Quantifying and reducing researcher subjectivity in the generation of climate indices from documentary sources

The generation of index-based series of meteorological phenomena, derived from narrative descriptions of weather and climate in historical documentary sources, is a common method to reconstruct past climatic variability. This study is the first to explicitly examine the degree of inter-rater variability in producing such series, a potential source of bias in index-based analyses. Two teams of raters were asked to produce a five-category annual rainfall index series for the same dataset, consisting of transcribed narrative descriptions of meteorological variability for 11 ‘rain-years’ in nineteenth-century Lesotho, originally collected by Nash and Grab (2010). One group of raters (n = 71) comprised of students studying for postgraduate qualifications in climatology or a related discipline; the second group (n = 6) consisted of professional meteorologists and historical climatologists working in southern Africa. Inter-rater reliability was high for both groups, at r = 0.99 for the student raters and r = 0.94 for the professional raters, although ratings provided by the student group disproportionately averaged to the central value (0: normal/seasonal rains) where variability was high. Back-calculation of intraclass correlation using the Spearman-Brown prediction formula showed that a target reliability of 0.9 could be obtained with as few as eight student raters, and four professional raters. This number reduced to two when examining a subset of the professional group (n = 4) who had previously published historical climatology papers on southern Africa. We therefore conclude that variability between researchers should be considered minimal where index-based climate reconstructions are generated by trained historical climatologists working in groups of two or more.

Review of Knowledge Framework and Conceptual Structure of Islamic Banking

Islamic banking is a multidisciplinary field that integrates banking and fiqh muamalat using mathematical, statistical, computational, and economic models. Islamic banking is dependent on the development of Islamic financial transactions for its growth. Islamic banking applications in are emerging not only as means of enhancing financial results but also as means of enhancing the sustainability and productivity of the economy. This paper aims to conduct a comprehensive systematic bibliometric analysis of Islamic banking literature. It starts by finding 3,285 documents published in the Scopus database from January 1983 to October 2021. This paper, using bibliometric analysis, describes the most significant literature, denotes the related discipline fields, and offers insight into the existing research patterns and possible future trends in Islamic banking. The financial crisis has revolutionised Islamic banking as an interesting alternative to the fragile current banking system. The findings establish a solid grounding for future research in the field of Islamic banking.

Audit, Accounting, and Finance Training for Management Trainees of PT HSBC Jakarta

Accounting is an information service related to all of the activities in the organization, such as operating activities, financing activities, and investing activities. And in all of the activities the emphasis is on using accounting information in the process of making decisions based on financial reports. The financial reports are the result of the accounting process. One related discipline is auditing, which can be defined as the process of examining and evaluating a company's financial statements through an independent auditor. In addition, accounting is used to support the management for internal decision making, or called management accounting. To understand the importance of accounting, Sekolah Bisnis dan Manajemen – Institut Teknologi Bandung (SBM-ITB) in collaboration with PT HSBC, Jakarta, Indonesia conducted General Banking Training on March 22-26, 2021. The training consists of nine (9) topics, including Auditing, Accounting and Finance and is held on March 23, 2021. The speakers of the training are several academicians, including the author. The method used in the training is online lecturing and discussion combined with case studies. We also conducted pre and post-tests to ensure the result of the training. The participants are seven (7) new employees of PT HSBC recruited from various domestic and foreign universities. The results of the training showed that the participants improved their understanding on the importance and the use of accounting information based on pre and posttests. In addition, it showed an increase in value of 54% in the posttest. Further, the participants are satisfied and provide positive feedback of 4.14 out of 5. After observing the process, we consider that the training ran smoothly and effectively due to high interest and enthusiasm of the participants.

Organismal Design and Biomimetics: A Problem of Scale

Organisms and their features represent a complex system of solutions that can efficiently inspire the development of original and cutting-edge design applications: the related discipline is known as biomimetics. From the smallest to the largest, every species has developed and adapted different working principles based on their relative dimensional realm. In nature, size changes determine remarkable effects in organismal structures, functions, and evolutionary innovations. Similarly, size and scaling rules need to be considered in the biomimetic transfer of solutions to different dimensions, from nature to artefacts. The observation of principles that occur at very small scales, such as for nano- and microstructures, can often be seen and transferred to a macroscopic scale. However, this transfer is not always possible; numerous biological structures lose their functionality when applied to different scale dimensions. Hence, the evaluation of the effects and changes in scaling biological working principles to the final design dimension is crucial for the success of any biomimetic transfer process. This review intends to provide biologists and designers with an overview regarding scale-related principles in organismal design and their application to technical projects regarding mechanics, optics, electricity, and acoustics.

