lap lambert academic publishing dez 2009 (356 risultati)

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity is shaking the world with emphasis on a vigorous community, missionary work, strong family and individual, personal relationship to God and not in the last place, accent on prosperous health and business. This book is an ethnographic study of a manifestation of this global movement in Hungary. The focus lies on a new type of religious experience that the Pentecostal/Charismatic religion offers to its followers in Faith Church in Budapest, with vivid understanding of the transcendental in the believer¿s life and the experience of closeness of God, regarded as religious sensations. Considering religious sensations is an innovative approach in understanding religious experience, as it encompasses not only the feelings experienced during sensations, but also their mediation and induction. The role of narratives, bodily movements and the charismatic leadership of this church are analyzed with respect to the creation and mediation of religious experience.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 56 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This thesis investigates the utility of transforming the Institutional Army through the use of corporate business models. This study finds that working corporate models, such as Lean Six Sigma (LSS), are available which are already enabling the transformation of a very specific aspect within the institutional Army. The research has also shown that other civilian models can be applied to the Institutional Army as well, such as enterprise resource planning systems (ERP) and information networks (IN). Clearly, each one of these civilian models brings different capabilities to the Institutional Army.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 80 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Causal inference is an important but controversial topic in the social sciences in that it is difficult to statistically control for all possible confounding variables. To address this concern, this monograph introduces a reference distribution of the confounding that is the product of two dependent correlation coefficients and illustrates how to use the reference distribution to investigate the robustness of a cause inference to the impact of a confounding variable. The methodology discussed in this monograph would also allow for multiple partial causes in the complex social phenomena under study, so as to inform causal inferences in the social sciences from statistical linear models.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 96 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -School textbooks occupy a central role in classrooms, and can be compared to mass media. Often they are said to be the realization of the curriculum in practice. The goal of promoting gender equality is stated in the Finnish core curricula, but what kind of gender ideologies are actually learned in school Earlier textbook studies on representations of gender have confirmed bias and projection of stereotypical views and beliefs especially on female characters. But are the textbooks of today different How are men and women, boys and girls portrayed What characteristics, interests, action and roles are assigned to males and females What types of linguistic, visual, and editorial choices contribute to the process of constructing gender ideology This book presents an analysis of five EFL textbook series, spells out the methodological framework and provides illustrative examples of the textbook contents.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 116 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -With new processor families appearing every few years, it is increasingly harder to achieve high performance rates in sparse matrix computations. This monograph studies new methods for sparse matrix factorizations and applies them efficiently while retaining ease of use of existing solutions. The implementations are timed and analyzed using a commonly accepted set of test matrices. Contemporary processors are used for the tests. The new factorization techniques are proven to be quite competitive with state of the art software. In addition, an optimization effort is applied to an iterative algorithm that stands out for its numerical robustness. This also gives satisfactory results on the tested computing platforms in terms of performance improvement. The same set of test matrices is used to enable an easy comparison between both investigated techniques, even though they are customarily treated separately in the literature. Possible extensions of the presented work range from easily conceivable merging with existing solutions to rather more evolved schemes dependent on hard to predict progress in theoretical and algorithmic research.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 84 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Voltage instability has been a great concern for a long time in electrical power industry. A system enters a state of instability due to increase in demand, a sudden large disturbance or a change in system condition that causes a progressive and uncontrollable decline in voltage. It is therefore interest to study dynamic and static aspects of voltage stability.In this Book, Effects of induction motor load on short-term voltage stability and the effects of dynamics of slow-active devices on long- term voltage stability of a system were also investigated using PV curves and time domain analysis (MATLAB/SIMULINK). A technique to determine the critical fault clearing time to prevent stalling of induction motor load has been presented. In addition, a method to determine voltage stability index based on the complex voltages of all buses is proposed and used in estimating the maximum loading of the power system and for identifying weakest segments of a power system to prevent voltage instability/collapse by providing appropriate reactive compensations.