bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of New Ferrocene Incorporated N,N′-Disubstituted Thioureas as Potential Antitumour Agents
Authors: Lal Bhajan , Badshah Amin , Altaf Ataf Ali , Tahir Muhammad Nawaz , Ullah Shafiq , Huq Fazlul
Published: July 2013

In this paper, we report the synthesis, structural characterisation, cytotoxicity against human ovarian tumour models (A2780, A2780cisR, and A2780ZD0473R), nature of interaction with calf-thymus (CT)-DNA and pBR322 plasmid DNA of new ferrocene based N,N′-disubstituted thioureas (3a–d). The compounds, characterized based on elemental analysis, FT-IR and multinuclear (1H and 13C) NMR spectroscopy, and single crystal X-ray diffractometry, were found to have significant antitumour activity although much less than cisplatin. Crystallographic data reveals the existance of secondary interactions for compound 3c in terms of intermolecular hydrogen bonding of type NH⋯O, NH⋯S and secondary non-covalent interactions (π⋯H). When pBR322 plasmid DNA was interacted with increasing concentrations of compounds, 3a and 3b but not 3c were found to partially prevent BamH1 digestion of the DNA. The negative shift in peak potential in voltammetric measurements indicates that all the compounds undergo electrostatic interactions with the negatively charged phosphate DNA backbone. The large negative value of the binding energy indicates the spontaneity of reaction between the compounds and CT-DNA and the conformational stability of adducts formed.
Development and mapping of fuel characteristics and associated fire potentials for South America
Authors: Pettinari M. Lucrecia , Ottmar Roger D. , Prichard Susan J. , Andreu Anne G. , Chuvieco Emilio
Published: July 2013

The characteristics and spatial distribution of fuels are critical for assessing fire hazard, fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and other fire effects. However, fuel maps are difficult to generate and update, because many regions of the world lack fuel descriptions or adequate mapped vegetation attributes to assign these fuelbeds spatially across the landscape. This paper presents a process to generate fuel maps for large areas using remotely sensed information and ancillary fuel characteristic data. The Fuel Characteristic Classification System was used to build fuelbeds for South America and predict potential fire hazard using a set of default environmental variables. A land-cover map was combined with a biome map to define 98 fuelbeds, and their parameters were assigned based on information from global datasets and existing Fuel Characteristic Classification System fuelbeds or photo series. The indices of potential surface fire behaviour ranged from 1.32 to 9, whereas indices of potential crown fire and available fuel for combustion had low to medium values (0–6). This paper presents a geospatial fuels map for South America. This map could be used to assess fire hazard, predict fire behaviour under defined environmental conditions or calculate fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. It could also be easily updated as new remotely sensed information on vegetation becomes available.
Teleost skin, an ancient mucosal surface that elicits gut-like immune responses
Authors: Xu Zhen , Parra David , Gómez Daniela , Salinas Irene , Zhang Yong-An , von Gersdorff Jørgensen Louise , Heinecke Rasmus Demuth , Buchmann Kurt , LaPatra Scott , Sunyer J. Oriol
Published: July 2013

Skin homeostasis is critical to preserve animal integrity. Although the skin of most vertebrates is known to contain a skin-associated lymphoid tissue (SALT), very little is known about skin B-cell responses as well as their evolutionary origins. Teleost fish represent the most ancient bony vertebrates containing a SALT. Due to its lack of keratinization, teleost skin possesses living epithelial cells in direct contact with the water medium. Interestingly, teleost SALT structurally resembles that of the gut-associated lymphoid tissue, and it possesses a diverse microbiota. Thus, we hypothesized that, because teleost SALT and gut-associated lymphoid tissue have probably been subjected to similar evolutionary selective forces, their B-cell responses would be analogous. Confirming this hypothesis, we show that IgT, a teleost immunoglobulin specialized in gut immunity, plays the prevailing role in skin mucosal immunity. We found that IgT
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B cells represent the major B-cell subset in the skin epidermis and that IgT is mainly present in polymeric form in the skin mucus. Critically, we found that the majority of the skin microbiota are coated with IgT. Moreover, IgT responses against a skin parasite were mainly limited to the skin whereas IgM responses were almost exclusively detected in the serum. Strikingly, we found that the teleost skin mucosa showed key features of mammalian mucosal surfaces exhibiting a mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. Thus, from an evolutionary viewpoint, our findings suggest that, regardless of their phylogenetic origin and tissue localization, the chief immunoglobulins of all mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue operate under the guidance of primordially conserved principles.
The actin-microtubule cross-linking activity ofDrosophilaShort stop is regulated by intramolecular inhibition
Authors: Applewhite Derek A. , Grode Kyle D. , Duncan Mara C. , Rogers Stephen L.
Published: July 2013

