bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccination Rates in Ambulatory Specialty Practices
Authors: Pennant Keyana N. , Costa John J. , Fuhlbrigge Anne L. , Sax Paul E. , Szent-Gyorgyi Lara E. , Coblyn Jonathan , Desai Sonali P.
Published: October 2015

Background.  Influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations are recommended for elderly and high-risk patients; however, rates of adherence are low. We sought to implement influenza and pneumococcal vaccine initiatives in 4 different ambulatory specialty practices, using 3 unique approaches.

Methods.  Four specialties with high-risk patient populations were selected for intervention: allergy (asthma), infectious disease (ID) (human immunodeficiency virus), pulmonary (chronic lung disease), and rheumatology (immunocompromised). Allergy and ID focused on influenza vaccination, and pulmonary and rheumatology focused on pneumococcal vaccination. We used 3 strategies for quality improvement: physician reminders, patient letters, and a nurse-driven model. Physicians were provided their performance data on a monthly basis and presented trended data on a quarterly basis at staff meetings.

Results.  All 4 specialties developed processes for improving vaccination rates with all showing some increase. Higher rates were achieved with pneumococcal vaccine than influenza. Pneumococcal vaccine rates showed steady improvement from year to year while influenza vaccine rates remained relatively constant. Allergy's influenza rate was 59% in 2011 and 64% in the 2014 flu season. Infectious disease influenza rates moved from 74% in the 2011 flu season to 86% for the 2014 season. Pneumococcal vaccine in pulmonary patients' rate was 52% at the start of intervention in February 2009 and 79% as of January 2015. Rheumatology rates rose from 50% in February 2009 to 87% in January 2015.

Conclusions.  Integrated routine workflow and performance data sharing can effectively engage specialists and staff in vaccine adherence improvement. Influenza vaccination may require other approaches to achieve the rates seen with pneumococcal vaccine.
Actinoplanes rhizophilus sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from the rhizosphere of Sansevieria trifasciata Prain
Authors: He Hairong , Xing Jia , Liu Chongxi , Li Chuang , Ma Zhaoxu , Li Jiansong , Xiang Wensheng , Wang Xiangjing
Published: October 2015

A novel actinomycete, designated strain NEAU-A-2T, was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Sansevieria trifasciata Prain collected from Heilongjiang province, north-east China. The taxonomic status of this organism was established using a polyphasic approach. The isolate formed irregular sporangia containing motile spores on the substrate mycelium. The whole-cell sugars were xylose and galactose. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H10), MK-9(H2), MK-10(H2) and MK-10(H4). The major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and anteiso-C15 : 0. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, three unidentified phospholipids and an unidentified glycolipid. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity studies showed that strain NEAU-A-2T belongs to the genus Actinoplanes with the highest sequence similarities to Actinoplanes globisporus NBRC 13912T (97.7 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), Actinoplanes ferrugineus IMSNU 22125T (97.5 %), Actinoplanes toevensis MN07-A0368T (97.2 %) and Actinoplanes rishiriensis NBRC 108556T (97.2 %); similarities to type strains of other species of this genus were < 97 %. Two tree-making algorithms showed that strain NEAU-A-2T formed a distinct clade with A. globisporus NBRC 13912T and A. rishiriensis NBRC 108556T. However, low DNA–DNA relatedness values allowed the isolate to be differentiated from the above-mentioned two species of the genus Actinoplanes. Moreover, strain NEAU-A-2T could also be distinguished from the most closely related species by morphological and physiological characteristics. Therefore, in conclusion, isolate NEAU-A-2T represents a novel species of the genus Actinoplanes, for which the name Actinoplanes rhizophilus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NEAU-A-2T ( = CGMCC 4.7133T = DSM 46672T).
Dissecting the taxonomic heterogeneity within Propionibacterium acnes: proposal for Propionibacterium acnes subsp. acnes subsp. nov. and Propionibacterium acnes subsp. elongatum subsp. nov.
Authors: Dekio Itaru , Culak Renata , Misra Raju , Gaulton Tom , Fang Min , Sakamoto Mitsuo , Ohkuma Moriya , Oshima Kenshiro , Hattori Masahira , Klenk Hans-Peter , Rajendram Dunstan , Gharbia Saheer E. , Shah Haroun N.
Published: October 2015

