bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How's ICT Project Management Going in Portugal?
Authors: Silva David , Pinto Jose Angelo , Gomes Paula , Ramalho Filipa
Published: June 2016

This chapter presents the preliminary results of an IT organizational project management maturity research called OPM3® Portugal Project, which is currently underway. It was designed by Portuguese research and development organization Ambithus, based on PMI's (Project Management Institute) OPM3® (Organizational Project Management Maturity Model) standard. A descriptive analysis of IT organizations is made, the case studies selection criteria are explained, and a relevant literature revision of clustering models is made. Preliminary results from the IT organizations are presented and organized by Project Management and Portfolio Management processes, and Organizational Enablers. After the results analysis, it presents a list of processes and procedures that serves as the guidelines for what IT organizations need to improve to obtain a better level of maturity in Project Management. The overall results show that the IT Portuguese industry is strong on its processes and has a good level of maturity in project management.
Measurement of Information System Project Success in German Organizations
Authors: Joosten Dominik , Basten Dirk , Mellis Werner
Published: June 2016

The measurement of information system project success (ISPS) is yet an unsolved problem. This work analyzes the way companies in Germany measure the success of their IS projects. It contains 12 semi-structured in-depth expert interviews with project managers and other decision makers to analyze (1) their subjective views on and (2) their companies' actual measurement of ISPS. Although the participants consider further success dimensions, the companies almost exclusively rely on the traditional criteria of time, cost, and quality. This study provides a new perspective on ISPS and shows that it is mainly a matter of measurability to use further success dimensions.
Social Media Use within Project Teams
Authors: Van der Merwe Linky
Published: June 2016

This chapter gives practical recommendations about the social media tools and applications for use on projects. It will introduce the reader to the most popular and widely used social media tools and will provide considerations for the selection of the best tools to integrate with projects. Platforms being described from a project management point of view are LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Yammer, Google+, Blogs, Wikis, Instant Messaging, YouTube, Webinars, SlideShare, Podcasts and Vodcasts. Best practice recommendations are given for each tool from a project manager as well as a team member perspective. Advice is given about dealing with various challenges such as security concerns and managing the culture change. The current trends that will dictate and influence the use of social media on projects are also discussed.
A Practitioner Based Evaluation of Project Management Knowledge and Education
Authors: Durrani Ziauddin A. , Baroudi Bassam
Published: June 2016

Many scholars have criticized formal project management education as being based on various Bodies of Knowledge (BOKs), lacking real-world application and representing a narrow view of the profession. Through a survey questionnaire, this research inquiry has examined the alignment of project management professional needs with the aspirations of project management education within Australian universities. The research findings show positive links between project management education, increased employability, better workplace performance and successful professional careers. However, the research has also identified poor alignment of current project management education in Australian universities with project management practice and recommends possible revision of project management education programs to meet the knowledge requirements expressed by project management professionals. The findings of this research contribute to the debate in respect of bringing project management education closer to project management practice.
Cultural Effects on Trust Building in International Projects' Stakeholders
Authors: Ajmal Mian M.
Published: June 2016

The increasing global nature of projects has highlighted the importance of multiculturalism and the new challenges it brings to project execution. The rationale of this study is to look at how culture affects on trust building process in international projects and its stakeholders. This research employs intensive literature review to develop a model of cultural similarities and dissimilarities for trust building in international projects stakeholders. Culture is a significant factor in building trust among global projects stakeholders for the reason that trust is vital for developing a well-functioning long term business relationship. The study highlighted that cultural differences among project teams can cause conflict, misunderstanding and poor project performance. However, this study is currently explanatory study because no empirical evidence is provided. Future empirical research should investigate various scenarios, types of projects, cultures and countries. Cultural issues are pretty sensitive that have immediate association with trust building process among international projects stakeholders. Petite methodical research has been done on the cultural effects for trust building in international project context. In meticulous, the query of how culture effects trust building efforts in project stakeholders remains unrequited. This study aims to generate interest in the research community for undertaking a detailed and comprehensive research on this topic. It also aims to serve as a foundation for future studies.
The Antecedents and Consequences of Strategic HRM in Malaysian and Philippine SMEs
Authors: Galang Maria Carmen , Osman Intan
Published: June 2016

From a survey of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia and the Philippines, the authors find that the adoption of strategic Human Resource Management (HRM) is at best at a moderate level. The adoption of strategic HRM by SMEs in both Malaysia and the Philippines is predicted from the positive effect of legal and regulatory requirements, the importance of business environment challenges, and the strategic role of the HR professional. Furthermore, regression analysis shows that in both countries, SMEs with strategic human resource management have better organizational performance in terms of human resource outcomes, operational outcomes, and financial outcomes, but the impact is larger in the Philippine SMEs. This study adds empirical evidence currently available from a small set of countries, mostly in North America and Europe. The authors end this chapter with implications for policy makers and HR practitioners and provide recommendations for future research.
The Relationship between Information Systems Strategy and the Perception of Project Success
Authors: Jonkers Ralph , van Rossum Ronald , Silvius Gilbert
Published: June 2016

