bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Data Visualisation Options for Land-Use Policy and Decision Making in Response to Climate Change
Authors: Bishop Ian D , Pettit Christopher J , Sheth Falak , Sharma Subhash
Published: March 2013

Decision makers are facing unprecedented challenges in addressing the likely impacts of climate change on land use. Changes to climate can affect the long-term viability of certain industries in a particular geographical location. Government policies in relation to provision of infrastructure, management of water, and incentives for revegetation need to be planned. Those responsible for key decisions are unlikely to be expert in all aspects of climate change or its implications, and thus require scientific data communicated to them in an easily understood manner with the scope to explore the implications. It is often felt that a range of visualisation techniques, both abstract and realistic, can assist in this communication. However, their effectiveness is seldom evaluated. In this paper we review the literature on processes for the evaluation of visualisation tools and representations. From this review an evaluation framework is developed and applied through an experiment in visualisation of climate change, land suitability, and related data using a variety of tools and representational options to advance our knowledge of which visualisation technique works, when, and why. Our region of interest was the southwestern part of Victoria, Australia. Both regional and local data and their implications were presented to end users through a series of visualisation products. The survey group included policy makers, decision makers, extension staff, and researchers. They explored the products and answered both specific and exploratory questions. At the end of the evaluation session their knowledge and attitudes were compared with those at the commencement and they were also asked to assess the visualisation options subjectively. The findings relate to both the visualisation options themselves and the process of evaluation. The survey group was particularly keen to have access to multiple interactive tools and the ability to see scenarios side-by-side within a deeper informational context. A number of procedural recommendations for further evaluation were developed, including the need for consistency in approach among researchers in order to develop more generalisable findings.
Fractal Dimensions of the Built-up Footprint: Buildings versus Roads. Fractal Evidence from Antwerp (Belgium)
Authors: Thomas Isabelle , Frankhauser Pierre
Published: March 2013

In this paper we explore further the use of fractal dimensions by comparing values for built-up spaces and values for road networks, both being estimated by the same method. This is done in an attempt to explain the differences theoretically and empirically, and to show how far both indices are complementary and useful in urban planning. Empirical analyses are performed at the scale of the townships within the urban region of Antwerp (Belgium). Fractal dimensions, curves of scaling behavior, and concordance analyses are computed and their usefulness explained. We conclude that both dimensions translate subtly different realities and that they should be used with caution in morphological analyses: the fractal dimension for built-up spaces indicates how uniformly buildings fill space when zooming to ever finer scales, while the fractal dimension for networks indicates the extent to which street segments are distributed more or less uniformly in the study area. The two are not the same, as roads can serve spaces that are not built up.
Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Tobacco Smoking among Intermediate and Secondary School Students in Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Gaffar Abdelrahim Mutwakel , Alsanosy Rashad Mohammed , Mahfouz Mohamed Salih
Published: March 2013

Background

The objectives of this study were to (i) determine the prevalence of and characteristics associated with tobacco smoking; (ii) identify the factors associated with tobacco smoking; and (iii) evaluate the association between tobacco smoking and khat chewing among intermediate and secondary school students in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample ( N = 4100) of intermediate and secondary school students in Jazan Region. The data were collected using a pretested modified version of the global youth tobacco survey questionnaire.

Results

A total of 3923 students from 72 intermediate and secondary schools for males and females in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia, were included in this study. The ever having smoked prevalence was 17.3%, and the current smoking prevalence was 10.7%. The most important independent predictors of smoking were academic performance (odds ratio [OR]: 5.32), having friends who used khat (OR: 3.23), and having friends who used tobacco (OR: 2.88).

Conclusions

Understanding the factors and predictors associated with tobacco use are crucial to identifying high-risk groups to design tobacco prevention and control programs. For the first time, a strong and statistically significant association was identified between tobacco smoking and khat chewing among intermediate and secondary school students in Jazan Region. Because the use of khat is increasingly spreading outside of its traditional areas to Europe and America, this finding may have an important impact on tobacco control efforts internationally.
Self-Forgiveness, Shame, and Guilt in Recovery from Drug and Alcohol Problems
Authors: McGaffin Breanna J. , Lyons Geoffrey C. B. , Deane Frank P.
Published: March 2013

Background

People with drug and/or alcohol problems often experience feelings of shame and guilt, which have been associated with poorer recovery. Self-forgiveness has the potential to reduce these negative experiences.

Methods

The current study tested theorized mediators (acceptance, conciliatory behavior, empathy) of the relationships between shame and guilt with self-forgiveness. A cross-sectional sample of 133 individuals (74.4% male) receiving residential treatment for substance abuse completed self-report measures of shame, guilt, self-forgiveness, and the mediators.

