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The validity of purchasing power parity (PPP) between two economies implies goods markets of the two are well integrated. This is a pre-condition for further economic convergence. This study examines validity of the PPP between China and European countries. Since the functional form of the cointegrating relationship may not be exact or linear, we adopt the nonparametric rank tests for analysis, without prior specification of the functional form. We also address the rank problems that occur in multivariate rank tests. The results indicate strong support for nonlinear PPP relationships between China and European countries, especially during the second subsample period. This indicates China's rising economic power, particularly in the most recent decade. Although there have been disputes between China and Europe, these results suggest favorable prospects for closer economic cooperation between the two sides and the need for formulation of common policies to pursue an integrated market in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substantial research indicates that students' beliefs mediate learning strategies. Nevertheless, students' strategy-related beliefs about feedback and their mediation on strategies to act on feedback are insufficiently addressed. This case study aimed to examine: (1) students' strategy-related beliefs about feedback in L2 writing and (2) how beliefs mediated students' actions when a feedback intervention was implemented to facilitate students' use of feedback strategies. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews and reflective journals from 10 Year-1 participants who studied in an associate degree programme at a higher education institute in Hong Kong. Students' strategy-related beliefs about feedback encompass the evaluation of strategies about: (1) understanding feedback, (2) addressing areas for improvement, (3) seeking feedback, and (4) implementing feedback. Nine participants adopted a more comprehensive range of strategies to act on feedback consistent with their strategy-related beliefs. One participant, however, did not appreciate and use feedback. Pedagogical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The worked example effect has been well documented within the framework of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), which suggests that teaching with examples would be superior to engaging in unguided problem solving, particularly for novices, as using worked examples would reduce their cognitive load, compared to solving problems, thus facilitating knowledge retention. This paper, using multiple-step mathematics problems, reports an experiment investigating the micro level of the worked example effect on learning solution steps, from the perspective of cognitive load and challenge (as a relevant affective, motivational factor), testing the worked example effect with a transfer test. The results favoured worked examples on both the retention and transfer tests after learning and showed that using worked examples would reduce cognitive load and impose less challenge on each step during learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese Government plans to create a world-class city cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA). The GBA is a very attractive destination for both national and international businesses to profit in trading and investment activities. To realize the anticipated profit potential, existence of purchasing power parity (PPP) is a necessary condition for a favorable prospect of closer economic cooperation and integration in the GBA city cluster. Research study that investigates the PPP relationships among the GBA cities is scarce. To fill this research gap, our study aims to examine validity of the PPP and the extent of goods market integration in the GBA. Since the functional form of the cointegrating relationship may not be exact or linear, we adopt the rank tests for analysis without prior knowledge and specification of the functional form. We also address the rank problems that occur in multivariate rank tests. Results of the rank tests confirm validity of the PPP relationships among the GBA cities with some empirical evidence of nonlinearity that clear the doubt concerning the potential barriers to goods market integration in the GBA. There are policy implications for the local and central authorities in justifying further integrated development programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In data-driven residential care settings, it is sometimes necessary to change an established assessment tool due to cost and respondent burden. However, accurate assessment of youth functioning over time or across samples can be compromised when different assessments are used. Hence, the ability to crosswalk between assessments is important. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) screen for similar attributes and are highly correlated. The SDQ is shorter and free and can be an alternative to the CBCL. This study links the CBCL and SDQ total problem scores in a sample of 284 high-risk youth in a residential care facility, using equipercentile equating. Youth had both assessments completed on them concurrently by caregivers. The "equate" package in R Studio was used to conduct the analysis. Concordance tables were created for crosswalks from CBCL to SDQ and vice versa. Results showed linked scores that were consistent when equating from each assessment to the other. The concordance tables can serve as a comparison tool between total problem scores of each assessment. In particular, they could be a resource for residential care providers and researchers considering a switch from the CBCL to the SDQ as a resource-effective alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this paper is to introduce a rubric for both researchers and consumers of research to guide best practices in the conduct of exploratory and confirmatory subgroup analyses studies. Methods: Paper draws on a review of the literature on subgroup analyses techniques and studies on racial and ethnic disparities in behavioral, mental, and physical health outcomes. Results: The paper highlights