Propionibacterium acnes subsp. acnes subsp. nov. and Propionibacterium acnes subsp. elongatum subsp. nov. are described. These emanate from the three known phylotypes of P. acnes, designated types I, II and III. Electron microscopy confirmed the filamentous cell shape of type III, showing a striking difference from types I/II, which were short rods. Biochemical tests indicated that, in types I/II, either the pyruvate, l-pyrrolidonyl arylamidase or d-ribose 2 test was positive, whereas all of these were negative among type III strains. Matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) spectra, which profile mainly their ribosomal proteins, were different between these two groups. Surface-enhanced laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) spectra of all phylotypes revealed a specific protein biomarker that was overexpressed in type III strains compared with types I/II only when grown aerobically. Reference strains had high whole-genome similarity between types I (>91 %) and II (>75 %), but a considerably lower level of 72 % similarity with type III. recA and gyrB sequence dendrograms confirmed the distant relatedness of type III, indicating the presence of two distinct centres of variation within the species P. acnes. On the other hand, cellular fatty acid profiles and 16S rRNA gene sequence relatedness (>99.3 %) circumscribed the species. Thus, we propose two subspecies, Propionibacterium acnes subsp. acnes subsp. nov. for types I/II and Propionibacterium acnes subsp. elongatum subsp. nov. for type III. The type strain of Propionibacterium acnes subsp. acnes is NCTC 737T ( = ATCC 6919T = JCM 6425T = DSM 1897T = CCUG 1794T), while the type strain of Propionibacterium acnes subsp. elongatum is K124T ( = NCTC 13655T = JCM 18919T).
Characterization of mesenchymal stem cells in sheep naturally infected with scrapie
Authors: Mediano Diego R. , Sanz-Rubio David , Bolea Rosa , Marín Belén , Vázquez Francisco J. , Remacha Ana R. , López-Pérez Óscar , Fernández-Borges Natalia , Castilla Joaquín , Zaragoza Pilar , Badiola Juan J. , Rodellar Clementina , Martín-Burriel Inmaculada
Published: October 2015

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be infected with prions and have been proposed asin vitrocell-based models for prion replication. In addition, autologous MSCs are of interest for cell therapy in neurodegenerative diseases. To the best of our knowledge, the effect of prion diseases on the characteristics of these cells has never been investigated. Here, we analysed the properties of MSCs obtained from bone marrow (BM-MSCs) and peripheral blood (PB-MSCs) of sheep naturally infected with scrapie — a large mammal model for the study of prion diseases. After three passages of expansion, MSCs derived from scrapie animals displayed similar adipogenic, chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation ability as cells from healthy controls, although a subtle decrease in the proliferation potential was observed. Exceptionally, mesenchymal markers such asCD29were significantly upregulated at the transcript level compared with controls. Scrapie MSCs were able to transdifferentiate into neuron-like cells, but displayed lower levels of neurogenic markers at basal conditions, which could limit this potential. The expression levels of cellular prion protein (PrPC) were highly variable between cultures, and no significant differences were observed between control and scrapie-derived MSCs. However, during neurogenic differentiation the expression of PrPCwas upregulated in MSCs. This characteristic could be useful for developingin vitromodels for prion replication. Despite the infectivity reported for MSCs obtained from scrapie-infected mice and Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease patients, protein misfolding cyclic amplification did not detect PrPScin BM- or PB-MSCs from scrapie-infected sheep, which limits their use forin vivodiagnosis for scrapie.
Effect of cryoprotectant agents on the growth of lactic acid bacteria during storage of powdered Kimchi
Authors: Song Jung-Hee , Cho Jungeun , Chung Youngbae , Seo Hye-Young
Published: October 2015

This study was conducted to evaluate effect of adding cryoprotectant agents on the growth of lactic acid bacteria during storage of powdered Kimchi. Powdered Kimchi was prepared by adding 1.5% cryoprotectant (glucose, maltose, lactose, and sucrose) and freeze-dried. For the preparation of micro-sized particle of Kimchi powder, the freeze-dried Kimchi was powered at 14,000 rpm for 2 min. The survival ratio of lactic acid bacteria in the powdered Kimchi was monitored during storage period of 4 months at -20, 0, 4, and 25°C after the capsulation of the powedered Kimchi. The number of lactic acid bacteria in the powdered Kimchi capsule was the greatest stored at -20°C, and the addition of glucose in cryoprotectant showed higher survival rate of lactic acid bacteria than that of control. More than 107 CFU/g of lactic acid bacteria were survived in the powdered Kimchi stored at 0 and 4°C. However, the lactic acid bacteria were not detected in the powdered Kimchi stored at 25°C. As a results, the addition of cryoprotectant agents in the manufacturing process improved the survival rate of lactic acid bacteria in powered Kimchi products with accompanying with a cold-chain system for the distributon of powdered Kimchi products.
Sphinx: modeling transcriptional heterogeneity in single-cell RNA-Seq
Authors: Gu Jinghua , Gu Qiumei , Wang Xuan , Yu Pingjian , Lin Wei
Published: October 2015

