bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rates of Depressive and Anxiety Disorders in a Residential Mother–Infant Unit for Unsettled Infants
Authors: Phillips Jane , Sharpe Louise , Matthey Stephen
Published: September 2007

Objective: Depression and anxiety are known to be common among women presenting to residential mother–infant programmes for unsettled infant behaviour but most studies have used self-report measures of psychological symptomatology rather than diagnostic interviews to determine psychiatric diagnoses. The aim of the present study was to determine rates of depressive and anxiety disorders and rates of comorbidity among clients of the Karitane residential mother–infant programme for unsettled infant behaviour.

Method: One hundred and sixty women with infants aged 2 weeks–12 months completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and were interviewed for current and lifetime history of depressive and anxiety disorders using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV diagnosis (Research version).

Results: A total of 25.1% of the sample met criteria for a current diagnosis of major depression, 31.7% had met criteria for major depression since the start of the pregnancy, and 30.5% of clients met criteria for a current anxiety disorder. Of note were the 21.6% who met criteria for generalized anxiety disorder or anxiety disorder not otherwise specified (worry confined to the topics of the baby or being a mother). High levels of comorbidity were confirmed in the finding that 60.8% of those with an anxiety disorder had experienced major or minor depression since the start of their pregnancy and 46.3% of those who had experienced depression since the start of their pregnancy also met criteria for a current anxiety disorder.

Conclusions: There are high levels of psychiatric morbidity among clients attending residential mother–infant units for unsettled infant behaviour, highlighting the importance of providing multifaceted interventions in order to address both infant and maternal psychological issues.
Electroconvulsive Therapy use in a 97-Year-Old Woman
Authors: Burke David , Shannon Joanne , Beveridge Alexander
Published: September 2007

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to report the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to successfully treat depression in a 97-year-old woman, and to discuss the safety and efficacy of ECT in the very old.

Methods: A case report and review of the literature on the use of ECT to treat depression in the very old is presented.

Results: The subject recovered fully from her depression but suffered a serious adverse event (fractured femur) during the course of ECT. Relatively few publications on the use of ECT in the very old were found. The majority of articles concerned patients aged between 65 and 85, with one study including patients up to age 96.

Conclusions: There appears to be an absence of randomized clinical trial evidence to support the use of ECT as a treatment for depression in the very old. Based on the limited evidence from case reports and case series, the indications appear to be the same as for younger patients. There do not appear to be any absolute contraindications, and ECT appears to be a safe and efficacious treatment for depression in the very old. However, in the light of our subject's serious adverse event, there may be a need to consider additional safety precautions in the very old. Finally, we believe our patient is the oldest person reported to be successfully treated with suprathreshold ECT.
Euthanasia: The Final Paradox
Authors: Ellard John
Published: September 2007

Objective: The aim of this paper is to consider the history of human beings killing one another and reflect upon their reasons. Has it ever been altruistic?

Method: Important examples of large episodes of killing, such as wars, the Crusades, the Inquisition and genocides were examined.

Results: Reasons are always advanced for killing large numbers of people who did not want to die. They were not based on logic nor on altruism but on moralities constructed from religious and political beliefs. Those who wanted to die because of unrelievable pain involved in the process of dying from an incurable illness are always preserved against their wishes. Once more, the reasons were usually religious and/or politically supported.

Conclusion: The belief that it is acceptable to kill those who do not want to die but unacceptable to kill those who want to die provides a curious paradox.
BECOMING A CITIZEN
Authors: Benedicto Jorge , Luz Morán Maria
Published: September 2007

Although citizenship and youth have traditionally seemed to be two terms with very little in common, recent years have shown an enormous interest in analysing their relationships. On one hand, exploring how the new generations become citizens is a key issue for understanding the characteristics of the civic life of a society. On the other, the concept of citizenship has revealed itself as a potent conceptual and analytic instrument for explaining youth transitions. In order to acquire a deeper comprehension of these relationships, we believe it necessary to advance in their empirical study, to acknowledge their multidimensional character, and to defend a dynamic perspective of citizenship. This paper approaches the study of citizenship from its cultural dimension and proposes an analytical framework for the empirical study of the discourses and representations of what being a citizen means to young Europeans. Our analytical framework is structured along two axes: the dimension of belonging and the dimension of involvement.
EXPLANATIONS OF POLITICAL EURO-SCEPTICISM AT THE INDIVIDUAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS
Authors: Lubbers Marcel , Scheepers Peer
Published: September 2007

