bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapid LEED evaluation performed with BIM based sustainability analysis on a virtual construction project
Authors: Alwan Zaid , Greenwood David , Gledson Barry
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of using 3D simulation transfer processes to streamline the environmental assessment of buildings that have been designed digitally using building information modelling (BIM). The case study presented relates to a competition (“Build Qatar Live”) in which one of the winning team’s objectives was to create a smart process for assessing the design against the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria. The experience indicated that a rapid, concurrent and efficient LEED evaluation was possible within the BIM process. The study presents technological approaches that can be adopted within the BIM environment to simplify the environmental assessments and embrace practices that reduce environmental and ecological impacts.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology encompassed an overview of how rapid high-value data exchange occurs within BIM to achieve a sustainable building design as part of an international design competition. Achieving a LEED rating through sustainable design was a key requirement of the competition.

Findings

– The findings of this case study has revealed that key credits in LEED can be integrated within the BIM design process. Therefore, tackling such important environmental design issues in parallel to building design and providing key information on building elements needed to meet the sustainability criteria.

Originality/value

– This research highlights the benefits of streamlined, architectural and data software exchange through applying data interoperability of a building design; thus, skipping conventional 2D building and conventional documentation for environmental and energy designs simulations needed for LEED certifications and general low carbon design.
Generating IFC models from heterogeneous data using semantic web
Authors: Karan Ebrahim , Irizarry Javier , Haymaker John
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to develop a framework to represent semantic web query results as Industry Foundation Class (IFC) building models. The subject of interoperability has received considerable attention in the construction literature in recent years. Given the distributed, semantically heterogeneous data sources, the problem is to retrieve information accurately and with minimal human intervention by considering their semantic descriptions.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper provides a framework to translate semantic web query results into the XML representations of IFC schema and data. Using the concepts and relationships in an IFC schema, the authors first develop an ontology to specify an equivalent IFC entity in the query results. Then, a mapping structure is defined and used to translate and fill all query results into an ifcXML document. For query processing, the proposed framework implements a set of predefined query mappings between the source schema and a corresponding IFC output schema. The resulting ifcXML document is validated with an XML schema validating parser and then loaded into a building information modeling (BIM) authoring tool.

Findings

– The research findings indicate that semantic web technology can be used, accurately and with minimal human intervention, to maintain semantic-level information when transforming information between web-based and BIM formats. The developed framework for representing IFC-compatible outputs allows BIM users to query and access building data at any time over the web from data providers.

Originality/value

– Currently, the results of semantic web queries are not supported by BIM authoring tools. Thus, the proposed framework utilizes the capabilities of semantic web and query technologies to transform the query results to an XML representation of IFC data.
Virtual generative BIM workspace for maximising AEC conceptual design innovation
Authors: Abrishami Sepehr , Goulding Jack , Pour Rahimian Farzad , Ganah Abdul
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to find optimal solutions for conceptual design automation, which can be integrated with Building Information Modelling (BIM) support for construction automation. Problems relating ostensibly to failures in computational support for the conceptual design stage are well-documented in extant literature. These failures are multifarious and significant, with several deficiencies being acknowledged in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. Whilst acknowledging this, extant literature has highlighted the importance of computational design in the AEC industry; and failures in this area include the need to strengthen the congruent links and support mechanisms in order to exploit the opportunities presented by new computational design methods. Given this, it is postulated that the application of generative design could enhance the design experience by assisting designers with the iterative generation of alternatives and parameterisation (change management) processes. Moreover, as BIM applications are increasingly providing comprehensive support for modelling and management, then additional synergies could be examined for further exploitation.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper focusses on the potential for developing an interactive BIM environment that purposefully adopts generative design as a method of computational design for the early design stages. This research facilitates the automation of the conceptual architectural design process, using BIM as the central conduit for enhancing the integration of the whole building design process (including design interfaces). This approach is designed to improve designers’ cognition and collaboration during the conceptual architectural design process.

Findings

– This paper evaluates the existing methods and decision support mechanisms, and it introduces the potential of combining different concepts into a single environment (generative design/BIM).

Originality/value

– This research is novel, in that it critically appraises virtual generative workspaces using BIM as the central conduit. The outcome and intervention of this research forms a theoretical basis for the development of a “proof of concept” prototype, which actively engages generative design into a single dynamic BIM environment to support the early conceptual design process.
Business models and project selection in construction companies
Authors: Pekuri Aki , Pekuri Laura , Haapasalo Harri
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to investigate project selection in the context of business management with the specific aim of understanding the role of business models in project selection. The logic followed for making decisions and selecting projects significantly influences construction companies’ success.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research objective is pursued by conducting a multiple-case study. Managers acting in key decision-making roles from eight construction companies are interviewed. A conceptual framework is developed for analysing the interview data and the prevailing project selection practices in construction.

