Creating and sustaining competitive advantage in collaborative systems:the what and the how

Initially this paper asks two questions: In order to create and sustain competitive advantage through collaborative systems WHAT should be managed? and HOW should it be managed? It introduces the competitive business structure and reviews some of the global trends in manufacturing and business, which leads to focus on manage processes, value propositions and extended business processes. It then goes on to develop a model of the collaborative architecture for extended enterprises and demonstrates the validity of this architecture through a case study. It concludes that, in order to create and sustain competitive advantage, collaborative systems should facilitate the management of: the collaborative architecture of the extended enterprise; the extended business processes and the value proposition for each extended enterprise through a meta level management process. It also identifies areas for further research, such as better understanding of: the exact nature and interaction of multiple strategies within an enterprise; how to manage people/teams working along extended business processes; and the nature and prerequisites of the manage processes.

Evidence and implications of multiple paradigms in accounting knowledge production

This paper uses evidence gathered in two perception studies ofAustralasian and British accounting academics to reflect on aspects of the knowledge production systemwithin accounting academe. We provide evidence of the representation of multiple paradigms in many journals that are scored by participants as being of high quality. Indeed most of the journals we surveyed are perceived by accounting academics as incorporating research from more than one paradigm. It is argued that this ‘catholic’ approach by journal editors and the willingness of many respondents in our surveys to score journals highly on material they publish from both paradigm categories reflects a balanced acceptance of the multi-paradigmatic state of accounting research. Our analysis is set within an understanding of systems of accounting knowledge production as socially constructed and as playing an important role in the distribution of power and reward in the academy. We explore the impact of our results on concerns emerging from the work of a number of authors who carefully expose localised 'elites'. The possibilities for a closer relationship between research emerging from a multi-paradigm discipline and policy setting and practice are also discussed. The analysis provides a sense of optimism that the broad constituency of accounting academics operates within an environment conducive for the exchange of ideas. That optimism is dampened by concerns about the impact of local 'elites' and the need for more research on their impact on accounting academe.

Improving performance? The adoption and implementation of quality systems in U.K. nonprofits

There are increasing and multiple pressures on nonprofit organizations to demonstrate excellence in performance. Although there is a growing literature on the various approaches to performance improvement taken by nonprofits, little is known about the processes involved in the adoption and implementation of specific approaches. This article is about the adoption and use of one approach to performance improvement, quality systems, in the U.K. nonprofit sector. We report findings about factors that encourage nonprofits to adopt quality systems. We also analyze the distinctive challenges of implementing quality approaches in a nonprofit sector context and suggest critical success factors. The article concludes with a discussion of the organizational and policy implications of applying the management concepts of quality and performance to the nonprofit sector.

Structure and dynamics of multiple cationic vectors-siRNA complexation by all-atomic molecular dynamics simulations

Understanding the molecular mechanism of gene condensation is a key component to rationalizing gene delivery phenomena, including functional properties such as the stability of the gene-vector complex and the intracellular release of the gene. In this work, we adopt an atomistic molecular dynamics simulation approach to study the complexation of short strand duplex RNA with four cationic carrier systems of varying charge and surface topology at different charge ratios. At lower charge ratios, polymers bind quite effectively to siRNA, while at high charge ratios, the complexes are saturated and there are free polymers that are unable to associate with RNA. We also observed reduced fluctuations in RNA structures when complexed with multiple polymers in solution as compared to both free siRNA in water and the single polymer complexes. These novel simulations provide a much better understanding of key mechanistic aspects of gene-polycation complexation and thereby advance progress toward rational design of nonviral gene delivery systems.

Advanced handover procedure for cellular communication systems

Third Generation cellular communication systems are expected to support mixed cell architecture in which picocells, microcells and macrocells are used to achieve full coverage and increase the spectral capacity. Supporting higher numbers of mobile terminals and the use of smaller cells will result in an increase in the number of handovers, and consequently an increase in the time delays required to perform these handovers. Higher time delays will generate call interruptions and forced terminations, particularly for time sensitive applications like real-time multimedia and data services. Currently in the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), the handover procedure is initiated and performed by the fixed part of the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN). The mobile terminal is only capable of detecting candidate base stations suitable for the handover; it is the role of the network to interrogate a candidate base station for a free channel. Handover signalling is exchanged via the fixed network and the time delay required to perform the handover is greatly affected by the levels of teletraffic handled by the network. In this thesis, a new handover strategy is developed to reduce the total time delay for handovers in a microcellular system. The handover signalling is diverted from the fixed network to the air interface to prevent extra delays due to teletraffic congestion, and to allow the mobile terminal to exchange signalling directly with the candidate base station. The new strategy utilises Packet Reservation Multiple Access (PRMA) technique as a mechanism to transfer the control of the handover procedure from the fixed network to the mobile terminal. Simulation results are presented to show a dramatic reduction in the handover delay as compared to those obtained using fixed channel allocation and dynamic channel allocation schemes.