Actin and microtubule dynamics must be precisely coordinated during cell migration, mitosis, and morphogenesis—much of this coordination is mediated by proteins that physically bridge the two cytoskeletal networks. We have investigated the regulation of the Drosophila actin-microtubule cross-linker Short stop (Shot), a member of the spectraplakin family. Our data suggest that Shot's cytoskeletal cross-linking activity is regulated by an intramolecular inhibitory mechanism. In its inactive conformation, Shot adopts a “closed” conformation through interactions between its NH2-terminal actin-binding domain and COOH-terminal EF-hand-GAS2 domain. This inactive conformation is targeted to the growing microtubule plus end by EB1. On activation, Shot binds along the microtubule through its COOH-terminal GAS2 domain and binds to actin with its NH2-terminal tandem CH domains. We propose that this mechanism allows Shot to rapidly cross-link dynamic microtubules in response to localized activating signals at the cell cortex.
SARM1 and TRAF6 bind to and stabilize PINK1 on depolarized mitochondria
Authors: Murata Hitoshi , Sakaguchi Masakiyo , Kataoka Ken , Huh Nam-ho
Published: July 2013

Mutations in PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) or parkin cause autosomal recessive forms of Parkinson's disease. Recent work suggests that loss of mitochondrial membrane potential stabilizes PINK1 and that accumulated PINK1 recruits parkin from the cytoplasm to mitochondria for elimination of depolarized mitochondria, which is known as mitophagy. In this study, we find that PINK1 forms a complex with sterile α and TIR motif containing 1 (SARM1) and tumor necrosis factor receptor–associated factor 6 (TRAF6), which is important for import of PINK1 in the outer membrane and stabilization of PINK1 on depolarized mitochondria. SARM1, which is known to be an adaptor protein for Toll-like receptor, binds to PINK1 and promotes TRAF6-mediated lysine 63 chain ubiquitination of PINK1 at lysine 433. Down-regulation of SARM1 and TRAF6 abrogates accumulation of PINK1, followed by recruitment of parkin to damaged mitochondria. Some pathogenic mutations of PINK1 reduce the complex formation and ubiquitination. These results indicate that association of PINK1 with SARM1 and TRAF6 is an important step for mitophagy.
Protein kinase CK2 phosphorylates and activates p21-activated kinase 1
Authors: Shin Yong Jae , Kim Yong-Bae , Kim Jeong-Ho
Published: July 2013

Activation of the p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) is achieved through a conformational change that converts an inactive PAK1 dimer to an active monomer. In this paper, we show that this change is necessary but not sufficient to activate PAK1 and that it is, rather, required for CK2-dependent PAK1S223phosphorylation that converts a monomeric PAK1 into a catalytically active form. This phosphorylation appears to be essential for autophosphorylation at specific residues and overall activity of PAK1. A phosphomimetic mutation (S223E) bypasses the requirement for GTPases in PAK1 activation, whereas the constitutive activity of the PAK1 mutant (PAK1H83,86L), postulated to mimic GTPase-induced structural changes, is abolished by inhibition of S223 phosphorylation. Thus, S223 is likely accessible to CK2 upon conformational changes of PAK1 induced by GTPase-dependent and GTPase-independent stimuli, suggesting that S223 phosphorylation may play a key role in the final step of the PAK1 activation process. The physiological significance of this phosphorylation is reinforced by the observations that CK2 is responsible for epidermal growth factor–induced PAK1 activation and that inhibition of S223 phosphorylation abrogates PAK1-mediated malignant transformation of prostate epithelial cells. Taken together, these findings identify CK2 as an upstream activating kinase of PAK1, providing a novel mechanism for PAK1 activation.
Vagus nerve stimulation improves left ventricular function in a canine model of chronic heart failure
Authors: Hamann Jason J. , Ruble Stephen B. , Stolen Craig , Wang Mengjun , Gupta Ramesh C. , Rastogi Sharad , Sabbah Hani N.
Published: July 2013

Aims

Autonomic dysfunction is a feature of chronic heart failure (HF). This study tested the hypothesis that chronic open‐loop electrical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) improves LV structure and function in canines with chronic HF.