Findings

– The findings suggest that project selection is not guided by any specific business model, but that the decision-making process is dominated more by short-term factors such as need of work and profitability. Thus, estimation know-how largely determines the kind of projects companies are willing to consider, regardless of their competence to deliver them.

Research limitations/implications

– The study produces a hypothesis that ignorance of business models in project selection and their general underutilisation in management have negative effects on performance of the construction industry. More consistent management practice would enable the development of business models and processes, contributing to performance and help companies to distinguish themselves from each other.

Originality/value

– As opposed to previous studies that have produced bidding models that emulate the current industry practices, this research analyses the prevailing logic of project selection from a more critical perspective. In addition, the project selection practices of Finnish construction companies have not been investigated previously.
Tourism in Hawaii 1776‐2076: futurist Jim Dator talks with Ian Yeoman
Authors: Dator Jim , Yeoman Ian
Published: March 2015

Purpose

Futurist Jim Dator provides a personal insight of how he “sees” the past, present, and futures of Hawaiian tourism. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

Ian Yeoman interviews one of the world's most prominent and respected futurists, Professor Jim Dator, from the Futures Research Center of the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Political Science Department.

Findings

Like a climatologist, futurists discuss long‐term futures which are very uncertain, controversial, and often frightening stories. The past tells how the present occurred. Understanding that story is essential before considering the future. The growth of tourism is a fabulous story dependent on many developments whose future is uncertain. The tourism industry may want a “more of the same” trajectory of continued economic growth but a number changes are on the horizon which Dator calls “The Unholy Trinity,” namely the end of cheap and abundant energy; a profoundly unstable environment and a dysfunctional global economic system. Dator concludes that no government now governs satisfactorily, and so the future of tourism is extremely precarious and uncertain.

Originality/value

The interview provides both insight into how tourism has evolved and foresight of what could occur in the futures. Central to the interview is Dator's identification of the Unholy Trinity, Plus One, that suggests that the future will not neither be like the present nor like the future the tourism industry has hoped for in terms of continued economic growth. The originality and value of Dator's frank views are thought provoking, going beyond present wisdom and comfort.
Tourism 2025: an industry perspective
Authors: Wallace Simon , Riley Steve
Published: March 2015

Purpose

Tourism 2025 – Growing Value Together/Whakatipu Uara Ngatahi is a framework to unite New Zealand's large and diverse tourism industry and ignite strong, aspirational economic growth. Its goal is to see the tourism industry contribute $41 billion a year to the New Zealand economy by 2025, up from $24 billion now. It provides vital context for some collective actions by big or small industry clusters and for thousands of actions individual businesses will take each year. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

A wide range of tourism industry stakeholders were consulted over an 18‐month period to ensure the project was being developed on a solid, evidence‐based foundation. There was strong stakeholder support for a framework which the private sector takes ownership of and responsibility for, but which also recognises that public sector support is vital. The project team developed a “straw‐man” growth framework model which resulted in carrying out detailed investigations and consultation to test and, where necessary, adjust that model into its final form.

Findings

There were four major forces shaping the global tourism market. There was one positive force for New Zealand countered by three tough challenges. The strawman growth framework comprised five separate yet inter‐connected “cycle of growth” themes. These themes are relatively consistent with global national tourism plans that were studied. Used intelligently and in harmony, with the industry fully understanding the inter‐relationships and inter‐dependencies within the “cycle of growth”, the key themes enable the tourism industry to successfully come to grips with the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Originality/value

Tourism 2025 is aimed at aligning the industry on a pathway towards aspirational growth.
Philosophy of gustatory perception strategy for hand gesture recognition
Authors: El Kashef Nermeen , Hassan Yasser Fouad , Mahar Khaled , Fahmy Mustafa H.
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– Nature is the single and most complex system that has been always studied, and no one can compete Mother Nature, but we can learn from her, by many new methodologies through biology. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, being inspired by the mechanism through which our Mother Nature handling human taste, a proposed model for clustering and classification hand gesture is introduced based on human taste controlling strategy.

Findings

– The model can extract information from measurement data and handling it as the structure of tongue and the nervous systems of human taste recognition.

Originality/value

– The efficiency of proposed model is demonstrated experimentally on classifying the sign language data set; in the high recognition accuracy obtained for numbers of ASL was 95.52 percent.
A self organising network model of information gathering by the honey bee swarm
Authors: Foss Richard
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how a viable system, the honey bee swarm, gathers meaningful information about potential new nest sites in its problematic environment.

