bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Both Subunits of the Circadian RNA-Binding Protein CHLAMY1 Can Integrate Temperature Information
Authors: Voytsekh Olga , Seitz Stefanie B. , Iliev Dobromir , Mittag Maria
Published: June 2008

The circadian RNA-binding protein CHLAMY1 from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii consists of two subunits named C1 and C3. Changes in the C1 level cause arrhythmicity of the phototaxis rhythm, while alterations in the level of C3 lead to acrophase shifts. Thus, CHLAMY1 is involved in maintaining period and phase of the circadian clock. Here, we analyzed the roles of the two subunits in the integration of temperature information, the basis for other key properties of circadian clocks, including entrainment by temperature cycles and temperature compensation. Applied temperatures (18°C and 28°C) were in the physiological range of C. reinhardtii. While C1 is hyperphosphorylated at low temperature, the C3 expression level is up-regulated at 18°C. An inhibitor experiment showed that this up-regulation occurs at the transcriptional level. Promoter analysis studies along with single promoter element mutations revealed that individual replacement of two DREB1A-boxes lowered the amplitude of c3 up-regulation at 18°C, while replacement of an E-box abolished it completely. Replacement of the E-box also caused arrhythmicity of circadian-controlled c3 expression. Thus, the E-box has a dual function for temperature-dependent up-regulation of c3 as well as for its circadian expression. We also found that the temperature-dependent regulation of C1 and C3 as well as temperature entrainment are altered in the clock mutant per1, indicating that a temperature-controlled network of C1, C3, and PER1 exists.
Glycerol-3-Phosphate Levels Are Associated with Basal Resistance to the Hemibiotrophic Fungus Colletotrichum higginsianum in Arabidopsis
Authors: Chanda Bidisha , Venugopal Srivathsa C. , Kulshrestha Saurabh , Navarre Duroy A. , Downie Bruce , Vaillancourt Lisa , Kachroo Aardra , Kachroo Pradeep
Published: June 2008

Glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) is an important component of carbohydrate and lipid metabolic processes. In this article, we provide evidence that G3P levels in plants are associated with defense to a hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Colletotrichum higginsianum. Inoculation of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) with C. higginsianum was correlated with an increase in G3P levels and a concomitant decrease in glycerol levels in the host. Plants impaired in utilization of plastidial G3P (act1) accumulated elevated levels of pathogen-induced G3P and displayed enhanced resistance. Furthermore, overexpression of the host GLY1 gene, which encodes a G3P dehydrogenase (G3Pdh), conferred enhanced resistance. In contrast, the gly1 mutant accumulated reduced levels of G3P after pathogen inoculation and showed enhanced susceptibility to C. higginsianum. Unlike gly1, a mutation in a cytosolic isoform of G3Pdh did not alter basal resistance to C. higginsianum. Furthermore, act1 gly1 double-mutant plants were as susceptible as the gly1 plants. Increased resistance or susceptibility of act1 and gly1 plants to C. higginsianum, respectively, was not due to effects of these mutations on salicylic acid- or ethylene-mediated defense pathways. The act1 mutation restored a wild-type-like response in camalexin-deficient pad3 plants, which were hypersusceptible to C. higginsianum. These data suggest that G3P-associated resistance to C. higginsianum occurs independently or downstream of the camalexin pathway. Together, these results suggest a novel and specific link between G3P metabolism and plant defense.
Factors affecting the intentions of customers in Malaysia to use mobile phone credit cards
Authors: Amin Hanudin
Published: June 2008

Purpose

Mobile phones have provided an opportunity for banking institutions to introduce new services to the public. The latest service, which is now available in Malaysian banking institutions, is the mobile phone credit card. The purpose of this paper is to provide a preliminary investigation of the factors that determine whether Malaysia's bank customers will use the new mobile phone credit card technology.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper extends the applicability of the technology acceptance model (TAM) to mobile phone credit cards and includes “perceived credibility (PC)”, the “amount of information about mobile phone credit cards (AIMCs)” and “perceived expressiveness (PE)”, in addition to “perceived usefulness (PU)” and “perceived ease of use (PEOU)”.

Findings

The results indicate that PU, PEOU, PC and the amount of information contained on mobile phone credit cards are important determinants to predicting the intentions of Malaysian customers to use mobile phone credit cards. However, PE is not an important determinant in predicting the intentions of Malaysian customers to use mobile phone credit cards.

