her readers.

Keywords: translation, English, slang, French

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Authors: Roghayeh Karami, Ahmad Gharaei

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Backgrounds and objectives: This study was undertaken at four different sites (north polluted, south polluted, south healthy and north healthy) in Tehran, in order to examine whether there was a relationship between publicly available air quality data and the public’s perception of air quality and to suggest some guidelines for reducing air pollution. Materials and Methods: A total of 200 people were accidentally filled out the research questionnaires at mentioned sites and air quality data were obtained simultaneously from the Air Quality Control Department. Data was analyzed in Excel and SPSS software. Results: Clean air and secure job were of great importance to people comparing to other pleasant aspect of life. Also air pollution and fear of dangerous diseases were the most important of people concerns. The Indies bored /news paper services on air quality were little used by the public as a means of obtaining information on air pollution. Using public transportation and avoid unessential journeys are the most important ways for reducing air pollution. Conclusion: The results reveal that the public’s perception of air quality is not a reliable indicator of the actual levels of air pollution. Current earths to down actions are not effective and enough in reducing air pollution, therefore it seems participatory management and public participation is suitable guideline.

Keywords: air pollution, quality of life, opinion poll, public participation

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Authors: Albina Muratbekova

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One of the main tensions and challenges in the development of Sino-Indian relation is the demarcation of its frontiers. The fact that throughout the history borders had never been demarcated on ground occur a dispute between China and India after receiving sovereignty. Boundaries of India and China are divided into three sectors: Eastern, Middle and Western. The middle sector runs from India’s Uttar Pradesh to the Punjab, 545 km length of the Line of Actual Control, the lines of which was confirmed at the 9th meeting of the Expert Group held in 2001, in New Delhi. Other two sectors are still not determined and cause disputes. A western sector of the frontier is the Aksai Chin plateau, covers areas of Ladakh, Tibet, and Sinkiang. Another disputed area lies in the Eastern sector in the Himalayan region, which after 1986 became the Indian state called Arunachal Pradesh. There are two different approaches in the ways of resolving the border dispute. Chinese side keeps an opinion that the border dispute must be resolved in a timely matter unless it is favorable for China, the resolution can be left to a later generation. While India’s government due to security reasons is eager to demarcate the border. In order to study this conflict was used as a descriptive-comparative-analytical method. Also, it was done a profound analyze of conflict nature.

Keywords: border dispute, China, India, territorial claim

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Authors: Sudawan Somjai

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The purposes of this research were to investigate the five important perceptions of service quality from inbound tourists who visited Bangkok, Thailand in the first quarter of 2014. Data were collected from over 10 important tourist destinations in Bangkok. The independent variables of this study included gender, age, levels of education, occupation, income, and country of origin while the dependent variables included their experience, opinion, and comment on the service received during visited tourist destinations. A simple random sampling method was performed to obtain 400 respondents. The respondents were both male and female in the same proportion. However, the majority were between 31-40 years old. Most were married with an undergraduate degree. Most were considered themselves as middle income with an average income of the respondents was between $30,001-40,000 per year. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents came to Bangkok because of low cost and high quality of tourism. The majority came to Bangkok for the first time and spent about 10 days in Thailand. The five important service perceptions that were observed by the inbound tourists in descending order according to mean were reliable of service provider, proper time of service provider, competency of service provider, neat and clean of service provider, and politeness of service provider.

Keywords: experience, inbound tourists, perception, service quality

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Authors: Ofuan James Ilaboya, Okhae J. Ibhadode

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The objective of this paper is to theoretically examine the truism of the “true and fair view” in the context of financial reporting. The paper examines the concepts such as true, fair, true and fair view, problems of true and fair view, the origin/history of true and fair view, review of attributes and key issues relating to true and fair view. The methodological approach adopted in this paper is library-based research, focusing on the review of relevant and related extant literature. The findings based on the review of relevant and related literature is suggestive of the fact that the true and fair concept in financial reporting environment is contentious. The study concludes that given the circumstances as chronicled on this paper, it is evident that the truism of the true and fair view of the auditor’s opinion is under serious threat. The way forward may be for the auditor to certify the accuracy and the correctness of the financial statement. While this position being canvassed here may help to substantially bridge the age-long expectation gap, it may as well require an upward review of the current audit fee structure in order to be able to operationalize the onerous task of certifying the accuracy and correctness of the financial statement. This position is contentious and will require a robust consideration which is not within the purview of the present review.

