A longitudinal investigation of coping processes during a merger: Implications for job satisfaction and organizational identification

This study tested the utility of a stress and coping model of employee adjustment to a merger Two hundred and twenty employees completed both questionnaires (Time 1: 3 months after merger implementation; Time 2: 2 years later). Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that positive event characteristics predicted greater appraisals of self-efficacy and less stress at Time 1. Self-efficacy, in turn, predicted greater use of problem-focused coping at Time 2, whereas stress predicted a greater use of problem-focused and avoidance coping. Finally, problem-focused coping predicted higher levels of job satisfaction and identification with the merged organization (Time 2), whereas avoidance coping predicted lower identification.

A Comparison of Paediatric Occupational Therapy University Program Curricula in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada

Comparisons were made of the paediatric content of professional entry-level occupational therapy university program curricula in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada using an ex post facto surveymethodology. The findings indicated that in Australia/New Zealand, paediatrics made up 20% of the total curriculum, but only 13% in Canada. Canadian reference materials were utilized less often in Canadian universities than in Australia/New Zealand. Theories taught most often in Australia/New Zealand were: Sensory Integration, Neurodevelopmental Therapy, Client-Centered Practice, Playfulness, and the Model of Human Occupation. In Canada, the most frequent theories were: Piaget’s Stages ofCognitive/Intellectual Development, Neurodevelopmental Therapy, Erikson’s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development and Sensory Integration. The most frequently taught paediatric assessment tools in both regions were the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and Miller Assessment for Preschoolers. Paediatric interventionmethods taught to students in all three countries focused on activities of daily living/self-care, motor skills, perceptual and visual motor integration, and infant and child development. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: ©2006 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]

Relations between social support, appraisal and coping and both positive and negative outcomes for children of a parent with multiple sclerosis and comparisons with children of healthy parents

Objective: To examine adjustment in children of a parent with multiple sclerosis within a stress and coping framework and compare them with those who have 'healthy' parents. Subjects: A total of 193 participants between 10 and 25 years completed questionnaires; 48 youngsters who had a parent with multiple sclerosis and 145 youngsters who reported that they did not have a parent with an illness or disability. Method: A questionnaire survey methodology was used. Variable sets included caregiving context (e.g. additional parental illness, family responsibilities, parental functional impairment, choice in helping), social support (network size, satisfaction), stress appraisal, coping (problem solving, seeking support, acceptance, wishful thinking, denial), and positive (life satisfaction, positive affect, benefits) and negative (distress, health) adjustment outcomes. Results: Caregiving context variables significantly correlated with poorer adjustment in children of a parent with multiple sclerosis included additional parental illness, higher family responsibilities, parental functional impairment and unpredictability of the parent's multiple sclerosis, and less choice in helping. As predicted, better adjustment in children of a parent with multiple sclerosis was related to higher levels of social support, lower stress appraisals, greater reliance on approach coping strategies (problem solving, seeking support and acceptance) and less reliance on avoidant coping (wishful thinking and denial). Compared with children of 'healthy' parents, children of a parent with multiple sclerosis reported greater family responsibilities, less reliance on problem solving and seeking social support coping, higher somatization and lower life satisfaction and positive affect. Conclusions: Findings delineate the key impacts of young caregiving and support a stress and coping model of adjustment in children of a parent with multiple sclerosis.

Salicylic acid mediates resistance to the vascular wilt pathogen Fusarium oxysporum in the model host Arabidopsis thaliana

Fusarium oxysporum is a soilborne fungal pathogen that causes major economic losses by inducing necrosis and wilting symptoms in many crop plants. In this study, the interaction between F. oxysporum and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana has been investigated to better understand the nature of host defences that are effective against the Fusarium wilt pathogen. The expression of salicylate- and jasmonate-responsive defence genes in F. oxysporum-challenged roots of A. thaliana plants as well as in the roots of plants whose leaves were treated with salicylate or jasmonate was analysed. Unexpectedly, genes (e.g. PR1, PDF1.2, and CHIB) encoding proteins with defensive functions or transcription factors (e.g. ERF1, AtERF2, AtERF4 and AtMYC2) known to positively or negatively regulate defences against F. oxysporum were not activated in F. oxysporum-inoculated roots. In contrast, the jasmonate-responsive defence gene PDF1.2 was induced in the leaves of plants whose roots were challenged with F. oxysporum, but the salicylate- responsive PR1 gene was not induced in the leaves of inoculated plants. Exogenous salicylic acid treatment prior to inoculation, however, activated PR1 and BGL2 defence gene expression in leaves and provided increased F. oxysporum resistance as evidenced by reduced foliar necrosis and plant death. Exogenous salicylic acid treatment of the foliar tissue did not activate defence gene expression in the roots of plants. This suggests that salicylate- dependent defences may function in foliar tissue to reduce the development of pathogen-induced wilting and necrosis. Despite the induction of defence gene expression in the leaves by jasmonate, this treatment did not lead to increased resistance to F. oxysporum. Overall, the results presented here suggest that the genetic manipulation of plant defence signalling pathways is a useful strategy to provide increased Fusarium wilt resistance.

