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Case Study (case + study)
Kinds of Case Study Terms modified by Case Study Selected AbstractsADAPTATION KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION: A CASE STUDY FOR CASE-BASED DECISION SUPPORT IN ONCOLOGYCOMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, Issue 3-4 2006Mathieu D'Aquin Kasimir is a case-based decision support system in the domain of breast cancer treatment. For this system, a problem is given by the description of a patient and a solution is a set of therapeutic decisions. Given a target problem, Kasimir provides several suggestions of solutions, based on several justified adaptations of source cases. Such adaptation processes are based on adaptation knowledge. The acquisition of this kind of knowledge from experts is presented in this paper. It is shown how the decomposition of adaptation processes by introduction of intermediate problems can highlight simple and generalizable adaptation steps. Moreover, some adaptation knowledge units that are generalized from those acquired for Kasimir are presented. This knowledge can be instantiated in other case-based decision support systems, in particular in medicine. [source] PLANNING FOR A NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM IN A UNIVERSITY ENVIRONMENT: A CASE STUDYCURATOR THE MUSEUM JOURNAL, Issue 2 2000Scott M. Lanyon First page of article [source] RESEARCH VULNERABILITY: AN ILLUSTRATIVE CASE STUDY FROM THE SOUTH AFRICAN MINING INDUSTRYDEVELOPING WORLD BIOETHICS, Issue 3 2007LYN HORN ABSTRACT The concept of ,vulnerability' is well established within the realm of research ethics and most ethical guidelines include a section on ,vulnerable populations'. However, the term ,vulnerability', used within a human research context, has received a lot of negative publicity recently and has been described as being simultaneously ,too broad' and ,too narrow'.1 The aim of the paper is to explore the concept of research vulnerability by using a detailed case study , that of mineworkers in post-apartheid South Africa. In particular, the usefulness of Kipnis's taxonomy of research vulnerability will be examined.2 In recent years the volume of clinical research on human subjects in South Africa has increased significantly. The HIV and TB pandemics have contributed to this increase. These epidemics have impacted negatively on the mining industry; and mining companies have become increasingly interested in research initiatives that address these problems. This case study explores the potential research vulnerability of mineworkers in the context of the South African mining industry and examines measures that can reduce this vulnerability. [source] EX VIVO CASE STUDY OF ENDOCYTOSCOPY IN SUPERFICIAL ESOPHAGEAL CANCERDIGESTIVE ENDOSCOPY, Issue 2007Mototsugu Kato Microscopic observation at the cellular level using endocytoscopy was obtained in surface mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. This paper describes ex vivo images for endoscopically resected specimens of superficial esophageal cancer using endocytoscopy with methylene blue staining. The endocytoscopy images of cancerous and non-cancerous sites corresponded generally with horizontal histological images. The pattern of the cellular arrangement and the size and shape of cells were similar between endocytoscopy and horizontal histological imaging. Endocytoscopy is an effective tool for diagnosis of esophageal cancer. [source] SHARED SERVICES IN AUSTRALIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT: A CASE STUDY OF THE QUEENSLAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION MODELECONOMIC PAPERS: A JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECONOMICS AND POLICY, Issue 4 2008BRIAN DOLLERY Professor of Economics, Director A host of recent public inquiries into Australian local government have recommended increased use of shared services and resource-sharing models between groups of local councils. While little is known about the extent and consequences of service sharing, emphasis has been fixed on ,horizontal' shared service models between different local councils in the same municipal jurisdictions. However, other models of shared services and resource sharing are possible. This paper considers the Queensland Local Government Association (LGAQ) model as a case study of a resource sharing between all councils in a given system of local government. This form of shared service and resource sharing seems to offer excellent prospects for cost savings and capacity enhancement. [source] GENE FLOW AND SPECIES DELIMITATION: A CASE STUDY OF TWO PINE SPECIES WITH OVERLAPPING DISTRIBUTIONS IN SOUTHEAST CHINAEVOLUTION, Issue 8 2010Yong Feng Zhou Species delimitation detected by molecular markers is complicated by introgression and incomplete lineage sorting between species. Recent modeling suggests that fixed genetic differences between species are highly related to rates of intraspecific gene flow. However, it remains unclear whether such differences are due to high levels of intraspecific gene flow overriding the spread of introgressed alleles or favoring rapid lineage sorting between species. In pines, chloroplast (cp) and mitochondrial (mt) DNAs are normally paternally and maternally inherited, respectively, and thus their relative rates of