Keywords: fiduciary duty, financial statement, true and correct, true and fair

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Authors: Wen Xu

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The expansion of Confucius institutes and Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) education is often considered as cultural invasion and part of much bigger, if not ambitious, Chinese central government agenda among Western public opinion. The CFL knowledge and teaching practice inherent in textbooks are also harshly critiqued as failing to align with Western educational principles. This paper takes up these concerns and attempts to articulate that Confucius’s idea of ‘education without discrimination’ appears to have become synonymous with social justice touted in contemporary Australian education and policy discourses. To do so, it capitalises on Bernstein's conceptualization of classification and pedagogic rights to articulate CFL curriculum's potential of drawing in and drawing out curriculum boundaries to achieve educational justice. In this way, the potential useful knowledge of CFL constitutes a worthwhile tool to engage in a peripheral Western country’s education issues, as well as to include disenfranchised students in the multicultural Australian society. It opens spaces for critically theorising CFL curricular justice in Australian educational contexts, and makes an original contribution to scholarly argumentation that CFL curriculum has the potential of including socially and economically disenfranchised students in schooling.

Keywords: curriculum justice, Chinese as a Foreign Language curriculum, Bernstein, equity

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Authors: Brahim Bellali, Fatima Bellali

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The integration of IT systems into a company's ‘human resources processes seems to be the appropriate solution to the problem of evolving and adapting its human resources management practices in order to be both more strategic and more efficient in terms of costs and service quality. In this context, the aim of this work is to study the impact of IT systems on the recruitment process. In this study, we targeted candidates who had recruited using IT tools. The target population consists of 34 candidates based in Casablanca, Morocco. In order to collect the data, a questionnaire had to be drawn up. The survey is based on a data sheet and a questionnaire that is divided into several sections to make it more structured and comprehensible. The results show that the majority of respondents say that companies are making greater use of online CV libraries and social networks as digital solutions during the recruitment process. The results also show that 50% of candidates say that the use of digital tools by companies would not slow them down when applying for a job and that these IT tools improve manual recruitment processes, while 44.1% think that they facilitate recruitment without any human intervention. The majority of respondents (52.9%) think that social networks are the digital solutions most often used by recruiters in the sourcing phase. The constraints of digital recruitment encountered are the dehumanization of human resources (44.1%) and the limited interaction during remote interviews (44.1%), which leaves no room for informal exchanges. Digital recruitment can be a highly effective strategy for finding qualified candidates in a variety of fields. Here are a few recommendations for optimizing your digital recruitment process: (1) Use online recruitment platforms: LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook ; (2) Use applicant tracking systems (ATS) ; (3) Develop a content marketing strategy.

Keywords: IT systems, recruitment, challenges, constraints

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Authors: Azlina Binti Abu Bakar, Fahmi Zaidi Bin Abdul Razak, Wan Salihin Wong Abdullah

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Psychographic is a psychological study of values, attitudes, interests and it is used mostly in prediction, opinion research and social research. This study predicts the influence of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating condition on e-government acceptance among Malaysian citizens. The survey responses of 543 e-government users have been validated and analyzed by means of covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling. The findings indicate that e-government acceptance among Malaysian citizens are mainly influenced by performance expectancy (β = 0.66, t = 11.53, p < 0.01) and social influence (β = 0.20, t = 4.23, p < 0.01). Surprisingly, there is no significant effect of facilitating condition and effort expectancy on e-government continuance intention (β = 0.01, t = 0.27, p > 0.05; β = -0.01, t = -0.40, p > 0.05). This study offers government and vendors a frame of reference to analyze citizen’s situation before initiating new innovations. In case of Malaysian e-government technology, adoption strategies should be built around fostering level of citizens’ technological expectation and social influence on e-government usage.