Methods and results

Twenty‐six canines with HF (EF ∼35%) produced by intracoronary microembolizations were implanted with a bipolar cuff electrode around the right cervical vagus nerve and connected to an implantable pulse generator. The canines were enrolled in Control (n = 7) vs. VNS therapy (n = 7) or a crossover study, with crossovers occurring at 3 months (C × VNS, n = 6; VNS × C, n = 6). After 6 months of VNS, LVEF and LV end‐systolic volume (ESV) were significantly improved compared with Control (ΔEF Control −4.6 ± 0.9% vs. VNS 6.0 ± 1.6%, P < 0.001) and (ΔESV Control 8.3 ± 1.8 mL vs. VNS −3.0 ± 2.3 mL, P = 0.002. Plasma and tissue biomarkers were also improved. In the crossover study, VNS also resulted in a significant improvement in EF and ESV compared with Control (ΔEF Control −2.3 ± 0.65% vs. VNS 6.7 ± 1.1 mL, P < 0.001 and ΔESV Control 3.2 ± 1.2 mL vs. VNS −4.0 ± 0.9 mL, P < 0.001). Initiation of therapy in the Control group at 3 months resulted in a significant improvement in EF (Control −4.7 ± 1.4% vs. VNS 3.7 ± 0.74%, P < 0.001) and ESV (Control 1.5 ± 1.2 mL vs. NS −5.5 ± 1.6 mL, P = 0.003) by 6 months.

Conclusions

In canines with HF, long‐term, open‐looped low levels of VNS therapy improves LV systolic function, prevents progressive LV enlargement, and improves biomarkers of HF when compared with control animals that did not receive therapy.
Modelling ecological responses of Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) to future climate change and its uncertainty
Authors: Ito Shin-ichi , Okunishi Takeshi , Kishi Michio J. , Wang Muyin
Published: July 2013

Ito, S-I., Okunishi, T., Kishi, M. J., and Wang, M. 2013. Modelling ecological responses of Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) to future climate change and its uncertainty. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 980–990. An ecosystem-based bioenergetics model was used to investigate the responses of Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) to global warming. The model was forced by the projected sea surface temperature (SST) generated by climate models that formed the bases for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change fourth Assessment Report (IPCC-AR4). Twelve climate models, which reproduced the Pacific Decadal Oscillation well compared with observations, were selected and B1, A1B, and A2 emissions scenarios were used. In total, 33 ensemble simulations were conducted, of which 24 (73%) showed a decrease in wet weight of Pacific saury. The migration pattern was modified in 11 (33%) cases. In these cases, higher SST and size reduction under global warming prevented or delayed the southern migration of saury in winter. As a result, egg production was enhanced by the higher availability of prey plankton in the modified spawning region. A case study to separate the direct temperature effects was conducted, in which prey plankton density was assumed to be the same as the control run. The results suggest that an SST increase will directly reduce juvenile growth, whereas a prey plankton density decrease has an influence on the growth of adults and migration pattern, and hence egg production.
Emerging novel porcine parvoviruses in Europe: origin, evolution, phylodynamics and phylogeography
Authors: Cadar Dániel , Lőrincz Márta , Kiss Timea , Novosel Dinko , Podgorska Katarzyna , Becskei Zsolt , Tuboly Tamás , Cságola Attila
Published: July 2013

To elucidate the spatiotemporal phylodynamics, dispersion and evolutionary processes underlying the emergence of novel porcine parvovirus 2 (PPV2), PPV3 and PPV4 species, we analysed all available complete capsid genes, together with ours, obtained in Europe. Bayesian phylogeography indicates that Romania (PPV2 and PPV4) and Croatia (PPV3) are the most likely ancestral areas from which PPVs have subsequently spread to other European countries and regions. The timescale of our reconstruction supported a relatively recent history of the currently circulating novel PPV species (1920s to 1980s) in the domestic or sylvatic host. While PPV2 strains exhibited a large genetic exchange characterized by significant recombination and gene flow between distinct regions and hosts, PPV3 and PPV4 showed a diversification reflected by the accumulation of geographically structured polymorphisms. The RNA-like evolutionary rates detected inter- and intrahost recombination and the positive selection sites provided evidence that the PPV2–4 capsid gene plays a prominent role in host adaptation.
Optimal reinsurance analysis from a crop insurer's perspective
Authors: Porth Lysa , Seng Tan Ken , Weng Chengguo
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the optimal reinsurance contract structure from the crop insurer's perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

A very powerful and flexible empirical‐based reinsurance model is used to analyze the optimal form of the reinsurance treaty. The reinsurance model is calibrated to unique data sets, including private reinsurance experience for Manitoba, and loss cost ratio (LCR) experience for all of Canada, under the assumption of the standard deviation premium principle and conditional tail expectation risk measure.

Findings

The Vasicek distribution is found to provide the best statistical fit for the Canadian LCR data, and the empirical reinsurance model stipulates that a layer reinsurance contract structure is optimal, which is consistent with market practice.