intraspecific gene flow are expected to be high and low, respectively. In this study, we used two pine species with overlapping geographical distributions in southeast China, P. massoniana and P. hwangshanensis, as a model system to examine the association between organelle gene flow and variation within and between species. We found that cpDNA variation across these two pine species is more species specific than mtDNA variation and almost delimits taxonomic boundaries. The shared mt/cp DNA genetic variation between species shows no bias in regard to parapatric versus allopatric species' distributions. Our results therefore support the hypothesis that high intraspecific gene flow has accelerated cpDNA lineage sorting between these two pine species. [source] THE GEOGRAPHICAL PATTERN OF SPECIATION AND FLORAL DIVERSIFICATION IN THE NEOTROPICS: THE TRIBE SINNINGIEAE (GESNERIACEAE) AS A CASE STUDYEVOLUTION, Issue 7 2007Mathieu Perret The geographical pattern of speciation and the relationship between floral variation and species ranges were investigated in the tribe Sinningieae (Gesneriaceae), which is found mainly in the Atlantic forests of Brazil. Geographical distribution data recorded on a grid system of 0.5 × 0.5 degree intervals and a near-complete species-level phylogenetic tree of Sinningieae inferred from a simultaneous analysis of seven DNA regions were used to address the role of geographical isolation in speciation. Geographical range overlaps between sister lineages were measured across all nodes in the phylogenetic tree and analyzed in relation to relative ages estimated from branch lengths. Although there are several cases of species sympatry in Sinningieae, patterns of sympatry between sister taxa support the predominance of allopatric speciation. The pattern of sympatry between sister taxa is consistent with range shifts following allopatric speciation, except in one clade, in which the overlapping distribution of recent sister species indicates speciation within a restricted geographical area and involving changes in pollinators and habitats. The relationship between floral divergence and regional sympatry was also examined by analyzing floral contrasts, phenological overlap, and the degree of sympatry between sister clades. Morphological contrast between flowers is not increased in sympatry and phenological divergence is more apparent between allopatric clades than between sympatric clades. Therefore, our results failed to indicate a tendency for sympatric taxa to minimize morphological and phenological overlap (geographic exclusion and/or character displacement hypotheses). Instead, they point toward adaptation in phenology to local conditions and buildup of sympatries at random with respect to flower morphology. Additional studies at a lower geographical scale are needed to identify truely coexisting species and the components of their reproductive isolation. [source] ON THE GEOCHRONOLOGICAL METHOD VERSUS FLOW SIMULATION SOFTWARE APPLICATION FOR LAHAR RISK MAPPING: A CASE STUDY OF POPOCATÉPETL VOLCANO, MEXICOGEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES A: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2010ESPERANZA MUÑOZ-SALINAS ABSTRACT. Lahars are hazardous events that can cause serious damage to people who live close to volcanic areas; several were registered at different times in the last century, such as at Mt St Helens (USA) in 1980, Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia) in 1985 and Mt Pinatubo (Philippines) in 1990. Risk maps are currently used by decision-makers to help them plan to mitigate the hazard-risk of lahars. Risk maps are acquired based on a series of tenets that take into account the distribution and chronology of past lahar deposits, and basically two approaches have been used: (1) The use of Flow Simulation Software (FSS), which simulates flows along channels in a Digital Elevation Model and (2) The Geochronological Method (GM), in which the mapping is based on the evaluation of lahar magnitude and frequency. This study addresses the production of a lahar risk map using the two approaches (FSS and GM) for a study area located at Popocatépetl volcano , Central Mexico. Santiago Xalitzintla, a town located on the northern flank of Popocatépetl volcano, where volcanic activity in recent centuries has triggered numerous lahars that have endangered local inhabitants, has been used for the case study. Results from FSS did not provide satisfactory findings because they were not consistent with lahar sediment observations made during fieldwork. By contrast, the GM produced results consistent with these observations, and therefore we use them to assess the hazard and produce the risk map for the study area. [source] METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS DURING SLUSH-FLOW RELEASE AND THEIR GEOMORPHOLOGICAL IMPACT IN NORTHWESTERN ICELAND: A CASE STUDY FROM THE BÍLDUDALUR VALLEYGEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES A: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2006ARMELLE DECAULNE ABSTRACT. This paper examines triggering factors and geomorphic significance of slush flows in the Bíldudalur valley, northwestern Iceland. The area is prone to release slush flows from two confined gullies, and at least ten flows have been reported since the beginning of the twentieth