bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interactive Data Visualization to Understand Data Better
Authors: Zhu Zhecheng , Heng Bee Hoon , Teow Kiok-Liang
Published: January 2017

This paper focuses on interactive data visualization techniques and their applications in healthcare systems. Interactive data visualization is a collection of techniques translating data from its numeric format to graphic presentation dynamically for easy understanding and visual impact. Compared to conventional static data visualization techniques, interactive data visualization techniques allow users to self-explore the entire data set by instant slice and dice, quick switching among multiple data sources. Adjustable granularity of interactive data visualization allows for both detailed micro information and aggregated macro information displayed in a single chart. Animated transition adds extra visual impact that describes how system transits from one state to another. When applied to healthcare system, interactive visualization techniques are useful in areas such as information integration, flow or trajectory presentation and location related visualization, etc. In this paper, three case studies are shared to illustrate how interactive data visualization techniques are applied to various aspects of healthcare systems. The first case study shows a pathway visualization representing longitudinal disease progression of a patient cohort. The second case study shows a dashboard profiling different patient cohorts from multiple perspectives. The third case study shows an interactive map illustrating patient geographical distribution at adjustable granularity. All three case studies illustrate that interactive data visualization techniques help quick information access, fast knowledge sharing and better decision making in healthcare system.
Complexity Theory and System Dynamics for Project Risk Management
Authors: Chapman Robert J.
Published: January 2017

As a consequence of the consensus that projects are growing in complexity from ever ambitious goals there is a perpetual search for methods aimed at pinpointing and describing the source of complexity with the objective of subsequently reducing uncertainty, managing risk and improving project performance. An area of study that has engaged enquiring minds for over fifty years but has not yet been accepted into mainstream project management is the study and application of systems thinking and system dynamics. The purpose of this chapter is to promulgate the view that the mapping of projects as systems should be re-examined as a means of articulating and responding to complexity. The chapter examines general systems theory, systems thinking and systems dynamics with examples of causal loop diagrams as an aid to describe and respond to risk exposure. It includes simple causal loop diagrams as a means of illustrating how risks may be identified and addressed. The emphasis is on seeing the ‘big picture' to avoid gaps and omissions in the management of risk and uncertainty.
Information Systems as the Key Enabler in Engineer-to-Order Supply Chain Management
Authors: Nambiar Arun N.
Published: January 2017

Engineer-to-Order (ETO) environments are gaining more and more popularity these days with customers demanding custom-designed products to meet their specific needs. ETO enterprises are often having to rely on the combined design capabilities of the entire value chain in order to satisfy customer requirements. Due to the increased level of interaction with customers and between partners in the value chain, it becomes imperative to have an effective means of communication and data storage. Information systems can be leveraged to streamline the communication process and improve data exchange between the members of the value chain. This chapter will examine how information systems can be the key enabler in ETO supply chain management and identify some of the issues involved. The chapter will conclude with suggestions on future direction for research in this area.
The Impact of Balance Score Card Implementation on Supply Chain Firms
Authors: Edmond Josiah , Soliman Fawzy
Published: January 2017

The objective of this chapter is to understand the level of impact that implementing a balanced score card can have on organisations, and the factors that contribute to such impact; the research agrees that the BSC is an effective performance measurement system. The result of the research suggests that the quality of the knowledge and the understanding of the BSC within an organisation is a major determinant to the level of positive impact that implementing the BSC can have on an organisation. This research concluded that the same principle applies to any performance measurement and performance improvement initiatives, and that non BSC implemented firms are not necessary worse-off than BSC implemented firms from a performance perspective. Only few numbers of organisations were sampled. These sampled organisations are not a complete representation of the rest. The research acknowledges that the sources of information under which conclusions and assumptions were made were not based on primary sources. It is possible these data may not fully reflect the current state of all sampled organisations in this research.
The Role of Sustainable Performance Measurement System in Global Supply Chain
Authors: Kasemsap Kijpokin
Published: January 2017

This chapter summarizes the role of sustainable performance measurement system (PMS) in global supply chain, thus illustrating the theoretical and practical concepts of sustainable PMS and strategic supply chain management (SCM); and the significance of sustainable PMS in global supply chain. Therefore, it is essential for organizations to evaluate their sustainable PMS applications, establish a strategic plan to consistently explore their improvements, and rapidly respond to the sustainable PMS needs of customers in global supply chain. For practitioners and researchers, this chapter provides managerial guidelines for sustainable PMS applications utilized in global supply chain. Applying the sustainable PMS will significantly enhance organizational performance and reach strategic goals in global supply chain.
Static Text-Based Data Visualizations
Authors: Hai-Jew Shalin
Published: January 2017

