bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A logo-leadership intervention: Implications for leadership development
Authors: Scholtz Frances , Crous Freddie , Thomas Adèle
Published: August 2015

Orientation: Logo-leadership development challenges leaders to move beyond financial or individual gain to accepting leadership as a calling.Research purpose: The objective of the study was to ascertain whether an intervention embedded in the life and teachings of logo-therapist Viktor Frankl affects the way aspiring leaders construct leadership in terms of meaning (logo-leadership).Motivation for the study: A consideration of Frankl’s life gives rise to the question of whether aspiring leaders can learn from and use his life teachings as an inspiration in the discovery of meaning for themselves as leaders.Research approach, design and method: Participants comprised 20 students registered for an MCom degree at a South African metropolitan university. The research process involved three phases: (1) a pre-intervention questionnaire, (2) an appreciative inquiry intervention and (3) a post-intervention questionnaire. Framework analysis and a comparative method were used to analyse the data.Main findings: A meaning-centred leadership development intervention may impact the leadership role orientation of aspiring leaders, changing it from a predominantly career orientation to a calling. However, this effect largely occurred on an explicit (extrinsic) level.Managerial implications: Organisations that wish to develop logo-leadership may consider using the life teachings and work of Frankl as a development tool.Contribution/value-add: This study contributes theoretically to a relatively new development within the field of Frankl’s logotherapy, leadership with meaning (logo-leadership). On apractical level, this study introduced the concept of logo-leadership for leadership development and suggests that leadership may be influenced by exposure to a leadership intervention.
Reflecting on an impact evaluation of the Grade R programme: Method, results and policy responses
Authors: Samuels Marie-Louise , Taylor Stephen , Shepherd Debra , Van der Berg Servaas , Jacob Christel , Deliwe Carol N. , Mabogoane Thabo
Published: August 2015

This paper describes the expansion since 2001 of a public pre-school programme in South Africa known as ‘Grade R’, summarises the findings from an impact evaluation of the introduction of Grade R, discusses the policy recommendations flowing from the evaluation and reflects on the process of implementing the recommendations. The Grade R programme has expanded dramatically, to the point where participation is nearly universal. Although a substantial literature points to large potential benefits from pre-school educational opportunities, the impact evaluation reported on in this article demonstrated that the Grade R programme, as implemented until 2011, had a limited impact on later educational outcomes. Improving the quality of Grade R, especially in schools serving low socio-economic status communities, thus emerges as a key policy imperative. Recommended responses include professionalising Grade R teachers, providing practical in-service support, increasing access to appropriate storybooks, empowering teachers to assess the development of their learners, and improving financial record-keeping of Grade R expenditure by provincial education departments. The impact evaluation was initiated by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) and the Department of Basic Education (DBE), and was conducted by independent researchers. The move towards increased evaluation of key government programmes is important for shifting the focus of programme managers and policymakers towards programme outcomes rather than only programme inputs. Yet the process is not without its challenges: following a clear process to ensure the implementation of the lessons learned from such an evaluation is not necessarily straightforward.
Characteristics and critical success factors for implementing problem-based learning in a human resource-constrained country
Authors: Giva Karen R.N. , Duma Sinegugu E.
Published: August 2015

Background: Problem-based learning (PBL) was introduced in Malawi in 2002 in order to improve the nursing education system and respond to the acute nursing human resources shortage. However, its implementation has been very slow throughout the country.Objectives: The objectives of the study were to explore and describe the goals that were identified by the college to facilitate the implementation of PBL, the resources of the organisation that facilitated the implementation of PBL, the factors related to sources of students that facilitated the implementation of PBL, and the influence of the external system of the organisation on facilitating the implementation of PBL, and to identify critical success factors that could guide the implementation of PBL in nursing education in Malawi.Method: This is an ethnographic, exploratory and descriptive qualitative case study. Purposive sampling was employed to select the nursing college, participants and documents for review.Three data collection methods, including semi-structured interviews, participant observation and document reviews, were used to collect data. The four steps of thematic analysis wereused to analyse data from all three sources.Results: Four themes and related subthemes emerged from the triangulated data sources. The first three themes and their subthemes are related to the characteristics related to successful implementation of PBL in a human resource-constrained nursing college, whilst the last themeis related to critical success factors that contribute to successful implementation of PBL in ahuman resource-constrained country like Malawi.Conclusion: This article shows that implementation of PBL is possible in a human resource-constrained country if there is political commitment and support.
Getting to why? Contemplative practice as reflection on intentionality
Authors: Wessels Francois
Published: August 2015

