This thesis describes the theology and praxis of philosopher/theologian Dr. Dallas Willard and its effect on contemporary forms of evangelicalism in America. Willard’s works have become increasingly attractive to emerging generations of Christians protesting the perceived excesses and hegemony of mainstream evangelical culture. Willard presents a positive alternative to contemporary versions of evangelicalism seen by many as increasingly devoted to soteriological escapism, modern consumerism, individualism and sectarianism. Alternatively, Willard proposes a return to the original (proto) message of good news (evangel) articulated by Jesus in the New Testament. For increasing numbers of disaffected evangelicals with postmodern sensibilities, this protoevangelical vision offers a more robust doctrine of God, a return to the primacy of discipleship to Christ, and the experience of a holistic and integrated life in the Kingdom of God. Ethnographies of four evangelical organizations applying Willardian theology provide insight into the current evolution within American evangelical theology and praxis.

No description available.

Over the last decade, researchers have attempted to show how efficient the markets are by using Fama’s Efficiency Market Hypothesis (EMH). The theory states that an investor cannot increase his returns without taking additional risk. The markets can be efficient in different forms depending on the information included in the traded asset. It is quoted that: "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch". However, the topic still remains disputable since researchers have introduced controversial findings after investigating different markets. Overall, emerging markets have been characterized with higher volatility which consequently declares for market imperfections. Commonly, these market inefficiencies are quickly captured by the eye of the investors who are lurking for potential benefits through exploiting them. These are the so called arbitrage opportunities which exist on different level of impact, depending on the attitude of the market. The existence of arbitrage is clear evidence against Fama’s theory and it has been documented in numerous studies. Unfortunately those events occur rarely and disappear in a matter of seconds, thus; is highly competitive to capitalize. Over the last decade high frequency trading (HFT) became popular on different markets and it allowed traders to make decisions and execute transactions in a matter of milliseconds using algorithms. The market we are interested in is the Forex market which is a decentralized market where currencies from all over the world are traded. Main participants include multinational banks which rely heavily on HFT. The method used to benefit from inefficiency is called triangular arbitrage and it involves selling and buying 3 sets of currency pairs in times when a parity is violated. The goal of this study is to answer the following research question, “Is there a difference in triangular arbitrage opportunities between emerging markets and developed ones?” The main objective of this research is to examine how the number of arbitrage occurrences varies considering different market characteristics. Furthermore, the originality of the research stems from the comparison between strategies using currencies from developed economies and emerging ones. Moreover, the additional academic value comes from the analysis of a new dataset that has not yet been examined. Lastly, our results make an empirical contribution into a country’s economy by reducing market inefficiencies and increasing economic stability. Our sample consists of quantitative data totaling to 2.4 million observations per quotation taken from 2011 and 2013 for currencies picked using a non-probability convenience method based on their property to be converted to EUR and USD currency and availability of information. The research revealed that differences between the two types of market exist, and indicates that the “early” markets possess higher arbitrage activity in contrast to the mature economies. These results should boost the potential for a better trading management and upgrade the profit growth.

