bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fluorous iminoalditols act as effective pharmacological chaperones against gene products from GLB1 alleles causing GM1‐gangliosidosis and Morquio B disease
Authors: Fantur Katrin M. , Wrodnigg Tanja M. , Stütz Arnold E. , Pabst Bettina M. , Paschke Eduard
Published: October 2011

Unlike replacement therapy by infusion of exogenous recombinant lysosomal enzymes, pharmacological chaperones aim at a gain of function of endogenous gene products. Deficits resulting from missense mutations may become treatable by small, competitive inhibitors binding to the catalytical site and thus correcting the erroneous conformation of mutant enzymes. This may prevent their premature degradation and normalize intracellular trafficking as well as biological half‐life. A major limitation currently arises from the huge number of individual missense mutations and the lack of knowledge on the structural requirements for specific interaction with mutant protein domains. Our previous work on mutations of the β‐galactosidase (β‐gal) gene, causing GM1 gangliosidosis (GM1) and Morquio B disease (MBD), respectively, characterized clinical phenotypes as well as biosynthesis, intracellular transport and subcellular localization of mutants. We recently identified an effective chaperone, DL‐HexDGJ (Methyl 6‐{[N2‐(dansyl)‐N6‐(1,5‐dideoxy‐D‐galactitol‐1,5‐diyl)‐ L‐lysyl]amino} hexanoate), among a series of N‐modified 1‐deoxygalactonojirimycin derivatives carrying a dansyl group in its N‐acyl moiety. Using novel and flexible synthetic routes, we now report on the effects of two oligofluoroalkyl‐derivatives of 1‐deoxygalactonojirimycin, Ph(TFM)2OHex‐DGJ (N‐(α,α‐di‐trifluoromethyl) benzyloxyhexyl‐1,5‐dideoxy‐1,5‐imino‐d‐galactitol) and (TFM)3OHex‐DGJ (N‐(Nonafluoro‐tert‐butyloxy)hexyl‐1,5‐dideoxy‐1,5‐imino‐d‐galactitol) on the β‐gal activity of GM1 and MBD fibroblasts. Both compounds are competitive inhibitors and increase the residual enzyme activities up to tenfold over base line activity in GM1 fibroblasts with chaperone‐sensitive mutations. Western blots showed that this was due to a normalization of protein transport and intralysosomal maturation. The fact that the novel compounds were effective at very low concentrations (0.5–10 μM) in the cell culture medium as well as their novel chemical character suggest future testing in animal models. This may contribute to new aspects for efficient and personalized small molecule treatment of lysosomal storage diseases.
Functional Multiple-Set Canonical Correlation Analysis
Authors: Hwang Heungsun , Jung Kwanghee , Takane Yoshio , Woodward Todd S.
Published: October 2011

We propose functional multiple-set canonical correlation analysis for exploring associations among multiple sets of functions. The proposed method includes functional canonical correlation analysis as a special case when only two sets of functions are considered. As in classical multiple-set canonical correlation analysis, computationally, the method solves a matrix eigen-analysis problem through the adoption of a basis expansion approach to approximating data and weight functions. We apply the proposed method to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to identify networks of neural activity that are commonly activated across subjects while carrying out a working memory task.
Wiskott–Aldrich Syndrome at the nexus of autoimmune and primary immunodeficiency diseases
Authors: Cleland Sophia Y. , Siegel Richard M.
Published: October 2011

Wiskott–Aldrich Syndrome (WAS) is a X‐linked primary immunodeficiency disorder also marked by a very high (up to 70%) incidence of autoimmunity. Wiskott–Aldrich Syndrome arises from mutations in the Wiskott–Aldrich Syndrome protein (WASp), a cytoplasmic protein that links signaling by cell surface receptors such as the T‐cell receptor and integrins to actin polymerization. WASp promotes the functions of multiple cell types that support immune responses, but also is important for the function of regulatory T cells and in TCR‐induced apoptosis, two negative mechanisms of immune regulation that maintain peripheral immune tolerance. Here we review the nature of immune defects and autoimmunity in WAS and WASp deficient mice and discuss how this single gene defect can simultaneously impair immune responses to pathogens and promote autoimmunity. The myriad cellular immune defects found in WAS make this Mendelian syndrome an interesting model for the study of more complex immune diseases that arise from the interplay of environmental and multiple genetic risk factors.
Qualitätssicherung in der Rehabilitation – Eine kritische Bestandsaufnahme
Authors: Farin Erik , Jäckel Wilfried
Published: October 2011