Results

Consistent with previous research, guilt had a positive association with self-forgiveness, whereas shame was negatively associated with self-forgiveness. Acceptance mediated the guilt and self-forgiveness relationship and had an indirect effect on the shame and self-forgiveness relationship.

Conclusions

These findings emphasize the importance of targeting acceptance when trying to reduce the effects of shame and guilt on self-forgiveness.
Antioxidant Capacity of Newly Developed Pigmented Rice Cultivars in Korea
Authors: Kang Mi Young , Rico Catherine W. , Bae Hyun Jung , Lee Sang Chul
Published: March 2013

The antioxidant capacity of newly developed and highly popular pigmented rice cultivars (black rice, Galsaekchalmi, Jeoktomi, Hongchalmi, and Nogwonmi) in South Korea was analyzed. The rice grains were ground into powder, extracted with 70% ethanol, filtered, and concentrated with a rotary evaporator. The samples were analyzed for phenolic, flavonoid, and phytic acid contents, free radical scavenging activity, reducing power, ferrous ion chelating ability, lipid peroxidation inhibition, and superoxide dismutase‐like activity. The ethanolic extracts from pigmented rice cultivars showed greater antioxidant activity than that of the normal white rice. The black rice exhibited the highest free radical scavenging activity, ferrous chelating ability, and total phenolic and flavonoid contents. The reducing power and phytic acid content were found to be highest in Hongchalmi cultivar. The inhibition of lipid peroxidation was markedly higher in Jeoktomi compared with the other rice samples. The Nogwonmi rice showed the lowest antioxidant activity among the pigmented varieties analyzed. These findings provide valuable information on the antioxidant potential of newly developed pigmented rice varieties and may assist plant breeders in the selection of cultivars for the development of new lines of rice with enhanced functional quality.
Mutation of a Short Variable Region in HCpro Protein of Potato virus A Affects Interactions with a Microtubule-Associated Protein and Induces Necrotic Responses in Tobacco
Authors: Haikonen Tuuli , Rajamäki Minna-Liisa , Tian Yan-Ping , Valkonen Jari P. T.
Published: March 2013

Helper component proteinase (HCpro) is a multifunctional protein of potyviruses (genus Potyvirus). HCpro of Potato virus A (PVA) interacts with the microtubule-associated protein HIP2 in host cells, and depletion of HIP2 reduces virus accumulation. This study shows that HCpro of Potato virus Y and Tobacco etch virus also interact with HIP2. The C-proximal portion of PVA HCpro determines the interaction with HIP2 and was found to contain a stretch of six residues comprising a highly variable region (HVR) in potyviruses. Mutations in HVR reduced PVA accumulation in tobacco plants and induced necrotic symptoms novel to PVA. Microarray and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analyses revealed induction of many defense-related genes including ethylene- and jasmonic acid–inducible pathways in systemically infected leaves at necrosis onset. Salicylic acid–mediated signaling was dispensable for the response. Genes related to microtubule functions were down-regulated. Structural modeling of HCpro suggested that all mutations in HVR caused conformational changes in adjacent regions containing functionally important motifs conserved in potyviruses. Those mutations, which also caused conformational changes in HVR, led to the greatest reduction of fitness. Our results implicate HVR in the regulation of HCpro conformation and virus-host interactions and suggest that mutation of HVR induces host defense.
Climate warming and the potential extinction of fig wasps, the obligate pollinators of figs
Authors: Jevanandam Nanthinee , Goh Alexander G. R. , Corlett Richard T.
Published: March 2013

Figs (Ficus) have a reciprocally obligate mutualism with tiny, short-lived (1–2 days) fig wasps (Agaonidae). The small size and short life of these pollinators is expected to make them more vulnerable to climate change than their larger and longer-lived hosts. We experimentally tested the thermal tolerances of four species of adult female fig wasp from equatorial Singapore. The results suggest that an increase of 3°C or more above the current temperatures experienced across much of the equatorial tropics would markedly decrease the active adult lifespan of all four species. Fig plants are the centre of an intricate web of specialist and generalist animals. Unless fig wasps can acclimate or adapt to warmer temperatures in time, these responses may disrupt the mutualism, potentially affecting multiple trophic levels.
Assessing the stability of human locomotion: a review of current measures
Authors: Bruijn S. M. , Meijer O. G. , Beek P. J. , van Dieën J. H.
Published: March 2013

