Showing papers by "Hong Kong Baptist University published in 1995"
3,115 citations
TL;DR: Quantum interference between decay processes from two upper levels, which are coupled by the same vacuum modes to a lower level, have been investigated and its effects on the spontaneous emission spectrum have been studied.
Abstract: Quantum interference between decay processes from two upper levels, which are coupled by the same vacuum modes to a lower level, have been investigated and its effects on the spontaneous emission spectrum have been studied. The interference can result in spectral narrowing and a black dark line in the spectrum. The population in the upper levels is not a simple exponential decay due to the interference.
164 citations
TL;DR: The authors reported the results of a study (based on Rose, 1994) which addressed methodological validation in speech act research, and administered discourse-completion tests (DCTs) and multiple-choice questionnaires (MCQs), designed to elicit requests, to two groups of 36 Japanese female undergraduates.
Abstract: Speech act theory has greatly influenced both the study and teaching of language use; however, given its philosophical roots, it has been short on empirical support. In recent years numerous speech act studies have been conducted. In these studies, though, there has been little discussion of research methodology, specifically data collection techniques. This paper reports the results of a study (based on Rose, 1994), which addresses methodological validation in speech act research. We administered discourse-completion tests (DCTs) and multiple-choice questionnaires (MCQs), designed to elicit requests, to two groups of 36 Japanese female undergraduates. As with Rose (1994), there were significant differences in most situations (11 of 12), with those completing the MCQ choosing to opt out or hint more frequently than those completing the DCT. These results seem to indicate some serious problems with DCTs, which need to be addressed if they are to be used in speech act studies.
93 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors introduce efficiency measures that can be used to find the efficiency of a group of firms and pinpoint whether the group inefficiency is due to inefficiency inside or outside individual firms.
Abstract: While the conventional Farrell-Fare approach to efficiency measurement can identify the most inefficient firms, it fails to consider the efficiency of a group of firms thoroughly This paper introduces efficiency measures that can be used to find the efficiency of a group of firms and pinpoint whether the group inefficiency is due to inefficiency inside or outside individual firms Furthermore, a new way of finding the revenue maximum shadow price vector is introduced to compute the allocative efficiency of individual firms when price data are not available
86 citations
TL;DR: When young maize seedlings were fed with abscisic acid (ABA) into their root systems, the exudation rate from roots through cut stems was enhanced more than leaf diffusive resistance and enhancedRoot hydraulic conductance was greatly increased by ABA or soil drying treatments.
Abstract: summary
When young maize seedlings were fed with abscisic acid (ABA) into their root systems, the exudation rate from roots through cut stems was enhanced more than leaf diffusive resistance. Enhanced root exudation was also observed when mildly droughted plants were re-watered. To compare the mechanisms involved in this response under these two treatments, we examined solute transport in exudates and in situ whole root hydraulic conductivity following ABA feeding to the roots or soil drying/re-watering treatment. Increases of both solute concentration and delivery rate in the exudates of pre-droughted plants appeared to account for about half of the enhanced exudation rate. ABA-fed plants showed only a marginal increase of solute delivery rate and in fact a somewhat reduced concentration of solutes in their exudates. In situ root hydraulic conductance, assessed by the pressure-How method on undisturbed roots, was greatly increased by ABA or soil drying treatments. The results indicate that drought-induced ABA in roots improved root hydraulic conductivity and raised root pressure when droughted plants were re-watered.
74 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of polymer matrix, complexing stability, structure, and stoichiometry of the copper complexes on the electrode response were examined, and it was shown that complexation stability was not the only factor governing the electroanalytical behavior.
Abstract: Conducting polymer-modified electrodes based on the incorporation of different anionic complexing ligands, namely, alizarin red S, bathocuproine sulfonate, and sulfosalicylic acid, into polypyrrole film during electropolymerization were prepared. Electroanalysis of copper species, both Cu 2+ and Cu + ions, was achieved by extraction of the metal species into the ligand-incorporated polypyrrole electrode, and the electroactive copper complexes thus formed were determined voltammetrically. The effects of polymer matrix, complexing stability, structure, and stoichiometry of the copper complexes on the electrode response were examined. Results suggested that complexation stability was not the only factor governing the electroanalytical behavior.