This article investigates to what extent nationalist and anti-out-group drives contribute to the explanation of political euro-scepticism, in addition to economic and political drives. The authors disentangle individual-level, regional-level and country-level effects by using the European Social Survey, covering 21 European countries (n=34,160), which is enriched with region and country characteristics. Perceived threat from immigrants as well as political distrust increase political euro-scepticism, explaining low levels of euro-scepticism among higher educated people, higher income categories and socio-cultural specialists. At the contextual level, the authors find that scepticism increases with the distance to Brussels. Moreover, it is found that in countries where television broadcasts are dubbed, euro-scepticism is lower than in countries using subtitles. The authors find small effects from intra-EU trade and number of foreign tourists. In particular, differences between countries in political euro-scepticism are explained by duration of EU membership.
Associating quantitative behavioral traits with gene expression in the brain: searching for diamonds in the hay
Authors: Reiner-Benaim Anat , Yekutieli Daniel , Letwin Noah E. , Elmer Gregory I. , Lee Norman H. , Kafkafi Neri , Benjamini Yoav
Published: September 2007

Gene expression and phenotypic functionality can best be associated when they are measured quantitatively within the same experiment. The analysis of such a complex experiment is presented, searching for associations between measures of exploratory behavior in mice and gene expression in brain regions. The analysis of such experiments raises several methodological problems. First and foremost, the size of the pool of potential discoveries being screened is enormous yet only few biologically relevant findings are expected, making the problem of multiple testing especially severe. We present solutions based on screening by testing related hypotheses, then testing the hypotheses of interest. In one variant the subset is selected directly, in the other one a tree of hypotheses is tested hierarchical; both variants control the False Discovery Rate (FDR). Other problems in such experiments are in the fact that the level of data aggregation may be different for the quantitative traits (one per animal) and gene expression measurements (pooled across animals); in that the association may not be linear; and in the resolution of interest only few replications exist. We offer solutions to these problems as well. The hierarchical FDR testing strategies presented here can serve beyond the structure of our motivating example study to any complex microarray study.

Contact:  ybenja@post.tau.ac.il

Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
William Hunter McCrea. 13 December 1904 — 25 April 1999
Authors: Mestel Leon , Pagel Bernard E. J.
Published: September 2007

Sir William Hunter (‘Bill’) McCrea (1904–99), astrophysicist and relativist, was born on 13 December 1904 in Dublin, the elder son and eldest child of Robert Hunter McCrea (1877–1956), a schoolmaster, and Margaret
née
Hutton (1879–1962). His parents, of Irish stock, were brought up as strict nonconformists, but by the age of 18 years, while at Cambridge, Bill had become a confirmed Anglican, a faith he retained all his life. By 1907 the family had moved to Chesterfield, Derbyshire, where Bill attended first the Central (elementary) School and then the Grammar School, from which he won an entrance scholarship in mathematics to Trinity College, Cambridge. He read for the Mathematics Tripos, becoming a Wrangler in 1926. He specialized in those branches of mathematical physics that were stimulating exciting research at Cambridge, and after graduating he began research as one of the many pupils of R. H. (later Sir Ralph) Fowler FRS (to whom he paid warm tribute on his centenary in 1989).
AtREV1, a Y-Family DNA Polymerase in Arabidopsis, Has Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase Activity in Vitro
Authors: Takahashi Shinya , Sakamoto Ayako N. , Tanaka Atsushi , Shimizu Kikuo
Published: September 2007

To clarify the functions of the Arabidopsis thaliana REV1 (AtREV1) protein, we expressed it in Escherichia coli and purified it to near homogeneity. The deoxynucleotidyl transferase activity of the recombinant AtREV1 was examined in vitro using a primer extension assay. The recombinant AtREV1 transferred one or two nucleotides to the primer end. It efficiently inserted dCMP regardless of the opposite base. AtREV1 also inserted a dCMP opposite an apurinic/apyrimidinic site, which is physiologically generated or induced by various DNA-damaging agents. In contrast, AtREV1 had no insertion activities against UV-inducible DNA lesions as reported in yeast or mammalian system. Although the substrate specificity of AtREV1 was rather narrow in the presence of magnesium ion, it widened in the presence of manganese ion. These results suggest that AtREV1 serves as a deoxycytidyl transferase in plant cells.
Impact of digital information resources in the toxicology literature
Authors: Robinson Lyn
Published: September 2007

Purpose

The purpose of the study reported here was to assess the degree to which new forms of web‐based information and communication resources impact on the formal toxicology literature, and the extent of any change between 2000 and 2005.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes the form of an empirical examination of the full content of four toxicology journals for the year 2000 and for the year 2005, with analysis of the results, comparison with similar studies in other subject areas, and with a small survey of the information behaviour of practising toxicologists.