This chapter reports an explorative study on the relationship between Information Systems Strategy and the Perception of Project Success. The authors built upon the theoretical foundations of prior research and constructed their conceptual research model from literature. The authors' study defines IS strategy as the degree to which the organization has a shared perspective to seek innovation through IS. The authors operationalize project success by grouping six project success criteria into process-orientation and outcome-orientation. The authors use a quantitative and conclusive descriptive design to study associations between these variables. The type of design they follow is cross-sectional where IS strategy and perceived project success are assayed in a sample of subjects once and the relationships between them are determined. The authors' data is collected using an online questionnaire by a combination of business and IT managers and executives, working at organizations with a certain level of IS maturity. The authors' research finds good support to posit that organizations with an innovative IS strategy are more focused on the outcome of a project than on the project process itself and that organizations with a conservative IS strategy do show some characteristics of a process-oriented view. Furthermore, their research indicates that a more innovative organization relates to a lower perceived importance of Cost and a higher perceived importance of Value and Learning. On the other hand, they find support that a more conservative organization relates to a higher perceived importance of Cost and a lower perceived importance of Use. Next to these findings the authors' study concludes with implications for practitioners and suggestions for further explorative research.
Differentiating between Leadership Competencies and Styles
Authors: Ahmed Riaz , Azmi bin Mohamad Noor
Published: June 2016

Literature reveals a number of confusions within the area of project management regarding the use of terminology and differing interpretations, concerning leadership competencies and leadership styles. In project management literature, many empirical studies have examined the influence of leadership competencies or styles, but yet any substantial review study has rarely been conducted to differentiate between leadership competencies and styles. This study aims to differentiate between leadership competencies and leadership styles in project management literature. This study found that the project manager's leadership terms including competence, competency, competencies, and styles have frequently been used in project management literature. Furthermore, literature has been synthesized to provide more familiarity and understanding on leadership competencies and styles. Findings indicate that leadership competencies and styles are two different things but a few characteristics are common between both the terms. Furthermore, leadership competencies are more suitable for task-oriented activities and leadership styles are more appropriate for relationship-oriented factors. This study has implications for the future directions to identify differences between project manger's average and superior performance through comparison of leadership competencies and styles.
The ISO 55 00X Asset Management Standard
Authors: Hasselmann Franziska
Published: June 2016

Asset management (AM) is the core business function of grid-based asset management organizations (GAMO). GAMO are looking for compliance with a new international AM standard (ISO 55 000). Currently, a limited perspective – consisting of New Public Management (NPM) and project management (PM) – provides meaning for the new AM standard. However, the limited perspective is not sufficient in aligning AM / GAMO with energy transition and environmental management successfully. The article is aiming at enabling the ISO AM standard to become a co-creational force in energy transition and environmental management. Based on professional engagement and substantial literature review the article employs ‚reflective practice' and causal loop diagrams to identify and elaborate issues of concern that need to be addressed by an enriched perspective on ISO AM: 1) organizational ‚line of sight' (complement key performance indicators with evidence-based causal relationships), 2) control of work (complement formal institutions with AM professionalism), 3) management accounting (advance decision support for the management of the capex/opex relationship), 4) transition modeling (advance agent-based models of AM), and 5) the sustainable management of the resource soil (assess the ecosystem services/disservices that arise from underground urban space use by GAMO during transition times).
The Role of Business Process Reengineering in the Modern Business World
Authors: Kasemsap Kijpokin
Published: June 2016

This chapter reveals the role of business process reengineering (BPR) in the modern business world, thus illustrating the theoretical and practical concept of BPR, the applications of BPR, the drivers of BRR (in terms of internal drivers and external drivers), the critical success factors of BPR (i.e., egalitarian leadership, collaborative working environment, top management commitment, supportive management, information technology, change management, project management, and cross-functional coordination), the implementation of BPR, and BPR software tools. BPR is a systematic approach to helping an organization analyze and improve its processes in digital age. BPR is a continuum of change initiatives in order to deliver better business performance standards through establishing sustainable process capability in modern organizations. BPR has become a popular tool to dealing with rapid technological and business change in the global competitive environment. Applying BPR will greatly improve business performance and reach business goals in global business.
The Synergistic Potential of Human Resource Management in Small and Medium Enterprises
Authors: Starr-Glass David
Published: June 2016