Data visualizations have enhanced human understandings of various types of quantitative data for many years. Of late, text-based data visualizations have been used informally and formally on the WWW and Internet as well as for research. This chapter describes this phenomenon of text-based data visualizations by describing how many of the most common ones are created, where the underlying textual datasets are extracted from, how text-based data visualizations are analyzed, and the limits of such graphical depictions. While this work does not provide a comprehensive view of static (non-dynamic) text-based data visualizations, many of the most common ones are introduced. These visualizations are created using a variety of common commercial and open-source tools including Microsoft Excel, Google Books Ngram Viewer, Microsoft Visio, NVivo 10, Maltego Tungsten, CASOS AutoMap and ORA NetScenes, FreeMind, Wordle, UCINET and NetDraw, and Tableau Public. It is assumed that readers have a basic knowledge of machine-based text analysis.
Information Quality Assessment for Asset Management Systems
Authors: Lee Sang Hyun , Haider Abrar
Published: January 2017

Information quality is critical for any business. It is particularly important for mission critical information systems that manage the lifecycle of an engineering asset. Quality of information or lack thereof in these systems can be traced to technical, organisation, as well as human sources. It is, therefore, extremely important to ascertain the causes that contribute to lack of information quality in asset lifecycle management systems. Depending upon the business area, organisations take proactive or reactive approach to establishing, maintaining, and enhancing their information quality. Among proactive approaches, the ability of the organisation to measure information quality dimensions forms the foundation of a solid information quality management initiative. Such a measurement, however, is an intricate task because these dimensions are subjective, can be context dependent as well as independent, and are interdependent, since each dimension impacts other dimensions. This research employs productive perspective to information and applies Six-Sigma methodology to assess its quality in information systems utilised to manage engineering asset lifecycle. It utilises analytical hierarchy process and quality function deployment to convert subjective information quality dimension into objective metrics, assesses the relationship between various information quality dimensions, and ascertains critical to quality factors. The results thus obtained form the basis for monitoring of information quality aimed at its continuous improvement. This study contributes to literature and practice by providing a method for assessing correlation of information quality dimensions, applying six sigma to information, and controlling quality of information.
Improving Supply Chain Delivery Performance Using Lean Six Sigma
Authors: Guiffrida Alfred L. , Weeks Kelly O. , Chen Lihua
Published: January 2017

Models for evaluating and improving delivery performance play an important role in the management of supply chains. A review of supply chain delivery models that use Six Sigma methodologies indicate that the models are limited to only make-to-order supply chains where improvement in delivery performance occurs at a fixed (static) point in time. In this chapter, the authors present a generalized delivery performance model that overcomes these limitations. The model presented here can be used to measure delivery performance in both make-to-order and make-to-stock supply chains and supports improvement in delivery performance over a planned time horizon with definable milestones for attaining targeted levels of improvement. Numerical illustrations of the model are presented.
A Decision Model on Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Strategies
Authors: Marí Jesús , Coduras Alicia
Published: January 2017

The role of companies in today's society has been radically transformed, especially in developed economies. The stakeholders have deposited on companies different expectations compared to some years ago. Furthermore, this transformation has led to the establishment of new internal models of corporate governance depending on the intensity of the impact of demand for social action coming from the stakeholders interacting with firms. The aim of this work is to offer a decision model on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and business strategies. This model constitutes a tool that can be adopted by firms, no matter their operational sector, to establish their particular coordinates with respect to their CSR actions and social commitment. Using this tool, companies can update their particular situation taking decisions to change those aspects influencing this position and improving their social integration, if it is perceived as non-aligned with its aspirations of success, efficiency or adequateness.
A Conceptual Model for Measuring Reverse Logistics Performance in Automobile Industry
Authors: Khalili-Damghani Kaveh , Najmodin Maryam
Published: January 2017

Nowadays, organizations are facing two major challenges. First, huge amount of consumed products is considerably destructing the environment and on the other hand, because of increasing competition in business environment, creating long-lasting competitive advantage and long-term relation with customers has become a necessity for organizations to survive and thrive. In this competitive condition, increasing emphasis on protecting environment has made manufacturers to look at reverse logistics as an important competitive factor. So in recent years, many researchers' and practitioners' attention has been focused on reverse logistics and related topics. Regarding the lack of knowledge in the literature of reverse logistics in Iran industry, this research aims to contribute to the body of knowledge in this field of supply chain and specifically talks about reverse logistics performance measurement in auto industry. This paper introduces a conceptual model which measures reverse logistics performance in auto industry and identifies the most important reverse logistics factors and classifies them. The offered model has been verified by structural equation modeling method and fit statistics have been assessed in auto-industry of Iran. The results of this research will exhibit a proper classification of factors which influence reverse logistics performance and their significance in auto-industry.
Visual Data Mining for Collaborative Filtering
Authors: Biba Marenglen , Vajjhala Narasimha Rao , Nishani Lediona
Published: January 2017