Research limitations/implications

While the empirical reinsurance model is able to reproduce the optimal shape of the reinsurance treaty, the model produces some inconsistencies between the implied and observed attachment points. Future research will continue to explore the reinsurance model that will best recover the observed market practice.

Practical implications

Private reinsurance premiums can account for a significant portion of a crop insurer's budget, therefore, this study should be useful for crop insurance companies to achieve efficiencies and improve their risk management.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper to show how a crop insurance firm can optimally select a reinsurance contract structure that minimizes its total risk exposure, considering the total losses retained by the insurer, as well as the reinsurance premium paid to private reinsurers.
The relationship between language and social competence in high‐risk preschoolers
Authors: Tzouriadou Maria , Barbas George , Vouyoukas Constantinos , Anagnostopoulou Eleni
Published: July 2013

Purpose

This research study aims to examine: whether preschoolers at risk form a homogenous or a heterogeneous group of high‐risk children; and in case preschoolers form a heterogeneous group, what are the distinctive characteristics of specific language impairment and mild intellectual disabilities groups in language acquisition and social competence that make differential early intervention necessary.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 143 Greek preschoolers aged 4.5 through 5.5 participated in the study. Among them, according to DTLA‐P:3, 42 with mild intellectual disabilities and 41 with specific language impairments were detected. A total of 60 typically developed children were also detected. Children's categorization to the above groups was verified by the Λ‐α‐T‐ω Language Competence Test Level I, which was used to estimate intra‐individual differences in language competence. To assess peer relations, a peer relation checklist was developed and standardized.

Findings

The findings of this study support the approach of the two distinct groups of high‐risk preschoolers in terms of their language and social characteristics.

Originality/value

Research findings highlight the different educational needs of high‐risk preschoolers, which make necessary the differential use of preschool curricula.
Cognitive behaviour therapy with a woman in her twenties with a mild intellectual disability presenting with psychogenic non‐epileptic seizures
Authors: Atnas Catherine I. , Lippold Tessa
Published: July 2013

Purpose

This case report aims to describe the treatment of a woman (Rachel) in her twenties who was referred to the community team for people with an intellectual disability by her neurologist as she wanted help with reducing the frequency of psychogenic non‐epileptic seizures (PNES).

Design/methodology/approach

CBT was used as the therapeutic approach. The first stage of intervention focussed on reducing the frequency of PNES through relaxation and distraction techniques. Graded exposure was then used to enable Rachel to achieve her goal of going on the bus alone. The intervention process was completed over 12 sessions.

Findings

Outcome was measured using self‐report of seizure frequency. Rachel has successfully reduced the frequency of PNES from seven to two‐three per week, and has managed to successfully complete several bus journeys on her own, working through the hierarchy the authors had developed. The authors also completed pre and post therapy measures for anxiety and depression. Her scores on the Glasgow Anxiety Scale for Intellectual Disability reduced from 23 to 19 whilst she scored sub‐clinically on the Glasgow Depression Scale for Intellectual Disability.

Originality/value

This case report seeks to add to the evidence base of CBT as a viable treatment for PNES whilst also demonstrating that the approach can be adapted to meet the needs of clients with intellectual disabilities.
Service users’ experiences, understanding and hopes about care in an inpatient intellectual disability unit: a qualitative study
Authors: Claire Lloyd Lisa , Hemming Claire , Tracy Derek K.
Published: July 2013

Purpose

Service user involvement in evaluating provided services is a core NHS concept. However individuals with intellectual disabilities have traditionally often had their voices ignored. There have been attempts to redress this, though much work has been quantitative, and qualitative study has more often explored populations transitioning to more mainstream care and those with milder disabilities. The authors set out to explore the views of individuals with more severe intellectual disabilities who were resident inpatients on what helped or hindered their care.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses qualitative analysis through semi‐structured interviews of eight (three male, five female, mean age 33) resident service users with severe intellectual disabilities.

Findings

Sub‐categories of staff personality, helpful relationships, and the concept of balanced care emerged under a core category of needing a secure base. Clients were very clearly able to identify and delineate: personal attributes of staff; clinical means of working; and the need to balance support with affording independence and growth. They further noted factors that could help or hinder all of these, and gave nuanced answers on how different personality factors could be utilized in different settings.