Keywords: continuance intention, Malaysian citizen, media psychology, structural equation modeling

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Authors: Khalid M. Albarkoly, Kenneth S. Park

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The substantial development of the construction industry has forced the cement industry, its major support, to focus on achieving maximum productivity to meet the growing demand for this material. Statistics indicate that the demand for cement rose from 1.6 billion metric tons (bmt) in 2000 to 4bmt in 2013. This means that the reliability of a production system needs to be at the highest level that can be achieved by good maintenance. This paper studies the extent to which the implementation of RCM is needed as a strategy for increasing the reliability of the production systems component can be increased, thus ensuring continuous productivity. In a case study of four Libyan cement factories, 80 employees were surveyed and 12 top and middle managers interviewed. It is evident that these factories usually breakdown more often than once per month which has led to a decline in productivity, they cannot produce more than 50% of their designed capacity. This has resulted from the poor reliability of their production systems as a result of poor or insufficient maintenance. It has been found that most of the factories’ employees misunderstand maintenance and its importance. The main cause of this problem is the lack of qualified and trained staff, but in addition, it has been found that most employees are not found to be motivated as a result of a lack of management support and interest. In response to these findings, it has been suggested that the RCM strategy should be implemented in the four factories. The paper shows the importance of considering the development of maintenance strategies through the implementation of RCM in these factories. The purpose of it would be to overcome the problems that could reduce the level of reliability of the production systems. This study could be a useful source of information for academic researchers and the industrial organisations which are still experiencing problems in maintenance practices.

Keywords: Libyan cement industry, reliability centred maintenance, maintenance, production, reliability

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Authors: Muhammad Umar Kibiya

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The study aims to examine whether regulatory changes have an impact on the financial reporting quality of Microfinance Banks in Nigeria. The research employed a panel data analysis technique, using data from 2018 to 2022. The sample includes 72 microfinance banks, using regression analyses to examine the relationship between variables. The findings indicate that Board Chairmanship has a positive and significant effect on financial reporting quality. It also reveals that share ownership has a negative and significant impact on financial reporting quality. The results suggest that regulatory changes have a positive and significant influence on financial reporting quality. Thus, findings have important implications for microfinance banks in Nigeria. It suggests that having a strong and competent board chairperson can enhance financial reporting quality, leading to more transparent and reliable information for stakeholders. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of regulatory changes in improving financial reporting practices in the microfinance banking sector. The study contributes to the extant literature by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between board chairmanship, share ownership, financial reporting quality, and regulatory changes in microfinance banks. It further supports the concept that governance mechanisms and regulatory reforms play a crucial role in ensuring transparency and accountability within the microfinance banking sector. It recommends that microfinance banks should appoint experienced and qualified individuals as board chairpersons to enhance financial reporting quality. Furthermore, policymakers and regulatory authorities should continue to implement and enforce regulations that promote transparent financial reporting practices in microfinance banks.

Keywords: board chairman, share ownership, financial reporting quality, microfinance, regulatory changes

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Authors: S. H. Atef

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Background: The most common chromosomal abnormalities identified at birth are aneuploidies of chromosome 21, 18, 13, X and Y. Prenatal diagnosis of fetal aneuploidies is routinely done by traditional cytogenetic culture, a major drawback of this technique is the long period of time required to reach a diagnosis. In this study, we evaluated the QF-PCR as a rapid technique for prenatal diagnosis of common aneuploidies. Method:This work was carried out on Sixty amniotic fluid samples taken from patients with one or more of the following indications: Advanced maternal age (3 case), abnormal biochemical markers (6 cases), abnormal ultrasound (12 cases) or previous history of abnormal child (39 cases).Each sample was tested by QF-PCR and traditional cytogenetic. Aneuploidy screenings were performed amplifying four STRs on chromosomes 21, 18, 13, two pseudoautosomal,one X linked, as well as the AMXY and SRY; markers were distributed in two multiplex QFPCR assays (S1 and S2) in order to reduce the risk of sample mishandling. Results: All the QF-PCR results were successful, while there was two culture failures, only one of them was repeated. No discrepancy was seen between the results of both techniques. Fifty six samples showed normal patterns, three sample showed trisomy 21, successfully detected by both techniques and one sample showed normal pattern by QF-PCR but could not be compared to the cytogenetics due to culture failure, the pregnancy outcome of this case was a normal baby. Conclusion: Our study concluded that QF-PCR is a reliable technique for prenatal diagnosis of the common chromosomal aneuploidies. It has the advantages over the cytogenetic culture of being faster with the results appearing within 24-48 hours, simpler, doesn't need a highly qualified staff, less prone to failure and more cost effective.

