Oil and stock market interlinkages: The case of the GCC bloc

Motivated by increased stock market integration, gaps in the literature and the recent financialization of oil markets, this thesis studies the behaviour of the fledgling Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stock markets against innovations in international financial markets and oil prices. The key results of the thesis highlight the relative segregation of the GCC markets and the importance of the EU and the UAE in determining the inter- and intra-regional equity linkages, respectively. In terms of their reactions to oil shocks, similar to the financial markets of oil-exporting nations, the GCC markets are stimulated by oil precautionary demand shocks during bearish phases, yet, the intensity of the impact is significantly more pronounced. Also, oil price change is a key factor of the US-GCC and EU-GCC stock market interdependence. Finally, oil innovations display upper tail dependence with US-GCC and EU-GCC correlations. The dissertation contributes to the existing literature by remapping the information transmission mechanism in the GCC by examining the inter- and intra-regional linkages in the GCC while considering both mean and variance linkages. Additionally, using the Kilian (2009) method, the thesis contributes to the literature by examining oil shocks influence on the GCC markets in contrast to their counterparts in oil-exporting and importing economies. Notably, this research characterises the oil-equity relation depending on the type of oil shock, the energy profile of the country and the state of the financial market. Finally, for the first time in the macroeconomic literature, the thesis establishes oil as a key macroeconomic determinant in the GCC stock market interdependence. The results present the GCC as a fresh destination to welcome funds from global investors and portfolio managers interested in cross-country diversification benefits. Also, oil price change is presented as a tool to forecast equity correlations which is vital for portfolio construction and balancing efforts. The outcome of the thesis conveys information for domestic policymakers in the GCC attempting to formulate macroeconomic policies. Finally, the outcomes contribute to academic efforts in understanding the interrelations between financial markets in the context of emerging/frontier markets

Interpersonal goals and their relationships to relational interdependent self- construal and communal orientation among volunteer community service students

This study aims at investigating the relationship between interpersonal goals, relational interdependent self- construal and communal orientation among volunteer community service students at the University of Jordan. Participants are 320 volunteer community service students; 83.1%females and 16.9% males. The age ranged between (18-24) years. Participants are asked to fill out online self-report measures of interpersonal goals, relational interdependent self- construal and communal orientation. The results show that there is a statistically significant difference in communal orientation attributed to the interaction among compassionate goals, gender and college sections in favor of males in scientific colleges. The results also show that there is no statistically significant difference in relational interdependent self-construal attributed to the interaction among compassionate goals, gender and college sections. Finally, the results revealed high level of interpersonal goals, communal orientation and moderate level of relational interdependent self-construal

STREAM DEPTH SIGNIFICANCE DURING IN‐SITU SEDIMENT OXYGEN DEMAND MEASUREMENTS IN SHALLOW STREAMS

Ninety-one sediment oxygen demand (SOD) samples from six designated sites along the stretch of Lower Rapid Creek, South Dakota, were conducted using an in-situ SOD chamber. Inside the chamber, readings of dissolved oxygen (DO), water temperature, pH, and specific conductance were recorded every minute for more than one hour using the Datasonde 3 Hydrolab. Initial readings of such parameters were recorded for the overlaying water before the deployment of the SOD chamber. Characteristics of the stream conditions, air temperature, barometric pressure, average flow velocity of the stream, depth of the stream, and the flow velocity by the chamber were recorded. Single and multiple linear regression analyses on all parameters indicated that the velocity of the stream is the least critical parameter for SOD in shallow streams

Academic achievement and self-regulated learning from parent’s perspective of student with learning difficulties

The study was designed to realize the association between academic achievement and self-regulated learning of students presenting learning difficulties. Therefore, the study adopted a quantitative approach and distributed the developed questionnaire to over 384 participants. The results reported underscored worsen achievement of students in distance learning compared to face-to-face setting despite the assistance they received during distance settings. The achievement of students differs due to the category of difficulty. Students presenting learning difficulties exhibited medium acquisition level of self-regulated learning. Elementary stage students exhibited a higher level of self-regulated learning, while female students exhibited a higher level of self-efficacy, metacognitive, micro-strategies, and emotional support. There is a strong association combined between students’ achievement and self-regulated learning. Furthermore, the study revealed a difference in self-regulated learning due to students’ gender, difficulty categories, and grade. Future studies can opt for specific self-regulated learning strategies according to subjects' particularism, such as mathematic material or specific age groups using the self-assessment tool

