bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A case study on solar chimney-assisted ventilation for residential building in India
Authors: Lal Shiv , Kaushik S.C. , Bhargava P.K.
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The ventilation and air-conditioning systems consume the highest energy in the building sector. The proper ventilation in residential buildings through the passive solar systems can substantially reduce the energy consumption in building sector. The paper aims to identify the application of wind shaft as a solar chimney, a passive ventilation system and evaluated the performance of the system.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper investigated the performance of the solar chimney with size, absorber area 9.76 m2 and height 4.57 m, based on experimental data recorded in the city, Kota (25°10N, 75°52E), India. Solar data were recorded using the state of the art weather station situated very closer to the residence. The air velocity and temperatures in the chimney and in the building are recorded in data logger. A simple mathematical model was used for the evaluation of the air change per hour (ACH) in the residential building.

Findings

– From the analysis of weather data, it was found that the ambient temperature varies linearly with the solar irradiance. Air change rate of 5.7-7.7 can be achieved from this solar chimney, in peak summer season which is appropriate and meets the ventilation requirement as per BIS (Handbook of Functional Requirements of Buildings – 1987).

Originality/value

– The air temperature increases from bottom to top in the solar chimney. The solar irradiance dictates the chimney air temperature, and both are in step with each other. It shows that the solar chimney is working in tune with the solar radiation availability. In peak summer, it provides sufficient ACH to the tune of 3-6. Resulting wind shaft can act effectively as a solar chimney. It is a feasible solution for the ventilation needs and it improves the looks of any residential building.
Optimising end-to-end maritime supply chains: a carbon footprint perspective
Authors: Rigot-Muller Patrick , Lalwani Chandra , Mangan John , Gregory Orla , Gibbs David
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to illustrate an optimisation method, and resulting insights, for minimising total logistics-related carbon emissions for end-to-end supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research is based on two real-life UK industrial cases. For the first case, several alternative realistic routes towards the UK are analysed and the optimal route minimising total carbon emissions is identified and tested in real conditions. For the second case, emissions towards several destinations are calculated and two alternative routes to southern Europe are compared, using several transport modes (road, Ro-Ro, rail and maritime). An adapted Value Stream Mapping (VSM) approach is used to map carbon footprint and calculate emissions; in addition Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) data provided information for vessel specification allowing the use of more accurate emission factors for each shipping leg.

Findings

– The analysis of the first case demonstrates that end-to-end logistics-related carbon emissions can be reduced by 16-21 per cent through direct delivery to the UK as opposed to transhipment via a Continental European port. The analysis of the second case shows that deliveries to southern Europe have the highest potential for reduction through deliveries by sea. Both cases show that for distant overseas destinations, the maritime leg represents the major contributor to CO2 emissions in the end-to-end supply chain. It is notable that one of the main apportionment approaches (that of Defra in the UK) generate higher carbon footprints for routes using Ro-Pax vessels, making those not optimal. The feasibility of the optimal route was demonstrated with real-life data.

Originality/value

– This research used real-life data from two UK companies and highlighted where carbon emissions are generated in the inbound and outbound transport chain, and how these can be reduced.
The role of personal relationships in supply chains
Authors: M. Gligor David , Holcomb Mary
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to understand how personal relationships influence behavior within a supply-chain context.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research employs a qualitative methodology that allows for a rich assessment of how buyers and suppliers of logistics services interact within the context of personal relationships (e.g. friendships), that are themselves embedded within interfirm relationships. Based on a grounded theory approach, a model is developed describing how and why personal relationships are important for supply-chain managers to consider when cultivating interfirm connections.

Findings

– The findings reveal how managers act/interact within the context of personal relationships, as well as the outcomes/benefits associated with the development of personal relationships.

Research limitations/implications

– This study uses qualitative interviews to generate theory. The generalizability of the findings will have to be empirically examined in future research.

Practical implications

– Managers can use the findings to understand explicitly what types of benefits personal relationships can yield. Further, this study presents to managers the specific actions that buyers and suppliers of logistics services engage in, when developing a personal relationship, in order to facilitate the generation of positive business outcomes.

