bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facilities management outsourcing relationships in the higher education institutes
Authors: Lok Ka Leung , Baldry David
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to test the nine corollaries concerning the determinants of outsourcing relationship dimensions, strategic manoeuvres, clients’ and service providers’ evaluation regarding outsourcing category and outsourcing relationship types.The paper has the purpose of reviewing the concept of outsourcing in relation to FM, dealing with service providers’ performance and its effect on clients before providing a comprehensive discussion of outsourcing.

Design/methodology/approach

– A conceptual approach is adopted, suggesting that a study of outsourcing relationship between clients and service providers from these theoretical perspectives is used to develop corollaries about the relationships between the strategic manoeuvres identified and the different dimensions of outsourcing relationship. The corollaries are examined using non-parametric tests.

Findings

– The model of the facilities management (FM) outsourcing relationships presented in the paper shows performance of outsourcing services through evaluation of outsourcing categories on current and future FM contracts of clients and service providers. As a template of outsourcing relationships, the model is the context for predicting the important outsourcing categories to the future four FM outsourcing contracts, such as building maintenance, security, cleaning and catering. On prediction of those FM contracts, there is an inclination to the types of in-house and technical expertise on category of FM outsourcing relationship types from clients, whilst there is an equal inclination to the type of in-house outsourcing category from service providers.

Originality/value

– Management on outsourcing relationships between clients and service providers is now essential for effective outsourcing in FM. This paper provides an intriguing insight into how the effect of outsourcing relationships can be strategically implemented into the performance of service providers.
Administration and gender in Eretz Israel
Authors: Shehory-Rubin Zipora
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse the significance of the incidence of female principals in the urban sector of Eretz Israel, against the background of growing Jewish society, through the prism of which we can view the development of modern Hebrew education during the waning Ottoman rule.

Design/methodology/approach

– In addition to the archival material, contemporary newspapers provided an important source, as did memoirs of prominent people that, to some extent, filled in the “gaps”, more on the running of the schools and less on the activities of the four principals.

Findings

– A survey of the archival material reveals that the four women share biographical elements, their talents, personalities and education obtained abroad, style of school leadership and organization, not to mention their moral contribution to the education of girls in Eretz Israel.

Practical implications

– One may point to other fields in which women began to play a more prominent role, based on European training and experience. For instance, in medicine and a modern approach to midwifery, From 1900, modern trained female doctors, nurses and midwives began to be employed in hospitals and private practices around the country, helping to radically reduce childbirth fatalities and allowing women to consult a woman practitioner where before they had been unwilling to expose themselves to men. Although a direct link between the earlier presence of female educational administrators and the entry of women doctors may be difficult to establish, the atmosphere had certainly begun to change.

Social implications

– From that period on, during the British Mandate, and after the creation of the State of Israel, immense changes have been instituted. One can view the seeds of these changes as, at least in part, having been planted by the pioneering work of our four women. There were far reaching developments in the conception of female management from the time of the Ottoman rule through the period of the British Mandate.

Originality/value

– This research shines a light on a forgotten world and pursues a phenomenon not yet revealed in Zionist historiography − the running of girls’ schools by women in the Jewish community, under the dying Ottoman regime. The study allows us a deeper insight into the historical educational processes that fashioned the profession of head teachers, via pioneering female principals. Female administration in a patriarchal society, with a hegemonic male orientation that placed man at the centre and woman as secondary, faced these problems, obstacles and opposition. Women who were appointed to run schools had to justify their position by imitating the “masculine” style of management and to carry out their work − both pedagogical and administrative − without organizational, social or emotional support. They suffered opposition, internal (their male teaching staff) and external (from patrons and the religious community) and the need to respond to their criticism.
Nietzsche, Social Darwinism and the Chair of Music at Melbourne University
Authors: Rich Joe
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to challenge Matthew Lorenzon’s contention that the late 1890s outcry demanding Melbourne University music professor G.W.L. Marshall-Hall’s removal from office was precipitated by his praise of war in an 1898 public address. It also disputes Lorenzon’s view that the belligerent, anti-philanthropic content of the address was inspired by Alexander Tille’s Social Darwinist introduction to four works of Friedrich Nietzsche which, Lorenzon says, Marshall-Hall had misread.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper analyses the speech and responses to it, comparing its content with that of the book and taking into account Marshall-Hall’s annotations and other relevant remarks. It also considers the broader situational context in which the speech was delivered with a view to identifying additional influences.