In my experience, conflict and other forms of being stuck or (as it is commonly referred to in narrative texts) ‘stuckness’ are related to actions, behaviour or events. If we consider a narrative paradigm, they happen in the realm of the Bruner’s ‘landscape of action’. Efforts at escaping these problem-saturated experiences mostly resort to replacing these actions, habits, modes of operation or rules with a different set of rules, without first reflecting on the intentionality or ‘why’ behind the actions. Most often this only serves to perpetuate the problem. This article will attempt to show that alternating between various initiatives in the ‘landscape of action’ provides only temporary respite to the problem, if any; that the intentionality behind these actions needs to be revisited and that contemplative practice facilitate such reflection on intentionality. This is therefore an exercise in reflecting on intentionality or even purpose, that is, a teleological question. This process traverses the dimensions of ‘what’ (actions), ‘how’ (methodology) and ‘why’ (intentionality), referring to the biology of human decision-making in the process of doing so. This article posits that this reflection may be facilitated by contemplative practices such as mindfulness and reflecting on soul.
Die teologiese ensiklopedie volgens Rudolf Bultmann
Authors: Boshoff Petrus B.
Published: August 2015

The theological encyclopedia according to Rudolf Bultmann. The purpose of this article is to present Bultmann’s view on theology. The theme is relevant, since there is confusion as to what theology is or should be. Although his theological contribution remains under attack, Bultmann often complained of being misunderstood. Therefore it is necessary to read his work carefully and to reconsider his approach. The author started with themes Bultmann discussed in his lectures on theological encyclopaedia, published posthumously, and elaborates on them with reference to his other published work.
Pax Romana as agtergrond van die Christelike kerugma
Authors: Boshoff Frans J.
Published: August 2015

Pax Romana as background of the Christian kerygma: The concept ‘kingdom of God’ is fundamental to the kerygma on the salvific meaning of Jesus Christ in New Testament times. This article aims to explore the raison d’être why this concept had been such an important element in the kerygma. It argues that the Pax Romana as the primary ideology of the Roman Empire played a significant role. The Pax Romana advocated harmony with the gods, and subsequent heavenly peace and global stability and security in the inhabited world. However, the kerygma replaced the Pax Romana as an ideology with the apocalyptic-eschatological concept ‘kingdom of God’. According to apocalyptic eschatology, an end to the known world is expected. This end was considered to be a cataclysmic catastrophe awaiting in the future, albeit indeterminate to humankind. On the contrary, the church’s kerygma proclaimed that the kingdom of God was already present. An element of Jewish apocalyptism, however, remained in the Christian religion - yet adjusted. That is, although the kingdom of God was regarded already present, the idea of a second coming of Christ as Redeemer was upheld. The article demonstrates that the Christian kerygma on the realised kingdom of God had its origins in the expectation of an utopia, as envisaged in the Pax Romana as ideology.
The Effect of Subchronic Dosing of Ciproxifan and Clobenpropit on Dopamine and Histamine Levels in Rats
Authors: Mahmood D. , Pillai K.K. , Khanam R. , Jahan K. , Goswami D. , Akhtar M.
Published: August 2015

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of once daily for 7-day (subchronic treatment) dosing of histamine H3 receptor antagonists, ciproxifan (CPX) (3 mg/kg, i.p.), and clobenpropit (CBP) (15 mg/kg, i.p), including clozapine (CLZ) (3.0 mg/kg, i.p.) and chlorpromazine (CPZ) (3.0 mg/kg, i.p.), the atypical and typical antipsychotic, respectively, on MK-801(0.2 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced locomotor activity, and dopamine and histamine levels in rats. Dopamine and histamine levels were measured in striatum and hypothalamus, respectively, of rat brain. Atypical and typical antipsychotics were used to serve as clinically relevant reference agents to compare the effects of the H3 receptor antagonists. MK-801-induced increase of horizontal activity was reduced with CPX and CBP. The attenuation of MK-801-induced locomotor hyperactivity produced by CPX and CBP was comparable to CLZ and CPZ. MK-801 raised dopamine levels in the striatum, which was reduced in rats pretreated with CPX and CBP. CPZ also lowered striatal dopamine levels, though the decrease was less robust compared to CLZ, CPX and CBP. MK-801 increased histamine content although to a lesser degree. Subchronic treatment with CPX and CBP exhibited further increase in histamine levels in the hypothalamus compared to the MK-801 treatment alone. Histamine H3 receptor agonist, R-OC methylhistamine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) counteracted the effects of CPX and CBP. In conclusion, the subchronic dosing of CPX/CBP suggests some antipsychotic-like activities as CPX/CBP counteracts the modulatory effects of MK-801 on dopamine and histamine levels and prevents MK-801-induced hyperlocomotor behaviors.
Discrete Space-time and Lorentz Transformations
Authors: Jensen Gerd , Pommerenke Christian
Published: August 2015

Alfred Schild established conditions where Lorentz transformations map world-vectors (ct, x, y, z) with integer coordinates onto vectors of the same kind. The problem was dealt with in the context of tensor and spinor calculus. Due to Schild’s number-theoretic arguments, the subject is also interesting when isolated from its physical background.