The potential human health issues resulting from the continuous consumption of drinking water containing low concentration levels of persistent emerging pollutants has raised some concerns. The presence of emerging pollutants in surface water bodies and ground-water in Canada together with absence of proper drinking water treatment processes in remote places has created the need for an effective and simple process for removal of emerging pollutants from drinking water. Low seasonal temperatures in regions such as Saskatchewan demand a removal process that is effective at temperatures lower than room temperature. Adsorption with granular activated carbon is a well-established and effective method for removal of organic compounds from drinking water. There are a large number of reports on removal of organic compounds by activated carbon in literature however, the effectiveness of adsorption of emerging pollutants with granular activated carbon is not clear. Effectiveness of ozone treatment for oxidation of emerging pollutants is reported in literature however, effectiveness of regeneration of adsorbents saturated with emerging pollutants with ozone has not been investigated extensively. In the present work, effectiveness of adsorption with granular activated carbon for removal of emerging pollutants is investigated. Three model compounds of Ibuprofen, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and Bisphenol A reported at considerable concentration levels in Saskatchewan water bodies were selected as model compounds. Bituminous coal based and coconut shell based granular activated carbons with basic point of zero charge were selected as adsorbents. Isotherm adsorption of model compounds on adsorbents was conducted at 280, 288, and 296 K. The Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy of adsorption were calculated using isotherm model parameters. Nitric acid pre-treatment was applied to reduce the point of zero charge of adsorbents. Adsorption isotherms were conducted with the acid treated adsorbents. Adsorption removal of model compounds in tap water was studied. Effectiveness of regeneration of saturated adsorbents with ozone was investigated. In terms of quality of fit to the isotherm adsorption data, Langmuir model was better than Freundlich model indicating monolayer adsorption of model compounds in all experiments. Higher Langmuir monolayer adsorption capacity (Qmax) of bituminous coal based adsorbent than coconut shell adsorbent for adsorption of model compounds was attributed to the higher porosity of bituminous coal based adsorbent. Adsorption of model compounds (i.e. IBP and BPA) present in molecular form in the pH condition of the experiments were more dependent on adsorbent surface functional groups e.g. carboxyl and carbonyl groups. The Qmax of adsorption of 2,4-D present in anionic form was proportional with the specific surface area of adsorbent. Adsorption at temperatures lower than room temperature was effective. Adsorbent with acidic point of zero charge was more effective in removal of model compounds than adsorbent with basic point of zero charge. Adsorption of BPA was higher in tap water in comparison to Millipore water due to the more neutral surface of adsorbent in tap water. Higher pH of tap water than Millipore water and the ionic interaction between the adsorbent and dissolved solids present in tap water caused the more neutral surface of adsorbent. Regeneration of adsorbents with ozone failed in restoration of adsorption capacity of adsorbents and excessive ozonation destroyed the pore structure of adsorbents.

This thesis investigated money supply behaviors in the ‘BRICS’ group from 1982 to 2012. It empirically analyzed causality relationships between related monetary indicators by using quarterly data and time series econometric methods. In four countries: Brazil, China, Russia (the period of 2004-2012) and South Africa (1982-1993), this study found money supply endogeneity evidence (bank loans cause the money supply, or there is bidirectional between these two). Other countries, India and the 1982-2003 period of Russia, money supply was found to be exogenous, i.e. money supply cause bank loans. Nonetheless, traditional Monetarian view still holds across the five economies in the short run. The findings reflected discretionary monetary policies targeting monetary aggregates in the short term, despite a neutral role of most central banks in the long run.

Studies of the relationship between market values and accounting numbers have long been a part of an established theme in capital markets research (CMR). These studies have taken various forms, most being conducted on a cross sectional basis, tied closely with the assumptions of equilibrium behaviour and efficient markets. Explanatory variables for market value have been dominated by firm-specific variables without incorporating macroeconomic variables. Recently, however, some studies have employed macroeconomic variables and dynamic specification in assessing the relationship between market values and accounting numbers (e.g. Bilson et al. 2001, Nissim and Penman, 2003, and Willett, 2003). The objective of this thesis is to investigate the nature of the relationship between share prices and accounting numbers on the Jakarta Stock Exchange for the period 1992-2002, using dynamic modelling principles in addition to the more usual cross sectional analysis. The approach to regression modelling (general-to-specific strategy)incorporated in this thesis relies less heavily than most CMR on prior economic theories of equilibrium behaviour. Apart from these novel aspects of approach and method, the study also provides valuable information about the emerging financial markets of Indonesia. The results of this thesis show that cointegration and the accompanying equilibrium correction relationship between market and book values for firms listed on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) can often be identified using accounting and macroeconomic regressors. The models are typically more informative, plausible and consistent than cross sectional models and are useful in interpreting the context in which the market to book relationship exists in Indonesia. A possibly surprising result is that in Indonesia, compared to similar models estimated using US data, the book value of net assets seems to have a stronger relationship with market value. This may be a function of the relative importance of financial statements as a source of information on the JSX.

