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Paper Attempts (paper + attempt)
Selected AbstractsSpatial Information: Classification and Applications in Building DesignCOMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 4 2002Tang-Hung Nguyen Physical properties of building components are usually represented in building data models by their three-dimensional geometry and topology,also called spatial information. While geometric data of building components can be manipulated and managed by a computer-aided design (CAD) interface, their spatial relations (or topological information) are conventionally represented in a manual fashion into data models. The manual data representation, however, is inherently a complex and challenging task due to the wide variety of spatial relationships. Thus, topological information should be classified and modeled in such a way that the required spatial data for a particular design task can be automatically retrieved. This paper attempts to identify and classify various topological information commonly used in building design and construction into more specific categories (e.g., adjacency, connection, containment, separation, and intersection) to support automatic deduction of the spatial information in a computer-based building design system. The paper also discusses typical applications of the topological relations to different design activities. Finally, the development of deduction algorithms and the proposed building design system are briefly described. [source] Early detection and treatment of schizophrenia: how early?ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2006A. Riecher-Rössler Objective:, Whereas early detection and therapy of schizophrenic psychoses until some time ago concentrated on frank schizophrenia, during the last years some centres have also started to treat patients even before a clear diagnosis could be established. This paper attempts to discuss if and when this is justified in the light of recent research. Method:, Mini review of literature. Results:, The rationale for early detection and treatment of schizophrenia is based on several observations: diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia are often seriously delayed. Consequences of the disease are severe already in the early undiagnosed phase of the disorder and early treatment seems to improve the course of the disease. It can therefore be stated quite safely that patients should be treated as early as possible. However, the question of how early has not been sufficiently answered up to now. Conclusion:, We are at the moment in an ethical dilemma between either diagnosing and treating this disorder too late or too early. The only way and prerequisite for solving this dilemma is a more reliable identification of individuals at risk and the beginning disease process. [source] Locating Responsibility: The Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Its RationaleDISASTERS, Issue 2 2004James Darcy Criticised by some as a technical initiative that neglects core principles, Sphere was seen by its originators precisely as an articulation of principle. The Humanitarian Charter was the main vehicle through which this was expressed, but its relationship to the Minimum Standards has remained a matter of uncertainty. Specifically, it was unclear in the original (1999) edition of Sphere how the concept of rights informed the Minimum Standards. The revised (2004) edition goes some way to clarifying this in the way the standards are framed, yet the link between the standards and the charter remains unclear. The concern with the quality and accountability of humanitarian assistance, which motivated the attempt to establish system-wide standards through the Sphere Project, was accompanied by a desire to establish such actions in a wider framework of legal and political responsibility. In part, this reflects the conditional nature of the undertaking that agencies make when they adopt Sphere. This aspect of the charter has been neglected, but it is fundamental to an understanding of the standards and their application. This paper considers the rationale of the Sphere Humanitarian Charter and the conceptual model that underpins it. It discusses the relationship between the charter and the Minimum Standards, and the sense in which the latter are properly called ,rights-based' (explored further in a related paper herein by Young and Taylor). The author was closely involved in the conception and drafting of the charter, and this paper attempts to convey some of the thinking that lay behind it. [source] Does disturbance of self underlie social cognition deficits in schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders?EARLY INTERVENTION IN PSYCHIATRY, Issue 2 2009Barnaby Nelson Abstract Aim: Although the different approaches to psychosis research have made significant advances in their own fields, integration between the approaches is often lacking. This paper attempts to integrate a strand of cognitive research in psychotic disorders (specifically, social cognition research) with phenomenological accounts of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Method: The paper is a critical investigation of phenomenological models of disturbed selfhood in schizophrenia in relation to cognitive theories of social cognition in psychotic disorders. Results: We argue that disturbance of the basic sense of self, as articulated in the phenomenological literature, may underlie the social cognition difficulties present in psychotic disorders. This argument is based on phenomenological thinking about self-presence (,ipseity') being the primary or most basic ground for the intentionality of consciousness , that is, the directedness of consciousness towards others and the world. A disruption in this basic