Findings

– Despite superficial resemblances, Tille’s concern is with the physiological capabilities that determine the outcome of a universal struggle for physical survival, other qualities being important insofar as they contribute to such physiological power, whereas Marshall-Hall, driven by situational circumstances, focuses on contests for occupational pre-eminence in which physiology plays little part. While both men denigrate altruism they mean quite different things by it. Moreover, the speech had little to do with the ensuing furore, which stemmed primarily from offence caused by Marshall-Hall’s book of verse, Hymns Ancient and Modern. There is no reason to believe that he had misread Nietzsche.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to Marshall-Hall scholarship by arguing that the controversy was driven by purely local circumstances, not international debates about evolution.
UNSW and the establishment of the Faculty of Military Studies at the Royal Military College, Duntroon: 1965-1968
Authors: Andrews Jason David , Connor James
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in the establishment of the Faculty of Military Studies (FMS) at the Royal Military College (RMC) at Duntroon between 1965 and 1968. And, in so doing, detail the academic culture and structure of the FMS at its inception in 1968.

Design/methodology/approach

– Given the small body of literature on the subject, the chronology of events was developed primarily through archival research and interview transcripts, supplemented by correspondence and formal interviews with former academic staff of the FMS (UNSW HREAP A-12-44).

Findings

– This paper reveals the motivations for, issues encountered, and means by which UNSW’s administration under Sir Philip Baxter were willing and able to work with the Army to establish the FMS. In so doing, it reveals the FMS as a “compromise institution” in which the role of UNSW and the academic staff was to deliver a professional education subordinate to the imperatives of the RMC’s socialization and military training regime.

Research limitations/implications

– Primary materials were restricted to archived documentation comprised of correspondence and meeting minutes as well as a limited group of witnesses – both willing and able – to provide insight into UNSW and RMC in the mid-1960s.

Originality/value

– This paper presents an original account of the establishment of the FMS and the role of Sir Philip Baxter and the UNSW administration in pioneering the institutional forbearer of the Australian Defence Force Academy.
Great projects and crude realities
Authors: Giménez Martínez Miguel Ángel
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the circumstances that have conditioned the development of education in Spain from the enlightenment to the present day.

Design/methodology/approach

– Multidisciplinary scientific approach that combines the interpretation of the legal texts with the revision of the doctrinal and theoretical contributions made on the issue.

Findings

– From the beginning of the nineteenth century, the history of education in Spain has been marked by constant fluctuations between the reactionary instincts, principally maintained by the Catholic Church and the conservative social classes, and the progressive experiments, driven by the enlightened and the liberals first, and the republicans and the socialists later. As a consequence of that, the fight for finishing with illiteracy and guaranteeing universal schooling underwent permanent advances and retreats, preventing from an effective modernization of the Spanish educative system. On the one hand, renewal projects promoted by teachers and pedagogues were inevitably criticized by the ecclesiastical hierarchy, obsessed with the idea of preserving the influence of religion on the schools. On the other hand, successive governments were weak in implementing an educational policy which could place Spain at the level of the other European and occidental nations.

Originality/value

– At the dawn of the twenty-first century, although the country has overcome a good part of its centuries-old backwardness, increasing economic difficulties and old ideological splits keep hampering the quality of teaching, gripped by neoliberal policies which undermine the right to education for all. The reading of this paper offers various historical clues to understand this process.
Interactive effects of personal and organizational resources on frontline bank employees’ job outcomes
Authors: Sengupta Aditi Sarkar , Yavas Ugur , Babakus Emin
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of person-job (P-J) fit on the impact of organizational resources (training and service technology), and a personal resource (customer orientation) on frontline bank employees’ job performance and turnover intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

– A large-scale survey of 530 frontline employees of a national bank in New Zealand serves as the study setting.

Findings

– Among others, results show that P-J fit fully mediates the impact of training on turnover intentions and job performance.

Research limitations/implications

– The cross-sectional nature of the study does not allow causal inferences. Therefore, future studies should adopt longitudinal designs.

Practical implications

– Management should be careful in planning and providing organizational resources to frontline employees to enhance their perception of P-J fit. Also investing in the recruitment and selection of customer-oriented frontline employees would be a prudent course of action.

