Relationship-based determinants of building project performance in China

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship-based factors that affect performance of general building projects in China. Eight performance metrics that may be used to measure the success level of construction projects are defined and categorized into two groups namely 'hard' and 'soft' performance. Eight indicators of risks inherent in relationships and seven indicators of tools expected to facilitate relationship building that may affect project success are identified. Data of different projects were collected in China via a self-administered postal survey. By using structural equation modelling techniques, a structural model is developed to help explain the relationship among different variables. It has been found that relational risk has negative influence on project performance. It is recommended that firms in the Chinese construction industry manage the relationship-based factors that are significant in the model so as to achieve project success.

Virulence determinants of infectious bursal disease virus

The very virulent (vv) pathotype of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) has spread rapidly throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Although Australia is currently unaffected, there remains the potential for incursion of an exotic isolate. The aim of this study was to identify putative virulence determinants of IBDV to facilitate the development of improved diagnostic assays for detection and characterisation of vvIBDV isolates. Sequencing of Indonesian vvIBDV Tasik94 revealed a unique substitution [ A�¨S222] in the hypervariable region (HVR) of viral protein (VP) VP2, which did not appear to impinge on virulence or antigenicity. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that Tasik94 was closely related to Asian and European vvIBDV strains. Extensive alignment of deduced protein sequences across the HVR of VP2 identified residuesI242 I256 and I294 as putative markers of the vv phcnotype. Comparison of the pathology induced by mildly-virulent Australian IBDV 002/73 and Indonesian vvIBDV Tasik94, revealed that histological lesions in the spleen, thymus and bone marrow were restricted to Tasik94-infected birds, suggesting the enhanced pathogenicity of vvIBDV might be attributed to replication in non-bursal lymphoid organs. The biological significance of the VP2 HVR in virulence was assessed using recombinant viruses generated by reverse genetics. Both genomic segments of Australian IBDV 002/73, and recombinant segment A constructs in which the HVR of 002/73 was replaced with the corresponding region of either tissue culture-adapted virus or vvIBDV (Tasik94), were cloned behind T7 RNA polymerase promoter sequences. In vitro transcription/translation of each construct resulted in expression of viral proteins. Co-transfection of synthetic RNA transcripts initiated replication of both tissue culture-adapted parental and recombinant viruses, however attempts to rescue non-adapted viruses in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens were unsuccessful. Nucleotide sequence variation in the HVR of VP2 was exploited for the development of a new diagnostic assay to rapidly detect exotic IBDV isolates, including vvIBDV, using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification and Bmrl restriction enzyme digestion. The assay was capable of differentiating between endemic and exotic IBDV in 96% of 105 isolates sequenced to date.

Family food environments as determinants of children's eating : implications for obesity prevention

