bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On quantum and relativistic mechanical analogues in mean-field spin models
Authors: Barra Adriano , Di Lorenzo Andrea , Guerra Francesco , Moro Antonio
Published: November 2014

Conceptual analogies among statistical mechanics and classical or quantum mechanics have often appeared in the literature. For classical two-body mean-field models, such an analogy is based on the identification between the free energy of Curie–Weiss-type magnetic models and the Hamilton–Jacobi action for a one-dimensional mechanical system. Similarly, the partition function plays the role of the wave function in quantum mechanics and satisfies the heat equation that plays, in this context, the role of the Schrödinger equation. We show that this identification can be remarkably extended to include a wider family of magnetic models that are classified by normal forms of suitable real algebraic
dispersion curves
. In all these cases, the model turns out to be completely solvable as the free energy as well as the order parameter are obtained as solutions of an integrable nonlinear PDE of Hamilton–Jacobi type. We observe that the mechanical analogue of these models can be viewed as the
relativistic
analogue of the Curie–Weiss model and this helps to clarify the connection between generalized self-averaging in statistical thermodynamics and the semiclassical dynamics of viscous conservation laws.
Late-born intermittently fasted juvenile garden dormice use torpor to grow and fatten prior to hibernation: consequences for ageing processes
Authors: Giroud Sylvain , Zahn Sandrine , Criscuolo François , Chery Isabelle , Blanc Stéphane , Turbill Christopher , Ruf Thomas
Published: November 2014

Torpor is thought to slow age-related processes and to sustain growth and fattening of young individuals. Energy allocation into these processes represents a challenge for juveniles, especially for those born late in the season. We tested the hypothesis that late-born juvenile garden dormice (
Eliomys quercinus
) fed ad libitum (‘AL’,
n
= 9) or intermittently fasted (‘IF’,
n
= 9) use short torpor bouts to enhance growth and fat accumulation to survive winter. IF juveniles displayed more frequent and longer torpor bouts, compared with AL individuals before hibernation. Torpor frequency correlated negatively with energy expenditure and water turnover. Hence, IF juveniles gained mass at the same rate, reached similar pre-hibernation fattening and displayed identical hibernating patterns and mass losses as AL animals. We found no group differences in relative telomere length (RTL), an indicator of ageing, during the period of highest summer mass gain, despite greater torpor use by IF juveniles. Percentage change in RTL was negatively associated with mean and total euthermic durations among all individuals during hibernation. We conclude that torpor use promotes fattening in late-born juvenile dormice prior to hibernation. Furthermore, we provided the first evidence for a functional link between time spent in euthermy and ageing processes over winter.
Cultural evolution of systematically structured behaviour in a non-human primate
Authors: Claidière Nicolas , Smith Kenny , Kirby Simon , Fagot Joël
Published: November 2014

Culture pervades human life and is at the origin of the success of our species. A wide range of other animals have culture too, but often in a limited form that does not complexify through the gradual accumulation of innovations. We developed a new paradigm to study cultural evolution in primates in order to better evaluate our closest relatives' cultural capacities. Previous studies using transmission chain experimental paradigms, in which the behavioural output of one individual becomes the target behaviour for the next individual in the chain, show that cultural transmission can lead to the progressive emergence of systematically structured behaviours in humans. Inspired by this work, we combined a pattern reproduction task on touch screens with an iterated learning procedure to develop transmission chains of baboons (Papio papio). Using this procedure, we show that baboons can exhibit three fundamental aspects of human cultural evolution: a progressive increase in performance, the emergence of systematic structure and the presence of lineage specificity. Our results shed new light on human uniqueness: we share with our closest relatives essential capacities to produce human-like cultural evolution.
A generalized sense of number
Authors: Arrighi Roberto , Togoli Irene , Burr David C.
Published: November 2014

Much evidence has accumulated to suggest that many animals, including young human infants, possess an abstract sense of approximate quantity, a
number sense
. Most research has concentrated on apparent numerosity of spatial arrays of dots or other objects, but a truly abstract sense of number should be capable of encoding the numerosity of any set of discrete elements, however displayed and in whatever sensory modality. Here, we use the psychophysical technique of
adaptation
to study the sense of number for serially presented items. We show that numerosity of both auditory and visual sequences is greatly affected by prior adaptation to slow or rapid sequences of events. The adaptation to visual stimuli was spatially selective (in external, not retinal coordinates), pointing to a sensory rather than cognitive process. However, adaptation generalized across modalities, from auditory to visual and vice versa. Adaptation also generalized across
formats
: adapting to sequential streams of flashes affected the perceived numerosity of spatial arrays. All these results point to a perceptual system that transcends vision and audition to encode an abstract sense of number in space and in time.
A theoretical examination of the relative importance of evolution management and drug development for managing resistance
Authors: McClure Nathan S. , Day Troy
Published: November 2014