Findings

Scholarly communication in toxicology has been relatively little affected by new forms of information resource (weblogs, wikis, discussion lists, etc.). Citations in journal articles are still largely to “traditional” resources, though a significant increase in the proportion of web‐based material being cited in the toxicology literature has occurred between 2000 and 2005, from a mean of 3 per cent to a mean of 19 per cent.

Research limitations/implications

The empirical research is limited to an examination of four journals in two samples of one year each.

Originality/value

This is the only recent study of the impact of new ICTs on toxicology communication. It adds to the literature on the citation of digital resources in scholarly publications.
Continuing professional development for library and information science
Authors: Robinson Lyn , Glosiene Audrone
Published: September 2007

Purpose

The paper aims to describe a network of training centres (TCN‐LIS) to support continuing professional development (CPD) of library and information specialists in countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, funded by the Open Society Institute (OSI). It also aims to draw some general lessons for CPD in the library/information sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews the development and activities of the training centre network, and reflects on issues raised and lessons learned.

Findings

The paper finds that TCN‐LIS has been effective in raising standards of professional competence among library and information specialists in the countries of the OSI region. General conclusions can be drawn about good practice for CPD, in issues including the most appropriate topics to be covered, most appropriate methods for teaching and learning, situation of CPD training centres, and relations between CPD and formal education.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on a network of training centres in 23 countries between 1999 and 2006.

Originality/value

This is the only paper describing TCN‐LIS, and the library/information training activities supported by OSI. It provides a unique perspective for considering library/information CPD issues.
Action learning and action reflection learning: are they different? Part 2
Authors: Rimanoczy Isabel
Published: September 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare action learning and action reflection learning (ARL), exploring the similarities and differences.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a bibliographic search through ProQuest to collect scholarly journal publications on the definition and evolution of action learning; scholarly dissertations on ARL and their bibliographic references applying to this comparison. The origins of both action learning and action reflection learning are explored. Action learning is first compared to ARL, using the taxonomy of Rimanoczy of ARL's principles and elements. Then ARL is compared to the characteristics listed for Action Learning by Smith and O'Neil.

Findings

As a result of this double comparison, a list of commonalities and differences is established. The comparison indicates that while there are action‐learning aspects in some of the ARL based interventions, the eclectic characteristics developed by practitioners convert ARL into a learning architecture that brings together best professional practices described in various theoretical lines.

Originality/value

This paper offers guidelines to designing and implementing learning interventions in a wide scope of contexts.
Building an apprenticeship and training system for maintenance occupations in the American transit industry
Authors: Glover Robert W. , Clopton Lewis , McCollum Malcolm , Wang Xinge
Published: September 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the joint training and apprenticeship system emerging in maintenance occupations in the US transit industry, its challenges and strategies to overcome them.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports on early results, including efforts to develop a consensus national framework for apprenticeship and training in transit maintenance. In the paper, training is an arena that both management and labour have common interests. Collaboration in training can foster partnership and improved labour‐management relationships. Implementing technological innovations and organisational changes in workplace practices are facilitated by training and together with training demonstrate strong positive financial payoffs.

Findings

The paper finds that the training and apprenticeship system discussed is not yet fully implemented.

Research limitations/implications

The paper shows that several industries in America and other countries are facing similar shortages of skilled technicians due to technological and significant demographic changes.

Originality/value

The paper reviews approaches taken to develop a national effort to promote quality and sustainability in the emerging training system for transit maintenance workers.
Apprenticeship in The Netherlands: connecting school‐ and work‐based learning
Authors: Onstenk Jeroen , Blokhuis Franck
Published: September 2007

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to show that The Netherlands offers an interesting case of apprenticeship as part of an elaborated system of vocational education, combining school and workplace learning. For reaching objectives of vocational education with regard to effective problem solving on the job and work process knowledge the quality of workplace learning is essential.