Research limitations/implications

The study conducted in Eastern Malaysia contains a small size of sample and a limited number of measures in the model developed for the study. Nevertheless, it provides new information about an emerging market and technology.

Practical implications

The results will be primarily of benefit to the commercial banks in Malaysia since this study offers banking institutions an insight on the intentions of their customers to use mobile phone credit cards.

Originality/value

The study extends the understanding of TAM to newly emerging contexts such as the mobile phone credit card.
Challenges in building the capacity of human resource development in decentralized local governments
Authors: Antwi K.B. , Analoui F.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore and try to understand the human side of public sector reform (PSR) in local government in Ghana in the context of the challenges facing human resource capacity building and development policies.

Design/methodology/approach

Adopting an exploratory case study design, the paper triangulates both secondary and primary sources of data. Primary data were generated from self‐completing questionnaire and interview schedule tools covering 105 local government employees selected from national, regional and district levels. Semi‐structured interviews also solicited views from 16 senior public officers and managers in nine public and quasi‐public organizations. These primary sources were complemented with relevant secondary documents from the organisations investigated.

Findings

It was found that Ghana's PSR has significantly influenced the strategic direction of human resource development policies of the decentralized local government service. Major challenges in human resource capacity manifest themselves as related to policy, task, skill and organisation issues and performance motivation.

Practical implications

Addressing the human resource capacity challenges has enormous strategic and financial resource implications for policy makers in transitional and developing economies, due to their over‐reliance on external donors for funding.

Originality/value

Unlike previous studies, this paper did not explore HR capacity issues of elected officials; rather, it focused on the public servants (technocrats) implementing local political decisions. Of much value is that the results were derived from the experience of frontline local government staff, whose day‐to‐day inputs are critical for effective decentralization.
Pay referent comparison and pay level satisfaction
Authors: Shittu Ola
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine satisfaction level among food retail employees concerning their pay and to compare pay referent and pay level satisfaction of employees in supermarkets and discount stores in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was used to gather data from a sample of 246 higher, middle level management and shop floor staff. The study selected ten leading retail organisations, five each from the supermarket and discount sectors. All had strong perceived image and quality, selling both national and own‐brands. All were located in London.

Findings

The study revealed that generally, UK retail employees are not satisfied with their pay. However, supermarket employees recorded higher levels of satisfaction compared with their counterparts in the discount stores.

Research limitations/implications

The results are limited to the UK food retail sector and, therefore, should not be generalised or be regarded as an indication of the general reaction of the UK workers in this area of study.

Practical implications

The UK grocery retailers may need to review their general approach to employee reward systems in order to induce pay level satisfaction among their employees.
Business services and the knowledge economy in Malaysia
Authors: Jarman Jennifer , Singh Chopra Parminder
Published: June 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to argue that the World Bank‐sanctioned strategy of investing in knowledge economy infrastructure will not make a developing country competitive in the highest value activities such as research, design and innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines Malaysia's efforts to increase its national income and change its position from a “middle‐income” country to one with a standard of living equivalent to a developed country by 2020. Specifically, it analyses Malaysia's strategy of constructing a multimedia super corridor, a multibillion‐dollar state‐led project to attract knowledge‐intensive operations to Malaysia.

Findings

Despite the creation of a world‐class infrastructure, the Malaysian government has not been successful in realising its original aim of creating a cutting‐edge multimedia research and development hub. Instead a thriving business support services sector has developed. Therefore, it is by no means a guaranteed way to close the gap between rich and poor nations.

Research limitations/implications

Official data relating to the activities of firms not only are limited but also have been made problematic by changes in categorisation over the relevant years. Analysis that is more conclusive requires the publication of official data with greater detail about firm activities and a standardised reporting format over time.

