bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The intersectional invisibility of race and disability status: an exploratory study of health and discrimination facing Asian Americans with disabilities
Authors: Mereish Ethan H. 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThere is a dearth in the literature on Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) with disabilities. Utilizing an intersectionality lens, the present exploratory study seeks to compare AAPIs with a reported learning, emotional, or physical disability to AAPIs without a reported disability on their experiences of discrimination, psychological and physical health, as well as their overall physical and mental health ratings.Design/methodology/approachThe Asian American sample (n=2,095) of The National Latino and Asian American Study dataset was used to conduct the analyses for the present study. Participants with disabilities self‐reported the following disabilities: learning (n=46); emotional/mental (n=56); physical (n=71); and having a condition that substantially limits physical activity (n=157).FindingsDespite some minor nuances, the overall results indicate that AAPIs with a learning, emotional, or physical disability reported more experiences of everyday discrimination, greater psychological and physical distress, and poorer physical and mental health ratings than AAPIs without a reported disability.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations to this study included assessment of disability through self‐report dichotomous measures, aggregation of AAPI ethnic groups, and some small effect sizes.Practical implicationsThe results have several implications for research as well as clinical care and practice. These are highlighted in more detail in the discussion section.Originality/valueThese findings are novel as they are the first to demonstrate the discrimination and health experiences of AAPIs with disabilities. The results underscore the interlocking oppressions associated with their intersectional identities.
Fatigue damage in GFRP
Authors: Colombo C. , Libonati F. , Vergani L. 
Published: November 2012

PurposeComposite materials are increasingly used in the structural and mechanical fields, thanks to their high strength‐to‐weight ratios and the possibility of tailoring them to meet specific requirements. This study is focused on the damage to a glass fiber reinforced composite under different loading conditions. The aim is to find, by coupling mechanical tests with thermal analyses, a damage parameter, able to define the damage initiation in the studied material.Design/methodology/approachThe object of this work is a glass‐fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) laminate. To study the damage of this material under different loading conditions, static, dynamic and fatigue tests were carried out. During these tests, the surface temperature of the specimens was monitored by means of an IR‐camera. In the dynamic tests, a D‐mode (dissipation mode) analysis was also performed allowing the dissipated energy to be determined.FindingsIn the literature, thermography is an experimental technique which has always been applied to the study of homogeneous materials. Results obtained from the proposed experimental tests on this GFRP composite show how this practice can be applied also to this kinds of materials, to identify their damage initiation. From these observations, the results can be used to definite a stress corresponding to the damage initiation, which can be related to the fatigue behavior, and useful in design stage with these materials.Originality/valueThis paper provides for a useful tool to understand and predict fatigue behavior of a GFRP composite, from thermographic observations. Applications of thermography to the study of composite materials is an innovative research field, and the presented results seems satisfactory and promising for further experimental investigations.
Behavioural finance: the role of psychological factors in financial decisions
Authors: Muradoglu Gulnur , Harvey Nigel 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue of Review of Behavioural Finance entitled “Behavioural finance: the role of psychological factors in financial decisions”.Design/methodology/approachThe authors present a brief outline of the origins of behavioural economics; discuss the role that experimental and survey methods play in the study of financial behaviour; summarise the contributions made by the papers in the issue and consider their implications; and assess why research in behavioural finance is important for finance researchers and practitioners.FindingsThe primary input to behavioural finance has been from experimental psychology. Methods developed within sociology such as surveys, interviews, participant observation, focus groups have not had the same degree of influence. Typically, these methods are even more expensive than experimental ones and so costs of using them may be one reason for their lack of impact. However, it is also possible that the training of finance academics leads them to prefer methodologies that permit greater control and a clearer causal interpretation.Originality/valueThe paper shows that interdisciplinary research is becoming more widespread and it is likely that greater collaboration between finance and sociology will develop in the future.
Environmental sustainability – aspects and criteria in forest biorefineries
Authors: Näyhä Annukka , Horn Susanna 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine what the most significant aspects of environmental sustainability in the forest biorefinery sector are and what kind of criteria should be applied to an evaluation of environmental sustainability in the forest biorefinery context.Design/methodology/approachThe topic is approached by themed interviews in Scandinavia and North America with 23 representatives from the forest and bioproducts sectors. The interviews were examined using the thematic analysis method.FindingsThe study indicates that environmental sustainability may be an important driver for the forest biorefinery business. From the perspective of environmental sustainability, harvesting feedstock will be the most challenging part of the value chain to manage. Raw material availability and its sustainability, life‐cycle perspective and beneficial products were the most important criteria in the environmental sustainability assessment of forest biorefinery value chain companies.Practical implicationsA sector‐specific guideline was formulated for the most important criteria to be included in an environmental sustainability assessment of forest biorefinery value chain companies. The criteria comprise the first step of a more elaborate evaluation framework, which can provide more accurate information about the sustainability performance of biorefinery value chain companies. The criteria can encourage companies to analyze environmental sustainability challenges holistically, increase a company's transparency for its stakeholders and offer information to investors about the environmental status of the company.Originality/valueThe novelty of the study lies in the sector‐specific, holistic environmental sustainability evaluation in the emerging forest biorefineries.
