Performance study of a wind-grid system in a semi- arid region and major integration issues

The phenomenal growth in economy experienced in developed countries throughout the 20th century has largely been driven by the availability of conventional energy sources for electricity generation. However, increased concern about fossil fuels and adverse effect of carbon dioxide emission in to atmosphere changed the conventional power system to a viable one by integrating renewable energy sources into the existing system. Among the Renewable Energy (RE) sources, wind energy is one of the fastest growing technologies in reducing the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions in to the atmosphere due to its continuous availability throughout a period. Hence, this paper discusses the performance of a wind-grid connected system in a semi-arid region by conducting a case study. Wilson promontory, one of the best locations for wind generation in Victoria is considered as a case study. Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable (HOMER) is used as a simulating tool for this analysis. This study also presents the influences of storage system in the proposed Hybrid Power System (HPS) allowing energy to be stored during higher generations or lower load demands. In addition this paper also discusses the major integration issues to facilitate the large scale wind energy into the grid for reliable power generation and distribution.

Social and physical environmental correlates of adults' weekend sitting time and moderating effects of retirement status and physical health

Emerging research suggests that prolonged sedentary behaviour (SB) is detrimental to health. Changes in SB patterns are likely to occur during particular life stages, for example at retirement age (55-65-year-old). Evidence on socio-ecological SB correlates is scarce and inconsistent in this age group. Moreover, the influence of socio-ecological correlates may vary depending on health and retirement status. This study examined social and environment correlates of overall weekend day sitting among adults at or approaching retirement age, and moderating effects of perceived physical health and retirement status. Baseline data from the Wellbeing, Eating and Exercise for a Long Life study in 2839 Australian adults (55-65-year-old) were analysed. Participants self-reported proximal social factors, neighbourhood social and physical environment, physical health and retirement status. MLwiN multilevel regression analyses were conducted. In the multivariable model, only social support from friends/colleagues to discourage sitting (B = -0.891; p = 0.036) was associated with overall weekend day sitting. No moderation of retirement status, nor physical health were found in the multivariable results. Results from this study suggest the importance of social factors in relation to weekend day sitting among 55-65-year-old adults. Health promotion initiatives in this age group should pay special attention to enhancing social interaction opportunities. Moreover, findings suggest that SB-specific correlates may need to be examined in future research.

A review of evidence-based evaluation of measures for assessing social and emotional well-being in indigenous Australians

Addressing low levels of social and emotional well-being (SEWB) in Indigenous communities has been a national strategic priority for over 10 years and yet progress in assessing the impact of interventions has been slow. One of the key factors limiting the development of evidence-based practice has been the lack of well-validated instruments to assess SEWB and how it changes over time as a result of intervention. This article systematically reviews available measures, classifying them in terms of the evidence base that exists to support their use. It is concluded that there is an ongoing need to develop psychometrically sound, comprehensive, culturally appropriate measures to operationalise Indigenous SEWB at a population health, programme evaluation, and clinical level. It is suggested that seven pathways be followed to achieve this goal, including the need to recognise that the gold standard status for Indigenous measurement tools cannot be ascribed based on evidence-based assessment criteria alone.

The efficient market hypothesis and corporate event waves: part 1

Efficient markets are commonly defined as ones that do not allow investors to earn above-average returns without accepting above-average risk. In a traditional framework, where investors are rational and there are no frictions, the efficient market hypothesis (EMH) states that a security's price reflects its fundamental value, which is the sum of its discounted expected future cash flows. Put simply, under the EMH, securities are "rightly priced." Through this study, the author finds that while the EMH has been widely accepted for decades among academics, practitioners and regulators still appear to be unconvinced. From a behavioral perspective, the author shows that human psychology and sentiment factors can account for some discrepancies in financial markets. He also finds evidence of limited arbitrage being risky and costly and, hence, impeding the ability of investors to take advantage of profitable opportunities. This study provides an extensive analysis of the critical discussions surrounding the EMH and deepens and strengthens the understanding of the EMH, as well as the arguments for and against.

The efficient market hypothesis and corporate event waves: part II

This article is the second of a two-part series on the efficient market hypothesis corporate event waves. The ideas of market efficiency, or rational theory, and the behavioral hypothesis have been extensively used to explain the modern phenomena of corporate event waves. Some studies investigate the patterns of corporate events from a behavioral finance perspective and suggest that corporate announcement waves are driven by investor sentiment. Baker and Wurgler examine equity market timing as an aspect of real corporate financial policy. Sentiment can also explain IPO waves. Post-announcement returns and IPO volume are positively correlated to firms' capital demands and the level of investor optimism. Helwge and Liang examine the IPO cycles from hot to cold markets from 1975 to 2000. Corporate e vent wave scan also be explained by the neoclassical efficiency hypothesis, proposing that business cycle fluctuations and economic conditions drive firms' decisions on financing transactions.