Design/methodology/approach

– This investigation uses a cybernetic model of a self-organising information network to analyse the findings from the last 60 years published research on swarm behaviour.

Findings

– Nest site scouts used a modified foraging network to carry out a very thorough survey of the swarm’s problematic environment, providing the swarm with a considerable diversity of potential nest sites for consideration. The swarm utilised a number of randomly recruited groups of scouts to obtain numerous independent opinions about potential nest sites, each privately evaluated, publicly reported and repeatedly tested by new recruits. Independent evaluation of site quality was balanced by interdependent reporting of site location. Noise was reduced by integration over a large number of individual scouts and over a period of time. The swarm was therefore able to reduce potential sources of bias, distortion and noise, providing it with comparatively reliable information for decision making.

Originality/value

– Information gathering by a honey bee swarm has not previously been modelled as a self-organising information network. The findings may be of value to human decision-making groups.
The effects of nonfinancial performance measures on role clarity, procedural fairness and managerial performance
Authors: Lau Chong M.
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to ascertain if it is procedural fairness, or role clarity, or both procedural fairness and role clarity that mediate the relationship between non-financial measures and managerial performance. Role clarity and procedural fairness may mediate the relationship between performance measures and managerial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey questionnaire was used to collect the required data. The sample was drawn from 149 managers from 103 large manufacturing organisations located in the UK. The data were analysed by structural equation modelling.

Findings

– The results indicate that it is role clarity that significantly mediates the relationship between non-financial measures and managerial performance. Surprisingly, procedural fairness has no significant mediating effect on the relationship.

Originality/value

– To date, no prior studies have investigated systematically the effects of non-financial measures as well as the mechanism by which non-financial measures influence role clarity, procedural fairness and managerial performance. This study contributes by incorporating both procedural fairness and role clarity within an integrated model. This assists the research to ascertain precisely which variable (procedural fairness or role clarity) mediates the relationship between non-financial measures and managerial performance as well as the relative strengths of the two mediating variables.
Sustainability reporting integrated into management control systems
Authors: Kerr Jennifer , Rouse Paul , de Villiers Charl
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine how three different organisations integrate sustainability reporting into management control systems (MCS).

Design/methodology/approach

– A case study examination of sustainability reporting integrated into MCS in three New Zealand organisations.

Findings

– The integration of sustainability reporting into MCS holds advantages for organisations to operationalise sustainability objectives, broaden stakeholder accountability as well as intensify interactions with stakeholders, formalise organisation beliefs and improve communication of sustainability measures internally. While frameworks such as the balanced scorecard (BSC) can facilitate implementation of sustainability reporting, some organisations may choose to fully integrate the latter into their management control system.

Originality/value

– Sustainability reporting is sometimes seen as an external reporting philosophy that can be managed as a separate project. The authors show it can be integrated into MCS, either entirely or through tools such as the BSC. The authors develop a framework that may be useful in future studies to locate our case organisations.
Productivity in academia
Authors: Wamala Robert , Ssembatya Vincent A.
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate causal linkages between output and outcome indicators of productivity in academia.

Design/methodology/approach

– The duration of teaching service and the number of graduate students supervised to completion were adopted as output indicators of productivity. Equivalent outcome indicators were the number of (co)authored books (including book chapters and monographs) and journal articles, respectively. In the investigations, a structural equation modeling approach was adopted.

Findings

– The number of students supervised to completion directly impact the number of (co)authored articles (p < 0.05). The duration of teaching service indirectly influences (co)authored articles by directly impacting the number of students supervised to completion (p < 0.05).

Research limitations/implications

– The causal linkages between the indicators of productivity are an indication of the level of research activity of academia. However, the study does not provide an exhaustive assessment of all indicators of productivity in academia.

Originality/value

– Unlike literature on the subject area that is focused on factors influencing productivity in academia, this study demonstrates casual relationships between the indicators of productivity.
Student involvement in the Egyptian quality assurance system
Authors: Elassy Noha
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the extent and the quality of student involvement in the quality assurance process (QAP) in Egyptian higher education institutions (HEIs).

Design/methodology/approach

– In this study, two qualitative methods were used to explore the extent and the quality of student involvement; these were focus groups and interviews. The aim of the study was achieved by collecting data from samples of students and staff members belonging to 14 public and private universities and institutes in Egypt.