The significance of single-cell transcription resides not only in the cumulative expression strength of the cell population but also in its heterogeneity. We propose a new model that improves the detection of changes in the transcriptional heterogeneity pattern of RNA-Seq data using two heterogeneity parameters: ‘burst proportion’ and ‘burst magnitude’, whose changes are validated using RNA-FISH. Transcriptional ‘co-bursting’ – governed by distinct mechanisms during myoblast proliferation and differentiation – is described here.
Extracellular Forces Cause the Nucleus to Deform in a Highly Controlled Anisotropic Manner
Authors: Haase Kristina , Macadangdang Joan K. L. , Edrington Claire H. , Cuerrier Charles M. , Hadjiantoniou Sebastian , Harden James L. , Skerjanc Ilona S. , Pelling Andrew E.
Published: October 2015

Physical forces arising in the extra-cellular environment have a profound impact on cell fate and gene regulation; however the underlying biophysical mechanisms that control this sensitivity remain elusive. It is hypothesized that gene expression may be influenced by the physical deformation of the nucleus in response to force. Here, using 3T3s as a model, we demonstrate that extra-cellular forces cause cell nuclei to rapidly deform (< 1 s) preferentially along their shorter nuclear axis, in an anisotropic manner. Nuclear anisotropy is shown to be regulated by the cytoskeleton within intact cells, with actin and microtubules resistant to orthonormal strains. Importantly, nuclear anisotropy is intrinsic, and observed in isolated nuclei. The sensitivity of this behaviour is influenced by chromatin organization and lamin-A expression. An anisotropic response to force was also highly conserved amongst an array of examined nuclei from differentiated and undifferentiated cell types. Although the functional purpose of this conserved material property remains elusive, it may provide a mechanism through which mechanical cues in the microenvironment are rapidly transmitted to the genome.
CHiCAGO: Robust Detection of DNA Looping Interactions in Capture Hi-C data
Authors: Cairns Jonathan , Freire-Pritchett Paula , Wingett Steven W. , Várnai Csilla , Dimond Andrew , Plagnol Vincent , Zerbino Daniel , Schoenfelder Stefan , Javierre Biola-Maria , Osborne Cameron , Fraser Peter , Spivakov Mikhail
Published: October 2015

Capture Hi-C (CHi-C) is a state-of-the art method for profiling chromosomal interactions involving targeted regions of interest (such as gene promoters) globally and at high resolution. Signal detection in CHi-C data involves a number of statistical challenges that are not observed when using other Hi-C-like techniques. We present a background model, and algorithms for normalisation and multiple testing that are specifically adapted to CHi-C experiments, in which many spatially dispersed regions are captured, such as in Promoter CHi-C. We implement these procedures in CHiCAGO (http://regulatorygenomicsgroup.org/chicago), an open-source package for robust interaction detection in CHi-C. We validate CHiCAGO by showing that promoter-interacting regions detected with this method are enriched for regulatory features and disease-associated SNPs.
Single-cell RNA-seq reveals changes in cell cycle and differentiation programs upon aging of hematopoietic stem cells
Authors: Kowalczyk Monika S. , Tirosh Itay , Heckl Dirk , Rao Tata Nageswara , Dixit Atray , Haas Brian J. , Schneider Rebekka K. , Wagers Amy J. , Ebert Benjamin L. , Regev Aviv
Published: October 2015

Both intrinsic cell state changes and variations in the composition of stem cell populations have been implicated as contributors to aging. We used single-cell RNA-seq to dissect variability in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and hematopoietic progenitor cell populations from young and old mice from two strains. We found that cell cycle dominates the variability within each population and that there is a lower frequency of cells in the G1 phase among old compared with young long-term HSCs, suggesting that they traverse through G1 faster. Moreover, transcriptional changes in HSCs during aging are inversely related to those upon HSC differentiation, such that old short-term (ST) HSCs resemble young long-term (LT-HSCs), suggesting that they exist in a less differentiated state. Our results indicate both compositional changes and intrinsic, population-wide changes with age and are consistent with a model where a relationship between cell cycle progression and self-renewal versus differentiation of HSCs is affected by aging and may contribute to the functional decline of old HSCs.
Crystal structure of tris(3-methyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)methane
Authors: Goodman Margaret A. , Goodman M. Scott , Nazarenko Alexander Y. , Patel Ealin N.
Published: October 2015

The title molecule, C13H16N6, crystallizes from hexane as a molecular crystal with no strong intermolecular interactions (the shortest C—H...N contact is longer than 3.38 Å). A relatively short intramolecular contact (3.09 Å) has a C—H...N angle of 118° which is quite small to be still considered a hydrogen bond. The three pyrazole rings form a propeller-like motif, with one methylpyrazole unit almost perpendicular to the mean plane of the three rings [82.20 (6)°]. The other two methylpyrazole units, with nitrogen donor atoms oriented in opposite directions, are oriented at 67.26 (6) and 72.53 (6)° to the mean plane.
Crystal structure of di-μ-iodido-bis[bis(acetonitrile-κN)copper(I)]
Authors: Barth Eva Rebecca , Golz Christopher , Knorr Michael , Strohmann Carsten
Published: October 2015