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 116 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -We consider the correlation clustering problem which was initially introduced by Bansal, Blum, Chawla et al. Given a complete graph G on n vertices, with weights of +1 or -1 defined on the edges, we want to find a partition which maximizes the sum of the number of edges with positive weights inside the clusters plus the number of edges with negative weights between different clusters. In this thesis we present a deterministic polynomial time approximation scheme for finding such a partition. Our approach is different from the one given by Bansal, Blum, Chawla et al. as it relies on the Szemeredi's Regularity Lemma. We start by introducing the problem, then we introduce the concepts of regularity lemma and give a proof of Szemeredi's Regularity Lemma. Then we present the algorithm and the proof of the correctness of the algorithm.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 64 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -A characterization study of ultrasmall ultraefficient multijunction concentrator solar cells under realistic illumination conditions is presented, with emphasis on performance sensitivity to light intensity and distribution. Information of this type is essential in the design and optimization of the latest generations of high-flux photovoltaic systems. Cell miniaturization allows increasing the concentration at which efficiency peaks, facilitates passive heat rejection, and permits the use of all-glass optics. However, few device measurements have been published on ultrasmall cells. Extensive measurements, up to ~5000 suns, on the 1.0 mm2 active region within the busbars are reported and analyzed. The standard model which assumes lumped series resistance was insuficient to account for the experimental results. For that reason a new explicit model which relaxes that assumption was developed and its non-trivial predictions were explored. The combinations of the new model with first order heat transfer corrections agreed much better with the experimental results. The practical orientation of this work is evidenced in its improvement suggestions.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 72 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Over the past decade, evaluations of multimedia products have failed to yield conclusive or consistent data concerning the effectiveness of the medium in helping students achieve learning outcomes. This is due in part to the diversity of the products themselves. There are indications that a number of factors contribute to a product''s success, and that these vary from case-to-case. In order to be relevant, evaluation criteria should reflect the goals and use of the specific product. This two-phased evaluation examined the effectiveness of ProjectVideo, a CD-ROM and Web-based courseware package. Responses to open-ended questions during Phase One of the evaluation formed the basis of modifications to the product. In Phase Two, pre/post-course assessment was used to measure the effect of the courseware on student''s perception of their mastery of skills. The evaluation assessed user satisfaction with product quality and the navigational structure of the course materials. The product''s success in providing a supportive collaborative framework was also examined by surveying student attitudes toward group interactions and satisfaction with completed projects.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 84 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -When Joseph Campbell introduced his idea of the monomyth or Hero''s Journey in The Hero with a Thousand Faces, he used examples of main charachters from folklore, myths and legends. Although his idea seemed to apply to the heroes in these stories, it wasn''t certain that it could be transferred to apply to heroes in common literature. This book means to test two things: whether his ideas of the monomyth apply to fakelore as well, and also whether other charachters aside from main charachters have a hero''s journey too. The reader will be given information on both Joseph Campbell''s theory as well as Tolkien''s the Lord of the Rings before an extensive analysis of five charachters: Frodo, Sam, Aragorn, Eowyn and Gandalf. This should be especially useful for anyone interested in the use of Campbell''s theory in literature and writing.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 92 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -In the recent global age, English has become more valued in Japan as a means of international communication. However, traditional grammar translation and audio-lingual methods still remain as a major pedagogy used by the vast majority of Japanese high schools today. Additionally, very little academic literature has been produced on the effect of 'practicing' English on a university exam. Therefore, whilst using the Center Pre-Test, a highly-valid mock test of the Japanese national university exam, this book challenges the current English education of Japan. Comparative analysis was conducted between the students who regularly engage in the practical English self-study and those who do not, with a focus on five types of the self-study methods in speaking, listening, watching TV, reading and writing. Consequently, the correlation between practical self-study and the learners'' English proficiency on the university exam and several positive attitudes toward English learning were observed. This book is highly recommended and beneficial especially for the researchers and professionals in the field of foreign language teaching and learning.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 88 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The work focuses on the question of the regional economic development of the part of Russia with unique location within the EU territory ¿ the region of Kaliningrad. The region has a relatively short but eventful history as a Russian exclave. A small territory has been facing numerous challenges in its development owing to the region''s detachment from the mainland. In addition to this, the position between two major players on European arena ¿ the EU and Russia ¿ defined a particular political significance of the small region. The objectives of the work are to understand specifics of development of small territories surrounded by other states and to define challenges the territories have to tackle; to apply theoretical findings for analyzing a particular case of the detached part of Russian territory ¿ Kaliningrad ¿ and to identify future prospects for the region. The main findings comprise several future prospects for the Russian region of Kaliningrad in the view of its specific geopolitical position which implies intricate combination of such factors as EU¿Russia relationship, WTO expansion, energy prices and globalization.