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Kinds of Tools Selected AbstractsUsing Quality Management Tools to Enhance Feedback from Student EvaluationsDECISION SCIENCES JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATION, Issue 1 2005John B. Jensen ABSTRACT Statistical tools found in the service quality assessment literature,the T2 statistic combined with factor analysis,can enhance the feedback instructors receive from student ratings. T2 examines variability across multiple sets of ratings to isolate individual respondents with aberrant response patterns (i.e., outliers). Analyzing student responses that are outside the "normal" range of responses can identify aspects of the course that cause pockets of students to be dissatisfied. This fresh insight into sources of student dissatisfaction is particularly valuable for instructors willing to make tactical classroom changes that accommodate individual students rather than the traditional approach of using student ratings to develop systemwide changes in course delivery. A case study is presented to demonstrate how the recommended procedure minimizes data overload, allows for valid schoolwide and longitudinal comparisons of correlated survey responses, and helps instructors identify priority areas for instructional improvement. [source] Generation of a virtual reality-based automotive driving training system for CAD educationCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 2 2009Janus Liang Abstract Designing and constructing a virtual reality-based system is useful for educating students about scenario planning, geometric modeling and computer graphics. In particular, students are exposed to the practical issues surrounding topics such as geometric modeling, rendering, collision detection, model animation and graphical design. Meanwhile, building an application system provides students exposure to the real-world side of software engineering that they are typically shielded from in the traditional computer class. This study is a description of the experiences with instructing "Computer-aided Industrial design" and "OOP," two introductory classes that focus on designing and generating the VR based system possible in the course of a semester and then "VR System," an advanced course in the next semester. This study emphasizes the continuing evolution in the training and educational needs of students of CAD-systems. This study breaks down an automobile driving training system into different components that are suitable for individual student projects and discusses the use of modern graphical design tools such as 3ds MAX for artistic design in this system. The conclusion of this study proposes a rough schedule for developing a VR based system during the course of a semester and an overview is given of a concept of a virtual reality-based design and constructing system that is being developed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 17: 148,166, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae20178 [source] Approaches to corporate sustainability among German companiesCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2006Tobias Hahn Abstract In this article we present the results of an online survey on the state of corporate sustainability in German companies. The survey focused on the meaning and relevance of sustainability to German companies, the motivations behind their commitment to sustainability and the use of different management tools to implement sustainability in corporate practice. Although the majority of the companies declared that sustainability plays an important role, our analysis reveals considerable differences between these companies' approaches to corporate sustainability. A cluster analysis enables us to distinguish between three significantly distinct types of approach to corporate sustainability among the respondents: sustainability leaders, environmentalists and traditionalists. These three types are characterized and discussed against previous research. The results suggest that there are substantial differences with regard to the motivation for and the implementation of corporate sustainability that are covered behind the corporate rhetoric of a high commitment to sustainability. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Equilibrium and growth shapes of crystals: how do they differ and why should we care?CRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4-5 2005Robert F. SekerkaArticle first published online: 15 MAR 200 Abstract Since the death of Prof. Dr. Jan Czochralski nearly 50 years ago, crystals grown by the Czochralski method have increased remarkably in size and perfection, resulting today in the industrial production of silicon crystals about 30 cm in diameter and two meters in length. The Czochralski method is of great technological and economic importance for semiconductors and optical crystals. Over this same time period, there have been equally dramatic improvements in our theoretical understanding of crystal growth morphology. Today we can compute complex crystal growth shapes from robust models that reproduce most of the features and phenomena observed experimentally. We should care about this because it is likely to result in the development of powerful and economical design tools to enable future progress. Crystal growth morphology results from an interplay of crystallographic anisotropy and growth kinetics by means of interfacial processes and long-range transport. The equilibrium shape of a crystal results from minimizing its anisotropic surface free energy under the constraint of constant volume; it is given by the classical Wulff