This thesis describes the molecular characterisation of Broome virus (BroV), a new fusogenic orthoreovirus species that was isolated from a little red flying-fox (Pteropus scapulatus) in Broome, Western Australia in 2002. The BroV genome consists of ten segments of dsRNA, each containing a plus-strand with a 3’ terminal pentanucleotide sequence that is conserved amongst all viruses in the genus Orthoreovirus, family Reoviridae, and a 5’ terminal pentanucleotide sequence that is unique to BroV. With the exception of S4, all genome segments are predicted to encode a single translation product producing a total of seven structural and four nonstructural proteins. All BroV proteins were identified as homologues of known orthoreovirus proteins and shown to have similar secondary structure and possess key conserved amino acid sequence motifs and structural features implicated in biological function. Notably, no cell-attachment protein gene homologue was identified in the BroV genome suggesting the use of an alternate cell entry mechanism to that employed by most orthoreoviruses. The amino acid sequence identity between cognate BroV proteins and those of other orthoreoviruses ranges from 13-50%, which is too low for BroV to be considered a new isolate of any established orthoreovirus species group. Phylogenetic analyses based on both structural and nonstructural proteins provide additional evidence to support this claim. It is proposed that BroV is the prototype member of a new sixth species group Broome virus, in the genus Orthoreovirus. The complete genome characterisation of BroV provided an opportunity to produce recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli and to generate polyclonal antibodies in rabbits for use in research and surveillance. Such reagents proved valuable in the experimental identification of the fusion-associated small transmembrane (FAST) protein p13 that is responsible for the syncytia observed in BroV-infected cells. Despite the low amino acid sequence identity between the FAST proteins of different orthoreovirus species they possess conserved structural features that have been implicated in biological function. Of these conserved features, the BroV p13 protein is predicted to possess one transmembrane domain, a C-terminal polybasic region, a C-terminal hydrophobic patch and an N-terminal myristoylation consensus sequence. The unique repertoire and arrangement of sequence-predicted structural features identified in p13 indicate that it is a novel fifth member of the FAST protein family. The BroV-specific immunological reagents were also used to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) suitable for serological screening. A survey of flying-foxes from Papua New Guinea (PNG) revealed that BroV or BroV-like viruses are currently circulating in these animals. This demonstrates that BroV is not limited to the Australian continent.

This study identifies developmental processes underlying the relationship between school bullying and physical aggression in emergent adulthood. The data are drawn from the �Life at School� project, a longitudinal study of schooling, socio-emotional functioning, and bullying in a sample of young people living in the Australian Capital Territory. This study consists of three waves of self-report data collected from 88 females and 63 males (N=151) during primary school (Time 1), high school (Time 2) and emerging adulthood (Time 3). The study extends earlier analyses to consider the relative significance of distal functioning and the proximal effects of heavy drinking and work/study roles during the transition to emerging adulthood in shaping pathways from school bullying to adult aggression. Results showed that bullying in either primary school or high school, and being male, increased the risk of adult aggression. Once bullying and sex were controlled, socio-emotional functioning (including emotion/behaviour regulation and school adjustment) did not make unique contributions to the prediction of adult aggression. To further investigate the effects of bullying, four bully trajectory groups were identified from children�s reports: a non-bully group, a child-limited group (bullying during primary school only), an adolescent-onset group (taking up bullying during high school), and a persistent group (bullying during both primary and high school). Moderated regression showed that a) frequent drinking at Time 3 significantly increased aggression only for the persistent bully group, and b) participation in university study, in comparison with being in the workforce, was significantly associated with lower levels of aggression only for persistent and adolescent-onset bullies. That is, both the past and present were important, but their effects only became apparent when considered in combination. Given the pivotal significance of drinking and university participation for continuity of aggression, the second analysis stage used path analyses were used to explore the chains of events leading to these adult variables, and subsequent aggression. First, adaptive emotion regulation during high school directly predicted less frequent adult drinking, while continuity in such adaptive regulation between primary and high school was mediated by continuity in positive school connectedness. Second, greater parental education increased the likelihood that young people would attend university, both directly, and indirectly by increasing academic functioning during high school. In contrast, childhood impulsivity was directly related to a decreased likelihood of university participation and, in turn, to more frequent adult aggression. The final issue examined was the extent to which these mediated pathways from childhood were the same or different across the four bully trajectory groups. Descriptive comparisons indicated that pathways to drinking and work/study role were consistent across the four groups, with the partial exception of the adolescent-onset bullies. The analyses show that the expression of bullying and adult physical aggression is flexible, open at each stage of development to influence from personal resources (e.g., capacity for adaptive shame management), social resources (e.g., parental education), and changing institutional settings, through for example the cultural and behavioural norms that characterise the university, workplace, and drinking environments and which constrain aggressive behaviour or promote a sense of future orientation. Patterns of adult aggressive behaviours are thus shaped not just by past bullying, but by the subtle interplay of emergent adult settings and experiences, socio-emotional functioning in school contexts, and family social capital.

Univ., Diss.--Vallendar, 2004.

Thesis (M. Div.)--Multnomah Biblical Seminary, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-86).