Originality/value

– Empirical research in the banking services literature pertaining to the mediating role of P-J fit is scarce. There is also a lack of research regarding the interaction between personal and organizational resources resulting in complementary or supplementary effects on frontline employees’ fit perceptions. This study fills in the void in both areas.
Does intermarriage promote economic assimilation among immigrants in the United States?
Authors: Chi Miao
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether immigrants in the USA receive an earnings premium associated with marrying a native.

Design/methodology/approach

– The raw premium revealed by the 2000 US Census data is suspect due to possible endogeneity and selection bias. Instrumental variables estimation, a sample selection model, and a counterfactual construction method are used to address these issues.

Findings

– Results suggest a positive and modest intermarriage premium, although the magnitude varies with the estimation technique. The evidence is particularly strong for immigrants with high English proficiency, college graduates, and immigrants older than 12 upon arrival in the USA.

Originality/value

– It is shown that the size of intermarriage premiums varies significantly across different immigrant groups. The empirical results provide insights into the economic assimilation process and mechanisms through which intermarriage influences the labor market outcomes of immigrants.
Workplace policies and training in China: evidence from matched employee-employer data
Authors: Mishra Vinod , Smyth Russell
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which workplace policies and practices are related to participation in, and frequency and duration of, workplace training, controlling for worker and workplace characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors regress variables depicting participation, frequency and duration of workplace training on workplace policies and control variables. In the case of participation in training, the dependent variable is binary; hence, the authors use a logit model. To examine the number of times which employees participate in training and the number of days they spend training the authors use a Tobit model. The Lewbel (2012) method is used to examine whether there is a causal relationship between workplace policies and the frequency, and duration, of training.

Findings

– The findings suggest that about half of the workplace policies considered are positively correlated with the incidence and breadth of workplace training. There is also some support for the view that bundling of policies is positively correlated with the provision of workplace training. The Lewbel (2012) results suggest a causal relationship between a bundle of workplace policies and the frequency, and duration, of workplace training. There is, however, no evidence that workplace policies designed to devolve responsibilities to workers and incentivize staff polarizes skills through resulting in more training for professional staff over others.

Originality/value

– The authors use matched employer and employee cross-sectional data for Shanghai in China. To this point most studies that have examined the determinants of training use data for Europe or the USA. There are few studies of this sort for countries in other regions and, in particular, developing or transition countries. There are no studies at all on the relationship between workplace policies and practices designed to promote organizational performance and training in developing or transitional countries. This study addresses this gap in the understanding of the factors related to on-the-job training in transitional countries, such as China.
Increasing autonomy in publically owned services
Authors: Cameron Ailsa , Allen Pauline , Williams Lorraine , Durand Mary Alison , Bartlett Will , Perotin Virginie , Hutchings Andrew
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore government efforts to enhance the autonomy of community health services (CHS) in England through the creation of Foundation Trusts status. It considers why some CHS elected to become nascent Community Foundation Trusts (CFTs) while others had not and what advantages they thought increased levels of autonomy offered.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data are drawn from the evaluation of the Department of Health’s CFT pilot programme. Participants were purposively selected from pilot sites, as well as from comparator non-pilot organisations. A total of 44 staff from 14 organisations were interviewed.

Findings

– The data reveals that regardless of the different pathways that organisations were on, they all shared the same goal, a desire for greater autonomy, but specifically within the NHS. Additionally, irrespective of their organisational form most organisations were considering an almost identical set of initiatives as a means to improve service delivery and productivity.

Research limitations/implications

– Despite the expectations of policy makers no CFTs were established during the course of the study, so it is not possible to find out what the effect of such changes were. Nevertheless, the authors were able to investigate the attitudes of all the providers of CHS to the plans to increase their managerial autonomy, whether simply by separating from PCTs or by becoming CFTs.

Originality/value

– As no CFTs have yet been formed, this study provides the only evidence to date about increasing autonomy for CHS in England.
Explaining process orientation failure and success in health care – three case studies
Authors: Hellman Stefan , Kastberg Gustaf , Siverbo Sven
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– In order to improve cooperation and collaboration between units, clinics and departments, many health care organizations (HCOs) have introduced process orientation. Several studies indicate problems in realizing these ambitions. The purpose of this paper is to explain and understand the success and failure of process orientation in HCOs.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors conducted three case studies and applied Actor-Network Theory as an analytic lens.