Einleitung

Der hier präsentierte Beitrag fasst die Aktivitäten und Maßnahmen zur externen Qualitätssicherung in der Rehabilitation in kurzer Form zusammen und bewertet anschließend die aktuelle Situation. Mittlerweile liegen für verschiedene Bereiche der medizinischen Rehabilitation (z.B. stationäre und ambulante Rehabilitation, Kinder-Jugend-Rehabilitation) Qualitätssicherungsprogramme bzw. –verfahren vor. Kritisch hervorzuheben sind u.a. die geringe Vergütungsrelevanz, das fehlen systematischer Evaluationen sowie der Mangel an Patienteninformationen.
Frauen und Männer in der Rehabilitation – Anforderungen an die Patientenorientierung
Authors: Grande Gesine , Mittag Oskar
Published: October 2011

Einleitung

Lebens- und Arbeitsbedingungen, Emotionsregulation und Krankheitsbewältigung beeinflussen subjektive Rehabilitationsziele, Inanspruchnahme und Wirksamkeit von Rehabilitationsleistungen. Hier bestehende Unterschiede zwischen Männern und Frauen sind bisher unzureichend erforscht, genderspezifische Reha-Angebote die Ausnahme. Die Berücksichtigung von versorgungsrelevanten genderspezifischen Aspekten kann zur Weiterentwicklung der Rehabilitation, ihrer Qualität und Nachhaltigkeit beitragen.
Compact diplexers and triplexers implemented with dual-mode cavities
Authors: Ezzeddine Hussein , Bila Stéphane , Verdeyme Serge , Seyfert Fabien , Pacaud Damien , Puech Jérôme , Estagerie Laetitia
Published: October 2011

In this paper, the design of compact diplexers and triplexers with dual-mode cavities is presented. Such devices are composed of coupled resonators without additional waveguide element, leading to a more compact architecture. Two topologies of compact diplexers are implemented and compared to a standard manifold diplexer. A hardware prototype is fabricated and measured for experimental verification. A compact triplexer is finally introduced for extending the concept to more than three ports.
Mahesh Dattani
Authors: Chaudhuri Asha Kuthari
Published: October 2011

Contemporary Indian Writers in English (CIWE) is a series that presents critical commentaries on some of the best-known names in the genre. With the high visibilty of Indian writing in English in academic, critical, pedagogic and reader circles, there is a perceivable demand for lucid yet rigorous introduction of several of its authors and genres. Mahesh Dattani is perhaps one of India`s most daring, innovative and important paywrights in English today. He blends conventional themes with some startingly new ones in his work. His plays combine the intimate with the social, the personal and the public, often exploring the boundaries between these realms. In this volume, Asha Kuthari Chaudhuri, explores Dattani`s central themes - the family, alternate sexualities, other genders, morality and identity - while also examining the dramaturgical innovations in his work.
Vikram Seth
Authors: Mokashi-Punekar Rohini
Published: October 2011

Contemporary Indian Writers in English (CIWE) is a series that presents critical commentaries on some of the best-known names in the genre. With the high visibility of Indian Writing in English in academic, critical, pedagogic and reader circles, there is a perceivable demand for lucid yet rigorous introductions to several of its authors and genres. Vikram Seth is one of the most celebrated authors in Indian Writing in English today. With the complexity and depth of his work and his significant achievements in prose as well as verse, Seth has proved the master of the English language. Seths many themes and concerns, from land ceiling in post-Independence India to Western classical music to relationships, all cast in formally perfect prose or poetry, have gained him a formidable reputation as a stylist and a perfectionist.
Foreigners and Foreign Languages in India
Authors: Chaudhary Shreesh
Published: October 2011

India's natural wealth, knowledge, arts and crafts have attracted foreigners throughout its long history. It has had continuous cultural contact and trade with other countries and, in all this, India has been exposed to many foreign languages such as Arabic, Bactrian, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Persian, Portuguese, Turkish and in a certain sense, Sanskrit. Each of these languages went through a cycle, rising to the position of power and prestige, and eventually declining and yielding place to yet another language. In this process, all these languages interacted with the native languages of India and exchanged sounds, words, sentences, idioms and expressions, sometimes even giving birth to new languages. Foreigners and Foreign Languages in India: A Sociolinguistic History tells the story of this long and continuous history of the advent, learning, use, demise and debris of some foreign languages in India.
On the vertical drift of ionospheric F layer during disturbance time: Results from ionosondes
Authors: Sun S. J. , Ban P. P. , Chen C. , Xu Z. W. , Zhao Z. W.
Published: October 2011

The morphology of low‐latitude ionosphere is greatly affected by the zonal electric field, especially at disturbance time. In this study, historical data from two low‐latitude ionosondes located at Haikou and Chongqing, China, are used to study the disturbance vertical drift properties of ionospheric F layer during the initial and main phases of 50 intense storms. The disturbance drift from an empirical model is used as an indicator to denote the E × B disturbance magnitude. It is found that the drifts both at the base and at the peak height are increased in magnitude when the disturbance becomes stronger. For the same disturbance, ionospheric vertical drifts at the base height are comparable with those at the peak height over Haikou, but they are larger than the latter over Chongqing, both drifts being smaller than those at the magnetic equator. The drifts are larger in daytime than in nighttime, but no rule is found on their seasonal dependence. This indicates that low‐latitude storm time ionospheric vertical drift of the ionospheric layer exhibits both consistent and individual properties at different locations.
Glucose Tolerance in Response to a High‐Fat Diet Is Improved by a High‐Protein Diet
Authors: Honors Mary A. , Hargrave Sara L. , Kinzig Kimberly P.
Published: October 2011

