Texture, i.e. preferred orientation, can cause large systematic errors in quantitative analysis of crystalline materials using x-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) data. Various mathematical forms have been proposed for the application of preferred orientation corrections. The most promising of these appears to be the single-parameter March (1932) model proposed by Dollase (1986).Li and O'Connor (1989) applied the March model to determine the level of preferred orientation in various gibbsites using two procedures. The first involved the Rietveld (1969) least squares pattern-fitting method. Each pattern was Rietveld-analysed in two ways, initially assuming random orientation of the crystallites and subsequently with the March model. The second procedure for preferred orientation analysis, described here as the line ratio method, determines preferred orientation factors according to the intensity ratios of carefully selected line pairs.In the thesis the procedures proposed by Li and O'Connor for texture analysis have been evaluated with XRPD data sets for molybdite, calcite and kaolinite. The results indicate that while the March formula improves agreement between the' calculated and measured patterns in Rietveld analysis, other forms of systematic error in the intensity data appear to limit the effectiveness of the March formula in general. It has been found also that the line ratio method improves agreement between the data sets, but less effectively than the Rietveld method. It is proposed that extinction is likely to be the most influential source of systematic error competing with texture.

隨著經濟環境的轉變以及法令對公司籌資管道逐漸鬆綁，使得公司有多種融資方式可以選擇，而特別股亦是公司的另一種選擇。本研究以民國74年至90年間在台灣證券交易所之特別股上市公司為樣本，藉由探討影響公司決定發行特別股之因素及影響普通股與特別股價差之因素，來觀察特別股融資方式適合於哪些公司，以及怎樣型態的特別股股價表現會較佳，實證結果可提供公司融資決策與投資人投資決策之參考。 　　研究結果顯示，在發行特別股的決定因素方面，公司的財務狀況、資本結構的確會影響公司是否發行特別股之決定。當公司財務狀況不佳時，為避免財務結構更形惡化，公司會傾向以特別股方式來籌資，且當公司債務比率已經高過產業平均債務水準時，公司較不會再以舉債的方式來籌資，以避免公司債務比率更高。至於租稅利益的考量上，卻無法獲得實證之支持。而於特別股與普通股的進一步分析中，實證結果顯示，當公司財務狀況不佳或是較具成長潛力的公司，越傾向發行特別股。 　　在影響普通股與特別股價差的因素方面，當特別股條款具有轉換權、無償配股權者，由於給予特別股股東額外權利，故該類特別股股價表現較佳。此外，當普通股的市場流動性與波動性相對較高時，該標的公司的特別股較不受投資大眾所關注，也因此使其股價表現較差。但在有同意權的特別股條款及普通股配股比率上，卻與本研究的預期相反，可能是因為同意權與特別股報酬率呈顯著正相關，故當特別股條款同意權愈低時，特別股報酬率也愈低，導致特別股股價表現較差。而當普通股配股率愈高時，可能由於特別股股價也隨著標的普通股股價而上漲，使得普通股配股率愈高，特別股股價反而愈高。 / With the change of economic environment and the loose regulation of law for financing ways, firms have many choices of financing, and preferred stock is an alternative. This study examines, during 1985-2001 for a sample of preferred stocks in Taiwan Stock Exchange, what firm is appropriate for issuing preferred stock and what type of preferred stock has higher value. By studying the factors that determine the issuance of preferred stock and that affect price spread between common stock and preferred stock, the empirical result could be used for decision-making of firms and investors. 　　In the factors of determining the issuance of preferred stock, we find that financial position and capital structure could indeed affect the firm's decision of whether to issue preferred stock or not. When firms are in weaker financial position, they are inclined to finance by issuing preferred stock to avoid worse financial structure. Besides, when firms that have debt ratio higher than the average levels of industry, they are not likely to finance by issuing additional debt to make the debt ratio even higher. On the other hand, empirical evidence does not support the tax benefit hypothesis. By the advanced analysis of preferred stock and common stock, the empirical result shows that firms with weaker financial position or with higher potential growth are more inclined to issue preferred stock. 　　As for the price spread between common stock and preferred stock, preferred stock with convertible right or stock dividend provisions, which give the preferred stockholders additional rights, tend to have higher stock price. In addition, when the market liquidity and the volatility of common stock returns are relatively higher, the preferred stock of the corresponding firms tends to have lower stock price. However, the coefficients of the variables about approval provision and dividend rate on common stock have signs contradictory to the prediction. The reasons may be that the approval provision (APR) and the return of preferred stock (RET_PS) are significantly positively correlated. Therefore, when APR is smaller, RET_PS is also lower, leading to worse preferred stock price. As for the stock dividend rate (ST_D), since the preferred stock price may have risen with the common stock price, higher ST_D may on the contrary leads to higher preferred stock price.