This book chapter provides a state-of-the-art survey of visual data mining techniques used for collaborative filtering. The chapter begins with a discussion on various visual data mining techniques along with an analysis of the state-of-the-art visual data mining techniques used by researchers as well as in the industry. Collaborative filtering approaches are presented along with an analysis of the state-of-the-art collaborative filtering approaches currently in use in the industry. Visual data mining can provide benefit to existing data mining techniques by providing the users with visual exploration and interpretation of data. The users can use these visual interpretations for further data mining. This chapter dealt with state-of-the-art visual data mining technologies that are currently in use apart. The chapter also includes the key section of the discussion on the latest trends in visual data mining for collaborative filtering.
Key Performance Indicators for the Organized Farm Products Retailing in India
Authors: Singh Rajwinder , Singh Ajit Pal , Metri Bhimaraya A.
Published: January 2017

The Non-livestock products include Horticulture products (flowers, fruits, nuts, vegetables and medicinal plants) and Agriculture products (Crops like; rice, cotton, wheat). These items share the maximum sale of the farm products. Unfortunately, the farm production in India has witnessed a huge wastage. It has attracted the attention of many practitioners and policy makers. Witnessing the opportunity many organized retail players have entered the arena to sell farm products. However, the supply chain (SC) performance measurement has remained the major challenge as “No measurement no improvement”. Many organizations are searching for an efficient SC performance measurement system. Our study recommends that the SC performance shall be improved by developing a SC strategy based on a limited set of key performance indicators (KPI). Otherwise, managers shall waste time and resources on the undesirable performance indicators. We have identified and classified the KPI for non-livestock retailing SC management into five groups. These are 1) Customer Attraction Metrics (product quality, product personality, process quality); 2) Inventory Metrics (fill rate, customer response time, return adjustment, spoilage adjustment, and Vendor managed inventory); 3) Attractiveness Metrics (inventory cost, distribution cost, Return on investment, stakeholder value, sales profit and channel flexibility); 4) Transportation Metrics (shipping errors, and volume flexibility); and 5) Customer Metrics (lead time, delivery flexibility, and backorder flexibility). This grouping shall help the practitioners to focus on a limited set of KPI for better management of supply chains.
Big Data Virtualization and Visualization
Authors: Adeel Muhammad
Published: January 2017

With the recent explosion of internet usage as well as more and more devices are being hooked up with the cloud, big data is becoming a phenomena to tackle with. Big data management was initially a question of concern for only the big commercial players such as Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and others. But it has now become a concern for others, too. According to recent estimates, big data will continue to grow from terabytes into exabytes and beyond. This data needs to be made available for an organization's own use as well can be made available for scientific and commercial needs to the interested entities. This can include different user segments such as academia, industry etc. Academic use of big data is for further research and enablement of big data over cloud, working with it in containers, usage in virtualized environments etc. This generates a need for a sustainable infrastructure which can hold and maintain big data with opportunities for extended processing.
Optimization of Crime Scene Reconstruction Based on Bloodstain Patterns and Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Samir Kumar , Basu Nabanita
Published: January 2017

Crime scene reconstruction based on circumstantial evidence and bloodstain patterns at the scene is often affected by unwanted expert bias. Using features such as bloodstain pattern, wound analysis, size of bloodstains on objects etc., predictions could be made about the relative position of the victim/s, bystander/s and perpetrator/s. Supervised learning techniques can be used to make predictions related to the murder weapon used. Gender of an individual could also be estimated from the bloody broken plastic footprint of an individual using a suitable dataset and supervised classifier. These intermediate prediction modules are important for development of event segments. The event segments add up towards the development of the events that transpired at the crime scene. An optimal sequence of events that might have transpired at the crime scene could thereby be developed using event timestamp and logical sequencing of similar incidents that had occurred in the past using probability theory.
Governing the Public Sector E-Performance
Authors: del Sordo Carlotta , Orelli Rebecca L. , Padovani Emanuele
Published: January 2017

