Who am I and what am I doing here? : Becoming and being a project manager

Purpose - This paper aims to empirically explore the nature of tensions that emerge within the process of becoming a manager in the post-bureaucratic organisation, by focusing on the emergence of project management as a key carrier of post-bureaucracy. The paper seeks to address two aspects of individual transformation into project manager; first, it aims to understand the specific factors, which drive the transformation of technical specialists into project managers and, second, to illuminate the tensions and challenges experienced in this new position. Design/methodology/approach - The empirical base for the study is a series of structured group discussions with project managers from a range of distinct industrial sectors and organisations. Findings - The paper illustrates the tensions implicit in the process of becoming a project manager. It identifies a number of conflicts that arise between the overarching philosophy of project management and the process of enacting the role of project manager around the themes of status, organisational value, power, influence and ambiguity. Research limitations/implications - The research approach is empirically rich yet exploratory, providing directions and inspiration for more extensive research in specific contexts. Originality/value - The research points to an understanding of how new managerial roles are created and embedded in organisational contexts, and the pressures, which are brought to bear on the incumbents of these new roles through this process

Middle-Field Cusp Singularities in the Magnetization Process of One-Dimensional Quantum Antiferromagnets

We study the zero-temperature magnetization process (M-H curve) of one-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets using a variant of the density-matrix renormalization group method. For both the S=1/2 zig-zag spin ladder and the S=1 bilinear-biquadratic chain, we find clear cusp-type singularities in the middle-field region of the M-H curve. These singularities are successfully explained in terms of the double-minimum shape of the energy dispersion of the low-lying excitations. For the S=1/2 zig-zag spin ladder, we find that the cusp formation accompanies the Fermi-liquid to non-Fermi-liquid transition.Comment: 4 pages, RevTeX, 3 figures, some mistakes in references are correcte

Reduced Diversity and High Sponge Abundance on a Sedimented Indo-Pacific Reef System: Implications for Future Changes in Environmental Quality

Although coral reef health across the globe is declining as a result of anthropogenic impacts, relatively little is known of how environmental variability influences reef organisms other than corals and fish. Sponges are an important component of coral reef fauna that perform many important functional roles and changes in their abundance and diversity as a result of environmental change has the potential to affect overall reef ecosystem functioning. In this study, we examined patterns of sponge biodiversity and abundance across a range of environments to assess the potential key drivers of differences in benthic community structure. We found that sponge assemblages were significantly different across the study sites, but were dominated by one species Lamellodysidea herbacea (42% of all sponges patches recorded) and that the differential rate of sediment deposition was the most important variable driving differences in abundance patterns. Lamellodysidea herbacea abundance was positively associated with sedimentation rates, while total sponge abundance excluding Lamellodysidea herbacea was negatively associated with rates of sedimentation. Overall variation in sponge assemblage composition was correlated with a number of variables although each variable explained only a small amount of the overall variation. Although sponge abundance remained similar across environments, diversity was negatively affected by sedimentation, with the most sedimented sites being dominated by a single sponge species. Our study shows how some sponge species are able to tolerate high levels of sediment and that any transition of coral reefs to more sedimented states may result in a shift to a low diversity sponge dominated system, which is likely to have subsequent effects on ecosystem functioning. © 2014 Powell et al

A study of different carbon composite materials for the negative half-cell reaction of the zinc cerium hybrid redox flow cell

An investigation into the suitability of several carbon composites materials as substrates for the negative electrode in the zinc–cerium redox flow cell has been carried out. The zinc deposition process was carried out in a methanesulfonic acid electrolyte over the temperature range between 25 °C and 60 °C. Elevated temperatures increased the kinetics of the zinc deposition and dissolution reactions and also shifted the onset (nucleation) potential at more positive values. Galvanostatic charge/discharge cycles were performed in order to test the performance of these composite materials under a variety of operating conditions. For all the materials, the highest charge/discharge coulombic efficiencies (∼95%) were found at elevated temperatures. Yet, the voltage efficiencies were found to be higher at lower temperatures (viz. 25 °C). Increased methanesulfonic acid concentrations promoted the hydrogen evolution reaction which in turn led to lower coulombic efficiencies. Three of the composite carbon materials tested (viz. PVE, PVDF, HDPE-1) were found to be robust with no surface deterioration or loss in efficiency observed over 250 cycles. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the formation of zinc clusters/grains on all the substrates tested whilst dendritic and granular growth was also present on some of the carbon samples