Analysis of computer communication systems by use of digital signal processing methods

Queueing theory is an effective tool in the analysis of canputer camrunication systems. Many results in queueing analysis have teen derived in the form of Laplace and z-transform expressions. Accurate inversion of these transforms is very important in the study of computer systems, but the inversion is very often difficult. In this thesis, methods for solving some of these queueing problems, by use of digital signal processing techniques, are presented. The z-transform of the queue length distribution for the Mj GY jl system is derived. Two numerical methods for the inversion of the transfom, together with the standard numerical technique for solving transforms with multiple queue-state dependence, are presented. Bilinear and Poisson transform sequences are presented as useful ways of representing continuous-time functions in numerical computations.

A mean field theory of coded CDMA systems

We present a mean field theory of code-division multiple access (CDMA) systems with error-control coding. On the basis of the relation between the free energy and mutual information, we obtain an analytical expression of the maximum spectral efficiency of the coded CDMA system, from which a mean field description of the coded CDMA system is provided in terms of a bank of scalar Gaussian channels whose variances in general vary at different code symbol positions. Regular low-density parity-check (LDPC)-coded CDMA systems are also discussed as an example of the coded CDMA systems.

Inference by replication in densely connected systems

An efficient Bayesian inference method for problems that can be mapped onto dense graphs is presented. The approach is based on message passing where messages are averaged over a large number of replicated variable systems exposed to the same evidential nodes. An assumption about the symmetry of the solutions is required for carrying out the averages; here we extend the previous derivation based on a replica-symmetric- (RS)-like structure to include a more complex one-step replica-symmetry-breaking-like (1RSB-like) ansatz. To demonstrate the potential of the approach it is employed for studying critical properties of the Ising linear perceptron and for multiuser detection in code division multiple access (CDMA) under different noise models. Results obtained under the RS assumption in the noncritical regime give rise to a highly efficient signal detection algorithm in the context of CDMA; while in the critical regime one observes a first-order transition line that ends in a continuous phase transition point. Finite size effects are also observed. While the 1RSB ansatz is not required for the original problems, it was applied to the CDMA signal detection problem with a more complex noise model that exhibits RSB behavior, resulting in an improvement in performance. © 2007 The American Physical Society.

A comparison of integrated biomass to electricity systems

This thesis presents a comparison of integrated biomass to electricity systems on the basis of their efficiency, capital cost and electricity production cost. Four systems are evaluated: combustion to raise steam for a steam cycle; atmospheric gasification to produce fuel gas for a dual fuel diesel engine; pressurised gasification to produce fuel gas for a gas turbine combined cycle; and fast pyrolysis to produce pyrolysis liquid for a dual fuel diesel engine. The feedstock in all cases is wood in chipped form. This is the first time that all three thermochemical conversion technologies have been compared in a single, consistent evaluation.The systems have been modelled from the transportation of the wood chips through pretreatment, thermochemical conversion and electricity generation. Equipment requirements during pretreatment are comprehensively modelled and include reception, storage, drying and communication. The de-coupling of the fast pyrolysis system is examined, where the fast pyrolysis and engine stages are carried out at separate locations. Relationships are also included to allow learning effects to be studied. The modelling is achieved through the use of multiple spreadsheets where each spreadsheet models part of the system in isolation and the spreadsheets are combined to give the cost and performance of a whole system.The use of the models has shown that on current costs the combustion system remains the most cost-effective generating route, despite its low efficiency. The novel systems only produce lower cost electricity if learning effects are included, implying that some sort of subsidy will be required during the early development of the gasification and fast pyrolysis systems to make them competitive with the established combustion approach. The use of decoupling in fast pyrolysis systems is a useful way of reducing system costs if electricity is required at several sites because• a single pyrolysis site can be used to supply all the generators, offering economies of scale at the conversion step. Overall, costs are much higher than conventional electricity generating costs for fossil fuels, due mainly to the small scales used. Biomass to electricity opportunities remain restricted to niche markets where electricity prices are high or feed costs are very low. It is highly recommended that further work examines possibilities for combined beat and power which is suitable for small scale systems and could increase revenues that could reduce electricity prices.