52 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the reduction-adsorption capacity of activated carbon fibers derived from viscose rayon, sisal, and pitch was studied by chemical analysis of the reaction solutions and XPS study of the deposited platinum.
44 citations
TL;DR: The effects of increasing loading of heavy metals on the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge showed that gas yields were severely inhibited at the highest concentration of each metal tested, and extracts obtained from the digested materials containing pig manure gave poorer algal growth.
39 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the causal relationships between sale price changes and rental rate changes in the Hong Kong real estate market were examined, and three different hypotheses were put forth: 1) the demands in the two markets are substitutes, 2) prices and rentals are positively correlated; and 3) Prices and RAs are not correlated because of market segmentation.
Abstract: This study examines the causal relationships between sale price changes and rental rate changes in the Hong Kong real estate market. Three different hypotheses are put forth: 1) the demands in the two markets are substitutes, 2) prices and rentals are positively correlated; and 3) prices and rentals are not correlated because of market segmentation. Using quarterly data of sale prices and rental rates for the five categories of residential property from four different districts, causal relationships are not found in 29 cases out of 40. For the other 11 cases, we find that price changes lead rental rate changes. The lag period is found to be one quarter, and this shows that the two markets are efficient: only one quarterly lag is necessary to establish causality where it exists.
38 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the spectrum radiated by an initially excited two-level atom in a very high-Q cavity is studied and the relative heights of spectral peaks are shown to depend on the modulation phase.
Abstract: The spectrum radiated by an initially excited two-level atom in a very-high-Q cavity is studied. We consider the situation where the frequency of the vacuum field cavity mode is varied time-dependently during Rabi cycles. Under the resonance condition where the modulation frequency is the same as the vacuum Rabi frequency, we show that the vacuum Rabi splitting can be further split into two doublets. The relative heights of spectral peaks are shown to depend on the modulation phase. Furthermore, we show that the interference between different spectral peaks can break the symmetry of the spectrum.
34 citations
11 Sep 1995
TL;DR: A method of recording HOL proofs in terms of a sequence of applications of inference rules so that the recorded proofs can be checked by an independent proof checker.
Abstract: Formal proofs generated by mechanised theorem proving systems may consist of a large number of inferences. As these theorem proving systems are usually very complex, it is extremely difficult if not impossible to formally verify them. This calls for an independent means of ensuring the consistency of mechanically generated proofs. This paper describes a method of recording HOL proofs in terms of a sequence of applications of inference rules. The recorded proofs can then be checked by an independent proof checker. Also described in this paper is an efficient proof checker which is able to check a practical proof consisting of thousands of inference steps.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used the 780 nm line from a diode laser as the etching source, and the optimum etching conditions were obtained, and a simple model was proposed to explain the process.
Abstract: Conventional fabrication method of porous silicon is anodisation of single crystal silicon in hydrofluoric acid. In this report, we show that it is possible to fabricate porous silicon by laser-induced etching. An earlier report by us has demonstrated the dependence of porous silicon photoluminescence characteristic on the etching laser wavelength [1]. Here we used 780 nm line from a diode laser as the etching source, and the optimum etching conditions were obtained. A simple model was proposed to explain the etching process. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of the samples support the proposed process.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored the pattern of international transfers, the regional connections in that pattern, the duration of assignments and the degree of specialization during successive assignments and discussed the strategic implications of the findings for international resource management.
Abstract: Despite its everyday occurrence in contemporary business, the international transfer of managers has not been subject to much empirical research. This study builds primarily on two previous studies, extending the scope of research from a single national sample to a multinational sample. Expatriate business managers who were employed by Australian, German, Dutch and Italian firms, and who were currently assigned to Hong Kong, responded to a mail questionnaire. The main issues explored in this article are the pattern of international transfers, the regional connections in that pattern, the duration of assignments and the degree of specialization during successive assignments. These features are related to the parent corporation characteristics of nationality, size and type of operations. The strategic implications of the findings for international resource management are discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, a study of Chinese small firm marketing in Hong Kong has been conducted, which revealed that Chinese small firms exhibit different marketing behavior from their western counterparts, when compared with UK findings for example.