construction but can also be represented by an analytical formula based on the ,-vector formalism of Hoffman and Cahn. We now have analytic criteria for missing orientations (sharp corners or edges) on the equilibrium shape, both in two (classical) and three (new) dimensions. Crystals that grow under the control of interfacial kinetic processes tend asymptotically toward a "kinetic Wulff shape", the analogue of the Wulff shape, except it is based on the anisotropic interfacial kinetic coefficient. If it were not for long range transport, crystals would presumably nucleate with their equilibrium shape and then evolve toward their "kinetic Wulff shape". Allowing for long range transport leads to morphological instabilities on the scale of the geometric mean of a transport length (typically a diffusivity divided by the growth speed) and a capillary length (of the order of atomic dimensions). Resulting crystal growth shapes can be cellular or dendritic, but can also exhibit corners and facets related to the underlying crystallographic anisotropy. Within the last decade, powerful phase field models, based on a diffuse interface, have been used to treat simultaneously all of the above phenomena. Computed morphologies can exhibit cells, dendrites and facets, and the geometry of isotherms and isoconcentrates can also be determined. Results of such computations are illustrated in both two and three dimensions. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Semi-analytic Approaches to Collateralized Debt Obligation ModellingECONOMIC NOTES, Issue 2 2004Christian Bluhm Collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) constitute an important class of asset-backed securities. Most major banks use CDOs as portfolio management tools for achieving regulatory capital relief, economic risk transfer and funding. On the other side, banks and other financial institutions invest in CDO tranches with a risk/return profile matching their risk appetite and investment policies. For both sides (risk selling and risk buying) of a CDO transaction, sound mathematical tools are required for an evaluation of the deal. In this paper, we investigate some techniques for CDO modelling, paying special attention to approaches based on semi-analytic approximations. [source] A life cycle assessment of mechanical and feedstock recycling options for management of plastic packaging wastesENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, Issue 2 2005Floriana Perugini Abstract Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is generally considered one of the best environmental management tools that can be used to compare alternative eco-performances of recycling or disposal systems. It considers the environment as a whole, including indirect releases, energy and material consumption, emissions in the environment, and waste disposal and follows each activity from the extraction of raw materials to the return of wastes to the ground (cradle-to-grave approach). The study refers to the whole Italian system for recycling of household plastic packaging wastes. The aim was to quantify the overall environmental performances of mechanical recycling of plastic containers in Italy and to compare them with those of conventional options of landfilling or incineration and of a couple of innovative processes of feedstock recycling, low-temperature fluidized bed pyrolysis, and high-pressure hydrogenation. The results confirm that recycling scenarios are always preferable to those of nonrecycling. They also highlight the good environmental performance of new plastic waste management schemes that couple feedstock and mechanical recycling processes. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2005 [source] Complexity of resilient network optimisation,EUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS, Issue 7 2009Mateusz, otkiewicz Path restoration (PR) is one of the basic mechanisms for securing telecommunication networks against failures. In the paper, we discuss the complexity of certain variants of a multi-commodity flow network optimisation problem in directed graphs related to state-independent path restoration mechanisms. We demonstrate that most variants of the considered problem are -hard. Depending on the variant, we show how the problem can be reduced either from the partition problem or from the problem of finding an arc-disjoint pair of paths that connect two distinct pairs of nodes. We also demonstrate that at the same time the considered problem is difficult to approximate. The complexity results of the paper are important as they can help to devise proper algorithms for resilient network design tools. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Burkholderia anthina sp. nov. and Burkholderia pyrrocinia, two additional Burkholderia cepacia complex bacteria, may confound results of new molecular diagnostic toolsFEMS IMMUNOLOGY & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Peter Vandamme Abstract Nineteen Burkholderia cepacia -like isolates of human and environmental origin could not be assigned to one of the seven currently established genomovars using recently developed molecular diagnostic tools for B. cepacia complex bacteria. Various genotypic and phenotypic characteristics were examined. The results of this polyphasic study allowed classification of the 19 isolates as an eighth B. cepacia complex genomovar (Burkholderia anthina sp. nov.) and to design tools for its identification in the diagnostic laboratory. In addition, new and published data for Burkholderia pyrrocinia indicated that this soil bacterium is also a member of the B. cepacia complex. This highlights another potential