In large-scale operations, strategically orientated Human Resource Management generally has a structural function. In small- and medium-sized enterprises, however, strategic intent has to be more intimately matched to entrepreneurial behavior of core management. In these firms, HR is not an added layer but rather a key synergistic element in their strategic configuration. Considering the economic challenges faced by the small firm, it would seem that some form of strategically orientated HR is beneficial; however, it is often unconsidered. Taking a resource-based view of the firm and a configurational approach to strategy, this chapter considers the challenges to strategically orientated HR adoption in small entrepreneurial enterprises. It examines the characteristics of entrepreneur-founders, strategic orientation, and strategic configuration in an increasingly globalized context. Challenges to HRM adoption are identified, and a number of possible solutions are considered.
Best-Practice of Reducing Risk through a Culture of Total Quality Management
Authors: Bialaszewski Dennis
Published: June 2016

There have been many projects that have not met expectations or have completely failed. Yet, these projects that have not reached a desired outcome may have undergone extensive planning. However, the planning for these failed projects may have omitted some critical concepts. These projects may have employed technical tools such as Gant Charts or current project management software while neglecting the use of appropriate project management tools or neglected incorporating Total Quality Management (TQM) concepts. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate, through practitioner reflection with an example, how the risk of failure may be reduced through the employment of TQM principles. The 14 points for TQM are reviewed and related to the project management processes.
Human Resource Management and Performance in the Hospitality Industry
Authors: Katou Anastasia A.
Published: June 2016

The purpose of this chapter is to review methodological issues highlighted in the empirical literature in the field of strategic human resource management that may be applied to the hospitality industry, and to propose possible solutions to overcome methodological problems. The chapter makes use of a general HRM-performance linkage framework that refers to the ‘black box' in strategic human resource management, and is based on the three HRM perspectives (universalistic, contingency, configurational).
Analyzing the Roles of Human Capital and Competency in Global Business
Authors: Kasemsap Kijpokin
Published: June 2016

This chapter aims to analyze the roles of human capital and competency in global business, thus explaining the theoretical and practical overviews of human capital and competency; the significance of human capital in global business; and the significance of competency in global business. The accomplishment of human capital and competency is vital for modern organizations that seek to serve suppliers and customers, increase business performance, reinforce competitiveness, and acquire regular success in global business. Thus, it is necessary for modern organizations to analyze their human capital and competency applications, create a strategic plan to constantly explore their functional advancements, and immediately respond to human capital and competency needs of customers. The chapter argues that applying human capital and competency has the potential to enhance organizational performance and achieve strategic goals in the information age.
Cross-Sector Collaboration between Business and Non-Business Actors
Authors: Leite Emilene R. , Bengtson Anna
Published: June 2016

The purpose of this chapter is to contribute to the project management literature by introducing behavioural aspects of relationships in collaborative ICT projects. Specifically, it examines the role played by business and non-business actors in successful projects regarding urban mobility in emerging economies. To accomplish this, a case study was undertaken, based on the development of a solution for public transportation in the South of Brazil. The findings suggest that, besides technological know-how, the interplay between commitment, knowledge, and opportunity development seem to have a combined impact on project outcome. The result strengthens the idea that studies analysing project management should consider not only rational dimensions of the projects, such as cost, time, quality, and scope, but also the social dimension in terms of the relationships that partners develop during and after the project.
HRM Practices and Problems in Family-Owned SMEs
Authors: Çalişkan Burcu Özge Özaslan
Published: June 2016

In exchange for the need for more highly trained employees, there is not enough qualified labor in the market. Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in the economies of countries because of their characteristics about generating employment. Effective Human Resource Management (HRM) is becoming increasingly important in the modern knowledge-based economy and vital for the success of small- and medium-sized enterprises. However, there are few studies concerning HRM practices of SMEs. The purpose of this study is to analyze the current HRM practices of SMEs, especially which are family businesses, and to identify HRM practices and the problems within these SMEs. With the help of the literature review, helpful suggestions about HRM practices are developed for SMEs.
Human Resource Management in Indian Hospitality Industry
Authors: Chand Dhiman Mohinder , Kumar Amit
Published: June 2016

In the present era of globalization, human resources is the most important asset for any organization and a source of achieving competitive advantage. The theory, research, and practice of human resource management (HRM) has evolved considerably over the past century; experiencing a major transformation in practices within the most recent three decades. Today, HRM is regarded as the source of sustained competitive advantage for many organizations operating in a global economy, with no exception for the tourism and hospitality industry. While there is growing evidence that the practice of human resource management in the hospitality industry is characterized by informality, there is less evidence about the emerging theoretical and practical aspects of HRM. Thus, this chapter makes a modest attempt in the direction of building management concerns and advocacy for better HRM systems and practices in Indian hospitality industry.
Radio Resource Management in Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks
Authors: Ahmad Ayaz , Ahmad Sadiq
Published: June 2016