Design/methodology/approach

The research in this paper is explorative. It is based on policy analysis, literature review and meta‐analysis of recent research on workplace learning, done by the authors and some colleagues. New theoretical approaches on workplace learning are used to throw new light on developments in Dutch apprenticeships.

Findings

The paper finds that governments as well as schools and companies are attempting to uphold the quality of learning in apprenticeships. More intensive interaction between workplaces and vocational schools are developed. Still, there are two main issues in dispute: the quality of workplace learning (content, guidance, assessment) and the quality of the connection between workplace and school‐based learning, despite attempts to make VET more practice oriented and to improve connections between school and work.

Practical implications

The paper shows that VET innovation should pay more attention to quality improvement and connectivity of work‐based learning by establishing quality criteria for work‐based learning places, by enriching workplace learning and by designing curricula, which integrate learning places as well as learning experiences.

Originality/value

The value of the paper is delivering new insights on apprenticeships by confronting new theories with the Dutch case.
Intangible assets in plain business language
Authors: Green Annie
Published: September 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present valuation, economic, and corporate management aspects related to the design and implementation of intangible asset valuation in common business language.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology or approach to identifying or naming intangible assets within the business environment was used.

Findings

The purpose of intangible asset valuation is to understand what the intangible asset is and how it affects the bottom line of the business. Understanding the reason for the intangible asset valuation, whether for tax purposes, corporate planning, or dispute resolution, is paramount when considering the nature of the intangible asset to be valued.

Originality/value

Intangible assets are generally not included in active company management. Many companies do not recognize or investigate ways to maximize the income to be derived from intangible assets or other benefits of a centralized intangible asset management program. Fundamental to valuing intangible assets are their identification and subsequent representation. As presented in this paper, the three categories of intelligence identify intangible assets by the business value drivers that comprise them.
The KM phoenix
Authors: Sinclair Niall
Published: September 2007

Purpose

Every so often a new technological wave breaks over the business world. Accompanying such watershed moments, there is invariably a follow‐on, or ripple‐effect, that has implications for the discipline called knowledge management (KM). The latest technology wave is that of Web 2.0, and all the changes it heralds, both to one's social and to one's working life, are already being forecast and discussed in organizations across the world. The purpose of this paper is to address the following questions. Does Web 2.0 hold any major implications for KM, and is there a new KM 2.0 waiting to evolve and accompany Web 2.0 into its brave new technology world?

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents an analysis of why KM has not been applied successfully so far in many business organizations, and how new technology may enable that situation to change.

Findings

The success of many KM initiatives over the last 15 years was predicated on the successful use of a KM‐style technology. However, for most of that time the technology was not a good fit for the way that people involved in KM actually work. Now, a new wave of technology tools is available: tools that are a much better fit for KM practitioners and the organizations in which they work.

Originality/value

The paper highlights that, with the new wave of technology tools available, there is a significant opportunity for KM to evolve and establish itself as a more mainstream business activity.
The process of knowledge retrieval
Authors: Mariano Stefania , Casey Andrea
Published: September 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the individual employee's role in the process of knowledge retrieval in a US high‐technology research, engineering and consulting company, using a constructivist perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study design was used and employed three methods of data collection: interviewing, observation, and document analysis. Using these data gathering methods provided data triangulation and supported the validity of the study. The unit of analysis is individual action. This is an embedded strategy because it involves more than one subunit of analysis. Data are collected across five practices (sections) of one division of this company.

Findings

This study found that people generally followed five steps to retrieve knowledge and that the type of work to accomplish and structure of the team were critical to what knowledge was retrieved and shared. Explicit and tacit knowledge retention structures were identified and revealed that three or fewer individuals were usually involved in the search process of tacit knowledge.

Research limitations/implications

This study does not focus on the process of knowledge storage but only on the process of knowledge access and retrieval. This study only looks at the process of knowledge retrieval during decision‐making or problem‐solving activities. It collects data through individual interviews at the consultant level. It does not focus on other hierarchical levels, e.g. managerial level, which might have given different perspectives or results.

Practical implications

This finding suggests the need to promote a culture to support knowledge sharing through the help of managers. Leaders should thus focus on strengthening the attitudes of employees to share tacit knowledge, making their own knowledge accessible to other coworkers not only through one‐to‐one communication but also through the use of explicit knowledge retention structures such as electronic databases. This will be essential for those organizations where employees' day‐to‐day decisions are not routine decisions and people's expertise represents a decisive source of knowledge to best accomplish a work task. Another implication is that, when an organization wants to preserve its memory, rules and templates should be implemented to teach employees how to convert their own tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge to make it available to the other members. In addition organizations must integrate this activity into work structures, i.e. billing for hours.