source for diagnostic problems with B. cepacia -like bacteria. [source] A comparison of no-take zones and traditional fishery management tools for managing site-attached species with a mixed larval poolFISH AND FISHERIES, Issue 3 2007William J F Le Quesne Abstract No-take zones (NTZs) can generate higher larval production by sessile, sedentary and site-attached species per unit area than in exploited areas, and may increase recruitment and yield compared to status quo management. Whilst NTZs may be considered an essential part of optimal management, few studies have specifically compared the effects of NTZs with those of correctly applied gear and effort controls. A yield-per-recruit (YPR) population model, based on the sedentary abalone Haliotis laevigata, was used to compare the effects of management by minimum landing size (MLS), effort limitation and NTZs, either singularly or in combination. Initially, a minimum basic YPR model was used. Three additional assumptions were sequentially added to the model to see if they affected conclusions drawn from the model. The additional assumptions were the inclusion of: (i) a length,fecundity relationship; (ii) an age-dependent natural mortality function; and (iii) mortality of undersized individuals due to fishery operations. In the absence of undersized mortality caused by fishing, under virtually all conditions the population is best managed with a combination of MLS and effort control, without any NTZs. For simulations that included mortality of undersized individuals in the fished area, under nearly all circumstances NTZs were considered an essential part of optimal fishery management, and management incorporating NTZs greatly increased the sustainable yield that could be taken. [source] Does MPA mean ,Major Problem for Assessments'?FISH AND FISHERIES, Issue 4 2006Considering the consequences of place-based management systems Abstract Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been increasingly proposed, evaluated and implemented as management tools for achieving both fisheries and conservation objectives in aquatic ecosystems. However, there is a challenge associated with the application of MPAs in marine resource management with respect to the consequences to traditional systems of monitoring and managing fisheries resources. The place-based paradigm of MPAs can complicate the population-based paradigm of most fisheries stock assessments. In this review, we identify the potential complications that could result from both existing and future MPAs to the science and management systems currently in place for meeting conventional fisheries management objectives. The intent is not to evaluate the effects of implementing MPAs on fisheries yields, or even to consider the extent to which MPAs may achieve conservation oriented objectives, but rather to evaluate the consequences of MPA implementation on the ability to monitor and assess fishery resources consistent with existing methods and legislative mandates. Although examples are drawn primarily from groundfish fisheries on the West Coast of the USA, the lessons are broadly applicable to management systems worldwide, particularly those in which there exists the institutional infrastructure for managing resources based on quantitative assessments of resource status and productivity. [source] Changes in fish assemblages in catchments in north-eastern Spain: biodiversity, conservation status and introduced speciesFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 8 2010ALBERTO MACEDA-VEIGA Summary 1. North-eastern Spain is a hot spot for the introduction of alien fish species, and its native fish fauna is one of the most endangered worldwide. We used an extensive data set from 2002 to 2003 and historical information from the area to characterize fish diversity and establish conservation priorities in river catchments. 2. Diversity indices were used to characterize fish diversity at the basin scale. An index of conservation status was applied for each species, which considers the occurrence, abundance and endemicity of each taxon. We used indirect ordination methods to test the relationship among basin features and to identify those variables most correlated with each other. To identify physical, biotic and environmental characteristics that seem to make a basin particularly susceptible to invasion, we performed a step-wise multiple regression to examine the relationship between the number of native, translocated and introduced fish species (including the original native species richness of each basin), and landscape variables. 3. Over a period of approximately 50 years, the mean range size of native fish species has decreased by 60%. The greatest decline occurred in Gasterosteus gymnurus, Anguilla anguilla and Salaria fluviatilis, for which species over 75% of the original distribution area has been lost. The species with the highest conservation index were Gasterosteus gymnurus and Salaria fluviatilis. 4. Basin area and the catchment type explained 70% of variation in native species richness, whereas the number of dams and basin area accounted for more than 80% of variation in the number of introduced species. 