Falling poses a major threat to the steadily growing population of the elderly in modern-day society. A major challenge in the prevention of falls is the identification of individuals who are at risk of falling owing to an unstable gait. At present, several methods are available for estimating gait stability, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. In this paper, we review the currently available measures: the maximum Lyapunov exponent (
λ
S
and
λ
L
), the maximum Floquet multiplier, variability measures, long-range correlations, extrapolated centre of mass, stabilizing and destabilizing forces, foot placement estimator, gait sensitivity norm and maximum allowable perturbation. We explain what these measures represent and how they are calculated, and we assess their validity, divided up into construct validity, predictive validity in simple models, convergent validity in experimental studies, and predictive validity in observational studies. We conclude that (i) the validity of variability measures and
λ
S
is best supported across all levels, (ii) the maximum Floquet multiplier and
λ
L
have good construct validity, but negative predictive validity in models, negative convergent validity and (for
λ
L
) negative predictive validity in observational studies, (iii) long-range correlations lack construct validity and predictive validity in models and have negative convergent validity, and (iv) measures derived from perturbation experiments have good construct validity, but data are lacking on convergent validity in experimental studies and predictive validity in observational studies. In closing, directions for future research on dynamic gait stability are discussed.
Does footprint depth correlate with foot motion and pressure?
Authors: Bates K. T. , Savage R. , Pataky T. C. , Morse S. A. , Webster E. , Falkingham P. L. , Ren L. , Qian Z. , Collins D. , Bennett M. R. , McClymont J. , Crompton R. H.
Published: March 2013

Footprints are the most direct source of evidence about locomotor biomechanics in extinct vertebrates. One of the principal suppositions underpinning biomechanical inferences is that footprint geometry correlates with dynamic foot pressure, which, in turn, is linked with overall limb motion of the trackmaker. In this study, we perform the first quantitative test of this long-standing assumption, using topological statistical analysis of plantar pressures and experimental and computer-simulated footprints. In computer-simulated footprints, the relative distribution of depth differed from the distribution of both peak and pressure impulse in all simulations. Analysis of footprint samples with common loading inputs and similar depths reveals that only shallow footprints lack significant topological differences between depth and pressure distributions. Topological comparison of plantar pressures and experimental beach footprints demonstrates that geometry is highly dependent on overall print depth; deeper footprints are characterized by greater relative forefoot, and particularly toe, depth than shallow footprints. The highlighted difference between ‘shallow’ and ‘deep’ footprints clearly emphasizes the need to understand variation in foot mechanics across different degrees of substrate compliance. Overall, our results indicate that extreme caution is required when applying the ‘depth equals pressure’ paradigm to hominin footprints, and by extension, those of other extant and extinct tetrapods.
Multidomain and ground state configurations of two-phase vesicles
Authors: Maleki Mohsen , Fried Eliot
Published: March 2013

A simple model is used to study the equilibrium of lipid domains on two-phase vesicles. Two classes of configurations are considered: multidomain and ground state configurations. For multidomain configurations, the vesicle has a finite number of identical lipid domains. For ground state configurations, the vesicle is fully phase separated into two coexisting domains. Whereas the volume enclosed by a vesicle with multidomains is fixed, the volume enclosed by a vesicle in a ground state is allowed to vary with the osmotic pressure. Guided by experimental observations, all domains are assumed to be spherical caps. In a multidomain configuration, the line tension is found to decrease with the number of domains present, with possible exceptions when the number of domains is very small. The importance of a critical osmotic pressure and a critical excess radius on ground state configurations is explored. Emphasis is placed on understanding the variations of these critical quantities with relevant parameters.
Altruism can evolve when relatedness is low: evidence from bacteria committing suicide upon phage infection
Authors: Refardt Dominik , Bergmiller Tobias , Kümmerli Rolf
Published: March 2013

High relatedness among interacting individuals has generally been considered a precondition for the evolution of altruism. However, kin-selection theory also predicts the evolution of altruism when relatedness is low, as long as the cost of the altruistic act is minor compared with its benefit. Here, we demonstrate evidence for a low-cost altruistic act in bacteria. We investigated
Escherichia coli
responding to the attack of an obligately lytic phage by committing suicide in order to prevent parasite transmission to nearby relatives. We found that bacterial suicide provides large benefits to survivors at marginal costs to committers. The cost of suicide was low, because infected cells are moribund, rapidly dying upon phage infection, such that no more opportunity for reproduction remains. As a consequence of its marginal cost, host suicide was selectively favoured even when relatedness between committers and survivors approached zero. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that low-cost suicide can evolve with ease, represents an effective host-defence strategy, and seems to be widespread among microbes. Moreover, low-cost suicide might also occur in higher organisms as exemplified by infected social insect workers leaving the colony to die in isolation.
Jasmonates trigger prey-induced formation of ‘outer stomach’ in carnivorous sundew plants
Authors: Nakamura Yoko , Reichelt Michael , Mayer Veronika E. , Mithöfer Axel
Published: March 2013