Syftet med studien var att studera sambandet mellan elitjuniorers ledarskapspreferenser och deras personlighet. Urvalsgruppen bestod av 167 elitjuniorer, i åldrarna 16-20 år (M=17,29). Försökspersonerna var av både manligt (116 st) och kvinnligt (51 st) kön, vilka var aktiva inom interaktiva bollsporter. Deltagarna fick svara på tre olika frågeformulär (1) Demografisk fakta (2) Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS) (3) NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Efterföljande korrelationsanalyser visade signifikanta samband mellan Extraversion, Demokratiskt ledarbeteende och Positiv Feedback, samt mellan Neuroticism och Socialt stödjande ledarbeteende. Resultatet visade även ett signifikant samband mellan personlighetsdraget Trevlighet och Autokratiskt- och Socialt stödjande ledarbeteende. En slutsats utifrån resultatet är att prefererat ledarskap formas av olika personlighetsdrag, och varierar bland individer genom dess personlighet. I diskussionsdelen föreslås att ledarskapet inom idrotten bör präglas av en flexibilitet och anpassas till enskilda individer i större utsträckning. Exempel på praktiska implikationer och framtida forskning ges. / The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between elite junior athlete’s   leadership preferences and their personality. Study participants consisted of 167 elite juniors, aged 16-20 years (M = 17,29). Subjects were both male (116) and female (51), and active in interactive sports. Participants were asked to answer three questionnaires (1) Demographic facts (2) Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS) (3) NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Subsequent correlation analyses showed significant associations between Extraversion, Democratic behavior and Positive Feedback, and between Neuroticism and social supportive behavior. The results also showed a significant correlation between the personality trait Agreeableness and Autocratic and Social support behavior. One conclusion from the results is that preferred leadership is a function of the athlete’s personality traits. This suggests that leadership in sports should be characterized by flexibility and adaptation to athlete’s individual differences to a greater extend. Examples of practical implications and future research are presented.

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This investigation examines a novel means of integrating high-performance AlN piezoelectric thin films with a flexible stainless steel substrate (SUS 304) to fabricate a double-sided piezoelectric transducer. Various sputtering parameters, such as sputtering pressure, substrate temperature, nitrogen concentration, and RF power, were investigated to improve the piezoelectric characteristics of AlN thin films. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction of AlN piezoelectric film reveal a rigid surface structure and highly c-axis-preferring orientation. The maximum output power per unit thickness was discussed, and the optimal sputtering parameters were determined. The double-sided piezoelectric transducer is constructed by depositing AlN piezoelectric thin films on both the front and the back sides of SUS 304 substrate. The titanium (Ti) and platinum(Pt) layers were deposited using a dual-gun DC sputtering system between the AlN piezoelectric thin film and the SUS 304 substrate. The optimal deposition parameters for AlN thin films are sputtering pressure of 5 mTorr, substrate temperature of 300 ¢J, nitrogen concentration of 40 %, and RF power of 250 W. The maximum open circuit voltage of the transducer under the vibrational frequency of 80 Hz, vibration amplitude of 4mm, and mass loading of 0.5g, is approximately 20 V, or 5.3 V/£gm. After full-wave rectification and filtering through a 33 nF capacitor, a specific output power of 1.462 £gW/cm2 is obtained from the transducer with a load resistance of 7 M£[.

This quantitative study was conducted to investigate the preferred conflict-management behaviors of small-school principals in Texas Education Service Center regions five, six, and seven. The problem facing the small-school principal in conflict-management was knowing how and when to behave towards campus teachers in order to further the goals of the school system and satisfy the needs of its teachers. The study focused on the principal-teacher relationship and the five possible preferred conflict-management behaviors - competing, collaborating, compromise, avoiding, and accommodating. The abilities of gender and experience were analyzed as possible predictors of the preferred conflict-management behaviors of small-school principals. Using a logistical regression analysis, the predictive abilities of gender and experience were evaluated by using the Thomas-Kilmann Instrument in relation to five possible preferred conflict-management behaviors of small-school principals toward teachers. The instrument identified frequencies of preferred conflict-management behaviors. Based on existing literature, the null hypotheses posited that neither gender nor experience would have a significant predictive effect (.05 alpha level) on the preferred conflict-management behaviors of the small-school campus principals under examination. Results indicated that gender could not predict a clear preference for any of the five possible conflict-management behaviors. Thus, the null was not rejected concerning gender. Also, experience was found to have no significant effect on the prediction of collaborating, avoiding, and accommodating. However, findings revealed that experience had a significant positive relationship to a preference for competing behaviors; and experience also had a significant negative relationship to a preference for compromising behaviors in the group of small-campus principals. Findings indicated that more experience came with an increased preference for competing and a decreased preference for compromising behaviors. The study sought to address a gap in the literature as related to the preferred conflict-management behaviors of small-school principals in the principal-teacher relationship. Societal changes and differences in school administrator and teacher viewpoints have necessitated that school principals acquire and improve conflict-management skills in advancing student achievement. By focusing on the small-school principal-teacher relationship and the variables of gender and experience the study contributed to the research-base surrounding small-school campuses. Findings suggested the need for a renewed emphasis on conflict-management skills in principal preparation programs.