Drug resistance is a serious public health problem that threatens to thwart our ability to treat many infectious diseases. Repeatedly, the introduction of new drugs has been followed by the evolution of resistance. In principle, there are two complementary ways to address this problem: (i) enhancing drug development and (ii) slowing the evolution of drug resistance through evolutionary management. Although these two strategies are not mutually exclusive, it is nevertheless worthwhile considering whether one might be inherently more effective than the other. We present a simple mathematical model that explores how interventions aimed at these two approaches affect the availability of effective drugs. Our results identify an interesting feature of evolution management that, all else equal, tends to make it more effective than enhancing drug development. Thus, although enhancing drug development will necessarily be a central part of addressing the problem of resistance, our results lend support to the idea that evolution management is probably a very significant component of the solution as well.
Examining predator–prey body size, trophic level and body mass across marine and terrestrial mammals
Authors: Tucker Marlee A. , Rogers Tracey L.
Published: November 2014

Predator–prey relationships and trophic levels are indicators of community structure, and are important for monitoring ecosystem changes. Mammals colonized the marine environment on seven separate occasions, which resulted in differences in species' physiology, morphology and behaviour. It is likely that these changes have had a major effect upon predator–prey relationships and trophic position; however, the effect of environment is yet to be clarified. We compiled a dataset, based on the literature, to explore the relationship between body mass, trophic level and predator–prey ratio across terrestrial (
n
= 51) and marine (
n
= 56) mammals. We did not find the expected positive relationship between trophic level and body mass, but we did find that marine carnivores sit 1.3 trophic levels higher than terrestrial carnivores. Also, marine mammals are largely carnivorous and have significantly larger predator–prey ratios compared with their terrestrial counterparts. We propose that primary productivity, and its availability, is important for mammalian trophic structure and body size. Also, energy flow and community structure in the marine environment are influenced by differences in energy efficiency and increased food web stability. Enhancing our knowledge of feeding ecology in mammals has the potential to provide insights into the structure and functioning of marine and terrestrial communities.
Yield and economic performance of the use of GM cotton worldwide over time
Authors: Witjaksono Julian , Wei Xiaowen , Mao Suchun , Gong Wankui , Li Yabing , Yuan Youlu
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge on the economic performance of genetically modified (GM) cotton worldwide based on a wide range of data and source from available literature, and second to assess yield gain and economic performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– A systematic review was captured to provide the evidence of potential benefits of GM cotton. A country-specific analysis was conducted in order to compare economic indicators and employed meta-analysis to find out the significance of the different of GM cotton over its counterpart.

Findings

– This paper depicts positive impact of commercialized GM cotton in terms of net revenue, and the benefits, especially in terms of increased yields, are greatest for the mostly farmers in developing countries who have benefitted from the spill over of technology targeted at farmers in industrialized countries.

Research limitations/implications

– Due to the variability of the data which came from different methodologies, it is difficult to determine the differences of the performances each individual study.

Practical implications

– This, it is believed that results from this study can be useful for operations of all sizes as the authors think about what needs to be focussed on for long-term producers survival.

Originality/value

– The paper clearly indicates that China is the highest cotton yield of GM cotton, the lowest cost of GM seed and the lowest cost of chemical spray compare to any other countries. Therefore, this is the fact that the adoption of GM cotton has been widely spread among the farmers across the regions in China.
Adoption of genetically-modified seeds in Taiwan
Authors: Luh Yir-Hueih , Jiang Wun-Ji , Chien Yu-Ning
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present an integrated analysis of determining factors of farmers’ genetically modified (GM) technology adoption behavior, with a special emphasis on information acquisition, knowledge accumulation, product attributes and technology traits.

Design/methodology/approach

– Extending the expected profit maximization framework into a random utility model which accommodates joint decisions of information acquisition and technology adoption, the authors use the full information maximum likelihood method to yield both consistent and efficient estimates. The model is applied to a field survey collecting a sample of 141 randomly selected bananas farmers.

Findings

– The empirical results indicate information acquired through social network will increase the probability of adoption. Knowledge accumulation as depicted by education and farming experience is found to play a role in farmers’ technology adoption, whereas disease-resistant technology trait and flavor-enriching product attribute of GM bananas also appear to be important determinants for GM seeds adoption in Taiwan.

Practical implications

– Empirical evidence supports significance of technology traits and product attributes in farmer's GM technology adoption, suggesting the close collaboration between industry, government and academia is the key to successful commercialization of GM crops.