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 72 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The news in Pakistan is dead. What had been routine for journalists ¿ covering politics, government, and community life ¿ is no more. Overshadowed by coverage of violence, international conflict and terrorism since the 9/11 attacks on the U.S., there is no room in Pakistani news media or interest among Pakistani journalists for everyday news. Instead of covering human rights issues and daily social problems, images and news of suicide bombings, terrorist attacks, and religious extremism continue to land on page one, plaster Web pages and dominate TV news. International reporter and scholar Rauf Arif examines, through the stories of 12 Pakistani journalists, changing news trends of journalism in Pakistani media that were set in motion by the events of 9/11. This work bridges a gap in mass media research on how significant events in history impact the values of journalism influence media in everyday life on the other side of the world.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 72 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Since the Cold War minority rights have been re-internationalized and the protection of national minorities has become an important and often controversial factor in European politics. The EU has shown its commitment to minority protection when, in 1993 the European Council incorporated the ¿respect for and protection of national minorities¿ as a part of the political condition for EU membership. This resulted in a substantive incentive structure for the improvement of minority protection during the accession period. However, the author focuses on what has happened after the EU-accession and whether the established criterion continues to provide minority protection. In order to unravel and examine potential inconsistencies concerning minority protection the study examines the Hungarian communities living in Slovakia and Romania, with a particular focus on language rights. The study will be useful to professionals working in the field of minority research, and to everyone who is interested in the European policy-making in the field of minority protection. (The Master Thesis was submitted in May 2009)Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 84 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Earnings Management (EM) is a phrase often given to the accounting decisions (or practices) managers make that can affect the outcome of the ¿Bottom Line.¿ Current definitions lend a negative connotation to the phrase and thus people think that all earnings management is wrong, but this book maintains that not all decisions are ¿bad.¿ There are viable decisions managers can make that still help maintain a solid bottom line and are still ethical, mainly because the intent behind the decision is not to deceive. Thus, intent is key. When the intent is to deceive, the resulting actions are defined as fraud, which is illegal. Therefore, many definitions must better distinguish differences between earnings management practices and fraudulent practices. Furthermore, this book attempts to answer the following ethics question: Can one perform EM ethically and still maintain profitable bottom lines This discussion prompts further questions such as: Is something ethical if it is legal or is something unethical if it is illegal Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 56 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The post-communist interaction between crossborder actors such as dual citizens, crossborder voters, migrant associations, twin municipalities, minority parties, NGO''s, local political structures, elections and capital extends into a new crossborder site based on multiple citizenship rights and duties and transnational democratic participation. This process hampers the state- imposed bounded groupness and reveals the fluidity and multiplicity of the crossborder identifications. As political site and identity constituted through discursive and interdiscursive practices across national borders, crossborderness may develop as a basis for further promotion of crossborder democracy and lasting governmentality across national sites.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 104 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The mineral subsector has traditionally offered informal and formal employment to local communities. Discovery of mines is accompanied with realignment of socio-economic and cultural context of an area. New Mineral Policy and Mineral Act were developed in 1990s that allowed foreign investors in the mining industry. The influx of foreign investment companies was received with mixed feel by the government, local communities and artisanal and small-scale miners. However there is little evidence of minerals¿ significant contribution in curbing poverty. This book examines a particular case in Tanzania, where artisanal and small-scale miners, local companies and communities are engaged in mining activities. Limited consultation culminates into misgiving and brews conflicts between the investors and artisanal and small-scale miners. Conflicts chock the chances for collaboration. Being at receiving end, mining communities are mostly affected whenever there are conflicts that cause the mines to close thereby affecting the livelihood communities. Relevant authorities have to strategize how stakeholders can complement each other and effectively contribute to poverty reduction.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 104 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Why did IMF conditionality prove to be successful in Bulgaria only after 1997, although it was present before Drawing on IMF documents, internal governmental reports and an inter-temporal analysis of three phases of relationship between the IMF and the Bulgarian government, it is argued in this book that the success of IMF conditions requires that conditionality meets linkage. The interests of the Bulgarian policy makers and the IMF coincided after 1997 when the government announced its primary goal - EU membership. Thus, the EU served as an ¿outside anchor¿, which relieved both, in addition to IMF, financial and political constraints to economic reform.