Application of GIS and remote sensing for land use planning in the arid areas of Jordan

Land suitability analysis formed part of a land use planning exercise in a development project aimed at improving agricultural productivity in the transitional Badia region of Jordan. Soil observations and soil maps were available at three levels of detail with differing coverage: level one (1:250,000 scale -complete cover), level two (1:50,000 scale - part cover) and level three (1:10,000 scale very limited cover). The development project selected the FAO Framework for Land Evaluation as the basis for land suitability analysis. This research investigated seven different calculation approaches for the processing of soil observations within soil map polygons using a GIS to derive land suitability ratings. These methods either use the soil observations to calculate the suitability of each soil mapping polygon or an interpolation technique (Voronoi diagram or Triangulated Irregular Network) between observation points. The overall map purity and homogeneity with respect to land characteristics were used to evaluate these methods. The quality of suitability maps varied according to the level of soil mapping and the method of processing the soil observations. The relative performance of the processing methods is discussed and recommendations for each level of mapping are proposed. The results showed that the purity of suitability maps was between 60 and 70% at the highest level of detail. Thus they should be used with caution for site specific analyses. Statements of map quality should be appended to suitability maps. The soil maps and observation points were derived and collected in a previous soil survey programme and georeferenced by map reading before the widespread availability of the Global Positioning System (GPS). When the data were integrated and overlaid on a satellite image within a GIS, a number of inconsistencies in georeferencing the data and in the attributes attached to them were revealed. Investigation and correction of these evolved into a major component of this work. Systematic errors caused by the use of different datums to georeference soil maps and observation points in the Jordan Soil and Climate Information System (JOSCIS) were detected. The map reading procedure also caused unsystematic errors in the locations of soil observations, which were re-measured at a sample of original observation sites using GPS. The correction of the unsystematic errors was not feasible due to the difficulty and cost of relocating all observation points. Errors in the attributes attached to the observation points were caused by survey recording procedures, highlighting the need for an examination of the data before analysis. The systematic and attribute errors were corrected and the implication for suitability analysis examined. The areas and spatial distribution of different suitability classes were affected increasingly as the level of mapping became more detailed. The presence of all these errors was sufficient to create errors in the derived land suitability maps, which could lead to incorrect land use planning decisions. The integration of satellite imagery, soil observations and soil mapping polygons within a GIS was indispensable for quality control of the data. The highest purities of suitability maps using existing soil mapping polygons were between 60% to 70% at level three but they only covered veiy limited areas. This indicated the need to extend mapping at this detail for site-specific planning and if possible, to increase the purity of soil mapping units. This was investigated by integrating satellite imagery and topographic data in a GIS. A 3-D perspective view of a Landsat TM image using an air photo-derived DEM was the most promising way of using the available data. Further research is needed to investigate the interactive use of air photo-derived DEMs and Landsat images, with more focus applied to site specific planning and field verification of the technique. Although this work was necessarily focussed on the issues and problems particular to one data set used in a Jordanian context, a number of general lessons have been learned. Firstly, careful examination of all input data is necessary to eliminate georeferencing and attribute errors. Secondly, overlay of input data onto a geocoded satellite image is extremely useful for detecting potential sources of input data errors and is recommended. And thirdly, GIS is indispensable for investigating existing data for errors and exploring new methods of analysis.Ph