It has been widely accepted that the growth-related phytohormone auxin is the endogenous signal that initiates bending movements of plant organs. In 1875, Charles Darwin described how the bending movement of leaves in carnivorous sundew species formed an ‘outer stomach’ that allowed the plants to enclose and digest captured insect prey. About 100 years later, auxin was suggested to be the factor responsible for this movement. We report that prey capture induces both leaf bending and the accumulation of defence-related jasmonate phytohormones. InDrosera capensisfed with fruitflies, within 3 h after prey capture and simultaneous with leaf movement, we detected an increase in jasmonic acid and its isoleucine conjugate. This accumulation was spatially restricted to the bending segment of the leaves. The application of jasmonates alone was sufficient to trigger leaf bending. Only living fruitflies or the body fluids of crushed fruitflies induced leaf curvature; neither dead flies nor mechanical treatment had any effect. Our findings strongly suggest that the formation of the ‘outer stomach’ inDroserais a chemonastic movement that is triggered by accumulation of endogenous jasmonates. These results suggest that in carnivorous sundew plants the jasmonate cascade might have been adapted to facilitate carnivory rather than to defend against herbivores.
Systematic dissection of regulatory motifs in 2000 predicted human enhancers using a massively parallel reporter assay
Authors: Kheradpour Pouya , Ernst Jason , Melnikov Alexandre , Rogov Peter , Wang Li , Zhang Xiaolan , Alston Jessica , Mikkelsen Tarjei S. , Kellis Manolis
Published: March 2013

Genome-wide chromatin annotations have permitted the mapping of putative regulatory elements across multiple human cell types. However, their experimental dissection by directed regulatory motif disruption has remained unfeasible at the genome scale. Here, we use a massively parallel reporter assay (MPRA) to measure the transcriptional levels induced by 145-bp DNA segments centered on evolutionarily conserved regulatory motif instances within enhancer chromatin states. We select five predicted activators (HNF1, HNF4, FOXA, GATA, NFE2L2) and two predicted repressors (GFI1, ZFP161) and measure reporter expression in erythroleukemia (K562) and liver carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines. We test 2104 wild-type sequences and 3314 engineered enhancer variants containing targeted motif disruptions, each using 10 barcode tags and two replicates. The resulting data strongly confirm the enhancer activity and cell-type specificity of enhancer chromatin states, the ability of 145-bp segments to recapitulate both, the necessary role of regulatory motifs in enhancer function, and the complementary roles of activator and repressor motifs. We find statistically robust evidence that (1) disrupting the predicted activator motifs abolishes enhancer function, while silent or motif-improving changes maintain enhancer activity; (2) evolutionary conservation, nucleosome exclusion, binding of other factors, and strength of the motif match are predictive of enhancer activity; (3) scrambling repressor motifs leads to aberrant reporter expression in cell lines where the enhancers are usually inactive. Our results suggest a general strategy for deciphering cis-regulatory elements by systematic large-scale manipulation and provide quantitative enhancer activity measurements across thousands of constructs that can be mined to develop predictive models of gene expression.
The medial prefrontal cortex is critical for memory retrieval and resolving interference
Authors: Peters Gregory J. , David Christopher N. , Marcus Madison D. , Smith David M.
Published: March 2013

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is known to be critically involved in strategy switching, attentional set shifting, and inhibition of prepotent responses. A central feature of this kind of behavioral flexibility is the ability to resolve conflicting response tendencies, suggesting a general role of the PFC in resolving interference. If so, the PFC should also be involved in memory retrieval, which involves competition between potential retrieval targets. Moreover, the PFC should be needed whenever interference is high, regardless of the strategic or attentional requirements of the task. To test this hypothesis, we temporarily inactivated the mPFC with muscimol and tested rats on several olfactory learning tasks. Rats given muscimol were able to learn a few discrimination problems when they were learned one at a time. However, they were severely impaired when they had to learn and remember many odors concurrently. Rats given muscimol also suffered greater interference when learning two lists of conflicting odor discrimination problems. Additionally, temporary mPFC inactivation during the acquisition of one set of odor memories actually improved the ability to learn a new set of conflicting odor memories. This paradoxical release from interference suggests that the mPFC plays an important role in acquiring and promoting the long term retrieval of memories. These results suggest that the mPFC plays a general role in resolving interference and that this is a key aspect of behavioral flexibility.
Hippocampal networks habituate as novelty accumulates
Authors: Murty Vishnu P. , Ballard Ian C. , Macduffie Katherine E. , Krebs Ruth M. , Adcock R. Alison
Published: March 2013