Abstract: Much of the literature on small firm marketing has adopted the Western marketing paradigm. Though researchers such as Kindle (1982) and Waldie (1980) have pointed to the importance of using traditional cultural values in understanding Chinese marketing decisions, there is no major study of Chinese small firm marketing which adopts this approach. Siu and Kirby (1995) suggest an integrative approach — blending the process model and the contingency approach in building and advancing small firm marketing theory. Hence the marketing process model proposed by Brooksbank (1990) is adopted as the research framework for understanding the marketing activities of small firms in Hong Kong. Six broad areas relating to business philosophy, strategic analysis, marketing objectives, marketing strategy, marketing organization and marketing control are identified. The contingency model used by Brooksbank, Kirby and Wright (1992) is adopted to identify different types of performing companies. In addition, Yau's (1994) Chinese cultural value orientations are adopted to explain the likely Chinese cultural influences. Five types of value orientation are used as to provide the analytical framework, namely Man-to-nature Orientation, Man-to-himself Orientation, Relational Orientation, Time Orientation, and Personal-activity Orientation. The research results reveal that Chinese small firms in Hong Kong exhibit different marketing behaviour from their western counterparts, when compared with UK findings for example. Higher performing Chinese small firms place marketing as the leading or joint leading role in their corporate planning processes and also adopt a longer-term strategic planning approach. They also use more aggressive marketing strategies and put more emphasis on product performance and credit support. However, explicit marketing control devices appear not to be used. The influence of Chinese cultural values on the marketing activities of Chinese small firms in Hong Kong is found to be significant.
TL;DR: Cheng et al. as discussed by the authors conducted a survey on behavior changes of Chinese Farming Units under economic reform. But the results of the survey were collected through a survey funded by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong Government for a project entitled ''Behavioral Changes of Chinese farming Units under the Economic Reform''.
Abstract: * Cheng Yuk-shing is Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Economics of Hong Kong Baptist University and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Adelaide. Tsang Shu-ki is Associate Professor in the Department of Economics of Hong Kong Baptist University. Versions of this article have benefitted from the suggestions of Chung Kim-sau, Thomas M. H. Chan, Catherine Halbrendt, Woo Tun-oy, Chan Hin-lin, and Tang Shu-hung. Anonymous referees also provided helpful and constructive comments. Some of the data used in this article were collected through a survey funded by the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Government for a project entitled \"Behavioral Changes of Chinese Farming Units under the Economic Reform\" (HKBC/92-93/24).
TL;DR: In this article, four types of lipophilic calixarene ionophores have been used in the design of sodium-selective optode membranes for the optical determination of the sodium cation in pH-buffered solutions.
Abstract: Four types of lipophilic calixarene ionophores have been used in the design of sodium-selective optode membranes. Plasticized poly(vinyl chloride)(PVC) membranes incorporating the tetraester of calix[4]arene and a neutral H+-selective chromo-ionophore (ETH 5294) have proved to be excellent reversible sensing devices for the optical determination of the sodium cation in pH-buffered solutions. At pH 9.0, the absorbance response of the optode shows a good correlation with the theoretically derived formula in the range from 1 × 10–6 to 10–2 mol l–1 sodium ion. Dynamic range, reproducibility, response time and the selectivity of the new optode membranes are discussed.
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors discuss women's education in traditional and modern China and assess its achievements and limitations, especially relating to the contradiction between traditional family life and a modern professional career among women.
Abstract: It was only towards the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) that new girls' schools were established by the imperial reforms in China. This development caused a profound social change. Prior to this period, the aim of women's education was limited to the teaching of social ethics and family tradition with an emphasis on how to behave as a virtuous wife and good mother. In the present education system, it can be said that there is equal opportunity for men and women, and that the aim of women's education goes beyond the traditional function. However, this development in modern education has led to some major problems, especially relating to the contradiction between traditional family life and a modern professional career among women. The purpose of this article is to discuss women's education in traditional and modern China and to assess its achievements and limitations.