century. Despite their short path (600 m) and their moderate magnitude (from 6000 to 8000 m3), slush flows in the Bíldudalur valley represent a serious threat for the local community that is situated within the runout and deposition zones. With the help of meteorological data, the release of known slush flows is examined, highlighting the role of heavy rainfall and rapid snow-melt during winter cyclonic activity. The geomorphological impact of slush flows is assessed through the characteristics of the landforms produced during the 1997 and 1998 slush-flow events. It appears that the most obvious characteristics of slush flows in the Bíldudalur valley are the entrainment and deposition of debris, spatially differentiated. Chaotic sedimentation occurs chiefly in the middle part of a clearly concave cone, even if the flows continue beyond the cone. [source] CASE STUDY: BUILDING BRIDGES OF HOPE , A "LIVING LABORATORY" FOR MISSION-MINDED CHURCHESINTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF MISSION, Issue 364 2003Simon Barrow First page of article [source] CASE STUDY: THE FOCOLARE MOVEMENT , EVANGELIZATION AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE: PART 1INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF MISSION, Issue 364 2003Lorna Gold First page of article [source] PIZZA WARS: A CASE STUDY ON FALSE ADVERTISING UNDER SECTION 43 OF THE LANHAM ACTJOURNAL OF LEGAL STUDIES EDUCATION, Issue 2 2002Steven J. Arsenault [source] TIRES R US: A CASE STUDY IN CHOOSING A TRADE NAME AND SERVICE MARKJOURNAL OF LEGAL STUDIES EDUCATION, Issue 1 2001John Dickson [source] COUPLES THERAPY FOR WOMEN SURVIVORS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE WHO ARE IN ADDICTIONS RECOVERY: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF TREATMENT PROCESS AND OUTCOMEJOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 1 2001Barry Trute Treatment for women who are survivors of child sexual abuse and who have a history of substance abuse has largely involved gender-specific interventions. This study examines the use of conjoint couple therapy with a cohort of women who were survivors of child sexual abuse and who are in addiction recovery and with their partners. A comparative case study analysis incorporated standardized clinical measures with client and therapist interviews. Brief conjoint therapy was found to assist couples in the specific relationship skill areas of communication and mutual problem solving. Further, substantive gains were found in the realm of affective relations. The women reported an increase in support from their male partners, and the men reported a decrease in negative emotional atmosphere in the relationship. [source] A FUZZY LOGIC APPROACH TO ESTIMATING HYDRAULIC FLOW UNITS FROM WELL LOG DATA: A CASE STUDY FROM THE AHWAZ OILFIELD, SOUTH IRANJOURNAL OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY, Issue 1 2009A. Kadkhodaie-Ilkhchi Porosity-permeability relationships in the framework of hydraulic flow units can be used to characterize heterogeneous reservoir rocks. Porosity is a volumetric parameter whereas permeability is a measure of a rock's flow properties and depends on pore distribution and connectivity. Thus zonation of a reservoir using flow zone indicators and the identification of flow units can be used to evaluate reservoir quality based on porosity-permeability relationships. In the present study, we attempt to make a quantitative correlation between flow units and well log responses using fuzzy logic in the mixed carbonate-clastic Asmari Formation at the Ahwaz oilfield, South Iran. A hybrid neuro-fuzzy approach was used to verify the results of fuzzy modelling. For this purpose, well log and core data from three wells at Ahwaz were used to make an intelligent formulation between core-derived flow units and well log responses. Data from a separate well was used for evaluation and validation of the results. The results of this study demonstrate that there is a good agreement between core-derived and fuzzy-logic derived flow units. Fuzzy logic was successful in modelling flow units from well logs at well locations for which no core data was available. [source] GEOLOGICAL MODEL EVALUATION THROUGH WELL TEST SIMULATION: A CASE STUDY FROM THE WYTCH FARM OILFIELD, SOUTHERN ENGLANDJOURNAL OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY, Issue 1 2007S.Y. Zheng This paper presents an approach to the evaluation of reservoir models using transient pressure data. Braided fluvial sandstones exposed in cliffs in SW England were studied as the surface equivalent of the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone, a reservoir unit at the nearby Wytch Farm oilfield. Three reservoir models were built; each used a different modelling approach ranging in complexity from stochastic pixel-based modelling using commercially available software, to a spreadsheet random number generator. In order to test these models, numerical well test simulations were conducted using sector models extracted from the geological models constructed. The simulation results were then evaluated against the actual well test data in order to find the model which best represented the field geology. Two wells at Wytch Farm field were studied. The results suggested that for one of the sampled wells, the model built using the spreadsheet