Originality/value

Little work has qualitatively explored the needs of residential clients with severe intellectual disabilities. The authors’ data show that exploring the views of more profoundly disabled and vulnerable individuals is both viable and of significant clinical value. It should aid staff in contemplating the needs of their clients; in seeking their opinions and feedback; and considering that most “styles” of personality and work have attributes that clients can value and appreciate.
Conflicts, battlefields, indigenous peoples and tourism: addressing dissonant heritage in warfare tourism in Australia and North America in the twenty‐first century
Authors: Harvey Lemelin Raynald , Powys Whyte Kyle , Johansen Kelsey , Higgins Desbiolles Freya , Wilson Christopher , Hemming Steve
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the omission of Indigenous narratives in battlefields and sites of conflicts while also highlighting how certain battlefields and sites of conflicts have attempted to address dissonant heritage by diversifying interpretation strategies and implementing elements of collaborative management approaches, thereby addressing Indigenous erasure.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a content analysis, field studies and case studies to examine dissonant heritage in warfare tourism sites involving Indigenous peoples in Australia and North America.

Findings

The content analysis reveals that aboriginal erasure is still prevalent within the literature on warfare and battlefield tourism. However, the case studies suggest that dissonant heritage in warfare tourism is being addressed through collaborative management strategies and culturally sensitive interpretation strategies.

Research limitations/implications

The content analysis is limited to tourism journals. The case studies highlight sites that are using adaptive management and integrating Indigenous peoples.

Practical implications

The study of dissonant heritage and warfare tourism, while relatively young, is beginning to address aboriginal erasure and cultural dissonance; this study is a contribution to this area of research.

Social implications

Addressing the impacts of aboriginal erasure and heritage dissonance in colonial settings heals the hurts of the past, while empowering communities. It also provides Indigenous communities with opportunities to diversify current tourism products.

Originality/value

This is a collaborative international paper involving Indigenous and non‐Indigenous scholars from Australia, Canada, and the USA.
Dark tourism shops: selling “dark” and “difficult” products
Authors: Brown Jane
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the position of the museum shop within dark tourism sites. In doing so, it argues that the shop has the potential to act as a further meaning‐making vehicle by reconfirming the museum mission within its merchandise selection. The analysis of the particular position occupied by the museum shop as a for‐profit institution within a not‐for‐profit institution will reveal the friction that exists between the competing aims of the museum shop to ideologically, as well as economically, support dark tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

The author analysed institutional literature and merchandise selection at three case studies, to explore the relationship between dark tourism sites and their respective shops.

Findings

The retail operations of dark tourism sites are highly complex and fraught with potential issues relating to taste and decency. Museums situated at actual sites of death are particularly constrained in regards to the type of merchandise they are able to stock. However, it is not just the locational identity of the museums which dictates the type of shop they are able to operate but their particular subject matter and the way this subject is approached in the gallery space.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is limited by a small survey size. Further research could include interviews with museum shop professionals and other museum professionals to see how different areas of the museum see the role and value of museum shops at dark tourism sites.

Originality/value

This is an under‐researched area. There has been a growing amount of research in to the meaning‐making potential of museum shops; however, little attention has been given to dark tourism sites and how dark content impacts upon the nature of the shop.
Pilgrims and patriots: Australian tourist experiences at Gallipoli
Authors: Cheal Felicity , Griffin Tony
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the Australian tourist experience at Gallipoli in order to better understand how tourists approach and engage with battlefield sites and how the experience may transform them. Specific attention is paid to the role of interpretation in shaping these experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative research method was employed, involving in‐depth interviews with Australians who had visited Gallipoli in a range of circumstances.

Findings

Australians visit Gallipoli for a variety of reasons, including national sentiment and personal connections. They engage with the site in a range of highly personal ways, with guides playing a crucial role in helping them to connect with the site physically, intellectually and emotionally.

Research limitations/implications

The study relied on the participants recalling their experiences from some years past, although other research suggests that this is a minimal problem in the context of such memorable and moving experiences.

Practical implications

The paper provides valuable insights into how tourists experience battlefield sites of great national significance, and consequently how such sites should be managed sensitively and unobtrusively.

Originality/value

This research provides empirical support to conceptual studies on how tourists engage with battlefield tourism sites, and specifically explores the role of interpretation in shaping the overall experience. It further considers the ongoing effects of such experiences.
Understanding student satisfaction and loyalty in the UAE HE sector
Authors: Fernandes Cedwyn , Ross Kieran , Meraj Mohammad
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to verify and estimate the impact of the antecedents of Programme satisfaction and to explore its link with student loyalty in the higher education (HE) sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Design/methodology/approach

A Programme Experience Questionnaire (PEQ) was developed, based on the National Student Survey (NSS), which surveyed 187 graduates at a British university based in the UAE. Cronbach alpha tests were conducted to test the reliability of the variables and correlation and regression analysis were used to estimate the relationship and significance of the variables.