Keywords: QF-PCR, traditional cytogenetic fetal aneuploidies, trisomy 21, prenatal diagnosis

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Authors: Seini G. Kaufusi

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Background. Physician-assisted death (PAD) has and continues to be a controversial issue in the U.S. Dying with dignity statutes exists in 9 U.S. jurisdictions that permit competent adults diagnosed with a terminal illness and given a prognosis of 6 month or less to live to request medication to hasten death. Robust advocacy for and against PAD influences policy, and opinions vary. Aim. This study aims to explore the association between race and the attitudes toward physician-assisted death in the U.S. Methods. Data for this study derives from the General Social Survey (GSS) dataset, a national survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) that focuses on the opinions and values of American’s. A cross-sectional design and probability sample from the 2018 data set was used to randomly select respondents. Results. The results indicated that race is significantly associated with attitudes towards physician-assisted death. The level of significance suggests a strong positive association, and the direction indicated that Black and Other racial groups have higher rates of positive decision about PAD. Conclusion. Although attitudes towards PAD varied, Black and other racial groups had favorable decisions for PAD. Further research is crucial in the continuous debate on PAD and understanding the influences of predictors for or against PAD.

Keywords: attitudes, euthanasia, physician-assisted death, race

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Authors: Tsegyu Santas

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The aim of this study was to examine the utilization of social media for political communication during the 2011 presidential election in Nigeria. The research design adopted for the study was survey; 294 copies of questionnaire were distributed to students of mass communication in three selected universities in North Central Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the respondents for the study. The results of the descriptive statistics show that majority of the respondents choice of presidential candidates during the 2011 presidential election was influenced by the use of social media as indicated by high value of mean (1.5805). Similarly, a large number of respondents were of the opinion that the two selected presidential candidates were popular because they used social media in their political campaign (mean value of 1.5575). In addition, the respondents affirmed that their voting pattern during the 2011 presidential elections was influenced by social media usage. This was validated by a high mean value of (1.6667). Similarly, the result of the test of hypothesis indicated that voters’ choice of political candidates was influenced by political communication on social media. In view of the findings of this study, the study, therefore, concludes that social media have redefined the landscape of political communication in Nigeria. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that social media should be fully integrated in Nigeria political communication system.

Keywords: communication, election, politics, social media

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Authors: Muhadam Labolo, Afdal R. Anwar, Sucia Miranti Sipisang

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Electronic Local Finance Management Information System (ELFMIS) is integrated application that was used as a tool for local governments to improve the effectiveness of the implementation of the various areas of financial management regulations. Appropriate With Exceptions Opinion (WDP) of Indonesia Audit Agency (BPK) for local governments Mempawah is a financial management problem that must be improved to avoid mistakes in decision-making. The use of Electronic Local Finance Management Information System (ELFMIS) by Mempawah authority has not yet performed maximally. These problems became the basis for research in measuring the effectiveness LFMIS in Mempawah regency. This research uses an indicator variable for measuring information systems effectiveness proposed by Bodnar. This research made use descriptive with inductive approach. Data collection techniques were mixed from qualitative and quantitative techniques, used questionnaires, interviews and documentation. The obstacles in Local Finance Board (LFB) for the application of ELFMIS such as connection, the quality and quantity of human resources, realization of financial resources, absence of maintenance and another facilities of ELFMIS and verification for financial information.