Findings

– The results indicated that students were not efficiently involved in the QAP at the Egyptian HEIs. They were involved in responding to QA-related questionnaires to a large extent in the case when the HEI was on its way to be accredited or if it was accredited already. It revealed that students were not widely involved in committees regarding QAP. They were invited to meet the external review panel members that were sent by the national accreditation body, but they did not participate in writing the self-evaluation report or even reviewing it. Three factors influencing the extent of student involvement are highlighted.

Originality/value

– The paper provides an empirical insight of the extent and the quality of student involvement in Egyptian HEIs. The importance of this study comes from the fact that after the Egypt’s uprising in January 25, 2011; community pressures appeared to precede positive changes, specifically in the educational sector. From that point of time, higher education (HE) students wanted to be seen as partners in developing their HEIs. Therefore, this study introduces a set of recommendations to increase student involvement to three main Egyptian institutions; these are the ministry of HE, the national quality assurance body and the HEIs.
Mechanical properties of interfacial phases between Sn-3.5 Ag solder and Ni-18 at. % W barrier film by nanoindentation
Authors: Chew C.S. , Durairaj R. , Haseeb A. S. M. A. , Beake B.
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the hardness and elastic modulus on interfacial phases formed between Sn-3.5Ag solder and Ni-18 at. % W alloy film by nanoindentation. It has been found that a ternary amorphous Sn-Ni-W layer formed below Ni3Sn4 IMC at the interface. In this study, mechanical properties of the IMC formed between SA solder and Ni-18 at. % W film after six times reflows were performed by nanoindentation.

Design/methodology/approach

– The characterization was carried at 25°C, and 100 indents were generated. The elastic modulus and hardness were investigated.

Findings

– The results showed that hardness of Ni3Sn4 IMC was higher than amorphous Sn-Ni-W phase. A slight bigger indent was observed on the Sn-Ni-W layer compared with that on the Ni3Sn4 IMC. Lower topographical height in the Sn-Ni-W layer indicated that the Sn-Ni-W phase was softer compared with the Ni3Sn4 IMC. The lower hardness and soft Sn-Ni-W phase is significantly related to the amorphous structure that formed through solid-state amorphization.

Originality/value

– There are no publications about the indentation on the interfacial between the Ni-W layer and the Sn-Ag solder.
Chronic lithium treatment diminishes the female advantage in lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Zhu Fengge , Li Qinggang , Zhang Fujian , Sun Xuefeng , Cai Guangyan , Zhang Weiguang , Chen Xiangmei
Published: March 2015

Two studies have concluded that lithium exposure extends the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans. However, the effect of lithium on another widely used model organism, Drosophila melanogaster, remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that chronic treatment with a low to moderate dose of lithium chloride does not extend lifespan in D. melanogaster and that the drug abolishes the female lifespan advantage in flies.
Microbial players involved in the decline of filamentous and colonial cyanobacterial blooms with a focus on fungal parasitism
Authors: Gerphagnon Mélanie , Macarthur Deborah J. , Latour Delphine , Gachon Claire M. M. , Van Ogtrop Floris , Gleason Frank H. , Sime‐Ngando Télesphore
Published: March 2015

In the forthcoming decades, it is widely believed that the dominance of colonial and filamentous bloom‐forming cyanobacteria (e.g. Microcystis, Planktothrix, Anabaena and Cylindrospermopsis) will increase in freshwater systems as a combined result of anthropogenic nutrient input into freshwater bodies and climate change. While the physicochemical parameters controlling bloom dynamics are well known, the role of biotic factors remains comparatively poorly studied. Morphology and toxicity often – but not always – limit the availability of cyanobacteria to filter feeding zooplankton (e.g. cladocerans). Filamentous and colonial cyanobacteria are widely regarded as trophic dead‐ends mostly inedible for zooplankton, but substantial evidence shows that some grazers (e.g. copepods) can bypass this size constraint by breaking down filaments, making the bloom biomass available to other zooplankton species. A wide range of algicidal bacteria (mostly from the Alcaligenes, Flavobacterium/Cytophaga group and Pseudomonas) and viruses (Podoviridae, Siphoviridae and Myoviridae) may also contribute to bloom control, via their lytic activity underpinned by a diverse array of mechanisms. Fungal parasitism by the Chytridiomycota remains the least studied. While each of these biotic factors has traditionally been studied in isolation, emerging research consistently point to complex interwoven interactions between biotic and environmental factors.
Three jihads: Islamic, Christian, and Jewish (Respond to this article at https://www.therai.org.uk/publications/anthropology-today/debate)
Authors: Nader Laura
Published: March 2015