random number generator gave the best match to the well test data. In the well, the permeability from the test interpretation matched the geometric average permeability. This average is the "correct" upscaled permeability for a random system, and this was consistent with the random nature of the geological model. For the second well investigated, a more complex "channel object" model appeared to fit the dynamic data better. All the models were built with stationary properties. However, the well test data suggested that some parts of the field have different statistical properties and hence show non-stationarity. These differences would have to be built into the model representing the local geology. This study presents a workflow that is not yet considered standard in the oil industry, and the use of dynamic data to evaluate geological models requires further development. The study highlights the fact that the comparison or matching of results from reservoir models and well-test analyses is not always straightforward in that different models may match different wells. The study emphasises the need for integrated analyses of geological and engineering data. The methods and procedures presented are intended to form a feedback loop which can be used to evaluate the representivity of a geological model. [source] GEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF WELL TEST ANALYSIS: A CASE STUDY FROM A FLUVIAL RESERVOIR IN THE GULF OF THAILANDJOURNAL OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY, Issue 1 2003S. Y. Zheng One problem with the inversion of transient well test data is that it can yield a non-unique solution. The uncertainty resulting from this type of approach can only be resolved by considering information from another source such as geology. Geological information will help to define the interpretation model which will ensure the correct analysis of the well test data. The results of well test analyses are of little value to reservoir characterisation and modelling unless they can be explained from a geological point of view. This last step is what we refer to here as geological interpretation. Other sources of information which can help with well test analyses come from seismic surveys and petrophysics. Modern well test interpretation therefore consists of two major steps: analysis of the well test data; and interpretation of the results. In detail, this should include the following: 1definition of an interpretation model , this requires the integration of geological, seismic and petrophysical data with transient pressure data 2analysis of the well test data based on the interpretation model defined 3geological interpretation of the results, which is necessary in order to explain or give meaning to the results. In this paper, we present a case study from a fluvial gas reservoir in the Gulf of Thailand which demonstrates these procedures. In the context of a defined geological environment, a transient pressure test has been fully analysed. Newly-developed software based on the finite element method has been used to forward model the test scenarios. This allowed the results of seismic and petrophysical analyses to be integrated into the well test model. This case study illustrates the integrated use of geological, petrophysical, well test and seismic attribute data in defining a reservoir model which respects both the reservoir geometry at some distance from the well location and also the reservoir's heterogeneity. We focus on a particular well in the Pattani Basin at which conventional well test analyses have been conducted. By considering the results of these analyses, forward modelling was carried out in which the drainage area was "cut" out of the structural map defined by seismic interpretation; also, the formation's internal heterogeneity was modelled according to well logs and petrophysical analyses. Finally, analytical and simulation results were compared with the transient pressure data. We conclude that the integration of geological, seismic, petrophysical and well test data greatly reduced uncertainties in well test interpretation. The consistency of the results and the fact that they satisfied all the relevant disciplines meant that much more confidence could be given to their interpretation. [source] TOWARD GREENER DIALYSIS: A CASE STUDY TO ILLUSTRATE AND ENCOURAGE THE SALVAGE OF REJECT WATERJOURNAL OF RENAL CARE, Issue 2 2010Andrew Connor MRCP SUMMARY Climate change is now considered to be a major global public health concern. However, the very provision of health care itself has a significant impact upon the environment. Action must be taken to reduce this impact. Water is a precious and finite natural resource. Vast quantities of high-grade water are required to provide haemodialysis. The reverse osmosis systems used in the purification process reject approximately two-thirds of the water presented to them. Therefore, around 250 litres of ,reject water' result from the production of the dialysate required for one treatment. This good quality reject water is lost-to-drain in the vast majority of centres worldwide. Simple methodologies exist to recycle this water for alternative purposes. We describe here a case study of the only UK renal service we know to have implemented such water-saving methodologies. We outline the benefits in