Consumption of a high‐fat (HF) diet results in insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. Weight loss is often recommended to reverse these metabolic alterations and the use of a high‐protein (HP), low‐carbohydrate diet is encouraged. In lean rats, consumption of a HP diet improves glycemic control. However, it is unknown whether this diet has a similar effectiveness in rodents with impaired glucose tolerance. Rats were fed a HF or a chow (CH) diet for 6 weeks and then switched to a HP diet or a CH or pair‐fed (PF) to the amount of kcals consumed per day by the HP group. Following the diet switch, body weight gain was attenuated as compared to HF rats, and similar between HP, CH, and PF rats. Despite similar weight progression, HP and PF rats had a significant decrease in body fat after 2 weeks, as compared to HF rats. In contrast, CH rats did not show this effect. Glucose tolerance was attenuated more quickly in HP rats than in CH or PF rats. These results indicate that a HP diet may be more effective than a balanced diet for improving glycemic control in overweight individuals.
Psychological Responses to Genetic Testing for Weight Gain: A Vignette Study
Authors: Meisel Susanne F. , Walker Catherine , Wardle Jane
Published: October 2011

Genetic testing for obesity risk is increasingly available to the public but few studies have examined motivational or affective reactions. Here we report findings from a “vignette” study investigating reactions to “higher‐risk” and “average‐risk” results for the obesity‐related FTO gene in two groups: a panel sample of individuals with weight concerns, for whom testing may have treatment implications (n = 306, mean age = 45 years, mean BMI = 35) and a student sample (n = 395, mean age = 25 years, mean BMI = 23), for whom testing would have implications for obesity prevention. Participants were given FTO gene information that described higher‐risk alleles as linked with modest weight gain and slightly higher risk of obesity. They responded to both higher‐ and average‐risk vignettes, with order randomized. Interest in genetic testing was high overall, and higher in panel respondents than students (93% vs. 78% would “probably” or “definitely” have the test; P < 0.001). In students, a higher‐risk result generated higher motivation to change (d = 0.15; P < 0.001), but also slightly higher negative affect (d = 0.03, P < 0.001) and fatalism (d = 0.05, P < 0.001) than an average‐risk result. Panel respondents also had higher motivation to change (d = 0.17, P < 0.001) as well as relief about having an explanation for their body weight (d = 0.02, P = 0.013) in the higher‐risk condition, but no increase in fatalism or depression. These results suggest that at the level of anticipated responses to FTO gene feedback, higher‐risk results had positive motivational effects with minimal changes in negative affect or fatalism. Genetic testing has the potential to be a useful clinical or preventive tool when combined with appropriate information.
Overweight and School Performance Among Primary School Children: The PIAMA Birth Cohort Study
Authors: Veldwijk Jorien , Fries Marieke C.E. , Bemelmans Wanda J.E. , Haveman‐Nies Annemien , Smit Henriëtte A. , Koppelman Gerard H. , Wijga Alet H.
Published: October 2011

The aim of this study was to assess the association between overweight and school performance among primary school children prospectively and including a broad range of potential confounding factors. In addition it was investigated what factors mediate this association. For this purpose, data of 2,159 12‐year‐old children who participated in the Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy (PIAMA) birth cohort study were used. Two indicators of school performance were parental reported when children were 12 years of age and included (i): the score on a standardized achievement test that Dutch children have to complete at the end of their primary education (Cito)‐test and (ii): the teacher's advice regarding a child's potential performance level in secondary education. Children's height and weight were measured by a trained research assistant at the age of 8 and by their parents at the age of 12. Overweight was defined using age and gender specific cut‐off points. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to assess the association between overweight and school performance. Besides, both confounder and mediation analyses were conducted. Results showed lower Cito‐test scores and lower teacher's school‐level advice among overweight children. These associations were no longer significant when adjusting for parental educational level, skipping breakfast, and screen time. This study found no independent association between overweight and school performance among primary school children. Results showed strong confounding by parental educational level.
Self-neutralized ion beam
Authors: Salvadori M. C. , Teixeira F. S. , Nikolaev A. , Savkin K. P. , Oks E. M. , Spädtke P. , Yu K. M. , Brown I. G.
Published: October 2011