Findings

– The realization of process orientation is hindered by neglect or resistance from physicians, who find the process targets to be of low medical priority. However, the authors also see that medical priorities are no stable entities but are susceptible to negotiations. Over time, process organization, process mapping, process measurement activities and the acting of enroled actors may have impact on medical priorities.

Originality/value

– Contrary to previous research, the findings indicate that New Public Management may not be the main obstacle against processes, that accounting figures may not be hard to disregard and that the role of leadership is not paramount.
Implementing action research in hospital settings: a systematic review
Authors: Montgomery Anthony , Doulougeri Karolina , Panagopoulou Efharis
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Health care organizations and hospitals in particular are highly resistant to change. The reasons for this are rooted in professional role behaviors, hierarchical structures and the influence of hidden curricula that inform organizational culture. Action research (AR) has been identified as a promising bottom-up approach that has the potential to address the significant barriers to change. However, to date no systematic review of the field in health care exists. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– A systematic review of the literature was conducted. Studies were reviewed with regard to the four stages of AR; problem identification, planning, implementation and evaluation.

Findings

– Only 19 studies were identified that fit the inclusion criteria. Results revealed significant heterogeneity with regard to theoretical background, methodology employed and evaluation methods used.

Research limitations/implications

– Only studies published and written in the English language were included.

Practical implications

– The field of AR interventions would benefit from a theoretical framework that has the ability to guide the methodology and evaluation processes.

Originality/value

– This is the first systematic review of AR in hospitals.
Studer Group®
'
s evidence-based leadership initiatives
Authors: Schuller Kristin A. , Kash Bita A. , Gamm Larry D.
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the implementation of an organizational change initiative – Studer Group®’s Evidence-Based Leadership (EBL) – in two large, US health systems by comparing and contrasting the factors associated with successful implementation and sustainability of the EBL initiative.

Design/methodology/approach

– This comparative case study assesses the responses to two pairs of open-ended questions during in-depth qualitative interviews of leaders and managers at both health systems. Qualitative content analysis was employed to identify major themes.

Findings

– Three themes associated with success and sustainability of EBL emerged at both health systems: leadership; culture; and organizational processes. The theme most frequently identified for both success and sustainability of EBL was culture. In contrast, there was a significant decline in salience of the leadership theme as attention shifts from success in implementation of EBL to sustaining EBL long term. Within the culture theme, accountability, and buy-in were most often cited by interviewees as success factors, while sense of accountability, buy-in, and communication were the most reported factors for sustainability.

Originality/value

– Cultural factors, such as accountability, staff support, and communication are driving forces of success and sustainability of EBL across both health systems. Leadership, a critical factor in several stages of implementation, appears to be less salient as among factors identified as important to longer term sustainability of EBL.
Finding brilliance using positive organizational scholarship in healthcare
Authors: Dadich Ann , Fulop Liz , Ditton Mary , Campbell Steven , Curry Joanne , Eljiz Kathy , Fitzgerald Anneke , Hayes Kathryn J. , Herington Carmel , Isouard Godfrey , Karimi Leila , Smyth Anne
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Positive organizational scholarship in healthcare (POSH) suggests that, to promote widespread improvement within health services, focusing on the good, the excellent, and the brilliant is as important as conventional approaches that focus on the negative, the problems, and the failures. POSH offers different opportunities to learn from and build resilient cultures of safety, innovation, and change. It is not separate from tried and tested approaches to health service improvement – but rather, it approaches this improvement differently. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– POSH, appreciative inquiry (AI) and reflective practice were used to inform an exploratory investigation of what is good, excellent, or brilliant health service management.

Findings

– The researchers identified new characteristics of good healthcare and what it might take to have brilliant health service management, elucidated and refined POSH, and identified research opportunities that hold potential value for consumers, practitioners, and policymakers.

Research limitations/implications

– The secondary data used in this study offered limited contextual information.

Practical implications

– This approach is a platform from which to: identify, investigate, and learn about brilliant health service management; and inform theory and practice.

Social implications

– POSH can help to reveal what consumers and practitioners value about health services and how they prefer to engage with these services.

Originality/value

– Using POSH, this paper examines what consumers and practitioners value about health services; it also illustrates how brilliance can be theorized into health service management research and practice.
Developing a motivation-based segmentation typology of Facebook users
Authors: Shao Wei , Ross Mitchell , Grace Debra
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of user-motivation as well as demographics in developing an effective segmentation strategy of Facebook users. Additionally, the paper seeks to add validity to the scale developed by Park et al. (2009) by using a full spectrum of Facebook users.