TL;DR: This paper developed a detailed model of the intellectual structure of the human communication discipline and proposed that the discipline's content is arranged into four tiers of research and pedagogical interest, including public, small group and interpersonal communication.
Abstract: Responding to challenges by Wartella (1994) and Zarefsky (1993) to describe the underlying nature of the discipline we teach, this essay develops a detailed model of the intellectual structure of the human communication discipline. The model proposes that the discipline's content is arranged into four tiers of research and pedagogical interest. Tier‐1 work defines the distinctive nature of the discipline, exploring all aspects of the abstract concept of message. The second tier concentrates on the relationship of message analyses to communicators as individuals, as elements in social/interactional relationships, and as members of various cultural communities. Research in the third tier gathers our tier‐1 and tier‐2 interests into various clusters or levels, including public, small group and interpersonal communication. Work in the fourth tier explores human message behavior as it occurs in significant recurring situations such as health care, schools, business, and other areas.
TL;DR: In this paper, a direct test on the equality of correlation matrices of 12 international stock markets was conducted to examine the intertemporal stability in stock market co-movements.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors studied the quantum interference effects in the Autler-Townes spectrum associated with the spontaneous emission between two levels in an atomic system and showed that when the upper level is coupled by a coherent field to a third level, then the interference between two processes of decay from two dressed upper levels to the same lower level results in a dark line in the spectrum.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors found significant differences between branch managers in the banking sector and non-banking managers with regard to Machiavellian orientation in terms of their job satisfaction and job titles.
Abstract: Critics often attack marketing as being manipulative, unethical, or “Machiavellian” in nature. Recently, branch marketing has been widely and agressively adopted by banks for growth and expansion purposes in Pacific‐rim countries. However, it is generally believed that the marketing orientation is counter to the conservative banking practices. Reports the findings of research on the Machiavellian orientation of 50 Chinese banking executives in Hong Kong and the relationships between Machiavellianism, job satisfaction and job success in the banking sector. Two instruments, the Mach IV Scale and the index of job satisfaction, were used to determine the Machiavellian orientation and the job satisfaction level of respondents. Observes significant differences between the branch managers in the banking sector and non‐banking managers with regard to Machiavellian orientation. Respondents with lower Machiavellian scores tended to attain higher job titles. However, there was no significant relationship between Mac...
TL;DR: In this article, heavy metal contents (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn) of digested sludge, collected from sewage treatment works (Shatin (ST), Shek Wu Hui (SWH), Tai Po (TP) and Yuen Long (YL)) in 1992, 1993 and 1994, were analysed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry after sequential extraction by 1 m KNO3, 0.5 m KF, 0 1 m Na4P2O7, 0 6 m EDTA and 6 m HNO3.
TL;DR: In this article, the consumption of a set of diverse medical services is analyzed in an effort to determine the sources of high utilization by women, and it was found that if women reported the same series of health indicators as men, their use of most services would fall below that of men.
Abstract: The consumption of a set of diverse medical services is analysed in an effort to determine the sources of high utilization by women.Unlike previous studies of gender and the demand for medical services,the range of services investigate allows us to draw conclusions about the influence of physicians as agents.We use a modified version of the almost-ideal demand model in the emperical analysis which,unlike the double-log quadratic, or linear demand models, is consistent with constraints imposed by economic theory.Through decomposition of the variance, it was found that if women reported the same series of health indicators as men. their use of most services would fall below that of men.
TL;DR: In this paper, Dutch managers and computer programmers assessed the performance of a subordinate or peer, respectively, using Behavioral Observation scales (BOS), Behavioral Expectation scales(BES), and Trait scales, and then evaluated the three appraisal instruments on eight criteria: ability to give feedback, ability to differentiate, objectivity, position differences, capability to provide training, providing corporatewide standards, ability of set goals, and overall ease of use.
Abstract: Dutch managers and computer programmers appraised the performance of a subordinate or peer, respectively, using Behavioral Observation scales (BOS), Behavioral Expectation scales (BES), and Trait scales, and then evaluated the three appraisal instruments on eight criteria: ability to give feedback, ability to differentiate, objectivity, position differences, ability to provide training, setting corporate-wide standards, ability to set goals, and overall ease of use. Users preferred the BOS to the BES on seven criteria, and to the Trait Scale on all but two criteria. They preferred the Trait Scale to the BES on two criteria, namely, ease of use and position differences, and considered the BES and Trait scale equivalent on the remaining criteria. These findings parallel those found in a similar study conducted in the United States.