Implications of biomass production and accountability for “water grabbing”
Authors: Tingey‐Holyoak Joanne , Pisaniello John D. 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to provide a view on the implications of large‐scale increases in demand for biomass production on water storage behaviours. In climates of high variability in rainfall, the pressures on farmers to build up on‐farm surface water supplies to the detriment of communities and businesses downstream is already present. Therefore, the added water storage pressures that arise from future demands for biomass need to be investigated.Design/methodology/approachThis viewpoint presents a review of the issues surrounding the forecast for demand for agriculturally produced biomass and the increased demands on surface water storage created. The paper then presents the problem of unfair and unsafe water storage in agriculture through a review of the surrounding literature and policy in place in Australia.FindingsThe paper finds that if predicted skyrocketing future demand for biomass production for energy eventuates, then surface water on‐farm storages would be placed at increased risk as farmers experience pressure to store more water than they are entitled to. Increased demands from biomass production could mean that surrounding communities suffer increased threat from unfair water sharing in times of drought, and unsafe water storage in times of flood.Practical implicationsPolicy should be developed rapidly to address the current unsustainable water storage management practices of farmers and sustainable biomass production. Water management behaviour certification should be introduced immediately to counter the risk of over storage in light of the demands of the future.Originality/valueThe paper provides an overview of the issues surrounding unfair and unsafe on farm water storage in dams in climate extremes placed in the context of a new and emerging demand on farmers to produce in an unsustainable manner.
Political connections, bank loans and firm value
Authors: Yang Jinyu , Lian Jun , Liu Xing 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the impact of political connections and institutional environment differences on private enterprises' acquiring bank loans, and to analyze the governance effect of bank debts and its impact on firm value.Design/methodology/approachChoosing private listed enterprises in China as samples, this study builds equation models and uses the three‐stage least squares estimation method to estimate these models.FindingsThe results show that: political connections influence lending policies of banks; the politically connected private enterprises could acquire more loans from banks. In poorer institutional environment, political connections can help private enterprises to acquire more bank loans; building political connections is an informal substitute mechanism for private enterprises to overcome the drawbacks of market institutions. The bank loans have governance effects on politically connected private enterprises and can increase firm value; the allocation of bank loans through political connections is efficient.Originality/valueThis study provides a meaningful perspective for understanding the impact of political connections on firm value and allocation of social resources.
Developing the leave/abscond risk assessment (LARA) from the absconding literature: an aide to risk management in secure services
Authors: Hearn Dave , Ndegwa David , Norman Philip , Hammond Natalie , Chaplin Eddie 
Published: November 2012

PurposeLeave is an important part of life for both patients and clinicians in secure mental health and learning disability settings. Patients breaching leave conditions (i.e. absconding or failing to return) represent a small percentage of leave episodes; however when incidents occur there can be far reaching negative outcomes for potential victims, the patient and the service. The purpose of this paper is to devise a risk assessment specifically for leave decision making based on the literature available.Design/methodology/approachUsing the approach followed in the violence risk assessment field, a literature review was carried out of papers relating to absconding. The results were used to develop the leave/abscond risk assessment (LARA).FindingsThere are a number of problems with the available literature: there is a dearth of research, definitions for absconding are varied (often including escape) making comparisons difficult and much of the literature focuses on psychiatric acute wards making it difficult to translate into secure environments. Characteristics of absconders vary and are not idiosyncratic enough from which to develop a risk assessment. Socio‐environmental factors are perhaps more important and so the LARA was devised around assessment of these.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of this paper are clear: a risk assessment tool is proposed that has not been evaluated or validated in any way. The authors feel that the process warrants publication and invite readers to use the tool for clinical and/or research purposes.Originality/valueThe LARA is proposed as a specific leave‐decision‐making risk assessment tool for teams working in secure environments.