Keywords: effectiveness, E-LFMIS, finance, local government, system

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Authors: Mehrnoush Tajnia, Simin Sadeghi-Saeb

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Students and teachers have different perceptions of effectiveness of instruction. Comparing students’ and teachers’ beliefs and finding the mismatches between them can increase L2 students’ satisfaction. Few studies have taken into account the beliefs of both students and teachers on different aspects of pedagogy and the effect of learners’ level of education and contexts on effective foreign language teacher practices. Therefore, the present study was conducted to compare students’ and teachers’ perceptions on effective foreign language teaching. A sample of 303 learners and 54 instructors from different private language institutes and universities participated in the study. A questionnaire was developed to elicit participants’ beliefs on effective foreign language teaching and learning. The analysis of the results revealed that: a) there is significant difference between the students’ beliefs about effective teacher practices and teachers’ belief, b) Class level influences students’ perception of effective foreign language teacher, d) There is a significant difference of opinion between those learners who study foreign languages at university and those who study foreign language in private institutes with respect to effective teacher practices. The present paper concludes that finding the gap between students’ and teachers’ beliefs would help both of the groups to enhance their learning and teaching.

Keywords: effective teacher, effective teaching, students’ beliefs, teachers’ beliefs

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Authors: Rungpansa Noichan, Bart Julien Dewancker

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Access to the mass transit system, including rapid elevated and underground transport has become an outstanding issue for many cities. The mass transit access development should focus on behavioral responses of the different passenger groups. Moreover, it should consider about the appearance of intent-oriented action related accessibility that was explored from user’s satisfaction and attitudes related to services quality. This study aims to evaluate mass transit accessibility from passenger’s satisfaction, therefore, understanding the passenger’s attitudes about mass transit accessibility. The study area of this research is Bangkok Mass Transit system (BTS Skytrain) at Saphan Taksin station. 200 passengers at Saphan Taksin station were asked to rate the questionnaires survey that considers accessibility aspects of convenience, safety, feeder connectivity, and other dimensions. The survey was to find out the passenger attitudes and satisfaction for access to the BTS station, and the result shows several factors that influence the passenger choice of using the BTS as a public transportation mode and passenger’s opinion that needs to concern for the development mass transit system and accessibility performance.

Keywords: urban transportation, user satisfaction, accessibility, Bangkok mass transit

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Authors: Juanita, B. Kombaitan, Iwan Pratoyo Kusumantoro

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The traditional mode is a non-motorized vehicle powered by human or animal power. The objective of the study was to define the strategy of using traditional modes by the framework of sustainable urban transport in support of urban tourism activities. The study of the traditional mode does not include a modified mode using the engine power as motor tricycles are often called ‘bentor ‘in Indonesia. The use of non-motorized traditional mode in Indonesia has begun to shift, and its use began to be eliminated by the change of propulsion using the machine. In an effort to push back the use of traditional mode one of them with tourism activities. Strategies for the use of traditional modes within the framework of sustainable urban transport are seen from three dimensions: social, economic and environmental. The social dimension related to accessibility and livability, an economic dimension related to traditional modes can promote products and tourist attractions, while the environmental dimension related to the needs of the users/groups with respect to safety, comfort. The traditional mode is rarely noticed by the policy makers, and public opinion in its use needs attention. The involvement of policy-making between stakeholders and the community is needed in the development of sustainable traditional mode strategies in support of urban tourism activities.

Keywords: traditional mode, sustainable, urban, transportation

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Authors: Alireza Monzavi Chaleshtari, Mahnaz Aliakbari Dehkordi, Seyedeh Somayeh Amiri, Mozhgan Shakhseniaei, Amin Asadi Hieh

Abstract:

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of sexual cognitive behavioral therapy on strategic thinking and communication patterns of couples in colostomy patients. In this study, experimental research was conducted with a pre-test and post-test design with a control group and a follow-up period. The statistical population studied were married female colostomy patients referring to the Iranian Ostomy Association. 30 qualified people were selected by voluntary sampling and randomly divided into two experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). Both groups responded to Goleman's strategic thinking (2007) and the communication patterns of Christensen and Sulawai questionnaires (1984). The results of covariance analysis showed that sexual cognitive behavioral therapy has an effect on improving strategic thinking. Based on the results of this test, sexual cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in improving the strategic thinking of colostomy patients until the follow-up stage. Also, sexual cognitive behavioral therapy has an effect on improving the communication patterns of couples in colostomy patients. Based on the results of this test, sexual cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in improving communication patterns of couples in patients with colostomy until the follow-up stage. Based on the results of this research, sexual cognitive behavioral therapy can be used to improve strategic thinking and communication patterns of couples of colostomy patients.