Trait physiology and crop modelling to link phenotypic complexity to underlying genetic systems

New tools derived from advances in molecular biology have not been widely adopted in plant breeding because of the inability to connect information at gene level to the phenotype in a manner that is useful for selection. We explore whether a crop growth and development modelling framework can link phenotype complexity to underlying genetic systems in a way that strengthens molecular breeding strategies. We use gene-to-phenotype simulation studies on sorghum to consider the value to marker-assisted selection of intrinsically stable QTLs that might be generated by physiological dissection of complex traits. The consequences on grain yield of genetic variation in four key adaptive traits – phenology, osmotic adjustment, transpiration efficiency, and staygreen – were simulated for a diverse set of environments by placing the known extent of genetic variation in the context of the physiological determinants framework of a crop growth and development model. It was assumed that the three to five genes associated with each trait, had two alleles per locus acting in an additive manner. The effects on average simulated yield, generated by differing combinations of positive alleles for the traits incorporated, varied with environment type. The full matrix of simulated phenotypes, which consisted of 547 location-season combinations and 4235 genotypic expression states, was analysed for genetic and environmental effects. The analysis was conducted in stages with gradually increased understanding of gene-to-phenotype relationships, which would arise from physiological dissection and modelling. It was found that environmental characterisation and physiological knowledge helped to explain and unravel gene and environment context dependencies. We simulated a marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding strategy based on the analyses of gene effects. When marker scores were allocated based on the contribution of gene effects to yield in a single environment, there was a wide divergence in rate of yield gain over all environments with breeding cycle depending on the environment chosen for the QTL analysis. It was suggested that knowledge resulting from trait physiology and modelling would overcome this dependency by identifying stable QTLs. The improved predictive power would increase the utility of the QTLs in MAS. Developing and implementing this gene-to-phenotype capability in crop improvement requires enhanced attention to phenotyping, ecophysiological modelling, and validation studies to test the stability of candidate QTLs.

Aerial view of Ocean View Farmhouse model, Mount Mee

Cardboard and balsa model as seen from above.

Brand extensions in emerging markets:theory development and testing in China

Brand extensions are increasingly used by multinational corporations in emerging markets such as China. However, understanding how consumers in the emerging markets evaluate brand extensions is hampered by a lack of research in the emerging markets contexts. To address the knowledge void, we built on an established brand extension evaluation framework in the West, namely Aaker and Keller (1990)1. Aaker , D. A. and Keller , K. L. 1990 . Consumer evaluations of brand extensions . Journal of Marketing , 54 ( 1 ) : 27 – 41 . [CrossRef], [Web of Science ®] View all references, and extended the model by incorporating two new factors: perceived fit based on brand image consistency and competition intensity in the brand extension category. The additions of two factors are made in recognition of the uniqueness of the considerations of consumers in the emerging markets in their brand extension evaluations. The extended model was tested by an empirical experiment using consumers in China. The results partly validated the Aaker and Keller model, and evidence that both newly added factors were significant in influencing consumers' evaluation of brand extensions was also found. More important, one new factor proposed, namely, consumer-perceived fit based on brand image consistency, was found to be more significant than all the factors in Aaker and Keller's original model, suggesting that the Aaker and Keller model may be limited in explaining how consumers in the emerging markets evaluate brand extensions. Further research implications and limitations are discussed in the paper.

A mathematical model for dynamic efficiency using data envelopment analysis

In this paper we propose a data envelopment analysis (DEA) based method for assessing the comparative efficiencies of units operating production processes where input-output levels are inter-temporally dependent. One cause of inter-temporal dependence between input and output levels is capital stock which influences output levels over many production periods. Such units cannot be assessed by traditional or 'static' DEA which assumes input-output correspondences are contemporaneous in the sense that the output levels observed in a time period are the product solely of the input levels observed during that same period. The method developed in the paper overcomes the problem of inter-temporal input-output dependence by using input-output 'paths' mapped out by operating units over time as the basis of assessing them. As an application we compare the results of the dynamic and static model for a set of UK universities. The paper is suggested that dynamic model capture the efficiency better than static model. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Individual spirit at work and its relationship with employee work attitudes and organisational outcomes:An empirical examination in corporate Thailand