ground of conscious life has a reverberating effect through other areas of cognitive and social functioning. We propose three routes whereby self-disturbance may compromise social cognition, including dissimilarity, disruption of lived body and disturbed mental coherence. Conclusions: If this model is supported, then social cognition difficulties may be thought of as a secondary index or marker of the more primary disturbance of self in psychotic disorders. Further empirical work examining the relationship between cognitive and phenomenological variables may be of value in identifying risk markers for psychosis onset, thus contributing to early intervention efforts, as well as in clarifying the essential psychopathological features of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. [source] FISCAL FEDERALISM, STATE LOBBYING AND DISCRETIONARY FINANCE: EVIDENCE FROM INDIAECONOMICS & POLITICS, Issue 1 2010RONGILI BISWAS In the quasi-federal democratic polity that India has, lobbying for central funds by the states is often done in a subliminal fashion. Hence, it becomes difficult to get an account of how much lobbying has been done to a particular end. Our paper attempts at constructing certain political proxy variables to quantify the extent of such lobbying in India. We quantify lobbying through the ministerial representation in the council of ministers. We also use several time and state dummies to account for the constituent states' political alignment with the center as well as the coalition and the reform period breaks in the Indian system. Taking panel data that cover 29 years and 14 major states we show that our constructed variables do explain disparity in central fiscal disbursements under the non-formulaic "discretionary" head in a robust way. Our findings remain true even after we take into account the impact of endogeneity of net state income on the transfers. Additionally, our exercise brings to the fore the fact that the coalition governments and economic reform measures impact upon state lobbying at the center in a significant manner. [source] Faunal Comparison of Ants among Cheongsando and Other Islands of South Sea in KoreaENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2002Seong-Joon PARK ABSTRACT This paper attempts to reveal the biogeographic characteristics of ant fauna of the islands among Korean South Sea, using quantitative analyses. The data treated in this paper are those from Cheongsando Is. and 10 other islands in South Sea which have been well investigated. The faunal similarity is examined using the Nomura-Simpson's Coefficient (NSC). Futhermore, the obtained NSC value matrix is examined by a cluster analysis using UPGMA method. The number of species which has been recorded in the 11 islands are 91 species belonging to 34 genera under 4 subfamilies. Among the above 11 islands, Jejudo Is., which is the largest, has the highest number of species, 67 spp., while Geogeumdo Is. has the lowest, 21 spp. Cheongsando Is. which has directly been investigated by authors has 30 species. The NSC- values between the 11 localities investigated range from 0.522 (Wando Is. to Saryangdo Is.) to 1.000 (Namhaedo Is. to Geojedo Is.). The comparative NSC value of Cheongsando Is. and 10 islands range from 0.522 (to Saryangdo Is.) to 0.833 (to Jejudo Is). The cluster analysis using a similarity index (NSC) showed that the islands of these areas could be grouped into 3, a level of 32%. The similarity of Soando Is. and Geomundo Is. were the closest, 63%, while Soando Is. and Namhaedo Is. were the remotest, 32%. The similarity of Jindo Is. and Cheongsando Is, was 63%, while that of Namhaedo Is. and Cheongsando Is. was 32%. [source] Do patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures produce trustworthy findings on neuropsychological tests?EPILEPSIA, Issue 4 2008Carl B. Dodrill Summary Drane et al. (2006) has recently raised the possibility that patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) may make poor effort in taking neuropsychological tests in comparison with patients with epilepsy (ES). Therefore, findings previously reported with PNES patients may be in error, especially with regard to tests of mental abilities. Using the same measure of effort used by Drane et al. (2006) but with more broadly selected patients, this paper attempts to replicate their findings with new samples of ES (n = 65) and PNES (n = 32) cases. However, their findings could not be replicated, and no differences in test taking effort could be demonstrated across the groups. The highly selected samples of Drane et al. (2006) appear to be responsible for their results, and neuropsychological findings with PNES patients appear to be as trustworthy as those with ES patients. [source] What fire statistics tell us about our fire and building codes for housing and small buildings and fire risk for occupants of those structures,FIRE AND MATERIALS, Issue 6 2001Leslie R. Richardson Annual reports on fire losses in Canada and the United States are in part, report cards on the efficacy of fire safety provisions in our building and fire codes and on the efforts to reduce risk for the occupants of those buildings. This paper attempts to assess what recent fire-loss statistics indicate about how successful those efforts have been. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Welfare to Work, Wages and Wage Growth,FISCAL STUDIES, Issue 3 2005Reamonn Lydon Abstract This paper attempts to uncover the effects of a UK welfare-to-work programme on individual wage growth by exploiting an expansion to this welfare programme. The conventional wisdom is that such programmes trap recipients into low-wage, low-quality work , this comes from the simple argument that the ,poverty trap', which a wage subsidy for low-income workers induces, reduces the benefits to investments, such as on-the-job training, and so reduces wage growth. In fact, a wage subsidy will also reduce the costs of, at least, general training because we would normally expect workers to pay for their own general training in the form of lower gross wages. So a wage subsidy is a way of sharing these costs with the taxpayer. Thus, the net effect on wage progression depends on whether it reduces costs by more or less than it reduces the benefits. [source] The effects of cigarette costs on BMI and obesityHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2009Article first published online: 4 FEB 200, Charles L. Baum Abstract About 30% of Americans are currently obese, which is roughly a 100% increase from 25 years ago. Public health officials have consequently become alarmed because recent research indicates that societal costs of obesity now exceed those of cigarette smoking and alcoholism. Cigarette taxes may have exacerbated the prevalence of obesity. In 1964, the US Surgeon General issued its first report relating smoking and health, and since that time, federal and state governments have increased cigarette taxes in a successful effort to reduce cigarette smoking. However, because cigarette smoking and obesity seem inversely related, cigarette taxes may have simultaneously increased obesity. This paper examines the effects of cigarette costs on BMI and obesity and finds that they have significant positive effects. This paper attempts to reconcile conflicting evidence in the literature by controlling more carefully for correlation with state-specific time trends using panel data. Results indicate that the net benefit to society of increasing cigarette taxes may not be as large as previously thought, though this research in no way concludes that they should be decreased to prompt weight loss. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Many Challenges of Pension AccountingACCOUNTING PERSPECTIVES, Issue 2 2009Thomas H. Beechy ABSTRACT Accounting for defined benefit pension plans has long been a major issue in accounting. Standard-setters are grappling with revisions to pension accounting standards, and much change has already occurred in the United Kingdom. This paper identifies and discusses most of the major issues that standard-setters must confront in developing new approaches to financial reporting for pensions. Key issues concern how to report the impact of changes in assumptions, how to recognize pension costs on the balance sheet and income statement, and how to reconcile the differences between accountants' and actuaries' approaches to pensions. Current standards assume that accounting estimates are independent of actuarial assumptions, and yet require a direct comparison of the accounting liability with the pension plan assets, when in fact they are incompatible measures based on differing assumptions and differing methodologies. As well, accounting has been complicit in managers' wishes to hide the volatility inherent in a pension plan investment strategy that focuses on higher-risk equities to fund estimated monetary liabilities that have been discounted at low-risk interest rates. Drawing on studies and research done largely in Europe, this paper attempts to consolidate some of the current thinking on the topic and to propose some preferred approaches to dealing with the problems of pension accounting. [source] Knowledge management in enterprises: a research agendaINTELLIGENT SYSTEMS IN ACCOUNTING, FINANCE & MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2005Konstantinos Ergazakis Knowledge management (KM) is an emerging area, which is gaining interest by both enterprises and academics. The effective implementation of a KM strategy is considering as a ,must' and as a precondition of success for contemporary enterprises, as they enter the era of the knowledge economy. However, the field of KM has been slow in formulating a universally accepted methodology, due to the many pending issues that have to be addressed. This paper attempts to propose a novel taxonomy for KM research by co-instantaneously presenting the current status with some major themes of KM research. The discussion presented on these issues should be of value to researchers and practitioners. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Ultrathin Nanowires,A Materials Chemistry Perspective,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 9 2009Ludovico Cademartiri Abstract The recent years have seen an explosive interest in one-dimensional nanostructures1, as testified by the number of citations this field has accrued; as customary, its blossoming was enabled by chemical breakthroughs that allowed the reproducible and affordable synthesis of such structures.2, 3 The limitations of those syntheses was in the diameter of the nanowires that it could produce (hardly,<,10,nm), and in the use of expensive and low-yield techniques, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD). This paper attempts to summarize the very recent chemical breakthroughs that have allowed the production of ultrathin nanowires, often in solution, and often in gram-scale quantities. By no means is this a comprehensive coverage of the field, which can in part be found in other excellent reviews1, 2, 4,6 but a selection of those contributions that we feel would most help put this emerging field in perspective. We will review the various synthetic strategies, their pros and cons, and we will give our best guesses as to the future directions of the field and what we can expect from it. [source] On the Relationship Between Short- and Long-term Interest Rates,INTERNATIONAL FINANCE, Issue 2 2004Teruyoshi KobayashiArticle first published online: 13 DEC 200 This paper addresses issues regarding the relationship between short- and