Schild’s paper is not easy to understand. Therefore, we first present a streamlined version of his proof which is based on the use of null vectors. Then we present a purely algebraic proof that is somewhat shorter. Both proofs rely on the properties of Gaussian integers
Higher moments for random multiplicative measures
Authors: Falconer Kenneth J.
Published: August 2015

We obtain a condition for the

L^q

-convergence of martingales generated by random multiplicative cascade measures for

q>1

without any self-similarity requirements on the cascades.
Connectedness locus for pairs of affine maps and zeros of power series
Authors: Solomyak Boris
Published: August 2015

We study the connectedness locus

\mathcal N

for the family of iterated function systems of pairs of affine-linear maps in the plane (the non-self-similar case). First results on the set

\mathcal N

were obtained in joint work with P. Shmerkin [11]. Here we establish rigorous bounds for the set

\mathcal N

based on the study of power series of special form. We also derive some bounds for the region of “

\ast

-transversality” which have applications to the computation of Hausdorff measure of the self-affine attractor. We prove that a large portion of the set

\mathcal N

is connected and locally connected, and conjecture that the entire connectedness locus is connected. We also prove that the set

\mathcal N

has many zero angle “cusp corners,” at certain points with algebraic coordinates.
Kneading with weights
Authors: Rugh Hans Henrik , Tan Lei
Published: August 2015

We generalize Milnor–Thurston's kneading theory to the setting of piecewise continuous and monotone interval maps with a weight associated to each branch. We define a weighted kneading determinant

{\cal D}(t)

and establish combinatorially two kneading identities, one with the cutting invariant and one with the dynamical zeta function. For the pressure

\log \rho_1

of the weighted system, playing the role of entropy, we prove that

{\cal D}(t)

is non-zero when

|t|<1/\rho_1

and has a zero at

1/\rho_1

. Furthermore, our map is semi-conjugate to every map in an analytic family

\mathcal S_t, 0<t<1/\rho_1

of piecewise linear maps with slopes proportional to the prescribed weights and defined on a Cantor set. When the original map extends to a continuous map

f

, the family

\mathcal S_t

converges as

t\rightarrow 1/\rho_1

to a continuous piecewise linear interval map

\tilde{f}

. Furthermore,

f

is semi-conjugate to

\tilde{f}

and the two maps have the same pressure.
What is the ROAR Factor for Your Health Promotion Program? (Hint: We Used to Call it ROI)
Authors: O'Donnell Michael P.
Published: August 2015

The ROAR factor is three things. First, it is about feeling great. Second, it is about helping other people feel great. Third, it is about helping employers maximize the Return on Allocated Resources (ROAR) from their health promotion programs.
A Future for the Doctrine of Substantive Legitimate Expectation? The Implications of Kwazulu-Natal Joint Liaison Committee v Mec for Education, Kwazulu Natal
Authors: Murcott Melanie
Published: August 2015

In this paper I briefly discuss the development of the doctrine of legitimate expectation in South African law, which had left the way open for the Constitutional Court to develop a doctrine of substantive legitimate expectation in KwaZulu-Natal Joint Liaison Committee v MEC for Education, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN JLC). I then discuss the court's refusal to develop the doctrine in KZN JLC and analyse the approach adopted instead, which saw the court invoke rationality review to create a new legal mechanism for the enforcement of a unilateral, publicly promulgated promise by government to pay on broad public law grounds. I do so from the perspective of whether or not this creative approach amounted to the development of the doctrine by another name. I consider the implications of the creative approach in KZN JLC for the development of the doctrine of substantive legitimate expectation under administrative law in future. Finally I discuss how the creation of a new legal mechanism to enforce publicly promulgated promises to pay was "subversive of PAJA and the scheme in s 33 of the Constitution".
"Just Piles of Rocks to Developers but Places of Worship to Native Americans" - Exploring the Significance of Earth Jurisprudence for South African Cultural Communities
Authors: Ratiba Matome M.
Published: August 2015

Throughout the years cultural communities across the world have borne witness to many unending attempts at the destruction of their places of worship. This endemic problem has arisen in a number of places, such as in the USA and in most of the world's former colonies. Having been colonised, South African cultural communities have experienced the same threats to their various sacred sites. This article seeks to argue and demonstrate that cultural communities in South Africa stand to benefit from the properly construed and rich earth jurisprudence arising out of the courtroom experiences of some of the cultural communities identified elsewhere in the world. It also proposes several arguments peculiar to South Africa which could be advanced by cultural communities seeking to protect their sacred lands.
What Constitutes a Benefit by Virtue of Section 186(2) of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995? Apollo Tyres South Africa (Pty) Ltd v CCMA 2013 5 BLLR 434 (LAC)
Authors: Fourie Elmarie
Published: August 2015