Originality/value

– A notable weakness in the supply-chain relationship literature is the unfulfilled need for research examining interfirm relationships at a micro/individual level, rather than the traditionally adopted firm-to-firm view, in order to account for the social/relational elements of firm-level relationships. This paper addresses that gap by exploring personal relationships within supply chains.
Beliefs about mental illness among Chinese in the west
Authors: Liu Cha-Hsuan , Meeuwesen Ludwien , van Wesel Floryt , Ingleby David
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to test the widely held assumption that underutilisation of mental health services by Chinese living in western countries is due to their different beliefs regarding mental illness.

Design/methodology/approach

– Qualitative data were analysed from in-depth interviews with 23 Chinese respondents, who gave a total of 30 accounts of a Chinese person they knew who had experienced mental health problems in the Netherlands. Analysis focused on the way these problems were described and explained, as well as the kinds of help regarded as appropriate.

Findings

– The beliefs expressed about mental illness did not seem to differ from those current in the west in ways that would form a major barrier to seeking help from mainstream services.

Research limitations/implications

– The study was exploratory and the limited sample size did not make it possible to analyse sources of variation in beliefs. Generalisation to other countries would need to take into account the specific characteristics of the Chinese population in those countries.

Practical implications

– Simply knowing that a person is of Chinese origin is likely to tell us little about their beliefs concerning mental health. Moreover, traditional Chinese beliefs are not necessarily incompatible with western ones. Service providers should pay more attention to issues such as communication barriers, entitlement to care, knowledge of how the health system works and discrimination.

Originality/value

– The paper challenges widely held notions about ethnic Chinese that are seldom empirically tested. It is the first study of its kind in the Netherlands.
Barriers and facilitators to health and social service access and utilization for immigrant parents raising a child with a physical disability
Authors: Fellin Melissa , King Gillian , Esses Victoria , Lindsay Sally , Klassen Anne
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the barriers and facilitators to health and social service access and utilization for immigrant parents raising a child with a physical disability, in order to understand their specific needs and experiences of care.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research involves qualitative interviews with five immigrant parents of four children with a physical disability in two cities in Ontario, Canada.

Findings

– The findings indicate that divergent perceptions of health care and disability, language, knowledge of service systems, and finances may create obstacles to family-centered and culturally sensitive care. Formal supports, including a third person to navigate the system and services provided in families’ homes, are facilitators that enhance the service care experiences of parents.

Practical implications

– Service providers need to accommodate and work with immigrant parents who have a child with a disability to overcome the barriers to their care. To enhance service experiences formal support and home services should be provided when possible.

Originality/value

– There is little research on immigrant families’ experiences with pediatric rehabilitation services and this study contributes to this area. This paper shows that immigrant families of children with disabilities have barriers to service access, utilization, and service care experiences that are similar to those of non-immigrant families. There are few studies on facilitators to service access and utilization and positive experiences; therefore, this study makes a contribution to this area.
The dimensions of authenticity in terroir products
Authors: Spielmann Nathalie , Charters Stephen
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– This article aims to empirically test the terroir concept and tackles the issues of origin, typicity and legality. Whilst this has previously been examined at a theoretical level, the research uses a study of producer and consumer perceptions to examine the multidimensional nature of terroir and its relationship with authenticity.

Design/methodology/approach

– A preliminary list of terroir items was aggregated from the literature and placed in an online questionnaire that was distributed to an industry sample and then to a consumer panel in France. Quality perceptions, anticipated satisfaction and purchase intent of terroir products were also included. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses were conducted, as were linear regressions between uncovered dimensions and the dependent variables.

Findings

– The results show that the terroir concept comprises three dimensions that relate to authenticity: product, internalised and institutional authenticity. All three dimensions are positively correlated. Each of these dimensions can be related to satisfaction, quality perceptions and purchase intent, although the intensity and valence will depend on the relationship of the respondent to wine.

Originality/value

– Prior to this research, there were no empirical results to support the multidimensional nature of terroir. As well, the distinct relationship between terroir and types of authenticity is defined.
Cluster resources and competitive advantage
Authors: Evaldo Fensterseifer Jaime , Rastoin Jean-Louis
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– This paper aims to analyse the potential contribution of cluster-generated resources to the competitive advantage of firms located in it and proposes a typology for wine cluster resources. The basic premise is that the process of competitive advantage creation and sustaining by clustered firms cannot be adequately analyzed in isolation from their local or regional agglomeration effects.