The title compound, [Cu2I2(CH3CN)4], exhibits a centrosymmetric Cu2I2core [Cu...Cu distance = 2.7482 (11) Å], the CuIatoms of which are further coordinated by four molecules of acetonitrile. The CuIatom has an overall distorted tetrahedral coordination environment evidenced byL—Cu—Langles (L= N or I) ranging from 100.47 (10) to 117.06 (2)°. The coordination geometries of the acetonitrile ligands deviate slightly from linearity as shown by Cu—N—C angles of 167.0 (2) and 172.7 (2)°. In the crystal, there are no significant hydrogen-bonding interactions present, so the crystal packing seems to be formed predominantly by van der Waals forces.
Crystal structure of (4-hydroxypiperidin-1-yl)(4-methylphenyl)methanone
Authors: Revathi B. K. , Reuben Jonathan D. , Kalai Sevi K. , Dhanalakshmi K. , Usha G.
Published: October 2015

In the title compound, C13H17NO2, the dihedral angle between the planes of the piperidine and benzene rings is 51.7 (2)°. The bond-angle sum around the N atom [359.8 (3)°] indicatessp2hybridization of the atom. In the crystal, O—H...O hydrogen bonds link the molecules, forming chains along [001].
Development of an assessment tool for team integration in alliance projects
Authors: Che Ibrahim Che Khairil Izam , Costello Seosamh B. , Wilkinson Suzanne
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to report on a doctoral thesis that developed an Alliance Team Integration Performance Index (ATIPI), an assessment tool for measuring team integration performance in alliance projects. It provides a summary of the thesis findings, shares the candidate’s doctoral journey and discusses both the thesis “with publication” format and the doctoral programme at the University of Auckland.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study employed a qualitative and quantitative research methodology (mixed methods research). Research methods applied as reported in this thesis include the Delphi questionnaire survey, interviews and empirical questionnaire surveys with the alliance experts involved in road infrastructure projects.

Findings

– Results from the thesis indicate that the ATIPI is characterized by three elements: first, the most significant Key Indicators (KIs), signifying their dominant influence; second, the suitable quantitative measures for each of the KIs, to promote objective assessment over time; and third, the performance-level boundaries for each KI, to reduce the subjectivity of assessment and promote consistency. The assessment tool was found to be both practical and applicable based on a validation interview and subsequent testing with alliance experts on real life alliance infrastructure projects.

Practical implications

– As team integration is the central tenet of alliance projects, the ATIPI is an ideal assessment tool to facilitate the measurement of team integration performance consistently and objectively over the life cycle of alliance projects. Also, the ATIPI is expected to make a fundamental and positive difference towards improving the integration practice of alliance teams.

Originality/value

– This study extends the team integration literature by providing significant insights into the practical evaluation of team integration performance, specifically in alliance projects.
Relevance: a framework to address preconceptions that limit perceptions of what is relevant
Authors: Fox Stephen
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– Erroneous perceptions of relevance contribute to business projects not being successful. Although the importance of relevance is recognized in the project management literature, thus far there has not been a formal framework for addressing erroneous perceptions of relevance. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a framework for identifying and counteracting erroneous perceptions of relevance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research comprised review of the literature relating to factors that contribute to, and methods that counteract, erroneous perceptions of relevance.

Findings

– Contributory factors to erroneous perceptions of relevance include cultural cognition, path dependencies, lock-ins, fads, and hype. Mediating factors include priming and questioning, counterfactual reasoning, and optimal stopping.

Research limitations/implications

– A classification of erroneous perceptions of relevance is introduced Type III (inept positive) errors, Type II (false negative) errors, and Type I (false positive) errors. This terminology has the advantage of already being known to academics through statistical hypothesis testing, and to practitioners through process capability studies.

Practical implications

– The introduction of a framework for identifying and counteracting erroneous perceptions of relevance can better enable practitioners to make the selection of relevant concepts and technologies for projects – a capable process.

Originality/value

– The originality of this research note is that it provides a framework that can be applied to increase objectivity in perceptions of relevance. The value of this research note is that it introduces a framework for identifying and counteracting erroneous perceptions of relevance before the application of methods such as cost-benefit analysis.
Unspread wings
Authors: Cwikla Malgorzata , Jalocha Beata
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to show the potential of cultural projects which could become a source of inspiration in terms of refreshing and adjusting traditional project management to modern times and making it more flexible. However, as research indicates, this potential is limited by cultural policies forcing artists and cultural managers to implement project-related techniques which have been already identified as inefficient and faulty in the progressive discourses on project management, mainly in the for-profit area.

