bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
BP neural network predictive model for stray current density of a buried metallic pipeline
Authors: Lin Cao A. , Jun Zhu Qing , Tao Zhang Sheng , Rong Hou Bao 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze and estimate the stray current corrosion hazard of a buried metallic pipeline using a predictive model for stray current density.Design/methodology/approachA predictive model for stray current density of the buried metallic pipeline was built, using a back propagation (BP) neural network method and experimental data. The accuracy of the model was tested using test samples. The single sensitivity analysis predictive method was used to establish the relationship between stray current density with the soil resistivity. The effects of buried depth and the pipe‐to‐ground voltage offset were researched using this network model.FindingsThe feasibility of the BP neural network to forecast stray current effects from the buried metallic pipeline was confirmed.Originality/valueThe paper provides a new method to analyze and estimate the stray current corrosion hazard of buried metallic pipelines.
The applicability of EIS to determine the optimal polarization potential for impressed current cathodic protection
Authors: Junxi Zhang , Jinliang Lu , Licheng Yan , Yu Feng , Lingsong Zhang , Yu Zhang 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the application of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as a tool for determining the optimum protection potential (OPP) of brass in impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) for a given environment.Design/methodology/approachThe electrochemical measurements (EIS, polarization curves) were applied to study the electrode processes of brass in fresh water at different pH values.FindingsThe paper finds that the depolarizer in the electrode process of brass corrosion is different in solutions with different pH values, and has different key steps in the electrode processes. Hence, EIS is a better tool for the determination of the optimum polarization potential for brass in fresh water when the depolarizer of the cathodic half‐cell reaction in corrosion reaction is the dissolved oxygen. However, when the depolarizer in solution is changed, and especially if the reduction reaction of depolarization is not controlled by the mass transport, the EIS method may be not suitable to determine the OPP.Originality/valueThere have been few reports on the effect of pH on the applicability of EIS as a tool for determining the OPP. In this paper, it is clearly shown that the EIS method be suitable only to determine the OPP when the critical step in the electrochemical process is diffusion of the depolarizer. This research can offer theoretical guidelines for the application of EIS to determine the OPP in ICCP.
Stakeholder and consumer views regarding novel hypoallergenic foods
Authors: van Putten Margreet , Frewer Lynn , Gilissen Luud , Bart Gremmen , Peijnenburg Aad , Wichers Harry 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe development and introduction of novel hypoallergenic foods represents a potential approach to reducing the negative health impacts of food allergy. The purpose of this paper is to assess whether novel hypoallergenic foods will be accepted by food chain actors and consumers.Design/methodology/approachStakeholder opinions (collated using semi‐structured interviews (n=16)) regarding the acceptability of novel hypoallergenic foods were assessed. Three focus groups were applied to understand the opinions of food allergic consumers.FindingsFood allergic consumers expressed a preference for a “cure” for food allergy. However, they acknowledged that hypoallergenic foods had the potential to improve the quality of lives of food allergy sufferers through increasing dietary variation and reducing restrictions on product selection. Stakeholders supported the introduction of novel foods (although this support was not universal), assuming that the products were acceptable to food allergic consumers, consumers in general and regulators.Originality/valueThe paper is likely to be useful for the potential developers of hypoallergenic foods, allergen food products (food industry and scientists) and policy makers regarding the commercialisation of novel hypoallergenic foods and their regulation.
A scientometric model for the assessment of strength and weakness of scientific disciplines
Authors: Reza Davarpanah Mohammad 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to construct a model for measuring the strength and weakness of individual disciplines.Design/methodology/approachThe model is developed based on the balanced approach. The model is tested on Iranian and Malaysian social sciences publications between 1991‐2008 as a case study.FindingsThe result indicates that the differences in rankings for measures of publication output, citation distribution, and mean observed citation rate are large, which justifies the use of the scientific power index which is introduced in this paper.Originality/valueScientific power index proposes an objective mode of measuring performance at an aggregate level that will allow a comparison of individual fields within different disciplinary areas like technological sciences, medicine, natural science, social sciences, and humanities at national or global levels. The disciplinary characterization of national research efforts identifies the mainstream and dominant scientific fields, thus the developed index can be important tool for science policy.