Originality/value

This is one of the first academic studies discussing the rise of the business services industry in Malaysia and its relationship with the MSC infrastructure development project.
Modelling socioeconomic trajectories: an optimal matching approach
Authors: Stone Juliet , Netuveli Gopalakrishnan , Blane David
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to describe the use of sequence analysis to model trajectories of life‐course economic activity status, within a broader research agenda aimed at improving understanding of the relationship between socioeconomic position and health.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis used data on 288 participants of the Boyd Orr Stratified Sub‐Sample, comprising a combination of prospective and retrospective information on economic activity status, as well as health in early old age. Economic activity was coded as a time‐based sequence of states for each participant based on six‐month periods throughout their lives. Economic activity was classified as: pre‐labour market; full‐time employment; part‐time employment; housewife; made redundant; stopped work due to illness; retired; other unemployed; or not applicable. Optimal matching analysis was carried out to produce a matrix of distances between each sequence, which was then used as the basis for cluster analysis.

Findings

The optimal matching analysis resulted in the classification of individuals into five economic activity status trajectories: full‐time workers (transitional exit), part‐time housewives, career breakers, full‐time workers (late entry, early exit), and full‐time housewives.

Originality/value

The paper presents the case for using sequence analysis as a methodological tool to facilitate a more interdisciplinary approach to the measurement of the life‐course socioeconomic position, in particular attempting to integrate the empirical emphasis of epidemiological research with the more theoretical contributions of sociology. This may in turn help generate a framework within which to examine the relationships between life‐course socioeconomic position and outcomes such as health in later life.
Impact of value chain activities on quality and innovation
Authors: Prajogo Daniel I. , McDermott Peggy , Goh Mark
Published: June 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the extent to which four elements of the value chain – marketing, research and development, procurement, and operations – are associated with product quality and product innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 194 managers of Australian firms, and multivariate analysis using structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The elements of the value chain differ in their association with product outcomes. Marketing and production are related to product quality, but surprisingly while research and development is related to product innovation, marketing is not. Procurement is related to both product quality and product innovation.

Research limitations/implications

The paper shows that individual elements of the value chain are related to specific competitive strategies and how these elements are related to each other, suggesting the need to direct effort within the firm for better, targeted performance. The results are limited by the sample size and geography of the survey.

Practical implications

Specific value chain functions tend to be associated with specific performance outcomes. This suggests that managers might gain by targeting specific elements of the value chain as their organizations strive for specific competitive goals.

Originality/value

This paper seeks to help managers and decision makers to assess the relationship between the different attributes of the value chain and product quality and innovation. It is often not feasible for managers to emphasize all the elements of the value chain simultaneously, and this paper provides an important step in looking at these individual linkages.
Interventions to stimulate group learning in organizations
Authors: Sessa Valerie I. , London Manuel
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to briefly describe a model of group learning, examine variables that stimulate a group to learn and determine the group's readiness to learn, and provide suggested interventions to enhance group readiness to learn.

Design/methodology/approach

This practical paper, based on a model of group learning and recent group, learning, and systems literature, examines what triggers groups to learn and what makes groups ready to learn, and then suggest interventions to enhance group readiness to learn. Learning requires that the group recognizes variables that trigger learning. These may be pressures or opportunities from outside the group or encouragement and direction from group members. In addition, the group needs to be ready to learn when the triggers occur. Readiness to learn is a function of the group's maturity, boundary permeability, and learning orientation.

Findings

Based on a review of the literature and the model, the paper suggests ways to diagnose learning triggers and readiness and propose interventions to increase general readiness to learn as well as the group's readiness to learn as the group is forming, when the group makes progress, and as the group concludes its work. Finally, the paper presents a case to demonstrate learning triggers and the importance of readiness to learn.

Originality/value

This paper fulfills an identified need by managers in organizations regarding understanding group learning, what triggers it, and how to enhance group readiness to learn and offers practical help to stimulating a group's readiness to learn.
Managerial recruitment: the influence of personality and ideal candidate characteristics
Authors: Johnson Alonzo , Winter Paul A. , Reio Thomas G. , Thompson Henry L. , Petrosko Joseph M.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the vital issue of managerial recruitment for private industry. Personality and demographic variables and their interactions are to be examined to determine the extent they uniquely influence the attraction of business professionals to managerial jobs in simulated position advertisements.

Design/methodology/approach

The study consisted of 330 experienced business professionals who role‐played as applicants for managerial positions by rating jobs described in simulated position advertisements.

Findings

After statistically controlling for the demographic variables, the hierarchical regression analyses suggested that personality (inclusion, control, openness) as determined by the FIRO Element B explained statistically significant job rating variance in each of the three regression models. Thus, job applicant personality influenced the attraction of the participants to simulated managerial jobs.