Design/methodology/approach

– The analysis is based on three case studies of Polish and Polish-German theatrical co-productions. The research was conducted in Poland and Germany in 2012-2014. It involved 21 individual in-depth interviews with artists, managers and administrative staff working on projects as well as an analysis of project documentation.

Findings

– It has been found that project management could draw a lot of inspiration from cultural projects in terms of, e.g. the processual nature of activities, motivating project teams and inclusive leadership. Based on the research, the authors also argue that it is worth considering spectators/other stakeholders as part of project teams, which will help build a non-oppressive social mechanism of control.

Originality/value

– Advantages of replacing the just-in-time approach to project management with the work-in-progress approach; increased motivation and commitment of project teams to their work; building a unique team spirit; inclusive leadership based on passion.
From measuring overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) to overall resource effectiveness (ORE)
Authors: Garza-Reyes Jose Arturo
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) provides a quantitative metric based on the elements availability, performance and quality for measuring the performance effectiveness of individual equipment or entire processes. Although these elements are important, other performance factors such as the efficient use of raw materials and the production environment (e.g. production system, logistics, labour, etc.) in which the equipment or process operates may also have a significant contribution to process performance. The purpose of this paper is to present an alternative measure derived from OEE, overall resource effectiveness (ORE), which considers these factors.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper reviews the OEE’s background and explores its limitations. Then, it shows the conceptual and mathematical development of the ORE measure and the formulas used for its calculation. Empirical and simulation-based investigations and applications of ORE are carried out through two cases study for its validation.

Findings

– The results derived from both the empirical and simulation-based investigations demonstrate that OEE may not be an appropriate measure for some specific processes and that ORE may offer a more complete perspective on and information of key performance indicators.

Practical implications

– ORE can provide production managers with more complete information concerning the performance of their processes. This will allow them to take better decisions regarding the management and actions needed to improve their processes.

Originality/value

– This paper presents a novel and alterative approach to measure the performance of manufacturing equipment and processes.
Multi-criteria classification of spare parts inventories – a web based approach
Authors: Sarmah S. P. , Moharana U. C.
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a fuzzy-rule-based model to classify spare parts inventories considering multiple criteria for better management of maintenance activities to overcome production down situation.

Design/methodology/approach

– Fuzzy-rule-based approach for multi-criteria decision making is used to classify the spare parts inventories. Total cost is computed for each group considering suitable inventory policies and compared with other existing models.

Findings

– Fuzzy-rule-based multi-criteria classification model provides better results as compared to aggregate scoring and traditional ABC classification. This model offers the flexibility for inventory management experts to provide their subjective inputs.

Practical implications

– The web-based model developed in this paper can be implemented in various industries such as manufacturing, chemical plants, and mining, etc., which deal with large number of spares. This method classifies the spares into three categories A, B and C considering multiple criteria and relationships among those criteria. The framework is flexible enough to add additional criteria and to modify fuzzy-rule-base at any point of time by the decision makers. This model can be easily integrated to any customized Enterprise Resource Planning applications.

Originality/value

– The value of this paper is in applying Fuzzy-rule-based approach for Multi-criteria Inventory Classification of spare parts. This rule-based approach considering multiple criteria is not very common in classification of spare parts inventories. Total cost comparison is made to compare the performance of proposed model with the traditional classifications and the result shows that proposed fuzzy-rule-based classification approach performs better than the traditional ABC and gives almost the same cost as aggregate scoring model. Hence, this method is valid and adds a new value to spare parts classification for better management decisions.
Availability centred maintenance for offshore wind farms
Authors: Dai Lijuan , Rausand Marvin , Utne Ingrid Bouwer
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– Maintenance planning is a complicated decision-making process that involves the major stakeholders and the main life-cycle phases of an engineering system. The purpose of this paper is to propose an availability-centred maintenance planning approach for offshore wind farms, with special focus on the early system design phase.

Design/methodology/approach

– The proposed approach is based on a stepwise procedure that integrates logistics consideration into reliability-centred maintenance. For each step, the essential methods for systematic analysis and documentation are introduced.

Findings

– Practical information from current offshore wind farms and lessons learned from relevant industries are included to exemplify and justify the implementation of the proposed approach. In a general way, the approach shows that valuable input can be provided to decision making about maintainability and maintenance planning. Furthermore, the approach facilitates the initial maintenance plan to be adjusted and improved upon as additional operating experience becomes available.

Research limitations/implications

– Offshore wind energy is still an industry in its infancy with an attendant high degree of confidentiality. There is scarcely any detailed practical information available for the production of a case study on this topic. However, the current paper’s theoretical basis may be applied to identify current and future knowledge gaps, for the development of more detailed guidelines as established in the further research.