Piloting a dedicated information literacy programme for nursing students at Waterford Institute of Technology libraries
Authors: Hegarty Nora , Carbery Alan 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the pilot information literacy programme for undergraduate nursing students as recently developed at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) libraries. The paper outlines the background to the programme, discusses its design and delivery and summarises participating students' initial response to it.Design/methodology/approachThis paper takes a broadly practical, case study approach in terms of recounting experiences of designing and delivering a dedicated information literacy programme for undergraduate nursing students at WIT.FindingsAlthough the project is still at an early or pilot stage, the feedback from the undergraduate students who attended training is very positive. The fact that the programme was so well received in its first year of operation is encouraging and inspiring, going forward.Practical implicationsThe paper should be of interest to anyone involved in developing information literacy programmes or in the supply of information to nursing students.Originality/valueThis paper is likely to be of practical interest to academic librarians, who are looking for a fresh approach to information literacy training for undergraduate nursing students at third level institutions of similar scale and size to WIT.
Privacy in libraries: the perspective from India
Authors: Tripathi Sneha , Tripathi Aditya 
Published: September 2010

PurposeEthics is an inherent concept for any profession. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the ethical perspective of librarianship. The focus of the discussion is to identify whether it is ethics or law which should supercede in changing the legal and social environment, with special reference to India.Design/methodology/approachThe state of a right to privacy in India is elaborated. The discussion is focused around library ethics and user privacy, which is a much less talked about matter in Indian librarianship than in the developed world.FindingsProfessional ethics should be given equal consideration while framing law and policies for non‐profit organizations like libraries. The issue of privacy has been given very little credence in terms of library rules and regulations in India. There is a need to create awareness among the masses on the issue of privacy and it should be considered as an important component while formulating guidelines for library policies.Practical implicationsThe role of library associations is considered to be vital in creating awareness among the libraries and information centers. Library associations in India are urged to make similar efforts like American Library Association. Impact of information technology on privacy is explored as one of the emerging research areas.Originality/valueThis paper is the first of its kind to study how the libraries in India are dealing with the issue of privacy and highlight the need for the information professionals to protect their professional ethics.
Enhancing employability in the “ME generation”
Authors: Senior Carl , Cubbidge Robert 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to place all of the contributions to this special issue into a theoretical framework and to highlight the role that the so‐called “information age mindset” has in the facilitation of employability skills.Design/methodology/approachThe paper discusses the major themes of this special issue.FindingsUndergraduate students do see the importance of technological innovation in the classroom but they see the development of experiential or work‐based skills to be more important.Practical implicationsFuture curriculum design should consider the expectations and attitudes of the modern day undergraduate student to ensure that potential employability is maximised.Originality/valueThe findings are placed into the wider context of the emerging field of evolutionary educational psychology.
Evaluating the impact of SPEED on students' career choices: a pilot study
Authors: Woodier‐Harris Naomi R. 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is two‐fold; first, to explore the Student Placements for Entrepreneurs in Education (SPEED) programme, which aims to help students gain real business start‐up experience whilst at university and second to examine the impact of SPEED on the students.Design/methodology/approachFor the first part of the paper, the author explores the SPEED programme in the context of “experiential learning”. Second, the “critical incident technique” approach is explored and found to be a suitable approach towards obtaining “real‐life” insights into students' business start‐up experience.FindingsThe paper finds that the “experiential learning” approach and all “critical incidents” have been valuable learning experiences for the students on SPEED. SPEED has provided a platform for students to gain the experience, knowledge and confidence to either set up a business or use their new‐found experiences to succeed in securing a job upon graduation.Research limitations/implicationsAs this programme is delivered across 13 higher education institutions in the UK, there is a need for further research on SPEED and for comparisons to be drawn for future practice.Originality/valueThis paper provides an insight into student entrepreneurs within a university context, a relatively unexplored area. The results also indicate the value of “experience” and the “experiential learning” approach within an enterprise programme.
