bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An analysis of e‐Government research published in Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy (TGPPP )
Authors: Dwivedi Yogesh K. 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the first two years of e‐Government research published in the Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy (TGPPP) from 2007 to 2008.Design/methodology/approachEmploying a profiling approach the analysis of the 41 e‐Government publications includes examining variables such as most productive authors, universities associated with the most publications, geographic diversity, authors' backgrounds, co‐author analysis, and research methods.FindingsThe analytical, descriptive, theoretical and conceptual methods were the most dominant research approaches utilized by TGPPP authors within the last two years. Another fact that emerged is that the largest number of contributions comes from those with an information systems background, followed by business and computer science and IT.Originality/valueThe primary value of this paper lies in extending the understanding of evolution and patterns of e‐Government research. This has been achieved by analyzing and synthesising existing TGPPP publications.
The framework for sustainable eDemocracy development
Authors: Funilkul Suree , Chutimaskul Wichian 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to create the framework for sustainable eDemocracy development which is used as a guideline for building tools for supporting democracy system. To consolidate this framework, the quality model of eDemocracy system is constructed in order to support the efficient and effective eDemocracy.Design/methodology/approachThis work begins with collecting and analyzing the existing approaches of eDemocracy development, especially the governance development standard called COBIT 4.1. Next, the principles of democracy based on United Nations Information Services and the Bureau of International Information Programs: IIP of the US Department of State's are studied. To support such principle, the intrinsic eDemocracy applications are explored. In addition, the quality model of an eDemocracy system is built by integrating the concepts of technology acceptance model (TAM) and the eGovernment web quality assessment model (eGovernment WebQAM).FindingsThe 4 + 1 main constructs of eDemocracy development framework is introduced. They are stakeholder and policy, information and communication technology, development methodology containing process management and project management, environment, and eDemocracy components. Such a framework is claimed to support sustainable development. Furthermore, the five basic eDemocracy applications which support democratic principles are illustrated. They are eInformation, eService, eVoting, eComplaint, and eForum. The quality aspects, i.e. knowledge quality, process quality, communication quality and TAM are embedded to consolidate the authors framework.Research limitations/implicationsMost existing approaches of eDemocracy development emphasize different eDemocracy development aspect depending on their interests and constraints. No approaches support all issues related in the fundamental aspects of eDemocracy development. Therefore, a sustainable framework is then created. Additional key aspect that has been embedded to this work is the eDemocracy qualities introduce in order to achieve citizens' acceptance in eDemocracy development.Originality/valueThis paper presents the framework for sustainable eDemocracy development to support the desirable and workable eDemocracy system. The information system quality and TAM are embedded into the authors framework for building better eDemocracy that meets the citizens' needs and information technology standard.
User exclusion and fragmented requirements capture in publicly‐funded IS projects
Authors: Folkerd Christopher , Spinelli Gabriella 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the causes of and problems resulting from the exclusion of end‐users from the requirements capture phases of information systems (IS) development.Design/methodology/approachThis research conducts an extensive literature review to allow for the creation of a taxonomy of project failure. This taxonomy is then used as the basis for the thematic analysis of a case study into the failure of a large‐scale governmental IS project, utilising, interview, observation and document capture as its primary sources of data.FindingsThe paper illustrates the critical nature of end‐user consultation in the development of IS, defining six key areas of concern when examining the issue of end‐user exclusion.Originality/valueThis paper provides a taxonomy to allow for the identification and mitigation of user exclusion at an early stage in IS development. In addition to this, the case study provides a unique insight into an active project, where most previous studies have been conducted post failure and into the unique political and organisational challenges presented by such an organisation.
Digitising criminal justice in England and Wales: revisiting information‐growth dynamics
Authors: Iannacci Federico 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe main purpose of this research is to analyse the socio‐technical consequences deriving from the digitisation of crown prosecutors' work.Design/methodology/approachThis research is based on an in‐depth, qualitative case study of the use of technologies by crown prosecutors. It relies on observations, focus groups and semi‐structured interviews conducted in London and Humberside over a 15‐month time‐span. The overarching methodological approach interweaves the empirical data with the theory of information growth which postulates that information is a difference that makes a difference.FindingsThe main finding is that the digitisation of prosecutors' work has produced an increasingly‐larger, interlocked domain of digital information by triggering the need for new data standards which, in turn, have created the need for new information‐handling capabilities, thus prompting a ubiquitous infrastructure of self‐propelling differences.Research limitations/implicationsThe information growth dynamics investigated have broader implications in relation to information privacy, security and data ownership that go beyond the scope of this research.Practical implicationsIt is suggested that rather than steering the information‐growth process, public sector managers should attempt to control the premises of such a process by setting out a structured information quality management procedure both for domain‐specific and generic data standards.Originality/valueIt is argued that plans are makeshift accomplishments that are bound to succumb to the overarching process of information growing out of information. Once viewed from this vantage point, cross‐organisational governance structures are no longer the outcome of pre‐defined plans but rather the side effect of a self‐reinforcing process of information growth.