Originality/value

– Maintenance planning of offshore wind farms is an area of current interest, although often the focus is on achieving cost reductions and not on the formal development of such a systematic approach as conceived in this paper.
Business models and the diffusion of eco-innovations in the eco-mobility sector
Authors: Nicolai Isabelle , Faucheux Sylvie
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to identify and to characterize the current evolution of “sustainable mobility” solutions. After considering this trend as an expression of eco-innovation, the authors look at the impacts of the emerging business models for the introduction of these eco-innovations, on the wider “eco-system” of mobility.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper uses both an abductive as well as a inductive approach of responsible innovation. To assume contextualization of responsible innovation, the authors choose eco-innovation in the mobility sector that impacts as much on business models as on industrial organizations and as a global value chain.

Findings

– Eco-mobility is defined as a disruptive innovation that must be understood as a responsible innovation. The importance of social and institutional dimensions defining acceptance and uptake of the innovation is integrated in innovation characterization. Modifying the perception of eco-innovation, the e-mobility business model has to be reinvented. Doing this, impacts on global value chain of the mobility sector organization have to be analysed.

Research limitations/implications

– If the academic literature proposes a satisfactory analysis of the determinants of eco-innovation, the presentation of the “smart mobility” ecosystem as an open and shared innovation remains limited, compared with the question of value creation. The business models which are at present under development will deepen these questions.

Practical implications

– This paper discusses inputs for decision-makers in climate change policy and insights for reorganization of the global value chain in the car manufacturing sector.

Social implications

– This paper presents solutions to reduce the negative externalities (social and environmental) of the car manufacturing sector with good possibilities of mobility, inputs to accelerate new markets and new jobs in mobility sector and adequation of mobility services to social demand.

Originality/value

– Mixed analyses of sustainable development economics, innovation economics and organization management, and elements to build new business models in eco-mobility as a first step for the question of the adequate business models for “Smart Cities” – an application sector of functionality or service economy – have been presented.
Changing paradigms in corporate governance: new cycles and new responsibilities
Authors: Clarke Thomas
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to trace the evolution of corporate governance through a series of changing paradigms in response to wider transformations in the political economy, business and society. The different eras of governance, and the dominant theoretical and practical paradigms are highlighted. In a context where the adequacy of the dominant paradigms of corporate governance is increasingly challenged, the search for coherent new paradigms is a vital task in corporate governance.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is a conceptual analysis of evolving paradigms in corporate governance.

Findings

– To meet the imminent challenge of social and environmental sustainability in a post-carbon economy, further rethinking of corporate purpose, corporate governance and directors duties will be essential. This sustainability revolution has only just commenced, but in the course of the twenty-first century, it will transform both business and society.

Research limitations/implications

– The implications of the research concern the importance of conceptualising corporate governance through different eras and paradigms, and appreciating that further paradigm shifts will occur in response to transformations in the political economy and ecology.

Practical implications

– This paper informs on the importance of the transformation of business purpose and objectives in response to the imminent dangers of environmental and social collapse.

Social implications

– This paper emphasises the social and environmental dimensions of corporate activity, and how these must be considered in the definition of wealth generation.

Originality/value

– The contribution of this paper is to focus upon the increasing integration of corporate governance and corporate sustainability, and how this is essential for the reformulation of corporate purpose and objectives.
“African management”: concept, content and usability
Authors: Seny Kan Konan Anderson , Apitsa Suzanne Marie , Adegbite Emmanuel
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to scrutinise the concept of “African Management” that increasingly fuels the debate on the management research of African organizations. Indeed, while management research in African context is all but invisible in management literature, the notion of “African management” emerges through a piecemeal corpus of literature that has arisen in response to the exclusion and marginalisation of Africa in the broad field of management literature. The idea underlying this reasoning is that the Western management model prevailing so far in Africa is inadequate because of cultural considerations. However, what is meant by “African management” still remains unfamiliar to both researchers and practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors conduct a selective review of the fragmented “African management” literature to identify directions it follows. This is carried out through an analytical framework aiming at investigating the usability of the “African management”.

Findings

– The paper identifies the key elements underlying the “African management” narrative. It also articulates these elements within a frame which represents an unprecedented attempt to render advocacy of “African management” more insightful.

Originality/value

– The vibrant economic trends of Africa and its forthcoming dynamics are on the spotlight. At the same time, this upturn raises again a central concern about African societies’ development in which organisations are expected to play a pivotal role. Yet the paucity and fragmented nature of the current state of “African management” research do not enable either practitioners or academics to get a deep understanding of African organisations. This article constitutes a major contribution by setting up a scheme of identifying convincingly the analytical parameters that really count in African organisations.
10 years later, why is an academic journal about society and business more relevant than ever?
Authors: Bazin Yoann
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to give an account of how the author aims to engage with his new appointment as co-editor-in-chief of the Society and Business Review (SBR) and to reflect on why an academic journal like the SBR is relevant – if not absolutely necessary.