Design/methodology/approach

– Potentially strategic cluster resources were identified from the extant cluster literature, adapted to the specificities of the wine industry through in-depth interviews with experts, and finally classified in five categories. The resulting typology was then tested with institutional actors of the Serra Gaúcha (Brazil) wine cluster.

Findings

– Besides proposing a typology of cluster resources, the paper provides a means for resource value assessment through the mediating role of a value creation system.

Research limitations/implications

– Since validation testing of the typology was limited to one cluster, empirical validation in different wine clusters/regions is necessary for assessing its inter-cluster robustness. Additionally, the firm-level process of value creation and the role played therein by cluster resources require further theoretical refinement. An important research implication of the paper, however, is that it sets the conceptual basis for the development of various types of cluster-level performance indicators, such as collective efficiency, effectiveness and resilience.

Practical implications

– The proposed typology allows for the mapping, from different stakeholders' perspective, of a cluster's resources profile, a diagnostic tool for cluster strategic analysis, benchmarking and upgrading efforts.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to recent efforts towards the use of the resource-based perspective at the cluster level, seeking to link cluster resources to firm value creation.
Older women and sexual violence: recognising and supporting survivors
Authors: Scriver Stacey , Mears Elaine , Wallace Ingrid
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine demographic details, disclosure and reporting behaviour of older women Rape Crisis Centre (RCC) service users in Ireland.

Design/methodology/approach

– Statistical analysis of 15 Irish RCC records was carried out, using the Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) statistical database. In addition, two illustrative case studies were examined.

Findings

– Older women were under-represented as RCC service users in Ireland. They were more likely to be disabled, less likely to report an incident of sexual violence and more likely to delay disclosure than younger women. Older women also had poor knowledge about sexual violence and services available to older women survivors.

Research limitations/implications

– Data were drawn from RCCs. Therefore, results may not reflect the population of Ireland as a whole. Population-based studies should be carried out to gauge the prevalence and nature of sexual violence among older women and assess reporting and disclosing behaviours.

Practical implications

– The paper provides important indications of barriers to accessing RCC services among older women. Health care providers should receive education and training in identifying survivors of sexual violence among older women and providing referral where needed. RCCs should ensure that services are fully accessible to the disabled.

Originality/value

– This paper provides unique data about older women service users which will be of value to those working with older women or in the violence against women and health sectors.
We promise! Customer charters expand guarantees
Authors: McColl Rod
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– This paper aims to describe the experiences of Australian general insurer AAMI, the first private company to offer a customer charter and draw a comparison between service guarantees and customer charters. The paper also proposes a decision-support framework for the design, implementation and management of an effective customer charter.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology involved in-depth personal interviews and secondary data.

Findings

– Many service guarantees are not well conceived, implemented, or monitored. The AAMI case, demonstrates how customer charters, originally developed in the public sector can be effectively adopted in private organizations. The customer charter appears to deliver significantly more benefits to customers and an organization than traditional service guarantees. Charters do this by publishing specific service standards based on extensive research, conducting independent audits, stating outcomes of below standard performance, providing a visible and accountable appeal system, and publicly and regularly reporting on performance against promises. An on-going feedback loop ensures continuous quality improvement.

Research limitations/implications

– Customer charter findings are based on one case study.

Practical implications

– Using a decision-support framework for a customer charter, services may be clearly defined and customer expectations managed building towards an organization-wide commitment to meet service promises.

Originality/value

– Customer charters are rare, with little known about how they operate in a private organization. The findings indicate that charters may be more effective as a quality assurance and marketing tool than a service guarantee.
Generation Y values and lifestyle segments
Authors: B. Valentine Dawn , L. Powers Thomas
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– Although Generation Y has been extensively examined in the popular and academic literature, there have not been any studies to date that have identified the psychographic profile of this market segment using the VALS scale. The purpose of the research presented in this paper is to provide a segment characterization of Generation Y using the VALS typology and provide insights into the media habits of this population.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research sample consisted of subjects from Generation Y that were drawn from a population of college students. To determine the VALS types, participants completed the VALS survey in addition to responding to questions related to demographics and media habits.