Findings

Teaching quality and variables directly associated with the students’ programme of study had the most significant impact on student satisfaction; thus emphasizing the need for recruitment and development of high quality academic faculty members. Academic feedback, library and IT resources did not have a significant impact. The link between Programme satisfaction and satisfaction with non‐academic services and facilities had a positive impact on student loyalty.

Research limitations/implications

In the competitive UAE HE sector, it is important to identify the antecedents and their variable impact on student satisfaction with their programme and its impact on loyalty. A comparison of results of the PEQ across a number of years and across other universities within the UAE, would help validate the results obtained in this paper.

Originality/value

Studies of this kind, whilst in their infancy within the UAE context, are important given the UAE HE market is attracting more entrants and becoming very competitive. The results may provide valuable insights for universities in developing appropriate strategies to improve student satisfaction and thus enhance their competitiveness.
Does staff diversity imply openness to diversity?
Authors: Lauring Jakob , Selmer Jan
Published: July 2013

Purpose

Post‐secondary educational organizations are currently some of the most diverse settings to be found. However, few educational studies have dealt with staff diversity and hardly any has looked outside the USA. The purpose of this paper is to present a study of members of international university departments in Denmark. The authors set out to investigate the relationship between different types of staff diversity and openness to diversity in terms of linguistic, visible, value, and informational heterogeneity.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses responses from 489 staff members from diverse university departments to a self‐report electronic survey.

Findings

It was found that diversity‐related internationalization (cultural and linguistic) was generally positively related to favorable diversity attitudes. Inherent demographic diversity (age and gender), on the other hand, was unrelated or negatively associated with positive diversity attitudes.

Originality/value

Few studies deal with the role of staff diversity and no prior studies the authors know of have examined the link between diversity types and openness to diversity.
Democracy, culture and information security: a case study in Zanzibar
Authors: Shaaban Hussein , Conrad Marc
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of culture on information security in a developing country's view.

Design/methodology/approach

Two questionnaires adopted from the GLOBE project and OCAI were used to collect quantitative data on national and organisational culture. Also, a face to face semi‐structured interview was used to get insight into deep‐rooted issues concerning information security in the study environment. In addition, a previous study was used to find correlation of the data in this study.

Findings

The findings show that national culture has more influence than organisation culture on information security. We find that the dimensions that influence information security are Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, In‐Group Collectivism, and Future Orientation.

Research limitations/implications

This research was conducted in a public sector environment with employees thereby limiting external validity. Also, the population of the survey was small to make a generalisation of the findings. Also, the length of the questionnaire and complexity of questions put off many potential respondents.

Practical implications

Culture has impact on information security implementation and therefore the results imply that some consideration should be given when implementing information security models.

Originality/value

This study is important because it empirically correlates information security with cultural dimensions in a developing country's environment.
The presumption of mutual influence in occurrences of workplace bullying: time for change
Authors: Martin Suzanne , Klein Axel
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The self‐reports of bullies or victims of workplace bullying appear to result in confused responses that fail to clarify who is doing what to whom. The research reported in this paper aimed to examine how staff from human resources and occupational health conceptualized and assessed cases of alleged bullying.

Design/methodology/approach

The research relied on semi‐structured interviews with managers, human resource staff, occupational health staff, mediators, trade union representatives, and staff members who were both victims and alleged perpetrators of bullying. The staff contributing came from an NHS trust, two universities and a criminal justice agency.

Findings

Staff were reluctant to document or reveal information about the frequency and severity of bullying within their services. Despite this, three key themes emerged from the interviews that seemed to inform individual and organisational responses: the ethos of professionalism, the ambiguous role of human resources and the presumption of mutuality.

Research limitations/implications

Reliance on interpretations of workplace bullying that defend both individual staff members and the organization had implications for victims. By not naming reported problems as bullying, the organization could limit its responsibility to act. Failure to identify and document bullying limited the research but also poorly served victimized individuals.

Practical implications

Services require training to help them move beyond a presumption that the self‐reports of bullies are a reliable source of assessment data.

Social implications

Effective identification and assessment of bullying situations would be the first step towards reducing the psychological impact of the problem. Experience of workplace bullying is highly correlated with health and mental health problems of targeted individuals.

Originality/value

This paper capitalizes on insights from the field of domestic violence in highlighting the need for clarity about the nature of coercive control. The paper will be valuable to individuals and organisations charged with the task of tackling workplace bullying.
Prioritization of innovation factors by the integration of concurrent function deployment and P diagram with a case study in Sepahan Industry Group
Authors: Shahin Arash , Bakhshi Ensiyeh
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to propose a new model for the integration of concurrent function deployment (CFD) and parameter (P) diagram in order to prioritize innovation factors.