Higher education for a sustainable world
Authors: Blewitt John 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe paper aims to explore the nature and purpose of higher education (HE) in the twenty‐first century, focussing on how it can help fashion a green knowledge‐based economy by developing approaches to learning and teaching that are social, networked and ecologically sensitive.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents a discursive analysis of the skills and knowledge requirements of an emerging green knowledge‐based economy using a range of policy focussed and academic research literature.FindingsThe business opportunities that are emerging as a more sustainable world is developed requires the knowledge and skills that can capture and move then forward but in a complex and uncertain worlds learning needs to non‐linear, creative and emergent.Practical implicationsSustainable learning and the attributes graduates will need to exhibit are prefigured in the activities and learning characterising the work and play facilitated by new media technologies.Social implicationsGreater emphasis is required in higher learning understood as the capability to learn, adapt and direct sustainable change requires interprofessional co‐operation that must utlise the potential of new media technologies to enhance social learning and collective intelligence.Originality/valueThe practical relationship between low‐carbon economic development, social sustainability and HE learning is based on both normative criteria and actual and emerging projections in economic, technological and skills needs.
What a difference a writing centre makes: a small scale study
Authors: Yeats Rowena , Reddy Peter , Wheeler Anne , Senior Carl , Murray John 
Published: September 2010

PurposeAcademic writing is often considered to be a weakness in contemporary students, while good reporting and writing skills are highly valued by graduate employers. A number of universities have introduced writing centres aimed at addressing this problem; however, the evaluation of such centres is usually qualitative. The paper seeks to consider the efficacy of a writing centre by looking at the impact of attendance on two “real world” quantitative outcomes – achievement and progression.Design/methodology/approachData mining was used to obtain records of 806 first‐year students, of whom 45 had attended the writing centre and 761 had not.FindingsA highly significant association between writing centre attendance and achievement was found. Progression to year two was also significantly associated with writing centre attendance.Originality/valueFurther, quantitative evaluation of writing centres is advocated using random allocation to a comparison condition to control for potential confounds such as motivation.
Assessing “ME generation's” entrepreneurship degree programmes in Malaysia
Authors: Nizam Zainuddin Muhammad , Rozaini Mohd Rejab Mohd 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of undergraduates' specialised entrepreneurship programmes in Malaysian universities that have been made available to “ME generation” students. By analysing the antecedents and predicting self‐employment intention, the paper evaluates the impact of such programmes upon the employability value of undergraduates who are part of the ME generation in a developing country such as Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachA census survey was conducted on final and penultimate year students from major public and private universities in Malaysia. From these data, analyses of variables that affect self‐employment intention were performed, and the prediction of self‐employment intention was obtained.FindingsThe results show that the students do not perceive self‐realisation as their most salient beliefs and perceived that their entrepreneurship lecturers' expectations towards them to become self‐employed are not highly influential and need to be complied with. However, they believed that specialised entrepreneurship education (SEE) contributes to increasing entrepreneurial self‐efficacy and subsequently towards their self‐employment intention, and thus increases their employability value.Research limitations/implicationsThis research only studies students' self‐employment intention in their respective universities and not their actual behaviour. Results from the paper are limited in ability to demonstrate “actual” outcomes that result from the interaction of the antecedents in universities' confinement.Practical implicationsThe paper provides an important analysis of the current status of entrepreneurship students in Malaysian universities. The findings provide insight on the development of effective entrepreneurship programme deliveries and methodologies.Originality/valueThe paper provides a basis to improve the effectiveness of SEE in Malaysian universities and in turn produce highly employable graduates.
Enhancing individual employability: the perspective of engineering graduates
Authors: Nilsson Staffan 
Published: September 2010

PurposeEmployability includes the ability to find employment and remain employed. Employability includes both hard and soft skills, including formal and actual competence, interpersonal skills, and personal characteristics. This paper aims to focus on illuminating perceptions engineering graduates have regarding employability. More specifically, the aim is to explore how engineering graduates perceive, invest in, manage, and develop their employability.Design/methodology/approachThe study highlighted in the paper draws on a longitudinal qualitative study and the empirical data include recurrent interviews with 20 recent graduates from Master's level engineering programs in information technology.FindingsThe results of the paper indicate that hard formal and technical vocational skills are considered to be of declining importance. Generally, these skills are considered less important in relation to one's individual employability compared to different forms of soft skills and personal attributes. The meaning of employability is typically viewed relationally and contextually and is associated with the specific place in which one works. The responsibility for managing and developing one's employability lies with each individual.Practical implicationsThe results have practical implications for higher education and engineering curriculum design related to the enhancement of graduate employability.Originality/valueThe results of the paper indicate that engineering graduates have educational expectations that are not entirely consistent with current university practices. The study respondents indicated that the educational program should focus less on the substantive content of the engineering curriculum, and instead focus more on generalist competence and soft employability skills, including interpersonal skills.
