Varietal mixtures in small grains

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1963 S52Master of Scienc

Exploring the effects of consumers’ trust : a predictive model for satisfying buyers’ expectations based on sellers’ behaviour in the marketplace

In recent years, Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) marketplaces have become very popular among Internet users. However, compared to traditional Business-to-Consumer (B2C) stores, most modern C2C marketplaces are reported to be associated with stronger negative sentiments among consumers. These negative sentiments arise from the inability of sellers to meet certain buyers’ expectations and are linked to the low trust relationship among sellers and buyers in C2C marketplaces. The growth of these negative emotions might jeopardize buyers’ decisions to opt for C2C marketplaces in their future purchase intentions. In the present study, we extend the definition of trust as an emotion to cover the digital world and demonstrate the trust model currently used by most online stores. Based on the buyer’s behaviour in the C2C marketplace, we propose a conceptual framework to predict trust between the buyer and the seller. Given that C2C marketplaces are rich sources of data for trust mining and sentiment analysis, we perform text mining on Airbnb to predict the trust level in host descriptions of offered facilities. The data are acquired from the US city of Ashville, Alabama, and Manchester in the UK. The results of the analysis demonstrate that guest negative feedback in reviews are high when the description of the host’s property has the emotion of joy only. By contrast, guest negative sentiments in reviews are at a minimum when the host’s sentiment has mixed emotions (e.g., joy and fear)

East meets West : toward a theoretical model linking guanxi and relationship marketing

This conceptual study critically examines the separate concepts of guanxi and relationship marketing, explores the differences between the two approaches, and proposes innovative linkages between them. Chinese guanxi develops relationships at the inter-personal level, whereas relationship marketing develops relationships at the inter-organizational level. Both concepts are well known, but a dearth of critical comparison remains in academic literature, even though evidence suggests that managers can use the linkages between the approaches to improve customer recruitment and retention. Through a critical review and synthesis of prior research on guanxi and relationship marketing, this study proposes a novel theoretical model that links guanxi and relationship marketing and develops theoretical and managerial implications of such linkages. As such, this study offers new and valuable insights and benefits for Asian firms, which employ only guanxi-type relationships

Preparation, Spectroscopy, Biological Activities and Thermodynamic Studies of New Complexes of Some Metal Ions with 2-[5-(2-Hydroxy-Phenyl)- 1,3,4-Thiadiazol-2-Ylimino]-Methyl-Naphthalen-1-Ol]

تم في هذه الدراسة تحضير سلسلة جديدة من المعقدات ثنائية النواة رباعية السن (  (N2O2بصيغة M2L2.4H2O من عناصـر السلسلـة الانتقالية الأولى الكروم (III) الكوبلت (II) والنحاس (II) مع ليكند لقاعدة شيف (LH2) 2-[5-(2-Hydroxy-phenyl)- 1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-ylimino]-methyl-naphthalen-1-ol], المشتقة من تفاعل 1-Hydroxy-naphthalene-2-carbaldehyde مع 2-amino-5-(2-hydroxy-phenyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole. تم التحقق من الصيغ التركيبية لليكاندات المعقدات المحضرة بالطرائق الفيزيائية المعروفة مثل درجة الانصهار والتحليل الدقيق للعناصر (C.H.N.O), التوصيلية الكهربائية المولارية والحساسية المغناطيسية والتحليل الحراري (TGA) والأطياف الالكترونية وطيف الأشعة تحت الحمراء وتم تقدير نسبة الفلزات بطريقة الامتصاص الذري و ايجاد النسبة المئوية للكلوريد في المعقدات قياس طيف الكتلة (MS) و 1H-NMR لليكاندا المحضر على ضوء نتائج القياس اعلاه تم اقتراح شكل ثماني السطوح لجميع المعقدات من (Cr3+,Co2+,Cu2+). توضح قياس التوصيلة أن المعقــــــدات المحضرةCr3+,Co2+,Cu2+)  كانت غير إلكتروليت باستثناء Cr3+,. تم حساب الثوابت الديناميكية والثرموداينميكية مثل طاقة التنشيط Ea ، والانثالبية ΔH  ، الانتروبيا ΔS  والطاقة الحرة Gibbs ΔG  باستخدام معادلة Coats-Redfern بواسطة منحنى TGA. تم فحص النشاط الحيوي لقاعدة شيف والمعقدات المحضرة لأنواع من البكتيريا واظهرت نشاطًا كبيرًا ضد بعض والبكتيريا.This study describes the preparation of new series of tetra-dentate N2O2 dinuclear complexes (Cr3+, Co2+, Cu2+) of the Schiff base derived from condensation of 1-Hydroxy-naphthalene-2-carbaldehyde with 2-amino-5-(2-hydroxy-phenyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole. The structures of the ligands were identified using IR, UV-Vis , mass,  elemental analysis and 1H-NMR techniques. All prepared complexes have been characterized by conductance measurement, magnetic susceptibility, electronic spectra, infrared spectrum, theromgravimatric analysis (TGA) and metal analysis by atomic absorption. From stoichiometry of metal to ligand and all measurements show a octahedral geometry proposed for all complexes of the (Cr3+, Co2+, Cu2+). conductivity measurement shows that of the prepared (Co2+, Cu2+) complexes were non electrolyte but (Cr3+) complexes were electrolyte. The parameters of thermodynamic, activation energy Ea , enthalpy ΔH, entropy ΔS and Gibbs free energy ΔG   were calculated using Coats-Redfern method by the TGA curve. The bioactivity of the prepared (LH2) and its complexes have been examined with antibacterial activity which shows significant activity against some fungi and bacteria