Originality/value

This research develops a framework for conceptualizing structures and processes of knowledge retrieval among individuals in organizational contexts. It also identifies and classifies which factors are likely to influence the knowledge retrieval process.
An exploration of knowledge management practices in Colombia
Authors: Baquero Tatiana , Schulte William
Published: September 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to explore the status of knowledge management (KM) practices in private, public and academic sectors in Colombia.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 50 organizations in Colombia, among the private, public and academic sectors. This was done through analysis of field research, including documentation, an online survey, and conversations with local Colombians representing private, public and academic organizations.

Findings

The findings of this study reveal that, although there is a low level of adoption of KM practices in Colombia, there are some interesting cases of organizations that provide exemplars in this field of KM. This demonstrates a growing acceptance of best practices in KM which have been exported and developed in country firms.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size is a limitation and future research should expand the sample of the analysis of KM practices in Colombia and other nations in Latin America.

Practical implications

This study provides a clearer understanding of the status of KM in Colombia and the potential of KM adoption in other Latin American organizations.

Originality/value

Scholars and practitioners from all over the world are working to understand the value of KM in various countries. Yet, despite this, no specific research has been conducted on identifying KM practices in Colombia. The results of this research on Colombia provide a benchmark for both scholars and practitioners of KM.
An analysis of antecedents and consequences of trust in a corporate brand
Authors: Sichtmann Christina
Published: September 2007

Purpose

The paper aims to present a comprehensive framework for understanding consumer trust in a corporate brand, incorporating both the antecedents and consequences of trust. The paper also seeks to account explicitly for the differences in antecedents and consequences of trust found among customers and among non‐customers.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were obtained from 308 face‐to‐face interviews conducted in Germany. Structural equation modelling was used in order to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicate that competence and credibility have a high explanatory power as antecedents of trust. Trust has a considerable impact on supplier selection for existing and new products, as well as on the word‐of‐mouth (WOM) behaviour of consumers. There are strong differences between customers and non‐customers in terms of the antecedents and consequences of trust in a corporate brand.

Research limitations/implications

In order to generalise the findings, the model needs to be tested with other samples and research objects. Marketing research into trust should focus on competence and credibility as important antecedents of trust. The findings propose that trust has positive effects on purchase intention and WOM behaviour. Marketing research should pay more attention to the role of trust in gaining new customers.

Practical implications

Because of the positive influence on marketing success, managers should focus on trust‐building activities that centre on competence and credibility primarily with current customers. However, trust also seems to be a good device to gain customers from competitors.

Originality/value

The contributions of the paper are, firstly, a more complete framework of trust that analyses both antecedents and consequences of trust simultaneously. Secondly, the study allows a direct comparison of the difference in antecedents and consequences of trust between customers on the one hand and non‐customers on the other.
Research on trust: a bibliography and brief bibliometric analysis of the special issue submissions
Authors: Arnott David C.
Published: September 2007

Purpose

The primary purpose of this bibliography is to provide a compilation of trust‐related articles from the disparate fields in which trust has been explored (from psychology to sociology and information systems to marketing. Years in its compilation and (still incomplete), it provides a listing that is not easily obtained even with the search capability of the internet and electronic library catalogues. Its secondary purpose is to highlight which articles are used most by marketing‐related trust researchers both in general and within the submissions to the special issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The bibliography was compiled via search and analysis of databases, reference lists, bibliographies, internet searches, library catalogues, university web pages, researchers'curricula vitae(inter alia) for conference papers, journal articles, and books that use trust as a key concept within the work.

Findings

The paper finds that there is a plethora of material on trust, but spread across several thousand sources. No single comprehensive collection exists and the need for such a compilation is of value to researchers.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is an invaluable source of references on trust from across a wide range of academic disciplines.

Originality/value

The main contribution of the paper is the cross‐disciplinary nature of the compilation of reference materials.
Structuring IT qualifications: lessons from the German case
Authors: Grollmann Philipp , Tutschner Roland , Wittig Wolfgang
Published: September 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to provide research findings on learning and the structuring of qualifications in the IT‐sector in Germany and relate this to the international discussion on the structuring of qualifications for the IT‐industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The article is based on desk research as regards the international discussion. The empirical findings stem from a standardised survey and case studies on learning in the IT sector within Germany and analysis of supplementary studies.