IFRS in New Zealand: effects on financial statements and ratios
Authors: Stent Warwick , Bradbury Michael , Hooks Jill 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the financial statement impacts of adopting NZ IFRS during 2005 through 2008.Design/methodology/approachThe effects of NZ IFRS on the financial statements and ratios of first‐time adopters of NZ IFRS for a stratified random sample of 56 listed companies is analysed. In total, 16 of these were early adopters and 40 of which waited until adoption of NZ IFRS became mandatory. The analysis of the financial statement impact of NZ IFRS is conducted in the context of the accounting choice literature.FindingsThe results show that 87 per cent of firms are affected by NZ IFRS. The median and inter‐quartile ranges indicate that for most firms the impact of NZ IFRS is small. However, the maximum and minimum values indicate the impact can be large for some entities. The impact has considerable effects on common financial ratios.Research limitations/implicationsThe usual limitations applicable to small samples apply.Practical implicationsThe findings may be useful to regulators and policy makers reviewing financial reporting requirements.Originality/valueThis study is the first to offer a comprehensive empirical analysis of the effect of adopting IFRS on financial statements in New Zealand, as well as on selected key ratios of interest to financial analysts. The data used are more recent than most IAS or IFRS studies around the world and are stratified to allow for comparison between voluntary/early adopters and mandatory/late adopters.
Retaliation: legal ramifications and practical implications of discriminatory acts in the workplace
Authors: Miles Angela , Fleming Marka , McKinney Arlise P. 
Published: September 2010

PurposeRetaliation complaints in the workplace have increased 71 percent in the past ten years with a record high of more than 32,000 complaints filed in 2008. The purpose of this paper is to review retaliation legislation to clarify for employers and employees the protected provisions and provide guidance for complying with this important anti‐discrimination statute to aid in promoting a fair and unbiased work environment.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reviews retaliation claims in cases of US employment discrimination including the central elements and covered individuals. It also reviews key recent rulings that have broadened what constitutes retaliation to better understand its impact in workforce management practices. Equity and organizational justice theories are drawn upon to address performance management and employee discipline issues that may arise in the workplace and how organizational action may be impacted by the retaliation statute.FindingsRetaliation is often considered to be an overt act (e.g. demotion or termination) but this review demonstrates that adverse employment actions need not be overt or result from loss of job or wages by the employee. This review can be used to avoid costly litigation but also convey that retaliation statutes do not unduly influence the employer's right to discipline employees.Originality/valueThis paper helps practitioners and researchers better understand retaliation and its purpose in preventing unfair work practices. This historical review of retaliation should help improve employer policies and procedures as well as training efforts in complying with equal employment opportunity laws without compromising concerns related to productivity or disciplinary procedures.
On the nature of learning communities: a study of four organisations
Authors: Small Michael W. , Minkes Leonard 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this investigation is to look at four organisations to see whether they meet the criteria of learning communities. Two are involved with higher education, one is an army unit, and the fourth is an organisation responsible for aviation safety.Design/methodology/approachThe research was based on qualitative analyses of what made the four organisations learning communities. This comprised interviews with key personnel and responding to a 15‐item questionnaire.FindingsIn the Australian example, specialised areas of responsibility were established to facilitate change. In the Indonesian example, a colonial past, a political/cultural divide, a feudalistic approach to modern day problems and a rich tradition presented a challenge to innovation. In the army unit, highly specialised knowledge had to be acquired, adapted and applied. In the aviation safety organisation, technological issues specifying flight operations were the main focus. This organisation was akin to both a learning organisation and an innovative knowledge community, although working within a bureaucratic structure.Research limitations/implicationsOne limitation was access to personnel such as CEOs. Another was translating the questionnaire into Indonesian. A third was related to confidentiality, i.e. should participants reveal the identity of their parent organisation, and their own?Practical implicationsThe study identified the need to re‐define strategic objectives. Organisations must undertake this task when faced with changing circumstances.Originality/valueThe paper has value because it looks at effective, learning communities and the formal and the informal learning process.