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Article
Publication date: 29 June 2012

Margaretha Nydahl, Fanny Jacobsson, Marielle Lindblom and Ingela Marklinder

The aim of this paper was to analyze the effect according to knowledge and behavior, respectively, through a simplified health information model launched in a selected city…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper was to analyze the effect according to knowledge and behavior, respectively, through a simplified health information model launched in a selected city district.

Design/methodology/approach

The intervention in this study encompasses information meetings where two educational computer programs highlighting the “five a day” concept, and food hygiene were showcased in conjunction with a group discussion. In total, 92 people living or working in a selected city district participated. The effect of the intervention was determined by means of inquiries (multiple‐choice) that were carried out prior to, immediately following, and three weeks after the intervention.

Findings

A statistically significant improvement in knowledge of the concepts “five a day”, cross‐contamination, and recommended storage temperature (for smoked salmon and raw mince meat) was observed, however, no major change in behavior was reported.

Practical implications

The knowledge improvement suggests that the education programs, in conjunction with discussions, are a useful information model for raising awareness about the notion of “five a day” and food safety. The results of the study make it clear that there are difficulties in getting people to change their behavior, let alone getting them to participate in health education offered locally.

Originality/value

Intervention projects are a communication tool that may be used in order to increase knowledge and produce behavioral change. The project is working from the inside out, i.e. it examines the needs first and then develops solutions for them.

Article
Publication date: 2 February 2015

Michael Calaresu and Ali Shiri

The purpose of this article is to explore and conceptualize the Semantic Web as a term that has been widely mentioned in the literature of library and information science. More…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to explore and conceptualize the Semantic Web as a term that has been widely mentioned in the literature of library and information science. More specifically, its aim is to shed light on the evolution of the Web and to highlight a previously proposed means of attempting to improve automated manipulation of Web-based data in the context of a rapidly expanding base of both users and digital content.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual analysis presented in this paper adopts a three-dimensional model for the discussion of Semantic Web. The first dimension focuses on Semantic Web’s basic nature, purpose and history, as well as the current state and limitations of modern search systems and related software agents. The second dimension focuses on critical knowledge structures such as taxonomies, thesauri and ontologies which are understood as fundamental elements in the creation of a Semantic Web architecture. In the third dimension, an alternative conceptual model is proposed, one, which unlike more commonly prevalent Semantic Web models, offers a greater emphasis on describing the proposed structure from an interpretive viewpoint, rather than a technical one. This paper adopts an interpretive, historical and conceptual approach to the notion of the Semantic Web by reviewing the literature and by analyzing the developments associated with the Web over the past three decades. It proposes a simplified conceptual model for easy understanding.

Findings

The paper provides a conceptual model of the Semantic Web that encompasses four key strata, namely, the body of human users, the body of software applications facilitating creation and consumption of documents, the body of documents themselves and a proposed layer that would improve automated manipulation of Web-based data by the software applications.

Research limitations/implications

This paper will facilitate a better conceptual understanding of the Semantic Web, and thereby contribute, in a small way, to the larger body of discourse surrounding it. The conceptual model will provide a reference point for education and research purposes.

Originality/value

This paper provides an original analysis of both conceptual and technical aspects of Semantic Web. The proposed conceptual model provides a new perspective on this subject.

Details

Library Review, vol. 64 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0024-2535

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2014

Joanna Łaszczyk, Anna Maczko, Wojciech Walas and Andrzej J. Nowak

This paper aims to test the inverse analysis, based on the standard least-square method, which will finally lead to find the appropriate parameters of modelling of the brain…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to test the inverse analysis, based on the standard least-square method, which will finally lead to find the appropriate parameters of modelling of the brain cooling process.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the presented in this paper method of inverse analysis the numerical simulations of the bioheat transfer process in the neonatal body were performed. To model the bioheat transfer the Pennes bioheat equation and the modified Fiala model were applied.

Findings

The performed tests of the inverse analysis proved that it is possible to estimate the proper parameters of the process using this tool, but always with the small mistake.

Research limitations/implications

The presented method still requires a lot of tests. The test with the data from real measurements can be very valuable.

Practical implications

The determination of the proper parameters of the bioheat transfer in the neonatal body can finally be used to perform the numerical simulations of the brain cooling process.

Social implications

The performance of the numerical simulations of the brain cooling process in the proper way can finally helps protect newborns’ health and life.

Originality/value

In the paper the attempt of the inverse analysis in order to determine the parameters of bioheat transfer in the newborn's body is made.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 24 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 February 2020

Renato Vieira, Paulo Carreira, Pedro Domingues and Antonio Aguiar Costa

Despite the continuous development of Building Information Modeling (BIM) standards, not all of its dimensions are supported to the same extent. This is the case of Building…

Abstract

Purpose

Despite the continuous development of Building Information Modeling (BIM) standards, not all of its dimensions are supported to the same extent. This is the case of Building Automation Systems (BAS) in which the features that are limited mostly to physical setup of devices are supported. These are largely insufficient to support modeling automation scenarios. The purpose of this article is to clarify the gap in the state of the art and define the need for further developments.