Originality/value

– The results contribute to the literature by providing for the first time a segmented characterization of Generation Y consumers. The research provides a detailed perspective of this important market segment and provides marketers with insights on their values, attitudes, and media habits.
Challenges and opportunities for integration in health systems: an Australian perspective
Authors: Petrich Mark , L. Ramamurthy Vijaya , Hendrie Delia , Robinson Suzanne
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to contribute an Australian perspective to the debate on health system integration by identifying some key Australian challenges to integration, policy responses to enhance integration and potential insights from these for international policy makers, researchers and practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

– Drawing on the systems theory concept of entropy, the authors contend that there exist factors that contribute to system fragmentation. Whilst policy responses to these challenges are contextual, there are generalisable features worth exploring internationally.

Findings

– The authors suggest that recognition of inherent system-based barriers is an important initial stage in moving towards integration. Whilst process and people factors are important contributors to integration, the political will to move in this direction is a necessary dynamic to energise the system through appropriate funding, incentives and governance structures.

Originality/value

– The paper provides a fresh Australian perspective to the international discourse on barriers and opportunities to enhance health system integration.
Putting responsivity into risk assessment: the use of the Structured Assessment of Risk and Need (SARN) with sexual offenders who have an intellectual disability
Authors: Hocken Kerensa , Winder Belinda , Grayson Andy
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the relevance of the Structured Assessment of Risk and Need (SARN) for sexual offenders with intellectual disability (ID).

Design/methodology/approach

– A thematic analysis was conducted on the transcript of a discussion group of experts who work with sex offenders with ID in custody.

Findings

– The principal concern of the researchers at the outset of the paper was that the risk factors within the SARN might not be relevant to sexual offenders with an intellectual disability. However, what emerged from the analysis was that, from the perspective of expert practitioners, the limitations of the SARN with respect to working with sex offenders with ID is as much to do with the way in which it is administered, as it is to do with its “content”.

Practical implications

– The process of risk assessment is critical when assessing risk with sex offenders with ID, highlighting the importance of incorporating responsivity principles into the risk assessment process.

Originality/value

– The paper encourages risk assessors to rethink their assumptions about indicators of risk and progress and provides guidance about how practitioners can assess risk more effectively with sex offenders with ID.
Resetting the balance: from despair to self-determination
Authors: Hall Ian , Crossley Brenda , Mercer Mark
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– A case study approach to highlight the use of cognitive neurological rehabilitation in the therapeutic management of two service users who have a diagnosis of learning disability and who have exhibited the extremes of aggressive and challenging behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to explore the remarkable progress made by two service users for whom services seemed to be at a loss as to how to meet all but there basic needs. Their journeys from hopelessness to optimism and recovery are both attributable to the cognitive neurological rehabilitation model and how staff and service users worked together to gradually regain control.

Design/methodology/approach

– A case study approach highlighting the value of training, team working and a therapeutic model and the impact this has made on service users who, in the past, where labelled as highly disruptive and potentially untreatable.

Findings

– That the cognitive neurological approach is effective in managing service users who have certain cognitive deficits in a structured and supportive way that allows positive progress towards recovery.

Practical implications

– A very practical intervention that can be taught and supported. An intervention that appears to achieve excellent clinical results.

Originality/value

– Very original and effective approach to care and treatment of service users with diagnosis of learning disability living in conditions requiring security.
The influence of entrepreneurial orientation on innovative performance
Authors: Khalili Hasan , nejadhussein syyedhamzeh , Fazel Ali
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– Since the entrepreneurship orientation has impact on entrepreneurship behaviors and its role in making competitive advantage, this study aims to discuss the relations between entrepreneurship orientation and innovative performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research has been applied research method. The confirmatory factor analysis has used for analyzing data and testing the research questions. Also, this research has used structural equation model and path analysis via computer-aided systems.

Findings

– The findings advocate that the dimensions of entrepreneurship orientation have impact on innovative performance except proactiveness and competitive aggressiveness. In addition, the good fitting tests confirm the model of the research.

Research limitations/implications

– Based on the findings, several implications suggest, such as doing the same research with considering several factors as mediators such as industry, organization size, organization types and so on, also several activities should be taken into account to getting more benefits from entrepreneurial orientation in organization.