A vacuum arc ion source provides high current beams of metal ions that have been used both for accelerator injection and for ion implantation, and in both of these applications the degree of space charge neutralization of the beam is important. In accelerator injection application, the beam from the ion source may be accelerated further (post-acceleration), redirected by a bending magnet(s), or focused with magnetic or electrostatic lenses, and knowledge of the beam space charge is needed for optimal design of the optical elements. In ion implantation application, any build-up of positive charge in the insulating targets must be compensated by a simultaneous flux of cold electrons so as to provide overall charge neutrality of the target. We show that in line-of-sight ion implantation using a vacuum arc ion source, the high current ion beam carries along its own background sea of cold electrons, and this copious source of electrons provides a “self-neutralizing” feature to the beam. Here we describe experiments carried out in order to demonstrate this effect, and we provide an analysis showing that the beam is space-charge-neutralized to a very high degree
Determining the DNA stability parameters for the breathing dynamics of heterogeneous DNA by stochastic optimization
Authors: Talukder Srijeeta , Chaudhury Pinaki , Metzler Ralf , Banik Suman K.
Published: October 2011

We suggest that the thermodynamic stability parameters (nearest neighbor stacking and hydrogen bonding free energies) of double-stranded DNA molecules can be inferred reliably from time series of the size fluctuations (breathing) of local denaturation zones (bubbles). On the basis of the reconstructed bubble size distribution, this is achieved through stochastic optimization of the free energies in terms of simulated annealing. In particular, it is shown that even noisy time series allow the identification of the stability parameters at remarkable accuracy. This method will be useful to obtain the DNA stacking and hydrogen bonding free energies from single bubble breathing assays rather than equilibrium data.
The effect of field-collected biofilms on the toxicity of copper to a marine microalga (Tetraselmis sp.) in laboratory bioassays
Authors: Levy Jacqueline L. , Stauber Jenny L. , Wakelin Steven A. , Jolley Dianne F.
Published: October 2011

Standard algal growth rate inhibition bioassays can lack environmental realism and may over- or underestimate metal bioavailability in natural systems. In aquatic environments, algal species interact with other biota, including other algae, bacteria and biofilms. In this work, the feasibility of incorporating marine biofilms into 72 h algal growth inhibition toxicity tests was explored. The effects of copper on Tetraselmis sp. were tested in the absence and presence of characterised field-collected biofilms. We hypothesised that the addition of biofilm would prevent copper toxicity to the alga primarily through interactions of the metal with other cells and biofilm exudates. The sensitivity of Tetraselmis sp. to copper (based on 72 h IC50 values; the copper concentration to inhibit population growth by 50%) in the presence of a blended biofilm inoculum varied 2-fold and was independent of the amount of biofilm added. However, increases in IC10 and IC20 values indicated some amelioration of copper toxicity. When intact biofilms were added to the bioassays, amelioration of toxicity was more consistent, probably due to increased binding of copper to cell surfaces or exudates. Difficulties in characterising biofilms and distinguishing that material from the test alga need to be overcome before biofilms can be routinely incorporated into laboratory bioassays.
Cellulomonas carbonis sp. nov., isolated from coal mine soil
Authors: Shi Zunji , Luo Guosheng , Wang Gejiao
Published: October 2011

A Gram-positive, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain T26T, was isolated from subsurface soil of Tianjin coal mine, China. Colonies were yellow–white, convex, circular, smooth and non-transparent on R2A agar. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain T26T was closely related to members of the genus

Cellulomonas

and a member of the genus

Actinotalea

with 96.8–94.7 % and 96.7 % gene sequence similarities, respectively. The peptidoglycan type of strain T26T was A4β, containing l-ornithine–d-glutamic acid as the interpeptide bridge. The cell-wall sugars were rhamnose, galactose, xylose and inositol. The major fatty acids (>10 %) were anteiso-C15 : 0 (33.6 %), anteiso-C15 : 1 A (22.1 %), C16 : 0 (14.4 %) and C14 : 0 (12.1 %). The predominant respiratory quinone was MK-9(H4) and the genomic DNA G+C content was 74.4 mol%. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol-mannosides and phosphatidylinositol. Comparison of phenotypic and phylogenetic characteristics between strain T26T and related organisms revealed that the new isolate represented a novel species of the genus

Cellulomonas

, for which the name Cellulomonas carbonis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is T26T ( = CGMCC 1.10786T = KCTC 19824T = CCTCC AB2010450T).
Actinomadura geliboluensis sp. nov., isolated from soil
Authors: Sazak Anil , Camas Mustafa , Spröer Cathrin , Klenk Hans-Peter , Sahin Nevzat
Published: October 2011