Social implications

– Understanding the determinants of farmers’ GM technology adoption can serve as the basis for promoting new biotechnology, and thus can facilitate the establishment of tenable solutions to food security issues.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first attempt to incorporate information acquisition into the behavioral analysis of GM technology adoption. The present study also extends previous literature by considering influential factors related to both consumers’ and producers’ preferences in modeling technology adoption.
Effects of credit constraints on rural household technical efficiency
Authors: Zhao Jianmei , J. Barry Peter
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effects of access to formal credit on rural household technical efficiency in China.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the rural household survey data in Weifang city, Shandong province in northern China, the authors apply recent developed bootstrapped DEA approach to investigate rural technical efficiency at the household level under the consideration of off-farm activities. Rural households are then identified as credit constrained and classified as supply-side and demand-side credit constraints by applying direct elicitation method. Finally, the authors apply a tobit regression to examine the effects of credit constraints on household technical efficiency.

Findings

– Rural households in China not only suffer supply-side credit constraints, but also demand-side credit constraints resulted from the transaction costs and risk rationing. The tobit regression discloses that demand-side credit constraints impose significant negative impacts on household technical efficiency.

Originality/value

– The authors clarify the definition of credit constraints and classify the credit constraints into supply-side and demand-side credit constraints. The results of this paper have significant policy implications for rural finance policies in China.
Electroformed conductor patterns in electronics manufacturing
Authors: Laine-Ma Teija , Ruuskanen Pekka , Pasanen Satu , Karttunen Mikko
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this study was to test and survey a circuitry transfer technique where conductor patterns are electroformed on carrier substrates and thereafter the electroformed patterns are transferred from carrier substrates to their final devices.

Design/methodology/approach

– An electrically conductive pattern is built up by an electrodepositing metal or metal alloy on a carrier substrate, called a mandrel, using a resist image to define the outlines of the pattern. Thereafter, the electroformed structures are bonded on plastic substrates, for instance, by hot pressing or by embedding into a resin. In our experiments, the imaging of stainless steel carriers was done by the photolithographic process and the electroformed copper patterns were transferred by hot pressing onto thermoplastic substrates.

Findings

– The literature review revealed that the transfer of electroformed conductor patterns to plastic parts is not a very commonly used technology, although it could provide possibilities for even quite specific structures in electronics manufacturing at an affordable price. Our tests indicated that the acidic peroxide-sulfuric pre-treatment of electroformed copper patterns before hot press bonding clearly improved the adhesion of copper on both acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polyphenylene oxide substrates and that a steel template around the substrate during hot pressing process can restrict dimensional changes in thermoplastic substrates significantly.

Originality/value

– This paper contains a survey and preliminary testing of the electroformed circuitry transfer technique. The analysis of the test boards focused on the adhesion between copper strips and thermoplastic substrates and on the factors affecting adhesion. Finally, the paper introduces the advantages and drawbacks of the technique.
Green technology automotive shape design based on neural networks and support vector regression
Authors: Fan Kuo-Kuang , Chiu Chun-Hui , Yang Chih-Chieh
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The green technology cars have received much attention due to the air pollution and energy crisis. The purpose of this paper is to increase automotive designers’ understanding of the affective response of consumers about automotive shape design. Consumers’ preference is mainly based on a vehicle's shape features that are traditionally manipulated by designers’ intuitive experience rather than by an effective and systematic analysis. Therefore, when encountering increasing competition in today's automotive market, enhancing car designers’ understanding of consumers’ preferences on the shape features of green technology vehicles to fulfil customers’ demands, has become a common objective for automotive makers.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, questionnaires were first used to gather consumer evaluations of certain adjectives describing automobile shape. Then, automotive styling features were systematically examined by numerical definition-based shape representations. Finally, models were individually constructed using support vector regression (SAR), which predicted consumer's affective responses, based on the adjectives selected, and which also incorporated the relationship between consumer's affective responses and automotive styling features.

Findings

– In order to predict and suggest the best automotive shape design, the results of this experiment of SVR can provide a basis for the future development of automobiles, particularly for green vehicle design, and support automotive makers in ensuring that automotive shape design to satisfy consumer needs.

Originality/value

– SVR is a valuable choice as an evaluation method to be applied in the design field of green vehicles.
Six Sigma methodology: a structured review
Authors: S. Reosekar Ravi , D. Pohekar Sanjay
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The main aim of the present study is to explore field of Six Sigma and discover the limitation of the present research work. The study also tries to find emerging aspects, trends and future directions and explore unfocused areas of Six Sigma. The present study involves an analysis of 179 research articles published from 1995 to 2011 in 52 selected reputable journals.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology of critical assessment involves selection and classification of 179 research articles on Six Sigma. The selected articles are classified by: time distribution of articles, research methodology, research stream, authorship patterns, sector-wise focus of articles, integration with other manufacturing philosophies, implementation status and performance measurement of the models or framework. Then, the suggestions for the future scope of research possibilities and development are identified.