Findings

Two general approaches can be distinguished: one based on coherent occupational profiles and one based on market‐driven smaller unit certificates. The German system can be interpreted as a hybrid. It includes elements of both, thus allowing for a direct comparison of the two approaches. The empirical findings illustrate an acceptance problem. The study also suggests that work process‐oriented learning is not always sufficient to generate the necessary competences required for new tasks, that profiles do not correspond to the more comprehensive profiles in small and medium‐sized enterprises and that they do not match career aspirations of employees.

Research limitations/implications

The research presented here is based only on empirical research in the IT sector in Germany. It is hoped that this can be extended to other contexts in the future.

Practical findings

From the performance of the German case and the empirical findings it can be concluded that the model of comprehensive profiles is more promising in terms of mobility and transfer of qualifications. This is interesting for stakeholders and decision makers.

Originality/value

Empirical evidence on the topic is scarce. This article aims at contributing to filling this gap.
Pluralistic tensions in expatriating managers
Authors: Perkins Stephen J. , Daste Romain
Published: September 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to enhance understanding of influences on interaction between corporate personnel and development specialists and line functions associated with expatriating managers. Line managers are expected to accept greater responsibility for people management and development. But line managers' strategies for managing risks inherent in supervising expatriate managers may cause to surface incompatibilities with specialists' corporate “policy conscience” role. A pluralistically inclined perspective on “managerial interest streams” offers insights into inter‐group perceptions and behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

Focusing on organisational actors' interpretations, a non‐standardised survey by e‐mail, covering a small sample of expatriate managers (n=20) employed in various countries by a large UK‐headquartered healthcare retail group, was complemented by semi‐structured interviews with personnel and development specialists in a further seven large multinational companies.

Findings

Potential tensions around the application of corporate expatriation policy may be attributed to factors “educating” line and specialist orientations to expatriate managers.

Originality/value

The value of the paper is in the development of an original model sketching pluralistically located interaction around expatriation management. While limited to an exploratory empirical investigation, the practical implications derive from specification of opportunities and threats to partnership building between those involved in expatriating managers.
Electromagnetic models for metallic carbon nanotube interconnects
Authors: Gaetano Chiariello Andrea , Miano Giovanni , Maffucci Antonio , Villone Fabio , Zamboni Walter
Published: September 2007

Purpose

To investigate the possible application of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as interconnects and antennas.

Design/methodology/approach

An electromagnetic macroscopic modelling of CNT is derived. The conduction electrons of the nanotube are considered as a 2D fluid moving on the surface representing the positive ion lattice. The linearized Euler's equation describing the fluid motion is used as a macroscopic constitutive relationship to be coupled to Maxwell's equation. A surface integral formulation coupled to the fluid model is solved numerically using a finite element method. For peculiar configurations, transmission line‐like parameters of CNTs are derived.

Findings

Single wall CNT interconnects, due to the high resistance and characteristic impedance with respect to ideally scaled silicon technology, should be used in arrays and bundles.

Research limitations/implications

Only single wall CNTs are considered.

Originality/value

The paper present a novel approach to CNTs and provides a comparison among the behaviour of CNTs with respect to ideally‐scaled silicon technology.
Chemical and heat resistance of silicone‐acrylic‐based binder and paint system on mild steel panels
Authors: Chew K.W. , Arof A.K. , Puteh R.
Published: September 2007

Purpose

This paper sets out to study the characteristics of silicone‐acrylic‐based resin and paint systems on mild steel panel for chemical resistance and high‐temperature applications.

Design/methodology/approach

Silicone resin has been incorporated into acrylic resin at various compositions. The mixed resins binders and paint systems have been characterised using physical test, acceleration test, electrochemical test and microstructure observation.

Findings

The addition of silicone resin into acrylic resin showed significant improvement against high temperature. The results showed that coating film containing at least 30 per cent of silicone resin by weight was able to withstand high temperature of at least 250°C. With the addition of titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigment into the best performing silicone‐acrylic‐based resin system, the system with pigment volume concentration of 30 per cent TiO2 showed the best performance which indicated the value of critical pigment volume concentration. The finding showed blistering formed in low‐PVC systems and rusting in high‐PVC systems.

Research limitations/implications

Owing to the environmental issue, water‐based silicone‐acrylic resins should be explored to reduce the emission of harmful organic solvent. This can be done using solventless or powder coating technique.