In this guest editorial, the author weighs up to what extent Christian and Jewish life practice equivalents to jihad and to what extent this is a feature of our contemporary secular lives.
In the name of the Republic: Untimely meditations on the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attack (Respond to this article at https://www.therai.org.uk/publications/anthropology-today/debate)
Authors: Fassin Didier
Published: March 2015

In the wake of the killings at Charlie Hebdo offices and in a kosher supermarket in January 2015, an unprecedented national mobilization took place in France in defence of the endangered ‘values of the Republic’: liberty, equality, fraternity, to which had been added laïcité, the French version of secularism. However, the unanimity was soon disrupted as some did not join the ‘Je suis Charlie’ movement, questioning the double standard in the implementation of these principles. This essay analyzes the variations and flaws in the application of liberty, in particular free speech, and of laïcité, to the detriment of Islam, and discusses how equality and fraternity are currently undermined by social disparities and racial discriminations, which are in part inherited from the colonial past. Although they might seem untimely in such consensual moments, these meditations invite a critical reflection on the contradictions of contemporary democracies.
Like a virgin? Hymen restoration operations in contemporary China (Respond to this article at https://www.therai.org.uk/publications/anthropology-today/debate)
Authors: Steinmüller Hans , Tan Tongxue
Published: March 2015

In this article, the authors use the example of hymen repair surgeries to discuss the reconfigurations of patriarchal practices in the People's Republic of China. Following a brief overview of concepts of virginity and the importance of the hymen in China, they describe the spread of hymen restorations in the reform era. These surgeries link up traditionalist and ‘patriarchal’ practices and relationships with particular expressions of sexual liberalism in contemporary China.
Bridging the reductive and the synthetic: some reflections on the clinical implications of synchronicity
Authors: Connolly Angela
Published: March 2015

When Jung introduced the concepts of synchronicity and the psychoid unconscious, he expanded analytical psychology into decidedly uncanny territory. Despite the early interest shown by Freud, anomalous phenomena such as telepathy have become a taboo subject in psychoanalysis. Today, however, there is an increasing interest in thought transference and synchronicity, thus opening the way for a fruitful exchange between different psychoanalytical schools on their clinical implications. I propose to examine some of the ambiguities of Jung's thinking, to clarify how we define synchronicity, the relationship between synchronicities and parapsychological events, and their clinical significance. At the present moment, we are still unsure if such events should be considered as normal and a way of facilitating individuation, or as an indication of psychopathology in the patient or in the analyst, just as we are uncertain about the particular characteristics of the intersubjective field that can lead to synchronicities. Making use of the typology of mind‐matter correlations presented by Atmanspacher and Fach, and the distinction they draw between acategorial and non‐categorial states of mind, I will use two clinical vignettes to illustrate the different states of mind in analyst and analysand that can lead to synchronicities. In particular I will focus on the relationship between analytical reverie and synchronicity.
Virtual reality and the psyche. Some psychoanalytic approaches to media addiction
Authors: Weisel Anja
Published: March 2015

This paper explores the ramifications of excessive use of media on personality development, the development of symbolic and thinking functions and on psychic reality. In doing so, the questions of whether there are specific media objects possessing an intrinsic symbolic quality, and which attachments in the inner world of a child/adolescent can be mobilized or destroyed are discussed.

By selecting specific material, computer gamers use their game to activate the field of a personal psychic reality. Hereby, they attempt some kind of self‐healing. However, after leaving the game, conflicts and traumata re‐enacted but unresolved in the game disappear from their temporary representation without generating any resonance in the gamer's psychic experience. Consequently, although states of mind and affects are activated in the computer game, their processing and integration fail; the game results in a compulsive repetition. The construction and consolidation of retrievable maturation and structural development, the representation of the unrepresentable, succeed in the context of the triangulating analytic relationship, initially through a jointly performed symbolic and narrative re‐experience or the recreation of the game.

Theoretical considerations are illustrated by means of clinical vignettes.
Lost in (cyber)space: finding two adolescent boys hiding from their own humanity
Authors: Tyminski Robert
Published: March 2015