Over the past several decades the demand for accountability in the field of public administration has been growing exponentially in Europe. The particular emphasis for this theme was the stimulus for the significant adoption and use of information technology systems in the public sector. Thus, the main focus of European countries has been e-government that provides process reform of the manner in which governments work, share information, and deliver services to external and internal clients. Therefore, accountability has become more critical for improving the economic, financial and organizational management of public matters. The need for accountability has pushed the Italian legislature to produce a sequence of legislative and regulatory interventions towards increased transparency in public administrations. This paper presents an account of the likely consequences that performance monitoring systems have, through e-government technology, on public service transparency and accountability. This research utilizes a study on the Brunetta reform (from the Ministry of Public Administration) to foster public sector productivity; that study's key principles are efficiency, meritocracy, accountability, and transparency.
Performance Measurement in Public Networks
Authors: Agostino Deborah , Arnaboldi Michela , Azzone Giovanni
Published: January 2017

This chapter outlines the development of a PMS (Performance Measurement System) to support the management and evaluation of public networks from the perspective of the individual actors operating within the network and the managers with responsibilities over the activity of the entire network. The study concerns two systems, the first, called “PMS accounting for network effects”, evaluates the network from the angle of individual organizations in charge of operations within the network and is, therefore, intended as a support for management within the network. The second system, called “PMS accounting for the network as an entity”, evaluates the networks from the viewpoint of the network manager in charge of the whole network; this system is meant to support the management of the network itself. Both the systems are based on the multi-layered concept of a public network and make use of individual components that constitute a PMS.
Big Data in Social Media Environment
Authors: S. Matilda
Published: January 2017

Information technology has reached its pinnacle, with the era being dominated by two hi-tech driving forces - Big data and Social media. Big data encompasses a wide array of data mining workloads, extracted through various sources, the results of which are of keen interest to business leaders and analysts across every industry segment. Data from the social media is exploding at an exponential rate and is being hailed as the key, to crucial insights into human behavior. Extracting intelligent information from such immense volume, variety and velocity of data, in context to the business requirement is the need of the hour. Therefore, new tools and methods specialized for big data analytics is crucial, along with the architectures for managing and processing such data. Big data complemented with Social Media offers a new horizon to take management practice to an advanced level.
How to Engrain a Big Data Mindset into Our Managers' DNA
Authors: Carillo Kevin Daniel André
Published: January 2017

The industry experts' claim that big data will be the next frontier for innovation, competition, and productivity, has turned from an unfounded omen to an obvious reality. In the looming data-driven business era, data will pervade organizations and will thus affect their nature and functioning. The central role played by data is about to impact the main mechanism that fuels the life of organizations, decision making, which will then gradually redefine the job and function of managers. In May 2014, a French top-ten business school launched a 2-week big data initiative aiming at immersing future managers into a big data simulation and also sensitizing them to the overall cultural shift that big data is about to engender within organizations. Using semi-real data about a French newspaper, 100 graduating students were engaged into a big data serious game which main objective was to use data visualization techniques on a large dataset hosted on a Hadoop cluster in order to derive business recommendations to higher management. By conducting observations, taking field notes, and interviewing participants, important insights could be derived for educational institutions that are contemplating the importance of including big data into their curricula but also for organizations that strive to engrain a big data mindset within their managers.
Using Soft Systems Ideas within Virtual Teams
Authors: Stowell Frank , Cooray Shavindrie
Published: January 2017

Recent research adds support to the view that the way that individuals act as part of a virtual group is different from behavior in face-to-face meetings. Specifically researchers have discovered that conflicts are more prevalent within virtual teams as opposed to face to face teams. This is because research has shown that participants are more likely to change their initial points of view (shaped by personal values, biases and experience) when discussions are held in a face to face environment rather than through virtual means. This insight raises doubts upon the effectiveness of CMCs as an instrument of organizational cohesion. In this paper we reflect upon this position and attempt to discover if these concerns can be overcome through the employment of Systems methods used in organizational inquiry. We do this through an evaluation of the results of a preliminary study between Curry College in Boston, Massachusetts, USA and Richmond University in London, UK.
How to Measure Performance in Cooperatives?
Authors: Giacomini Davide , Chiaf Elisa , Mazzoleni Mario Benito
Published: January 2017

The cooperatives produce around 10% of Italian GDP. They should face two aims: the respect of the cooperative principles and their pursuit in line with the economic effectiveness principle. Cooperatives operate on the principles of the International Cooperative Alliance: one member-one vote, free and voluntary membership, and limited remuneration of the underwritten capital. In order to represent the social and the economic impact of the cooperatives actions, the evaluations of the outcome produced should bear in mind both dimensions above-mentioned. Unfortunately, no single performance measure is appropriate for all the purposes. The aim of the paper is to hypothesize a comprehensive evaluation model that allows to estimate the cooperative excellence. The emerging model will be made up of two parts representing the social and the economic excellence in turn divided in “internal” and “external” variables depending on the stakeholder considered. In the second part of the paper, the model will be tested on eight Italian cooperatives.
The Systems Forum
Authors: Roderick Ian , Stowell Frank
Published: January 2017