Design/methodology/approach

– By drawing on a synthesis of past publications in the journal, academic roots and editorial trends of the SBR are presented.

Findings

– Three promising areas of research in the “business
&
society” field are identified for the future: monitoring the expansion of managerialism, analysing the role and impact of management education in society and conceptualising the politicisation of corporations.

Research limitations/implications

– Although these trends are promising and subjectively identified, the journal will obviously not restrict its scope to these three topics alone and will continue to welcome all submissions that fall into its mission statement.

Originality/value

– This paper provides insights into how the editors evaluate not only articles but also special issue proposals and book reviews that are submitted to the SBR.
The effect of lactic acid bacterial starter culture and chemical additives on wilted rice straw silage
Authors: Wang Yan‐Su , Shi Wei , Huang Lin‐Ting , Ding Cheng‐Long , Dai Chuan‐Chao
Published: October 2015

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are suitable for rice straw silage fermentation, but have been studied rarely, and rice straw as raw material for ensiling is difficult because of its disadvantages, such as low nutrition for microbial activities and low abundances of natural populations of LAB. So we investigated the effect of application of LAB and chemical additives on the fermentation quality and microbial community of wilted rice straw silage. Treatment with chemical additives increased the concentrations of crude protein (CP), water soluble carbohydrate (WSC), acetic acid and lactic acid, reduced the concentrations of acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), but did not effectively inhibit the growth of spoilage organisms. Inoculation with LABs did not improve the nutritional value of the silage because of poor growth of LABs in wilted rice straw. Inoculation with LAB and addition of chemical materials improved the quality of silage similar to the effects of addition of chemical materials alone. Growth of aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria was inhibited by this mixed treatment and the LAB gradually dominated the microbial community. In summary, the fermentation quality of wilted rice straw silage had improved by addition of LAB and chemical materials.
Molecular switches under TGFβ signalling during progression from cardiac hypertrophy to heart failure
Authors: Heger J , Schulz R , Euler G
Published: October 2015

Cardiac hypertrophy is a mechanism to compensate for increased cardiac work load, that is, after myocardial infarction or upon pressure overload. However, in the long run cardiac hypertrophy is a prevailing risk factor for the development of heart failure. During pathological remodelling processes leading to heart failure, decompensated hypertrophy, death of cardiomyocytes by apoptosis or necroptosis and fibrosis as well as a progressive dysfunction of cardiomyocytes are apparent. Interestingly, the induction of hypertrophy, cell death or fibrosis is mediated by similar signalling pathways. Therefore, tiny changes in the signalling cascade are able to switch physiological cardiac remodelling to the development of heart failure. In the present review, we will describe examples of these molecular switches that change compensated hypertrophy to the development of heart failure and will focus on the importance of the signalling cascades of the TGFβ superfamily in this process. In this context, potential therapeutic targets for pharmacological interventions that could attenuate the progression of heart failure will be discussed.
CD30 expression and its correlation with MYC rearrangement in de novo diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Wang Xuan J. , Seegmiller Adam C. , Reddy Nishitha M. , Li Shaoying
Published: October 2015

Objective

DLBCL is a heterogeneous disease with 40% of patients presenting as refractory/relapsing disease following R‐CHOP treatment. Few recent studies investigating CD30 expression in DLBCL reported various prognostic effects. This study aimed to evaluate CD30 expression and its correlation with MYC rearrangement and to clarify its prognostic significance in DLBCL.

Methods

In 98 patients with de novoDLBCL, we studied CD30 expression by immunohistochemistry using different cutoff values (>0%, ≥20%, and ≥40% lymphoma cells, respectively) and correlated with the corresponding MYC rearrangement status by FISH.

Results

The clinicopathologic features were very similar between the CD30+ and CD30‐ groups. The only major difference was that CD30 expression was nearly exclusively seen in cases without MYC rearrangement. CD30 expression was not predictive of overall survival irrespective of therapy regimens, cell of origin, or MYC rearrangement status (P > 0.05). In the 27 patients receiving aggressive regimens, CD30 expression was associated with better OS (P = 0.008) when all patients were included while the survival advantage was lost (P = 0.21) if MYC rearranged cases were excluded.