This article explores the intense psychological effects of compulsive Internet use, which has become increasingly common among adolescent boys and young men. Two cases are presented and discussed to illustrate some of the psychic distortions around thinking and feeling, as these occurred in the analysis of a mid‐adolescent boy and of another patient in later adolescence. A kind of narcissistic omnipotence grounded in magical thinking appeared to take root in their minds, and it led to an avoidant pattern in relationships because of such strong wishes for both distance and control. A short review of the conceptual origins of magical thinking underscores its continued relevance because so many now engage with the Internet. In addition, Anzieu's idea of the ‘skin ego’ is applied to the clinical case material to provide a theoretical framework for the developmental challenges that can appear in adolescent boys who seek to use the Internet as a form of psychic container. Emerging problems that immersion in the Internet might bring into our practices, for example the depleting effects of massive projective identification, are considered and discussed, along with the obvious ways in which using the Internet can be beneficial for connecting with others, for creating new platforms of expression, and for education.
Operators' Improvisation in Complex Technological Systems: Successfully Tackling Ambiguity, Enhancing Resiliency and the Last Resort to Averting Disaster
Authors: Meshkati Najmedin , Khashe Yalda
Published: March 2015

Complex safety‐critical technological systems breakdowns, which are often characterized as ‘low probability, high consequence’, could pose serious threats for workers, the local public, and possibly neighboring regions and the whole country. System designers can neither anticipate all possible scenarios nor foresee all aspects of unfolding emergency. Front‐line operators’ improvisation via dynamic problem solving and reconfiguration of available recourses provide the last resort for preventing a total system failure. Despite advances in automation, operators should remain in charge of controlling and monitoring of safety‐critical systems. Furthermore, at the time of a major emergency, operators will always constitute the society's both the first and last layer of defense; and it is eventually their improvisation and ingenuity that could save the day.
Managing Uncertainty: The Engineer, the Craftsman and the Gardener
Authors: Vidal Renaud
Published: March 2015

According to Thorngate's impostulate of theoretical simplicity (1976), descriptions of social phenomenon can display only two of the three following characteristics: simplicity, generality, and accuracy. When we apply this insight to the modeling of ambiguity, we find three theorizing archetypes that we refer to as the stances of the Engineer, the Craftsman and the Gardener. We argue that the Craftsman stance is the only helpful stance for organizations operating in high tempo/ambiguous environments with a duty of high reliability. We provide instances in the case of firefighting. Finally, we discuss the managerial implications of this line of reasoning, especially how High Reliability Organizing ideas, rooted in the theories of sense‐making, should be used in the perspective of the craftsman stance.
Single‐nucleotide polymorphism discovery and validation in high‐density SNP array for genetic analysis in European white oaks
Authors: Lepoittevin C. , Bodénès C. , Chancerel E. , Villate L. , Lang T. , Lesur I. , Boury C. , Ehrenmann F. , Zelenica D. , Boland A. , Besse C. , Garnier‐Géré P. , Plomion C. , Kremer A.
Published: March 2015

An Illumina Infinium SNP genotyping array was constructed for European white oaks. Six individuals of Quercus petraea and Q. robur were considered for SNP discovery using both previously obtained Sanger sequences across 676 gene regions (1371 in vitro SNPs) and Roche 454 technology sequences from 5112 contigs (6542 putative in silico SNPs). The 7913 SNPs were genotyped across the six parental individuals, full‐sib progenies (one within each species and two interspecific crosses between Q. petraea and Q. robur) and three natural populations from south‐western France that included two additional interfertile white oak species (Q. pubescens and Q. pyrenaica). The genotyping success rate in mapping populations was 80.4% overall and 72.4% for polymorphic SNPs. In natural populations, these figures were lower (54.8% and 51.9%, respectively). Illumina genotype clusters with compression (shift of clusters on the normalized x‐axis) were detected in ~25% of the successfully genotyped SNPs and may be due to the presence of paralogues. Compressed clusters were significantly more frequent for SNPs showing a priori incorrect Illumina genotypes, suggesting that they should be considered with caution or discarded. Altogether, these results show a high experimental error rate for the Infinium array (between 15% and 20% of SNPs potentially unreliable and 10% when excluding all compressed clusters), and recommendations are proposed when applying this type of high‐throughput technique. Finally, results on diversity levels and shared polymorphisms across targeted white oaks and more distant species of the Quercus genus are discussed, and perspectives for future comparative studies are proposed.
Cardioprotective Effect of MicroRNA‐21 in Murine Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Gu Guo‐Long , Xu Xiao‐Lin , Sun Xiao‐Tian , Zhang Ji , Guo Chang‐Fa , Wang Chun‐Sheng , Sun Bing , Guo Gong‐Liang , Ma Ke , Huang Yuan‐Yuan , Sun Li‐Qun , Wang Yi‐Qing
Published: March 2015

Introduction

To investigate the cardioprotective effect of MicroRNA‐21 (miR‐21) in murine myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods

Forty C57BL/6 male mice were divided into sham group, MI group, LV‐GFP group, and miR‐21 group. Mice in the MI group, LV‐GFP group, and miR‐21 group were subjected to MI by left anterior descending artery (LAD) ligation, while chest was opened/closed without ligation in sham group. In MI group, expression of miR‐21 in the MI area and its surrounding areas was detected at 1st, 2nd, and 4th week after experiment. Subsequently, lentivirus expressing miR‐21 and lentivirus that did not express miR‐21 were transfected into mice left ventricular cavity of miR‐21 group and LV‐GFP group, respectively. Cardiac function, MI size, miR‐21 expression, collagen I level, fibronectin content, number of α‐SMA‐positive cells, number of apoptotic cells, apoptosis‐related factors were compared between the three groups.