Originality/value

– The study shed light on entrepreneurial orientation and its relations with innovative performance. Since these two terms are new and a few researcher has done research on them together, there is an important knowledge gap in both theory and practice.
How global leaders develop
Authors: Steven Terrell Robert , Rosenbusch Katherine
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– Globalization is driving an increased need for leaders who possess global leadership competencies that enable them to lead effectively. The purpose of this paper is to explore the developmental experiences of global leaders in order to understand the experiences that they report to be developmental, to understand what they learned from their experiences, and to explore how the leaders learned and developed from the experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

– For this study, the researcher used Moustakas's phenomenological research method.

Findings

– Conclusions indicate that global leaders: develop through first-hand global leadership experience; learn the importance of cultural sensitivity, relationships and networks, and curiosity or desire to learn; require a unique set of global leadership competencies; are driven by curiosity, openness, and a desire to learn; and develop and learn intuitively.

Originality/value

– Utilizing a phenomenological research approach yielded new insight, from the perspective of the global leader, into how global leaders learn and develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, motives or values, and mindsets that are important to their role, and suggested areas for further research. The findings of the study are useful in identifying implications for improving or adding to the methods, approaches, and tools organizations use to develop global leadership competencies.
Effects on leaders of an art-based leadership intervention
Authors: Romanowska Julia , Larsson Gerry , Theorell Töres
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– In the present study an art-based leadership intervention has been evaluated in comparison to a conventional leadership development program. The purpose of this paper is to explore effects on two aspects of personality, namely Sense of Coherence and Agreeableness, as well as on two aspects of leadership behaviors evaluated by subordinates – Laissez-faire and Capacity to Cope with stress.

Design/methodology/approach

– Participating leaders were randomized to two-year-long leadership programs, with follow-up at 12 and 18 months. The art-based program built on an experimental theater form, a collage of literary text and music, followed by discussions. The comparison program utilized more conventional pedagogical methods.

Findings

– Leaders in the art-based group, compared to the leaders in the conventional group, showed a significant improvement in Sense of Coherence (stress resilience) and Agreeableness (pro-social behavior). Likewise, the leaders receiving art-based intervention showed a significant improvement in leadership behavior evaluated by subordinates; Laissez-faire decreased (increased responsibility) and Capacity to Cope with stress increased, while the opposite was found in the leaders in the conventional group.

Originality/value

– This study represents a new, cross-disciplinary approach. To the knowledge, previous research has not attempted a comparison between art-based leadership approach and a more conventional education. The art-based intervention seems to be more effective in stimulating long-term favorable changes in leaders’ behavior than the conventional program. These positive findings are consistent with earlier findings from this research regarding improved neurobiological resilience and mental health in subordinates of the leaders receiving art-based intervention.
Hybrid purposes of performance appraisal in a crisis
Authors: Maley Jane
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine one aspect of the implementation of the performance appraisal with a focus on its operation in an economic downturn and particularly a global economic crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

– It identifies the stated purposes of the performance appraisal in multinational corporations (MNCs) and explores the unstated purposes of the performance appraisal, which emerge during performance evaluation and feedback stages. The paper then investigates the different expectations employees and managers have of the performance appraisal and finally examines the changes to these expectations in an economic downturn.

Findings

– The principal conclusion that can be drawn from this analysis is that there is a weakness in the design and substance of the performance appraisal research. The international appraisal is not exclusively conditioned by culture but also by the numerous contextual-organizational, institutional and economic factors found in the typical MNC.

Practical implications

– It is suggested that possible strategies could include careful implementation of performance appraisal with attention to both the cultural and contextual environment. It is argued that by addressing both cultural and contextual variables the appraisal will be effective in helping achieve not only the MNC's strategic goals in a time of global economic crisis, but also recovery and survival following economic crisis.

Originality/value

– This paper adds to the body of knowledge of international human resource management research by illuminating the consequences of an uncertain economic environment on performance management across borders and also paves the way for future research in this important area of management research.
Private equity funds may be exposed to ERISA pension liabilities and tax risks: preliminary reflections on the M&A and private equity consequences of the Sun Capital decision
Authors: Brause Christian
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The paper's aim is to analyze and assess the importance of a recent US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit decision in the case of Sun Capital Partners III LP v. New England Teamsters and Trucking Industry Pension Fund with respect to the court's conclusion that a private equity fund constitutes a “trade or business” for purposes of the ERISA multiemployer pension withdrawal liability and that, therefore, the fund could, under a “piercing the veil” type of approach, be held liable for the ERISA withdrawal liability of a bankrupt portfolio company.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper provides historical background on termination and withdrawal liability under ERISA; explains the facts of the Sun Capital case; and offers preliminary reflections on the “investment plus” approach in ERISA context, the significance of the offset mechanism, why the Sun Capital decision is a significant victory for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the liability of one portfolio company for the pension obligations of other portfolio companies owned by the same private equity fund, potential unintended consequences for tax-advantaged benefit plans of portfolio companies; the possibility that different pension plans at different portfolio companies may violate non-discrimination rules, the application of Sun Capital beyond ERISA, and the potential effect of this ruling on taxation of carried interest.