Perceptions of academics in Nigerian higher education institutions on graduate attributes in computing disciplines that are desirable for employability and entrepreneurship in Nigeria

This study sought to determine the computing disciplines’ graduate attributes that are perceived as most important by academics of Nigerian Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) to make graduates in computer related disciplines desirable to potential employers and entrepreneurship in Nigeria. The descriptive survey research design was adopted. One hundred and Fifty (150) academic staff of computer related disciplines across the HEIs (Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education) in the North-Western Nigeria were screened and used through convenience random and purposive sampling methods. The Computing Disciplines’ Graduate Attributes Scale (CDGAS) (r = 0.90) was the research instrument used in gleaning the field data. Three research questions were raised and one hypothesis formulated, tested and analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). The findings revealed that effective communication skills, leadership quality, collaboration and teamwork, lifelong learning skills, cognitive ability and practical skills, ability to apply knowledge to solving theoretical and practical problems creativity and innovative thinking are the most important computing discipline’ graduate attributes that are desirable for graduate employability and entrepreneurship in Nigeria. Also, result from hypothesis testing showed no significant relationship between computing discipline graduate attributes desirable for employability and that of entrepreneurship in Nigeria (r = 0.622; P < 0.05). Conclusively, the study recommended that career development support efforts should be included in the curriculum, which will focus on helping prospective graduate in computing related discipline on how graduate attributes can hinder or increase their employability and entrepreneurship strengths.

Graduate attributes in computing disciplines desirable to prepare graduates for entry into computing profession in Nigeria

The purpose of this study was to identify the important graduate attributes in computing disciplines perceived by lecturers of the three sectors of Nigerian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) desirable for entry into computing profession in Nigeria. The descriptive survey research design was adopted. Fifty (50) academic staff of computer related disciplines from each of the HEIs sectors (Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education) in the North-Central Nigeria were screened and used through convenience random and purposive sampling methods. The Computing Disciplines’ Graduate Attributes Scale (CDGAS) (r = 0.82) was the research instrument used in gleaning the field data. Four research questions were raised and one hypothesis formulated, tested and analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical package. The findings identified 13, 17 and 16 important graduate attributes desirable to prepare graduates from Nigerian Universities, Polytechnic and Colleges of Educations (COEs) respectively for entry into computing profession. Common amongst the identified graduate attributes are: collaboration and teamwork, lifelong learning skills, cognitive ability and practical skills, effective communication skills and leadership quality. Also, result from hypothesis testing showed a significant relationship amongst the identified graduate attributes in computing discipline in all sectors of HIEs in Nigeria. (F = 0.610; Critical Value = 3.12; P < 0.05). Conclusively, the study recommended that career development support efforts should be included in the curriculum, which will focus on helping prospective graduate in computing related discipline on their academic abilities, personal qualities and skills.

Designing and Engineering Interactive Computing Systems

This issue of the Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction features contributions in the intersection of human-computer interaction and software engineering, with further disciplines blending into a rich set of scientific works. 2021 is the first time the annual conference on Engineering Interactive Computing Systems (EICS) is hosted in the Netherlands and in the context of an Industrial Design department. We take this opportunity to focus on the relations and influence of the design discipline on the work of the EICS community. This resulted in a new set of topics for EICS, which were already partly reflected in the many submissions we received in three extensive review rounds throughout 2020 and the beginning of 2021. In this editorial we offer a perspective on what EICS is not yet, looking at the inclusion of and interplay with design as a related discipline.

Thrive, not just survive: the experience of a fellow in the SBM Leadership Institute to enhance opportunities for success of mid-career nurse scientists

Mid-career nurse scientists are at risk of burnout and departure from research-focused roles due to a myriad of reasons, including a nationwide faculty shortage, vacant administrative roles, and the challenging extramural funding environment. Retention and success of mid-career scientists in any health-related discipline is essential to maintain educational and research endeavors that are important for public health and well-being. This commentary provides an account of recent efforts to address these issues, from the perspective of a former fellow in the Society of Behavioral Medicine Leadership Institute. Although these efforts are focused specifically on the needs of nurse scientists, the topic is relevant to researchers in any discipline. The intent of this commentary is for others to benefit from the lessons learned and to build upon our current efforts to help mid-career scientists thrive, not just survive.

Project management: opportunities and recent development

The project management basically do to understand the process of business and this process is done from last 15 years and showed the remarkable growth as 1000% membership are increased in the project management. The study of project management deals in the related discipline in the management field. The evolution of project management research is evolved and study found that the research is done to understand the project management better from the field of management and it’s a legitimate academic discipline. IT implementation, research and development, software development, service development and corporate change management are new applications of project management. This paper will highlight the recent development and pportunities of project management. Also discuss its importance and functions in the era of technological change and demand in recent trend through which businesses are getting benefits from project management

Peter Botticelli, Martha R. Mahard, and Michèle V. Cloonan. Libraries, Archives, and Museums Today: Insights from the Field.

For more than a decade, libraries, archives, and museums (LAM) have been discussing digital access to collections and digital asset management. Coordinating successful interfaces for users, who also may be internal to an organization, requires multiple areas of expertise: vision from administrators; content and context from archivists, librarians, and curators; and technical skills from catalogers, specialists in digital curation, and web developers. Rarely can effective systems be developed by just one of these specialties. It takes collaboration, resources, and navigation of the “languages” of each separate, but related, discipline. Practitioners in these fields know that working together for such projects can be challenging, despite similar goals of preserving and providing access to historical materials. In Libraries, Archives, and Museums Today: Insights from the Field, authors Peter Botticelli, Martha R. Mahard, and Michèle V. Cloonan present 14 case studies that document the current issues, successes, and failures related to collaboration around technology at a number of diverse cultural institutions, as well as overall challenges in the digital age.