terms of financial and environmental savings. [source] CONSUMER PERCEPTION OF IRRADIATED FRUIT: A CASE STUDY USING CHOICE-BASED CONJOINT ANALYSISJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 2 2010ROSIRES DELIZA ABSTRACT Papaya is a popular fruit among Brazilian consumers, but one problem is that fruit ripens quickly due to the high temperatures of the country. Irradiation is an effective way of slowing down ripening, hereby increasing shelf-life, but consumer acceptance of this novel technology is paramount for its successful introduction by industry. Using conjoint analysis, this research measures consumer acceptance of irradiated papaya fruit in a sample of urban Brazilian consumers. The study assesses the joint influence of product appearance, price and information about the use of irradiation for consumer choice. Real fruit was used and consumer responses were collected through intercept interviews in supermarkets. These two empirical aspects add external validity to the research. The responses from a convenience sample of 168 consumers from Rio de Janeiro revealed that the product appearance, as a proxy for product quality, was the most important factor influencing decision to purchase papaya. Price was of lesser importance. The participants in this study did not reject papaya due to the labelled information about the use of irradiation. This suggests irradiation as a viable alternative for fruit producers. Consumers demonstrated no knowledge about food irradiation, and education initiatives may be useful as a strategy to aid commercial introduction of irradiated papaya in Brazil. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This study has important practical implications for Brazilian agribusinesses because it contributes to our understanding of the relationship between market changes, consumer behavior, food products and processing technologies. It has shown that sensory appearance was the key factor influencing Brazilian consumers' choice of papaya, however, more education and information regarding irradiation technology should be provided. The results suggest that irradiation could be used in Brazil and provide a viable alternative to fruit producers. As a consequence, these results are useful for strategic planning of consumer education regarding food irradiation (with emphasis on the benefits of processing and addressing the myths), something which could, eventually, contribute to a more favorable consumer response to the technology. [source] CHAOTIC FORECASTING OF DISCHARGE TIME SERIES: A CASE STUDY,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 2 2001Francesco Lisi ABSTRACT: This paper considers the problem of forecasting the discharge time series of a river by means of a chaotic approach. To this aim, we first check for some evidence of chaotic behavior in the dynamic by considering a set of different procedures, namely, the phase portrait of the attractor, the correlation dimension, and the largest Lyapunov exponent. Their joint application seems to confirm the presence of a nonlinear deterministic dynamic of chaotic type. Second, we consider the so-called nearest neighbors predictor and we compare it with a classical linear model. By comparing these two predictors, it seems that nonlinear river flow modeling, and in particular chaotic modeling, is an effective method to improve predictions. [source] URBAN PAUPERIZATION UNDER CHINA'S SOCIAL EXCLUSION: A CASE STUDY OF NANJINGJOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS, Issue 1 2008YUTING LIU ABSTRACT:,This article articulates how two new urban poverty groups, namely the new urban poor and poor rural migrants, are pauperized under China's social exclusion. We argue that the two poverty groups experience different pauperization processes and are subjected to distinctive social exclusions with relevance to their institutional-based status and changes in it. The urban poor experience status change from being beneficiaries of the planned economy to being victims of the market economy, and become a vulnerable group characterized by market exclusion and limited welfare dependency. The status of poor rural migrants changes from being institutionally inferior farmers in the planned economy to being a marginal group of urban society, which is now subjected to institutional exclusion and the resultant social exclusion. This research argues that positive social policies should be considered and a social security system should be established to pay more attention to the development issues of the urban poor. [source] FOLLOWING THE SIGNS: APPLYING URBAN REGIME ANALYSIS TO A UK CASE STUDYJOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS, Issue 5 2007NANCY HOLMAN ABSTRACT:,As the debate continues regarding the applicability of urban regime analysis in a UK context, three aspects stand out as highly significant: the target for analysis, the mode of scrutiny, and the context of local governing arrangements with its implications for interdependence as an impetus for co-operation. This article will examine urban regime analysis and the move from government to governance in order to answer why and how the private, voluntary and public sectors might be inclined to collaborate in regimes. In addition, the regime analysis will provide the parameters for examination whilst the issue of