Optimizing The Global Performance Of Build-to-order Supply Chains

Build-to-order supply chains (BOSCs) have recently received increasing attention due to the shifting focus of manufacturing companies from mass production to mass customization. This shift has generated a growing need for efficient methods to design BOSCs. This research proposes an approach for BOSC design that simultaneously considers multiple performance measures at three stages of a BOSC Tier I suppliers, the focal manufacturing company and Tier I customers (product delivery couriers). We present a heuristic solution approach that constructs the best BOSC configuration through the selection of suppliers, manufacturing resources at the focal company and delivery couriers. The resulting configuration is the one that yields the best global performance relative to five deterministic performance measures simultaneously, some of which are nonlinear. We compare the heuristic results to those from an exact method, and the results show that the proposed approach yields BOSC configurations with near-optimal performance. The absolute deviation in mean performance across all experiments is consistently less than 4%, with a variance less than 0.5%. We propose a second heuristic approach for the stochastic BOSC environment. Compared to the deterministic BOSC performance, experimental results show that optimizing BOSC performance according to stochastic local performance measures can yield a significantly different supply chain configuration. Local optimization means optimizing according to one performance measure independently of the other four. Using Monte Carlo simulation, we test the impact of local performance variability on the global performance of the BOSC. Experimental results show that, as variability of the local performance increases, the mean global performance decreases, while variation in the global performance increases at steeper levels

Investigating grammatical complexity in Gulf Arabic speaking children with specific language impairment (SLI)

This is the first investigation of Specific Language Impairment (SLI) in Gulf-Arabic (GA) speaking children. The thesis consists of two main sections, in the first one, I discuss the definitions of SLI and the various theories put forward to account for the deficits seen in this population. I also discuss the importance of cross-linguistic investigations of SLI and why studying SLI in GA may prove useful in testing the accounts of SLI that argue for a general processing deficit vs. those that argue for a domain specific account of SLI. The remaining section of the first part is dedicated to describing the various language tests developed to identify children with SLI in GA. These tests were conducted with approximately 88 typically developing children and 26 children with SLI between the age of 4;6 and 9;4 years old. In the second part of the thesis, I report on two experiments investigating syntactic and phonological complexity in GA speaking children with SLI. The first experiment investigates the comprehension of three types of word orders: a canonical SVO, and two word orders that involve fronting of the direct object (OSV and OVS). Results showed that children with SLI differed from the TD groups on the sentences with fronted NP's, but not on the canonical word order. The second experiment involves a nonword repetition test where syllable length and consonant clusters are systematically controlled to contrast the influence of both phonological short-term memory and phonological complexity. The results are consistent with accounts that argue for a significant role of phonological complexity in NWR and question the “centrality” of phonological capacity in nonword repetition. The final chapter summarises the findings of the thesis and its contribution to theories of SLI in general, and to the study of SLI in Arabic in particular