TL;DR: In this paper, diamino monomers IIa-IIg were synthesized in a two-step reaction sequence starting from p-acetamidobenzenesulfonyl chloride.
Abstract: New diamino monomers IIa-IIg were synthesized in a two-step reaction sequence starting from p-acetamidobenzenesulfonyl chloride. Solution polymerization of these monomers in DMAC with terephthaloyl or isophthaloyl chloride resulted in the formation of a series of 14 poly(amide sulfonamide)s (PASAs) in excellent yield (> 95%). The polymers have intrinsic viscosities of 0.32-1.11 dL g -1 . Except for polymers IIIa-p and IIId-p, all other PASAs were readily soluble in aprotic polar solvents including DMAC, DMF, and DMSO. Thermogravimetric analyses of the polymers showed moderate thermal stability with 10% weight loss being recorded in the range of 325-408°C. In addition, these polymers exhibit moderate chemical stabilities toward alkali, acidic, and chromic acid solution.
TL;DR: It is suggested that co-cultivation of the sterile T. kirilowii with microorganisms results in an accumulated level of trichosanthin suggesting a possible role of the protein in defence against pathogens.
Abstract: Trichosanthin, a type 1 ribosome-inactivating protein, is highly expressed in the root tuber of Trichosanthes kirilowii when grown under normal greenhouse conditions. The expression level of trichosanthin was significantly reduced when the seeds were germinated and subsequently grown in a sterile environment. However, co-cultivation of the sterile T. kirilowii with microorganisms results in an accumulated level of trichosanthin suggesting a possible role of trichosanthin in defence against pathogens
TL;DR: In this article, the problem of detecting multiple outliers in a growth curve model with an arbitrary covariance structure, known as unstructured covariance matrix (UCM), is discussed.
Abstract: Under a normal assumption, Liski (1991,Biometrics,47, 659–668) gave some measurements for assessing influential observations in a Growth Curve Model (GCM) with a known covariance. For the GCM with an arbitrary (p.d.) covariance structure, known as unstructured covariance matrix (UCM), the problems of detecting multiple outliers are discussed in this paper. When a multivariate normal error is assumed, the MLEs of the parameters in the Multiple-Individual-Deletion model (MIDM) and the Mean-Shift-Regression model (MSRM) are derived, respectively. In order to detect multiple outliers in the GCM with UCM, the likelihood ratio testing statistic in MSRM is established and its null distribution is derived. For illustration, two numerical examples are discussed, which shows that the criteria presented in this paper are useful in practice.
TL;DR: In this paper, four new series of poly(amide-sulfonamide)s (PASAs), having different ratios of two different diamino monomer moieties in the polymer backbone, were obtained by low-temperature solution polycondensation of the respective diamines with terephthaloyl chloride/isophthaloyal chloride.
TL;DR: In this paper, a formaldehyde-selective electrode was designed based on the host-guest interaction between ptert-butylcalix[4]arene tetraester and lipophilic hydrazone generated in situ from formaldehyde and a modified Girard's reagent G2.
Abstract: A formaldehyde-selective electrode was designed based on the host–guest interaction between p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene tetraester and lipophilic hydrazone generated in situ from formaldehyde and a modified Girard's reagent G2. The poly(vinyl chloride) membrane electrode contains 4.5% m/m of a tetraester derivative of calix[4]arene as the neutral carrier and dioctyl phthalate as the plasticizer. At pH 5.4, the electrode exhibits a dicationic Nernstian response in the range 4 × 10–5–0.1 mol l–1 formaldehyde with a slope of 32.4 mV per decade. In contrast, at pH 9.2, the electrode shows a near Nernstian response with a slope of 50.3 mV per decade in a narrower working concentration range. The electrode has a fast response time and a long working lifetime. The viability of using the electrode for the micro-determination of formaldehyde was also demonstrated.