Design/methodology/approach

Each of the approaches of CFD and P diagram and their features has been demonstrated and according to their common features, an integrated model has been designed in two phases. It has been examined in Sepahan Industrial Group, of which the major product is API gas pipeline network demanded by Isfahan Province Gas Organization. A questionnaire has been designed and delivered to four major units of Isfahan Province Gas Organization.

Findings

“Hydrostatic test” and “number of close end branch pipes” with the average values of 4.78 and 3.31 have been found as the first and last priorities of importance to customers, respectively. The output of the first phase includes “equipments” as the first priority of control factors, and “changing market or customers wants” as the first priority of noise factors. The results of the second phase show that “fault‐free product” and “successful innovation outcomes” are, respectively, recognized as first priorities of response factors. Finally, “successful innovation outcomes” has been determined as the first priority of response factors.

Research limitations/implications

The matrixes of the two phases could become larger if the number of factors in the P diagram increases, and therefore, filling and analyzing the matrixes might become time consuming and difficult.

Originality/value

The proposed integrated model can be effective for almost all organizations that aim to meet the dynamic needs of markets and customers and intend to incorporate innovation in their products and services. By the new approach, determination and prioritization of innovation factors can be done based on customers' viewpoint, while in the traditional approaches this was done only from the viewpoint of engineers and designers.
Third sector organisations: unique or simply other qualified providers?
Authors: Miller Robin
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The third sector has been promoted by progressive English governments as a provider of health and social care services for people with mental health difficulties. This article aims to consider the assumptions that lie behind these polices and reviews the evidence that third sector organisations can be said to have a “unique” role and approach. The challenges and opportunities of the current market‐based reforms for the third sector are discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

The article is based on literature reviews of the third sector's role in mental health care and commissioning of third sector organisations.

Findings

The third sector delivers a range of mental health services in England, in particular those related to accommodation, advice, advocacy and employment. Its activity extends into other roles such as campaigning and development of new approaches to care and support. Evidence of the distinctiveness of the sector as a whole is limited, but there are examples of such organisations providing innovative and user‐led services. Market‐based reforms are seen as posing a threat to smaller organisations in particular but personalised approaches (including allocation of individual budgets), outcome‐based payments and a need for large‐scale service redesign are seen as offering considerable opportunity for expansion.

Practical implications

For the new market to include a strong third sector will require leadership within organisations, a collaborative approach within the sector, and commissioners that understand and engage positively with the sector in all its diversity.

Originality/value

This article draws together the research literature on the third sector's engagement in mental health and the impact of market‐based reforms and in doing so provides original value in the fields of mental health and third sector studies.
Funding common property expenditure in multi‐owned housing schemes
Authors: Arkcoll Kaylene , Guilding Chris , Lamminamki Dawne , McManus Lisa , Warnken Jan
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to advance a set of criteria for appraising the merits of alternative options to financing common property capital expenditure in multi‐owned housing (MOH) complexes and to then draw on this conceptual framework to determine which mode of common property capital expenditure funding is preferable.

Design/methodology/approach

A priori reasoning has been provided to pursue the study's objective.

Findings

Sinking funds represent the preferred approach to financing common property expenditure in MOH schemes and special levies are the least preferred approach.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the a priori based conceptual development undertaken, some subjectivity is bound to be invoked.

Practical implications

The study provides key insights to government policy makers charged with drafting MOH legislation and provides strong support for those jurisdictions that require sinking funds to be raised in MOH complexes. The study also informs the owners executive committees of MOH schemes of the benefits of maintaining sinking funds.

Social Implications

The study highlights the considerable MOH unit owner financial distress that can be averted by pursuing a policy of raising sinking funds.

Originality/value

The study has immense originality, as it is the first academic study to focus on MOH common property capital expenditure issues.
Strategies in real estate management: two strategic pathways
Authors: Palm Peter
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify different strategic pathways for structuring the real estate management organization. Different strategic pathways regarding commercial real estate organizations, and the alignment of their business models with the environment are studied and outlined.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on an analysis of 15 interviews with top‐level managers in the Swedish commercial real estate sector.

Findings

When making strategic plans for a company, the commercial real estate industry has two strategic pathways to consider regarding real estate management. The first is to choose whether to have its own frontline personnel or to outsource this function. The second is to decide how the leasing task should be treated: Should it be treated as a real estate manager's task or should it be a function of its own in the organization? The conclusion of the study is that the organizations studied can be structured using both pathways, and the firm can still be successful. Furthermore, the argument by the top‐level managers are the same regardless of how their organization is structured. They all base their strategic plans on the view that their structure of the organization is the best way to take care of the customer. In other words, they have the same arguments but haves chosen different strategic pathways to achieve strategic fit.