The literatures on venture financing mainly focus on proposing resolutions of entrepreneurial moral hazard. However, those researches ignore the fact that venture capital firms might behave opportunistically as well. Hence, this paper offers an effective mechanism to resolve the double moral hazard raised between venture capital firms and entrepreneurs. Three main conclusions are drawn as follow: It is shown that although convertible preferred stock could prevent venture capital firms from opportunistic behavior, it has poor efficiency in dealing with entrepreneurial moral hazard. On the other hand, staged financing, as opposed to convertible preferred stock, could effectively mitigate entrepreneurial moral hazard, but hardly avert from moral hazard raised from venture capital firms. In its conclusion, this study illustrates that both convertible preferred stock and staged financing act as an effective complementary mechanism for each other. Compared with any single approach, this joint mechanism could relatively resolve a certain extent of double moral hazard.

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of using preferred characters with a constant time delay instructional procedure to teach community sign reading to three students with moderate intellectual disability with the definitions of the signs as non-targeted information. An adapted alternating treatments design was used to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the preferred characters on acquisition of the community signs. Pre- and post- assessments were conducted on acquisition of the non-targeted definitions, as well as generalization of the signs and their meanings. The results indicated that all students learned the target signs and they learned all of the definitions of the signs when they were presented with a preferred character. Students did not generalize the meanings of the signs to community settings.

China is the world’s largest pork producer and consumer, and Hubei Province is one of the top pork production provinces in China. Since problems and risks have led to large-scale reduction of pork production and farmers’ income, Chinese government offers various policy measures to help farmers. Breeding sow insurance is considered as one of the most effective measures started in 2007. To better understand farmer’s need for breeding sow insurance and make proper policy insights, our research is the first empirical study in Hubei Province and one of the pioneer studies investigate farmer’s willingness to pay(WTP) for breeding sow insurance premium and preferred coverage level. Survey questionnaires were distributed to breeding sow farmers in 5 townships from Shayang County, Hubei Province. Based on random utility theory, we use tobit model to examine the factors that affect farmer’s WTP and preferred coverage level. The results showed that famers’ average WTP for premium was ¥14.4 and average preferred coverage level was ¥1191, both exceeded current values. Farmers’ trust towards insurance companies, household income, and knowledge about breeding sow insurance significantly affect their WTP and preferred coverage level.

The objectives of this research firstly is to assess and establish the guidelines in respect of the medium of instruction as a determinant of the forms of the educational system in South Africa. Subsequently, the researcher wishes to establish the precise policy in respect of the instructional medium in South Africa. Thirdly, the researcher wishes to establish which languages are preferred as instructional media by South African learners, and why. Finally, the researchers wishes to establish the learners' approach and attitude in respect of a particular instructional medium. The research method followed, focuses in the first place on an extensive literature study to primarily establish the guidelines in respect of the instructional medium as a determinant of the educational system, as well as to acquire information in respect of the instructional medium in South Africa. In addition, empirical research was done to determine which languages are preferred in practice by learners as media of instruction, and why attempts at assessing attitudes in respect of a specific instructional media were also made. By using a questionnaire as measuring instrument, quantitative research was done in respect of 28 % of the grade eleven learners in Vanderbijlpark. Qualitative research was also done by way of personal interviews using a structured questionnaire with the aid of teachers. The findings briefly indicate that the Afrikaans -speaking learners in South Africa realize the value of mother tongue instruction, consequently also then preferring it as the instructional medium. Both English -speaking and African language users in South Africa prefer English as a medium of instruction as they believe their entrance into the job market will then be assured. Only a small percentage of users of African languages prefer their mother tongue as instructional language. The literature study revealed that mother tongue instruction is indispensable in respect of academic performance. Learners perform better academically should they for a period receive instruction in their mother tongue, even should it be up to the fourth grade when basic skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic are acquired. It was finally established, that South African legislation indeed provides for mother tongue instruction for all, but that the policy is not applied in practice. It is the considered opinion of the researcher that mother tongue instruction in South Africa is a treasure to be cherished and preserved by both Afrikaans and English speaking learners, also that it should be extended to users of African languages, as only mother tongue instruction for all in South Africa would indeed mean real equal educational opportunities. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.