This is a report on the first session of a new venture for the UK Systems Society, called 'The Systems Forum'. We seek to discover how the idea for a Systems Forum might develop and this account is a report on the feedback from this first session. The intention of ‘The Systems Forum' is to create a space for connecting policy and decision makers with the ideas and processes of system thinking. The Systems Forum is intended to identify then address complex global issues that impact at local level. Different systems approaches will be investigated to see how appropriate and useful they are in addressing large scale organisational problems and at the grass roots, day to day management activities1. The theme for the first session was ‘migration'.
An Overview on Information and Communication Overload
Authors: Batista Joao Carlos Lopes , Marques Rui Pedro Figueiredo
Published: January 2017

This chapter presents an overview on information and communication overload. The theme is contextualized and the main concepts are discussed based on the published literature. The individual, the organizational and the social perspectives are considered. To deepen this discussion, the authors developed a bibliometric analysis, which demonstrated the steady increase of interest in this topic, apparently enhanced by new developments in information technology. These technologies have presented solutions for some problems, but at the same time they have raised new issues of information overload. The bibliometric analysis also shows that many of these new issues are communication issues, contributing to justify our argument that, currently, the problems of information overload and communication overload are interrelated.
The Impact of Information and Communication Technologies on Economic Growth and Electricity Consumption
Authors: Berke Burcu , Akarsu Gülsüm , Obay Gökhan
Published: January 2017

Information overload is an important issue in the digital economy. Although, information can be easily accessed and disseminated by widespread use of information and communication technologies (ICT) since 1990s; among countries, there are still significant disparities in information access and utilization as well as ICT access and usage. ICT affect economy, industries and companies holistically and have important functions like increasing economic growth and promoting development. The basic purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of ICT on economic growth and electricity consumption for a group of Balkan and Eastern European countries by using other economic variables that affect electricity consumption and growth, such as income and electricity consumption for control purposes. This study employed a panel data method on a group of Balkan and Eastern European countries to verify the effect of other economic variables, primarily electricity consumption and found that ICT had positive impacts on economic growth.
An Overview of Nanomaterials for Water Technology
Authors: Saleh Tawfik A.
Published: January 2017

There has been a growing interest in the investigation of the possibility of nanomaterials utilization as efficient materials for water purification. The efficiency of the techniques used for water treatment depends mostly on the efficiency of the material involved in the process. The objective of this chapter is to introduce an overview of the nanomaterials classification and general schemes of their synthesis. In addition, the chapter highlights the techniques used for the characterization of the nanomaterials and nanocomposites. In addition, technologies used for water purification where the nanomaterials play a role are discussed.
Biomass-Derived Activated Carbon
Authors: Bagheri Samira , Julkapli Nurhidayatullaili Muhd
Published: January 2017

The focus is to highlight the catalytic technologies to convert lignocellulosic biomass into the activated carbon (AC) which can be used in photocatalysis applications. The drawback of carbon production raised by energy assumption and product selectivity has encouraged the development of sustainable carbon synthesis process, where the catalytic approach is considered. This treatment via either homogenous or heterogeneous catalytic approach relative in mild condition provided a bulk, mesoporous and nanostructure AC materials. Those characteristics of AC materials are basic requirements for the efficient photocatalytic system. Due to the excellent oxidizing behavior and stability, semiconductor materials have been widely used in the photocatalytic system. However, they lead to some drawbacks in terms of the separation steps and loss of the photocatalyst. So, attention has been paid to supported semiconductor catalysts which carbon materials were explored. AC reported as a potential support in photocatalytic systems.
Inter-Relationships between an Enterprise's Strategic Management Process and Its Program/Project Portfolio Management Process
Authors: Archibald Russell Dean
Published: January 2017

This chapter describes and clarifies the boundaries between strategic management and project/program portfolio management (PPPM) processes, and identifies who holds primary responsibilities for key elements of these inter-related sets of management processes. The main issues considered include: The differences between strategic project management and operational project management. The elements in the strategic project management practices and processes that should be considered to be within the responsibility of ‘project management.' The role of a typical PMO in relation to 1) strategic management processes, and 2) both the strategic and operational project management processes. The importance of identifying the differences between transformative and commercial projects and programs and also between the major categories of projects and programs within enterprises. The origins of the two basic types of projects within project-driven compared to project-dependent enterprises.
Demand Management as a Success Factor in Project Portfolio Management
Authors: Romano Luca , Grimaldi Roberta , Colasuonno Francesco Saverio
Published: January 2017