Design/methodology/approach

– A self-administered survey was employed to explore access motivations, frequency and session duration of Facebook users. The survey was e-mailed to 2,129 potential respondents with 530 valid responses received. Data were initially analysed by hierarchical cluster analysis to develop the cluster solution. Cluster means were then used as cluster centres for a K-means cluster analysis for all cases. The relationship between the clusters and Facebook activity variables was investigated through ANOVA while independent samples t-tests were employed to analyse the relationship between motivations and demographics. Lastly χ2-tests were used to explore the relationship between Facebook user segments and demographics.

Findings

– The results indicate four distinct types of Facebook users: Devotee, Agnostic, Socializer and Finder. Devotees were highly positive about Facebook use while Agnostics were least motivated to use Facebook. Socializers were motivated to use Facebook for socializing and entertainment while Finders were motivated to use Facebook for information seeking. These four distinct groups are validated by examining their individual behaviour regarding frequency of access to Facebook and the average amount of time spent on Facebook per visit. Demographic variables such as gender and age were found to be significantly related to Facebook user-motivation and segmentation.

Practical implications

– For marketers who communicate with market segments via social media, the findings of this study are highly significant. To date, marketers have found it difficult to fully exploit the benefits of Facebook. The authors argue this is due to a tendency to consider Facebook users as a single segment rather than understanding the nuances of different user segments. This research provides marketers with a motivation and demographic segmentation strategy for Facebook users.

Originality/value

– Despite the popularity of Facebook as a communication channel, from a marketing perspective little is known regarding Facebook user segments. This research addresses this gap by undertaking a segmentation study of Facebook users. A segmentation typology is developed in which both Facebook user motivations as well as demographic variables are found to be useful in describing user segments. Additionally, the study makes important theoretical contributions by extending uses and gratifications theory to the Facebook context and adding validity to the scale developed by Park et al. (2009) for use with the full spectrum of Facebook users.
Sailing the seven C
'
s of blog marketing: understanding social media and business impact
Authors: Dobele Angela , Steel Marion , Cooper Tony
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Social media has transformed conventional marketing methods. This medium offers a unique blend of asynchronous communication, opportunities to co-create and customer empowerment far removed from traditional firm-to-consumer, push-vs-pull marketing messages. The purpose of this paper is to examine how a company developed long-term effective relationships and sales growth by using their blog to generate and enhance viral word-of-mouth message diffusion.

Design/methodology/approach

– The exploration of the blog includes analysis of both content and metrics for a real technology firm with an assumed name. Content and the ripples from blog posts were analysed to determine diffusion and use of messages.

Findings

– Seven critical success factors for utilising blog marketing to maximum effect are presented to firms considering a similar strategy. Suggestions for managerial implications are also presented.

Research limitations/implications

– There are two limitations, the focus on a single company which restricts generalisability. The advantage of the case study approach to research does afford depth into this topic. Second, the research questions addresses a small part of the whole social media and corporate marketing sphere, however, this focus allows for depth and richness of data.

Originality/value

– The paper’s focus provides a unique opportunity to explore the effect of a company who manages points of connection, blogs and viral marketing, on customer relationships. Further, the study responds to the need for practical guidance for managers in relation to the management of blog marketing to facilitate customer relationships and enhance the viral impact of blogs.
Green segmentation: a cross-national study
Authors: Yilmazsoy Baris , Schmidbauer Harald , Rösch Angi
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Understanding and defining the characteristics of environmentally conscious or concerned consumers has received attention from academic researchers, commercial sector, and policy makers. The purpose of this paper is to identify distinct market segments in three countries (China, Germany, and Turkey) based on several “green” attitude and behavior variables.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey was administered in three countries, yielding a total of 1,415 valid survey responses.

Findings

– Four clusters, ranging from the “greenest” to the “least green” segment, were identified and characterized for each country. Inter- and intra-country similarities and differences are discussed. Existence of cross-national segments was confirmed.

Research limitations/implications

– There is a potential gap between actual behavior and reported behavior.

Practical implications

– The segment profiles can be valuable to firms, particularly to those competing in multinational markets. By delineating areas of similarity among international diversity, enterprises can develop effective global marketing strategies.

Social implications

– Understanding market segments in this respect is critical for policy makers who try to focus their policies that seek to promote green consumption.