Originality/value

These findings suggest the practical significance of human resource professionals producing recruitment media to attract managerial applicants with the appropriate personality to best assure a good person‐job fit. This notion is discussed as a possible lost cost method for managerial recruitment improvement and as a solid first step in developing a cadre of managers for organizations.
What is seen and unseen on the Gulf coast
Authors: Raskin Max , Kjar Scott A. , Rahm Robert
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the rebuilding of the Gulf coast post‐Hurricane Katrina.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper posits that though Frédéric Bastiat passed away in 1850, the beauty of his sound economic reasoning is that it does not change over time and that his essay, “That which is seen, and that which is not seen,” is especially insightful in analyzing the rebuilding of the Gulf coast. The paper first expounds his lesson and then applies it to the conflict between the private and public sectors in order to attack the fallacies of government spending and vindicate the free‐market approach to reconstruction.

Findings

The paper finds that the areas where the government has coercively arrogated to itself a monopoly – police and fire departments to protect lives and property, courts to punish rights violators, water and sewer systems to restore potable water to homes – are the areas where recovery lags the most. Since government has diverted its attention from these services where competition is not allowed, and has instead become involved in the provision of goods and services otherwise provided on the free market – houses, food, clothing – its efforts have not only not assisted the recovery, they have actually stood in its way.

Originality/value

The paper provides a valuable overview of lessons that can be learnt from the aftermath of the Katrina disaster.
Price gouging in the Katrina aftermath: free markets at work
Authors: Culpepper Dreda , Block Walter
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The concept of “price gouging” during times of emergency, such as in the aftermath of Katrina, often evokes quite an emotional and reactive response from people who are outraged that stores and companies would increase their prices during a time of emergency. The problem is that people do not realize that, in times of emergency, the market price they knew before is no longer adequate. Government intervention is not the answer to this “problem.” The purpose of this paper is to explore basic concepts of economics, to glean a better perspective of the justification for raising prices during times of emergency, as well as what would happen if there were not laws preventing this very necessary practice.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper addresses some “basic concepts” of economics and applies them to emergency situations, preeminently the dire plight of New Orleans and the Gulf coast after Katrina.

Findings

The paper finds that a government passes legislation preventing price gouging based on the implicit premise that it can allocate resources more efficiently than the market. By doing so, it alleges that it knows what the people want better than entrepreneurs who sink or swim based on their ability to anticipate matters of this sort. The paper voices the view that government regulation is nothing short of a disaster as far as satisfying customers is concerned.

Originality/value

The paper is of value in offering the forthright view that during times of disaster, prices must be allowed to adjust as a signal to producers and consumers alike. Consumers will utilize less of these goods, and producers will increase their output. As the supply adjusts following the price increase, goods and services will get to those who want them the most and are willing to pay for them. The paper posits the view that this will undoubtedly be a more effective way to distribute supplies to hurricane victims – price controls must be repealed, and the free market must be allowed to work via the beneficent invisible hand, not by the stultifying hands of the bureaucrats and politicians.
Meeting our future professionals
Authors: Greifeneder Elke
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reflect about future professionals, hybrid publications and conference blogging.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an opinion piece, based on the participation during the BOBCATSSS conference.

Findings

Our young professionals are aware that the library profession is at a crossroads and that it is up to them to find the best way to deal with current issues. The paper emphasizes that we need a combination of new ideas and work experience.

Practical implications

Practical implications are observations about conference blogging and the impact of hybrid publishing.

Originality/value

This paper identifies the potential we have within our future professionals.
Staffing the Commons: job analysis in the context of an Information Commons
Authors: Boyd Robert
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to apply principles from the field of industrial and organizational psychology on organizational analysis and job analysis to better identify successful candidates for employment in an Information Commons.

Design/methodology/approach

Review of professional research, research from both library literature and industrial and organizational psychology, review of professional association surveys.

Findings

Library administration must invest time to articulate mission, value, and goals for the Information Commons before undertaking the organizational analysis. From the organizational analysis will flow the job analysis, job descriptions and hiring protocols.

Original/value

Core concepts of organizational analysis and job analysis from the field of industrial and organizational psychology are pertinent and useful to library leaders in planning, implementing and staffing new service models, such as Information Commons.
Exploring faculty experiences with e‐books: a focus group
Authors: Carlock Danielle M. , Maughan Perry Anali
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe how, in the spring of 2007, Arizona State University Libraries held a focus group of selected faculty to discover their perceptions and use of electronic books (e‐books) in their research and teaching.