The uncertainty surrounding the concept benefit as provided for in section 186(2) of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 was created not by the courts but rather by the legislature. The concept is not defined and clearly has a wide ambit. In previous decisions the courts upheld a restrictive interpretation of benefits to maintain the divide between disputes of interest and disputes of rights and to ensure that issues that should be the subject of negotiation could not become issues that can be decided by an arbitrator. Previously the courts insisted that a benefit was something arising out of a contract or law. In the Apollo case the court had to determine what constitutes a benefit and if a benefit is limited to an entitlement which arises ex contractu or ex lege. The court found that the early retirement scheme was a benefit, although the employee at that stage did not have a contractual entitlement to the benefit and that the benefit was subject to the employer's discretion. What becomes clear from this case is that the unfair labour practice jurisdiction cannot be used to assert an entitlement to new benefits, new forms of remuneration or new policies. The Labour Appeal Court criticizes the distinction between salaries and remuneration drawn by our courts and describes it as artificial and unsustainable. Under the unfair labour practice regime the conduct of the employer may be scrutinized by the CCMA in at least two instances, namely when an employer fails to comply with a contractual obligation, an entitlement or right that an employee may have in terms of a statute, and secondly when an employer exercises a discretion under the contractual terms of a scheme conferring a benefit, including situations where the employer enjoys a discretion in terms of benefits provided in terms of a policy or practice - rights created judicially. This decision places the emphasis on the employer's actions and the unfairness of such acts or omissions.
Law's Poverty
Authors: Modiri JM
Published: August 2015

This article adopts an analysis that explicitly politicises poverty and relates it to the concrete history of racialised capitalism and structural inequality that defined colonialism and apartheid and continues to persist and intensify in "post"-apartheid South Africa. Rather than formulating racialised poverty in legalist, economist or managerial terms, it should rather be understood as a form of oppression that comprises exploitation, marginalisation, powerlessness, cultural imperialism and violence. Such a formulation would make social structure, historical injustice and power central and would also allow for poverty to be grasped beyond a purely distributive logic by bringing to light the non-distributive, non-economic dimensions of poverty. Comprehending poverty in this way, as not only a question of economic distribution and empowerment, but also one of ethical, moral and even ontological recognition necessitates an enquiry into the emancipatory force of rights. Given their centrality in political and social discourse and in legal scholarship on poverty, it is worth considering whether and to what extent rights can be utilised in the struggle against (racialised) poverty.
Tubercle of Zuckerkandl
Authors: Bansal Naval , Tripathi Navneet , Reddy Ashwini
Published: August 2015

Endocrine Surgeon must have intimate knowledge about all anatomic variations of thyroid gland for performing safe thyroid surgery. Tubercle of Zuckerkandl is a posterior extrusion of the lateral thyroid lobes and it is a pointer to the recurrent laryngeal nerve and inferior parathyroid glands. We have discussed pertinent issues regarding tubercle of Zuckerkandl in this mini review.

How to cite this article

Mayilvaganan S, Bansal N, Tripathi N, Reddy A, Agarwal A. Tubercle of Zuckerkandl. World J Endoc Surg 2015;7(2):33-35.
Antenatally Diagnosed Suprarenal Cystic Teratoma
Authors: Agarwala Sandeep , Jana Manisha , Singh MK , Garg Rajan , Mandelia Ankur , Bhatnagar Veereshwar
Published: August 2015

A two months old female child presented to us with an antenatal diagnosis of left suprarenal mass. Laparotomy revealed a large cystic mass in the left suprarenal location which was completely excised. The histological diagnosis was a mature, cystic teratoma. Although, the diagnosis of adrenal teratoma is rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of antenatally diagnosed suprarenal lesions.

How to cite this article

Garg R, Mandelia A, Agarwala S, Bhatnagar V, Singh MK, Jana M. Antenatally Diagnosed Suprarenal Cystic Teratoma. World J Endoc Surg 2015;7(2):44-46.
Social media use in emergency management
Authors: Wukich, PhD Clayton
Published: August 2015

Objective: To identify and illustrate the range of strategies and tactics available for emergency managers using social media. Design: This study uses content analysis of more than 80 related journal articles, research reports, and government documents as well as more than 120 newspaper articles, identified through LexisNexis search queries.Results: Three strategies, information dissemination, monitoring real-time data, and engaging the public in a conversation and/or crowdsourcing, are available to emergency managers to augment communication practices via face-to-face contact and through traditional media outlets. Academic research has identified several message types disseminated during response operations.1,2 Message types during other emergency phases have received less attention; however, news reporting and government reports provide best practices and inform this study. This article provides the foundation for a more complete typology of emergency management messages. Relatedly, despite limited attention in the academic research, monitoring social media feeds to accrue situational awareness and interacting with others to generate a conversation and/or to coordinate collective action also take place in various forms and are discussed.Conclusions: Findings integrate the fragmented body of knowledge into a more coherent whole and suggest that practitioners might maximize outcomes through a three-step process of information dissemination, data monitoring, and the direct engagement of diverse sets of actors to spur risk reduction efforts. However, these steps require time, personnel, and resources, which present obstacles for agencies operating under conditions of personnel and resource scarcity.
A decision support framework for characterizing and managing dermal exposures to chemicals during Emergency Management and Operations
Authors: Dotson, PhD, CIH G. Scott , Hudson, DrPH Naomi L. , Maier, PhD, DABT, CIH Andrew
Published: August 2015