Eco‐labels and willingness‐to‐pay: a Hong Kong study
Authors: Yau Yung 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate whether consumers in Hong Kong's private housing market are willing to pay more for new apartment units with an eco‐label.Design/methodology/approachGreen or sustainable housing has recently become a new orthodoxy in the field of architecture. Governments commonly use legislation or subsidies to promote green housing. However, eco‐friendly housing provision can become autonomous without any state intervention if the consumers are willing to pay more for housing of better environmental performance. In this light, this study explores Hong Kong resident's willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) for eco‐labelled housing based on the findings of a face‐to‐face questionnaire survey. Besides, the determinants of the WTP are identified using logistic regression modelling.FindingsLess than half of the 231 respondents were willing to pay more for a new eco‐labelled apartment unit. The number of “willing” respondents dropped significantly with the label grade which signified the level of environmental performance of a property. Moreover, the decision about WTP was contingent mainly on the respondents’ household income and environmental attitude.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this study can offer valuable insights for the house‐building industry and policy makers into how to promote a more sustainable built environment in Hong Kong.Originality/valueNearly all previous research on green building consumerism focussed on commercial buildings and houses. As a preliminary study, this research extends the body of knowledge by exploring the WTP for eco‐labelled apartments.
A micro‐level indexing model for assessing urban ecosystem sustainability
Authors: Dizdaroglu Didem , Yigitcanlar Tan , Dawes Les 
Published: November 2012

PurposeAs a consequence of rapid urbanisation and globalisation, cities have become the engines of population and economic growth. Hence, natural resources in and around the cities have been exposed to externalities of urban development processes. This paper introduces a new sustainability assessment approach that is tested in a pilot study. The paper aims to assist policy‐makers and planners investigating the impacts of development on environmental systems, and produce effective policies for sustainable urban development.Design/methodology/approachThe paper introduces an indicator‐based indexing model entitled “Indexing Model for the Assessment of Sustainable Urban Ecosystems” (ASSURE). The ASSURE indexing model produces a set of micro‐level environmental sustainability indices that is aimed to be used in the evaluation and monitoring of the interaction between human activities and urban ecosystems. The model is an innovative approach designed to assess the resilience of ecosystems towards impacts of current development plans and the results serve as a guide for policy‐makers to take actions towards achieving sustainability.FindingsThe indexing model has been tested in a pilot case study within the Gold Coast City, Queensland, Australia. This paper presents the methodology of the model and outlines the preliminary findings of the pilot study. The paper concludes with a discussion on the findings and recommendations put forward for future development and implementation of the model.Originality/valuePresently, there is a few sustainability indices developed to measure the sustainability at local, regional, national and international levels. However, due to challenges in data collection difficulties and availability of local data, there is no effective assessment model at the micro‐level that the assessment of urban ecosystem sustainability accurately. The model introduced in this paper fills this gap by focusing on parcel‐scale and benchmarking the environmental performance in micro‐level.
Learner autonomy coaching: enhancing learning and academic success
Authors: Foen Ng Siew , Confessore Gary J. , Abdullah Moniza 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to assess the effect on Learner Autonomy Profile (LAP) scores and academic success of a five‐week coaching intervention for pre‐diploma university students in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachA quasi‐experimental designed was used. Participants completed the LAP pre‐ and post‐intervention. The experimental group of 35 participated in five weekly learner autonomy coaching sessions and wrote in computer‐managed reflection logs between meetings. A 52‐member control group received no intervention. Null hypotheses expected no significant differences in post‐ over pre‐intervention LAP scores or in GPA, Math, or English grades for either group.FindingsTwo null hypotheses were not supported and one was. Significant increases in mean post‐ over pre‐intervention LAP scores of the experimental group were found in eight of 22 components and two of four constructs of the LAP. No significant differences were found in the mean post‐ over pre‐intervention LAP scores of the control group. Significant increases were found in post‐ over pre‐intervention grades of both groups. However, the experimental group achieved a greater positive difference in grades than did the experimental group.Research limitations/implicationsThere was no hypothesis related to the use of group coaching versus the traditional individual coaching model in this study.Practical implicationsLearner autonomy group coaching and reflection activities appear to enhance behavioral intentions to learn and academic success.Social implicationsEnhanced behavioral intentions to learn and academic success benefits the learner and society.Originality/valueThis is the first study designed to test the capacity to influence learner autonomy expressed in terms of behavioral intentions through coaching and its relationship to academic success.
The potential of bacteria isolated from ruminal contents of seaweed‐eating North Ronaldsay sheep to hydrolyse seaweed components and produce methane by anaerobic digestion in vitro
Authors: Williams Allan G. , Withers Susan , Sutherland Alastair D. 