Design/methodology/approach

The services of the Institute of Social Sciences Research were employed to recruit and moderate the focus group. Major themes explored were: use of e‐books as textbooks; use of e‐books for personal research; comparison between e‐books and print; disciplinary differences in perceptions of e‐books; and motivators for future use.

Findings

Overall, the focus group revealed that faculty had generally unsatisfactory experiences in using e‐books in their research and teaching owing to the unreliability of access, lack of manipulability, and the steep learning curve of the various interfaces. However, most faculty agreed that e‐books would be a very viable and useful alternative if these issues were resolved.

Research limitations/implications

The focus group consisted of only six faculty members and hence is not representative of faculty as a whole. A larger survey of a more diverse faculty population would greatly serve to clarify and expand upon the findings.

Practical implications

The implications for academic libraries include providing better outreach and training to faculty about the e‐book platforms offered, provide better course support, and advocate to e‐book vendors to consider faculty's teaching and research needs in their product development.

Originality/value

This is believed to be the first published study of faculty opinions and use of e‐books utilizing focus group methodology and offers detailed information that would be useful for academic libraries and e‐book vendors for evidence‐based decisions.
Sensitivity analysis of mapping local image features into conceptual categories
Authors: Tsai Chih‐Fong , Yen David C.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

Image classification or more specifically, annotating images with keywords is one of the important steps during image database indexing. However, the problem with current research in terms of image retrieval is more concentrated on how conceptual categories can be well represented by extracted, low level features for an effective classification. Consequently, image features representation including segmentation and low‐level feature extraction schemes must be genuinely effective to facilitate the process of classification. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect on annotation effectiveness of using different (local) feature representation methods to map into conceptual categories.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper compares tiling (five and nine tiles) and regioning (five and nine regions) segmentation schemes and the extraction of combinations of color, texture, and edge features in terms of the effectiveness of a particular benchmark, automatic image annotation set up. Differences between effectiveness on concrete or abstract conceptual categories or keywords are further investigated, and progress towards establishing a particular benchmark approach is also reported.

Findings

In the context of local feature representation, the paper concludes that the combined color and texture features are the best to use for the five tiling and regioning schemes, and this evidence would form a good benchmark for future studies. Another interesting finding (but perhaps not surprising) is that when the number of concrete and abstract keywords increases or it is large (e.g. 100), abstract keywords are more difficult to assign correctly than the concrete ones.

Research limitations/implications

Future work could consider: conduct user‐centered evaluation instead of evaluation only by some chosen ground truth dataset, such as Corel, since this might impact effectiveness results; use of different numbers of categories for scalability analysis of image annotation as well as larger numbers of training and testing examples; use of Principle Component Analysis or Independent Component Analysis, or indeed machine learning techniques for low‐level feature selection; use of other segmentation schemes, especially more complex tiling schemes and other regioning schemes; use of different datasets, use of other low‐level features and/or combination of them; use of other machine learning techniques.

Originality/value

This paper is a good start for analyzing the mapping between some feature representation methods and various conceptual categories for future image annotation research.
Recovery of descriptive information in images from digital libraries by means of EXIF metadata
Authors: Lloret Romero Nuria , Gimenez Chornet Vicent V.G.C. , Serrano Cobos Jorge , Selles Carot Alicia A.S.C , Canet Centellas F. , Cabrera Mendez M.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a study case of the digitization of documents kept by the Reino de Valencia Archive and its description and recovery through EXIF metadata from the digital images obtained. The control of digital images, in terms of identification of their number and the batches they belong to, can be achieved by naming the digital file with digits that the user can identify.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper's objective is to provide image descriptions far better than by naming the file. For that reason the paper analyses the tools and results obtained with each one of them.

Findings

Results about using commercial software for metadata image description.

Originality/value

The paper describes a novel use of metadata for historical archives documents.
Toward a knowledge base for school climate in Cyprus's schools
Authors: Pashiardis Georgia
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The main purpose of this study was to explore and analyze secondary school students' (8th grade) perceptions about school climate in three areas, namely: the physical environment of the school, the social environment and the learning environment

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire, which was designed and pilot‐tested around the three climate areas was utilized for gathering the data. The questionnaire included 53 statements related to school climate (physical, social, learning environment) and the participants were asked to respond to each statement using a Likert type scale 1 to 5 (1 means “not at all” and 5 “to a great extent”).