Practical implications

Silicone‐acrylic resin coatings are a cost‐effective high‐temperature coating that have moderate resistance against corrosive environment such as marine water and also outdoor exposure with rain/sunshine cycles.

Originality/value

The studies of this resin may give useful reference to other researchers.
Eco‐friendly corrosion inhibitors: inhibitive action of ethanol extracts of Garcinia kola for the corrosion of mild steel in H2SO4 solutions
Authors: Okafor P.C. , Osabor V.I. , Ebenso E.E.
Published: September 2007

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the inhibitive effect of ethanol extracts of Garcinia kola (EXG) for the corrosion of mild steel in H2SO4 solutions. The study is another trial to find a cheap and environmentally safe inhibitor for mild steel corrosion.

Design/methodology/approach

The inhibition efficiency has been evaluated using the hydrogen evolution technique at 30‐60°C. The mechanism of adsorption inhibition and type of adsorption isotherm were proposed based on the trend of inhibition efficiency and kinetic data.

Findings

The results obtained indicate that EXG inhibits the corrosion of mild steel in acidic medium and that the inhibition efficiency increases with an increase in the concentration of ethanol extracts and decreasing temperature. The inhibition efficiency increased on addition of potassium iodide to EXG, indicating synergism. The experimental data obeyed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm as well as the El‐Awady et al. thermodynamic‐kinetic model. The activation energy of inhibition of 6.8508 KJ/mol calculated for the corrosion process suggests that the EXG molecules are physically adsorbed on the metal surface.

Research limitations/implications

Further investigations involving electrochemical studies such as polarization method will provide further enlightenment on the mechanistic aspect of the corrosion inhibition.

Originality/value

This paper provides new information on the possible application of EXG as an environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitor under the specified conditions. This environmentally friendly inhibitor could find possible applications in metal surface anodizing and surface coatings.
Postponement: an evolving supply chain concept
Authors: Boone Christopher A. , Craighead Christopher W. , Hanna Joe B.
Published: September 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess and document the progress of postponement research, identify current gaps, and provide direction for future research efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

Postponement literature published from 1999 to 2006 was reviewed.

Findings

The review revealed a significant increase in the number of postponement research efforts, many of which at least partially addressed past challenges noted in previous research. Several opportunities to continue addressing these past challenges were identified. Future researchers are challenged to validate new postponement concepts and extend postponement research beyond its manufacturing context. Other challenges call for the continued assessment of the relationship between postponement and uncertainty and the investigation into the slow rate of postponement adoption among practitioners.

Research limitations/implications

This effort is not an exhaustive review of all postponement research. This review does not consider unpublished papers, papers in non‐academic journals, or papers presented at conferences.

Practical implications

This review is a useful resource for supply chain researchers interested in supply chain strategies and the evolution of postponement as a supply chain concept.

Originality/value

This paper uses the challenges of past research as a measure of the progress of postponement thought and theory. The gaps identified and challenges made will serve as a foundation upon which future researchers can build.
Modelling contractors' mark‐up behaviour in different construction markets
Authors: Lan Oo Bee , Drew Derek , Lo Hing‐Po
Published: September 2007

Purpose

In order to compete successfully, international contractors need to have an understanding not only of the make‐up of the different competitive environments within each country, but also of contractors' competitive behaviour within those environments. Contractors' mark‐up decision making in public sector contracting is directly compared in two construction markets – Hong Kong and Singapore.

Design/methodology/approach

Regression analysis is used to compare the lowest percentage mark‐up in both markets against four mark‐up decision factors that fall into two groups – market‐environment factors (i.e. number of bidders, market conditions) and project‐specific factors (i.e. type and size of project). Data were gathered using a designed bidding experiment.

Findings

In line with de Neufville et al.'s “good year‐bad year” study, the effect of market conditions was found to be independent of the number of bidders in both markets; contractors' mark‐up decreases as the number of bidders increases, with lower mark‐up in recession. In addition, this study provides evidence that contractors' mark‐up behaviour varies in different markets: Hong Kong contractors' mark‐up behaviour is more straightforward, in that only the market‐environment factors are significant. However, Singapore contractors' mark‐up behaviour is affected by project type in addition to the market‐environment factors. Project size was not found to be significant in either market.

