The inverse relationship between number of steps per day and obesity in a population-based sample - the AusDiab study

Background:
Physical activity (PA) is inversely associated with obesity but the effect has been difficult to quantify using questionnaires. In particular, the shape of the association has not yet been well described. Pedometers provide an opportunity to better characterize the association.

Methods:
Residents of households over the age of 25 years in randomly selected census districts in Tasmania were eligible to participate in the AusDiab cross-sectional survey conducted in 1999–2000. 1848 completed the AusDiab survey and 1126 of these (609 women and 517 men) wore a pedometer for 2-weekdays. Questionnaire data on recent PA, TV time and other factors were obtained. The outcomes were waist circumference (in cm) and body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2).

Results:
Increasing daily steps were associated with a decline in the obesity measures. The logarithmic nature of the associations was indicated by a sharper decline for those with lower daily steps. For example, an additional 2000 steps for those taking only 2000 steps per day was associated with a reduction of 2.8 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.1,4.4) cm in waist circumference among men (for women; 2.2 (95% CI: 0.6, 3.9 cm)) with a baseline of only 2000, steps compared to a 0.7 (95% CI 0.3, 1.1) cm reduction (for women; 0.6 (95% CI: 0.2, 1.0)) for those already walking 10 000 steps daily. In the multivariable analysis, clearer associations were detected for PA and these obesity measures using daily step number rather than PA time by questionnaire.

Interpretation:
Pedometer measures of activity indicate that the inverse association between recent PA and obesity is logarithmic in form with the greatest impact for a given arithmetic step number increase seen at lower levels of baseline activity. The findings from this study need to be examined in prospective settings.

Envelopment methodology to measure and compare subcontractor productivity at the firm level

This paper describes a conceptual approach to measure and compare productivity of resource utilization at the firm level, adapting a set of techniques known as Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Within this approach, the paper addresses the issues of multiple inputs and multiple outputs of a construction firm, level of detail for data collection, and the required transformations to correct for differences among projects. In particular, we focus on the resource management of subcontractors. Subcontractors manage multiple, concurrent projects and must allocate limited resources across these projects. Interaction between projects and resource allocation creates non-linear effects, and therefore the productivity of the firm is not simply the productivity of its projects. The proposed measurement methodology will allow assessment of the impact of different management policies (including many of those proposed by lean construction researchers) on firm performance. It is hoped that this novel approach to productivity measurement will help subcontractors identify efficient practices and superior management policies, and will promote adoption of these policies.

The development of a neo-industrial organisation methodology for describing and comparing structural and behavioural characteristics of construction supply chains

The model draws from theories of industrial economics and supply chain literature, and is an attempt to advance the construction supply chain field through the development of an industrial organisational methodology to describe construction supply chains.
Empirical studies have examined the industrial organisation of other industries, typically forming descriptions based upon vertical integration and horizontal market concentration. A review of the trends in the supply chain literature indicate there is a need to develop a model to describe the industrial organisation of the construction industry through supply chain structure. The merging of the supply chain concept with the industrial organisation model as a methodology for understanding the structural characteristics is an important contribution to construction economic theory. The paper begins to develop a language for describing the structure and behaviour of supply chains specific to the construction industry and is so doing suggests a neo-industrial organisation approach.

The valuation of fast-food outlets : analysis, methodology, and reliability

Fast-food outlets are a significant subsector of the hospitality and tourism property market in Australia, and have experienced significant growth and global change in the past 20 years. However, little attention has been given in professional and academic literature to the valuation methodology and analysis of these properties. This article proposes a working definition of a fast-food outlet, traces recent changes in the structure of the fast-food industry, investigates the major determinants of value with respect to asset value, and examines to what extent these have changed. In particular, it isolates the role of goodwill in assessing going-concern value.

Inverse opal gas sensors : Zn(II)-doped tin dioxide systems for low temperature detection of pollutant gases

Focusing here on the effects of zinc doping in a nanocrystalline matrix of tin dioxide, inverse opal prototype sensors are presented and extensively studied as superior candidates for gas sensing applications. Courtesy of factors including controlled porosity, enhanced surface to volume ratio and homogeneous dispersion of species in the crystalline lattice assured by the sol–gel technique, prototype sensors were prepared with high dopant ratios in a range of new compositions. Exploiting their high sensitivities to low-gas concentrations at low working temperatures, and thanks to the presented templated sol–gel approach, the prepared sensors open up new frontiers in compositional control over the sensing oxide materials, consequently widening the possibilities available in on-demand gas sensor synthesis.

