The objective of the "The Probihition of Riba and the alternative methods of home financing: a case study of Malaysian Muslim home buyers" thesis is to analyze the Islamic home loan financing offered by banks and financial institutions in Malaysia and the characteristics of Malaysian home buyers and/or home owners towards the product. In the thesis, consideration has been given to economic, social and environmental parameters which selection and factors influencing have been ranked accordingly. This study uses quantitative study similar to what was employed in previous researches. A self-administered survey questionnaire to 320 respondents in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was held in October 2007 which 301 respondents returned the survey with a response rate of 89 percent. In this study, the results were presented from mean analysis, indepedent t-test, ANOVA and logistic regression analysis. The study presents interesting findings on Al-Bay Bithaman Ajil (BBA) concept of home loan financing to the alternative Musharakah Mutanaqisah (MM) home loan financing, which MM home loan financing has more benefit than BBA home loan financing. Currently, only BBA home loan financing has been widely used within bank and/or financial institutions in Malaysia. The study also indicated that despite of religion or race, every respondent has their own view provided they were given sufficient information and/or know of the Islamic home loan financing. The logit model developed in this study identified "education" and "sources of Islamic home loan financing" as having an influence on purchasing home behavior with "home cost" variable taken into account. Hitherto with Bumiputra privileges and certain pro-Bumiputra policies in Malaysia, Malays community has more opportunities than non-Malays community in buying homes due to Bumiputra Laws which have been established in the Malaysian New Economic Policy (NEP) since 1971. The NEP adopts the goal of poverty eradication and economic restructuring so as to eliminate the identification of ethnicity with economic function. Bumiputra privileges and quotas are based on Article 153 of the Constitution that provided special rights for the Malays. With all privileges given by the Government abovementioned, it may affect the socio-economic characteristics which influence to the decision to purchase a home. Nevertheless, regardless of ethnicity or religion, Islamic banks have greater social and moral responsibility to ensure that their principles of financing are fair to everyone. The Malaysian Islamic financial sector is seen as one of the most progressive and atrractive in the world given the numerous incentives planned and further liberation in the coming years. Malaysia has a comprehensive regulatory and supervisory framework that caters to the unique charactertics of Islamic finance with the strong financial standards, such as that corporate governance, transparency, disclosure, accountability, market discipline, risk management and customer protection. With these elements, new attractive schemes can be developed to meet Malaysian bank customers' needs. This study provides various views of Islamic home loan financing in Malaysia as an alternative to conventional home loan financing.

The issues of zakah and interest for IFIs have been highlighted for several years and attracted many arguments among Islamic scholars and public. The increasing public interest on the Islamic Banking since 1970s has been driven by the increasing sensitivity among Muslims to the relationship between religion and economic activities. With the emergence of IFIs, Muslims community has demanded for an establishment of an accounting body to develop a set of accounting standards that adhere to the Islamic tenets, hence AAOIFI was established. However, the journey of AAOFI in achieving such objective has not been smooth. This paper intended to study the effectiveness of AAOIFI in dealing with the issues of zakah and riba for IFIs by examining the disclosure practice of 25 IFIs worldwide. Based on the analysis conducted, it is concluded that the extents of disclosure by the IFIs are much lower than the AAOIFI requirements. The study also found that leverage and origin factors might contribute to the level disclosures of zakah and financial products. In addition, the test performed also revealed that the adopters of AAOIFI do provide more disclosure as compared to the non-adopters. However, the mean result is relatively low to suggest full compliance with the AAOIFI standards.