Gambling participation and problem gambling severity in a stratified random survey : Findings from the second social and economic impact study of gambling in Tasmania

Demographic characteristics associated with gambling participation and problem gambling severity were investigated in a stratified random survey in Tasmania, Australia. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were conducted in March 2011 resulting in a representative sample of 4,303 Tasmanian residents aged 18 years or older. Overall, 64.8 % of Tasmanian adults reported participating in some form of gambling in the previous 12 months. The most common forms of gambling were lotteries (46.5 %), keno (24.3 %), instant scratch tickets (24.3 %), and electronic gaming machines (20.5 %). Gambling severity rates were estimated at non-gambling (34.8 %), non-problem gambling (57.4 %), low risk gambling (5.3 %), moderate risk (1.8 %), and problem gambling (.7 %). Compared to Tasmanian gamblers as a whole significantly higher annual participation rates were reported by couples with no children, those in full time paid employment, and people who did not complete secondary school. Compared to Tasmanian gamblers as a whole significantly higher gambling frequencies were reported by males, people aged 65 or older, and people who were on pensions or were unable to work. Compared to Tasmanian gamblers as a whole significantly higher gambling expenditure was reported by males. The highest average expenditure was for horse and greyhound racing ($AUD 1,556), double the next highest gambling activity electronic gaming machines ($AUD 767). Compared to Tasmanian gamblers as a whole problem gamblers were significantly younger, in paid employment, reported lower incomes, and were born in Australia. Although gambling participation rates appear to be falling, problem gambling severity rates remain stable. These changes appear to reflect a maturing gambling market and the need for population specific harm minimisation strategies. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Individual, social, and environmental correlates of healthy and unhealthy eating

Few studies use comprehensive ecological approaches considering multilevel factors to understand correlates of healthy (and unhealthy) dietary intake. The aim of this study was to examine the association between individual, social, and environmental factors on composite measures of healthy and unhealthy dietary intake in adults.

Family day care educators’ knowledge, confidence and skills in promoting children’s social and emotional wellbeing: baseline data from Thrive

THIS PAPER PRESENTS BASELINE data from Thrive, a capacity-building program for family day care educators. Educators completed a self-report survey assessing knowledge and confidence in promoting children’s social and emotional wellbeing. An in-home observation was used to assess care quality. Twenty-four educators responded to the survey (40 per cent response rate). They had an average of nine years’ experience and 82 percent held childcare qualifications. Educators reported knowledge of, on average, three early signs of social and emotional problems in children, three risk factors and two protective factors. Using a scale from 0-10, mean educator confidence levels ranged from an average of 6.69 to 7.25. Quality of care ratings were moderate. Although educators had a good understanding of children’s social and emotional wellbeing, the study identified opportunities for significant changes in the quality of the educators’ interactions with children in their care and their professional development.

Culture and corporate voluntary reporting: a comparative exploration of the chairperson's report in India and New Zealand

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the cultural underpinnings of accounting practices through a comparative analysis of India and New Zealand, using the chairperson's report, which is increasingly becoming one of the most important segments of the corporate annual report.
Design/methodology/approach – The annual reports of Indian and New Zealand companies from 2001 to 2005 were selected to investigate the extent and nature of information disclosure in their chairperson's report. “Content analysis” is the main methodological orientation of the paper.
Findings – The paper argues that, contrary to propositions based on Hofstede's cultural framework, Indian companies provide more disclosure in their chairperson's report than their New Zealand counterparts. This leads to the conclusion that voluntary disclosure, more generally, is a complex phenomenon and cultural variables alone may not be sufficient predictors of the voluntary disclosure practices of a country.
Originality/value – Using India and New Zealand, two countries with significant cultural differences, according to Hofstede's typology, the paper extends the literature by focusing on the chairperson's report, a more recent accounting phenomenon which is gaining popularity across the globe.

Capital structure and corporate performance: evidence from Jordan

This study is to investigate the effect which capital structure has had on corporate performance using a panel data sample representing of 167 Jordanian companies during 1989-2003. Our results showed that a firm’s capital structure had a significantly negative impact on the firm’s performance measures, in both the accounting and market’s measures. We also found that the short-term debt to total assets (STDTA) level has a significantly positive effect on the market performance measure (Tobin’s Q). The Gulf Crisis 1990-1991 was found to have a positive impact on Jordani an corporate performance while the out break of Intifadah in the West Bank and Gaza in September 2000 had a negative impact on corporate performance.

A pilot, multisite, randomized controlled trial of a self-directed coping skills training intervention for couples facing prostate cancer : accrual, retention, and data collection issues

PURPOSE: To examine the acceptability of the methods used to evaluate Coping-Together, one of the first self-directed coping skill intervention for couples facing cancer, and to collect preliminary efficacy data. METHODS: Forty-two couples, randomized to a minimal ethical care (MEC) condition or to Coping-Together, completed a survey at baseline and 2 months after, a cost diary, and a process evaluation phone interview. RESULTS: One hundred seventy patients were referred to the study. However, 57 couples did not meet all eligibility criteria, and 51 refused study participation. On average, two to three couples were randomized per month, and on average it took 26 days to enrol a couple in the study. Two couples withdrew from MEC, none from Coping-Together. Only 44 % of the cost diaries were completed, and 55 % of patients and 60 % of partners found the surveys too long, and this despite the follow-up survey being five pages shorter than the baseline one. Trends in favor of Coping-Together were noted for both patients and their partners. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified the challenges of conducting dyadic research, and a number of suggestions were put forward for future studies, including to question whether distress screening was necessary and what kind of control group might be more appropriate in future studies.