Demand Management is the process an organization puts in place to internally collect new ideas, projects and needs during the creation of a Portfolio (from now on PTF). This collection is done internally but should also consider the external market situation and the general Strategy of the Organization. Demand contains two main actions: initiatives Collection and Assessment (following the Strategic Objectives definition) and preceding the start of the Portfolio budgeting, prioritization and selection phases. What is possible to do to better manage Demand and maximize the value added to Portfolio Management? The first opportunity is that Demand can represent a connection with the business and the entire Organization. A second opportunity is that a continuous Demand Management approach can simplify the portfolio collection, prioritization and selection. For Demand Management to be a real opportunity in Portfolio Management should be organized and planned respecting the interpretation of the matter and the maturity of the Organisation and should be also treated as a specific matter.
Clinical Pathways and the Human Factor
Authors: Michell Vaughan , Tehrani Jasmine
Published: January 2017

A key approach to improving patient safety is to seek to modify both formal and informal behaviours in response to the extensive reporting of error causes in the literature. This response is primarily in two parts; a) actions to minimise the risk of error or b) actions to control against error. For a) very valuable work has also been undertaken in running human factors courses to demonstrate and try to change poor behaviour via best practice models. In the case of b) much work has been done on increasing control regimes such as checklists and also formal rules in formal procedures. However, these actions tend to be specific to specific health units, are often piecemeal and are not integrated to complement each other. Little work has been done to integrate these formal and informal/social behaviour into clinical pathways or health activities. This chapter reviews current thinking and develops a methodology and proposal for identification and control of human error in clinical pathways based on the research of the two authors.
Wage Inequality of IT Professionals in India
Authors: Kumar Manoj
Published: January 2017

Using annual survey data from 6 cities in different regions of India, the author analyzes the rapid increase in wage inequality of information technology (IT) professionals in India from 2002 to 2015. The author describes within-group and between-group wage inequality trends and decompose wage inequality change into changes in the distribution of IT professionals in IT sectors attributes, both observed and unobserved, and changes in the returns to those attributes. The author finds that growing regional wage disparities, rising returns to unobserved IT skills, and rising returns to IT education explain most of the wage inequality increase. Rising IT skill premiums are due primarily to increasing relative demand for IT skilled professionals within IT sectors rather than to demand shifts across IT sectors. The timing of wage inequality change has been erratic, suggesting a key role played by reform policies.
Interaction of Knowledge Spirals to Create Ontologies for An Institutional Repository of Educational Innovation Best Practices
Authors: Sein-Echaluce María Luisa , Abadía-Valle Ana Rosa , Bueno-García Concepción , Fidalgo-Blanco Ángel
Published: January 2017

Previous studies have shown the usefulness of ontologies in the creation, consolidation, distribution and combination of new knowledge in the field of educational innovation to obtain a continuous flow of knowledge between individuals and organizations. In this paper, some phases of Nonaka's epistemological and ontological spirals are modified, and a layer to interact between them is added to create an ontology for a specific organization of higher education. The proposed model allows the classification of educational innovation best practices and encourages their transference into the organization through a knowledge management system developed in previous works. The proposed ontology is validated through a descriptive study. This allows a comparison of the different points of view of the authors of the best practices and those of an expert team, all involved in the knowledge spirals. This paper offers an ontology to classify educational innovation best practices and facilitate the search for these and their subsequent application in other contexts.
The QUAIL Framework
Authors: Georgiadou Elli , McGuinness Claire , Siakas Kerstin , Koukourakis Manolis , Repanovici Angela , Khan Nawaz , Rahanu Harjinder
Published: January 2017

Successful transfer and sharing of knowledge rely mainly on social attitudes, behaviours and networks, rather than ICT-based networks. The availability of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) facilitates the management of projects in general. ICTs are central to both managing Information Literacy projects and providing access to learning resources and opportunities for collaborative learning. In this paper, we propose a framework for quality management of information literacy projects. Learning from the field of Information Systems Quality Management the proposed framework encompasses Deming's PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) Cycle and Kitchenham's Process Improvement model. From the Information Literacy field the SCONUL model provide the dimension of standardisation. The framework is customisable to prioritise aspects based on the likelihood, proximity and impact of risks. The success of Information Literacy programmes and projects depends on the availability and use of ICTs and in this paper we argue how the Information Literacy Project success can be enhanced by using our framework.
Engineering Education for All
Authors: Galeshi Roofia
Published: January 2017