A novel actinobacterium, strain A8036T, isolated from soil, was investigated by using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The organism formed extensively branched substrate hyphae that generated spiral chains of spores with irregular surfaces. The cell wall contained meso-diaminopimelic acid (type III) and cell-wall sugars were glucose, madurose, mannose and ribose. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H4). The phospholipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannosides. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C16 : 0, C17 : 1
cis9, C16 : 0, C15 : 0 and 10-methyl C17 : 0. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the closest phylogenetic neighbours of strain A8036T were

Actinomadura meyerae

DSM 44715T (99.23 % similarity),

Actinomadura bangladeshensis

DSM 45347T (98.9 %) and

Actinomadura chokoriensis

DSM 45346T (98.3 %). However, DNA–DNA relatedness and phenotypic data demonstrated that strain A8036T could be clearly distinguished from the type strains of all closely related

Actinomadura

species. Strain A8036T is therefore considered to represent a novel species of the genus

Actinomadura

, for which the name Actinomadura geliboluensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is A8036T ( = DSM 45508T = KCTC 19868T).
A mechanism for the formation of hippocampal neuronal firing patterns that represent what happens where
Authors: Tort Adriano B.L. , Komorowski Robert , Kopell Nancy , Eichenbaum Howard
Published: October 2011

The association of specific events with the context in which they occur is a fundamental feature of episodic memory. However, the underlying network mechanisms generating what–where associations are poorly understood. Recently we reported that some hippocampal principal neurons develop representations of specific events occurring in particular locations (item-position cells). Here, we investigate the emergence of item-position selectivity as rats learn new associations for reward and find that before the animal's performance rises above chance in the task, neurons that will later become item-position cells have a strong selective bias toward one of two behavioral responses, which the animal will subsequently make to that stimulus. This response bias results in an asymmetry of neural activity on correct and error trials that could drive the emergence of particular item specificities based on a simple reward-driven synaptic plasticity mechanism.
Career history and motivations for choosing LIS: a case study at Aberystwyth University
Authors: Simon Anoush , Taylor Marianne
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on an ongoing project investigating library and information science students' perceptions of the library and information profession and their motivations for undertaking a degree in this field. The analysis presented here focuses on students' reasons for becoming involved in information work, and their motivations for embarking on a professional qualification.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was focused on students enrolling on Information and Library Studies programmes in the Department of Information Studies, Aberystwyth University. Students from both undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) courses are represented over the period 2005‐2010, undertaking campus‐based and distance learning (DL) programmes. A qualitative approach, using focus groups, was taken towards data collection and analysis.

Findings

Many students followed a circuitous path into the library and information field, indicating that caution needs to be exercised when making assumptions regarding “typical” library and information workers. Similarly, motivations for attaining a qualification are a complexity of both personal and professional aspirations. Although motivations remain consistent, in line with previous studies, it is argued that “either/or” attitudes to traditional and modern aspects of information work are being replaced by a flexible understanding of the modern profession.

Originality/value

The paper builds on and adds new perspectives to literature on student motivations and career aspirations. The groups studied are eclectic, including PG and UG, full‐time and DL cohorts across a range of age groups.
Is continuous improvement through accreditation sustainable?
Authors: Lejeune Christophe
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to understand how an external assessment of resources, activities and performance contributes to continuously develop capabilities for business schools.

Design/methodology/approach

The EQUIS accreditation framework is reorganized into a capability‐based model for business schools. Next, the case of a business school's experience with EQUIS is used to identify core‐capabilities.

Findings

The paper emphasizes three core‐capabilities that are strengthened through the EQUIS accreditation process: strategizing, changing and branding.

Originality/value

The paper argues that an accreditation process characterized by cyclical assessments and floating standards incorporates the features of a sustainable strategy for continuously developing capabilities within business schools.
Effects of platforms on new product development projects
Authors: Pasche Maximilian , Persson Magnus , Löfsten Hans
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate effects of platforms on new product development (NPD) projects. Emphasis has been put on the following effect categories: project performance, process changes, and the use of performance measurements.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on data collected in a survey of Swedish manufacturing firms. The survey collected data on platform characteristics and NPD characteristics. This paper reports correlations and regression analyses of the different variables.

Findings

The application of a platform strategy leads to a significant increase of component commonality on the product program level. However, it was observed that firms still have problems with sticking to project budgets in terms of cost and lead‐time restrictions. Moreover, platform implementation often involves significant process adaptations. Finally, it showed that firms are hardly applying measurements to follow up on their platform‐related activities.

Research limitations/implications

It appears that predictions made in current literature regarding platform effects are not generally valid for all firms. Therefore, this study indicates that there may be contingencies affecting the applicability of a platform strategy for specific firms.

Practical implications

Owing to potential contingencies affecting the applicability of platforms, firms have to carefully consider if a platform strategy is promising in their specific situation. Moreover, product platform implementation does not only demand an adaptation of product structures but also involves significant process adaptations.