Emergency Management and Operations (EMO) personnel are in need of resources and tools to assist in understanding the health risks associated with dermal exposures during chemical incidents. This article reviews available resources and presents a conceptual framework for a decision support system (DSS) that assists in characterizing and managing risk during chemical emergencies involving dermal exposures. The framework merges principles of three decision-making techniques: 1) scenario planning, 2) risk analysis, and 3) multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA). This DSS facilitates dynamic decision making during each of the distinct life cycle phases of an emergency incident (ie, preparedness, response, or recovery) and identifies EMO needs. A checklist tool provides key questions intended to guide users through the complexities of conducting a dermal risk assessment. The questions define the scope of the framework for resource identification and application to support decision-making needs. The framework consists of three primary modules: 1) resource compilation, 2) prioritization, and 3) decision. The modules systematically identify, organize, and rank relevant information resources relating to the hazards of dermal exposures to chemicals and risk management strategies. Each module is subdivided into critical elements designed to further delineate the resources based on relevant incident phase and type of information. The DSS framework provides a much needed structure based on contemporary decision analysis principles for 1) documenting key questions for EMO problem formulation and 2) a method for systematically organizing, screening, and prioritizing information resources on dermal hazards, exposures, risk characterization, and management.
Pharmacoepidemiology of opiate use in the neonatal ICU: Increasing cumulative doses and iatrogenic opiate withdrawal
Authors: Lewis, MD Tamorah , Erfe, BS Betty Luan , Ezell, BS Tarrah , Gauda, MD Estelle
Published: August 2015

Objective: Neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) care involves use of opiates to treat postoperative, ventilated, or chronically ill infants. Opiates provide necessary analgesia and sedation, but the morbidities include prolonged neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and extended length of stay for dose tapering. Our objective was to quantify trends in opiate exposure in a tertiary care NICU. The authors hypothesize that medical opiate exposure and resultant ICU-acquired NAS would increase over time.Design: Retrospective cross-sectional cohort study.Setting: Tertiary care NICU.Patients: High-risk inborn infants admitted in fiscal years 2003-2004, 2007-2008, and 2010-2011.Main outcome measure: Average cumulative morphine exposure (all opiate doses converted to morphine equivalents) per time epoch was compared in cohorts of clinically similar infants. Linear regression was used to assess the primary outcome, assessing changes in opiate exposure over time.Results: Sixty-three infants were included in the final analysis. The primary analysis assessing cumulative opiate exposure per infant showed an increase of 134 mg per time epoch (95% CI –12, 279 mg, p-value 0.071). There was a statistically significant increase in the percent of infants with a diagnosis of iatrogenic NAS, increasing from 9 to 35 to 50 percent (p-value 0.012).
Triple dosing with high doses of buprenorphine: Withdrawal
Authors: Hvittfeldt, MD Erland , Gedeon, MD Charlotte , Fridolf, MLS Ingrid , Håkansson, MD, PhD Anders
Published: August 2015

Background: In maintenance treatment for opiate addiction, buprenorphine can be administered less frequently than daily due to its long half-life.Objective: To examine the plasma concentration of buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine for 72 hours after a dose of 72 mg and to objectively and subjectively evaluate the correlations between concentrations and withdrawal levels.Methods: Patients in maintenance treatment with buprenorphine with a daily dose of 24 mg were given a triple dose of 72 mg (n = 9), in an outpatient setting. Blood samples were drawn, and withdrawal symptoms were evaluated objectively and subjectively every 24 hours over 72 hours. Urine and blood toxicology samples were obtained.Results: The triple dose was generally accepted well with low subjective and objective withdrawal scores. However, two patients aborted the study on day 3 and reported withdrawal symptoms. Benzodiazepine use was confirmed in one while the other likely used unauthorized buprenorphine.Conclusions: Administration of buprenorphine in three times the daily dose seems acceptable, also in the higher daily maintenance doses (here, 24 mg) used in many clinical settings. Two patients did not tolerate the regimen but, partly due to the outpatient setting, the reasons why are unclear. Further research should be of interest as high buprenorphine doses are becoming more common clinically.
Drivers of Productivity: a Case Study of the Australian Construction Industry
Authors: Chancellor Will
Published: August 2015

Australian construction productivity has grown slowly since 1985 and remains arguably stagnant. The importance of this study is therefore to examine several factors through to be drivers of construction productivity and to understand possible avenues for improvement. The drivers tested are research and development, apprentices, wage growth, unionisation and safety regulation. Expenditure on research and development and the number of apprentices were found to be drivers of productivity growth in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia. These findings are important because collectively, these three states account for a majority of construction activity in Australia.
Guest Editorial: Perspectives on Megaprojects
Authors: Tan Willie
Published: August 2015