Findings

The main findings concerning the three areas of school climate indicate that students are (generally) moderately satisfied with their school's climate. Specifically, the lowest mean was given to the area of social environment (3,12) on a five‐point Likert type scale, the second highest (3,23) to the physical environment and the highest score (3,26) to the learning environment. Meanwhile, students in their answers indicated that they are not satisfied with specific items in the three areas of school climate which should be taken into account in future reform programs of Cyprus.

Research limitations/implications

This study was limited in the fact that the methodology used was only quantitative and therefore, triangulation of results through other methodologies was not possible.

Practical implications

The examination of different aspects of school climate could help educators in their efforts to assess the environment of their schools for the purpose of monitoring the development, the improvement and the maintenance of a healthy school climate for teachers and students.

Originality/value

It is the first time that a study in measuring the various aspects of school climate from the students' perspective has been done in Cyprus's centralised educational system. Therefore, these results provide an important source of information for educators and researchers who have the responsibility of creating educational policy and planning for the years to come for a better and a more modern educational system. The results could be used in a comparative format in order to compare school climate in other educational settings similar to the Cyprus one.
Elusive search for quality education
Authors: Odhiambo George
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine issues of quality and quality assurance in Kenyan schools, identify reasons why Kenya government has difficulties in achieving its well documented search for quality education and to trace the process for ensuring the accountability of teachers in Kenya. This focus is done under conditions of significant changes in government policies and educational restructuring.

Design/methodology/approach

The reflections are done through a review of variety of research and analytical sources.

Findings

The review shows that the government, whose approach has been ambivalent and paradoxical, has determined teacher accountability and that the underlying cause of poor quality education in Kenya's schools is not the performance of teachers per se but deeply rooted management practices and other government policies which will have to change if this dream is to be realized. The evaluation of teachers' work should not be separated from development since quality is dependent on professional development. There is no development without challenge and quality development depends on the participation of all persons involved in teaching and learning.

Practical implications

The most obvious practical implication of this paper is that education in Kenya needs complete overhaul and not piecemeal reforms. Above all, there is need to invest regularly in the development of teachers, as teachers need access to continuous and effective updating and updating systems.

Originality/value

This paper provides an opportunity for reflection and builds a foundation on some of the key challenges that face education and teachers in Kenya. The paper suggests directions for leading Kenyan schools into a successful future.
Impact of information technology in academia
Authors: Ranjan Jayanthi
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the provisions of information technology (IT) for development of academic resources and examines the effect of IT in academic institutions for sharing information.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the role of IT in sharing information in academic institutions and explores the IT effectiveness in an academic context that is used to improve efficiency and effectiveness of creation and sharing of information among people.

Findings

The paper finds that the rapid pace of change in IT is increasingly influencing the creation, publication and dissemination of educational materials and sharing information. IT facilitates connections across disciplinary, institutional, geographical, and cultural boundaries. Taken together, the computational and communication capabilities in IT offer great promise for supporting continual improvements in academia. They also underscore the need for credible research into the practical benefits and limitations of teaching and learning in settings enchanced by IT.

Originality/value

The paper provides useful suggestions for colleges and universities, which must recognize that, increasingly, the influence and demands of their respective IT ventures extend beyond physical locations that include remote or distance learners, part‐time students, collaborations with industry and consortia of other institutions. The construction of a unified IT infrastructure should be responsive to the needs of all its users in academia. IT development and implementation must demonstrate definable benefits to academia.
Death sticks and taxes: RFID tagging of cigarettes
Authors: Wyld David C.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper it to examine the potential for radio frequency identification (RFID) to be used to tag packs, cartons and cases of cigarettes, both to combat the fast‐growing, global problem of cigarette smuggling and to provide tobacco companies and retailers with better inventory control and business intelligence.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper begins with an overview of RFID technology and its applicability to product identification. It then looks at the issues involved with contraband cigarettes, both in the USA and on a global scale, examining the impact of smuggled cigarettes on both tax revenues and public health. With the growth of online cigarette sales and sales by Native American tribes, the problem continues to escalate in scope. The paper then examines the technological and political issues involved – and potential benefits of – using RFID track and trace capabilities with cigarettes, looking at early efforts to accomplish just that goal.