Novelty detection, a critical computation within the medial temporal lobe (MTL) memory system, necessarily depends on prior experience. The current study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in humans to investigate dynamic changes in MTL activation and functional connectivity as experience with novelty accumulates. fMRI data were collected during a target detection task: Participants monitored a series of trial-unique novel and familiar scene images to detect a repeating target scene. Even though novel images themselves did not repeat, we found that fMRI activations in the hippocampus and surrounding cortical MTL showed a specific, decrementing response with accumulating exposure to novelty. The significant linear decrement occurred for the novel but not the familiar images, and behavioral measures ruled out a corresponding decline in vigilance. Additionally, early in the series, the hippocampus was inversely coupled with the dorsal striatum, lateral and medial prefrontal cortex, and posterior visual processing regions; this inverse coupling also habituated as novelty accumulated. This novel demonstration of a dynamic adjustment in neural responses to novelty suggests a similarly dynamic allocation of neural resources based on recent experience.
Small Interfering RNA–Mediated Translation Repression Alters Ribosome Sensitivity to Inhibition by Cycloheximide inChlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Ma Xinrong , Kim Eun-Jeong , Kook Insun , Ma Fangrui , Voshall Adam , Moriyama Etsuko , Cerutti Heriberto
Published: March 2013

Small RNAs (sRNAs; ∼20 to 30 nucleotides in length) play important roles in gene regulation as well as in defense responses against transposons and viruses in eukaryotes. Their biogenesis and modes of action have attracted great attention in recent years. However, many aspects of sRNA function, such as the mechanism(s) of translation repression at postinitiation steps, remain poorly characterized. In the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, sRNAs derived from genome-integrated inverted repeat transgenes, perfectly complementary to the 3′ untranslated region of a target transcript, can inhibit protein synthesis without or with only minimal mRNA destabilization. Here, we report that the sRNA-repressed transcripts are not altered in their polyadenylation status and they remain associated with polyribosomes, indicating inhibition at a postinitiation step of translation. Interestingly, ribosomes associated with sRNA-repressed transcripts show reduced sensitivity to translation inhibition by some antibiotics, such as cycloheximide, both in ribosome run-off assays and in in vivo experiments. Our results suggest that sRNA-mediated repression of protein synthesis in C. reinhardtii may involve alterations to the function/structural conformation of translating ribosomes. Additionally, sRNA-mediated translation inhibition is now known to occur in a number of phylogenetically diverse eukaryotes, suggesting that this mechanism may have been a feature of an ancestral RNA interference machinery.
14-3-3 Regulates 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylate Synthase Protein Turnover in Arabidopsis
Authors: Yoon Gyeong Mee , Kieber Joseph J.
Published: March 2013

14-3-3 proteins are a family of conserved phospho-specific binding proteins involved in diverse physiological processes. Plants have large 14-3-3 gene families, and many binding partners have been identified, though relatively few functions have been defined. Here, we demonstrate that 14-3-3 proteins interact with multiple 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase (ACS) isoforms in Arabidopsis thaliana. ACS catalyzes the generally rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of the phytohormone ethylene. This interaction increases the stability of the ACS proteins. 14-3-3s also interact with the ETHYLENE-OVERPRODUCER1 (ETO1)/ETO1-LIKE (EOLs), a group of three functionally redundant proteins that are components of a CULLIN-3 E3 ubiquitin ligase that target a subset of the ACS proteins for rapid degradation by the 26S proteasome. In contrast with ACS, the interaction with 14-3-3 destabilizes the ETO1/EOLs. The level of the ETO1/EOLs in vivo plays a role in mediating ACS protein turnover, with increased levels leading to a decrease in ACS protein levels. These studies demonstrate that regulation of ethylene biosynthesis occurs by a mechanism in which 14-3-3 proteins act through a direct interaction and stabilization of ACS and through decreasing the abundance of the ubiquitin ligases that target a subset of ACS proteins for degradation.
Auto body taillight assembly modeling and fitting variation induced by tighten‐up sequence analyzing
Authors: Wang Hua , Gao Xiang
Published: March 2013

Purpose

This paper seeks to propose an auto body taillight assembly model using finite element analysis. Fitting variation induced by tighten‐up sequence is analyzed by the model to control the dimensional quality of auto body.