Results

Compared with sham group, miR‐21 levels in MI group were significantly decreased in the 1st week and 2nd week, but were almost the same in the 4th week. Left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in the miR‐21 group improved compared to the LV‐GFP group. In miR‐21 group, myocardial infarct size reduced by 36.9% in comparison with LV‐GFP group. Compared to sham group, miR‐21 expression in the miR‐21 group and LV‐GFP group decreased significantly. In the miR‐21 group, collagen I level, fibronectin content and number of α‐SMA‐positive cells of miR‐21 decreased significantly compared to the LV‐GFP group. The number of apoptotic cells in the MI areas of the miR‐21 group was significantly less than the LV‐GFP group. Compared with the LV‐GFP group, Bcl‐2 level and the ratio of Bcl‐2 to Bax were significantly increased, and the levels of Bax and Caspase‐3 decreased.

Conclusions

Our results suggest miR‐21 is an important regulatory molecule in the pathophysiology of MI.
Mapping beta diversity from space: Sparse Generalised Dissimilarity Modelling (SGDM) for analysing high‐dimensional data
Authors: Leitão Pedro J. , Schwieder Marcel , Suess Stefan , Catry Inês , Milton Edward J. , Moreira Francisco , Osborne Patrick E. , Pinto Manuel J. , van der Linden Sebastian , Hostert Patrick
Published: March 2015

Spatial patterns of community composition turnover (beta diversity) may be mapped through generalised dissimilarity modelling (GDM). While remote sensing data are adequate to describe these patterns, the often high‐dimensional nature of these data poses some analytical challenges, potentially resulting in loss of generality. This may hinder the use of such data for mapping and monitoring beta‐diversity patterns.

This study presents Sparse Generalised Dissimilarity Modelling (SGDM), a methodological framework designed to improve the use of high‐dimensional data to predict community turnover withGDM.SGDMconsists of a two‐stage approach, by first transforming the environmental data with a sparse canonical correlation analysis (SCCA), aimed at dealing with high‐dimensional data sets, and secondly fitting the transformed data withGDM. TheSCCApenalisation parameters are chosen according to a grid search procedure in order to optimise the predictive performance of aGDMfit on the resulting components. The proposed method was illustrated on a case study with a clear environmental gradient of shrub encroachment following cropland abandonment, and subsequent turnover in the bird communities. Bird community data, collected on 115 plots located along the described gradient, were used to fit composition dissimilarity as a function of several remote sensing data sets, including a time series of Landsat data as well as simulated EnMAPhyperspectral data.

The proposed approach always outperformedGDMmodels when fit on high‐dimensional data sets. Its usage on low‐dimensional data was not consistently advantageous. Models using high‐dimensional data, on the other hand, always outperformed those using low‐dimensional data, such as single‐date multispectral imagery.

This approach improved the direct use of high‐dimensional remote sensing data, such as time‐series or hyperspectral imagery, for community dissimilarity modelling, resulting in better performing models. The good performance of models using high‐dimensional data sets further highlights the relevance of dense time series and data coming from new and forthcoming satellite sensors for ecological applications such as mapping species beta diversity.
Cutaneous embolism of an atrial myxoma
Authors: Rodríguez Bandera Ana Isabel , Stewart Nicholas Charles , Uribe Pablo , Minocha Rashi , Choi James Young Joon
Published: March 2015

Cardiac myxoma often presents with heterogeneous symptoms and signs and represents a challenging diagnosis. The cutaneous manifestations, if present, are often transient and non‐specific and the clinician must possess a high degree of suspicion to secure the diagnosis. We present the case of a 36‐year‐old woman with a 6‐month history of intermittent, painful, violaceous, non‐blanching macules on the thumb and fingertips of the left hand and right ankle. A cutaneous embolic phenomenon was suspected and an urgent echocardiogram demonstrated an atrial mass, with subsequent histopathology confirming the clinical suspicion of atrial myxoma. Early diagnosis and excision of the tumour avoided serious complications.
Developing challenges in the urbanisation of village doctors in economically developed regions: A survey of 844 village doctors in Changzhou, China
Authors: Chen Minxing , Lu Jun , Hao Chao , Hao Mo , Yao Fang , Sun Mei
Published: March 2015

Objective

To reveal the challenges of village doctors' survival and training in economically developed areas in eastern China.