The prevalence of childhood obesity is escalating rapidly and it considered to be a major public health problem. Diet is a recognised precursor of fatness, and current evidence supports the premise that in Westernised countries, the dietary intakes of children are likely to be important in obesity genesis. However, we have a relatively poor understanding of the environments in which a child’s eating is learnt and maintained. Much of the existing work in this area is based on small-scale or experimental studies, or has been derived from homogeneous populations within the USA. Despite these limitations, there is evidence that aspects of the child’s family environment are likely to be important in determining obesity risk in children. This thesis examines the impact of the family food environment on a child’s eating through two related studies. The first study, titled the Children and Family Eating (CAFÉ) study comprised three phases. Phase one involved qualitative interviews with 17 parents of 5-6 year-old children to explore parental perceptions regarding those factors in a child’s environment believed to influence the development of their child’s eating habits. These interviews were used to inform the development of quantitative measures of the family food environment. The second phase involved the development of a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to assess dietary intake in 5-6 year-olds. The FFQ was informed by analysis of 1995 Australian National Nutrition Survey data. In the final phase the relationships between dietary intakes of 5-6 year-old children, and potential predictors of dietary intake were examined in a cross-sectional study of 560 families. Predictors included measures of: parental perceptions of the adequacy of their child’s diet; food availability and accessibility; child-feeding; the opportunities for parental modelling of food intake; a child’s television exposure; maternal Body Mass Index; and maternal education. Analysis of the CAFÉ data provides unique information regarding the relationships between a child’s family food environment and their food consumption. Models developed for a range of dietary outcomes considered to be predictive of increased risk for obesity, including total energy and fat intakes, vegetable variety, vegetable consumption, and high-energy (non-dairy) fluid consumption, explained between 11 and 20 percent of the variance in dietary intake. Two aspects of the family food environment, parental perception of a child’s dietary adequacy, and the total minutes of television viewed per day, were frequently found to be predictive of dietary outcomes likely to promote fatness in these children. The second study, titled the Parent Education and Support (PEAS) Feeding Intervention Study, was a prospective pre/post non-randomised intervention trial that assessed the impact of a feeding intervention to 240 first-time mothers of one-year-old children. This intervention focused on one aspect of the family food environment, child-feeding, which has been proposed as influential in the development of obesogenic eating behaviours. In this study, Maternal and Child Health Nurses (MCHNs), using a ‘Division of Responsibility’ model of feeding, taught parents to provide nutritious food at regular intervals and to let children decide if to eat and how much to eat. Thus parents were encourages to food their child without exerting pressure, or employing coercion or rewards (controlling behaviours). The aim was to influence parental attitudes and beliefs regarding child-feeding. Through the use of these feeding techniques, this intervention also aimed to increase the variety of fruits and vegetables a child consumed by teaching parents to persist with offering these foods, over the year of the intervention, in non-emotive environments. Fruits and vegetables were chosen in this intervention because they are likely to be protective in the development of obesity. Analysis of the PEAS data suggests that this low-level feeding intervention, delivered through existing Maternal and Child Health services, was modestly effective in changing parental attitudes and beliefs regarding the feeding of young children. Further, the validity of fruits offered to intervention group children increased. This thesis expands the existing knowledge base by providing a comprehensive analysis of the relative impact of aspects of the family environment on dietary intakes of 5-6 year-olds. Further, the analysis of a feeding intervention in first-time parents provides important insights regarding the potential to influence child-feeding and the impact this may have on the promotion of eating behaviours protective against obesity.

Determinants of Central bank independence and governance : problems and policy implications

Central bank independence and governance (CBIG) is a term subject to conflicting definitions and so its related studies are difficult to compare. This paper therefore focuses on developing of a more useable definition, and an index model identifying the determinants of independence and governance and their possible policy implications. It also examines various independence measurement tools such as ranking and index. The index model resulting centres on key central bank independence and corporate governance issues, such as, legal aspects, political aspects, price stability objective aspects, exchange rate policy aspects, monetary policy and deficit financing aspects and finally, transparency and accountability aspects.

A panel data analysis of the determinants of oil consumption : the case of Australia

The goal of this paper is to examine the determinants of oil consumption for a panel consisting of six Australian States and one territory, namely Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern territory, for the period 1985–2006. We find that oil consumption, oil prices and income are panel cointegrated. We estimate long-run elasticities and find that oil prices have had a statistically insignificant impact on oil consumption, while income has had a statistically significant positive effect on oil consumption.

Determinants of efficient risk allocation in privately financed public infrastructure projects in Australia

Risk allocation in privately financed public infrastructure projects, which are mainly referred to as public-private partnership (PPP) projects, is a challenging job due to the nature of incomplete contracting. An investigation into the mechanism that guides the formation of efficient risk allocation strategies is thus desirable. Drawing on the transaction cost economics and resource-based view of organizational capability, this paper has identified five main features of the transactions associated with risk allocation in PPP projects. They include partners’ risk management routine, partners’ risk management mechanism, partners’ cooperation history, risk management environmental uncertainty, and partners’ risk management commitment. For achieving cost efficiency, different risk allocation strategies may suit different conditions of the features. Accordingly, a theoretical framework and five hypotheses were proposed for testing. Data collected in an industrywide survey were analyzed using multiple linear regression technique. It was found that generally, the identified features are determinants in the decision-making process of efficient risk allocation. Therefore, the proposed theoretical framework provides both government and private agencies with not only a logical and holistic understanding of but also a support tool for decision making on risk allocation strategy in PPP projects. Study limitations and future research directions are also set out.