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) use the unlicensed Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band for transmissions. However, with the increasing usage of these networks for diverse applications, the currently available ISM band does not suffice for their transmissions and a new challenge appears before the WSNs' research community. One of the candidate approaches to tackle this spectrum insufficiency problem is to incorporate the opportunistic spectrum access capability of Cognitive Radio (CR) into the existing WSN, thus giving birth to Cognitive Radio Sensor Network (CRSN). Efficient spectrum utilization is another approach to overcome this challenging problem. Another challenge associated to WSN operation is the dependability of sensor nodes on battery supplied power where the batteries in general are not replaceable. Therefore, advanced and intelligent radio resource management schemes are very essential to perform dynamic and efficient spectrum allocation among multiple sensor nodes and to optimize the power consumption of each individual node in the network. Radio resource management enables the sensor nodes to efficiently utilize the available spectrum and power, which in turn ensures QoS transmissions, maximizes the network lifetime, and reduces the inter-node and inter-network interferences. In this chapter, the authors present a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in radio resource management for CRSN. Radio resource management in CRSN has been reviewed in various scenarios (i.e., centralized, cluster-based, and distributed). The related issues and challenges are discussed, and future research directions are highlighted.
Psychosocial Aspects of Trauma and Related Disorders
Authors: War Firdous
Published: June 2016

This chapter reviews the psycho-social aspects of trauma and related disorders. A wealth of information has accumulated over the decades of research on the trauma and related disorders. However, some aspects of trauma are still debatable globally such as definition of trauma, diversity in expression and response across individuals and cultures. Exposure to trauma can lead to troubling memories, psycho-physical arousal and avoidance of the event, has been a central theme in literature. Until researchers have realized the complexity of trauma transcends the relatively narrow definition of trauma. Cultural diversity in trauma and related disorders have brought into notice the multi-dimensional nature of trauma which is the focus of this chapter.
The Impact of Parental Substance Abuse on Children
Authors: Dandona Anu
Published: June 2016

Substance abuse is a difficult situation for anyone to deal with, but the problem is compacted when children are involved. Parents who are substance abusers may knowingly or unknowingly be causing a number of problems for their child. Substance abuse in a parent can lead to child abuse and neglect. A child can develop anxiety; this can include overachievement, constant need to please others, fear of harm coming to the family, and concern about getting home on time. Children can experience depression including symptoms like fatigue, listlessness, and no interest in pleasurable activities. For a child with a parent who abuses drugs or alcohol, there is a strong likelihood they will experience psychosomatic illness and complaining often about not feeling well. The child may also show behaviours evident of regression, including thumb-sucking, enuresis and infantile behaviour. Phobias can occur, which sometimes are about attending school. Some additional effects on a child can include low self-esteem and social isolation. These can encompass difficulty making decisions, self put downs, reluctance to try new activities, keeping to one's self, no friends and avoiding peer contact. This chapter aims to describe and increase awareness of the harmful effects of parental substance abuse on children. Therefore, the trends in substance abuse are being discussed to give the reader an understanding of the widespread and complex social phenomenon and the ones most affected; the children.
Clinical Forensic Issues in Child Trauma Stemming from Juvenile Fire Setting and Bomb Making
Authors: Johnson Ronn , Klas Karla , Jacobs Eric , Grace Elizabeth , Murillo Alejandra
Published: June 2016

Internationally, burns stemming from Juvenile Fire Setting and Bomb Making (JFSB) represent a major healthcare problem as signaled by traumatic deaths and injuries sustained by youth involved in these unfortunate incidents. While JFSB incidents may occur with greater frequency in non-rural locales, emerging evidence shows that the clinical forensic issues secondary to these burn cases can be surprisingly more complex in rural settings. The treatment challenges that rural areas have are fueled by a limited availability of mental health emergency resources. Further compounding it, the treatment professionals accessible to families often have insufficient experience or qualifications for competently managing the traumatic issues presented by combined JFSB/Burn Survivor (BS-JFSB) cases. This chapter aims to demonstrate how trauma-focused approaches can be integrated into existing clinical forensic practices in rural settings. The treatment requires altering how the concerns presented by these BS-JFSB children are addressed within a risk assessment paradigm.
The Contact Dynamics Method
Authors: Bagi Katalin
Published: June 2016