The issues of zakah and interest for IFIs have been highlighted for several years and attracted many arguments among Islamic scholars and public. The increasing public interest on the Islamic Banking since 1970s has been driven by the increasing sensitivity among Muslims to the relationship between religion and economic activities. With the emergence of IFIs, Muslims community has demanded for an establishment of an accounting body to develop a set of accounting standards that adhere to the Islamic tenets, hence AAOIFI was established. However, the journey of AAOFI in achieving such objective has not been smooth. This paper intended to study the effectiveness of AAOIFI in dealing with the issues of zakah and riba for IFIs by examining the disclosure practice of 25 IFIs worldwide. Based on the analysis conducted, it is concluded that the extents of disclosure by the IFIs are much lower than the AAOIFI requirements. The study also found that leverage and origin factors might contribute to the level disclosures of zakah and financial products. In addition, the test performed also revealed that the adopters of AAOIFI do provide more disclosure as compared to the non-adopters. However, the mean result is relatively low to suggest full compliance with the AAOIFI standards.

The construction industry is by far the greatest consumer of resources and waste producer of all industries in the UK; being responsible for 32% of total waste generation, which equates to three times the combined waste produced by all households. Consequently, construction waste management and minimisation became a priority in the EU and UK environmental policy programmes resulting in a combined plethora of government-driven waste related legislation and guidance documents to curb construction waste production. Similarly, an ever-increasing global research on construction waste has been conducted over the last decade ranging from ‘soft' onsite waste auditing tools and methodologies to ‘hard' material and recycling technologies. However, the current state-of-research is largely dominated by endeavours to manage waste that has already been produced. Very few studies have been undertaken on how architects could go about minimising waste through a change in design practices. Hence, this research set out to construct and validate a Designing out Waste (DoW) Framework to assist architects in embedding design waste reduction strategies in each design stage.

Thesis (M. A. (Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / Poor performance, by English Language Learners (ELLs), in Science examinations remains a thorny issue in countries where English is not the home language. Research around the world and the Department of Basic Education in South Africa have long recommended the integration of Language Literacy skills in the teaching of Physical Sciences in order to solve this issue. Despite that, learners’ poor performance in Physical Sciences examinations has been found to be positively related to low language literacy skills. The questions are: Do Physical Sciences teachers integrate language literacy skills in teaching the subject?; If yes, to what extent is the integration of language literacy skills practiced in Physical Sciences classroom? In an attempt to answer the above questions, a quantitative survey was carried out in Riba Cross District of Sekhukhune Region of Limpopo Province in South Africa. 211 learners and five teachers from selected nine schools took part in the study and questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 was used. The results indicate that Language Literacy skills are integrated into the teaching of Physical Sciences in Riba Cross District, despite concerns raised by the teachers. The areas of concern include letting learners to argue using evidences and writing reports. Furthermore, schools with large classes have challenges in integrating Language Literacy Skills in the teaching of Physical Sciences. Therefore, further studies are recommended which should integrate both qualitative and quantitative approaches in school contexts.

Baigiamajame darbe atliktas ausies įdėklų gamybos netikslumų įtakos garso parametrams tyrimas. Išanalizuoti mokslo darbai, kuriuose pateikiami eksperimentų su ausies įdėklais rezultatai, apžvelgtos įdėklų gamybos technologijos ir galimi netikslumai. Atlikti eksperimentiniai garso parametrų tyrimai su skirtingais 9 įdėklais naudojant klausos analizatorių. Atlikta statistinė ir palyginamoji matavimo rezultatų analizė. Nustatyti garso parametrų skirtingiems įdėklams kitimo intervalai, pateiktos priklausomybės, suformuluotos išvados. / In final thesis the influence of manufacturing inaccuracy of earmoulds to sound parameters was analysed. Scientific works exploring results of experiments with earmoulds were discussed and technological process is as well as inaccuracy of earmoulds were presented. Experimental study of sound parameters with different 9 types of earmoulds were made by using hearing analyzer device. A statistical and comparable analysis of the data is given. The intervals of sound parameters to different earmoulds types are determined as well as dependencies of them are presented and results of the final work are concluded. Structure: introduction, the analytical parts of the test object experiments, conclusions and suggestions, bibliographic sources.