governance will afford context for local governing arrangements. Although some issues require slight reframing to reflect the UK context, the article will follow a rigorous framework for examination utilizing the full weight of regime analysis as articulated by Stone such that it could not be accused of "concept stretching." Far from it: Through the examination of an informal partnership, a coalition of actors from the public, private, and voluntary sectors that has been in existence for more than 13 years, the article focuses, specifically, on the long-term, less visible aspects of local governance. As such, it is able to demonstrate how economic and political change can have a tangible effect on the manifestation of interdependence as an impetus for co-operation, not only for this specific locale but also for other cities facing similar challenges. [source] AN APPLICATION OF MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION MAKING INCORPORATING STOCHASTIC PRODUCTION FRONTIERS: A CASE STUDY OF ORGANIC COFFEE PRODUCTION IN KONA, HAWAIINATURAL RESOURCE MODELING, Issue 1 2010TADAYOSHI MASUDA Abstract In this paper, we develop a land use allocation model to search for the optimal ratio of organic (nonchemical) and conventional (chemical-use) farming acreage. The idea is to incorporate stochastic production frontiers (SPFs) to a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) model as technological constraints. The objectives of this model are to maximize net returns, minimize chemical inputs, and optimize organic inputs given environmental and ecological concerns. The compromise solutions suggest the desirable ratio of organic and conventional farming acreage and targetable operations for each farming system to improve regional welfare. This method was applied to the Kona coffee belt, Hawaii, and the analysis determined the optimal proportion of organic and conventional Kona coffee farming fields as 0.265 to 0.735 in terms of optimizing community benefits or regional welfare. [source] UPSTREAM VOLATILITY IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN: THE MACHINE TOOL INDUSTRY AS A CASE STUDYPRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2000EDWARD G. ANDERSON JR. Cyclicality is a well-known and accepted fact of life in market-driven economies. Less well known or understood, however, is the phenomenon of amplification as one looks "upstream" in the industrial supply chain. We examine the amplification phenomenon and its implications through the lens of one upstream industry that is notorious for the intensity of the business cycles it faces: the machine tool industry. Amplification of demand volatility in capital equipment supply chains, e. g., machine tools, is particularly large relative to that seen in distribution and component parts supply chains. We present a system dynamics simulation model to capture demand volatility amplification in capital supply chains. We explore the lead-time, inventory, production, productivity, and staffing implications of these dynamic forces. Several results stand out. First, volatility hurts productivity and lowers average worker experience. Second, even though machine tool builders can do little to reduce the volatility in their order streams through choice of forecast rule, a smoother forecasting policy will lead companies to retain more of their skilled work force. This retention of skilled employees is often cited as one of the advantages that European and Japanese companies have had relative to their U. S. competitors. Our results suggest some insights for supply chain design and management: downstream customers can do a great deal to reduce the volatility for upstream suppliers through their choice of order forecast rule. In particular, companies that use smoother forecasting policies tend to impose less of their own volatility upon their supply base and may consequently enjoy system-wide cost reduction. [source] EUROPEANIZATION AND BUREAUCRATIC AUTONOMY IN THE NEW MEMBER STATES: A CASE STUDY OF THE AGRICULTURAL PAYING AGENCY IN SLOVAKIAPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Issue 4 2009MIROSLAV BEBLAVÝArticle first published online: 23 NOV 200 The paper explores the impact of Europeanization on bureaucratic autonomy in the new EU member states using as a case study the Agricultural Paying Agency in Slovakia. The paper shows that Europeanization had limited sustained impact on the personal autonomy of senior officials; however, it requires and sustains the personal autonomy of an extensive cadre of mid-level and junior civil servants. At the same time, it necessitates and continues to sustain significant change in the way agricultural subsidies are distributed, with a high level of autonomy in implementation and a lower, but still significant, measure of autonomy in policy-making. These conclusions can also generally be supported by evidence from Lithuania and Poland. In addition, the coercive elements of Europeanization interacted with the temporarily high bureaucratic autonomy in Slovakia to ,open' non-coercive channels of Europeanization of agricultural subsidies and beyond. [source] THE INFLUENCE OF EXPERT REVIEWS ON CONSUMER DEMAND FOR EXPERIENCE GOODS: A CASE STUDY OF MOVIE CRITICS*THE JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2005David A. Reinstein An inherent