Design/methodology/approach

The taillight assembly model is constructed with finite elements to depict the assembly process of the taillight. The validity of the simulation model is proved by the consistence between the pressures obtained from the finite elements simulation results and the pressure sensitive paper. The fitting variation induced by tighten‐up sequences is analyzed with the proposed model. GAGE R&R method is employed to check the significant difference among four different sequences and a rational conclusion is obtained.

Findings

The proposed finite element model could be used for taillight fitting quality control. The results have shown that as far as the car taillight assembly structure discussed in the paper is concerned, the taillight final fitting quality has nothing to do with the tighten‐up sequence of connecting bolts.

Originality/value

The taillight assembly model is first constructed with finite elements to depict the assembly process of the taillight. For the first time, GAGE R&R method is employed to check the significant difference among the fitting qualities obtained by different sequences. The results of this research will enhance the understanding of the optimal fitting of car taillight, and help to systematically improve the productivity and the fitting quality in the automotive industry.
Issues and challenges faced by building surveyors in Malaysia
Authors: Shah Ali Azlan , Jia Woon Chen
Published: March 2013

Purpose

A Building Surveyor (BS) is a professional who carries out building control functions and performance‐related assessments which require an organised approach. The profession is involved in preparing for physical development, supervision of construction quality and assessment of the physical condition of a building. However, the awareness of the importance of BSs in Malaysia is still very low. The capabilities of BS graduates have long been debated by other professionals in the Malaysian construction industry and there are some issues that need to be clarified prior to the granting of government approval to the profession. The purpose of this paper is to concentrate on the issues and challenges faced by graduate building surveyors in Malaysia. In addition, the paper focuses on the employment trend of BS graduates.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a literature review, a triangulation approach was used in this study which involved a questionnaire survey (sample size 64) and interviews with selected respondents.

Findings

From the results, it can be concluded that BSs are still in high demand in Malaysia, even without the Building Surveyor Act, which is required to provide government endorsement of the profession. In terms of challenges faced by graduate BSs, the lack of a specific act governing BS practices and approved by the government was found to be the most important challenge that needs to be resolved as soon as possible.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the debate about the importance of ensuring statutory recognition of the BS profession in Malaysia.
Data centres in the UK: property and planning issues
Authors: Jones Peter , Hillier David , Comfort Daphne
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The continuing growth of digital technology has been accompanied by an explosion in digital data generation. These data are processed, stored, managed and exchanged in data centres but there is limited general awareness appreciation of the role such centres play as the driving hub of the economy. With this in mind, the purpose of this paper is to provide a simple review of the data centre property market and the changing geography of such centres and to review a number of the environmental and planning issues associated with the development of new data centres.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper begins with a description of the characteristics and origins of data centres, outlines the data centre property market and the changing geography of new purpose built data centres within the UK and discusses a range of the environmental and planning issues associated with the development of such centres.

Findings

The paper reveals that four different types of data centre can be recognised, that relationship between supply and demand within the data centre property market is a contested issue and that the geography of new data centre development is changing. Data centre developers are increasingly looking for designs that increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide and the planning issues associated with such developments include classifying the use class, environmental and design considerations and employment generation.

Research limitations/implications

The paper provides an accessible review of the development of data centres in the UK and as such it will be of interest to those working in, engaging with, and studying the data centre market.

Originality/value

The paper provides an accessible review of the development of data centres in the UK and as such it will be of interest to those working in, engaging with, and studying data centres.
Expropriation, valuation and compensation practice in Ethiopia
Authors: Yirsaw Alemu Belachew
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to examine the expropriation, valuation and compensation practice. This paper tries to investigate how the expropriation and compensation laws are implemented when privately held land and attached real properties are taken for public purpose development in Bahir Dar city and surrounding. However, further research should be undertaken nation‐wide to explore the problems throughout the country.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports the findings of a survey of expropriatees from main practices throughout Bahir Dar city and its surroundings.

Findings

There is a big gap between the actual practice of expropriation, valuation and compensation and the Laws. Lack of application of standardized methods and procedures created situations of unfair valuation and compensation.

Practical implications

The practical implication is that the living status of affected people before and after expropriation could be useful.

Originality/value

The value of the paper for government officials, real property valuers and investors is that transparency, consistency and fair compensation are useful.
Factors influencing continuing professional development
Authors: Brekelmans Gerard , F. Poell Rob , van Wijk Kees
Published: March 2013

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to present an inventory of expert opinions on the factors that influence the participation of registered nurses in continuing professional development (CPD) activities.