Traditional 2-D contour models, Physical Models, Computer-Aided Architectural Design (CAD), Virtual Reality models, Google SketchUp, and Building Information Modelling (BIM) have all greatly enhanced the design process by enabling designers to visualise buildings and the space within them prior to their construction. A recent development is Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG) such as Second Life (SL). These offer users the opportunity to interact with other participants in real time, and so offer an excellent opportunity to experience the environment, layout and form of virtual buildings. However, the effectiveness of such applications to some extent depends upon how realistic the interactions of those using virtual spaces are in relation to interactions within the real world. This research examines the potential of this technology for enhancing and informing the early stage building design process. Initially, the tools currently used by architects at early stages of the RIBA Plan of Work were evaluated through interviewing architects. Then, the advantages of using MMOG over current tools at early-stage design were evaluated through interviews in SL. A virtual model was developed to examine how realistic the visualisation and interaction between end-users in an MMOG was. This was used to propose and validate guidance to incorporating MMOG into the early stages of the RIBA Plan of Work. It revealed that the virtual model created, the validated guidance and a successful example combining 2D sketches, Google SketchUp and MMOG at early-stage design can be used to guide architects to manage the complex decision making process in a simple, easy, cost-effective way, while effectively engaging both professional and non-professional stakeholders.

This research paper investigates the performance of Islamic and Conventional banks in The Gambia and United Kingdom for the periods 2008/2009 to 2012. Islamic banking is conceived by many as a recent phenomenon which in the last few decades attracted lots of attention and discussions. Islamic banking is a system of banking that is in consistent with Islamic law (Sharia). Islam does not allow the payment or acceptance of interest charges (Riba) in banking activities such as lending and depositing of money. Whiles Conventional banks deal with Interest, Islamic banks method of operation is strictly based on Sharia principles (profit, loss and risk sharing). The objective of this study is to analyze and investigate the impact of the financial crisis on the performance of some Islamic and Conventional banks in The Gambia and United Kingdom. Financial ratios are used to measure Profitability, Liquidity and Financial Leverage of the banks. The empirical results of the analysis showed that the Islamic banks selected for the study generally fared better than their counterpart Conventional banks in terms of Liquidity and Financial Leverage during and after the financial crisis. Among other findings, the selected Conventional Banks in this study are found to be relatively more profitable than their peer Islamic banks from 2008/2009 to 2012.

SANTRAUKA Magistro darbe analizuojami su bendrovių reorganizavimu jungimo būdu susiję klausimai apimantys nacionalinius ir vienos valstybės ribas peržengiančius bendrovių jungimus. Darbą sudaro trys dalys. Pirmoje dalyje yra atskleidžiamos bendrovių jungimosi priežastys ir tikslai, galimi jungimosi būdai trumpai apibūdinant kiekvieno jų teisinio reglamentavimo aspektus. Bendrovių jungimo būdų privalumų ir trūkumų analizė leidžia daryti išvadą, kad kiekvienu atveju, pasirenkant akcijų įsigijimo, įmonės įsigijimo ar jungimo reorganizuojant būdą, dalyvaujančios suinteresuotos šalys siekiančios įgyvendinti savo interesus turės ieškoti kompromisinių sprendimų. Antroje darbo dalyje, panaudojant istorinį metodą, nagrinėjama bendrovių reorganizavimo jungimo būdu kaip teisės instituto kilmė, jo raida Europos Sąjungos ir Lietuvos teisėje, nes tik suvokiant tiriamo objekto istorinę raidą, aiškiau galima nagrinėti ir analizuoti dabarties reguliavimo pagrindimą, o taip pat įžvelgti trūkumus ar problematiką. Pasitelkiant lyginamąjį tyrimo metodą, trečioje magistro darbo dalyje, lyginamos Europos Sąjungos teisės aktų ir nacionalinių įstatymų normos, tikslu parodyti nacionalinių nuostatų kilmę ir esančius skirtumus. Taip pat, panaudojant teleologinį metodą, siekiama atskleisti teisės norminių aktų leidėjo ketinimus įgyvendinant ES teisės nuostatas nacionalinėje teisėje. Žymioje magistro darbo dalyje naudojamas lyginamasis tyrimo metodas iš esmės pagrindiniam tikslui pasiekti – pateikti... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / SUMMARY Legal aspects of reorganization by way of merger The thesis paper analyses the issues related to the reorganization of companies by the way of merger including national and cross-border mergers. The paper consists of three sections. The first section discloses reasons and purposes of company mergers, possible merger ways, defining shortly legal regulations of each of the ways. The analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the merger ways leads to the conclusion that, in order to achieve their expectations, the participating interested parties will have to look for a compromise solutions when choosing a share deal, an asset deal or a reorganization by merger way. In the second section, based on the historical method, the origin of the reorganization of companies by the way of merger as the law institute, its development in the European Union and the Lithuanian legislation are analysed as the investigation and analysis of the grounding of the current regulation as well as perception of drawbacks or problems are possible only having a clear concept of the historical development of the object investigated. In the third section, based on the comparative investigation method, regulations of the European Union legal acts and national laws are compared with a view to reveal the origin of the national provisions and existing differences. Furthermore, based on the teleological method, the paper seeks to reveal the intentions of the issuer of legal regulations, when... [to full text]