5. The original native species richness and the number of introduced species at basin scale were not related, and thus there was no evidence of "biotic resistance" to invasion. The restoration of natural hydrologic processes and the development of specific management tools to protect native species, such as the prioritization of areas for fish conservation and the eradication of local populations of exotic species, are required to restore native fish fauna in these catchments. [source] Companies rehearse a very different future: Connecting leadership capability and strategy execution through simulationGLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 5 2009Ron Carucci How can an organization's leaders best learn the behaviors and competencies required in a very different future? "Rehearsing the future" simulations immerse leaders in a fictitious business context strategically similar to their company's desired future to solve critical issues as a leadership team. The author differentiates future rehearsal simulation from computer simulation; describes when, where, and why these simulations are effective; and details the process for building a simulation that integrates multiple leadership development tools. Two actual cases, a global technology corporation seeking a horizontally integrated platform of products and services and a biotech company determined to shorten its product development timelines, illustrate the benefits of simulation technology for leaders and the business. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Talent sourcing solutions in today's fragmented media realityGLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 3 2009Matthew Adam Gone are the days when a company could count on the Sunday classifieds to reach all its potential job candidates. Job seekers are using a plethora of new media tools, and it's time for employers to do the same. The author discusses recruiting strategies for conveying the employment brand, creating positive touch points to build relationships with job seekers not yet ready to apply, and reaching the large field of passive candidates not yet actively seeking a new employer. The author also discusses ways to turn a company jobs Web site into a powerful recruiting platform and provides ten online tools for driving applicant traffic to the site. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Modelling the concentrations of nitrogen and water-soluble carbohydrates in grass herbage ingested by cattle under strip-grazing managementGRASS & FORAGE SCIENCE, Issue 1 2008N. J. Hoekstra Abstract There is scope of increasing the nitrogen (N) efficiency of grazing cattle through manipulation of the energy and N concentrations in the herbage ingested. Because of asymmetric grazing by cattle between individual plant parts, it has not yet been established how this translates into the concentrations of N and water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) in the herbage ingested. A model is described with the objective of assessing the efficacy of individual tools in grassland management in manipulating the WSC and N concentrations of the herbage ingested by cattle under strip-grazing management throughout the growing season. The model was calibrated and independently evaluated for early (April), mid- (June, regrowth phase) and late (September) parts of the growing season. There was a high correlation between predicted and observed WSC concentrations in the ingested herbage (R2 = 0·78, P < 0·001). The correlation between predicted and observed neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) concentrations in the ingested herbage was lower (R2 = 0·49, P < 0·05) with a small absolute bias. Differences in the N concentration between laminae and sheaths, and between clean patches and fouled patches, were adequately simulated and it was concluded that the model could be used to assess the efficacy of grassland management tools for manipulating the WSC and N concentrations in the ingested herbage. Model application showed that reduced rates of application of N fertilizer and longer rotation lengths were effective tools for manipulating herbage quality in early and mid-season. During the later part of the growing season, the large proportion of area affected by dung and urine reduced the effect of application rate of N fertilizer on herbage quality. In contrast, relative differences between high-sugar and low-sugar cultivars of perennial ryegrass were largest during this period. This suggests that high-sugar cultivars may be an important tool in increasing N efficiency by cattle when risks of N losses to water bodies are largest. The model output showed that defoliation height affects the chemical composition of the ingested herbage of both the current and the subsequent grazing period. [source] CoagMDB: a database analysis of missense mutations within four conserved domains in five vitamin K,dependent coagulation serine proteases using a text-mining tool,HUMAN MUTATION, Issue 3 2008Rebecca E. Saunders Abstract Central repositories of mutations that combine structural, sequence, and phenotypic information in related proteins will facilitate the diagnosis and molecular understanding of diseases associated with them. Coagulation involves the sequential activation of serine proteases and regulators in order to yield stable blood clots while maintaining hemostasis. Five coagulation serine proteases,factor VII (F7), factor IX (F9), factor X (F10), protein C (PROC), and thrombin (F2),exhibit high sequence similarities and all require vitamin K. All five of these were incorporated into an interactive database of mutations named CoagMDB (http://www.coagMDB.org; last accessed: 9 August 2007). The large number of mutations involved (especially for factor IX) and the increasing problem of out-of-date databases required the development of new database management tools. A text mining tool automatically scans full-length references to identify and extract mutations. High recall rates between 96 and 99% and precision rates of 87 to 93% were achieved. Text mining significantly reduces the time and