Research limitations/implications

The research in this paper is limited to the Swedish commercial real estate industry.

Originality/value

This paper outlines the strategic pathways for real estate management from a top‐level management view.
Factors affecting maintenance cost of hospital facilities in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Hassanain Mohammad A. , Assaf Sadi , Al‐Ofi Khalaf , Al‐Abdullah Abdullah
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The objectives of this paper are to identify and assess the factors that affect the cost of maintenance of hospital facilities.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a literature review on hospital maintenance cost to identify the factors affecting the cost of maintenance and interviewed a selected group of ten experienced facilities managers of both public and private hospitals. 33 factors were identified, and synthesized in seven groups. A questionnaire survey was developed to assess the factors. Responses were obtained on the developed questionnaire survey by interviewing the facilities managers of the full population of the 40 hospitals in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, 20 of which were public hospitals and the other 20 were private hospitals. The data received were analyzed to identify the level of importance for the factors. The factors were ranked according to their importance index values.

Findings

The most important factors from the perspectives of public hospitals are “transfer of problems from the construction phase to the maintenance phase for resolution”, “lack of coordination between the construction and maintenance group”, and “lack of quality control measures during the installation of systems”. These three factors were all encompassed within the construction group. The most important factors from the perspectives of the private hospitals were encompassed in the statutory requirements and the design phase groups. These factors are “duration of the maintenance contract” and “the method of classifying maintenance contractors”, “errors conducted during the design of the project” and “lack of feedback from the maintenance group to the design team”.

Practical implications

This paper is of practical significance to hospital project managers and facilities managers, as it will prompt the management of hospital facilities to focus on the most important factors affecting the cost of maintenance and thereby reduce that cost.

Originality/value

This paper is original in the sense that the areas of knowledge and practice encompassed in the identified factors were scattered and not available in one source. The factors were derived from personal interviews with selected facilities managers of both private and public hospitals, as well as from the relevant literature.
Living a managed community lifestyle: managed community lifestyle from Queensland
Authors: Cradduck Lucy
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The paper aims to improve consumer awareness of the complexities of community living. It does this by clarifying how living in a managed community is different from a “traditional” neighbourhood; and identifying matters that can become disputes.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper builds on research by other authors into strata scheme disputes by examining recent Queensland cases.

Findings

Many disputes appear to result from a lack of understanding of the complexities of community living. Matters that should be able to be easily resolved are therefore escalated to formal disputes.

Research limitations/implications

The paper considers law and cases from Queensland. The types of matters considered, however, are relevant for any managed community and therefore the research is relevant for all jurisdictions. The research will be of particular interest to jurisdictions looking to boost living density by increasing the development of managed communities.

Practical implications

The research will assist in consumer transactions by providing guidance as to the matters to be considering prior to moving into a managed community. More informed decision making by prospective residents will lead to a decreased likelihood of disputes arising.

Originality/value

The paper is an up‐to‐date consideration of the issues arising from community living. It highlights the benefits arising from increased consumer awareness of the complexities of community living and the potential for consumer education to reduce the number of disputes.
‘Aceh thanks the world’: The possibilities of the gift in a post‐disaster society (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Samuels Annemarie
Published: July 2013

While it has often been argued that post‐disaster aid is humiliating for its beneficiaries, based on my ethnographic research in post‐tsunami Aceh, Indonesia, I argue that such aid may also come to mean the opposite. Rather than feeling humiliated by foreign aid, people in Aceh actively glossed post‐tsunami foreign assistance as ‘gifts’ for which they often expressed their gratitude. Building on Marcel Mauss's classic argument, as well as on more recent works on the nature of the gift, I argue that they did so because they felt that the gift of post‐disaster aid brought with it both a long wished‐for recognition of Aceh and the possibility of establishing long‐term relationships between Aceh and ‘the world’. Therefore, rather than something humiliating, the post‐disaster aid became a medium for imagining what James Ferguson has called a ‘place‐in‐the‐world’ for Aceh.
Financing Constraints and Agricultural Investment: Effects of the Irish Financial Crisis
Authors: O'Toole Conor M. , Newman Carol , Hennessy Thia
Published: July 2013

This paper considers the role of financing constraints in agricultural investment since the recent financial crisis. Using Irish micro data over the period 1997–2010, we estimate the Q model of investment and test for financing constraints using a measure of internal finance dependence. Our econometric method controls for censoring, heterogeneity and endogeneity. We find that financing constraints are binding and the impact of constraints becomes much more acute following the financial crisis. Constraints are found to be well above pre‐crisis levels and especially elevated in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The effects are greatest for medium‐sized farms and farms in the dairy sector.