Originality/value

– This is the first study that uses cross-national data for segmenting the market based on “green” criteria, to the authors’ knowledge. Methodologically, the paper uses techniques and instruments that have not been used in this context before.
Artificial neural networks for removal of couplings in airborne transient electromagnetic data
Authors: Andersen Kristoffer K. , Kirkegaard Casper , Foged Nikolaj , Christiansen Anders V. , Auken Esben
Published: September 2015

Modern airborne transient electromagnetic surveys typically produce datasets of thousands of line kilometres, requiring careful data processing in order to extract as much and as reliable information as possible. When surveys are flown in populated areas, data processing becomes particularly time consuming since the acquired data are contaminated by couplings to man‐made conductors (power lines, fences, pipes, etc.). Coupled soundings must be removed from the dataset prior to inversion, and this is a process that is difficult to automate. The signature of couplings can be both subtle and difficult to describe in mathematical terms, rendering removal of couplings mostly an expensive manual task for an experienced geophysicist.

Here, we try to automate the process of removing couplings by means of an artificial neural network. We train an artificial neural network to recognize coupled soundings in manually processed reference data, and we use this network to identify couplings in other data. The approach provides a significant reduction in the time required for data processing since one can directly apply the network to the raw data. We describe the neural network put to use and present the inputs and normalizations required for maximizing its effectiveness. We further demonstrate and assess the training state and performance of the network before finally comparing inversions based on unprocessed data, manually processed data, and artificial neural network automatically processed data. The results show that a well‐trained network can produce high‐quality processing of airborne transient electromagnetic data, which is either ready for inversion or in need of minimal manual processing. We conclude that the use of artificial neural network scan significantly reduce the processing time and its costs by as much as 50%.
A Preliminary Examination of Command and Control by Incident Commanders of Dutch Fire Services during Real Incidents
Authors: Groenendaal Jelle , Helsloot Ira
Published: September 2015

In this paper, we attempt to get a better understanding of command and control practices of incident commanders from Dutch fire services (battalion chiefs, BCs) by examining the recordings made by helmet‐mounted cameras during 55 real incidents. The aim is to examine the degree to which the BCs issued orders to front‐line workers and the degree to which these orders were carried out appropriately. The results indicate that incident commanders were able to influence the work at the front line, but were generally not in control of what happened at the front line.
Factors Influencing the Selection of Decision Support Systems for Emergency Management: An Empirical Analysis of Current Use and User Preferences
Authors: Little Richard G. , Manzanares Trevor , Wallace William A.
Published: September 2015

Computer‐aided decision support systems can be valuable tools in crisis response and preparedness training for emergency management professionals. However, to realize their full value, these tools must be designed with the needs of a broad range of potential users in mind. This paper describes preliminary research to determine how decision support systems are used by emergency managers and other officials as well as specific user needs for decision support in the planning, response and recovery from natural hazards and other extreme events. It seeks to identify which attributes of these systems are most desired by emergency management practitioners, the benefits and drawbacks as perceived by both users and non‐users of the systems and areas where improvements are desired.
Development of highly reliable in silico SNP resource and genotyping assay from exome capture and sequencing: an example from black spruce (Picea mariana)
Authors: Pavy Nathalie , Gagnon France , Deschênes Astrid , Boyle Brian , Beaulieu Jean , Bousquet Jean
Published: September 2015

Picea mariana is a widely distributed boreal conifer across Canada and the subject of advanced breeding programmes for which population genomics and genomic selection approaches are being developed. Targeted sequencing was achieved after capturing P. mariana exome with probes designed from the sequenced transcriptome of Picea glauca, a distant relative. A high capture efficiency of 75.9% was reached although spruce has a complex and large genome including gene sequences interspersed by some long introns. The results confirmed the relevance of using probes from congeneric species to perform successfully interspecific exome capture in the genus Picea. A bioinformatics pipeline was developed including stringent criteria that helped detect a set of 97 075 highly reliable in silico SNPs. These SNPs were distributed across 14 909 genes. Part of an Infinium iSelect array was used to estimate the rate of true positives by validating 4267 of the predicted in silico SNPs by genotyping trees from P. mariana populations. The true positive rate was 96.2% for in silico SNPs, compared to a genotyping success rate of 96.7% for a set 1115 P. mariana control SNPs recycled from previous genotyping arrays. These results indicate the high success rate of the genotyping array and the relevance of the selection criteria used to delineate the new P. mariana in silico SNP resource. Furthermore, in silico SNPs were generally of medium to high frequency in natural populations, thus providing high informative value for future population genomics applications.
Disordered eating attitudes and exercise in women undergoing fertility treatment
Authors: Rodino Iolanda S. , Byrne Susan , Sanders Katherine A.
Published: September 2015

Background

Previous research has found a higher lifetime prevalence of eating disorders in women undergoing fertility treatment.