Findings

– The study provides a taxonomical and integrated review of articles. Further, this study provides perspectives on conceptualization and various critical parameters for research. Through this literature review, many issues are addressed which have not previously been adequately covered. The findings include: increase in empirical nature of research articles, need for spreading research in the field of Six Sigma implementation, need for more interregional research collaborations, need for integration of Six Sigma philosophy with other philosophies and lack of implementation, i.e. testing and validation of the proposed models or frameworks by researchers.

Practical implications

– The present study has explored an unfocused area of Six Sigma which will help future researchers to concentrate on the grey areas of Six Sigma. The study will help professionals to get a comprehensive database of Six Sigma articles and their use in practical situation. The results obtained from the study are expected to help researchers, academics and professionals to focus on the growth, pertinence and research developments to implement Six Sigma principles.

Originality/value

– This paper will be of great help for those carrying out research in Six Sigma field including academics and practitioners in terms of Six Sigma growth describing the trends, sources and findings. The unique feature of this research is the large sample size and a time span of 16 years (1995-2011). The unique feature of this research is the large sample size and a time span of 16 years (1995-2011).
Bullying at school and labour market outcomes
Authors: Drydakis Nick
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the long-term correlates of bullying in school with aspects of functioning in adult employment outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

– Bullying is considered and evaluated as a proxy for unmeasured productivity, and a framework is provided that outlines why bullying might affect employment outcomes through differences in skills and traits. Using Bivariate and Heckit models the paper employs a variety of specifications and finds several interesting patterns.

Findings

– By utilising the 2008 Greek Behavioural Study data set the regression outcomes suggest that labour force participation, employment rate and hourly wages are negatively affected by bullying. In addition, men, homosexuals, immigrants, unmarried people, those having higher negative mental health symptoms, and those having lower human capital are more negatively affected by bullying in terms of labour force participation, employment probability and hourly wages. Moreover, Oaxaca-Blinder decompositions suggest that labour force participation gaps, employment gaps and hourly wage gaps between minority and majority groups, especially for gay men and the disabled, can be explained by bullying incidents.

Practical implications

– It seems likely that having been a victim of bullying also has economic implications later in life due to withdrawal from the labour market and lower wages.

Originality/value

– The retrospective bullying index used in the current study measured the combined and ordered effect of the duration and intensity of bullying, which generates 17 outcomes that ultimately capture a large range of alternative options. In addition, the author suggested that bullying might be understood as a productivity trait that provides a direct input into the production process, which might drive abilities or traits and influence adult employment outcomes. Contemporary economic analysis suggests that cognitive and non-cognitive skills are important factors that affect labour productivity through reasoning ability and productivity.
ESMA opinion on structured retail products – good practices for product governance arrangements
Authors: T. Renz Hartmut , Kalisch Ingrid , Pfister Sandra , Axford Stuart , M. Williams, Jr. George
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– To explain the practices that ESMA (European Securities and Markets Authority) recommends for investment firms and national competent authorities to implement when it comes to structured retail products (SRPs), in order to ensure sound product governance arrangements and the consistency of supervisory practices needed for adequate investor protection across the European Union.

Design/methodology/approach

– Lists the ESMA guidelines for the general organization of product governance arrangements, breaks down the aspects manufacturers should consider in the making of their SRPs, highlights the need to understand the target market, explains the appropriate structure of the distributor’s and manufacturer’s distribution strategy, details how manufacturers establish a SRP’s value, recommends how investment firms deal with SRPs on the secondary market, and explains how manufacturers review the performance of their SRPs.

Findings

– The competent authorities are still focusing on improving and enforcing investor protection. This ESMA opinion is just one example of how product governance structures and arrangements should be developed and implemented by everyone involved. It will be important to attend carefully to what MiFID 2 (Markets in Financial Instruments Directive 2) product governance requirements bring regarding investor protection in addition to the described ESMA opinion, which is based on MiFID 1.

Originality/value

– Practical guidance from experienced finance lawyers.
Culture, conduct and innovation: a deconstruction of market orientation
Authors: C. Roach David , Ryman Joel , White Joshua
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This purpose of this study is to deconstruct market orientation to explore how culture interrelates with conduct and value-creating innovation and its effect on performance. The authors suggest that market orientation is an organizational identity that can be built and managed for sustained competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use a split sample of 553 Canadian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in both the manufacturing and technical service sectors. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis is used to test the main hypothesis that culture moderates the relationship between conduct and innovation. Support for the respective hypotheses is determined by the statistical significance of each focal variable.