Conclusions

CD30 expression was not associated with prognosis in our cohort of de novoDLBCL, including in patients who received aggressive chemotherapy. CD30 expression and MYC rearrangement were mutually exclusive in de novoDLBCL.
Regional Transformation and Port Cluster Competition: The Case of the Pearl River Delta in South China
Authors: Homosombat Winai , Ng Adolf K. Y. , Fu Xiaowen
Published: October 2015

With substantial increases in labor and operational costs in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), many firms in China have started to relocate their production plants to inland provinces. This change will not only affect the PRD ports, including Hong Kong and Shenzhen, but also ports in other regions, such as Shanghai in the Yangtze River Delta. However, systematic studies on regional transformation and port cluster competition have been found wanting. This paper undertakes an economic analysis on the implications of such a relocation process. Important features such as demand differentiation among ports and port clusters, hinterland access costs, intra‐ and inter‐port cluster competition are considered in the economic model, and this allows us to identify market equilibrium and the effects of possible market dynamics related to the relocation process. Our analysis suggests that relocation of production plants away from the PRD would pose negative effects on ports within the region, and may favor other ports with more convenient hinterland access. Improvements in hinterland access would likely to benefit the port of Hong Kong, but it would be a mixed blessing to Shenzhen due to inter‐port competition. A more competitive port of Hong Kong would certainly be in a better position to cooperate with port of Shenzhen.
3. FOUCAULT MUST NOT BE DEFENDED
Authors: DEAN MITCHELL
Published: October 2015

This paper responds to and comments on many of the themes of the book under consideration concerning Foucault and neoliberalism. In doing so, it offers reflections on the relation between the habitus of the intellectual and the political contexts of action and engagement in the case of Foucault, and the strengths and weaknesses of his characterization of his work in terms of an “experimental” ethos. It argues that it is possible to identify his distinctive views on neoliberalism as a programmatic ideal, as a language of critique of the postwar welfare state, and as an element within actual political forces such as the French “Second Left” of the 1970s. It examines the legacy of Foucault in “governmentality studies” and argues for attentiveness to the different intellectual positions, and their potentially divergent political consequences, within this school of thought. It concludes by suggesting that the discussion currently taking place, and in part inaugurated by this book, might signal a change of his status in the humanities and social sciences today from “unsurpassable horizon” of critical thought to acknowledged classical thinker, with strengths and limitations, and a series of problems that might not be our own.
Group training for overactive bladder in female patients: a clinical, randomized, non‐blinded study
Authors: Hulbæk Mette , Kaysen Kirsten , Kesmodel Ulrik Schiøler
Published: October 2015

Bladder training (BT) given individually for overactive bladder symptoms (OAB) is time consuming, and patients tend to need reinforcement. We hypothesized that a specified BT programme for female OAB patients performed as group training would have the same effect as the identical programme used for individual training. A randomized, controlled, non‐blinded trial in six hospital‐situated clinics in Denmark. A total of 91 women were randomized to either individual BT or group BT (three–four patients in each group). In both settings BT was to be performed daily for a 2‐month period supported by a diary and with three training sessions at the hospital coached by a continence nurse. All analyses were performed as intention‐to‐treat. Main outcome measures were urgency episodes, urgency incontinence episodes and scores from a symptom‐specific visual analogue scale (VAS). A total of 38 women with individual BT and 41 with group BT were included in the analyses. No significant differences in urgency episodes, urgency incontinence episodes, voiding frequency between the two settings were observed after treatment. Neither did scores from the VAS scale differ. Median values showed a daily 50% reduction in urgency incontinence episodes. Daily voiding frequency of 8·5–10 was reduced to 7·5 voidings. Women were equally satisfied with the programme in both settings. Compliance in training was equal, and no serious adverse events were reported in either setting. This particular BT programme for female OAB patients showed no difference between group training and individual training with respect to clinical end points, patient satisfaction or compliance.
Intravenous cyclophosphamide as a therapeutic option for severe refractory gastric antral vascular ectasia in systemic sclerosis
Authors: Papachristos D. A. , Nikpour M. , Hair C. , Stevens W. M.
Published: October 2015

Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is a rare but important cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. It is commonly associated with autoimmune conditions such as systemic sclerosis, and standard treatment involves both supportive measures, as well as endoscopic interventional therapies. While the current therapies are effective for most patients, a few patients develop severe and refractory bleeding. Herein we report two cases of refractory GAVE in patients with diffuse scleroderma, which improved significantly after the administration of intravenous cyclophosphamide. One of these cases is, to our knowledge, the first reported case of cyclophosphamide being used specifically for the treatment of refractory GAVE.
A heuristic algorithm for optimal location of flow‐refueling capacitated stations
Authors: Hosseini Meysam , MirHassani S. A.
Published: October 2015

Constructing refueling stations in the transportation network is one of the most important steps toward the promotion of alternative‐fuel vehicles. The capacity of these stations is usually limited. In this paper, a new capacitated refueling station location model and a solution algorithm are proposed. The algorithm is divided into two main steps. At first step, a restricted capacitated problem on core sets is constructed. Then, a modified Lagrangean iterative method is used for obtaining solutions. The Lagrangean method decomposes the restricted problem into two subproblems that are easy to solve. Information from subproblems is used to generate valid inequalities for tightening the upper and lower bounds. The approach is evaluated by considering a set of networks and randomly generated instances. The obtained results indicate that the large problems are efficiently tractable by the proposed algorithm in a reasonable time.