Design/methodology/approach

– A Delphi study was conducted among 38 Dutch experts (nursing employers, managers, education institutions, and professional associations). Data collection comprised three rounds: experts completed two consecutive rounds of questionnaires and participated in a discussion meeting.

Findings

– Main influencing factors were: a CPD registration system, the attractiveness of the nursing profession, nurses
'
identification with the nursing profession, opportunities for workplace learning, the line manager as role model, and attractive education programs.

Research limitations/implications

– Being part of a larger study, for the present paper only nursing experts were asked their opinion about shaping CPD for nurses. Further research should bring in the views of nurses themselves and investigate how the wider environment influences CPD participation.

Practical implications

– As all stakeholders were found to have their own roles in the CPD process, collaboration among employers, managers, education institutions, and professional associations will be crucial to create a conducive learning climate for nurses. HRD practitioners in healthcare can use the study findings to advise hospitals about implementing the right conditions to support CPD for nurses.

Originality/value

– A qualitative study using the Delphi method to discover factors influencing CPD in nursing had not been conducted before. Unlike many studies looking essentially at formal education, the present paper takes into account workplace learning among nurses as well.
Effects of social support on professors’ work stress
Authors: Moeller Christin , Chung‐Yan Greg A.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how various types of workplace social support from different support sources interact with occupational stressors to predict the psychological well‐being of university professors.

Design/method/approach

A total of 99 full‐time professors participated via an online or paper questionnaire.

Findings

Using moderated hierarchical multiple regressions, the results support the hypotheses that the effects of occupational stressors on professors’ psychological well‐being vary depending on the level of perceived workplace social support. However, although workplace social support buffered the effects of some occupational stressors (i.e. work overload), social support exacerbated the adverse effects of others (i.e. decision‐making ambiguity).

Research limitations/implications

The dichotomous effects of social support suggest that the impact of social support may be moderated by another variable, such as perceived control over the stressor at hand. The present findings echo calls for further refinements to models of social support to examine how individuals’ situational appraisals shape the variable interactive effects of stressors and social support on individuals’ health and well‐being.

Originality/value

This study provides new insight into academic work stress by systematically examining the effects of workplace social support on professors’ work stress experience. This study also extends our current understanding of the relationships among stressors, strains, and social support by providing empirical evidence that workplace social support is neither consistently beneficial nor a unidimensional construct.
Can schools be autonomous in a centralised educational system?
Authors: Agasisti Tommaso , Catalano Giuseppe , Sibiano Piergiacomo
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the difference between formal and real school autonomy in the Italian educational system. The Italian case is characterised by low levels of school autonomy. It is interesting to consider whether heterogeneity of patterns is possible in this context. A description of this heterogeneity is provided through archetypes.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology is a qualitative survey conducted among school principals. A non‐standardised questionnaire was completed by 35 principals. The collected data were examined in accordance with the framework dimensions (different features of school autonomy) and three archetypes were identified.

Findings

The three archetypes of schools identified are: first, entrepreneurial (the strategies followed and the tools used are broader than those that the law prescribes); second, chaotic (different actors express their opinions but, ultimately, there is no shared decision at the school level); and third, bureaucratic (the school's principal thinks that nothing can be done without legal prescription).

Originality/value

Through a new case (the Italian educational system), this paper contributes to the stream of literature on the disconnect between formal and real school autonomy. This paper can help policy makers to improve understanding of the characteristics and internal heterogeneity of the educational system.
Mitigating risks in a shared service relationship: the case of a Malaysian bank
Authors: Amiruddin Rozita , Aman Aini , Sofiah  , Hamzah Noradiva , Maelah Ruhanita
Published: March 2013

Purpose

A shared service (SS) arrangement involves an intra‐firm interrelationship, since the SS centre (SSC), operated as an independent business unit, provides services to clients who are other independent business units in the same company group. The purpose of this study is to provide an understanding of risks and controls used in mitigating SS risks.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a qualitative approach using a case study of a SSC in a bank group in Malaysia. The risks and control framework developed by Das and Teng was used to analyse the appropriate control mechanisms for mitigating internal outsourcing risks, namely relational risk and performance risk.

Findings

The main relational risk identified is the possibility of opportunistic behaviour. However, this risk could be mitigated through social control especially when both parties share norms and values. Performance risks in SSC are mainly related to unsatisfactory services in terms of incomplete information, system errors and human mistakes. These risks could be mitigated using either behaviour control or output control. Behaviour control can be exercised through performance reporting, while output control can be achieved through key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLA).