The Contact Dynamics method, developed still in the 1980s, was originally applied for granular assemblies because of its efficiency in simulating rapid granular flows or vibration problems of discrete systems. In the oldest models the elements were spherical and perfectly rigid, but later the application of polyhedral and deformable elements also became widespread, allowing for the reliable simulation of problems related to masonry structures. The basic unit of the analysis in Contact Dynamics is the pair of two randomly chosen elements. The essence of the method is to find the contact force vector between the two elements in such a way that during the analysed time step the elements should not overlap each other. At the considered time instant an iterative process sweeps along randomly chosen pairs over and over again, and gradually adjusts the estimated contact forces to get an improving approximation of a state that satisfies the dynamic equations of the system. The method is particularly advantageous for earthquake analysis of masonry structures.
Collaboration between Researchers and Academic Library
Authors: Lembinen Liisi
Published: June 2016

Even though many academic libraries are offering various types of data management services (RDM) and infrastructure, many universities struggle with convincing researchers to publish their data. Collaboration in data management services between libraries, researchers, universities and government is the only way to make research data available and accessible. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how initiative from researchers led to wider collaboration between researchers and an academic library and resulted in the development of data management services in the library as well as a country-wide research data management consortium in Estonia. The country-wide research data management system was a requirement of the funding agency which put the library into a new position to initiate and lead work towards research universities' consortium. The development work of RDM services has tremendously raised the library's value as a partner rather than just a service provider in the eyes of researchers.
Enhancing Citizens' Trust and Confidence in Government through Digital Transformation
Authors: Mahmood Mohamed
Published: June 2016

Over the years, there has been an erosion of citizens' trust and confidence in their governments behind which, lies many reasons. This paper examines how digital transformation of government may play an important role in improving this eroding trust and confidence. Using a systematic literature review, the paper identifies factors that influence citizens' trust and confidence in government as an institution. Among the key factors that are commonly identified across the literature are citizens' satisfaction and expectations, transparency, accountability, digital transformation of government and performance of the government. The literature also points towards a lack of knowledge and understanding in the community of how transformation of government can influence the growing decline in citizens' engagement with government. To this effect, an initial conceptual model is proposed which captures the key constructs that may lead to better understanding of how to rebuild trust and confidence in government administrations through the digital transformation of government.
E-Government Applications in Promoting Agricultural Productions
Authors: Wang Xiaoping , Dong Jiangang , Liu Hanye , Zhang Jue
Published: June 2016

The rapid development of the e-government has dramatically changed how citizens and business interact with their government. There are many benefits for the e-government applications in terms of the administrative costs reduction and service integration. E-government websites can reflect the actual development of the regional e-government level. However, from the observation, there are many challenges and issues in the e-government application for the local governments. This paper is an attempt to compare the current development of the e-government in terms of improving the local agriculture productions between the eastern and western medium-sized cities in China. According to the results of this paper, there are many issues of the e-government application in terms of introducing and promoting the local agriculture productions in China. The suggestions for the local governments to improve their e-government application are given in last section.
Human Factors and E-Government Service Capability
Authors: Pan Wenwen , Hu Guangwei , Ma Yixin
Published: June 2016

The capability of e-government service (EGS) is affected by different organizational factors, including internal and external. Human factor is the most critical internal factor. However, few studies providing minimal anecdotal evidence have examined the relationships between human factors and EGSC. To fill the gap, this paper attempts to conceive and develop confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models, along with structural equation modeling (SEM), from the perspective of the role, desire, skill, and learning ability of leader, team, and faculty in the process of building and applying e-Gov to investigate the relationships between them. These models explored the mechanism of how human factors affect EGSC and its components. And several valuable findings are concluded based on the empirical data analysis. It is believed that the abovementioned facets are significant for the Chinese local government sectors in designing an effective EGS delivery mechanism and improving their EGSC.
Growth and Firm Size Distribution
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zhu Yan-Chun , Wen Jian-Bo , Zhuang Yi-Jie
Published: June 2016

Studies on the firm's size distribution (FSD) can set a good foundation to know about the growth path and mechanism of e-commerce firms. The purpose of this paper is to understand features of the China's listed e-commerce firms by testing Gibrat's law and Zipf's law within the Internet sectors. From a macroscopic perspective, with the approach of OLS estimation, Zipf's coefficient of the FSD is calculated to test whether Zipf's law holds. From a microscopic perspective, the relationship between e-commerce firm size and growth is explored by quantile regression method. The results indicate that from 2005 to 2014, Zipf's law cannot be rejected, with the relationship changing over time, Gibrat's law holds partly. It implies that competition status among China's e-commerce firms becomes more stable.
Prediction of E-Commerce Credit Rating based on PCA-SVR
Authors: Yu Zhuoxi , Zhang Huansen , Zhao Zhiwen , Wang Limin
Published: June 2016