Keywords: sexual cognitive behavioral therapy, strategic thinking, communication patterns of couples, colostomy

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Authors: Ahmad Abdulkadir Ibrahim

Abstract:

The Islamic law of transactions laid down the methods and instruments of accounting and analyzed its basic assumptions in the modern world. There is a need to examine the implications of accounting initiatives in the Muslim world and attempt to outline the important characteristics of Islamic accounting and how Islamic accounting resolves the problem of measuring the cost of Murabaha goods in case of exchange rate variation. The research tends to discuss an analytical approach to the Islamic accounting concept as well as elaborating the jurisprudential matter and practical aspects of accounting in Islamic financial transactions. It also aims to alert the practitioners of accounting in the Islamic world to be aware of the concept of accounting in Islamic jurisprudence and its historical development. The methodology adopted in this research is the qualitative method through the consultation of relevant literature, which focuses on the thematic study of the subject matter. This is followed by an analysis and discussion of the contents of the materials used. It is concluded that Islamic accounting is unique in its norms as it has been characterized by fairness, accuracy in measuring tools, truthfulness, mutual trust, moderation in making a profit, and tolerance. It was also qualified by capacity and flexibility in terms of the tools and terminology used and invented by Islamic jurisprudence in the accounting system, which indicates its validity and consistency anytime and anywhere. An important conclusion of the research also lies in the refutation of the popular idea that an Italian writer known as Luca Pacilio was the first writer who developed the basis of double-entry due to the presented proofs by Muslim scholars of critical accounting developments, which cannot be ignored. It concludes further that Islamic jurisprudence draws the accounting system codified in the foundations of a market that is far from usury, fraud, cheating, and unfair competition in all areas.

Keywords: accounting, Islamic accounting, Islamic transactions, Islamic jurisprudence, double entry, murabaha, characteristics

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Authors: Bernard Owusu Asare

Abstract:

This study investigates the implementation and efficacy of community policing within the Ghana Police Service, with a focus on its impact on local communities. Emphasizing the goal of creating safer environments and improving the overall quality of life, the research engages opinion leaders from selected communities in Ghana, as well as members of the police force stationed within these communities. Employing a semi-structured interview guide as the primary research instrument, data collection involves face-to-face interviews conducted at respondents' residences and policing centers. The preliminary findings underscore the pivotal role of collaborative efforts between community elders and police personnel in the successful execution of community policing initiatives. Furthermore, the study identifies gainful employment for the youth as a key determinant of effective policing, highlighting the interconnectedness of socioeconomic factors with law enforcement outcomes. The study further reveals that access to the internet emerges as a factor influencing both policing practices and the overall quality of life within these communities. By contextualizing the dynamics of community policing in the local Ghanaian context, this research aims to contribute valuable insights to the ongoing discourse on effective law enforcement strategies and their impact on community well-being.

Keywords: community, policing, police service, Ghana

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Authors: Ana Luisa Mouro, Ana Maria Ramalheira

Abstract:

The Reunification of Germany, in 1990, was not received with great enthusiasm by other European countries. On the contrary, the union of the two German states was accompanied by great concern towards its possible political and economic consequences. The Europeans had not forgotten Germany’s responsibility in the outbreak of the Second World War, and many feared that this new nation would again long for a hegemonic role. During the following years, however, the notion of a threatening Germany faded away, giving place to a description of Germany as an economic giant but a political dwarf. Twenty years after the Reunification, with the outbreak of the financial crisis, Germany conquered a key and powerful position at the heart of Europe and Germanophobia started to gain ground again. The present study has been based on the survey, selection and critical analysis of news reporting, opinion articles, interviews and editorials, published in the weekly Expresso and the daily Público, during two historical moments: the Reunification of Germany in 1990 and the European Crisis, between 2008 and 2015. The findings of this study will show that Germany’s growing influence over the current European economic and political scene woke up old 'demons' that had been 'sleeping' since 1990.

Keywords: media and cultural studies, Euro crisis, German Unification, Germanophobia, Portuguese quality press

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