A systems approach to strategic manpower planning for technological development under conditions of manpower scarcity and centralised control

This thesis deals with the integration of the manpower criterion with the strategic decision making processes of technological projects in developing countries. This integration is to be achieved by ensuring the involvement of the actors, who have relevant roles and responsibilities along the whole life cycle of the project, in the strategic decision making phases of the project. The relevance of the actors is ascertained by the use of a responsibility index which relates their responsibility to the project's constituent stages. In the context of a technological project in a typical centrally-planned developing environment, the actors are identified as Arbiters, Planners, Implementors and Operators and their roles, concerns and objectives are derived. In this context, the actors are usually government and non-government organisations. Hence, decision making will involve multiple agencies as well as multiple criteria. A methodology covering the whole decision-making process, from options generation to options selection, and adopting Saaty's Analytical Hierarchy Process as an operational tool is proposed to deal with such multiple-criteria, multipleagency decision situations. The methodology is intended to integrate the consideration of the relevant criteria, the prevailing environmental and policy factors, and the concerns and objectives of the relevant actors into a unifying decision-making process which strives to facilitate enlightened decision making and to enhance learning and interaction. An extensive assessment of the methodology's feasibility, based on a specific technological project within the Iraqi oil industry is included, and indicates that the methodology should be both useful and implementable.

Investigation of the neural correlates of recognition memory using magnetoencephalography

Neuroimaging literature has identified several regions involved in encoding and recognition processes. A review of the literature illustrated considerable variations in the precise location and mechanisms of these processes, and it was these variations that were investigated in the studies in this thesis. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was used as the neuroimaging tool and a preliminary study identified Synthetic Aperture Magnetometry (SAM) and not a traditional dipole fitting technique, as an appropriate tool for identifying the multiple cortical regions involved in recognition memory. It has been suggested that there is hemispheric asymmetry in encoding and recognition processes. There are two main hypotheses: the first suggesting that there is task-specificity, the second that this specificity is determined by stimulus modality. A series of experiments was completed with two main aims: first to produce consistent and complementary recognition memory data with MEG, and second to determine whether there exists any hemispheric asymmetry in recognition memory. The results obtained from five experiments demonstrated activation of prefrontal and middle temporal structures, which were consistent with those reported in previous neuroimaging studies. It was suggested that this diverse activation may be explained by the involvement of a semantic network during recognition memory processes. In support of this, a subsequent study involving a semantic encoding task demonstrated that category-specific differences in cortical activation also existed in the recognition memory phase. Controlling for the involvement of such semantic processes produced predominantly bilateral activation. It was suggested that the apparent hemispheric asymmetry findings reported in the literature may be due to the 'coarse' temporal analysis available with earlier imaging techniques, which over-simplified the networks reported by being unable to recognise the early complex processes associated with semantic processing which these MEG studies were able to identify. The importance of frequency-specific activations, specifically theta synchronisation and alpha desynchronisation, in memory processes was also investigated.

The appraisal and management of multi-storey dwelling blocks using large concrete panel systems

This exploratory study is concerned with the integrated appraisal of multi-storey dwelling blocks which incorporate large concrete panel systems (LPS). The first step was to look at U.K. multi-storey dwelling stock in general, and under the management of Birmingham City Council in particular. The information has been taken from the databases of three departments in the City of Birmingham, and rearranged in a new database using a suite of PC software called `PROXIMA' for clarity and analysis. One hundred of their stock were built large concrete panel system. Thirteen LPS blocks were chosen for the purpose of this study as case-studies depending mainly on the height and age factors of the block. A new integrated appraisal technique has been created for the LPS dwelling blocks, which takes into account the most physical and social factors affecting the condition and acceptability of these blocks. This appraisal technique is built up in a hierarchical form moving from the general approach to particular elements (a tree model). It comprises two main approaches; physical and social. In the physical approach, the building is viewed as a series of manageable elements and sub-elements to cover every single physical or environmental factor of the block, in which the condition of the block is analysed. A quality score system has been developed which depends mainly on the qualitative and quantitative conditions of each category in the appraisal tree model, and leads to physical ranking order of the study blocks. In the social appraisal approach, the residents' satisfaction and attitude toward their multi-storey dwelling block was analysed in relation to: a. biographical and housing related characteristics; and b. social, physical and environmental factors associated with this sort of dwelling, block and estate in general.The random sample consisted of 268 residents living in the 13 case study blocks. Data collected was analysed using frequency counts, percentages, means, standard deviations, Kendall's tue, r-correlation coefficients, t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple regression analysis. The analysis showed a marginally positive satisfaction and attitude towards living in the block. The five most significant factors associated with the residents' satisfaction and attitude in descending order were: the estate, in general; the service categories in the block, including heating system and lift services; vandalism; the neighbours; and the security system of the block. An important attribute of this method, is that it is relatively inexpensive to implement, especially when compared to alternatives adopted by some local authorities and the BRE. It is designed to save time, money and effort, to aid decision making, and to provide ranked priority to the multi-storey dwelling stock, in addition to many other advantages. A series of solution options to the problems of the block was sought for selection and testing before implementation. The traditional solutions have usually resulted in either demolition or costly physical maintenance and social improvement of the blocks. However, a new solution has now emerged, which is particularly suited to structurally sound units. The solution of `re-cycling' might incorporate the reuse of an entire block or part of it, by removing panels, slabs and so forth from the upper floors in order to reconstruct them as low-rise accommodations.