Findings

– The employer and all “trades or businesses” in its “controlled group, including, under certain circumstances, a private equity fund, are liable for the employer's share of unfunded pension liabilities if the employer withdraws from a multi-employer defined-benefit pension plan.

Originality/value

– Practical guidance from experienced financial services lawyers is given in the paper.
Self-adaptive ant colony optimization for construction time-cost optimization
Authors: Li Huimin , Li Peng
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– This research aims to propose self-adaptive ant colony optimization (SACO) with changing parameters for solving time-cost optimization (TCO) problems to assist the relevant construction management firm with their technological tool.

Design/methodology/approach

– A SACO with changing parameters based on information entropy has been employed to model TCO problem, which overcomes the intrinsic weakness of premature convergence of the basic ant colony optimization by adjusting parameters according to mean information entropy of the ant system. A computer simulation with Matlab 7.0 based on a prototype example has been carried out on the basis of SACO for TCO problem.

Findings

– The test results show that the SACO for TCO model can generate a better cost under the same duration and achieve a better Pareto front than other models. Therefore, the SACO can be regarded as a useful approach for solving construction project TCO problems.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research on selection parameters should be conducted to further improve the robustness of the SACO for TCO model.

Practical implications

– The modelling results can help the construction management to good result of TCO problems in construction sites.

Originality/value

– A new approach to study the TCO model is proposed based on SACO.
From biology to the man-made systems
Authors: Malaek S.M.B. , Farhangi Hadi
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a behavioral mode (as opposed to a numerical one), which considers any parasitic behavior as an indication of a potentially contributing element in the overall system deficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

– Similar to that associated with general systems theory, this paper concentrates on the organization and functions of natural systems which exhibit a loss of efficiency due to some general parasitic behavior. Based on the philosophy of “Bionics”, it clarifies the functional architecture and root-cause of this behavior in living systems in order to model subsystems characteristics which exhibit the same behavior in a complex system. In addition, a case study is done on the so-called “Eurozone financial difficulties” to examine the idea of this paper. However, limited access to proprietary financial data limits the generalization of the theory and therefore special case studies seem to be necessary.

Findings

– The study of “parasites” and their associated functions introduces one possible explanation for the shortage of resources in systems. This concept could also help understand “interfaces” in a new perspective, where changing the system boundary could alter the type of interfaces in the system.

Practical implications

– This work is applicable where there is a competition for the limited resources. Resource-based systems, such as financial systems, could be the subject of parasitic attack, and therefore, this work could build an appropriate foundation to understand and prevent this kind of danger to the system.

Originality/value

– The presented behavioral model would be very useful to predict failures in systems which are rich in the resources. Detailed analysis on the subject, presented in this paper, provides initial knowledge to prevent shortage in system resources, caused by a general parasitic behavior.
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust's (CNWL) Recovery College: the story so far …
Authors: Alois Zucchelli Fabio , Skinner Syena
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to recovery colleges, followed by an outline of the development and delivery of Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) Recovery College, as well as key lessons learned. In doing so the aim is to help inform members of mental health organisations involved in the design or development of a recovery college or who aspire to create a college. A secondary purpose is to highlight the positive effects of recovery colleges for people using mental health services.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper draws upon interviews with recovery college students and staff members, as well as other CNWL staff.

Findings

– Themes emerging include: the significant role of peer trainers; the importance of strong organisational support; how challenges were overcome without losing recovery principles; the shift in mind-set from clinical to educational ways of working. Quotes from students demonstrate the positive experiences gained through attending the college.