Determinants of tourist expenditure in Fiji : a cointegration approach

Tourism is Fiji's largest industry in terms of foreign exchange earnings and employment creation. The industry earns around F$600 million per annum in foreign exchange, employs around 40,000 people, and tourist expenditure per capita is valued at around F$671. On the basis of this contribution, the industry is seen as a catalyst for economic development in Fiji; hence, it is imperative to understand the behavior of the industry. This article focuses on examining the determinants of tourist expenditure in Fiji. Using cointegration analysis and error correction models, the article finds that in the long run, real GDP in the country of origin impacts tourist spending in Fiji positively while prices and transport costs (airfares) have a negative effect. In the short run, coups d'êtat impact tourist expenditure negatively. It is envisaged that these results will help Fiji's policy makers and tourism industry stakeholders to understand the industry better.

Determinants of demand for Fiji's exports : an empirical investigation

Fiji is no exception to the rule that exports are an important source of growth and development. In this light, it is important to know the determinants of exports. However, there is no empirical study on Fiji's export demand. This paper uses the modern econometric techniques—in particular, the autoregressive distributed lag approach to cointegration—to investigate whether the standard export demand variables, viz., trading partner income, export price, and competitor price, have a long-run cointegration relationship with Fiji's real exports for the period 1970 to 1999. In addition, the long-run results are also estimated by using the dynamic ordinary least squares and the fully modified ordinary least squares. The empirical results indicate the existence of a cointegration relationship among the variables. The long-run foreign income, own-price, and cross-price elasticities are found to be 0.7 to 0.8, −1.3 to −1.5, and 2.1 to 2.2, respectively.

An empirical investigation of the determinants of Oman's national savings

In this note we examine the determinants of Oman's national savings for the period 1977-2003 using the bounds testing approach to cointegration. We use the ARDL model to estimate the long run and short run determinants of national savings. Our main finding is that the current account, the urbanisation rate and the money supply exert statistically significant impacts on Oman''s national savings in the long run.

The determinants of immigration from Fiji to New Zealand : AN empirical reassessment using the bounds testing approach

This article re-examines Gani's (1998) findings on the determinants of migrant flows from Fiji to New Zealand by employing the bounds testing procedure to cointegration, within an autoregressive distributive lag framework. The main findings are that in the long run all variables are statistically insignificant, although correctly signed with the exception of the unemployment differential. In the short run, in sharp contrast to Gani's (1998) findings, political instability is consistently the most important determinant of migration flows while the standard of living and real wage differentials are statistically insignificant across all specifications.

Age-specific norms and determinants of anxiety and depression in 731 women with breast cancer recruited through a population-based cancer registry

The aim of this study was to determine population norms and determinants of anxiety and depression in a population-based sample of 731 women with breast cancer (aged 23–60 years) with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS). The prevalence of ‘probable’ psychological morbidity due to anxiety was 23% and due to depression was 3%. When the women identified as ‘possible’ cases were included, the respective proportions were 45 and 12%. Higher anxiety was present in younger, less educated women not born in Australia. There was no clear pattern of risk factors for depression. These population-based findings highlight the need for clinicians to be aware that age, education and country of birth may identify a particularly vulnerable subgroup. While brief scales such as the HADS are limited in their ability to accurately predict a clinical diagnosis, high scores identify those who may warrant referral for clinical evaluation.

Determinants of electronic commerce adoption in small businesses in New Zealand

The findings of this thesis suggest that the inexpensive nature of eCommerce, the extent of CEO innovativeness, the need to remain competitive, the relevance of the Internet to the type of business, the SME's size and the apparent compatibility of eCommerce in business were the only determinants of eCommerce adoption in SMEs in New Zealand.