Aims

This study aimed to gauge the prevalence of eating disorders in women attending a fertility clinic and to compare current disordered eating attitudes and exercise amongst different infertility categories.

Materials and Methods

Three hundred and eighty‐five women were grouped according to infertility diagnosis: male factor, unexplained infertility, ovulatory disorders, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and heterogeneous causations. Participants anonymously completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE‐Q), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and a Demographics questionnaire.

Results

The lifetime history of self‐reported eating disorders for women in the sample was similar to Australian community rates. Profile analysis revealed on the EDE‐Q that women with ovulatory disorders were not significantly different from women with PCOS; however, they were significantly different to women with other infertility diagnoses (all P < 0.05), suggesting increased vulnerability to disordered eating. There were no between‐group differences in exercise quantity (IPAQ, P = 0.625) although women with ovulatory disorders and PCOS had a significantly higher risk of engaging in compulsive, ‘driven’ exercise (OR = 6.98, CI = 1.39, 34.90, P = 0.018) as a means to control weight or shape.

Conclusions

Contrary to previous research, our findings do not confirm a greater lifetime prevalence rate of eating disorders in women attending an infertility clinic. This study does highlight the importance of screening women with forms of an ovulatory disorder for features of disordered eating attitudes and driven exercise behaviours.
From passive to active: The impact of the flipped classroom through social learning platforms on higher education students' creative thinking
Authors: Al‐Zahrani Abdulrahman M
Published: September 2015

This study aimed to investigate the impact of the flipped classroom on the promotion of students' creative thinking. Students were recruited from the Faculty of Education at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia during the first semester of 2014. A multiple method research design was used to address the research questions. First, a two‐group quasi‐experimental design was implemented. The first group utilised the lecture‐based strategy (n = 28), while the second group utilised the flipped classroom (n = 27). Second, a survey questionnaire was distributed to assess the students' views about the flipped classroom, its role in the promotion of creativity and the difficulties students experienced with this strategy. The findings suggest that the flipped classroom may promote students' creativity, especially with regard to fluency, flexibility and novelty. Furthermore, the students viewed the flipped classroom as an approach that may significantly facilitate their creativity. However, several difficulties were associated with the flipped classroom, especially the students' limited preparation for this strategy. Accordingly, students must be prepared to utilise the flipped classroom and be provided with adequate e‐learning tools. In addition, it is important to consider students' study load and to provide meaningful in‐class activities.
Detecting deceptive behaviour after the fact
Authors: von Hippel William , Baker Ernest , Wilson Robbie , Brin Loic , Page Lionel
Published: September 2015

This study examined whether people can detect deception after the fact if they initially accept someone's behaviour at face value but then learn that they have been duped. Fifty‐four groups composed of four to six mutual friends engaged in a group discussion with a financial incentive for arriving at a correct decision. One member of each group was secretly assigned to sabotage the decision. Although none of the participants noticed the deception when it was committed, they showed substantial accuracy in identifying the saboteur once they were told that a deception had occurred. Nevertheless, interrogation did not increase the accuracy of their detection of deception. Participants showed a significant positive relationship between confidence and accuracy. Finally, participants also showed better‐than‐chance accuracy in their judgments of who believed them during the interrogation and who did not. These results suggest that the detection of deception might often be accomplished using information gained after the fact to reinterpret behaviours that were not initially suspected.
Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components among men with and without clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia: a large, cross‐sectional, UK epidemiological study
Authors: DiBello Julia R. , Ioannou Chris , Rees Jonathan , Challacombe Ben , Maskell Joe , Choudhury Nurul , Kastner Christof , Kirby Mike
Published: September 2015

Objectives

To compare the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and the components of metabolic syndrome in men aged ≥50 years with and without clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Subjects and Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). Men were selected from the CPRD who were aged ≥50 years and still registered as of 31 December 2011. Cohort 1 included men with clinical BPH, and cohort 2 men without clinical BPH who were matched 1:1 to those in cohort 1 by general practice, year of birth and previous years of available history (1–<2, 2–<3, 3–<4, ≥4 years of available history). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components (for men alive and still registered in the CRPD as of 31 December 2011) was calculated using all available history (lifetime prevalence) and medical history from 2010 and 2011 (current prevalence). Crude odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the occurrence of metabolic syndrome and the occurrence of the components of metabolic syndrome were calculated by comparing men with and without BPH.