Design

A field survey was used to assess the challenges of village doctors.

Setting

The study was conducted in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, which is an economically developed region in eastern China.

Participants

The participants included 844 village doctors, 15 township hospital staff members and 6 health bureau leaders.

Results

The main challenges in Changzhou include an insufficient amount of village doctors, difficulties in obtaining professional qualification for village doctors, low salaries and benefits, and difficulties in recruitment.

Conclusion

With increasing urbanisation in China, the gap between actual and expected income and social security has been increasing. Changes to training have influenced the stability of village doctor teams. Declining attachment of young people to their hometown village has contributed to recruitment difficulties.
Increasing access to sexual health care for rural and regional young people: Similarities and differences in the views of young people and service providers
Authors: Johnston Karen , Harvey Caroline , Matich Paula , Page Priscilla , Jukka Clare , Hollins Jane , Larkins Sarah
Published: March 2015

Objective

This study aims to describe the views of sexual health service providers on access issues for young people and consider them together with the views of young people themselves.

Design

A cross‐sectional mixed‐methods study design involving semi‐structured interviews with health service providers and an electronic survey with young people.

Setting

Four towns in rural and regional Queensland, Australia.

Participants

A total of 32 service providers: 9 sexual health nurses, 8 general practitioners, 6 school‐based youth health nurses, 5 sexual health educators, 2 Australian Aboriginal health workers and 2 youth workers. There were 391 young people who participated in the Young People's Survey.

Main outcome measures

Themes generated from interviews with service providers and quantitative data from young people addressing access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for rural and regional young people.

Results

Service providers frequently identified structural barriers, confidentiality and lack of awareness of SRH services as barriers for young people seeking SRH care. Young people also reported that structural factors such as transport, cost and service operating hours were important; however, they placed greater value on personal attributes of service providers, particularly welcoming and non‐judgemental attitudes.

Conclusion

Health service policy and training focused on attitudinal qualities of individual service providers may improve access to SRH services for young people. Selective staff recruitment and professional development are important to increase sensitivity to youth issues. Promotion of non‐judgemental and confidential care may also improve access for youth.
Corporate Culture and Greed — The Case of the Australian Wheat Board
Authors: Fallon Felicity , Cooper Barry J.
Published: March 2015

Between 1999 and 2002, the Australian Wheat Board (AWB) was involved in an elaborate bribery, or ‘kickback’, scheme involving the illicit payment of A$300 million to the Iraq government for supposed ‘transportation fees’ that were funnelled to the Saddam Hussein regime. This was clearly in breach of the United Nations trade sanctions and was apparently perpetrated by the AWB to secure continued sales with the lucrative Iraqi market. This paper aims to gain further insight into how a corporate culture can lead to greed, corruption and deception. Specifically, this study aims to add to the literature by analysing, using Schein's (1997, 2004) theoretical framework, a case on the development of a corrupt corporate culture. Content analysis of official investigative reports and other published documents is used to determine the extent to which the AWB's corporate culture and leadership may have influenced the behaviour of senior managers. The findings indicate that the culture within the AWB fostered an environment in which senior managers placed sales and profits above the sanctions clearly enunciated by the United Nations.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in the Accounting Profession – An Exploratory Study
Authors: Lombardi Luisa , Cooper Barry J.
Published: March 2015

The aim of this article is to explore the role that accounting skills and accounting qualifications may play in entering fields that have been virtually closed to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people. It is acknowledged in the literature that accounting processes and accountants have historically had a domineering and detrimental impact on marginalised groups, such as ATSI peoples. However, we propose an alternative viewpoint using a Bourdieun perspective and theorise that accounting skills and accounting qualifications (capital) can open doors to powerful organisations and institutions (fields). As this is an exploratory study, we have limited our analysis to one key aspect of the Bourdieun framework, namely that of field. To that end, we examine accounting and other organisations that have traditionally closed their doors to marginalised groups in society. Interviews were conducted with ATSI people who have successfully gained entry into the field of the accounting profession, in an effort to understand the experiences and barriers they faced and to investigate the role that accounting skills plays in enabling ATSI people access to fields and decision‐making positions that have traditionally been inaccessible to them.