Findings

– The study finds that culture does in fact moderate the relationship between conduct and innovation but only in service firms, not in manufacturing firms.

Research limitations/implications

– Theoretical implications include establishing support for the main premise of the paper, namely, that market-oriented culture interacts with the behavioral component of market orientation influencing the firm’s ability to create value through innovation.

Practical implications

– Managerial implications include the refinement of the many conceptualizations of the innovation construct by establishing innovation as value-creating. It also provides insight on how firm culture relates to the systems and processes used to operationalize both a market and innovation conduct within the firm.

Originality/value

– This paper provides a unique insight into the marketing/innovation interface, specifically in the context of SMEs.
Overreaction evidence from large-cap stocks
Authors: Abebe Assefa Tibebe , A. Esqueda Omar , C. Galariotis Emilios
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to assess the performance of a contrarian investment strategy focusing on frequently traded large-cap US stocks. Previous criticisms that losers’ gains are not due to overreaction but due to their tendency to be thinly traded and smaller-sized firms than winners are addressed.

Design/methodology/approach

– Portfolios based on past performance are constructed and it is examined whether contrarian returns exist. The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), Fama and French three-factor model and the Carhart’s (1997) momentum portfolio are used to test whether excess returns are feasible in a contrarian strategy.

Findings

– The results show an asymmetric performance following portfolio formation. Although both, winners and losers portfolios, have gains during holding periods, losers outperform winners at all times, and with a differential of up to 29.2 per cent 36 months after portfolio formation. Furthermore, the loser and the winner portfolios’ alphas are significant, suggesting that the CAPM and the multifactor models are unable to explain return differentials between winners and losers. Our evidence supports two main conclusions. First, stock market overreaction still holds for a sample of large firms. Second, this is robust to the Fama and French’s (1993, 1996) three-factor model and Carhart’s (1997) momentum portfolio. Findings emphasize the relevance of a contrarian strategy when rebalancing investment portfolios.

Practical implications

– Portfolio managers can improve stock returns by selling past winners and buying previous loser large-cap US stocks.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first, to the authors’ knowledge, to examine frequently traded large-cap US stocks to avoid infrequent trading and size concerns.
Demand driven selection of adaptable building technologies for flexibility-in-use
Authors: Gijsbers Roel , Lichtenberg Jos
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Most buildings are hardly ever technically equipped to adapt to ever changing user demands. Adaptability of building components is known as an essential technical aid to facilitate flexible use. However, for designers and developers it is very difficult to foresee how design decisions related to flexible use effect the efficiency of the technical system, especially when adaptations have to be realized in the future. Due to the large number of variables and interrelations, a structured approach is indispensable to translate (future) user demands into technical solutions for flexible use. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present a novel method that can assist designers to systematically find suitable measures for flexible use. This method, named comparative selection method for adaptability measures (CSA method), is developed specifically to impartially select and compare adaptability measures.

Design/methodology/approach

– The CSA method is principally based on a performance approach, where technical solutions are compared and matched to performance requirements. To accomplish that, specific tools and theories were transferred from industrial product development. The CSA method displays the benefits of lifespan-oriented design, since a distinction is made between initial, once occurring effects and the effects that come with each expected adaptation.

Findings

– In contemporary building practice the initial phase is critical for decision making. By a number of case studies, the application of the CSA method reveals that tailor-made solutions with a high degree of adaptability are in fact the most efficient for the long term. Hereby the view is confirmed that a lifespan-oriented approach in design decisions is essential for a sustainable and future-proof building stock.

Originality/value

– The CSA method is a newly developed and unique support tool that assists in optimizing flexible building design through the search for best fit adaptability solutions.
Occupant satisfaction in LEED-certified higher education buildings
Authors: N. Driza Pamela-Jean , Park Nam-Kyu
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to quantify occupant satisfaction levels within Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified higher education buildings and determine the extent to which this certification helps designers to deliver successful interior environments.

Design/methodology/approach

– A web-based adaptation of the Center for the Built Environment's (CBE) Occupant indoor environmental quality Survey was distributed within two LEED-certified higher education buildings at a public university. Occupants were then asked to participate in interviews designed to contextualize survey results and further understand issues identified by building users. Descriptive statistics and a content analysis were utilized to determine satisfaction levels in each building.

Findings

– In general, LEED certification may be used as an aid for delivering successful interior environments, however, opportunities for enhancing the reliability of this tool were identified. For example, while Building A and Building B exceeded the CBE standards, neither met the 80 percent thermal comfort satisfaction rating recommended in the LEED system. Interviewees identified thermal set points, lack of thermal controls, and cold material finishes as the culprits. Based on study findings and supporting literature, suggestions are made for improving the LEED certification process and integrating post-occupancy evaluations (POEs) into the development of higher education buildings.