Šiuolaikinės ekonomikos augimo teorijos remiasi ekonomikai būdinga savybe - cikliškumu. Ekonominėje aplinkoje vykstantys svyravimai labai įvairūs – periodiški, nuolatiniai, trumpalaikiai, ilgalaikiai. Ekonominių svyravimų pokyčių visuma suformuoja ekonominio augimo ciklo realų vaizdą su jam būdindais bruožais, atspindinčiais pagrindinių makroekonominių rodiklių kitimo tendencijas nuo ekonominio bumo iki krizės, kurios sąlygoja daugelyje ekonominės veiklos rūšių stebimais aktyvumo kitimais. Kiekviena ekonominio augimo ciklo stadija – vienai pasibaigus, o kitai prasidėjus savaip įtakoja ir paveikia Pasaulio šalių, valstybių ekonomikas, socialinį bei politinį visuomenės gyvenimą, bei sukuria savo pasekmių ir priežasčių grandinę. Šiame magristriniame darbe tiriamas Lietuvos ekonominio augimo ciklas 1991-2009 m. laikotarpyje. Remiantis logistinės kapitalo valdymo teorijos (Girdzijauskas, S.) esminiais teiginiais tiriamas Lietuvos ekonominis augimo ciklas bei ekonominius svyravimus įtakojantys veiksniai, sąlygojantys ekonominio augimo ciklo pasikeitimo stadijas. Darbe atlikata logistinė Lietuvos BVP analizė 1991-2009 m.laikotarpyje, Lietuvos ekonominiam augimo ciklui įtaką darančių veiksnių koreliacinė regresinė analizė 1995-2009 m. laikotarpyje, bei Baltijos šalių makroekonominių rodiklių koreliacinė regresinė analizė. / Modern economic growth theories are mostly based on the typical feature of the economy- cycles in economy. Fluctuations in the economic environment are very miscellaneous - periodical, regular, short term and long term. Totality of economic fluctuations form the real picture of economic grow cycle with characteristic terms and features, which reflect the main macroeconomic trends from the economic boom till the crisis, which caused many economic activities in the observed variation in activity. Each stage of the of economic growth cycle (one end and the other start) influencing and affecting economies of world nations and countries, social and political life of society and create their own chain of causes and consequences. These conclusive thesis deals with Lithuanian economic growth cycles in period from 1991 till 2009. Lithuanian economic growth cycles and factors influencing economic fluctuations and stages of change in the economic growth cycle are analysed according to the key findings of logistic management of capital theory (Štreimikienė D., Girdzijauskas, S.). In this study was performed logistic analysis of Lithuania GDP in between 1991-2009, correlation regression analysis of the factors influenced Lithuanian economic growth cycle in 1995-2009 period, and correlation regression analysis of macroeconomic ratios of the Baltic countries.