Guest Editor: Willie Tan, National University of Singapore
Building Information Modelling and Standardised Construction Contracts: a Content Analysis of the GC21 Contract
Authors: Manderson Aaron , Jefferies Marcus , Brewer Graham
Published: August 2015

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is seen as a panacea to many of the ills confronting the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector. In spite of its well documented benefits the widespread integration of BIM into the project lifecycle is yet to occur. One commonly identified barrier to BIM adoption is the perceived legal risks associated with its integration, coupled with the need for implementation in a collaborative environment. Many existing standardised contracts used in the Australian AEC industry were drafted before the emergence of BIM. As BIM continues to become ingrained in the delivery process the shortcomings of these existing contracts have become apparent. This paper reports on a study that reviewed and consolidated the contractual and legal concerns associated with BIM implementation. The findings of the review were used to conduct a qualitative content analysis of the GC21 2nd edition, an Australian standardised construction contract, to identify possible changes to facilitate the implementation of BIM in a collaborative environment. The findings identified a number of changes including the need to adopt a collaborative contract structure with equitable risk and reward mechanisms, recognition of the model as a contract document and the need for standardisation of communication/information exchange.
Organizational Network Evolution and Governance Strategies in Megaprojects
Authors: Lu Yujie , Li Yongkui , Pang Da , Zhang Yunxia
Published: August 2015

The organization is the key factor for megaprojects in which thousands of connections and relations intertwine and influence the project performance. However, organizational evolution in megaprojects has not been fully studied. This study investigates the evolution of the organizational network of a megaproject in China using social network analysis (SNA), and then proposes corresponding governance strategies. The result shows that megaproject organizations evolve towards more connected networks but are differentiated for various investors. For government invested projects, the organizational network is well connected, cooperative, yet unstable and require strategic long-term governance policies; for private invested projects, the network is stable, but collaboration among participants is low, which indicates a need to establish collaborative governance structures. The result complements the organizational evolution theory for megaprojects and offers effective strategies for governing megaproject organizations. This study also helps practitioners better understand the nature and characteristics of megaproject organizations.
Efficiency Analysis of Project Management Offices for Large-scale Information System Projects: Insights for Construction Megaprojects
Authors: Ko Joong-Hoon , Park Sung-Hun , Kim Dae-Cheol
Published: August 2015

In this study, the efficiencies of Project Management Offices (PMOs) in large-scale information system (IS) projects are addressed by using data envelopment analysis. Moreover, the potential improvement levels for each input and output factors of inefficient PMOs are examined. The effects of performance levels of PMO functions on project outcomes with respect to efficiency levels are also analyzed. A total of forty-nine PMOs are analyzed for this study. The result shows that twenty-four PMOs are found to be efficient. As a result of analyzing the impact of efficiency on project performance depending on the functional levels of PMOs, those groups with a high degree of efficiency show higher outcomes compared with the groups with a low degree of efficiency regardless of the functional levels of PMOs. Furthermore, the gap in outcome between the groups with a high degree of efficiency and the groups with a low degree of efficiency is maintained at almost the same level, regardless of the functional levels of PMOs, with the exception of the case of practice management. This indicates that even those groups with a low degree of efficiency could expect high outcomes in terms of schedule and cost compliance if their level of practice management is high.
Affects of the Cold Water Pipe Depth in Ocean Thermal Energy Converter Plants with respect to Power Generation Efficiency
Authors: Giordani Helia Danielle , Lages Matheus , Medina Miguel , Tan-Holmes Jade
Published: August 2015

The Ocean provides an extensive renewable energy source. It is the exploitation of the thermal gradient between the warmed surface water and the deep cold water. A heat engine was developed to use the surface water as a heat source and the deep water as a cold source in order to convert thermal energy into mechanical energy and generate electricity. This process is called Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC). This paper presents the three different types of OTEC power plants: closed-cycle, open-cycle and hybrid-cycle, showing real and conceptual examples of each. All three systems are analyzed in terms of gross power, net power, efficiency and size. Furthermore, the depth of the cold water pipe is discussed and related to the net power generation of the OTEC plant. The power generation efficiency of the plant increases as the gross power production increases. This is due to the depth of the cold water pipe and amount of power used by the cold water pipe pump.
Analysis of Industrial Syngas Production from Biomass
Authors: Nguyen Minh , Duddy Gabriella , Karam Camila
Published: August 2015

This meta-study provides a comparison across various gasification systems on the production of syngas from biomass as feedstock. The gasifier configuration systems analysed included; fixed-bed, fluidized, plasma, and entrained, and the effect of operational parameters on the syngas volume and composition were obtained and analysed across a number of studies. The relationships between efficiency, temperatures within the system, equivalence ratio, fuel quality, and biomass fuel types were investigated and it was shown that ER was the most influential operating parameter. A small generalised comparison between existing competing energy sources was also performed with respect to biofuels.
Tri-generation and combined cycles: thermodynamic analysis of prime movers in standalone and hybrid configurations
Authors: Haughey Michael , He Karim , Dinh Toan
Published: August 2015