long-term interest rates. In the real world, an expansionary (contractionary) policy is normally followed by a fall (rise) in long-term rates. However, there exist exceptional cases in which short- and long-term rates move in opposite directions. This paper attempts to provide a formal explanation for such unusual phenomena using a variety of new Keynesian models. It turns out that the simultaneous occurrence of different economic shocks, to which the central bank should react, can explain this behaviour of long rates. [source] The threat of corporate groups and the insolvency connectionINTERNATIONAL INSOLVENCY REVIEW, Issue 3 2009Alexander Dähnert, Article first published online: 27 OCT 200 This paper attempts to shed some light on the issue referred to by the term ,group threat'. The factual appearance of corporate groups will be emphasized, as well as the question of what particular dangers arise from groups of legal entities. It will be argued that the source of group threats lies in the supremacy of group interest over the interests of affiliates, particularly in groups acting as a single unit. However, while efficiency gains inherent in group structures have attracted considerable attention in the debate about the insolvencies of corporate groups, the aspect of how the restriction of group threats can be reconciled with these efficiency-preservation concepts has been neglected. This appears of some concern given the fact that group threats and group synergy effects are part of the same coin. Both sides of the Janus-head ought to be considered in insolvency concepts and an attempt will be made to put the specific aspect of group threats into the wider context of group insolvencies. Existing approaches will be introduced, summarized and categorized, with a particular view taken of their common characteristics. It is argued that most insolvency concepts suffer from the same fundamental deficiencies: the focus on the structure of groups, which makes the very nature of integrated companies difficult to grasp. Consequently, this calls into question the application of these concepts and leads, furthermore, to significant collateral damage in the shape of principles central to company law. Resulting from these shortcomings and from the insight that the supremacy of the group interest constitutes the fundamental source of group characteristics, this paper suggests as an alternative that the focus be placed on wrongful conduct, the argument being that it is not the static structure, but the way the group is directed and ruled, which constitutes the decisive criterion for insolvency concepts. The understanding of group threats is therefore the key to a satisfactory approach to group specific challenges in insolvency. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Commentary: Accounting Schism or Synthesis?ACCOUNTING PERSPECTIVES, Issue 2 2002A Challenge for the Conditional-Normative Approach ABSTRACT This paper explains the conditional-normative accounting methodology (CoNAM) and its origin, offering a comparison of the normative, positive, and conditional-normative approaches. It also discusses the difference between the pragmatic versus a more scientific treatment of CoNAM. However, the main thrust of the paper is directed toward the schism in academic accounting between the positive accounting theory (PAT) and the critical interpretive view (CIV). To better understand CIV, the paper attempts to explain the philosophic roots that reach from Husserl and some Marxist writers to Foucault, Derrida, and Baudrillard. This schism seems to call for a new synthesis that avoids extreme positions but draws upon insights from both camps. In this search, CoNAM might be helpful by exploring means-end relations and connecting value judgements to accounting theory in a fairly "objective" way. [source] The birth of the finite element method and of computational mechanicsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 1 2004*Article first published online: 21 APR 200, O. C. Zienkiewicz Abstract This brief paper attempts to indicate the motivation which led to the development of the finite element method by engineers and shows how later this became integrated with various current mathematical procedures. In the opinion of the writer, the broad definition of finite elements today includes all the known procedures of approximation for solving partial differential equations and allows the users to include a variety of methods which are mathematically acceptable. Copyright 2004 © John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Inviscid, laminar and turbulent opposed flowsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 11 2004Ersel Korusoy Abstract This paper attempts to reproduce numerically previous experimental findings with opposed flows and extends their range to quantify the effects of upstream pipes and nozzles with inviscid, laminar and turbulent flows. The choice of conservation equations, boundary conditions, algorithms for their solution, the degree of grid dependence, numerical diffusion and the validity of numerical approximations are justified with supporting calculations where necessary. The results of all calculations on the stagnation plane show maximum strain rates close to the annular exit from the nozzles and pipes for lower separations and it can be expected that corresponding reacting flows will tend to extinguish in this region with the extinction moving towards the axis. With laminar flows, the maximum strain rate increased with Reynolds number and the maximum values were generally greater than with inviscid flows and smaller than with turbulent flows. With large separations, the strain rates varied less and this explains some results with reacting flows where the extinction appeared to begin on the axis. The turbulent-flow calculations allowed comparison of three common variants of a two-equation first-moment closure. They provided reasonable and useful indications of strain rates but none correctly represented the rms of velocity fluctuations on the axis and close to the stagnation plane. As expected, those designed to deal with this problem produced results in better agreement with experiment but were still imperfect. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Adaptive control using multiple models, switching and tuningINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADAPTIVE CONTROL AND SIGNAL PROCESSING, Issue 2 2003Kumpati S. Narendra Abstract The past decade has witnessed a great deal of interest in both the theory and practice of adaptive control using multiple models, switching, and tuning. The general approach was introduced in the early 1990s to cope with large and rapidly varying parameters in control systems. During the following years, detailed mathematical analyses of special classes of systems were carried out. Considerable empirical evidence was also collected to demonstrate the practical viability of the methods proposed. This paper attempts to review critically the stability questions that arise in the study of such systems, describes recent extensions of the approach to non-linear adaptive control, and discuss briefly promising new areas of research, particularly related to the location of models. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The distribution of file transmission duration in the webINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, Issue 5 2004R. Nossenson Abstract It is well known that the distribution of files transmission duration in the Web is heavy-tailed (A practical guide to Heavy Tails: Statistical Techniques and Application. Birkhauser: Boston, 1998; 3,26). This paper attempts to understand the reasons for this phenomenon by isolating the three major factors influencing the transmission duration: file size, network conditions and server load. We present evidence that the transmission-duration distribution (TDD) of the same file from the same server to the same client in the Web is Pareto and therefore heavy tailed. Furthermore, text files transmission delay for a specific client/server pair is not significantly affected by the file sizes: all files transmitted from the same server to the same client have very similar transmission duration distributions, regardless of their size. We use simulations to estimate the impact of network conditions and server load on the TDD. When the server and the client are on the same local network, the TDD of each file is usually Pareto as well (for server files and client requests that are distributed in a realistic way). By examining a wide-area network situation, we conclude that the network conditions do not have a major influence on the heavy-tailed behaviour of TDD. In contrast, the server load is shown to have a significant impact on the high variability of this distribution. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] What if the UK or Sweden had joined the euro in 1999?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FINANCE & ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2007An empirical evaluation using a Global VAR Abstract This paper attempts to provide a conceptual framework for the analysis of counterfactual scenarios using macroeconometric models. As an application we consider UK entry to the euro. Entry involves a long-term commitment to restrict UK nominal exchange rates and interest rates to be the same as those of the euro area. We derive conditional probability distributions for the difference between the future realizations of variables of interest (e.g. UK and euro area output and prices) subject to UK entry restrictions being fully met over a given period and the alternative realizations without the restrictions. The robustness of the results can be evaluated by also conditioning on variables deemed to be invariant to UK entry, such as oil or US equity prices. Economic interdependence means that such policy evaluation must take account of international linkages and common factors that drive fluctuations across economies. In this paper this is accomplished using the Global VAR recently developed by Dees et al. (J. Appl. Econometrics, 2007, forthcoming). The paper briefly describes the GVAR which has been estimated for 25 countries and the euro area over the period 1979,2003. It reports probability estimates that output will be higher and prices lower in the UK and the euro area as a result of entry. It examines the sensitivity of these results to a variety of assumptions about when and how the UK entered and the observed global shocks and compares them with the effects of Swedish entry. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Microeconomic effects of capital controls: The chilean experience during the 1990sINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FINANCE & ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2003Francisco A. Gallego Abstract This paper provides empirical evidence on some of the microeconomic effects of the capital controls introduced in Chile during the 1990s, in particular, the unremunerated reserve requirement (URR). By looking at financial statements for a group of 73 Chilean firms during 1986,2001, the paper attempts to identify the effects of the URR on the firms' costs and ways of financing. Results show that the effects of the URR are firm specific; for instance, there are striking differences in the response to the URR among firms of different size and those with or without access to international capital markets. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The determinants of export performance: A review of the research in the literature between 1998 and 2005INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT REVIEWS, Issue 4 2008Carlos M.P. Sousa Considerable attention has been paid to the determinants of export performance. However, despite this research effort in identifying and examining the influence of such determinants, the literature is characterized by fragmentation and diversity, hindering theory development and practical advancement in the field. This paper attempts to review and synthesize the knowledge on the subject. As a result, this study reviews and evaluates 52 articles published between 1998 and 2005 to assess the determinants of export performance. The assessment reveals that: (a) more studies have been conducted outside the USA; (b) the majority of the studies focus on manufacturing firms, with relatively few studies examining the service sector; (c) the majority of the export studies continue to focus on small to medium-sized firms; (d) there is a continuous increase in the sample size; (e) despite the problems that may arise from the use of single informants, it seems that none of the studies reviewed here collected data from more than one informant in the firm; (f) an increasing number of studies have been using the export venture as the unit of analysis; (g) the level of statistical sophistication has improved; (h) the use of control and moderating variables in export performance studies has increased; (i) more studies have started to include the external environment in their models, including domestic market characteristics; and (j) market orientation as a key determinant of export performance emerges in this review. Finally, conclusions are drawn, along with some suggestions for further research. [source] Reconciling situational social psychology with virtue ethicsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT REVIEWS, Issue 3 2008Surendra Arjoon For the past four decades, debate has occurred in respect of situational social psychology and virtue ethics. This paper attempts to reconcile this debate. Situationists propose a fragmentation theory of character (each person has a whole range of dispositions, each of which has a restricted situational application) and do not subscribe to a regularity theory of character (behaviour is regulated by long-term dispositions). In order to support this view, they cite a number of experiments. It is proposed that the substantive claims made by situationist social psychologists, for the most part, do not undermine or disagree with an Aristotelian virtue ethics perspective, but stem from a misunderstanding of concepts of moral character, faulty conclusions and generalizations in respect of experimental results. Situationists take a narrow view of character and morality. Evidence from organizational behaviour and managerial research literature supports the view that both situational (organizational) features and inner characteristics (including virtues) are powerful influences and determinants of morally upright and morally deviant behaviour. The role of practical judgement in bridging these views is discussed. As a way forward in reconciling situational social psychology with virtue ethics, the paper proposes an Aristotelian,Thomistic framework to overcome some of the problems associated with inadequate regulative ideals in building a normative moral theory. [source] Toward a capabilities perspective of the small firmINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT REVIEWS, Issue 3 2001Tony Fu-Lai Yu This paper attempts to explain the competitive advantages of the small firm in the capabilities perspective. It begins by identifying the kinds of strategic assets possessed by small firms. It argues that entrepreneurship and a simple capital structure are the sources of dynamism for small firms. The relationship between the small firm's resources and its capabilities are then critically examined. In particular, the analysis focuses on the influences of strategic assets on the organizational flexibility , a significant source of competitive advantage enjoyed by small firms. The competitive attributes of small firms are further discussed in terms of firm's internal and external capabilities. Finally, the relationship between the small firm's capabilities and the choice of technology strategies is examined. [source] The charity shop: purpose and changeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NONPROFIT & VOLUNTARY SECTOR MARKETING, Issue 2 2000Article first published online: 12 JUL 200, Suzanne Horne This paper attempts to provide a theoretical framework in which to explore and highlight elements of charity retail change and purpose. It uses first the Wheel of Retailing model as an heuristic device for identifying features of charity shop retail change, and secondly a continuum of usage with which to identify charity shop purpose. By matching the two models it identifies patterns of retail change and purpose at each stage of the cycle and the continuum. Copyright © 2000 Henry Stewart Publications [source] The modulating effect of culture on the expression of dental anxiety in children: a literature reviewINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 4 2004M. O. FOLAYAN Summary. The experience of anxiety is a universal human phenomenon. Studies have shown a world-wide variation in the prevalence of dental anxiety with estimates ranging between 3% and 43%. The aetiology of dental anxiety is multifactorial, with factors acting in synergy to affect its expression. For children, age and gender play fundamental roles in its expression. However, these two factors are modulated by other variables such as culture which may influence the context in which anxiety is experienced, the interpretation of its meaning and responses to it. The modulating effect of culture in synergy