Originality/value

By statistically testing effects of platforms on product development performance, the tendency of the current literature towards case‐based research is overcome. Hereby, the findings of current literature are challenged in terms of their generalizability.
A citation study of public health Masters' theses
Authors: Klassen Timothy William
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to devise methodologies and attain results that would allow the author to evaluate local collections that support public health users.

Design/methodology/approach

The largest available source of data was local Masters' student theses. The methodology is a case study employing citation analysis of Masters' theses.

Findings

The study provided a list of the journals most used by Masters' students in their theses to be compared to currently subscribed titles to evaluate local holdings. It confirmed that ISI journal rankings were not a useful tool for local collection building.

Originality/value

The study provides a methodology for evaluating and improving the local journal collection and could be combined with further studies to create a core list of public health journals locally. It also provides guidance on types of resources to buy and confirmed the importance of journals to the collection. The study could be combined with similar studies at other institutions to create a broad‐based core journal list.
Preferred risk allocation in target cost contracts in construction
Authors: Chan Joseph H.L. , Chan Daniel W.M. , Lam Patrick T.I. , Chan Albert P.C.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the party most preferred to take the risks associated with the target cost contracts and guaranteed maximum price contracts (TCC/GMP) in the Hong Kong context.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical questionnaire survey was conducted with the relevant industrial practitioners to solicit their preferences of risk allocation in TCC/GMP construction projects in Hong Kong.

Findings

The survey findings indicated that risks on tender documentation and project design are better borne by clients, while construction related risks are perceived to be taken by contractors. The research findings are consistent with other similar studies on risk allocation in construction projects in general.

Practical implications

This paper has developed a preferred risk allocation scheme for the delivery of future TCC/GMP projects, taking Hong Kong as an example. It can serve as a useful guide for decision makers to determine an optimal risk allocation at the planning stage of a TCC/GMP scheme.

Originality/value

The paper can benefit both academic researchers and industrial practitioners in generating an equitable risk sharing mechanism for TCC/GMP projects. It provides sufficient empirical evidence, added to the growing body of knowledge and lays a solid foundation for further research such as an international comparison of various risk allocation schemes associated with this kind of contractual arrangement.
A double analysis of stakeholder interaction in public infrastructure management
Authors: van der Lei Telli E. , Herder Paulien M.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This work is part of a research project that seeks to gain insight into the applicability of different actor analysis methods. This paper aims to describe the analysis of the predictive value of two different actor analysis methods applied to the redesign of the water management of a Dutch polder.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper's approach is a parallel application and comparison of the results of two separate actor analysis methods: conflict analysis and transactional analysis.

Findings

Transactional analysis was more accurate regarding the prediction of the real world outcomes than conflict analysis.

Research limitations/implications

The choice of analysis method may be of significant influence on the quality of understanding of the risks involved with different stakeholders. There may not be a single silver bullet.

Practical implications

An asset manager needs to apply multiple actor analysis techniques to fully grasp the impact of the threats posed by the stakeholders on the asset and its risk register.

Originality/value

The parallel application of the two methods and comparison of their predictive value is new.
Ownership and size as predictors of incentive plans within Swedish real estate firms
Authors: Azasu Samuel
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to investigate the significance of ownership and firm size as predictors of the prevalence of incentive plans in Swedish real estate firms.

Design/methodology/approach

Using survey data for two periods (2003 and 2007), a two‐predictor logistic model was fitted to the data to test the relationship between ownership and firm size and the likelihood that a Swedish real estate firm has an incentive plan.

Findings

Private sector firms are more likely than government sector firms to use incentive plans. The number of employees was not a significant predictor of which firms were likely to have incentive pay.

Research limitations/implications

There are other determinants of incentive pay that were not covered.

Practical implications

The absence of incentive pay does not necessarily hamper a firm's ability to attract high‐quality workers if they take a broader view of the concept of reward. In addition, public sector workers may be motivated by factors other than monetary reward.

Originality/value

This is the first study of the determinants of incentive plans for real estate firms in Sweden.
Modelling of electromagnetic heating and mixing conditions in glass melt output equipment
Authors: Geža V. , Jakovičs A. , Krieger U. , Halbedel B.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the outlet of a special glass melting system, which is used to control melt flow and modify flow pattern.

Design/methodology/approach

Numerical calculations in ANSYS and ANSYS CFX were used to study electromagnetic, thermal, hydrodynamic and chemical mixing processes, results are validated by comparison with experimental data.

Findings

Obtained results show that investigated approach can improve glass melt chemical homogeneity significantly – Lorentz force driven melt movement in conjunction with diffusion process ensures good mixing quality.

Research limitations/implications

The mixing in glass melt is present only in azimuthal direction (in cylindrical coordinate system associated with outlet tube axis) but the radial homogenization is determined by diffusion only.

Practical implications

The experiments in JSJ GmbH with soda lime glass were successful and showed mixing effect in output material, thus providing additional method for glass production.