Findings

It was found that RFID is an appropriate technological answer for the seemingly intractable problem of contraband cigarettes.

Practical implications

The paper highlights the importance of implementing a technological solution to the problem of cigarette smuggling. It provides a framework for the cost‐effective use of RFID in this area and the potential for reducing contraband cigarettes, increasing tax revenues, and decreasing youth smoking.

Originality/value

The paper is original in that it lays out a market‐based case for the use of RFID to combat cigarette smuggling, giving credence to the calls of governments around the world and the WHO to better use technology to reduce the smuggling problem.
Establishing a transport operation focused uncertainty model for the supply chain
Authors: Sanchez Rodrigues Vasco , Stantchev Damian , Potter Andrew , Naim Mohamed , Whiteing Anthony
Published: June 2008

Purpose

Much of the recent research on supply chain uncertainty has focused on relationships between manufacturers and suppliers and existing models have therefore been based on this dyadic structure. The aim is to establish a supply chain uncertainty model that explicitly incorporates transport operations and hence the logistics triad; supplier, customer and transport carrier.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a literature‐based activity that synthesises and extends existing models of supply chain uncertainty.

Findings

The paper develops a new model to reflect the nature of transport operations. Consequently, it identifies five main categories of uncertainty, namely from the points of view of the supplier, the customer and the carrier, respectively, the control systems used in the supply chain and external factors. The interfaces between the uncertainty categories involving all three parties of the logistics triad are identified, so as to develop a more holistic perspective on supply chain uncertainty and how it can be reduced.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is conceptual in nature and empirical research into the area of transport uncertainty will be required to validate its findings. Following this, the model can be used to investigate and evaluate improvements in the economic and/or environmental performance of freight transport within supply chains.

Practical implications

The model is intended to provide a framework within which organisations, including logistics providers, can develop a supply chain strategy to mitigate the effects of uncertainty. By categorising uncertainty into the types described, organisations may determine where the greatest uncertainties lie and hence develop a prioritised plan for supply chain re‐engineering by initially targeting those uncertainties with the most significant implications for supply chain efficiency.

Originality/value

Little research has been undertaken on the impact of uncertainties on transport in the context of collaborative supply chain management. The model rationalises uncertainties into various types taking into account the nature of the logistics triad.
Logistics capability, logistics outsourcing and firm performance in an e‐commerce market
Authors: Joong‐Kun Cho Jay , Ozment John , Sink Harry
Published: June 2008

Purpose

Effective and efficient supply chain management is critical to the success of firms engaging in e‐commerce. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of logistics capability and logistics outsourcing on firm performance in an e‐commerce market environment.

Design/methodology/approach

This research examines the relationship between firm's logistics capability, logistics outsourcing and its performance. Multiple‐item constructs are used to measure the strength of logistics capability and firm performance. The use of logistics outsourcing is represented by a dichotomous variable. Data obtained via a survey were analyzed to investigate relationships among constructs and various hypotheses were tested.

Findings

Study results revealed logistics capability to be positively related to firm performance in the e‐commerce market. However, counter‐intuitively, logistics outsourcing and firm performance were not found to be positively linked. Further, the association between logistics capability and outsourcing was not supported. Finally, the interactive effect of logistics outsourcing on the relationship between logistics capability and firm performance was not sustained.

Research limitations/implications

Research findings are constrained, as the study was limited to the computer and consumer electronics retailing industry. However, the importance of logistics capability was confirmed in the e‐commerce supply chain for this segment. And the benefit of using third‐party logistics (3PL) to enhance firm performance was not fully established.

Practical implications

Logistics capability is critical for superior firm performance in e‐commerce. However, study findings lead to the presumption that firms should avoid logistics outsourcing if performance is predicated on competitive advantage due to internally strong logistics capability and competencies.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the study of logistics capability and 3PL in e‐commerce. The development of a logistics capability measurement construct in e‐commerce originated with this research. Also the impact of logistics outsourcing on firm performance is tested for the first time in an e‐commerce market environment.
Greening public health conferences: educating ourselves
Authors: Mohindra K.S.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reflect critically on environmentally friendly (“green”) practices at public health conferences.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews key best practices and draws upon personal experience of attending conferences.