The purpose of this thesis is to conduct empirical research in corporate Thailand in order to (1) validate the Spirit at Work Scale (2) investigate the relationships between individual spirit at work and three employee work attitudinal variables (job satisfaction, organisational identification and psychological well-being) and three organisational outcomes (in-role performance, organisational citizenship behaviours (OCB), and turnover intentions) (3) further examine causal relations among these organisational behaviour variables with a longitudinal design (4) examine three employee work attitudes as mediator variables between individual spirit at work and three organisational outcomes and (5) explore the potential antecedents of organisational conditions that foster employee experienced individual spirit at work. The two pilot studies with 155 UK and 175, 715 Thai samples were conducted for validation testing of the main measure used in this study: Spirit at Work Scale (Kinjerski & Skrypnek, 2006a). The results of the two studies including discriminant validity analyses strongly provided supportive evidence that Spirit at Work Scale (SAWS) is a sound psychometric measure and also a distinct construct from the three work attitude constructs. The final model of SAWS contains a total of twelve items; a three factor structure (meaning in work, sense of community, and spiritual connection) in which the sub-factors loaded on higher order factors and also had very acceptable reliability. In line with these results it was decided to use the second-order of SAWS model for Thai samples in the main study and subsequent analysis. The 715 completed questionnaires were received from the first wave of data collection during July - August 2008 and the second wave was conducted again within the same organisations and 501 completed questionnaires were received during March - April 2009. Data were obtained through 49 organisations which were from three types of organisations within Thailand: public organisations, for-profit organisations, and notfor-profit organisations. Confirmatory factor analysis of all measures used in the study and hypothesised model were tested with structural equation modelling techniques. The results were greatly supportive for the direct structural model and partially supportive for the fully mediated model. Moreover, there were different findings across self report and supervisor rating on performance and OCB models. Additionally, the antecedent conditions that fostered employees experienced individual spirit at work and the implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.

Blur adaptation explained by a norm-based model of contrast adaptation

Adapting to blurred images makes in-focus images look too sharp, and vice-versa (Webster et al, 2002 Nature Neuroscience 5 839 - 840). We asked how such blur adaptation is related to contrast adaptation. Georgeson (1985 Spatial Vision 1 103 - 112) found that grating contrast adaptation followed a subtractive rule: perceived (matched) contrast of a grating was fairly well predicted by subtracting some fraction k(~0.3) of the adapting contrast from the test contrast. Here we apply that rule to the responses of a set of spatial filters at different scales and orientations. Blur is encoded by the pattern of filter response magnitudes over scale. We tested two versions - the 'norm model' and 'fatigue model' - against blur-matching data obtained after adaptation to sharpened, in-focus or blurred images. In the fatigue model, filter responses are simply reduced by exposure to the adapter. In the norm model, (a) the visual system is pre-adapted to a focused world and (b) discrepancy between observed and expected responses to the experimental adapter leads to additional reduction (or enhancement) of filter responses during experimental adaptation. The two models are closely related, but only the norm model gave a satisfactory account of results across the four experiments analysed, with one free parameter k. This model implies that the visual system is pre-adapted to focused images, that adapting to in-focus or blank images produces no change in adaptation, and that adapting to sharpened or blurred images changes the state of adaptation, leading to changes in perceived blur or sharpness.

CORD an object model supporting statistical summary information for management decision making

Information systems have developed to the stage that there is plenty of data available in most organisations but there are still major problems in turning that data into information for management decision making. This thesis argues that the link between decision support information and transaction processing data should be through a common object model which reflects the real world of the organisation and encompasses the artefacts of the information system. The CORD (Collections, Objects, Roles and Domains) model is developed which is richer in appropriate modelling abstractions than current Object Models. A flexible Object Prototyping tool based on a Semantic Data Storage Manager has been developed which enables a variety of models to be stored and experimented with. A statistical summary table model COST (Collections of Objects Statistical Table) has been developed within CORD and is shown to be adequate to meet the modelling needs of Decision Support and Executive Information Systems. The COST model is supported by a statistical table creator and editor COSTed which is also built on top of the Object Prototyper and uses the CORD model to manage its metadata.