Originality/value

Although the electrical conductivity of glass is very low, the melt motion is generated by EM forces in this equipment, thus this approach is innovative in glass production technology where typical motion source is buoyancy or mechanical mixing.
Operational constraints on the DC induction heating of aluminum billets
Authors: Fabbri Massimo , Morandi Antonio , Luigi Ribani Pier
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the heating process of an aluminum billet rotating in a static magnetic field produced by optimized supercoducting coils.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to meet the technical specifications of industrial heating, many processes with low speed in the given high magnetic field have been simulated. The mechanical stresses in the billet are examined by taking into account the temperature dependence of the mechanical properties.

Findings

The main heating parameters, i.e. heating time, average temperature and temperature homogeneity, are evaluated for different values of angular velocity. The simulation results show that an optimal angular speed can be chosen with respect to the heating time.

Research limitations/implications

The mechanical stress in the billet due to weight, centrifugal effects, applied torque and resonance is examined by taking into account the weakening of the material properties with the increase of temperature. The practical limits of the heating process are evaluated; while resonance does not seem to be a concern, the safety against yielding, in order to avoid plastic deformation of the billet during the heating, seems to be a constraint.

Practical implications

DC induction heating of aluminum billet using superconducting magnets can be done fulfilling the specifics of the industrial processes.

Originality/value

The operational and mechanical constraints on a high‐efficiency DC induction heater for aluminum billets using superconducting coils are investigated.
New DC electromagnetic wiping system for hot‐dip coating
Authors: Dumont M. , Ernst R. , Fautrelle Y. , Grenier B. , Hardy J.J. , Anderhuber M.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study an electromagnetic (EM) wiping process based on the EM brake (EMB) principle for hot‐dip galvanizing lines. This EMB system must act complementary to a classical air wiping system for higher drag out velocities for which the only air wiping system is no more sufficient.

Design/methodology/approach

At first, the basic phenomena of the braking of a liquid driven by an upcoming strip thanks to a DC magnetic field are analyzed with a simplified analytical model. This model shows the influence of different relevant parameters such as the magnetic field intensity or the strip upcoming velocity. Then, a 2D numeric finite elements model coupling the EMs, the fluid mechanics and a deformed mesh technique is set up and shows clearly the braking effect on the liquid zinc. At last, some first results of a 3D extension of the former 2D model are shown, mainly concerning the end effects on the edge of the strip. This EM wipe effect has been experimentally demonstrated in a prototype hot‐dip galvanizing line.

Findings

The paper shows the possibility of controlling the thickness of a liquid zinc layer thanks to a DC magnetic field produced by high‐intensity permanent magnets.

Originality/value

Such an innovative way of wiping liquid zinc thanks to a DC magnetic field is able to wipe liquid zinc excess and control the liquid layer thickness with a low electric losses level. This is a major advantage compared with other known wiping techniques such as high‐frequency pin‐shaped inductors which may imply an overheating of the liquid zinc.
Schooling of labouring migrants, Surrey to Wellington 1841‐1844
Authors: Middleton Sue
Published: October 2011

Purpose

In the early 1840s Edward Gibbon Wakefield's New Zealand Company recruited “emigrants of the labouring classes” promising: “every one of them who is industrious and thrifty, may be sure to become not merely an owner of land, but also in his turn an employer of hired labourers, a master of servants.” Letters sent “Home” to Ham (a village in Surrey, UK) from Wellington between 1841‐1844, by a group of labouring families, project textual personae consistent with this liberal image. The purpose of this paper is to explore educational processes involved in the production of these colonial identities.

Design/methodology/approach

The letters are read in relation to archival resources: the curriculum of the National School and alternative educational models in Ham, records of schools provided in Wellington, and pedagogical intentions signalled in the records of the New Zealand Company.

Findings

Arguing that migration resulted in a radical change in the subjectivity of these labouring class families, this paper contrasts the curricula of the “National School” attended by these children in Ham with the more secular offerings in Wellington. Their “National School” taught Ham's lower orders to accept their God‐given “stations” in life. Radical critique was suppressed. In Wellington the first schools, such as the Mechanics’ Institute, were non‐denominational, prioritising practical knowledge. Foundations for a secular society based on liberal values were laid.

Originality/value

There is little educational research on how participation in the Wakefield scheme transformed those who, in rural England, were required to remain subservient members of the power orders, into the enterprising independent subjects required in the new colony.
The establishment of area schools in South Australia, 1941‐1947
Authors: Halsey R. John
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to trace the establishment of area schools from two vantage points. The first vantage point is those who were legislatively responsible for public education in South Australia from the mid 1930s through to the end of World War 2. The second is the local community, with references to Karoonda (and districts) in particular.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper locates the evolution of area schools in the comprehensive public secondary schooling movement and the practice of borrowing policy initiatives from overseas and other education jurisdictions. Primary source documents have been used extensively throughout the article.