Results

A total of 26.5% of men with clinical BPH had metabolic syndrome compared with 20.9% of matched controls without clinical BPH (absolute difference 5.6%; P < 0.001); men with clinical BPH were therefore significantly more likely to have metabolic syndrome than matched controls without clinical BPH. Significantly greater proportions of men with clinical BPH also had each component of metabolic syndrome compared with matched controls without clinical BPH. The presence of clinical BPH was associated with a 37% increased odds of having metabolic syndrome (for both lifetime prevalence and current prevalence) compared with matched controls without clinical BPH.

Conclusions

There is a significant cross‐sectional association between clinical BPH and metabolic syndrome in the UK primary care population.
Success rate of short dental implants supporting single crowns and fixed bridges
Authors: Malmstrom Hans , Gupta Bhumija , Ghanem Alexis , Cacciato Rita , Ren Yanfang , Romanos Georgios E.
Published: September 2015

Objective

Bone grafts (sinus lift and/or ridge augmentation) may become an obstacle for some patients who desire implant treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the success of six‐ and eight‐millimeters rough surface design short dental implants, for up to 2 years in function, when compared to conventional length (11 mm) implants.

Materials and Methods

A total of 25.6‐, 20.8‐ and 35.11‐mm length implants were placed and restored in 30 subjects (11 males, 19 females) between the age of 22 and 80, following a standard protocol. Implant mobility, crestal bone loss as well as periodontal parameters were evaluated immediately after restoration placement, at 6, 12 and 24 months.

Results

There was one failure of one 6‐mm implant during the healing phase and one restorative failure. The median crestal bone loss at 24 months was 0.45 mm for the 6‐mm implants, 0.55 mm for the 8 mm implants and 0.65 mm for the 11‐mm implants. The success rate for 6‐mm implants was 97% and for 8‐mm and 11‐mm implants 100%.

Conclusions

Based on this preliminary data, we conclude that rough surface design short dental implants (6 and 8 mm in length) have similar success rate when compared to 11‐mm implants. Long‐term data with larger number of implants and subjects are needed to confirm these results.
The improvement of analytics in massive open online courses by applying data mining techniques
Authors: Maté Alejandro , De Gregorio Elisa , Cámara José , Trujillo Juan , Luján‐Mora Sergio
Published: September 2015

The continuous increase in the number of open online courses has radically changed the traditional sector of education during the last years. These new learning approaches are very difficult to manage by using traditional management methods. This is one of the challenges in order to improve the new massive open online courses. In this paper, we propose a big data modelling approach, considering information from a big data analysis perspective, finding out which are the most relevant indicators in order to guarantee the success of the course. This novel approach is described along the paper using the case study of an open online course offered at our university. We describe the lessons learned in this work with the objective of providing general tools and indicators for other online courses. This will enhance the analysis and management of this kind of courses, contributing to their success.
Simulation of the impact of climate change on the egg and larval transport of Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) off Kyushu Island, the western coast of Japan
Authors: Takeshige Aigo , Miyake Yoichi , Nakata Hideaki , Kitagawa Takashi , Kimura Shingo
Published: September 2015

In order to investigate the impact of climate change on egg and larval transport of Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) off Kyushu Island western Japan, we conducted particle‐tracking simulations on transport success/failure to fishing grounds from 1960 to 2007. The modeled transport success since the mid‐1990s increased and decreased in the offshore and coastal zones, respectively, compared with the 1960s and 1970s. The estimated northward shift of the spawning ground and weakened Tsushima Warm Current contributed to increase in modeled transport success to the offshore zone. Conversely, the weakening trend of the modeled onshore current in the Goto‐Nada Sea combined with the northward shift of the spawning ground resulted in unsuccessful larval transport. These results suggest that fluctuations in juvenile and subadult anchovy catches in this area may be attributable to changes in the physical environment. The present study showed that changes in transport success induced by oceanographic fluctuations related to climate change, have the potential to affect anchovy recruitment off the western coast of Japan.