Design/methodology/approach

This article explores the existing gap in the literature and discusses the hypothesis of extending BIM to a wider support of BA concepts. Based on an assessment of scientific and technical literature, this study elicits the information requirements of BA and performs a gap analysis with current BIM standards, such as Industry Foundation Classes (IFC).

Findings

Our findings lead us to conclude that there is a lack of completeness regarding features from BAS automation and management levels. Furthermore, it is shown that IFC is the most adequate data model to cover BAS without losing its purpose, but there is still a considerable work that needs to be addressed in future research.

Originality/value

BIM standards such as IFC position themselves as natural candidates for modeling and exchanging information regarding BA. However, the extent to which BIM supports automation features has never been rigorously analyzed. This article explores the existing gap in the literature and discusses the hypothesis of extending BIM to a wider support of BA concepts. Based on an assessment of scientific and technical literature, this study elicits the information requirements of BA and performs a gap analysis with current BIM standards such as IFC.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 27 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2003

Louise Tourigny, William L. Dougan, John Washbush and Christine Clements

The recent significant occurrences of dysfunctional, and perhaps unethical, decision making and actions by a number of highly successful corporate executives suggest that there…

2871

Abstract

The recent significant occurrences of dysfunctional, and perhaps unethical, decision making and actions by a number of highly successful corporate executives suggest that there are systematic explanations for the questionable managerial behaviors that go beyond simple attributions of individual character flaws. This paper draws from four management research streams to identify some enabling conditions that constitute plausible mechanisms that may have exacerbated the present situation. Research traditions include the literature pertaining to the primacy of the rights of shareholders in equity capital financed corporate organizations, the literature describing the mechanisms whereby charisma is socially constructed and institutionalized, the literature attributing the gravitation toward positions of power on the part of individuals with predispositions to act in an unethical manner and the literature describing conditions which limit the ability of principals to fully specify the provisions of contracts with agents who are in positions of control of corporate organizations.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 41 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 18 December 2016

Fu-Wen Hsieh and Joseph Tao-yi Wang

To study strategic information transmission in organizations, we conduct a simplified version (with only three states) of the sender-receiver game experiment designed by Wang…

Abstract

To study strategic information transmission in organizations, we conduct a simplified version (with only three states) of the sender-receiver game experiment designed by Wang, Spezio, and Camerer (2010), in which an informative sender advises an uninformed receiver to take an action (to match the true state), but has incentives to exaggerate. We also have the same subjects play the original five-state game. We find similar “overcommunication” behavior with Taiwanese subjects – messages reveal more information about the true state than what equilibrium predicts – that let us classify subjects into various level-k types. However, results from the simplified version are closer to equilibrium prediction, with more senders robustly classified as level-2.

Details

Experiments in Organizational Economics
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78560-964-0

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 February 2013

Ingela Marklinder, Maria Magnusson and Margaretha Nydahl

The purpose of this paper is to identify knowledge gaps in terms of food handling and hygiene among a population in a selected city district.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify knowledge gaps in terms of food handling and hygiene among a population in a selected city district.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is a part of the project Community Health Management to Enhance Behaviour (CHANCE), (Lifelong Learning Programme of European Union 2007‐2009). A certain vulnerable group, i.e. older people, were addressed. The study population was recruited by convenience sample. A questionnaire was used to collect data among citizens in a selected city district (n=251). The elderly (71‐80+; n=123) were interviewed face to face, while the younger (21‐70 years; n=128) filled in their data on their own.

Findings

One third of the respondents usually measure the temperature in their refrigerator. However, one third revealed knowledge gaps relating to storage temperature for certain food items. Thirty nine per cent changes dishcloths once a week. Twenty per cent of the elderly usually put raw minced meat into their mouth to taste the seasoning without reflecting on pathogenic bacteria. There was no significant relation between the fear of food poisoning and tasting minced meat, changing the dishcloth often, or cooling down food properly. These results can be interpreted as a sign of knowledge gaps, indicating a need for improved health communication.

Research limitations/implications

The study population consisted of consumers in a selected city district in Uppsala municipality. Therefore the results should not be generalized for Swedes in general.

Practical implications

The collected data and the information of knowledge gaps have been used to perform a local health intervention. The results would reveal relevance for a larger nationwide survey that aims to identify knowledge gaps in terms of food handling and hygiene among Swedish citizens.

Social implications

Data from the present study would be useful in the attempt to implement simple tools at the local level, in order to promote healthy habits among consumers.