expertise required to maintain the databases and offers a solution to the problem of locus-specific database management and upkeep. A total of 875 mutations were extracted from 1,279 literature sources. Of these, 116 correspond to Gla domains, 86 to the N-terminal EGF domain, 73 to the C-terminal EGF domain, and 477 to the serine protease domain. The combination of text mining and consensus domain structures enables mutations to be correlated with experimentally-measurable phenotypes based on either low protein levels (Type I) or reduced functional activities (Type II), respectively. A tendency for the conservation of phenotype with structural location was identified. Hum Mutat 29(3), 333,344, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Management tools for the river-aquifer interfaceHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 15 2009John H. Tellam First page of article [source] The Importance of Conceptual and Concrete Modelling in Architectural Design EducationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ART & DESIGN EDUCATION, Issue 1 2009Aysu Akalin The design studio is the heart of architectural education. It is where future architects are moulded and the main forum for creative exploration, interaction and assimilation. This article argues for a ,studio-based learning' approach in terms of the impact of design tools, especially sketching and concrete modelling, on the creativity or problem-solving capabilities of a student. The implementation of a ,vertical design studio' model at Gazi University Department of Architecture is reported with examples of students' works. [source] Analysis of OTA-C filters with weakly nonlinear transconductorsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CIRCUIT THEORY AND APPLICATIONS, Issue 7 2008Slawomir KozielArticle first published online: 11 OCT 200 Abstract An efficient approach for analysis of nonlinear distortion in OTA-C filters with weakly nonlinear transconductors is presented. The procedure is developed based on an algebraic description of a general OTA-C filter structure and, therefore, the results are valid for any filter architecture within OTA-C class. On the basis of the proposed method, explicit formulas for calculating a gain compression/expansion ratio in an arbitrary OTA-C filter are developed. The formulas are easy to implement and use in computer-aided filter design tools. For illustration purposes, several filter structures are considered. The accuracy of the method is verified by comparing the results with the exact values of gain compression/expansion ratio achieved by integrating the differential system that determines the time response of OTA-C filter. The presented approach can be generalized in order to consider other nonlinear parameters. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Intervention program to reduce waiting time of a dermatological visit: Managed overbooking and service centralization as effective management toolsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 8 2007Yuval Bibi MD Background, Long waiting times are an impediment of dermatological patient care world-wide, resulting in significant disruption of clinical care and frustration among carers and patients. Objective, To reduce waiting times for dermatological appointments. Methods, A focus group including dermatologists and management personnel reviewed the scheduling process, mapped potential problems and proposed a comprehensive intervention program. The two major approaches taken in the intervention program were revision of the scheduling process by managed overbooking of patient appointments and centralization of the dermatological service into a centralized dermatological clinic. Results, Following the intervention program, the average waiting time for dermatological appointments decreased from 29.3 to 6.8 days. The number of scheduled appointments per 6 months rose from 17,007 to 20,433. Non-attendance proportion (no-show) decreased from 33% to 28%. Dermatologist work-hours were without significant change. Conclusions, Waiting lists for dermatological consultations were substantially shortened by managed overbooking of patient appointments and centralization of the service. [source] A reduction paradigm for output regulationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROBUST AND NONLINEAR CONTROL, Issue 7 2008F. Celani Abstract The goal of this paper is to provide a reduction paradigm for the design of output regulators which can be of interest for nonlinear as well as linear uncertain systems. The main motivation of the work is to provide a systematic design tool to deal with non-minimum-phase uncertain systems for which conventional high-gain stabilization methods are not effective. The contribution of the work is two-fold. First, this work extends a previous reduction paradigm for output regulation of nonlinear systems. Furthermore, in the case of the uncertain controlled dynamics being linear, we show how the proposed framework leads to a number of systematic design tools of interest for non-minimum-phase linear systems affected by severe uncertainties. A numerical control example of a linearized model of an inverted pendulum on a cart is presented. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Constructing life-tables for the invasive maize pest Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Col.; Chrysomelidae) in EuropeJOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 4 2006S. Toepfer Abstract:, The western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, Col.; Chrysomelidae) is an alien invasive species in Europe. It is a univoltine species with eggs that overwinter in the soil and larvae that hatch in spring. Three larval instars feed on maize roots, which can cause plant lodging and yield loss of economic importance. Adults emerge between mid-June and early August and can reduce yields through intensive silk feeding. In order to provide a thorough understanding of the population dynamics of this invasive pest species in the invaded European region, complete age specific life-tables were constructed in two maize fields in southern Hungary assessing the significance of natural mortality factors acting on D. v. virgifera populations. This information provides a rational basis for devising sustainable integrated pest management programmes, in particular, by enabling the identification of vulnerable pest age intervals for the timely application of various management tools. The life-table for D. v. virgifera in Europe resulted in a total mortality of about 99% from the egg stage in the autumn to the emergence of adult females in the following year (KTotal = 2.48), which is comparable with North America. The highest reduction of D. v. virgifera numbers resulted from the mortality in first instar larvae (94% marginal death rate) and from the unrealized fecundity (80%). However, only the variation in mortality between years can change the generational mortality and thus influence population growth. High variation in the marginal death rate between fields and years was found in the second and third instar larval stages, and in the overwintering egg stage. These mortality factors therefore have the potential to cause changes in the total generational mortality. Furthermore, the life-table suggested that a high fecundity could compensate for a high generational mortality and would lead to population increase. [source] Managing Earnings with Intercorporate InvestmentsJOURNAL OF BUSINESS FINANCE & ACCOUNTING, Issue 5-6 2006Øyvind Bøhren Abstract:, We explore to what extent firms deliberately manage their financial reports by exploiting the flexibility of generally accepted accounting principles. Using a sample of Oslo Stock Exchange-listed firms with 20,50% equity holdings in other firms, we find that firms with high financial leverage tend to maximize reported earnings from these investments through their choice between the cost method and the equity method, possibly in an attempt to reduce debt renegotiation costs or to avoid regulatory attention. In contrast, managers do not systematically bias reported earnings to extract private benefits or to signal revised expectations about future cash flows. Firms use different earnings management tools in a consistent way, as the earnings effect of the cost/equity choice is not offset by discretionary accruals. [source] Process integration technology review: background and applications in the chemical process industryJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 9 2003Russell F Dunn Abstract Process integration is a holistic approach to process design and operation which emphasizes the unity of the process. Process integration design tools have been developed over the past two decades to achieve process improvement, productivity enhancement, conservation in mass and energy resources, and reductions in the operating and capital costs of chemical processes. The primary applications of these integrated tools have focused on resource conservation, pollution prevention and energy management. Specifically, the past two decades have seen the development and/or application of process integration design tools for heat exchange networks (HENs), wastewater reduction and water conservation networks, mass exchange networks (MENs), heat- and energy-induced separation networks (HISENs and EISENs), waste interception networks (WINs) and heat- and energy-induced waste minimization networks (HIWAMINs and EIWAMINs), to name a few. This paper provides an overview of some of these developments and outlines major driving forces and hurdles. The fundamental aspects of this approach along with their incorporation in an overall design methodology will be discussed. The paper also highlights several recent applications of process integration to industrial processes. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Long-term effects of prescribed early fire, grazing and selective tree cutting on seedling populations in the Sudanian savanna of Burkina FasoAFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Didier Zida Abstract Annual early fire, selective tree cutting and exclusion of grazing are currently used as management tools in the Sudanian savanna of Burkina Faso although their long-term effects on seedling recruitment are poorly documented. A factorial experiment involving fire, grazing and cutting, each with two levels, was established in 1992 to study the effects of these management regimes and their interactions on the regeneration of woody species, and examine whether their effects varied temporally. Species richness, density and the morphology of seedlings were assessed in 1997 and 2002, and their relative changes were determined. The change in species richness of multi-stemmed individuals was significantly higher (P = 0.018) on plots that received fire × cutting treatment than the control plots. Significantly more species with single-stem were found on unburnt than on burnt plots (P < 0.001). Grazing tended to reduce the change in total density while fire (P < 0.001) and grazing (P = 0.029) significantly reduced the change in density of single-stemmed individuals. Selective cutting did not affect the total seedling density, but tended to reduce the change in single-stemmed seedling density. Principal