Originality/value

– This study's findings may shed some light on how LEED certification and POEs aid in the production of exemplary higher education facilities. This study helps to inform sustainable practices in higher education settings and serve as a foundation for continued research in the field of sustainable design.
Economic impediments to successful seismic retrofitting decisions
Authors: Egbelakin Temitope , Wilkinson Suzanne , Ingham Jason
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine why building owners are often reluctant to adopt adequate mitigation measures despite the vulnerability of their buildings to earthquake disasters, by exploring the economic-related barriers to earthquake mitigation decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

– A case study research method was adopted and interviews chosen as the method of data collection.

Findings

– Critical economic-related impediments that inhibited seismic retrofitting of earthquake-prone buildings were revealed in this study. Economic-related barriers identified include perception about financial involvement in retrofitting, property market conditions, high insurance premiums and deductibles, and the high cost of retrofitting. The availability of financial incentives such as low interest loans, tax deductibles, the implementation of a risk-based insurance premium scale and promoting increased knowledge and awareness of seismic risks and mitigation measures in the property market place are likely to address the economic-related challenges faced by property owners when undertaking seismic retrofitting projects. The provision of financial incentives specifically for seismic retrofitting should be introduced in policy-implementation programme tailored to local governments’ level of risks exposure and available resources.

Practical implications

– The recommendations provided in this study suggest strategies and answers to questions aimed at understanding the types of incentives that city councils and environmental hazard managers should focus on in their attempt to ensure that property owners actively participate in earthquake risk mitigation.

Originality/value

– This paper adopts a holistic perspective for investigating earthquake risk mitigation by examining the opinions of the different stakeholders involved in seismic retrofit decisions.
Architect's perception on the challenges of building energy efficiency in Ghana
Authors: Nii Addy Michael , Adinyira Emmanuel , Koranteng Christian
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Building energy efficiency is an inescapable part of the solution to Africa's sustainable development; its implementation can result in cost effective ways that can contribute to economic and social development as well as environmental sustainability. Despite this, a number of factors including financial barriers and market barriers are perceived by policy makers and building designers to influence the efficient use of energy in buildings. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the perceptions of architects in relation to the challenges of building energy efficiency in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

– From a review of pertinent literature 18 factors were identified as challenging. Empirical investigation was carried out using survey questionnaire. The consideration of overlapping aspects of the study largely motivated the use of factor analysis to analyse the data which made it possible to make scientific deductions and built explanations from the results.

Findings

– The study derives five brands of uncorrelated variables that better explains challenges faced in implementing building energy efficiency in Ghana. These variables include financial barriers, information barrier, private sector participation, behavioural barriers and production barrier. The study provides insight on the contextual provision of realities faced in implementing building energy efficiency in Ghana.

Originality/value

– Key contribution of the paper to the body of knowledge is manifested in the use of the principal component analysis. This has rigorously provided understanding into the complex structure and the relationship between the various knowledge areas of building energy efficiency barriers in Ghana.
Comparative study of project management and critical success factors of greening new and existing buildings in Singapore
Authors: Pheng Low Sui , Gao Shang , Lin Tay Wen
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– With pressing issues of climate change, greening buildings have emerged as a viable solution for meeting the increasing demand for buildings with minimal environmental impacts. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to establish the possibility of achieving this goal by investigating the drivers, challenges, and critical success factors (CSFs) involved in greening existing buildings. Since most of the relevant literature focuses on only acknowledging CSFs for new building projects in general, this study seeks to distinguish CSFs that are particularly related to the greening of existing buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on a review of past literature, 28 selected factors were identified and were categorised into five main groups, namely pre-project-related factors, project management-related factors, client-related factors, project team-related factors, and external factors. Because older buildings have more constraints than new buildings, a comparison of the CSFs for greening new and existing buildings was also made. Surveys and interviews were conducted to validate the CSFs identified.

Findings

– The top CSFs in each building category (new vs existing) were then further examined and analysed. These are “top management support”, “effective planning and control”, “building owner's involvement”, “cost management”, “responsiveness of building owners”, “clear scope and priorities of stakeholders”, and “legislation”. Furthermore, there was a strong consensus on the rankings of most factors between new and existing buildings.

Research limitations/implications

– By understanding the factors that are crucial for managing and delivering successful green projects in the Singaporean context, these CSFs can be used to direct an organisation's efforts in identifying critical issues and tackling them to achieve high performance.