with other variables may be one of the reasons why reports on dental anxiety have varied from region to region. This paper attempts to identify the interrelating roles of culture, age and gender, and how these relationships may affect variability in the expression and measurement of dental anxiety in children. [source] Diverting with Benevolent Military Force: Reducing Risks and Rising above Strategic BehaviorINTERNATIONAL STUDIES QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2007EMIZET F. KISANGANI Research on the diversionary use of force has burgeoned in recent years, but the literature remains divided. This paper attempts to reconcile extant findings by advancing a new theoretical framework for diversionary force centered on the agenda-setting literature. It expands the conventional conception of diversionary behavior and distinguishes the benevolent use of force over low politics issues (which we term socioeconomic interventions, SEI) from belligerent force used over high politics issues (which we term politico-strategic interventions, PSI). This expansion also refines our understanding of strategic conflict avoidance (SCA). Using Zero-Inflated Poisson (ZIP) regression on 140 countries from 1950 to 1996, we find that democracies and mixed regimes tend to use SEI for diversion even though strategic conflict avoidance does not prevent them from using PSI. We further find that autocracies do not externalize their internal problems with either type of armed force and that, surprisingly, strategic conflict avoidance may constrain autocracies suffering economic decline. These outcomes suggest that our theory has utility and that research on both diversion and SCA would benefit from further theoretical refinement. [source] Application of a checklisting technique for the assessment of impacts of the Chashma Right Bank Canal on land use and cropping pattern of D.I.Khan District, Pakistan,IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE, Issue 2 2008Atta-ur-Rahman utilisation des terres; assolements; impacts Abstract This paper attempts to discover the ex post impact of the Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC) on the land use and cropping pattern of D.I.Khan district. The CRBC commands 250,000,ha and is spread over two provinces. The CRBC project was completed in three stages. Stage I was commissioned in 1987,88, and stages II and III in 1989 and 2001, respectively. The CRBC brought radical changes in the land use and cropping pattern of D.I.Khan district. For this study, three variables were selected including land use, cropping pattern and land values. To discover these changes at micro-level, five sample villages were randomly selected, four from within the CRBC command area and one outside. The analysis found that after commissioning of the CRBC, prime cultivable land was brought under non-agricultural use. The net sown area was also enhanced. Dry farming crops were replaced by water-intensive cash crops, which in effect caused the twin problem of waterlogging and salinity, particularly in stage I. Likewise, land values increased considerably. This study is a sort of ex post evaluation of the CRBC and provides policy guidelines for decision makers and for the proposed Chashma Right Bank 1st Lift Irrigation Project not to repeat the weaknesses of Chashma Right Bank Irrigation Project. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Cet article essaie de mesurer l'impact à postériori du canal de rive droite de la Chashma (CRBC) sur l'utilisation des terres et les assolements du District de D.I.Khan. Le CRBC dessert 250,000,ha, répartis sur deux provinces. Le projet du CRBC a été mené à bien en trois étapes. L'étape I a été réalisée en 1987,1988, et les étapes II et III en 1989 et 2001, respectivement. Le CRBC a apporté des changements radicaux à l'utilisation des terres et aux assolements du District de D.I.Khan. Pour cette étude, les trois variables retenues ont été l'utilisation des terres, les assolements et le prix des terres. Pour mettre en évidence ces changements au niveau micro, cinq villages témoin ont été choisis au hasard, quatre dans la zone de desserte du CRBC et un en dehors. L'analyse a montré qu'après la mise en route du CRBC, les meilleures terres cultivables ont cessé d'être utilisées pour l'agriculture. La surface nette emblavée a également augmenté. Les cultures en sec ont été remplacées par des cultures commerciales fortement consommatrices d'eau, ce qui a en fait créé les problèmes jumeaux de l'engorgement et de la salinité, en particulier au cours de l'étape I. De même, les prix des terres se sont considérablement accrus. Cette étude est une sorte d'évaluation à postériori du CRBC, permettant de fournir des directives aux décideurs et de ne pas répéter pour le projet envisagé d'irrigation haut-service en rive droite de la Chashma les faiblesses du premier projet. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Agricultural Economics and Rural Development: Marriage or Divorce?JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2001Presidential Address Rural development is a growing field of interest, both in policy and conceptual terms. However, it is sometimes loosely defined, and statistical information is therefore often confusing. This paper attempts to clarify some of the concepts involved, and then to explore the relationship between the study of rural development and that of agricultural economics. It is argued that much would be gained by a clearer separation between the economics of land, covering its environmental aspects as well as food production, and that of the rural population and economy. Links between the two certainly exist, but are better recognised individually, by analysts and policymakers alike. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||