component analysis revealed species-specific responses to treatments, particularly the relatively high abundance of lianas compared with other species. Résumé Les feux annuels précoces, la coupe sélective d'arbres et l'exclusion du pâturage sont des moyens actuellement utilisés dans la gestion de la savane soudanienne du Burkina Faso, mais leurs effets à long terme sur le recrutement de jeunes plants sont encore mal documentés. Une expérience factorielle impliquant le feu, le pâturage et la coupe, chacun à deux niveaux, a été mis en place en 1992 pour étudier les effets de ces régimes de gestion et leurs interactions sur la régénération d'espèces ligneuses et pour voir si ces effets variaient de façon temporelle. La richesse spécifique, la densité et la morphologie des jeunes plants furent évaluées en 1997 et en 2002, et l'on a leurs changements relatifs déterminés. Le changement de la richesse spécifique des individus multicoles était significativement plus important (P = 0.018) dans les parcelles qui avaient subi le traitement feu × coupe que dans les parcelles témoins. On a trouvé significativement plus d'espèces à tige unique dans les parcelles non brûlées que dans les parcelles brûlées (P < 0.001). Le pâturage avait tendance à réduire le changement de densité totale alors que le feu (P < 0.001) et le pâturage (P = 0.029) réduisaient significativement le changement de densité des individus à tige unique. La coupe sélective n'affectait pas la densité totale des jeunes plants mais avait tendance à réduire le changement de la densité des plants à tige unique. L'analyse en composantes principales a révélé que les réponses aux différents traitements étaient spécifiques aux espèces, particulièrement l'abondance de lianes, relativement grande par rapport aux autres espèces. [source] An observational study of health professionals' use of evidence to inform the development of clinical management toolsJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 16 2008Alison M Hutchinson BAppSc, MBioeth Aim., This observational study sought to investigate the process of evidence use by health professionals during development of evidence-based clinical management tools. Background., Studies conducted to explore the process of research use are scarce and knowledge of this process is essential for our understanding of the influences on research use in practice. Design., A qualitative, non-participant, observational design. Methods., Behaviour and actions of two separate multidisciplinary teams were observed and audio-recorded during a combined total of seven meetings for the development of clinical management tools. Semi-structured, one-to-one interviews were conducted approximately half-way through the development process and following completion of the clinical management tools. Results., Three major themes emerged from this research. First, the process of clinical management tool development and evidence use. Nurses assumed responsibility for coordination of development which focused on describing current practice. Second, the forms of evidence employed during the development process included the use of experiential knowledge, opinions and knowledge of the context, in addition to research evidence. However, reference to research evidence was limited and its incorporation into the instrument was infrequently observed. Third, the use of research evidence emerged with respect to how such evidence was employed. Conclusion., This study focused on real-life discussion and decision-making that occurred between health professionals when developing evidence-based clinical management tools. Health professionals may have a tendency to rely on their professional experience and current practice in preference to seeking and applying relevant research evidence. Relevance to clinical practice., Nurses have an important role to play in the development of multidisciplinary evidence-based clinical management tools, but to actively participate in this process they need to be familiar with the relevant research evidence and have the skills and confidence to integrate the evidence into practice. [source] Designing for inquiry-based learning with the Learning Activity Management SystemJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 3 2009P. Levy Abstract This paper explores the relationship between practitioners' pedagogical purposes, values and practices in designing for inquiry-based learning in higher education, and the affordances of the Learning Activity Management System (LAMS) as a tool for creating learning designs in this context. Using a qualitative research methodology, variation was identified in participants' conceptions of inquiry-based learning pedagogy and in their approaches to inquiry-based learning design. LAMS was found to offer design affordances that are compatible with more strongly teacher-led conceptions of, and approaches to, inquiry-based learning pedagogy. The paper draws some implications for the further development and use of design tools for inquiry-based learning. The authors suggest that, in addition to tools created for teachers, there may be a valuable role for tools that explicitly support students as designers of their own inquiry processes and activities. [source] The cost management edge for financial servicesJOURNAL OF CORPORATE ACCOUNTING & FINANCE, Issue 3 2005Ashish Garg Holding down costs has long been a corporate objective, yet companies continue to struggle to find ways to generate better-quality information,either with the help of, or sometimes in spite of, the cost management tools already in place. But as a best-practices survey shows, cost management,when executed effectively,can be a key contributor to strategic goals. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Towards memory supporting personal information management toolsJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 7 2007David Elsweiler In this article, the authors discuss reretrieving personal information objects and relate the task to recovering from lapse(s) in memory. They propose that memory lapses impede users from successfully refinding the information they need. Their hypothesis is that by learning more about memory lapses in noncomputing contexts and about how people cope and recover from these lapses, we can better inform the design of personal information management (PIM) tools and improve the user's ability to reaccess and reuse objects. They describe a diary study that investigates the everyday memory problems of 25 people from a wide range of backgrounds. Based on the findings, they present a series of principles that they hypothesize will improve the design of PIM tools. This hypothesis is validated by an evaluation of a tool for managing personal photographs, which was designed with respect to the authors' findings. The evaluation suggests that users' performance when refinding objects can be improved by building personal information management tools to support characteristics of human memory. [source] A Retrospective Look at the Water Resource Management Policies in Nassau County, Long Island, New York,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 5 2008Daniel J. St. Germain Abstract:, The residents of Nassau County Long Island, New York receive all of their potable drinking water from the Upper Glacial, Jameco/Magothy (Magothy), North Shore, and Lloyd aquifers. As the population of Nassau County grew from 1930 to 1970, the demand on the ground-water resources also grew. However, no one was looking at the potential impact of withdrawing up to 180 mgd (7.9 m3/s) by over 50 independent water purveyors. Some coastal community wells on the north and south shores of Nassau County were being impacted by saltwater intrusion. The New York State Legislature formed a commission to look into the water resources in 1972. The commission projected extensive population growth and a corresponding increase in pumping resulting in a projected 93.5 to 123 mgd (4.1 to 5.5 m3/s) deficit by 2000. In 1986, the New York Legislature passed legislation to strengthen the well permit program and also establish a moratorium on new withdrawals from the Lloyd aquifer to protect the coastal community's only remaining supply of drinking water. Over 30 years has passed since the New York Legislature made these population and pumping projections and it is time to take a look at the accuracy of the projections that led to the moratorium. United States Census data shows that the population of Nassau County did not increase but decreased from 1970 to 2000. Records show that pumping in Nassau County was relatively stable fluctuating between 170 and 200 mgd (7.5 to 8.8 m3/s) from 1970 to 2004, well below the projection of 242 to 321 mgd (10.6 to 14.1 m3/s). Therefore, the population and water demand never grew to projected values and the projected threat to the coastal communities has diminished. With a stable population and water demand, its time to take a fresh look at proactive ground-water resource management in Nassau County. One example of proactive ground-water management that is being considered in New Jersey where conditions are similar uses a ground-water flow model to balance ground water withdrawals, an interconnection model to match supply with demand using available interconnections, and a hydraulic model to balance flow in water mains. New Jersey also conducted an interconnection study to look into how systems with excess capacity could be used to balance withdrawals in stressed aquifer areas with withdrawals in unstressed areas. Using these proactive ground-water management tools, ground-water extraction could be balanced across Nassau County to mitigate potential impacts from saltwater intrusion and provide most water purveyors with a redundant supply that could be used during water emergencies. [source] EVALUATION OF COASTAL PLAIN CONSERVATION BUFFERS USING THE RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT MODEL,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 6 2001Richard Lowrance ABSTRACT: Riparian buffers are increasingly important as watershed management tools and are cost-shared by programs such as Conservation Reserve that are part of the USDA Conservation Buffer Initiative. Riparian buffers as narrow as 4.6m (15ft) are eligible for cost-share by USDA. The Riparian Ecosystem Management Model (REMM) provides a tool to judge water quality improvement by buffers and to set design criteria for nutrient and sediment load reduction. REMM was used for a Coastal Plain site to simulate 14 different buffers ranging from 4.6 m to 51.8 m (15 to 170 ft) with three different types of vegetation (hardwood trees, pine trees, and perennial grass) with two water and nutrient loads. The load cases were low sediment/low nutrient-typical of a well managed agricultural field and low sediment/high nutrient-typical of liquid manure application to perennial forage crops. Simulations showed that the minimum width buffer (4.6 m) was inadequate for control of nutrients under either load case. The minimum width buffer that is eligible for cost share assistance on a field with known water quality problems (10.7 m, 35 ft) was projected to achieve at least 50 percent reduction of N, P, and sediment in the load cases simulated. 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