Originality/value

– The paper provides an informative account of one large NHS Trust's experience of running a recovery college, covering its planning, development, delivery and evaluation. Lessons from this experience may be of value to organisations aspiring to develop or already involved in the running of a recovery college.
Policy Watch – the rights of those with mental health problems in acute care
Authors: Corlett Sophie
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The Policy Watch series reflects on recent forthcoming developments in mental health policy across the UK. The purpose of this paper is to consider the use of the Mental Health Act to detain people in police custody and the use of physical restraint, and in particular face down restraint, in mental health settings in England.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper reviews findings of recent reports into policing and mental health and a Mind report on the use of restraint in mental health settings.

Findings

– The paper suggests that people with mental health problems are being held in police custody more often than they should be, and that this is partly due to the unavailability of good care at an earlier stage for people approaching crisis. It also suggests that people are being physically restrained in inpatient settings too often in some areas although face down restraint has been phased out altogether elsewhere. These practices threaten human rights.

Originality/value

– The paper discusses recent evidence from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and others, the Indepedent Commission on Mental Health and Policing and from Mind.
Strengthening children's resilience through parenting: a pilot study
Authors: M. Burns Barbara , D. Haynes Lora , Bauer Ariel , Shetty Amala , Mendoza Joanna , Fregoso Felicia , Strong Katherine , Arellano Brenda
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to describe the research literature on the science of children's resilience and show its application to parenting interventions for high-risk families. Information about the design and conduct of pilot work to develop a parent program with homeless mothers was included to illustrated this application.

Design/methodology/approach

– The design of this report was descriptive. The scientific rationale for promoting children's resilience. The scientific rationale for strengthening children's resilience by focusing on parent's promotion of attachment, executive function skills, and stress/reduction mindfulness was detailed, and the design and format of a pilot parent program was outlined.

Findings

– Substantial research evidence affirmed the importance of strengthening children's resilience in high-risk families. Details from pilot work with homeless mothers illustrated the process by which activities were included in workshops to promote children's resilience. Future work will test the efficacy of this program in a controlled study with a range of pre- and post-assessments.

Practical implications

– The current paper expanded the traditional focus of parent education to include strengthening children's resilience as a way to better address the myriad of critical needs faced by children and families experiencing homelessness.

Originality/value

– The design and format of a community-based parenting program to strengthen children's resilience by focusing on attachment, executive function skills, and stress reduction/mindfulness were novel. Future research will test the efficacy of this new program with high-risk families.
Autogenic Training – a self-help technique for children with emotional and behavioural problems
Authors: Klott Oliver
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to discuss Autogenic Training as an effective therapy for children with behavioural and emotional problems. The technique offers children in therapeutic communities strategies in dealing better with stress- and anxiety-related problems. The resulting increased body awareness and ability for self-reflection can also lead to a better engagement in other forms of therapy, decrease anxieties, reduce levels of frustration, increase self-esteem, decrease the fight/flight feeling and supports the work in therapeutic communities.

Design/methodology/approach

– International literature and the author's experience are reviewed to provide a better understanding of the technique and its potential in therapeutic communities. The paper explores creative ways of modifying the technique aiming to help children engage in the autogenic process.

Findings

– The paper concludes that Autogenic Training is an effective therapy and self-help technique for children with emotional and behavioural problems in therapeutic communities.

Originality/value

– Autogenic Training is well known in other European countries and often used as a first intervention in therapeutic settings for children and adults. There seems to be a clear lack of literature, papers and understanding of the technique in the UK. The paper addresses this deficit.
Objects for a “healthy lifestyle”: children's material culture and physical activities
Authors: Garnier Pascale
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The aim of the research is to emphasise the role of material culture, and especially the role of objects related to physical activities, in children's socialization. It involves children's bodies but also symbolic meanings and values which introduce children to the universe of sport's consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research is grounded on the construction of a system of objects related to children's physical activities in France. The production of a corpus of objects involves a methodological circle where the choice of the objects goes together with a reflexive analysis about the operations of categorization of objects. The analysis of objects require both technological and semiotical approaches.

Findings

– In the context of globalization and commodification of childhood, but also of the globalization and mediatization of sports, the research shows that objects for children's physical activities are inscribed in a double transformation: sportification of children's games and childification of sports.

Research limitations/implications

– The research focuses on material culture and does not investigate children's uses of the objects for physical activity and does not determine the process of their conception and design.