Using the principal component analysis (PCA) and support vector regression machine (SVR) in predicting the credit rating of online stores. Collects 14 variables, including 982 observations of dress shops in Taobao. Firstly, the authors use the method of PCA to filter and reduce the dimension of the data, and obtain five factors, namely, the evaluation factor, the traffic factor, the price factor, the preferential policies factor and the reliability factor. Secondly, they use the PCA's output as the input of the SVR for the credit rating prediction. Thirdly, they extract 300 as the training samples and 150 as the test samples from the data, and utilize GA algorithm for parameter optimization in order to improve the prediction accuracy of SVR. Finally, carry on an empirical test. The result shows that this combination method is accurate and effective in prediction rate than the consequences of the traditional SVR, and it is valid and feasible.
Involvement of PARK2-Mediated Mitophagy in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Pathogenesis
Authors: Kobayashi Kenji , Araya Jun , Minagawa Shunsuke , Hara Hiromichi , Saito Nayuta , Kadota Tsukasa , Sato Nahoko , Yoshida Masahiro , Tsubouchi Kazuya , Kurita Yusuke , Ito Saburo , Fujita Yu , Takasaka Naoki , Utsumi Hirofumi , Yanagisawa Haruhiko , Hashimoto Mitsuo , Wakui Hiroshi , Kojima Jun , Shimizu Kenichiro , Numata Takanori , Kawaishi Makoto , Kaneko Yumi , Asano Hisatoshi , Yamashita Makoto , Odaka Makoto , Morikawa Toshiaki , Nakayama Katsutoshi , Kuwano Kazuyoshi
Published: June 2016

Fibroblastic foci, known to be the leading edge of fibrosis development in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), are composed of fibrogenic myofibroblasts. Autophagy has been implicated in the regulation of myofibroblast differentiation. Insufficient mitophagy, the mitochondria-selective autophagy, results in increased reactive oxygen species, which may modulate cell signaling pathways for myofibroblast differentiation. Therefore, we sought to investigate the regulatory role of mitophagy in myofibroblast differentiation as a part of IPF pathogenesis. Lung fibroblasts were used in in vitro experiments. Immunohistochemical evaluation in IPF lung tissues was performed. PARK2 was examined as a target molecule for mitophagy regulation, and a PARK2 knockout mouse was employed in a bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis model. We demonstrated that PARK2 knockdown-mediated mitophagy inhibition was involved in the mechanism for activation of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway accompanied by enhanced myofibroblast differentiation and proliferation, which were clearly inhibited by treatment with both antioxidants and AG1296, a PDGFR inhibitor. Mitophagy inhibition–mediated activation of PDGFR signaling was responsible for further autophagy suppression, suggesting the existence of a self-amplifying loop of mitophagy inhibition and PDGFR activation. IPF lung demonstrated reduced PARK2 with concomitantly increased PDGFR phosphorylation. Furthermore, bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis was enhanced in PARK2 knockout mice and subsequently inhibited by AG1296. These findings suggest that insufficient mitophagy-mediated PDGFR/PI3K/AKT activation, which is mainly attributed to reduced PARK2 expression, is a potent underlying mechanism for myofibroblast differentiation and proliferation in fibroblastic foci formation during IPF pathogenesis.
Poësie van die stilte
Authors: Van Coller H.P.
Published: June 2016

No abstract available.
An update of the tsetse fly (Diptera: Glossinidae) distribution and African animal trypanosomosis prevalence in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Authors: De Beer Chantel J. , Venter Gert J. , Kappmeier Green Karin , Esterhuizen Johan , De Klerk Daniel G. , Ntshangase Jerome , Vreysen Marc J.B. , Pienaar Ronel , Motloang Makhosazana , Ntantiso Lundi , Latif Abdalla A.
Published: June 2016

An unpredicted outbreak of African animal trypanosomosis or nagana in 1990 in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal necessitated an emergency control programme, utilising the extensive cattledipping system in the area, as well as a reassessment of the tsetse and trypanosomosis problem in the province. Since 1990, sporadic blood sampling of cattle at the dip tanks in the naganainfested areas were undertaken to identify trypanosome species involved and to determine the infection prevalence in cattle. The distribution and species composition of the tsetse populations in the area were also investigated. From November 2005 to November 2007 selected dip tanks were surveyed for trypanosome infection prevalence. During April 2005 to August 2009 the distribution and abundance of tsetse populations were assessed with odour-baited H traps. The tsetse and trypanosome distribution maps were updated and potential correlations between tsetse apparent densities (ADs) and the prevalence of trypanosomosis were assessed. Glossina brevipalpis Newstead and Glossina austeni Newstead were recorded in locations where they have not previously been collected. No significant correlation between tsetse relative abundance and nagana prevalence was found, which indicated complex interactions between tsetse fly presence and disease prevalence. This was epitomised by data that indicated that despite large differences in the ADs of G. austeni and G. brevipalpis, trypanosome infection prevalence was similar in all three districts in the area. This study clearly indicated that both tsetse species play significant roles in trypanosome transmission and that it will be essential that any control strategy, which aims at sustainable management of the disease, should target both species.Keywords: Tsetse distribution; Glossina brevipalpis; Glossina austeni; trypanosome infection prevalence
Fluorescent Sterols and Cholesteryl Esters as Probes for Intracellular Cholesterol Transport
Authors: Solanko Katarzyna A. , Modzel Maciej , Solanko Lukasz M. , Wüstner Daniel
Published: June 2016