Originality/value

– An ambitious goal of greening 80 per cent of Singapore's building stocks has been set by the government in the Second Green Building Master Plan. To help achieve this goal, this study contributes to the knowledge of project management issues that would determine the success of managing new green building projects and retrofitting existing ones.
Bark thickness and fire regime
Authors: Pausas Juli G.
Published: November 2014

Bark is a vital and very visible part of woody plants, yet only recently has bark characteristics started to be considered as key traits structuring communities and biomes. Bark thickness is very variable among woody plants, and I hypothesize that fire is a key factor selecting for a thick bark, and thus, at the global scale, a significant proportion of the variability in bark thickness is explained by the variability in fire regimes. Previous research has focused on the importance of bark thickness mainly in surface‐fire regimes; here I generalize this idea and present a conceptual framework to explain how the different drivers that affect fire intensity have shaped bark thickness, in conjunction with other plant traits.

I first review methods used to study bark thickness and then provide examples of bark thickness patterns from a wide range of ecosystems subject to different fire regimes (understorey fires, grass‐fuelled surface fires, grass‐fuelled crown fires and infrequent fires).

There are some fire regimes that select for thick barks, while some only in the base of the trunk (e.g. understorey fires), others select for a thick bark on the whole plant (e.g. grass‐fuelled crown fires). There are also fire regimes in which allocating resources to a thick bark is not adaptive (e.g. woody‐fulled crown fires).

Fire regime can explain a large proportion of the variability of bark thickness at the global scale, and thus, this trait varies across ecosystems in a predictable manner; however, the current paucity of data limits a fully accurate analysis.
First “Glass” Education: Telementored Cardiac Ultrasonography Using Google Glass‐ A Pilot Study
Authors: Russell Patrick M. , Mallin Michael , Youngquist Scott T. , Cotton Jennifer , Aboul‐Hosn Nael , Dawson Matt
Published: November 2014

Objectives

The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of telementored instruction in bedside ultrasonography (US) using Google Glass. The authors sought to examine whether first‐time US users could obtain adequate parasternal long axis (PSLA) views to approximate ejection fraction (EF) using Google Glass telementoring.

Methods

This was a prospective, randomized, single‐blinded study. Eighteen second‐year medical students were randomized into three groups and tasked with obtaining PSLA cardiac imaging. Group A received real‐time telementored education through Google Glass via Google Hangout from a remotely located expert. Group B received bedside education from the same expert. Group C represented the control and received no instruction. Each subject was given 3 minutes to obtain a best PSLA cardiac imaging using a portable GE Vscan. Image clips obtained by each subject were stored. A second expert, blinded to instructional mode, evaluated images for adequacy and assigned an image quality rating on a 0 to 10 scale.

Results

Group A was able to obtain adequate images six out of six times (100%) with a median image quality rating of 7.5 (interquartile range [IQR] = 6 to 10) out of 10. Group B was also able to obtain adequate views six out of six times (100%), with a median image quality rating of 8 (IQR = 7 to 9). Group C was able to obtain adequate views one out of six times (17%), with a median image quality of 0 (IQR = 0 to 2). There were no statistically significant differences between Group A and Group B in the achievement of adequate images for E‐point septal separation measurement or in image quality.

Conclusions

In this pilot/feasibility study, novice US users were able to obtain adequate imaging to determine a healthy patient's EF through telementored education using Google Glass. These preliminary data suggest telementoring as an adequate means of medical education in bedside US. This conclusion will need to be validated with larger, more powerful studies including evaluation of pathologic findings and varying body habitus among models.
Computed Tomography Abnormalities and Epidemiology of Adult Patients Presenting With First Seizure to the Emergency Department in Qatar
Authors: Pathan Sameer A. , Abosalah Salem , Nadeem Sana , Ali Amjad , Hameed Asma A. , Marathe Mandar , Cameron Peter A.
Published: November 2014

Objectives

There is little information available from the Middle Eastern region on adult patients presenting with first seizure. The objectives of this study were to describe epidemiological characteristics of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) in Doha, Qatar, with first seizure and to determine the incidence of computed tomographic (CT) scan abnormalities.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on all adult patients with first seizure presenting to Hamad General Hospital ED over a 1‐year period (June 2012 through May 2013). Electronic patient records were reviewed for demographics, neuroimaging, electroencephalography, laboratory test results, and medications administered.

Results

There were 439 patients who satisfied inclusion criteria. Patients were aged a mean of 35.3 years (95% confidence interval [CI] = 33.92 to 36.69 years) with a male‐to‐female ratio of five to one. CT abnormalities were detected in 154 patients (35.3%; 95% CI = 30.81% to 39.82%). Out of reported abnormal scans, 14.7% patients had significant abnormalities such as neurocysticercosis (9.2%); brain metastasis and neoplasm (3.4%); and subarachnoid and subdural hemorrhage, cavernous sinus thrombosis, acute stroke, and brain edema (2.0%). None of the patients had any electrolyte abnormalities, and three patients had hypoglycemia. Patients with initial abnormal CT brain results were more likely to have recurrent seizures (OR = 1.65; 95% CI = 1.11 to 2.45) within 6 months.