Findings

Initial resistance to the closure of small schools to form area schools was overcome by the provision of free bus transport, and the wider availability of secondary education, locally. Originally intended to provide instruction to students who would remain for most of their lives in rural communities, within ten years of opening, area schools became the means of mobility for many.

Social implications

The continuing exodus of youth from rural areas in search of “greener pastures” has become one of the main issues confronting rural communities as they search for ways to maintain viability in a competitive, market driven economy.

Originality/value

The paper is a rigorously documented historical contribution towards debate and discussion about how governments, and others, may ensure access to secondary education in rural areas in light of demographic and economic factors.
The arrival of the New Left at Sydney University, 1967‐1972
Authors: Barcan Alan
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to distinguish the main features of the outburst of student radicalism at Sydney University in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper traces developments in student politics at Sydney University from the 1950s onwards, in both the Australian and international context.

Findings

The rise of the New Left was a moderate process in 1967 but became more energetic in 1969. This was aligned with a similar trajectory with the marches by radical opponents of the Vietnam war. The New Left: provided challenges to the university curriculum (in Arts and Economics) and challenged middle‐class values. Many components of the New Left claimed to be Marxist, but many such components rejected the Marxist commitment to the working class and communist parties.

Research limitations/implications

The investigation is limited to Sydney University.

Originality/value

Although the endnotes list numerous references, these are largely specific. Very few general surveys of the New Left at Sydney University have been published.
An empirical examination of initial trust in mobile banking
Authors: Zhou Tao
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of initial trust on mobile banking user adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the valid responses collected from a survey questionnaire, structural equation modeling (SEM) technology was employed to examine the research model.

Findings

The results indicate that structural assurance and information quality are the main factors affecting initial trust, whereas information quality and system quality significantly affect perceived usefulness. Initial trust affects perceived usefulness, and both factors predict the usage intention of mobile banking.

Research limitations/implications

The sample was mainly composed of users having rich mobile Internet experience, which may affect their trust in mobile banking. Future research needs to generalize these results to other samples, such as those users without much mobile Internet experience.

Originality/value

Extant research has mainly adopted information technology adoption theories such as TAM to explain mobile user behavior, and has seldom examined the effect of initial trust on mobile banking user adoption. However, the high perceived risk and low switching cost highlight the necessity to build initial trust to facilitate user behavior. This research fills the gap.
Social capital and team performance
Authors: Clopton Aaron W.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This article attempts to contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the value of social networks, or social capital, within the group process towards group and team performance by exploring the explicit contribution of social capital towards a group or team's performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The research views the potential contribution of social capital through the perspective of the resource‐based view of organizations, where social capital's unique potential contribution to the organization's competitive advantage is highlighted. Data were collected from undergraduate student‐athletes (n=570) from 23 NCAA colleges and universities across the USA using a multiple hierarchical regression analysis.

Findings

Results show a significant connection between social capital and team performance. This contribution is above and beyond other input and process variables, such as past team performance.

Research limitations/implications

Data were limited to a cross‐sectional view of social capital and team performance. Results, however, support past theoretical models where social capital maintains a significant presence in overall group effectiveness.

Originality/value

While social capital has been connected to team performance conceptually, few research studies have made this connection explicit. This article provides justification for maintaining social capital as a viable and ubiquitous element to the dynamic group process. Findings here also provide additional support for re‐examining social capital as significant contributor to a firm's competitive advantage.
Future scenarios for a depressed region of England: the role of education in creating alternative futures
Authors: Blass Eddie , Thornton Mary , Rawlings Bernice
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to outline four scenarios developed for the future of the South West Midlands region of England. Like many depressed regions in the UK, the foundation industries that initially developed the region have gone. Manufacturing is continuing to decline and the low‐skilled economic underpinnings of the region have all but disappeared. The population, however, has not changed with the times, but remains low‐skilled and largely unemployable to many of the industries the region is trying to attract to regenerate itself. Despite this economically depressed picture, the region is renowned for its sense of community and regional identity, and hence crime is uncharacteristically low given the economic and demographic circumstances of the region.

Design/methodology/approach

A range of methodologies were employed to inform scenario building for the future of the region, including a literature review, interviews with employers and community leaders, a word association exercise and questionnaire with children approaching school leaving age, and data analysis of demographic and economic trends.

Findings

Four scenarios were developed as possible futures for the region to help inform policy making, in particular educational policy to encourage more young people to remain in education for longer and gain higher qualifications.

Practical implications

The paper offers practical ideas for (re)engaging young people in education in a depressed region where the value of education has never really been appreciated.

Originality/value

This paper offers readers alternative perspectives on an area of education that might otherwise be ignored and finds positive ways forwards to further promote education in the region.