Cholesterol transport between cellular organelles comprised vesicular trafficking and nonvesicular exchange; these processes are often studied by quantitative fluorescence microscopy. A major challenge for using this approach is producing analogs of cholesterol with suitable brightness and structural and chemical properties comparable with those of cholesterol. This review surveys currently used fluorescent sterols with respect to their behavior in model membranes, their photophysical properties, as well as their transport and metabolism in cells. In the first part, several intrinsically fluorescent sterols, such as dehydroergosterol or cholestatrienol, are discussed. These polyene sterols (P-sterols) contain three conjugated double bonds in the steroid ring system, giving them slight fluorescence in ultraviolet light. We discuss the properties of P-sterols relative to cholesterol, outline their chemical synthesis, and explain how to image them in living cells and organisms. In particular, we show that P-sterol esters inserted into low-density lipoprotein can be tracked in the fibroblasts of Niemann–Pick disease using high-resolution deconvolution microscopy. We also describe fluorophore-tagged cholesterol probes, such as BODIPY-, NBD-, Dansyl-, or Pyrene-tagged cholesterol, and eventual esters of these analogs. Finally, we survey the latest developments in the synthesis and use of alkyne cholesterol analogs to be labeled with fluorophores by click chemistry and discuss the potential of all approaches for future applications.
Abstract commensurability and the Gupta–Sidki group
Authors: Garrido Alejandra
Published: June 2016

We study the subgroup structure of the infinite torsion

p

-groups defined by Gupta and Sidki in 1983. In particular, following results of Grigorchuk and Wilson for the first Grigorchuk group, we show that all infinite finitely generated subgroups of the Gupta–Sidki 3-group

G

are abstractly commensurable with

G

or

G \times G

. As a consequence, we show that

G

is subgroup separable and from this it follows that its membership problem is solvable.

Along the way, we obtain a characterization of finite subgroups of

G

and establish an analogue for the Grigorchuk group.
Effective coherence of groups discriminated by a locally quasi-convex hyperbolic group
Authors: Bumagin Inna , Macdonald Jeremy
Published: June 2016

We prove that every finitely generated group

G

discriminated by a locally quasi-convex torsion-free hyperbolic group

\Gamma

is effectively coherent: that is, presentations for finitely generated subgroups can be computed from the subgroup generators. We study

G

via its embedding into an iterated centralizer extension of

\Gamma

, and prove that this embedding can be computed. We also give algorithms to enumerate all finitely generated groups discriminated by

\Gamma

and to decide whether a given group, with decidable word problem, is discriminated by

\Gamma

. If

\Gamma

may have torsion, we prove that groups obtained from

\Gamma

by iterated amalgamated products with virtually abelian groups, over elementary subgroups, are effectively coherent.
Pseudo-Anosov dilatations and the Johnson filtration
Authors: Malestein Justin , Putman Andrew
Published: June 2016

Answering a question of Farb, Leininger, and Margalit, we give explicit lower bounds for the dilatations of pseudo-Anosov mapping classes lying in the k-th term of the Johnson filtration of the mapping class group.
Meta-study: Analysis of thermoelectric figure of merit parameters for silicides with various doping agents
Authors: Newton Marcus James , White Simon , Estherby Caleb , Gomez Asher
Published: June 2016