Conclusions

Adults who presented with first seizure to the ED in Qatar had a young male predominance, and a high proportion of brain CT scans were reported as abnormal. It is recommended that all such patients in this population should undergo prompt CT scanning in the ED, but the utility of routine electrolyte tests requires further investigation.
Comparison of PIRO, SOFA, and MEDS Scores for Predicting Mortality in Emergency Department Patients With Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock
Authors: Macdonald Stephen P. J. , Arendts Glenn , Fatovich Daniel M. , Brown Simon G. A.
Published: November 2014

Objectives

The Predisposition Insult Response and Organ failure (PIRO) scoring system has been developed for use in the emergency department (ED) to risk stratify sepsis cases, but has not been well studied among high‐risk patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. The PIRO score was compared with the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and Mortality in ED Sepsis (MEDS) scores to predict mortality in ED patients with features suggesting severe sepsis or septic shock in the ED.

Methods

This was an analysis of sepsis patients enrolled in a prospective observational ED study of patients presenting with evidence of shock, hypoxemia, or other organ failure. PIRO, MEDS, and SOFA scores were calculated from ED data. Analysis compared areas under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves for 30‐day mortality.

Results

Of 240 enrolled patients, final diagnoses were septic shock in 128 (53%), severe sepsis without shock in 70 (29%), and infection with no organ dysfunction in 42 (18%). Forty‐eight (20%) patients died within 30 days of presentation. Area under the ROC curve (AUC) for mortality was 0.86 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.80 to 0.92) for PIRO, 0.81 (95% CI = 0.74 to 0.88) for MEDS, and 0.78 (95% CI = 0.71 to 0.87) for SOFA scores. Pairwise comparisons of the AUC were as follows: PIRO versus SOFA, p = 0.01; PIRO versus MEDS, p = 0.064; and MEDS versus SOFA; p = 0.37. Mortality increased with increasing PIRO scores: PIRO < 5, 0%; PIRO 5 to 9, 5%; PIRO 10 to 14, 5%; PIRO 15 to 19, 37%; and PIRO ≥ 20, 80% (p < 0.001). The MEDS score also showed increasing mortality with higher scores: MEDS < 5, 0%; MEDS 5 to 7, 12%; MEDS 8 to 11, 15%; MEDS 12 to 14, 48%; and MEDS > 15, 65% (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The PIRO model, taking into account comorbidities and septic source as well as physiologic status, performed better than the SOFA score and similarly to the MEDS score for predicting mortality in ED patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. These findings have implications for identifying and managing high‐risk patients and for the design of clinical trials in sepsis.
Effect of ketoconazole and diltiazem on the pharmacokinetics of apixaban, an oral direct factor Xa inhibitor
Authors: Frost Charles E. , Byon Wonkyung , Song Yan , Wang Jessie , Schuster Alan E. , Boyd Rebecca A. , Zhang Donglu , Yu Zhigang , Dias Clapton , Shenker Andrew , LaCreta Frank
Published: November 2014

Aim

Apixaban is an orally active inhibitor of coagulation factor Xa and is eliminated by multiple pathways, including renal and non‐renal elimination. Non‐renal elimination pathways consist of metabolism by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, primarily CYP3A4, as well as direct intestinal excretion. Two single sequence studies evaluated the effect of ketoconazole (a strong dual inhibitor of CYP3A4 and P‐glycoprotein [P‐gp]) and diltiazem (a moderate CYP3A4 inhibitor and a P‐gp inhibitor) on apixaban pharmacokinetics in healthy subjects.

Method

In the ketoconazole study, 18 subjects received apixaban 10 mg on days 1 and 7, and ketoconazole 400 mg once daily on days 4–9. In the diltiazem study, 18 subjects received apixaban 10 mg on days 1 and 11 and diltiazem 360 mg once daily on days 4–13.

Results

Apixaban maximum plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration–time curve extrapolated to infinity increased by 62% (90% confidence interval [CI], 47, 78%) and 99% (90% CI, 81, 118%), respectively, with co‐administration of ketoconazole, and by 31% (90% CI, 16, 49%) and 40% (90% CI, 23, 59%), respectively, with diltiazem.

Conclusion

A 2‐fold and 1.4‐fold increase in apixaban exposure was observed with co‐administration of ketoconazole and diltiazem, respectively.