Value systems as a mechanism for organizational change
Authors: Marginson David 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the role played by value systems as mechanisms for organizational change. Three issues are examined: purpose; implementation; and effects, intended and unintended, that may arise from using values systems as a management control mechanism to effect organizational change.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on evidenced garnered from an in‐depth, longitudinal study of a major UK based organization which operates in the “global communications industry”. Data are collected from a range of sources, but particularly interviews and a questionnaire survey involving a broad cross‐section of the company's managers.FindingsFindings suggest that, in terms of purpose, top management may use value systems as a management control mechanism to effect organizational change by espousing a new set of normative values which should inform managers' decisions and actions, particularly in trade‐off situations. Communication and implementation of value systems may involve a multitude of formal and informal information‐based mechanisms and procedures, including mission statements, newsletters, email, “strategy days”, “roadshows” and similar social events. Implementation may rely on change agents creating a drive for change. However, the results of a questionnaire survey suggest that value systems may be only partly successful in securing their intended purpose of mobilising attitudes around a particular set of normative values. Various unintended effects may arise which, in the present case, include increasing project redundancy, decreasing project scrutiny, a re‐distribution of social esteem within the firm, polarisation of attitudes towards budgetary control, and a general reduction in the exercise of hierarchical management control. Overall, it argued that the use of value systems as a mechanism of organizational change may be as problematic to the firm as it is beneficial.Practical implicationsThe results of the present study may help firms devise more appropriate value systems for “maintaining or altering patterns of organizational behaviour”.Originality/valueThe present study contributes further insight is through evidence which suggests value systems may be used to communicate a set of quite specific values; and adds to a knowledge of the range of procedures which may be involved in using value systems to effect organizational change.
Ten years after the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS): assessing drug problems, policies and reform proposals
Authors: Reuter Peter 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTIn 1998 the United Nations General Assembly Special Session resolved that governments would reduce drug production and consumption greatly within 10 years. With that period now elapsed, there is an interest in reviewing how successful this was and considering how drug policy could be improved. The demand for drugs in the world has stabilized mainly as a result of the interaction of epidemic forces, culture and economic development. Supply has become more concentrated and the menu of drugs has changed surprisingly slowly. Drug policy is shifting to a more explicitly tolerant configuration in Europe and a few other countries, but retains its ferocity in most of the world. The most prominent innovations under discussion have limited potential effects (heroin maintenance), have as yet been unproductive of policy interventions (‘addiction is a brain disease’) or have no political appeal (legalization). The option with the most scope is increased effort at diverting arrested drug users out of criminal justice systems. No prevention, treatment or enforcement strategies have demonstrated an ability to substantially affect the extent of drug use and addiction. The best that government interventions can do is to reduce the damaging consequences of drug use and drug control. More attention should be given to reductions in the intensity of drug enforcement, which has many unintended adverse consequences and yields few of the claimed gains.
Phylogeography of the livebearer Xenophallus umbratilis (Teleostei: Poeciliidae): glacial cycles and sea level change predict diversification of a freshwater tropical fish
Authors: JONES CARISSA P. , JOHNSON JERALD B. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe biogeography of Central America is viewed as a classic case study in understanding the impact of vicariant events on patterns of biotic dispersal. While many biogeographers have focused on community composition and geographical limits of species at broad scales across Central America, much less work has focused on post‐colonization diversification patterns at finer scales. The livebearing freshwater fish Xenophallus umbratilis presents an ideal system for determining the impact of recent Earth history events on biodiversity in northern Costa Rica. Here, we test the hypotheses that marine inundation of the San Carlos and northern Limón basins during the Pliocene and Pleistocene has caused genetic fragmentation among X. umbratilis populations, despite contemporary freshwater connections. To test this idea, we collected mitochondrial (cytochrome b) sequence data in 162 individuals taken from 27 localities across northern Costa Rica. We employed a variety of analytical approaches, including: maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood, analysis of molecular variance, and demographic analysis of population size through time. We found four major clades within X. umbratilis, each geographically isolated with no shared haplotypes across drainages. Oddly, clades that occupy adjacent drainages are not always sister taxa in the phylogeny, suggesting that colonization in this species is more complex than a simple model of isolation by distance. All our results are consistent with the hypothesis that changes in sea level associated with glacial eustatic cycles have had an important effect in shaping diversification patterns in this species.