Findings

Although there have been efforts of integrating green practices at conferences, there is a greater range of practices that could be pursued. There is also a need to ensure that practices are the right ones: the case of reusable plastic water bottles is a case in point.

Originality/value

The paper clarifies best practices and encourages the promotion of further greening of public health conferences.
Supporting children's emotional wellbeing and mental health in England: a review
Authors: Maxwell Claire , Aggleton Peter , Warwick Ian , Yankah Ekua , Hill Vivian , Mehmedbegović Dina
Published: June 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to inform the development of policies and programmes to support children and young people's emotional wellbeing and mental health. It seeks to bring together findings both from recent systematic reviews, and from individual evaluation studies which have adopted a relatively rigorous methodology but whose findings have not to date been included in such analyses. Research undertaken in England is to be prioritised, to complement an existing evidence base comprised largely of findings from US‐based research.

Design/methodology/approach

Using five key search strategies, studies were categorised into three main categories – “demonstrably effective approaches”, “promising approaches” and “approaches for which there is little or no supporting evidence” – according to robustness of evidence. Overall, 171 potentially relevant studies were identified, with 20 of these being robust enough for inclusion in the final review.

Findings

In schools, sustained broad‐based mental health promotion programmes combined with more targeted behavioural and cognitive‐behavioural therapy (CBT) for those children with identifiable emotional wellbeing and mental health needs, offer evidence of a demonstrably effective approach. Early and brief intervention programmes which reduce waiting times for services appear promising approaches and seem to reduce the number of sessions a family require. There is a reasonably strong evidence base to support targeted work with both parents and children.

Practical implications

By providing a detailed description of the successful initiatives reviewed, this paper should help policy‐makers and practitioners to develop their work.

Originality/value

By complementing the relatively narrow evidence base offered by systematic reviews, this more broadly based review offers policy‐makers and practitioners in England an up‐to‐date, context‐relevant guide for programme development within this field.
Symptom awareness and cancer prevention: exploratory findings from an at‐risk population
Authors: Eadie Douglas , MacAskill Susan
Published: June 2008

Purpose

Secondary prevention programmes have traditionally employed mass screening approaches to assess for asymptomatic signs of cancer. It has been suggested that early detection strategies involving public education and self‐referral may prove more cost‐effective with low risk populations for cancers with symptomatic presentation. This study, which was commissioned to inform the development of a cancer awareness campaign, aims to examine public perceptions of the early detection of cancer, the psycho‐social barriers to self‐referral amongst a key at‐risk population and the implications for patient education.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory study using qualitative focus groups with an at‐risk population of older people living in deprived communities in west‐central Scotland.

Findings

The findings reveal broad support for initiatives designed to raise symptom awareness. However, fear of cancer can lead to apparently irrational responses to symptoms and subsequent delay, particularly amongst men who are less likely to seek support from lay networks.

Originality/value

Early detection messages need to take account tone and symptom description to allay fears and ensure appropriate presentation. Consideration also needs to be given to the role played by lay and professional opinion formers to informing and supporting patients' decision to present with suspicious symptoms, particularly when targeting harder to reach patients of men, older people, and people living in deprived communities.
An exploratory study on systems development methodologies for web‐based applications
Authors: Noorman Masrek Mohamad , Hussin Norhayati , Tarmuchi Norashimawati
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the status of systems development methodologies (SDM) usage for developing web‐based application in Malaysian organizations. In addition, it also seeks to investigate the use of techniques and tools for web‐based application development.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed the use of a cross‐sectional survey method with 200 questionnaires sent to information systems managers. A total of 66 usable questionnaires were returned.

Findings

The use of SDM that are meant for web‐based applications is still very low among Malaysian organizations. The majority of respondents indicated that the SDM being used were adapted on a project basis. Malaysian systems developers were more inclined to use techniques that were much suited for traditional applications. Nevertheless, the use of systems development tools was quite overwhelming. Despite acknowledging the merits of using SDM, respondents also indicated problems associated with their usage.

Research limitations/implications

The number of respondents participated in the study was low and furthermore data were collected employing a cross‐sectional design instead of longitudinal design.

Originality/value

The paper provides empirical evidence regarding the use of SDM, techniques and tools for developing web‐based applications.