Originality/value

An innovative principle in the EU project CHANCE is to work from the inside out. Studies of consumers' food handling in private homes are lacking in Sweden. The present study is rather unique as it explores private households in terms of food handling and hygiene.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 115 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 February 2015

Ghassan Al-Sinbol, Mario G Perhinschi and Brenton K Wilburn

A simplified global positioning system (GPS) error model including models for a variety of abnormal operational conditions and failures is developed to provide simulation tools…

Abstract

Purpose

A simplified global positioning system (GPS) error model including models for a variety of abnormal operational conditions and failures is developed to provide simulation tools for the design, testing, and evaluation of autonomous flight fault tolerant control laws. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Analysis and experimental data are used to build simplified models for GPS position and velocity errors on all three channels. The GPS model is interfaced with West Virginia University unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) simulation environment and its utility demonstrated through simulation for several autonomous flight scenarios including GPS abnormal operation.

Findings

The proposed simplified GPS model achieves desirable levels of accuracy and realism for all components for the purpose of general UAV dynamic simulation and development of fault tolerant autonomous flight control laws.

Research limitations/implications

The simplified GPS model allows investigating GPS malfunction effects on the performance of autonomous UAVs and designing trajectory tracking algorithms with advanced fault tolerant capabilities.

Practical implications

The simplified GPS model has proved to be a flexible and useful tool for UAV simulation and design of autonomous flight control laws at normal and abnormal conditions.

Originality/value

The outcomes of this research effort achieve a level of detail never attempted before in modeling GPS operation at normal and abnormal conditions for UAV simulation and autonomous flight control laws design using a simplified framework.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Unmanned Systems, vol. 3 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-6427

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 September 2022

Sifeng Liu and Wei Tang

The purpose of this paper is to explore new ways and lay a solid foundation to solve the problem of reliability growth analysis of major aerospace equipment with various…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore new ways and lay a solid foundation to solve the problem of reliability growth analysis of major aerospace equipment with various uncertainty data through propose new concepts of general uncertainty data (GUD) and general uncertainty variable (GUV) and build the operation system of GUVs.

Design/methodology/approach

The characteristics of reliability growth data of major aerospace equipment and the limitations of current reliability growth models have been analyzed at first. The most commonly used uncertainty system analysis methods of probability statistics, fuzzy mathematics, grey system theory and rough set theory have been introduced. The concepts of GUD and GUV for reliability growth data analysis of major aerospace equipment are proposed. The simplified form of GUV based on the “kernel” and the degree of uncertainty of GUV is defined. Then an operation system of GUVs is built.

Findings

(1) The concept of GUD; (2) the concept of GUV; (3) The novel operation rules of GUVs with simplified form.

Practical implications

The method exposed in this paper can be used to integrate complex reliability growth data of major aerospace equipment. The reliability growth models based on GUV can be built for reliability growth evaluation and forecasting of major aerospace equipment in practice. The reliability evaluation example of a solid rocket motor shows that the concept and idea proposed in this paper are feasible. The research of this paper opens up a new way for the analysis of complex uncertainty data of reliability growth of major aerospace equipment. Moreover, the operation of GUVs could be extended to the case of algebraic equation, differential equation and matrix which including GUVs.

Originality/value

The new concepts of GUD and GUV are given for the first time. The novel operation rules of GUVs with simplified form were constructed.

Article
Publication date: 7 July 2020

Oluwatoyin Esther Akinbowale, Heinz Eckart Klingelhöfer and Mulatu Fikadu Zerihun

The purpose of this study is to develop an innovative approach of combating economic crime using the forensic accounting techniques.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop an innovative approach of combating economic crime using the forensic accounting techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach considered the identification of the effective forensic accounting techniques from the available literature and also explored the anti-economic crime policy, capable of assisting in the combating of economic crime. This brought about the development of two conceptual models, which incorporate all the requirements for the implementation of forensic accounting and the integration of forensic accounting technique into the organizational control system for effective fraud mitigation.

Findings

The analysis of the literature review indicated that one of the drawbacks, which has continue to mitigate the implementation of forensic accounting as a tool for combating fraud is lack of a suitable framework. This was the major focal point of this work, which produced two simplified conceptual models suitable for effective fraud mitigation.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited to the development of conceptual models for fraud mitigation only.

Practical implications

The simplified model can easily be adopted into the structure of an organization to provide a sustainable solution to mitigate fraud occurrences.

Originality/value

The novelty of this study lies in the development of two simplified conceptual models. The first model addressed the incorporation of forensic accounting into the organization structure while the second captured the detailed investigation and comprehensive data analysis processes of uncovering fraud. The development of conceptual models with all these peculiarities for fraud mitigation has not been widely reported by the existing literature.

Details

Journal of Financial Crime, vol. 27 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-0790

Keywords

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