Practical implications

– The paper emphasises the difference between two faces of children's physical activities: spending calories and the development of motor skills and interpretative competences linked to sports' culture and children's mass culture.

Originality Value

– In contrast to the work done on food and digital culture, the field of children's physical activities and sports is not as well researched. This is especially the case for the objects designed for children and this research is one of the first in the field in international literature. It constitutes also the first attempt for including this topic in the worlds of children's consumption.
Pollinator body size mediates the scale at which land use drives crop pollination services
Authors: E. Benjamin Faye , R. Reilly James , Winfree Rachael
Published: November 2013

Ecosystem services to agriculture, such as pollination, rely on natural areas adjacent to farmland to support organisms that provide services. Native insect pollinators depend on natural or semi‐natural land surrounding farms for nesting and alternative foraging resources. Despite interest in conserving pollinators through habitat restoration, the scale at which land use affects pollinators and thus crop pollination services is not well understood.

We measured abundance of native, wild bee pollinators and the pollination services they provided to highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum L. crops at 16 sites that varied in the proportion of surrounding agricultural land cover at both the field scale (300‐m radius) and the landscape scale (1500‐m radius). We designed our study such that agricultural land cover at the field scale was uncorrelated with agricultural cover at the landscape scale across sites. We used model selection to determine which spatial scale better predicted aggregate bee abundance, abundance of large versus small bees and crop pollination services.

We found that, overall, bees responded more strongly to field‐scale than to landscape‐scale land cover, but the scale at which land cover had the strongest effect varied by bee body size. Large bees showed a negative response to increasing agricultural cover at both scales, but were most strongly affected by the landscape scale. Small bees were negatively affected by agricultural land cover but only at the field scale, while they had a small positive response to agricultural cover at the landscape scale.

Aggregate pollination services from native bees were more strongly influenced by field‐scale agricultural cover, due to the combined effects of both large and small bees responding at that scale.

Synthesis and applications. Bee abundance and pollination services were strongly determined by field‐scale agricultural cover, suggesting that field‐scale set‐asides may provide significant benefits to pollination services. Further, we found that pollinators respond differently to land use depending on body size, but all groups of bees benefit from decreasing agricultural cover at the field scale. Therefore, small‐scale modifications to habitat can have significant impacts on both pollinator abundance and pollination services to crop plants.
Synthetic microbial ecosystems: an exciting tool to understand and apply microbial communities
Authors: De Roy Karen , Marzorati Massimo , Van den Abbeele Pieter , Van de Wiele Tom , Boon Nico
Published: November 2013

Many microbial ecologists have described the composition of microbial communities in a plenitude of environments, which has greatly improved our basic understanding of microorganisms and ecosystems. However, the factors and processes that influence the behaviour and functionality of an ecosystem largely remain black boxes when using conventional approaches. Therefore, synthetic microbial ecology has gained a lot of interest in the last few years. Because of their reduced complexity and increased controllability, synthetic communities are often preferred over complex communities to examine ecological theories. They limit the factors that influence the microbial community to a minimum, allowing their management and identifying specific community responses. However, besides their use for basic research, synthetic ecosystems also found their way towards different applications, like industrial fermentation and bioremediation. Here, we review why and how synthetic microbial communities are applied for research purposes and for which applications they have been and could be successfully used.
Quick Response Code In Acrylic Denture: Will it Respond When Needed?
Authors: Ragavendra Thayappa Raju , Mhaske Shubhangi , Gouraha Abhishek , Yuwanathi Monal , Kamath Kavitha P. , Saawarn Swati , Kasetty Sowmya
Published: November 2013

Use of acids and other caustic substances in destroying the human body to avoid personal identification is drawing great deal of attention in recent times. With rapid industrial growth, incidence of industrial disasters has increased. In an event of chemical industry disaster, human identification can become a challenge. Embedding bar codes and other electronic means for identification in denture have proved to be a novel innovation in identification of edentulous patients. However, the validity of this method in events of chemical extremes has not been assessed. Hence, the study was undertaken to know the effect of different acids on dentures embedded with quick response codes. Results of this study indicate that simple bar code can be readable up to 33 h after acid treatment. With minimal armamentarium, bar code can be generated incorporating large data into it, providing it to be a cheap and reliable means of denture identification.