problem in measuring the influence of expert reviews on the demand for experience goods is that a correlation between good reviews and high demand may be spurious, induced by an underlying correlation with unobservable quality signals. Using the timing of the reviews by two popular movie critics, Siskel and Ebert, relative to opening weekend box office revenue, we apply a difference-in-differences approach to circumvent the problem of spurious correlation. After purging the spurious correlation, the measured influence effect is smaller though still detectable. Positive reviews have a particularly large influence on the demand for dramas and narrowly-released movies. [source] NEW FRAMES OF ARCHAEOMETRICAL DESCRIPTION OF SPINDLE WHORLS: A CASE STUDY OF THE LATE ENEOLITHIC SPINDLE WHORLS FROM THE 1C SITE IN GRÓDEK, DISTRICT OF HRUBIESZÓW, POLANDARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 5 2010T. CHMIELEWSKI The essential role of yarn spinning in textile production is indisputable. In this context, spindle whorls, the basic spinning accessories that can be found in the archaeological record, are commonly discussed. Even though the importance of the technical specification of spindle whorls has been already recognized by some authors, their functional characteristics are usually limited to the basic parameters affecting their usage range (i.e., weight, diameter and height). And since the mass moment of inertia of spindle whorls is considered to be a salient index when discussing their technical variability, the descriptions are deficient. With this short study, we intend to implement further research with more complete and flexible frames for the description of spindle whorls, based on a simple and fast-paced method of the angular mass measurement as well as relevant typology based on clear morphometrical criteria. On the basis of the examination of a small sample of Eneolithic artefacts (the South-Eastern Group of the Funnel Beaker Culture, c. 3650 to 2800 bc), a case study of the functioning of spindle whorls is also conducted. [source] PHYSICOCHEMICAL COMPOSITIONAL ANALYSIS OF CERAMICS: A CASE STUDY IN KENTING, TAIWAN,ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 4 2006MAA-LING CHEN The composition of ceramics does not just reflect the component of some specific, unprocessed, geological, raw material source, but also certain forms of human behaviour involved in its manufacture. The purpose of this research project is to apply the acid-extraction chemical method, complemented by a thin-section petrographic study, to the compositional analyses of certain local ceramic collections (mainly from several sites in the southern Taiwan area). The results present the raw materials that the ceramic manufacturers of the two cultural traditions (O-laun-pi Phase II and Phase III,IV), which overlapped temporally, used. These materials came from the same sources, but the ceramics were manufactured in different ways. Particularly, the people of O-laun-pi Phase III,IV also procured certain materials from either local sources or from somewhere in eastern Taiwan to make their pots. The results also indicate that there might have been a variation in terms of their manufacture among sites of the same cultural tradition. [source] GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND SOCIOCULTURAL COMPLEXITY: A CASE STUDY FROM EARLY IRON AGE MEGIDDO (ISRAEL)*ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 4 2005T. P. HARRISON Few archaeological sites can claim a more celebrated position than Megiddo, the Armageddon of biblical revelation. Guardian to a strategic pass on the ancient land bridge that traverses the region, it has long been known that Megiddo played a prominent role in the emergence of the Iron Age nation-states of biblical fame. Given its pivotal location, Megiddo provides an ideal opportunity to examine the experience of a community that found itself at the centre of these developments. The archaeological and textual evidence indicates a community that enjoyed extensive contact with an array of culturally distinct sociopolitical groups emerging in its hinterland. To further explore the nature and extent of this interaction, an assemblage of 86 ceramic sherds was analysed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). This paper presents the results of this analysis, together with an evaluation of potential geochemical and archaeological interconnections. Based on this comparative analysis, implications are drawn regarding Megiddo's role in the changing cultural and political landscape of this formative period in the history of the region. [source] NURSING RESEARCH IN PRACTICE: THE CASE STUDY REVISITEDAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 5 2000Dirk M. Keyzer ABSTRACT: This paper makes reference to some of the many issues and problems surrounding nursing research in the context of the rural and remote areas of Australia. The focus is on the use of case studies as an appropriate methodology for small-scale research projects and for students preparing for examinations at higher degree levels. Throughout this paper, the term rural will be used to denote rural and remote area nursing. This is for convenience and does not deny the special qualities of rural or remote area nursing. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||