The global movement towards lower carbon economies and distributed energy requires the realisation of improved energy generation methods. Tri-generation is a method of optimising the thermal efficiency of energy generation through waste heat recapturing and can simultaneously provide heating, cooling and electrical output to meet building energy demands. A meta-analysis was conducted to analyse the performance of various prime movers utilised in tri-generation applications. Through this study it was determined that the efficiency of tri-generation and combined cycles can be optimised through a hybridisation of prime movers.
Fusion-From Stars to Power Sockets
Authors: Fleisher-Petersen Carla , Keen Shane , Martin Liam , Regan Blake
Published: August 2015

Fusion energy is one of the promising energy sources of the future, with a practically limitless abundance of hydrogen in the universe and earth, it has the potential to replace current energy technologies being theoretically superior in efficiency with minimal environmental impact. A systematic review and meta-analysis of its thermodynamic properties, including the examination of the efficiency of underlying technologies and fusion causing techniques was conducted to examine the potential of this technology as a viable energy source. Through these methods we obtained thermodynamic data relating to to the efficiency of fusion engines, such as the Tokamak, Direct Pulse, Z-Pinch and Fusor style fusion engines, and the underlying technologies relating to conduction and radiation losses in a fusion engine in order to assess current and projected thermodynamic efficiencies and hypothesise potential research requirements to make fusion technology viable. From this research it is concluded that the main flaw in fusion technology is the inability to properly address radiation and conduction losses which minimise the power output of any fusion reactor.Furthermore, while it is necessary to develop these technologies for the development of working fusion technology, their applications to other energy industries, such as solar and nuclear fission, would be more beneficial to the clean energy near future than to the long term goal of fusion technology.
Energy–latitude dispersion patterns near the isotropy boundaries of energetic protons
Authors: Sergeev V. A. , Chernyaeva S. A. , Apatenkov S. V. , Ganushkina N. Y. , Dubyagin S. V.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Non-adiabatic motion of plasma sheet protons causes pitch-angle scattering and isotropic precipitation to the ionosphere, which forms the proton auroral oval. This mechanism related to current sheet scattering (CSS) provides a specific energy–latitude dispersion pattern near the equatorward boundary of proton isotropic precipitation (isotropy boundary, IB), with precipitation sharply decreasing at higher (lower) latitude for protons with lower (higher) energy. However, this boundary maps to the inner magnetosphere, where wave-induced scattering may provide different dispersion patterns as recently demonstrated by Liang et al. (2014). Motivated by the potential usage of the IBs for the magnetotail monitoring as well as by the need to better understand the mechanisms forming the proton IB, we investigate statistically the details of particle flux patterns near the proton IB using NOAA-POES polar spacecraft observations made during September 2009. By comparing precipitated-to-trapped flux ratio (J0/J90) at >30 and >80 keV proton energies, we found a relatively small number of simple CSS-type dispersion events (only 31 %). The clear reversed (wave-induced) dispersion patterns were very rare (5 %). The most frequent pattern had nearly coinciding IBs at two energies (63 %). The structured precipitation with multiple IBs was very frequent (60 %), that is, with two or more significant J0/J90 dropouts. The average latitudinal width of multiple IB structures was about 1°. Investigation of dozens of paired auroral zone crossings of POES satellites showed that the IB pattern is stable on a timescale of less than 2 min (a few proton bounce periods) but can evolve on a longer (several minutes) scale, suggesting temporal changes in some mesoscale structures in the equatorial magnetosphere. We discuss the possible role of CSS-related and wave-induced mechanisms and their possible coupling to interpret the emerging complicated patterns of proton isotropy boundaries.
Tomography of the ionospheric electron density with geostatistical inversion
Authors: Minkwitz D. , van den Boogaart K. G. , Gerzen T. , Hoque M.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. In relation to satellite applications like global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and remote sensing, the electron density distribution of the ionosphere has significant influence on trans-ionospheric radio signal propagation. In this paper, we develop a novel ionospheric tomography approach providing the estimation of the electron density's spatial covariance and based on a best linear unbiased estimator of the 3-D electron density. Therefore a non-stationary and anisotropic covariance model is set up and its parameters are determined within a maximum-likelihood approach incorporating GNSS total electron content measurements and the NeQuick model as background. As a first assessment this 3-D simple kriging approach is applied to a part of Europe. We illustrate the estimated covariance model revealing the different correlation lengths in latitude and longitude direction and its non-stationarity. Furthermore, we show promising improvements of the reconstructed electron densities compared to the background model through the validation of the ionosondes Rome, Italy (RO041), and Dourbes, Belgium (DB049), with electron density profiles for 1 day.
Examination for robustness of parametric estimators for flood statistics in the context of extraordinary extreme events