theoretical, methodological, and interpretational challenges in the use of subgroup analyses and illustrates them with specific examples. Conclusion: The paper concludes with a series of specific recommendations for the development of subgroup analyses specifically within three practice areas: theoretical, methodological, and interpretational. Such recommendations are captured in a rubric of best practices that aim to strengthen the evidence-base derived from subgroup studies to guide treatment and prevention interventions as well as the design and evaluation of effective policy recommendations to ameliorate health disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the price convergence of beverage products within Australia in order to assess the efficacy of intranational cross-border movements of products under the Australia's Mutual Recognition Agreement. Since the cointegrating relationship between product prices may not be exact or linear, we adopt the rank tests for analysis which do not require prior knowledge and specification of the linear or nonlinear functional form. Our results validate the price convergence of all beverage products within Australia, with the exception of a few regions in the milk market. Furthermore, a subset of the cointegration relationships exhibits nonlinear long-run price co-movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the time-varying interrelationship between the housing market and the stock market in the U.S. during the period of 1890-2013, by employing a rolling window subsample with a bootstrap Granger causality test. The rolling window allows for structural changes in the economy over time. Whereas previous studies have not identified a causal relationship between the U.S. housing price index and the SP500 stock price index, this new analysis is the first to identify certain periods wherein either the wealth effect or the investment effect can be observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High market concentration in the Hong Kong grocery industry has been prevalent over many years with the domination of a few large supermarket chains. However, no research has been conducted on the price dynamics between the supermarket and non-supermarket sectors to investigate whether the non-supermarket sector can impose competitive discipline on the dominating supermarket chains. We argue that standard cointegration tests cannot allow for transaction costs and distinguish whether the price co-movement is attributable to price competition or collusion. Our study therefore fills this research gap by adopting the threshold cointegration tests in a three-regime threshold vector error-correction model to account for the asymmetric price adjustment dynamics between supermarket and non-supermarket sectors of Hong Kong and evaluate the market power of the supermarket sectors in the presence of transaction costs. Our results favour the presence of cointegration between the supermarket and non-supermarket price indices with asymmetric adjustment dynamics. We interpret the results of statistically significant downward price adjustments in the outer-band regimes as the evidence of mutual price competition. Nevertheless, the supermarket sector has stronger market power than the non-supermarket sector, and therefore can sustain higher price level without inducing substantial competition pressures inside the neutral band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stakeholder engagement in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Health Impact Assessment (HIA) provides opportunities for inclusive environmental decision-making contributing to the attainment of agreement about the potential environmental and health impacts of a plan. A case evaluation of stakeholder engagement was carried out to assess its effect in terms of consensus-building. The case consisted in two health impact scoping workshops engaging 20 stakeholders: policy-makers, experts and residents. A Participatory Action Research approach was adopted. Methods included observation, semi-structured questionnaires and interviews. Analysis methods consisted of several coding rounds, in-depth reading and discussion of Atlas.ti output reports, as well as studying questionnaire results. Participants reported a broadening of perspectives on health in relation to the environment and attainment of shared perspectives. Still, meaningful differences remained, indicating that joint learning experiences, trust and mutual respect created a ‘sense of consensus’ rather than a joint view on the issues at stake. To avoid disappointment and conflict in later project development, explicit acknowledgment and acceptance of disagreements should be included as a ground rule in future stakeholder engagement processes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article studies the dynamic relationship between international (WTI, Brent and Dubai) and domestic (Da Qing) crude oil prices in China using threshold cointegration method. We find evidence of a long-run equilibrium relationship between each pair of international and Da Qing oil prices, favouring the market integration hypothesis. We also estimate asymmetric adjustments under the momentum threshold autoregressive (M-TAR) specification in a TVECM, and the results show that adjustments to eliminate disequilibrium happen faster when oil price spread increases than when it decreases. The long-run and short-run Granger causality tests support the notion that China has influence on the international oil markets. The results imply that China should open up its domestic and imported oil markets, and also establish a well-functioning crude oil futures market, as they are essential for arbitrage and hedging strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the dynamic relationships between GDP, residential property prices, and stock prices in Hong Kong. The study is interesting because most people put their wealth into these two markets. We find that there are long-run feedback effects between the two asset markets, providing evidence of wealth and credit-price effects in Hong Kong. There are also long-run, bi-directional causal links between real GDP and real asset prices. Hence, real asset