Signal signature of aboveground‐induced resistance upon belowground herbivory in maize
Authors: Erb Matthias , Flors Victor , Karlen Danielle , De Lange Elvira , Planchamp Chantal , D’Alessandro Marco , Turlings Ted C. J. , Ton Jurriaan 
Published: March 2009

SummaryPlants activate local and systemic defence mechanisms upon exposure to stress. This innate immune response is partially regulated by plant hormones, and involves the accumulation of defensive metabolites. Although local defence reactions to herbivores are well studied, less is known about the impact of root herbivory on shoot defence. Here, we examined the effects of belowground infestation by the western corn rootworm Diabrotica virgifera virgifera on aboveground resistance in maize. Belowground herbivory by D. v. virgifera induced aboveground resistance against the generalist herbivore Spodoptera littoralis, and the necrotrophic pathogen Setosphaeria turcica. Furthermore, D. v. virgifera increased shoot levels of 2,4‐dihydroxy‐7‐methoxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin‐3‐one (DIMBOA), and primed the induction of chlorogenic acid upon subsequent infestation by S. littoralis. To gain insight into the signalling network behind this below‐ and aboveground defence interaction, we compiled a set of 32 defence‐related genes, which can be used as transcriptional marker systems to detect activities of different hormone‐response pathways. Belowground attack by D. v. virgifera triggered an ABA‐inducible transcription pattern in the shoot. The quantification of defence hormones showed a local increase in the production of oxylipins after root and shoot infestation by D. v. virgifera and S. littoralis, respectively. On the other hand, ABA accumulated locally and systemically upon belowground attack by D. v. virgifera. Furthermore, D. v. virgifera reduced the aboveground water content, whereas the removal of similar quantities of root biomass had no effect. Our study shows that root herbivory by D. v. virgifera specifically alters the aboveground defence status of a maize, and suggests that ABA plays a role in the signalling network mediating this interaction.
Decision‐Making in Przewalski Horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) is Driven by the Ecological Contexts of Collective Movements
Authors: Bourjade Marie , Thierry Bernard , Maumy Myriam , Petit Odile 
Published: March 2009

AbstractWe addressed decision‐making processes in the collective movements of two groups of Przewalski horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) living in a semi free‐ranging population. We investigated whether different patterns of group movement are related to certain ecological contexts (habitat use and group activity) and analysed the possible decision‐making processes involved. We found two distinct patterns; ‘single‐bout’ and ‘multiple‐bout’ movements occurred in both study groups. The movements were defined by the occurrence of collective stops between bouts and differed by their duration, distance covered and ecological context. For both movements, we found that a preliminary period involving several horses occurred before departure. In single‐bout movements, all group members rapidly joined the first moving horse, independently of the preliminary period. In multiple‐bout movements, however, the joining process was longer; in particular when the number of decision‐makers and their pre‐departure behaviour before departure increased. Multiple‐bout movements were more often used by horses to switch habitats and activities. This observation demonstrates that the horses need more time to resolve motivational conflicts before these departures. We conclude that decision‐making in Przewalski horses is based on a shared consensus process driven by ecological determinants.
Emergence and Consequences of Division of Labor in Associations of Normally Solitary Sweat Bees
Authors: Tate Holbrook C. , Clark Rebecca M. , Jeanson Raphaël , Bertram Susan M. , Kukuk Penelope F. , Fewell Jennifer H. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractDivision of labor is a pervasive feature of animal societies, but little is known about the causes or consequences of division of labor in non‐eusocial cooperative groups. We tested whether division of labor self‐organizes in an incipient social system: artificially induced nesting associations of the normally solitary sweat bee Lasioglossum (Ctenonomia) NDA‐1 (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). We quantified task performance and construction output by females nesting either alone or with a conspecific. Within pairs, a division of labor repeatedly arose in which one individual specialized on excavation and pushing/tamping while her nestmate guarded the nest entrance. Task specialization could not be attributed to variation in overall activity, and the degree of behavioral differentiation was greater than would be expected due to random variation, indicating that division of labor was an emergent phenomenon generated in part by social dynamics. Excavation specialists did not incur a survival cost, in contrast to previous findings for ant foundress associations. Paired individuals performed more per capita guarding, and pairs collectively excavated deeper nests than single bees – potential early advantages of social nesting in halictine bees.