Authors: Fischer S. , Fried R. , Schumann A.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. We compare several estimators, which are commonly used in hydrology, for the parameters of the distribution of flood series, like the Maximum-Likelihood estimator or L-Moments, with the robust estimators Trimmed L-Moments and Minimum Distances. Our objective is estimation of the 99 %- or 99.9 %-quantile of an underlying Gumbel or Generalized Extreme Value distribution (GEV), where we modify the generated random variables such that extraordinary extreme events occur. The results for a two- or three-parametric fitting are compared and the robustness of the estimators to the occurrence of extraordinary extreme events is investigated by statistical measures. When extraordinary extreme events are known to appear in the sample, the Trimmed L-Moments are a recommendable choice for a robust estimation. They even perform rather well, if there are no such events.
Transport and bottom accumulation of fine river sediments under typhoon conditions and associated submarine landslides: case study of the Peinan River, Taiwan
Authors: Osadchiev A. A. , Korotenko K. A. , Zavialov P. O. , Chiang W.-S. , Liu C.-C.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. A combination of a three-dimensional Eulerian ocean circulation model (POM) and a Lagrangian particle-tracking model (STRiPE) is used to study the fate of fine river sediments discharged by the Peinan River at the north-eastern coast of the Taiwan Island. The composite model is verified against in situ measurements and applied to simulate primary sediment deposition under freshet and typhoon discharge conditions of the Peinan River. It is shown that local wind plays the crucial role in sediment transport and settling at the coastal area through its influence on the river plume dynamics and turbulent mixing in the upper layer. Wind forcing conditions generally determine the location of the sediment deposit area, while its final pattern is defined by coastal circulation with respect to coastal geometry and local bathymetry. In the study region river-born sediments are deposited to the sea floor mainly in the shallow shelf areas. A significant portion of discharged fine sediments is moved offshore to the deeper ocean where it is spread and dissipated by the strong coastal circulation governed by the Kuroshio Current. The performed numerical experiments showed that sediment accumulation rate under typhoon conditions is about two orders greater comparing to freshet condition. The simulation results were used to identify potential zones of formation of submarine landslides caused by elevated sediment deposition at the steep sea floor during and shortly after the typhoon events. Basing on these results we detected the areas of the continental shelf and continental slope which have high risk of being incised and eroded by autosuspending sediment gravity flows.
Improving Arctic sea ice edge forecasts by assimilating high horizontal resolution sea ice concentration data into the US Navy's ice forecast systems
Authors: Posey P. G. , Metzger E. J. , Wallcraft A. J. , Hebert D. A. , Allard R. A. , Smedstad O. M. , Phelps M. W. , Fetterer F. , Stewart J. S. , Meier W. N. , Helfrich S. R.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. This study presents the improvement in ice edge error within the US Navy's operational sea ice forecast systems gained by assimilating high horizontal resolution satellite-derived ice concentration products. Since the late 1980's, the ice forecast systems have assimilated near real-time sea ice concentration derived from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSMI and then SSMIS). The resolution of the satellite-derived product was approximately the same as the previous operational ice forecast system (25 km). As the sea ice forecast model resolution increased over time, the need for higher horizontal resolution observational data grew. In 2013, a new Navy sea ice forecast system (Arctic Cap Nowcast/Forecast System – ACNFS) went into operations with a horizontal resolution of ~ 3.5 km at the North Pole. A method of blending ice concentration observations from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR2) along with a sea ice mask produced by the National Ice Center (NIC) has been developed, resulting in an ice concentration product with very high spatial resolution. In this study, ACNFS was initialized with this newly developed high resolution blended ice concentration product. The daily ice edge locations from model hindcast simulations were compared against independent observed ice edge locations. ACNFS initialized using the high resolution blended ice concentration data product decreased predicted ice edge location error compared to the operational system that only assimilated SSMIS data. A second evaluation assimilating the new blended sea ice concentration product into the pre-operational Navy Global Ocean Forecast System 3.1 also showed a substantial improvement in ice edge location over a system using the SSMIS sea ice concentration product alone. This paper describes the technique used to create the blended sea ice concentration product and the significant improvements in ice edge forecasting in both of the Navy's sea ice forecasting systems.
Advance Care Planning—A Primer
Authors: Taneja Karishma , Sayal Puneet
Published: August 2015

Advance Care Planning (ACP) is the process by which individuals make decisions that can guide their future healthcare if they become incompetent. Creation of an Advance Care Plan should involve discussions with healthcare providers and substitute decision makers (SDM). ACP can assist individuals, their families, and healthcare professionals in planning for future and end-of-life (EOL) care. Recent research suggests that ACP can increase discussions about EOL preferences and improve the concordance between patient preferences and their EOL care.
More than 50% of Canadians have not completed an Advanced Care Plan. This may be due to a variety of reasons, however it is possible that the community does not have enough knowledge about healthcare options that can be provided in the hospitals. Current research is focused on identifying barriers and facilitators to ACP, as well as implementing methods for incorporating it during standard medical care. Various stakeholders have identified ACP as a priority, and in order to raise awareness, April 16th has been designated as National Advance Care Planning Day in Canada