For many men and women across the world, distance education has improved access to higher education. Distance education could potentially help bridge the gap that divides the East and the West. A group of highly motivated young men and women from the Middle-East with undergraduate degrees in electrical engineering, computer engineering, and computer science students were given an opportunity to earn a Ph.D. degree from a high ranking American university. These highly motivated men and women then were asked to participate in an online survey that aimed at comparing their perception of online education versus face-to-face education. The result indicated that there was no association between the students' degree of self-efficacy and feeling of inclusion in online versus face-to-face courses. Moreover, the result indicated that there was no association between gender and self-efficacy regardless of the medium of the choice.
Myeloid ATG16L1 Facilitates Host–Bacteria Interactions in Maintaining Intestinal Homeostasis
Authors: Zhang Hong , Zheng Libo , McGovern Dermot P. B. , Hamill Ariel M. , Ichikawa Ryan , Kanazawa Yoshitake , Luu Justin , Kumagai Kotaro , Cilluffo Marianne , Fukata Masayuki , Targan Stephan R. , Underhill David M. , Zhang Xiaolan , Shih David Q.
Published: January 2017

Intact ATG16L1 plays an essential role in Paneth cell function and intestinal homeostasis. However, the functional consequences of ATG16L1 deficiency in myeloid cells, particularly macrophages, are not fully characterized. We generated mice with Atg16l1 deficiency in myeloid and dendritic cells and showed that mice with myeloid Atg16l1 deficiency had exacerbated colitis in two acute and one chronic model of colitis with increased proinflammatory to anti-inflammatory macrophage ratios, production of proinflammatory cytokines, and numbers of IgA-coated intestinal microbes. Mechanistic analyses using primary murine macrophages showed that Atg16l1 deficiency led to increased reactive oxygen species production, impaired mitophagy, reduced microbial killing, impaired processing of MHC class II Ags, and altered intracellular trafficking to the lysosomal compartments. Increased production of reactive oxygen species and reduced microbial killing may be general features of the myeloid compartment, as they were also observed in Atg16l1-deficient primary murine neutrophils. A missense polymorphism (Thr300Ala) in the essential autophagy gene ATG16L1 is associated with Crohn disease (CD). Previous studies showed that this polymorphism leads to enhanced cleavage of ATG16L1 T300A protein and thus reduced autophagy. Similar findings were shown in primary human macrophages from controls and a population of CD patients carrying the Atg16l1 T300A risk variant and who were controlled for NOD2 CD-associated variants. This study revealed that ATG16L1 deficiency led to alterations in macrophage function that contribute to the severity of CD.
When equal becomes the same. The spirituality of sex: Have we lost it?
Authors: Erasmus Annelise , Lombaard Christo J.S.
Published: January 2017

In this contribution, spirituality and sexuality are brought together as part of a quest for authenticity. In conversation with Hegel and Nietzsche, the confusion between sameness and difference as it plays out in the confusion between the public and private spheres is analysed, en route to proposing life-affirming sexual identities, including non-mainstream sexualities.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Aspects of philosophy, spirituality and human sexuality are brought in conversation with one another.
Diagnostic assessment of skeletal maturity through dental maturation in Hispanic growing individuals
Authors: Cisternas Alejandra , Morales Rolando , Ramirez Valeria , Real Alberto Del , Oyonarte Rodrigo
Published: January 2017

Background

The aim of this study was to explore dental maturation as a diagnostic test for skeletal maturation.

Materials and Methods

Six hundred and fifty-seven growing individuals were classified according to their cervical vertebral maturity and dental maturity, both determined in lateral cephalograms and panoramic radiographs, respectively. The correlation between cervical and dental stages was established for each gender. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was made, and sensitivity and specificity values were established.

Results

Correlation was found between cervical and dental maturation for females (r = 0.73; P < 0.001) and males (r = 0.60; P < 0.001). Sensitivity for dental Stage F, as an indicator of a postmaturation peak stage, was 87.21% for females and 97.1% for males, whereas specificity for the same stage was 82.92% and 72.3% for females and males, respectively.

Conclusions

Dental maturation evaluation could contribute determining whether a patient is in a pre- or post-growth spurt stage.
Some noncoherent, nonpositively curved Kähler groups
Authors: Py Pierre
Published: January 2017

If

\Gamma

is any nonuniform lattice in the group PU(2,1), let

\overline{\Gamma}

be the quotient of

\Gamma

obtained by filling the cusps of

\Gamma

(i.e. killing the center of parabolic subgroups). Assuming that such a lattice

\Gamma

has positive first Betti number, we prove that for any sufficiently deep subgroup of finite index

\Gamma_{1} < \Gamma

, the group

\overline{\Gamma_{1}}

is noncoherent. The proof relies on previous work of M. Kapovich as well as of C. Hummel and V. Schroeder.
Galois involutions and exceptional buildings
Authors: Mühlherr Bernhard , Weiss Richard M.
Published: January 2017