Brucella and Osteoarticular Cell Activation: Partners in Crime

Osteoarticular brucellosis is the most common presentation of human active disease although its prevalence varies widely. The three most common forms of osteoarticular involvement are sacroiliitis, spondylitis, and peripheral arthritis. The molecular mechanisms implicated in bone damage have been recently elucidated. B. abortus induces bone damage through diverse mechanisms in which TNF-α and the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL)-the natural modulator of bone homeostasis are involved. These processes are driven by inflammatory cells, like monocytes/macrophages, neutrophils, Th17 CD4+ T, and B cells. In addition, Brucella abortus has a direct effect on osteoarticular cells and tilts homeostatic bone remodeling. These bacteria inhibit bone matrix deposition by osteoblasts (the only bone cells involved in bone deposition), and modify the phenotype of these cells to produce matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and cytokine secretion, contributing to bone matrix degradation. B. abortus also affects osteoclasts (cells naturally involved in bone resorption) by inducing an increase in osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast activation; thus, increasing mineral and organic bone matrix resorption, contributing to bone damage. Given that the pathology induced by Brucella species involved joint tissue, experiments conducted on synoviocytes revealed that besides inducing the activation of these cells to secrete chemokines, proinflammatory cytokines and MMPS, the infection also inhibits synoviocyte apoptosis. Brucella is an intracellular bacterium that replicates preferentially in the endoplasmic reticulum of macrophages. The analysis of B. abortus-infected synoviocytes indicated that bacteria also replicate in their reticulum suggesting that they could use this cell type for intracellular replication during the osteoarticular localization of the disease. Finally, the molecular mechanisms of osteoarticular brucellosis discovered recently shed light on how the interaction between B. abortus and immune and osteoarticular cells may play an important role in producing damage in joint and bone.Fil: Giambartolomei, Guillermo Hernan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Inmunología, Genética y Metabolismo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Inmunología, Genética y Metabolismo; ArgentinaFil: Arriola Benitez, Paula Constanza. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Inmunología, Genética y Metabolismo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Inmunología, Genética y Metabolismo; ArgentinaFil: Delpino, María Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Inmunología, Genética y Metabolismo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Inmunología, Genética y Metabolismo; Argentin

The Accounting Conservatism and Its Effect on the Quality of Financial Reporting and Supply Chain of Organization in the Financial Market

Accounting conservatism is one of the well-established accounting policies that is used in the field of accounting. In the past, it has been highly praised because conservatism increases the credibility and reliability of financial statements and helps to protect the stakeholders. The sound application of accounting conservatism leads to improve the quality of financial reporting through confessing and disclosing, in the appropriate time, the unwanted news that might face the company. But the company management can have an influence on practicing financial conservatism by intervening in the measurement and disclosure processes of the company results and its financial position, which aims to mislead financial statements users. Although accounting conservatism has been criticized severely due to its contradiction with certain qualitative standards of accounting information, it does not attract local (Iraqi) attention in which it has an important role to enhance financial reporting in the Iraqi environment. Because Iraq tries to attract foreign companies to work and invest in the country, which requires to provide sufficient information to helps them take sound decisions. The study aims to shed light on the relationship between accounting conservatism and the improvement of the quality of financial statements, and the effect of this relationship on the supply chain of the organization in the financial market. Conservatism can be used by the company management as a way of accounting alternatives in an opportunistic and practical way through some accounting policies that the companies apply. In order to reach the study goals, the necessary data and information have been gathered to test the study hypotheses. The study achieves statistically important indicators about the level of accounting conservatism in the financial statements issued by the joint- stock companies in Iraq stock exchange