THE MICROWAVE SPECTRUM OF N14O16O17N^{14}O^{16}O^{17}

Author Institution: Department of Chemistry, Rice UniversitySome 150 hyperfine transitions belonging to the $S_{08}\rightarrow 7_{17}$ and $9_{19}\rightarrow 10_{0,10}$ rotational transitions of $N^{14}O^{16}O^{17}$ have been observed in the microwave region. The new coupling constants which have been determined are the odd-electron expectation values on oxygen. They are $\begin{array}{l}|\psi(0)|^{2}=0.71 \times 10^{24} cm^{-3},\\=-4.71 \times 10^{24} cm^{-3}\\\end{array}$ and $=5.04 \times 10^{24} cm^{-3}.$ The results of the work are combined with previous work on other isotopic modifications of $NO_{2}$ to give a LCAO-MO picture of the odd electron orbital. This work was supported by Grant C-071 of The Robert A. Welch Foundation and in part by Grant GP-4166 from the National Science Foundation

Practical lessons in using indicators of determinants of health across 47 European cities

A survey was conducted of 47 European cities applying to join the third phase of the World Health Organization Healthy Cities Project. The survey tested the feasibility of recording baseline information on health-promoting processes and activities in the cities. A broad multi-sectoral focus for health in the questionnaire presented formidable challenges to respondents. Despite goodwill and local networks, the quality of certain responses was variable. Socio-economic statistics are not universally available at city level; however, descriptive responses about services and health promotion yielded uniquely useful local information over the national level. Survey responses were not comparable across cities and such interpretation would be counter-productive. Recommendations for future surveys are made. Key words: city health; determinants of health; indicators; measure

Examination of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 abundance in white adipose tissue: implications in obesity research

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) is essential for the transport of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria for oxidation. Recently, it was reported that decreased CPT1b mRNA in adipose tissue was a contributing factor for obesity in rats. We therefore closely examined the expression level of in adipose tissue from mice, rats, and humans. is the predominate isoform in adipose tissue from all three species. Rat white adipose tissue has a moderate amount of mRNA, but it is very minor compared with expression in muscle. Total CPT1 activity in adipose tissue is also minor relative to other tissues. Both and mRNA were increased in gonadal fat but not inguinal fat by diet-induced obesity in mice. We also measured and expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue from human subjects with a wide range of body mass indexes (BMIs). Interestingly, expression positively correlated with BMI ( = 0.46), but there was no correlation with ( = 0.04). Our findings indicate that white adipose tissue fatty acid oxidation capacity is minor compared with that of metabolically active tissues. Furthermore, given the already low abundance of in white adipose tissue, it is unlikely that decreases in its expression can quantitatively decrease whole body energy expenditure enough to contribute to an obese phenotype

Examination of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 abundance in white adipose tissue: implications in obesity research

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) is essential for the transport of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria for oxidation. Recently, it was reported that decreased CPT1b mRNA in adipose tissue was a contributing factor for obesity in rats. We therefore closely examined the expression level of in adipose tissue from mice, rats, and humans. is the predominate isoform in adipose tissue from all three species. Rat white adipose tissue has a moderate amount of mRNA, but it is very minor compared with expression in muscle. Total CPT1 activity in adipose tissue is also minor relative to other tissues. Both and mRNA were increased in gonadal fat but not inguinal fat by diet-induced obesity in mice. We also measured and expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue from human subjects with a wide range of body mass indexes (BMIs). Interestingly, expression positively correlated with BMI ( = 0.46), but there was no correlation with ( = 0.04). Our findings indicate that white adipose tissue fatty acid oxidation capacity is minor compared with that of metabolically active tissues. Furthermore, given the already low abundance of in white adipose tissue, it is unlikely that decreases in its expression can quantitatively decrease whole body energy expenditure enough to contribute to an obese phenotype