General features of Multiple System Atrophy

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare movement disorder and a member of a group of neurodegenerative diseases referred to collectively as the ‘parkinsonian syndromes’. Characteristic of these syndromes is that the patient exhibits symptoms of ‘parkinsonism’, viz., a range of problems involving movement, most typically manifest in Parkinson’s disease (PD) itself1, but also seen in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and to some extent in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). MSA is a relatively ‘new’ descriptive term and is derived from three previously described diseases, viz., olivopontocerebellar atrophy, striato-nigral degeneration, and Shy-Drager syndrome. The classical symptoms of MSA include parkinsonism, ataxia, and autonomic dysfunction.6 Ataxia describes a gross lack of coordination of muscle movements while autonomic dysfunction involves a variety of systems that regulate unconscious bodily functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, bladder function, and digestion. Although primarily a neurological disorder, patients with MSA may also develop visual signs and symptoms that could be useful in differential diagnosis. The most important visual signs may include oculomotor dysfunction and problems in pupil reactivity but are less likely to involve aspects of primary vision such as visual acuity, colour vision, and visual fields. In addition, the eye-care practitioner can contribute to the management of the visual problems of MSA and therefore, help to improve quality of life of the patient. Hence, this first article in a two-part series describes the general features of MSA including its prevalence, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, pathology, and possible causes.

Typical case behaviour of spin systems in random graph and composite ensembles

This thesis includes analysis of disordered spin ensembles corresponding to Exact Cover, a multi-access channel problem, and composite models combining sparse and dense interactions. The satisfiability problem in Exact Cover is addressed using a statistical analysis of a simple branch and bound algorithm. The algorithm can be formulated in the large system limit as a branching process, for which critical properties can be analysed. Far from the critical point a set of differential equations may be used to model the process, and these are solved by numerical integration and exact bounding methods. The multi-access channel problem is formulated as an equilibrium statistical physics problem for the case of bit transmission on a channel with power control and synchronisation. A sparse code division multiple access method is considered and the optimal detection properties are examined in typical case by use of the replica method, and compared to detection performance achieved by interactive decoding methods. These codes are found to have phenomena closely resembling the well-understood dense codes. The composite model is introduced as an abstraction of canonical sparse and dense disordered spin models. The model includes couplings due to both dense and sparse topologies simultaneously. The new type of codes are shown to outperform sparse and dense codes in some regimes both in optimal performance, and in performance achieved by iterative detection methods in finite systems.

Stabilisation of metallocene ethylene-1-octene copolymers during multiple extrusions

The melt stabilising efficiency of antioxidants with different structures based on hindered phenols, phosphite esters, phosphonite and a lactone was examined during multi-pass extrusions at 265 °C in three metallocene ethylene-1-octene copolymers (m-LLDPE) having different extent of short chain branching (SCB) and one Zeigler copolymer (z-LLDPE) containing the same level of SCB corresponding to one of the m-LLDPE polymers. The effect of the different antioxidants, when used separately and in combination, was investigated by characterising the changes in the polymer's rheological behaviour, colour formation and structural changes based on unsaturated groups and carbonyl content during five multi-pass extrusions. The results showed that all stabilisation systems examined offered higher efficiency in the metallocene polymers compared to the Zeigler. The effect of the extent of SCB in the metallocene polymers on the stabilising efficacy of the antioxidant systems was also examined, and it was shown that it had a significant effect, with both single and combinations of antioxidants giving higher efficiency in the m-LLDPE polymer containing higher extent of SCB. The presence of the lactone HP136 in mixtures containing hindered phenol–phosphite antioxidant systems gave a higher melt stabilisation efficiency than in its absence and this has been attributed to a co-operative antioxidant reaction steps that take place between the antioxidants resulting in the possible regeneration of the lactone antioxidant through a redox reaction. In all the metallocene PE polymers examined, the biologically hindered phenol, Irganox E, was shown to be more effective than the conventionally hindered phenol Irganox 1076, when examined alone or in combination with phosphite esters.