The boundary lubricated friction and wear of low alloy steel

Pin on disc wear machines were used to study the boundary lubricated friction and wear of AISI 52100 steel sliding partners. Boundary conditions were obtained by using speed and load combinations which resulted in friction coefficients in excess of 0.1. Lubrication was achieved using zero, 15 and 1000 ppm concentrations of an organic dimeric acid additive in a hydrocarbon base stock. Experiments were performed for sliding speeds of 0.2, 0.35 and 0.5 m/s for a range of loads up to 220 N. Wear rate, frictional force and pin temperature were continually monitored throughout tests and where possible complementary methods of measurement were used to improve accuracy. A number of analytical techniques were used to examine wear surfaces, debris and lubricants, namely: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), Powder X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), optical microscopy, Back scattered Electron Detection (BSED) and several metallographic techniques. Friction forces and wear rates were found to vary linearly with load for any given combination of speed and additive concentration. The additive itself was found to act as a surface oxidation inhibitor and as a lubricity enhancer, particularly in the case of the higher (1000 ppm) concentration. Wear was found to be due to a mild oxidational mechanism at low additive concentrations and a more severe metallic mechanism at higher concentrations with evidence of metallic delamination in the latter case. Scuffing loads were found to increase with increasing additive concentration and decrease with increasing speed as would be predicted by classical models of additive behaviour as an organo-metallic soap film. Heat flow considerations tended to suggest that surface temperature was not the overriding controlling factor in oxidational wear and a model is proposed which suggests oxygen concentration in the lubricant is the controlling factor in oxide growth and wear.

Ethnicities and values in a changing world

Recent debates about national identity, belonging and community cohesion can appear to suggest that ethnicity is a static entity and that ethnic difference is a source of conflict in itself. "Ethnicities and Values in a Changing World" presents an alternative account of ethnicity and calls into question models of community cohesion that present ethnicity as the source of antagonisms and differences that must be overcome. It suggests instead that ethnicity is itself multiple and changing and is unlikely to be a basis for articulating shared values. This volume brings together an international team of leading scholars in the field of ethnic studies in order to examine innovative articulations of ethnicity and challenge the contention that ethnicity is static or that it necessarily represents traditional values and cultures. Asserting that ethnicity is deployed in part as an expression of values and a model of ethical practice, this book examines displays of ethnicity as assertions of identity and statements about way of life, sense of entitlement and manner of connection to others. "Ethnicities and Values in a Changing World" draws together debates about the articulation of ethnic identity, the nature of our relation to each other and discussions of everyday ethics, thus engaging with discussions of racism, multiculturalism and community cohesion. As such, it will appeal not only to sociologists, but to anyone working in the fields of cultural studies, race and ethnicity, globalization, migration and anthropology. Table of Contents: Introduction: ethnicities, values and old-fashioned racism, Gargi Bhattacharyya; Teaching race and racism in the 21st century: thematic considerations, Howard Winant; Diaspora conversations: ethics, ethicality, work and life; Migrant women's networking: new articulations of transnational ethnicity, Ronit Lentin; 'The people do what the political class isn't able to do': antigypsyism, ethnicity denial and the politics of racism without racism, Robbie McVeigh; Violent urban protest - identities, ethics and Islamism, Max Farrar; Beliefs, boundaries and belonging: African Pentecostals in Ireland, Abel Ugba; On being a 'good' refugee, John Gabriel and Jenny Harding; Narrating lived experience in a binational community in Costa Rica, Carlos Sandoval Garcia; Conclusion: ethnicity and ethicality in an unequal world, Gargi Bhattacharyya; Index.

Simulation and control of a stepping motor

Open-loop operatlon of the stepping motor exploits the inherent advantages of the machine. For near optimum operation: in this mode, however, an accurate system model is required to facilitate controller design. Such a model must be comprehensive and take account of the non-linearities inherent in the system. The result is a complex formulation which can be made manageable with a computational aid. A digital simulation of a hybrid type stepping motor and its associated drive circuit is proposed. The simulation is based upon a block diagram model which includes reasonable approximations to the major non-linearities. The simulation is shown to yield accurate performance predictions. The determination of the transfer functions is based upon the consideration of the physical processes involved rather than upon direct input-outout measurements. The effects of eddy currents, saturation, hysteresis, drive circuit characteristics and non-linear torque displacement characteristics are considered and methods of determining transfer functions, which take account of these effects, are offered. The static torque displacement characteristic is considered in detail and a model is proposed which predicts static torque for any combination of phase currents and shaft position. Methods of predicting the characteristic directly from machine geometry are investigated. Drive circuit design for high efficiency operation is considered and a model of a bipolar, bilevel circuit is proposed. The transfers between stator voltage and stator current and between stator current and air gap flux are complicated by the effects of eddy currents, saturation and hysteresis. Frequency response methods, combined with average inductance measurements, are shown to yield reasonable transfer functions. The modelling procedure and subsequent digital simulation is concluded to be a powerful method of non-linear analysis.