prices can drive long-run economic growth and vice versa. Finally, the paper discusses what policy lessons can be drawn from the empirical analyses that have been undertaken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to investigate the day-of-the-week effect on both the return and conditional variance (volatility) of the H-shares index in Hong Kong from 3 January 2000 to 1 August 2008. Using an Exponential General Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (EGARCH) specification to model the conditional variance, we find that the day-of-the-week effect is present in both return and variance equations. In particular, higher risk-adjusted returns are found on Monday and Friday. However, after adjusting for market risks that vary across the days of the week, only the Monday effect remains. The conditional variance model also finds that the highest volatility of return also occurs on Monday. Thus, the Monday effects on risk-adjusted returns may be a reward for higher volatility on that day. However, after adjusting for transaction costs, the abnormal returns for Monday become negligible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article adopts a time-varying parameter model to investigate whether the economic downturn has affected convergence of the consumer price index. The dynamic patterns of the intranational purchasing-power parity coefficients in mainland China before and after the financial tsunami are found to differ, indicating that the convergence has indeed been adversely affected by the downturn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on grey relational analysis and stepwise regression, this study analysed the socio-economic driving forces of Xiamen since the reform and opening of China. The research aimed to explore the deep dynamic mechanism of urban space expansion of Xiamen and provide scientific support for its sustainable development. The results indicate resource consumption factors and population factors have had a significant driving effect on the expansion of built-up area, and have contributed more than the economic development factors. It was revealed that the main urban socio-economic driving forces have gradually changed during the middle and late stage of urbanisation, and the city has also shifted from an original construction and developing city type into a more spatially stable, developed city type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatio-temporal dynamic landscape pattern of Xiamen throughout its rapid urbanisation from 1987 to 2007 was studied using analyses of landscape indices and fractal methods (box counting method, BCM). Based on remote sensing (RS) and a geographic information system (GIS), five Landsat TM5 images were used to construct a land-use database for the studied area. BCM was programmed in Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 and MapObject. Over the last 20 years, rapid urbanisation of Xiamen Island has induced enormous conversions of the landscape pattern. Anthropogenic disturbance after 1992 has led to a man-made landscape gradually replacing the farmland and forestland landscape and the former became the dominant landscape type in 2007, leading to a decrease in diversity and heterogeneity in Xiamen Island. The urban land area increased rapidly from 39.2 to 94.4 km2 over these 20 years. The urban expansion mainly occupied forestland, farmland, water and sea. Farmland area had disappeared completely by 2007. Besides urban expansion, the Grain to Green Programme was also an important reason for farmland decrease. The size and spatial distribution of coastal reclamation was closely related to policies implemented in various phases. The island's coastline has become simplified and smoothed, with fractal dimensions decreasing from 1.157 to 1.124, and the shape approaching a circle. The new policy of transforming Xiamen from an island city to a bay city has had important effects on coastal reclamation, with reclamation of 7.89 km2 between 2002 and 2007, more than the total area reclaimed during the previous 15 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) derived from root exudates and complexed with available metals in the rhizosphere soils of Taiwan red cypress (Chamaeyparis formosensis, FRS), peacock pine (Cryptomeria japonica, JRS), and moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens, PRS) were identified by gas chromatograph (GC). The fresh plants (i.e., leaves, stems, roots, and litters) and soil samples of those three vegetations were examined for their organic functional groups. This study focused on (1) assessing methods for processing LMWOAs in the rhizosphere soils and fresh plants by GC analysis and (2) determining the relative proportions of organic carbon (C) functional groups in the three vegetations and fresh plant materials with 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. The proportion of LMWOAs contents followed the order of PRS>FRS>JRS>bulk soils. The recovery and spiking tests analyzed by GC showed good recovery (>83.6%) and reproducibility of LMWOAs. The proportion of organic functional groups in the rhizosphere and bulk soil quantified by 13C NMR analysis followed the general order alkyl-C>aromatic-C>O-alkyl-C>N-alkyl-C>phenolic-C>acetal-C>carboxyl-C. The carbohydrates, hemicellulose, lignin, and cellulose contents obtained by 13C NMR analysis suggested that Phyllostachys pubescen (PB) cannot easily be decomposed under the mountain forest soil environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the driving forces behind the regional distribution of inward FDI flows in China for the period 1998-2003. Based on the eleven selected socioeconomic variables and by adopting factor analysis, we accept the hypothesis that the overall socioeconomic environment in the administrative regions of China is a fundamental determinant of regional disparity in FDI. We use the complete linkage clustering technique to classify these regions into broader groups and then explore the similarities and dissimilarities between them. The findings from the study provide a yardstick for multinational firms regarding location decisions at the provincial level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]