The Interaction of Female Condition and Mating Status on Male‐Male Aggression in a Wolf Spider
Authors: Hoefler Chad D. , Guhanarayan Gayatri , Persons Matthew H. , Rypstra Ann L. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractFighting behavior has been studied extensively with strong emphases on factors that independently determine winners and losers as well as how much effort an individual should invest in a given contest for a resource. Much less attention has been paid to how interacting qualities of disputed resources modulate aggression. In a laboratory study, we examined the interactive effects of female condition and mating status on dyadic male aggression in the wolf spider Pardosa milvina. We discovered that males exhibited significantly more aggressive behaviors when in the presence of virgin females in good condition and displayed lower and statistically similar levels of aggression when placed with virgin, poor condition females; mated, good condition females; mated, poor condition females; and no females. Because previous studies have suggested that virgin females alone should be highly prized because of putative first‐mate sperm priority patterns, this study contributes to this body of literature by suggesting that diet history and body condition mitigate the reproductive advantages of mating with virgin females as indicated by levels of male‐male aggression, but further investigation is needed.
Validation of the hospital outcome prediction equation (HOPE) model for monitoring clinical performance
Authors: Duke G. J. , Graco M. , Santamaria J. , Shann F. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractBackground: The aim of this study was to validate a risk‐adjusted hospital outcome prediction equation (HOPE) using a statewide administrative dataset.Methods: Retrospective observational study using multivariate logistic regression modelling. Calibration and discrimination were assessed by standardized mortality ratio (SMR), area under the receiver operating characteristic plot (ROC AUC), Hosmer–Lemeshow contingency tables and goodness‐of‐fit statistic in an independent dataset, and in all 23 important tertiary, metropolitan and regional hospitals. The dependent variable was in‐hospital death. All consecutive adult hospital separations between 1 July 2004 and 30 June 2006, excluding obstetric and day‐case only admissions, from all acute health services within the State of Victoria, Australia were included.Results: A total of 379 676 consecutive records (1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005) was used to derive the HOPE model. Six variables (age, male sex, admission diagnosis, emergency admission, aged‐care resident and inter‐hospital transfer) were selected for inclusion in the final model. It was validated in the 384 489 consecutive records from the following year (1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006). The 95% confidence interval for the SMR was 0.98–1.02, and for the ROC AUC, 0.87–0.88. Discrimination and (one or more) calibration criteria were achieved in 22 (96%) of the 23 hospitals.Conclusion: The HOPE model is a simple risk‐adjusted outcome prediction tool, based on six variables from data that are routinely collected for administrative purposes and appears to be a reliable predictor of hospital outcome.
Communication skills of healthcare professionals in paediatric diabetes services
Authors: Hambly H. , Robling M. , Crowne E. , Hood K. , Gregory J. W. ,   for the DEPICTED Study Team
Published: March 2009

AbstractAims  To identify training needs in communication skills and to assess training preferences of staff working in paediatric diabetes services, which will inform the development of a learning programme in behaviour change counselling for healthcare professionals.Methods  Three hundred and eighty‐five staff in 67 UK paediatric diabetes services were sent questionnaires to determine their previous communication skills training, to measure their self‐reported view of the importance of and confidence in addressing common clinical problems and to assess the perceived feasibility of training methods to improve skilfulness.Results  Two hundred and sixty‐six questionnaires (69%) were returned from 65 services. Sixteen per cent of doctors, nurses and dietitians reported no previous training in communication skills and 47% had received no training since graduating. Respondents rated psychosocial issues as more important to address than medical issues within consultations (t = 8.93, P < 0.001), but felt less confident addressing such issues (t = 15.85, P < 0.001). One‐day workshops and monthly team meetings were the most popular of the training options considered (65% and 77%, respectively). CD ROM and web‐based learning were considered feasible for 54% and 56% of respondents, respectively, although lack of time (55%) and privacy (34%) were potential barriers.Conclusions  Addressing psychosocial issues is an important component of consultations involving young people with diabetes, but healthcare professionals find it easier to address medical issues. This represents a key training need in communication skills for diabetes professionals. The survey will inform the development of a tailored learning programme for health professionals in UK paediatric diabetes clinics.