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited to a single case study of a SSC with a certain type of arrangement and discusses business process outsourcing (BPO) in general. Future research may examine cases with other SS arrangements, detailed examination of each BPO and incorporate multi‐perspective views from both SSC and their clients. Issues concerning changes in control in the evolving situation of SSC and bargaining power and trust in mitigating SSC risks are also worth exploring.

Practical implications

The study's findings enable practitioners to draw insights to develop effective control strategies to mitigate risks in intra‐organizational relationships such as SSC.

Originality/value

The paper adds to our knowledge of control mechanisms for mitigating risks in the SS relationship, which is a relatively new concept in the literature.
Skills for the management of turnaround maintenance projects
Authors: Obiajunwa Christopher C.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The aim of this study is to identify and establish management skills/knowledge required for the successful management of turnaround maintenance (TAM) projects.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed‐method research approach was adopted for this study involving questionnaire survey and case studies of major continuous process plants in the UK. Data were collected through questionnaires from 160 process plants and the case studies of six process plants in the UK. These data were triangulated to improve on the findings.

Findings

The findings show that there are specific management skills very specific towards ensuring the successful management of TAM projects. The findings also show that TAM managers are mostly at present appointed without assessing them with any specific skills set.

Practical implications

This study developed a set of management skills required for turnaround maintenance projects. These specific appropriate management skills established for TAM management should help to reduce mismatching of skills and the job. This is of paramount importance in the selection of the TAM manager to ensure the individual with the right skills is given the responsibility of managing the project.

Originality/value

Operators of process plants and hence engineering facilities still appoint their TAM manager without reference to any skill set. Most of the time, maintenance managers or project managers are appointed to manage TAM without considering any set of requirements. This study which is the first of its kind in this area is a major contribution to the field.
Production and maintenance performance analysis: manual versus semi‐automatic LHDs
Authors: Gustafson Anna , Schunnesson Håkan , Galar Diego , Kumar Uday
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and analyse the production and maintenance performance of a manual and a semi‐automatic load haul dump (LHD) machine to find similarities and differences.

Design/methodology/approach

Real time process‐, operational‐ and maintenance data, from an underground mine in Sweden, have been refined and aggregated into KPIs in order to make the comparison between the LHDs.

Findings

The main finding is the demonstration of how production and maintenance data can be improved through information fusion, showing some unexpected results for maintenance of automatic and semi‐automatic LHDs in the mining industry. It was found that up to one third of the manually entered workshop data are not consistent with the automatically recorded production times. It is found that there are similarities in utilization and filling rate but differences in produced tonnes/machine hour between the two machines.

Originality/value

The originality in this paper is the information fusion between automatically produced production data and maintenance data which increases the accuracy of reliability analysis data. Combining the production indicator and the maintenance indicator gives a common tool to the production and maintenance departments. This paper shows the difference in both maintenance and production performance between a manual and semi‐automatic LHD.
Primary factors influencing bid mark‐up size decisions of general contractors in Kuwait
Authors: Jarkas Abdulaziz M.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

Since the construction industry in the State of Kuwait is further governed by a competitive environment, which is driven by the lowest cost mentality, the aim of this study is to identify and rank the relative importance of factors perceived to influence bid mark‐up size decisions among local general contractors bidding on construction projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The effects of 40 identified factors, which were shortlisted based on previous relevant investigations and the input of local industry experts, were surveyed by a statistically representative sample of contractors. Using the “relative importance index” technique, the influence ranks of the factors explored were established.

Findings

The results reveal the following as the primary factors affecting general contractors' bid mark‐up size decisions: employer type and identity; project size; clarity of technical specifications; previous experience with employer; number and identity of competitors; previous experience in similar projects; design complexity level; current work load; design quality level; and tendering duration.

Research limitations/implications

Although the outputs contribute to the overall body of knowledge related to bidding in the construction industry, it is further recommended to determine the relationship between the factors explored, especially those perceived as most significant, and their tangible effects on contractors' mark‐up decisions.

Practical implications

The outcomes: demonstrate the importance of the “constructability” concept to construction costs; and assert that the conception of exerting pressure on designers to cut down design durations and fees, and further shortening tenders' durations to speed up the projects' development process, is “false economy”.

Originality/value

The findings fill a gap in knowledge of the factors affecting contractors' bid mark‐up decisions, which can be used to provide academics, employers, industry practitioners, and policy makers, direction for focusing, acting upon and controlling the primary factors perceived to impact the competitiveness level of the State's construction industry.