Originality/value

The empirical findings provide a valuable insight into contractors' mark‐up behaviour, especially those contractors intending to bid for jobs in these two internationally renowned construction markets.
Financial and operational performance indicators applied to public and private water and wastewater utilities
Authors: Hassanein Amr A.G. , Khalifa Reham A.
Published: September 2007

Purpose

The paper seeks to assess the performance of 234 public and private water and wastewater utilities from industrialized and developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

A group of financial and operational indicators was calculated for the sample utilities.

Findings

Some indicators calculated for the private sector, represented by US and UK water and wastewater utilities, demonstrated better values compared with public utilities, such as staff number per 1,000 connections and return on equity ratio and tariffs charged. On the other hand, the percentage of unaccounted‐for water and the debt to equity ratio evidenced no advantage in private over public utilities. Further, the performance of water and wastewater utilities of developing countries and Egypt does need improvement.

Originality/value

A key problem in most of water and wastewater utilities is the absence of performance assessment tools. To this end, this research utilized indicators as a means of performance assessment of water/wastewater utilities.
SBU 2.0: a new tool for selecting business opportunities for the multi‐unit organization
Authors: Jonk Gillis J.
Published: September 2007

Purpose

Today, the strictly vertical SBU is increasingly being replaced by SBUs that reach across organizational boundaries to create cross‐unit synergies, promote radical outsourcing, foster the emergence of new businesses out of what had once been functions, and pursue growth through strategic alliances at this same functional level. Both corporate and SBU executives need practical help to select which opportunities to pursue and how to prioritize them.

Design/methodology/approach

The solution proposed here offers simple guidelines for opportunity assessment – a combination of analysis and a recipe – for the leveraged SBU. A.T.Kearney calls this model SBU 2.0.

Findings

The SBU 2.0 model allows the organization to see and evaluate many opportunities, not just the obvious or the trendy ones, and to make the best tradeoffs in deciding what to pursue and what to forego.

Research limitations/implications

An illustrative case study showing best practice is offered.

Practical implications

The evolution of the SBU has been so swift that, at many companies, there's a danger of being overwhelmed by the number of seemingly inviting opportunities for “synergy” or “leverage,” whether in the context of sharing activities, sourcing them, or recombining them. The SBU 2.0 model is designed to improve opportunity assessment.

Originality/value

Introduces the the SBU 2.0 model, which is likely to be of interest to top corporate leadership and SBU management.
Engaging the board of directors on strategy
Authors: Townsend Donley
Published: September 2007

Purpose

Over the last several years, many corporate boards have sought a more substantial role for directors in the strategy‐setting process. The author suggests a proven system for educating board members about company strategy and gaining a more valuable contribution from them.

Design/methodology/approach

The author offers a five‐point process for effectively engaging a board of directors on strategy that he developed working together with corporate leaders.

Findings

When the CEO thinks through this process and engages the directors, the board and the CEO can enter into a dialogue that leads to collaboration and a greater chance of achieving the goals of the organization.

Research limitations/implications

The author has implemented this five‐step process with a number of boards of directors.

Practical implications

A key beginning point is for the CEO to work out, in collaboration with the chairman and other directors, a year‐long agenda of strategy topics for board meetings.

Originality/value

The five‐step process enables the boards, chairmen, CEOs, and top managers to begin to forge an effective process to engage directors on strategy that will grow stronger over time.
The potential for learning in industrial work
Authors: Gustavsson Maria
Published: September 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to discuss the potential for learning that is present for process operators in their work at a paper mill. The term learning potential is used to denote the opportunities operators have for learning in their daily work.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study of the work and learning of process operators in four different shift teams in four different departments at a paper mill, using diaries and interviews, provides the data for identifying potential for learning in the work of process operators.

Findings

Findings show that the work of operators is dominated by an adaptive form of learning, that is becoming better at an already known task, and solving daily work problems. At the same time there is potential for a more development oriented learning, but with a local and ad hoc emphasis in the shift teams. However, the desire and willingness of the operators is important for the utilization of existing learning potential.

Research limitations/implications

In general, limitations of the case study methodology mean that it may not be possible to generalize to other industrial and organizational settings.

Practical implications

The research highlights that there is potential for learning, but the “invisible” learning that is found on the shopfloor in the shift teams must be supported by the company so that it can lead to development of the organization.

Originality/value

The research has indicated that potential for development has a mainly local and ad hoc emphasis, primarily through the contradictions that exists in shift teams. Nothing, however, indicates that this potential might also include development of the organizational level at the paper mill.