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 112 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Social citizenship is still far from gender-neutrality in contemporary societies. The book deals with the theoretical concept of social citizenship and examines thoroughly its gender dimension. On the basis of such a theoretical introduction, an analysis of relevant data concerning gender dimension of social citizenship in Sweden is conducted. The country chosen by the author for the case study is not coincidental. Sweden has been for a long time perceived as beeing one of the most women-friendly country in the world. However, if the dimension of social citizenship is taken into account, it turns out that the situation is not that clear. With the focus on the employment, family policy, pension system, and, additionally, political participation of women, Sweden is a significat example to indicate that there is still a great work to be done untill gender-neutrality and social justice is reached. The book should be useful for all those academics and students in the fields of Social Sciences interested especially in the issue of social and gender justice who need brief and vivid theoretical overview alongside with empirical examples in the area of social citizenship.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 64 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The book is the first attempt to analyze the phenomenon of financial contagion during the global crisis that started in 2007. Estimation procedure is based on time-varying copula models of daily return rates of seven world stock markets during 2005-2009. Copula functions are applied to investigate the impact of the global financial crisis on the dependence measures between international markets. The relation between the effect strength and trend characteristics is also examined. The results indicate upward shift of constant correlation parameters and significant change of the coefficients describing the behaviour of dependence parameters.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 60 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book places a choice of conscience on the decision-making table of powerful multinational companies and business managers in general, offering them a conceptual decision-making model to deal with corruption-related situations. The purpose of writing this book is to lend an inclusive meaning to corruption that takes into account stakeholder issues and provides business managers an ethical choice of action in corruption-related situations.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 160 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book provides a detailed description about the increase in Docotral research worldwide and its importance in furthering research. The present scenario in the dissemination of Doctoral research results, the problems faced during accessing them, the archival and publication practices of Ph D Theses are narrated in this book. It also contains the results of the study conduced among Librarians, University Guides and Research Scholars from various Indian Universities. A prototype ETD System using DSpace software is proposed step by step according to the suggested workflow. Authors suggest the prototype for Indian Universities to solve the present problems of access in Theses. This monograph includes lots of figures and tables to describe the ideas in an appealing manner.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 124 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Corruption is considered to be an enemy for the application of good governance principles in the public sector. The thesis argues that primary motives for the origins of corruption are the institutional design and structure of the public sector. These include existence of monopoly and abuse of discretion, while there is an absence of accountability. Based on comparison with the regional countries existence of Anti-corruption Commission in Azerbaijan is considered to be weak. According to the research question, ¿if corruption is considered to be the major obstacle in post-Soviet transitional countries, which anti-corruption policy and agency would be the best suit for the case study of Azerbaijan ¿, it finds out that independence of the anti-corruption agency (ACA) is a crucial feature to fight against corruption. There is a need for preserving independence over responsibilities of various bodies of the agency, budgeting policy and the staff composition. Lastly, the thesis gives various recommendations for the government in order to implement the policy for the best of eliminating the wrongdoings in the public sector management.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 60 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Demands on water supplies in the arid west are continuing to grow even though most rivers are already fully appropriated. Agriculture being the largest and least valued user of this resource will continue to be targeted to fulfill these increased demands. For water supplies to be transferred efficiently from agriculture to other beneficial uses it is necessary to determine the value of water in agriculture across different regions, uses, and legal structures. This study develops a Discrete Sequential Stochastic Programming (DSSP) model to value irrigation water in five agriculturally distinct regions throughout the Platte River Basin. The expected long run value of irrigation water is found and the model is used to interpret the changes in water value due to specific water supply conditions. The results clearly indicate how the value of water in agriculture increases significantly as the water supply decreases. In addition, the results of this study indicate which regions of the Platte River Basin might be able to provide the most cost effective source of water for preserving threatened and endangered species.