Assessment of the Use of Household Chemicals in Al-Karak Governate, Jordan

The objective of this study was to evaluate the major factors that influence the correctness of household chemical utilization in the Jordanian households. The practices in the use of household chemicals of 1200 women in Al-Karak Governate of the country of Jordan were surveyed through a quantitative questionnaire in 2009. The results were analyzed in population sets grouped by different demographic relationships (i.e., age, level of education, family size, number of working members and geographic location). Analysis of Variation (ANOVA) of the population means based on these groupings was conducted. The results indicated that age, level of education, family size and number of working members were all important and statistically significant factors in the proper use of household chemicals in the study area. The means of the population sets based on geographic distribution did not vary significantly indicating that education on the proper use of household chemicals is needed throughout Jordan

Trends in treatment of head and neck cancer in germany: A diagnosis-related-groups-based nationwide analysis, 2005–2018

Simple Summary Surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy/immunotherapy as monotherapy or in combination are the pillars of the treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC). Nation-wide population-based data on treatment rates per population and year for HNC are sparse. The data of virtually all HNC cases (apart from thyroid cancer) treated as inpatients in Germany between 2005 and 2018 were analyzed. Treatment rates for nearly all treatment types increased for cancer of the oral cavity, oropharynx, and salivary glands. Treatment rates for nasopharyngeal cancer in both sexes and hypopharyngeal cancer in men mainly decreased. In women, surgery for hypopharyngeal cancer decreased, but radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or in combination, increased. Laryngeal cancer showed a mixed picture: Surgery and neck dissection decreased in men and remained unchanged in women, whereas radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or in combination, remained unchanged in men, but increased in women. Changes in treatment are dependent on the subsites and are different for men and women for several subsites. Abstract Advances in head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment might have changed treatment strategies. This study determined, with focus on gender disparity, whether treatment rates have changed for inpatients in Germany between 2005 and 2018. Nation-wide population-based diagnosis-related groups (DRG) data of virtually all HNC cases (1,226,856 procedures; 78% men) were evaluated. Poisson regression analyses were used to study changes of annual treatment rates per German population. For surgery, the highest increase was seen for women with cancer of the oral cavity (relative risk (RR) 1.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11–1.18, p < 0.0001) and the highest decrease for men with laryngeal cancer (RR 0.90, CI 0.87–0.93). In women with oropharyngeal cancer, the highest increase of radiotherapy rates was seen (RR 1.18, CI 1.10–1.27, p < 0.0001). A decrease was seen in men for hypopharyngeal cancer (RR 0.93, CI 0.87–0.98, p = 0.0093). The highest increase for chemotherapy/immunotherapy was seen for women with oropharyngeal cancer (RR 1.16, CI 1.08–1.24, p < 0.0001), and a decrease in men with hypopharyngeal cancer (RR 0.93, CI 0.88–0.97, p = 0.0014). Treatment patterns had changed for nearly all subsites and therapy types. There were relevant gender disparities, which cannot be explained by the DRG data

Parents’ perceptive regarding the effect of internet use on students with and without learning difficulties

In the recent digital era, the use of the internet worldwide has become vital in almost all fields of life, and no one can deny its significant impact on activities of different age groups. The current study investigated the effect of internet usage on students with/without learning difficulties in Jordanian primary schools from point of view of their parents. For this purpose, a questionnaire consisting of 21 items was built by the researchers including these areas: social interactions, communication, health, entertainment, learning, academic activities, behavior, and security. The targeted population was the parents of students with/without learning difficulties in public and private schools. The findings indicated that parents perceive a moderate level of effect of internet usage on their children’s most activities except entertainment and security which have a high impact. Moreover, parents of students with learning difficulties perceive a positive impact of the internet in enhancing their children’s learning abilities

Revisiting volatility spillovers in the Gulf Cooperation Council

This research offers a comprehensive review of the volatility spillover patterns in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stock market indexes covering daily data from 2/1/2004 to 5/11/2020. During this period, stock markets experienced fluctuations due to unexpected shocks, such as the international financial crisis, oil price shocks and, lately, the pandemic of COVID-19. The findings reveal a substantial increase in the connectedness of returns and volatilities in the GCC bloc during high stress periods with the COVID-19 era marking a historical high. That said, the results do not support significant changes in the directional patterns of volatility during the pandemic