Published: November 2012

SummaryThe production of methane biofuel from seaweeds is limited by the hydrolysis of polysaccharides. The rumen microbiota of seaweed‐eating North Ronaldsay sheep was studied for polysaccharidic bacterial isolates degrading brown‐seaweed polysaccharides. Only nine isolates out of 65 utilized > 90% of the polysaccharide they were isolated on. The nine isolates (eight Prevotella spp. and one Clostridium butyricum) utilized whole Laminaria hyperborea extract and a range of seaweed polysaccharides, including alginate (seven out of nine isolates), laminarin and carboxymethylcellulose (eight out of nine isolates); while two out of nine isolates additionally hydrolysed fucoidan to some extent. Crude enzyme extracts from three of the isolates studied further had diverse glycosidases and polysaccharidase activities; particularly against laminarin and alginate (two isolates were shown to have alginate lyase activity) and notably fucoidan and carageenan (one isolate). In serial culture rumen microbiota hydrolysed a range of seaweed polysaccharides (fucoidan to a notably lesser degree) and homogenates of L. hyperborea, mixed Fucus spp. and Ascophyllum nodosum to produce methane and acetate. The rumen microbiota and isolates represent potential adjunct organisms or enzymes which may improve hydrolysis of seaweed components and thus improve the efficiency of seaweed anaerobic digestion for methane biofuel production.
Limited feeding on bacteria by two intertidal benthic copepod species as revealed by trophic biomarkers
Authors: Cnudde Clio , Moens Tom , Hoste Bart , Willems Anne , De Troch Marleen 
Published: November 2012

SummaryHarpacticoids can discriminate between biofilms of different bacterial strains. We investigated whether assimilation of bacteria is selective and whether harpacticoids select for the most nutritional bacteria. We specifically focused on the role of bacterial characteristics in copepod food selection. Trophic biomarkers (stable isotopes, fatty acids) were used to test selective assimilation of three bacteria by the harpacticoids Platychelipus littoralis and Delavalia palustris, all isolated from a salt marsh. The bacteria Gramella sp., Jannaschia sp. and Photobacterium sp. with contrasting ribosomal protein and fatty acid contents were 13C‐labelled and offered in a food patch choice experiment with monospecific and combination treatments (single and two strains per microcosm respectively). Low assimilation of bacterial carbon and lack of significant fatty acid transfer proved that bacteria were a poor food source for the harpacticoids. Assimilation was copepod species‐specific and bacteria strain‐specific (preference for Photobacterium). However, only a low degree of selective feeding occurred; it can partly be explained by bacterial extracellular metabolites rather than by biochemical content and densities. Finally, the energetic cost of differential bacterivory resulted in a negative fatty acid balance for Platychelipus, while Delavalia showed an improved fatty acid profile and thus a positive response to the low‐quality bacterial food.
A historical overview of the appearance and spread of Musa pests and pathogens on the African continent: highlighting the importance of clean Musa planting materials and quarantine measures
Authors: Blomme G. , Ploetz R. , Jones D. , De Langhe E. , Price N. , Gold C. , Geering A. , Viljoen A. , Karamura D. , Pillay M. , Tinzaara W. , Teycheney P.‐Y. , Lepoint P. , Karamura E. , Buddenhagen I. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThe genus Musa is not native to Africa. It evolved in tropical Asia, from southwest India eastward to the island of New Guinea. There is a growing circumstantial evidence which suggests that the East African Highland banana and the tropical lowland plantain were cultivated on the African continent since before 1 AD. It is also probable that ABB cooking and AB and AAB dessert cultivars were brought to the continent from India by Arabian traders from 600 AD, and that these were disseminated throughout East Africa. During the colonial era, the main centres of distribution for banana cultivars were botanical gardens, such as Zomba in Malawi, Entebbe in Uganda and Amani in Tanzania. It appears that the very early introductions of Highland banana and plantain arrived in Africa as a relatively clean material without the conspicuous pests and diseases that affect them in Asia. In contrast, several devastating problems now impact the crop in Africa, including nematodes, the borer weevil and diseases, most notably banana bunchy top, banana streak, Sigatoka leaf spots, Xanthomonas wilt and Fusarium wilt. We (a) provide chronological overviews of the first reports/observations of different Musa pests and pathogens/diseases in Africa, (b) highlight specific examples of when a pest or pathogen/disease was introduced via planting materials and (c) give recent examples of how the pests and pathogens spread to new regions via planting materials. In total, these production constraints threaten banana and plantain production throughout the continent and impact those who can ill afford lost production, the small‐holder producer. Our intent in this review is to highlight the significance of these problems and the great importance that infested planting materials have played in their development.