Inverse opal structure of SnO2 and SnO2 : Zn for gas sensing

In the present work, we propose a low cost synthetic sol-gel route that allows to produce high quality oxide nanostructures with inverse opal architecture which, transferred on alumina substrates provided with Pt interdigitated contacts and heater, are tested as gas sensing devices. An opal template of sintered monodisperse polystyrene spheres was filled with alcoholic solutions of metal oxide precursors and transferred on the alumina substrate. The polystyrene template was removed by thermal treatment, leading to the simultaneous sintering of the oxide nanoparticles. Beside SnO₂, a binary oxide well known for gas sensing application, a Zn containing ternary solid solution (SnO₂:Zn, with Zn 10% molar content) was taken into account for sensor preparation. The obtained high quality macro and meso-porous structures, characterized by different techniques, were tested for pollutant (CO, NO₂) and interfering (methanol) gases, showing that very good detection can be reached through the increase of surface area offered by the inverse opal structure and the tailoring of the chemical composition. The electrical characterization performed on the tin dioxide based sensors shows an enhancement of the relative response towards NO₂ at low temperatures in comparison with conventional SnO₂ sensors obtained with sputtering technique. The addition of Zn increases the separation between the operating temperatures for reducing and oxidizing gases and results in a further enhancement of the selectivity to NO₂ detection.

The valuation of fast food outlets in Australia : methodology, analysis and reliability

Fast food outlets are a significant sub sector of the Hospitality and Tourism Property Market and a specialized form of business. This form of hospitality outlet has experienced significant growth and change in the last 20 years. Their value as an asset is therefore of significant interest to many involved in the tourism and hospitality industry, not least fast food operators or potential operators and their financiers. However, little attention has been given in professional and academic literature to valuation methodology, the analysis of the major components of asset value, and the underlying factors which influence asset value. As such the reliability of the valuation process could justifiably be questioned.
This paper sets out a working definition of a fast food outlet. It investigates the major determinants of value with respect to asset value and examines the accepted methods of valuation of fast food outlets in Australia as well as establishing the methods most commonly used. It clarifies the major components of asset value and examines to what extent these have changed with the changing business environment. In particular it isolates the role of Goodwill in assessing Going Concern Value. Sources of data include a comprehensive literature review and personal interviews with professionals involved in the valuation process. The paper concludes that an efficient valuation process requires that fast food outlets be considered as both a real estate and business investment. The contribution of both tangible and intangible assets to the value of the asset must be identified.

Inverse opal nanoassemblies : novel architectures for gas sensors the SnO2:Zn case

A novel technique is here presented, based on inverse opal metal oxide structures for the production of high quality macro and meso-porous structures for gas sensing. Taking advantage of a sol-gel templated approach. different mixed semiconducting oxides with high surface area, commonly used in chemical sensing application, were synthesized. In this work we report the
comparison between SnO₂ and SnO₂:Zn. As witnessed by Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy (SEM and TEM) analyses and by Powder x-ray Diffraction (PX RD), highly ordered meso-porous structures were formed with oxide crystalline size never exceeding 20 nm . The filled templates. in form of thick films, were bound to allumina substrate with Pt interdigitated contacts
and Pt heater, through in situ calcination, in order to perform standard electrical characterization. Pollutant gases like CO and NO₂ and methanol. as interfering gas, were used for the targeted electrical gas tests. All samples showed low detection limits towards both reducing and oxidizing species in low temperature measurements. Moreover, the addition of high molar percentages of Zn( II) affected the beha viour of electrical response improv ing the se lecti vity of the proposed system.

Understanding research : methodology and terminology

Aims of this Chapter: 
• To examine the role of research in public relations campaigns.
• To evaluate the different types of research methods and their use in campaigns.

The methodology of students-as-researchers : valuing and using experience and expertise to develop methods

Students in England are increasingly involved in consultation and governance of schools. Some are also involved in researching their own learning, how they are taught, the kinds of curriculum on offer, and school policies and practices. In this article, we suggest that this could be seen as a form of “standpoint research”. We suggest that one way standpoint can be exercised is via the construction of experience-based research tools. We exemplify this through a student research project in which photo-elicitation and verbal scenarios based in students' understandings of their school did not produce an “authentic” and homogenised voice, but rather multiple perspectives of the classroom and wider school.