We apply the theory of descent for buildings to give elementary constructions of the exceptional buildings of type

A_2

,

B_2

,

C_3

and

F_4

as the fixed point building of a Galois involution of a building of type

E_6

,

E_7

or

E_8

or, in one case, a pseudo-split building of type

F_4

.
Basic partitions and combinations of group actions on the circle: A new approach to a theorem of Kathryn Mann
Authors: Matsumoto Shigenori
Published: January 2017

Let

\Pi_g

be the surface group of genus

g (g \geq 2)

, and denote by

\mathcal R_{\Pi_g}

the space of the homomorphisms from

\Pi_g

into the group of the orientation preserving homeomorphisms of

S^1

. Let

2g-2=kl

for some positive integers

k

and

l

. Then the subset of

\mathcal R_{\Pi_g}

formed by those

\varphi

which are semiconjugate to

k

-fold lifts of some homomorphisms and which have Euler number

eu(\varphi)=l

is shown to be clopen. This leads to a new proof of the main result of Kathryn Mann [Man] from a completely different approach.
A Vinča potscape: formal chronological models for the use and development of Vinča ceramics in south-east Europe
Authors: Whittle Alasdair , Bayliss Alex , Barclay Alistair , Gaydasrka Bisserka , Bánffy Eszter , Borić Dušan , Draşovean Florin Draşovean , Jakucs János , Marić Miroslav , Orton David , Pantović Ivana , Schier Wolfram , Tasić Nenad , Vander Linden Marc
Published: January 2017

Recent work at Vinča-Belo Brdo has combined a total of more than 200 radiocarbon dates with an array of other information to construct much more precise narratives for the structural history of the site and the cultural materials recovered from it. In this paper, we present the results of a recent attempt to construct formal models for the chronology of the wider Vinča potscape, so that we can place our now detailed understanding of changes at Belo Brdo within their contemporary contexts. We present our methodology for assessing the potential of the existing corpus of more than 600 radiocarbon dates for refining the chronology of the five phases of Vinča ceramics proposed by Milojčić across their spatial ranges, including a total of 490 of them in a series of Bayesian chronological models. Then we outline our main results for the development of Vinča pottery. Finally, we discuss some of the major implications for our understanding of the source, character and tempo of material change.
Tools tell tales – climate trends changing threads in the prehistoric Pannonian Plain
Authors: Grabundžija Ana , Russo Emmanuele
Published: January 2017

This study of prehistoric textile production on the Pannonian Plain is based on indirect evidence dated to the period between the 5th and 2nd millennium BC; the study of technological trends and changes that occurred in manufacturing traditions concentrates on fibre processing and production. The functionality analysis of spindle-whorls served as a basis for comparing textile production trends with the results of the climate change model. Climatic changes in the area were simulated by means of a moderate-resolution Global Circulation Model (GCM). The simulation covered the mid-to-late Holocene, from 7000 years BP to the pre-industrial period.
Comparing different sampling methods in order to reconstruct plant economies at the Eneolithic lake dwelling site Stare gmajne, Slovenia
Authors: Tolar Tjaša , Velušček Anton
Published: January 2017

The results of plant macroremains studies of the Eneolithic (c. 3160–3100 cal BC) lakeshore settlement at Stare gmajne on the Ljubljansko barje in Slovenia are presented. Archaeobotanical material was collected in two different ways: (1) systematic surface sampling from the cultural layer, and (2) judgement sampling from an incompletely burnt large loom-weight. The preservation state and the spectra of plant macroremains were different in both types of samples. The first study primarily deals with the waterlogged plant remains of various types and taxa, while the second deals with carbonised and half-carbonised cereal macroremains, mostly chaff. Both studies confirm the cultivation of main crops: emmer, einkorn and barley.
The swan chariot of a solar deity: Greek narratives and prehistoric iconography
Authors: Bilić Tomislav
Published: January 2017

Literary testimonies for the Greek concept of Apollo’s swan chariot and the accompanying set of ideas were often discussed alongside some comparable Central and North European iconographic representations. This study approaches the problem by collating, with a help of structural analysis, a number of highly specific complex prehistoric iconographic arrangements (most notably the Dupljaja chariot), which suggest a similar concept was indeed current in the tradition of some European pre-literate societies. The principles employed here in the iconographic analysis of complex symbolic structures, offered a sound methodological basis for comparing literary with iconographic sources. It is concluded that their underlying muthos represents an account of the annual solar movement in terms of anthropomorphic causation.