Towards the design of a unified semantics model for OLTP and OLAP systems

The concepts of on-line transactional processing (OLTP) and on-line analytical processing (OLAP) are often confused with the technologies or models that are used to design transactional and analytics based information systems. This in some way has contributed to existence of gaps between the semantics in information captured during transactional processing and information stored for analytical use. In this paper, we propose the use of a unified semantics design model, as a solution to help bridge the semantic gaps between data captured by OLTP systems and the information provided by OLAP systems. The central focus of this design approach is on enabling business intelligence using not just data, but data with context.

Data mining for monitoring and managing systems and networks

Guest Editorial

Reforesting degraded agricultural landscapes with Eucalypts: effects on carbon storage and soil fertility after 26years

In the Western Australian wheatbelt, the restoration of native eucalypt forests for managing degraded agricultural landscapes is a critical part of managing dryland salinity and rebuilding biodiversity. Such reforestation will also sequester carbon. Whereas most investigative emphasis has been on carbon stored in biomass, the effects of reforestation on soil organic carbon (SOC) stores and fertility are not known. Two 26 year old reforestation experiments with four Eucalyptus species (E. cladocalyx var nana, E. occidentalis, E. sargentii and E. wandoo) were compared with agricultural sites (Field). SOC stores (to 0.3 m depth) ranged between 33 and 55 Mg ha−1, with no statistically significant differences between tree species and adjacent farmland. Farming comprised crop and pasture rotations. In contrast, the reforested plots contained additional carbon in the tree biomass (23–60 Mg ha−1) and litter (19–34 Mg ha−1), with the greatest litter accumulation associated with E. sargentii. Litter represented between 29 and 56% of the biomass carbon and the protection or utilization of this litter in fire-prone, semi-arid farmland will be an important component of carbon management. Exch-Na and Exch-Mg accumulated under E. sargentii and E. occidentalis at one site. The results raise questions about the conclusions of SOC sequestration studies following reforestation based on limited sampling and reiterate the importance of considering litter in reforestation carbon accounts.

Mandatory and voluntary information disclosure and the effects on financial analysts: evidence from China

Purpose – This paper aims to make a comparison, different from existing literature solely focusing on voluntary earnings forecasts and ex post earnings surprise, between the effects of mandatory earnings surprise warnings and voluntary information disclosure issued by management teams on financial analysts in terms of the number of followings and the accuracy of earnings forecasts. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses panel data analysis with fixed effects on data collected from Chinese public firms between 2006 and 2010. It uses an exogenous regulation enforcement to minimise the endogeneity problem. Findings – This paper finds that financial analysts are less likely to follow firms which mandatorily issue earnings surprise warnings ex ante than those voluntarily issue earnings forecasts. Moreover, ex post, they issue less accurate and more dispersed forecasts on former firms. The results support Brown et al.’s (2009) finding in the USA and suggest that the earnings surprise warnings affect information asymmetries. Practical implications – This paper justifies the mandatory earnings surprise warnings policy issued by Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission in 2006. Originality/value – Mandatory earnings surprise is a unique practical regulation for publicly listed firms in China. This paper, for the first time, provides empirical evaluation on the effectiveness of a mandatory information disclosure policy in China. Consistent with existing literature on information disclosure by public firms in other countries, this paper finds that, in China, voluntary information disclosure captures more private information than mandatory information disclosure on corporate earnings ability.

Soil bacterial phoD gene abundance and expression in response to applied phosphorus and long-term management

Bacterial transformation of phosphorus (P) compounds in soil is largely dependent on soil microbial community function, and is therefore sensitive to anthropogenic disturbances such as fertilization or cropping systems. However, the effect of soil management on the transcription of bacterial genes that encode phosphatases, such as phoD, is largely unknown. This greenhouse study examined the effect of long-term management and P amendment on potential alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and phoD gene (DNA) and transcript (RNA) abundance. Soil samples (0–15 cm) were collected from the Glenlea Long-term Rotation near Winnipeg, Manitoba, to compare organic, conventional and prairie management systems. In the greenhouse, pots of soil from each management system were amended with P as either soluble mineral fertilizer or cattle manure and then planted with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiforum). Soils from each pot were sampled for analysis immediately and after 30 and 106 days. Significant differences among the soil/P treatments were detected for inorganic P, but not the organic P in NaHCO3-extracts. At day 0, ALP activity was similar among the soil/P treatments, but was higher after 30 days for all P amendments in soil from organically managed plots. In contrast, ALP activity in soils under conventional and prairie management responded to increasing rates of manure only, with significant effects from medium and high manure application rates at 30 and 106 days. Differences in ALP activity at 30 days corresponded to the abundance of bacterial phoD genes, which were also significantly higher in soils under organic management. However, this correlation was not significant for transcript abundance. Next-generation sequencing allowed the identification of 199 unique phoD operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from the metagenome (soil DNA) and 35 unique OTUs from the metatranscriptome (soil RNA), indicating that a subset of phoD genes was being transcribed in all soils.

A framework for revitalisation of rural education and training systems in sub-Saharan Africa: Strengthening the human resource base for food security and sustainable livelihoods

Recent studies of the current state of rural education and training (RET) systems in sub-Saharan Africa have assessed their ability to provide for the learning needs essential for more knowledgeable and productive small-scale rural households. These are most necessary if the endemic causes of rural poverty (poor nutrition, lack of sustainable livelihoods, etc.) are to be overcome. A brief historical background and analysis of the major current constraints to improvement in the sector are discussed. Paramount among those factors leading to its present 'malaise' is the lack of a whole-systems perspective and the absence of any coherent policy framework in most countries. There is evidence of some recent innovations, both in the public sector and through the work of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society organisations (CSOs) and other private bodies. These provide hope of a new sense of direction that could lead towards meaningful 'revitalisation' of the sector. A suggested framework offers 10 key steps which, it is argued, could largely be achieved with modest internal resources and very little external support, provided that the necessary leadership and managerial capacities are in place. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stability of plasmid profile of highly virulent races of Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum during storage and subculturing

Four races of Xanthomonas campestris pv. mal-vacearum (Xcm) viz. races 23, 27 and 32 (isolated from Gossypium hirsutum) and race 23b (from Gossypium barbadense) were studied. The plasmid profile of the natural isolates showed four plasmids in races 23 and 23b (ca. 60, 40, 23, 8.2 kb), five in race 27 (ca. 60, 40, 23, 8.2 and 3.7 kb) and six in race 32 (ca. 60, 40, 23, 8.2, 3.7 and 1.6 kb). Continuously sub-cultured laboratory isolates of the Xcm races resulted in the loss of all but two plasmids, ca. 60 and 40 kb in size. When the laboratory isolates were passed through cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), they regained certain plasmids so that four plasmids were found in race 23 and 23b (ca. 60, 40, 23 and 8.2 kb), five in race 27 (ca. 60, 40, 23, 8.2 and 3.7 kb) and six in race 32 (ca. 60, 40, 23, 8.2, 3.7 and 1.6 kb), which was more or less similar to the original isolates. The isolates recovered from cotton maintained their plasmid profile (except for minor changes in the miniplasmids) after storage for six months at -70degreesC in 50% glycerol. It is suggested that plasmid profiles among highly virulent races of Xcm are unstable during repeated sub-culturing at room temperature, resulting in rapid loss of some plasmids. However, when the cultures were sub-cultured and stored at -70degreesC the plasmid profile was fairly stable except for the miniplasmids (ca. 3.7 and 1.6 kb).