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 64 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Outcome Mapping is a methodology for planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects promoted by the International Development Research Centre. During its ten years of existence, the Latin American Trade Network has been incorporating this methodology gradually, adapting its tools to its own features and procedures. OM provides a series of steps to the stage of planning and project definition, and data collection mechanisms and evaluation of outcomes that allow continuous monitoring and reflection. Those data collection instruments have become the main tool for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Network. Throughout that process, the instruments and steps that the proposed methodology postulates have been adapted to the possibilities and needs of LATN, positioning this regional network as a reference on the subject. This book presents the experience of application of OM in LATN and its ongoing process of adaptation. It resumes the evaluation results of the application of that methodology during the third period of LATN, from 2003 to 2008. As a result, we propose, from our experience, to consider the scope and possibilities of this methodology in research activities.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 52 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -As the population of the Philippines continues to grow, poverty and civil unrest is widespread on the island of Mindanao. Mindanao''s poverty can be attributed largely to past migration and economic policies of the Philippines government that delayed economic growth. Furthermore, since independence was obtained from the United States in 1946, the condition of life of Mindanao''s poor has worsened due to such factors as internal conflicts between government forces and secessionist movements. This paper sheds some light on the dilemma of poverty, government policies, migration and civil unrest on Mindanao, southern Philippines.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 108 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Theoretical studies and empirical evidence suggest that an optimal committee consists of roughly 5-9 members, although this result may vary somewhat under specific circumstances. This paper develops a conceptual model for the case of a monetary policy committee (MPC). The main conclusions are that (i) MPC size varies according to the size of the monetary zone and overall economic stability; (ii) for large monetary zones (EMU, USA, Japan), MPC size is close to the estimated optimal level; and (iii) in several countries, MPC size is considerably misaligned. Our model is backed by econometric evidence using a 2006 survey for 85 countries, which is available on the Web for further research.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 60 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -After a peak in the demand for housing which led to rising property prices at the time of the German reunification in 1990, the subsequent construction boom in the mid 1990s resulted in declining prices for residential real estate, seemingly above all in Eastern Germany. An interesting question in this respect is how heavily potential investments in separately-owned flats undertaken at the beginning of the 1990s might be impaired by this drop in rentals and property prices. Since, at that time, these investments were promoted by high tax benefits, a special focus of this book lies on considering the tax effects of such investments. After-tax calculations for Magdeburg, Leipzig, and Erfurt, and also for two cities in the former federal area were performed by using data on average rentals and property prices of typified flats. It is shown that even despite falling rentals and decreasing property values it was still possible to generate profits over the period from 1992-2002 due to generous tax subsidies. The case study might not only be interesting for investors in residential real property but also for professionals in real estate industry and consulting firms.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 116 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Czech people were one of the immigrant groups which have made life in America possible. Many Czechs wholly assimilated to American society, but many maintained some degree of Czech identity. The main aim of this book is to determine to what extent Czech Americans maintain a Czech identity in contemporary America. A research study was conducted in order to discover the state of preservation of Czech culture in the United States. The book first gives a history of Czech immigration to America. It also introduces famous American personalities of Czech descent and describes social and cultural institutions of Czech Americans. The last part of the historical background concentrates on the importance of their origin, preservation of Czech language and customs, and relationship of Czech Americans to the Czech Republic. In its final part, the findings of the research study are presented. Anyone interested in the state of ethnic elements in American society of today should find the reading of this book appealing. Despite the fact that the research was aimed at the Czech-American community, it shows tendencies which in many aspects do not differ from other ethnic groups in the USA.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 96 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book reproduces the PhD by Publication of Michael Richards, Natural Resources Economist with Forest Trends and formerly of the Overseas Development Institute. Dr Richards traces 13 key publications on the sustainable management and conservation (SFM) of tropical forests. Deforestation contributes significantly to climate change, and causes serious environmental and social costs. Conversely, SFM has the potential to deliver ''win-win'' outcomes in the form of environmental and poverty reduction benefits. The author argues that such ''win-win'' outcomes will only emerge when the underlying market, policy and institutional failures that drive deforestation are tackled, and the public good nature of tropical forests is fully recognised. He concludes that the only solution is a balanced market (especially payments for ecosystem services) and supply-side (particularly improved governance and tenure security) response. Current opportunities surrounding avoided deforestation or Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) provide what may be the last chance for much of the remaining tropical forests, and require such a balanced approach to be effective and equitable.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 84 pp. Englisch.