Thermoelectric (TE) materials are increasingly promising for power generation in medium to high-temperature environments. Recent research on thermoelectric generators (TEGs) has determined the thermodynamic properties which impact the total efficiency and figure of merit (ZT) of these materials. A large Seebeck coefficient, high electrical conductivity and low thermal conductivity optimise ZT. This meta-study investigates silicides for potential TEG applications due to their high chemical stability and higher natural abundance than other TE materials. Data on the thermoelectric properties of CrSi2, FeSi2, Mg2Si and MnSi2, with a range of dopants, was sourced from a wide scope of literature and is analysed. The above thermodynamic properties contributing to ZT for each of these materials are graphed between 300 and 1000 K. It was found that chromium silicides are most effective at a temperature range of 600-800 K, and undoped magnesium silicides are most effective around 900 K. Oxide addition to β-FeSi2 produced relatively high ZT scores (ZT ≈ 0.5) among iron silicides. Rhenium substitution in manganese silicides produced a maximum figure of merit (1.05) at 900 K. Supersaturation via liquid quenching was determined to maintain high rhenium substitution and this technique may be the key to further improving the thermoelectric properties of other silicides.
Macro to Nano: Scaling Effects of Bi2Te3 Thermoelectric Generators for Applications in Space
Authors: Smith Christopher James Wallace , Cahill James Sewell , Nuhoglu Altay
Published: June 2016

For decades research and development has been committed to improving the Figure of Merit (ZT) of Bismuth Telluride (Bi2Te3) Thermoelectric Generators (TEG) and has reached its limit at ≈1. This Meta-study aims to determine if further improvements can be made when the size of TEGs decrease. To quantify the change from macro to nano scale the change in ZT, thermal and electrical conductance, Seebeck coefficient and power factor as the size of the thermoelements decrease has been investigated as well as how Wiedemann-Franz (WF) law holds on the nanoscale. This meta-study was conducted by evaluating and comparing developments in TEGs for the past three decades.    Based on theory it was expected that increases in ZT would occur as the thermoelement dimensions are reduced due to increased scattering of electrons and phonons as well as the increased density of electronic states. Increases to ZT due to these effects was not observed in experimental data due to difficulties in nanoscale production. This meta-study observed some indicators that the theory is correct in reduced thermal conduction from increased phonon and electron scattering and that phonon scattering was greater than electron scattering. Furthermore, a weak indication that WF law is not applicable on the nanoscale due to the scattering suggesting a decoupling of electrical and thermal conduction which is not achievable in macro scale TEGs
Meta-study Focusing on Abiotic Cells for Human Implants
Authors: Healey Mitchell , Lee Julian
Published: June 2016

Abstract: Powering implantable devices in human body with a glucose based fuel cell (GFC) offers an alternative to non-rechargeable batteries that typically require routine invasive surgery. There are three main approaches for GFCs to oxidise glucose. Enzymatic Fuel Cells are selective and have a high reaction rate but are unstable as the proteins can denature giving the cell a short lifespan. Microbial Fuel Cells use microbes to break down glucose to produce electrons. However they possess the danger of cell leakages that can introduce the microbes to the patient and risk possible infection. Abiotic Fuel Cells employ inorganic catalysts, typically a noble metal alloy or metallic carbon to oxidise and reduce glucose and oxygen respectively. Abiotic is the safest and most stable of the three but possesses the lowest output due to the electrodes inability to target glucose specifically. This meta-study investigates for Abiotic Glucose Fuel Cell being the most viable candidate of the three for possible use in autonomous medical devices. We will assess current abiotic fuel cells on the thermodynamic parameters of output voltage, current/current density, power density and efficiency. The kinetic parameters of internal resistance and rate at which membranes transport electrons will also be assessed. Operational parameters of lifespan and overall architecture will also be assessed to further understand the conditions and materials these cells were produced.Keywords: Glucose; Fuel Cell; Meta-study; Enzymatic; Microbial; Abiotic; Implantable Devices
A meta-study of the effect of thermodynamic parameters on the efficiency of geothermal power plants worldwide
Authors: Nieves Oscar , Nancarrow Tomas , MacKinnon Jessica
Published: June 2016

As global energy demand rises, the search for viable alternative fuel sources continues. The practicality of geothermal energy to meet this demand is highly dependent on optimizing thermal efficiency. While geothermal energy is currently used in places like Western Australia for direct-heat applications such as leisure centres, developing a geothermal power plant in such an area depends on predicting which thermodynamic parameters optimize thermal efficiency. This meta-study focuses on the effect of geothermal operation parameters such as inlet pressure, temperature, mass flow rate, well depth and number of production wells on the thermal efficiency of geothermal power plants. Drawing data from 61 geothermal power plants around the world ranging in design capacity (MWe) and size, a meta-study on the thermal efficiency of plants operating under different thermodynamic cycles, namely single-flash, double-flash, binary Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) and Kalina, is offered. These various thermodynamic parameters are analysed to determine the presence of observable thermal efficiency patterns or trends that may lead to the optimization of operation parameters for new geothermal plants. Based on the available published data reviewed, there are few trends which indicate how geothermal operation parameters affect thermal efficiency. Well depth may be an indicator of efficiency for geothermal power plants using ORC and double-flash cycles, however further data is required to support this conclusion.