bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ambidexterity in managing business projects – an intellectual capital perspective
Authors: Turner Neil , Maylor Harvey , Swart Juani
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a doctoral thesis aimed at identifying how project managers orchestrate ambidexterity (the achievement of both exploitation of existing knowledge and exploration of new knowledge) at the level of the project.

Design/methodology/approach

The research reported on here initially involved a systematic literature review of the theoretical and empirical work on ambidexterity. This was followed by a two‐stage empirical investigation. The first stage involved a set of interviews with project managers in a global IT‐services firm to identify the nature of ambidexterity in their work using the lens of intellectual capital. The second stage comprised eight case studies of projects to determine the practices by which project‐level ambidexterity could be achieved.

Findings

The research showed that at the working level, project ambidexterity is a more complex concept than the existing high‐level theorisations would suggest. The key findings of the research reported on here were that the resources used to enable ambidexterity (human, social and project capital) were interwoven with one another and also with the processes of exploitation and exploration. Two configurations of ambidexterity (“distributed” and “point”) were identified, together with five managerial practices that underpin the attainment of project‐level ambidexterity. These were investigated using “parallel‐coding” of the data to gain greater insight.

Practical implications

This identifies the “how” of ambidexterity in project environments, and offers managers a new way of conceptualising their work in terms of exploitation and exploration in their day‐to‐day activities.

Originality/value

Previous empirical studies of ambidexterity have been focused mostly at the organisational level, using primarily quantitative techniques. This qualitative study has revealed the nature of ambidexterity in complex, working project environments.
Planning for competitive customer value
Authors: Conti Tito
Published: April 2013

Purpose

Good quality planning methodologies were developed in the last decades of the twentieth century that are still widely used. But competition is getting harsher and harsher and the search for more effective approaches to planning for competitive customer value can never stop. The purpose of this paper is to offer an alternative method for planning for customer value that is the result of his long experience with large organizations, both in manufacturing and service.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper summarizes the approaches followed and the results reached. It also rationalizes such experience with the support of figures. Such process may require mental efforts to overcome conventional thinking in managing for quality, which should be accepted. A preliminary condition is understanding the author's quality vision, which quite often is at odds with traditional visions. For that reason the first part of the paper is dedicated to the illustration of the quality‐related concepts that are at the basis of the following discussions. Such concepts are based on the systems view of the organization, on a definition of quality as both doing the right things and doing things right, on accepting that the word quality is neutral and acquires a positive or negative meaning only when associated with the concept of value. The above concepts are not accepted by all quality experts today.

Findings

The following are the most significant conclusions: the “customer‐perceived value vs, performance” curves look rather different from those that are mostly used today; consequently, the “quality life‐cycle” presents some significant differences if compared with the Kano Model; extensive use should be made of time‐related curves, which happen to be the most significant in relation to planning; proximity to users (not just own customers) is more important than questionnaires in relation to critical planning decision; both satisfiers and dissatisfiers are important to understand customer/stakeholder perception; the proposed combination algorithm for the two may look conceptually difficult to those who look for simple solutions; but sometimes difficulties look unavoidable.

Originality/value

The paper is original inasmuch as it challenges conventional wisdom in this area. But, if the experience of the author finds confirmation in a wider context, it can be of significant value for those companies that operate in high competitive sectors. It can also stimulate organizational innovation in the fundamental area of value creation.
Application of Six Sigma to improve the quality of the road for wind turbine installation
Authors: Gijo E.V. , Sarkar Ashok
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to apply Six Sigma methodology, a systematic and structured approach for quality improvement in wind energy sector. This paper discusses the development of sustainable wind farm roads for an organization engaged in manufacturing, installation and servicing of windmills in India.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper illustrates the Six Sigma DMAIC approach and its application for development of sustainable wind farm roads.

Findings

The systematic and data driven approach of Six Sigma methodology identified many root causes for road damages and solutions were implemented to ensure sustainable wind farm roads.

Originality/value

Six Sigma has been successfully implemented world over in different business processes ranging from manufacturing to service and health care. However its application is very uncommon in areas like road construction. This article demonstrates the applicability of Six Sigma methodology in uncommon areas.
Assessing continual improvement of South African meat safety systems
Authors: Govender Reuben
Published: April 2013

Purpose

Continual improvement within management systems is essential to ensure the continued relevance of implemented systems and to mitigate stagnant and ineffective systems. South African abattoir managers utilise a regulated food safety system called the hygiene management system (HMS) to manage the safe processing of meat. The extent to which the HMS supports continual improvement is not clear as there is no specific requirement to demonstrate continual improvement within implemented systems. The aim of this paper is to provide this clarification by developing a framework of compliance criteria for continual improvement (CI) benchmarking the ISO 9000 series.

Design/methodology/approach

This study attempted to provide this clarification by developing a framework of compliance criteria for continual improvement (CI) benchmarking the ISO 9000 series. Thereafter the HMS requirements were assessed against these criteria to determine whether or not any gaps existed within the HMS requirements in support of continual improvement. This study adopted a qualitative approach where a review of standards formed the basis of the study.

Findings

This study demonstrates that the HMS is designed to support process stability. Further, the HMS requirements are sufficient to facilitate management of meat safety at abattoirs. However there are important gaps within the HMS in support of prevention as a means of continual improvement. The author postulates likely consequences of such gaps during implementation and management of the HMS.

Originality/value

This study emphasises the importance of fundamental principles in quality management underpinning basic improvement mechanisms of corrective and preventative action towards improvement. It also provides a basis for further empirical research into the extent to which improvement is made within implemented HMSs at abattoirs.
Developing a scale to measure students’ perception of service quality in the Indian context
Authors: Jain Rajani , Sahney Sangeeta , Sinha Gautam
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The changes in social and cultural framework, and even more in the economic order, have pushed the education system and higher education in particular, into a new environment in which quality plays an important role. Thus, the purpose of the current study is to develop a multidimensional scale to measure service quality in higher education in the Indian context.

Design/methodology/approach

The study, descriptive, diagnostic, and causal in nature, has been conducted on students of higher education, particularly technical education in India. A questionnaire consisting of 26 items was developed to measure the service quality construct and its dimensions. Construct validation using exploratory factor analysis showed an interpretable latent structure consisting of seven dimensions.

Findings

It was observed that service quality in higher education setting comprises seven dimensions viz., input quality, curriculum, academic facilities, industry interaction, interaction quality, support facilities and non academic processes.

Research limitations/implications

The study holds implications for institutes of technical education in India that seek to improve the quality of service that they provide. The scale developed can be used by practitioners as a diagnostic tool for identifying poor and/or excellent service performance.

Originality/value

While studies in quality management for education have been conducted, this study lays emphasis on the student as a customer of education, and proposes to develop a scale to measure their perception of service quality. The study is an attempt towards developing and empirically validating a measurement scale for service quality in higher education in the Indian context.
Identifying and prioritizing of effective constructs in readiness of knowledge management implementation by using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP)
Authors: Reza Sadeghi Mohammad , Mohammad Moghimi Seyed , Ramezan Majid
Published: April 2013

Purpose

In recent decades, many managers have conceived the radical role of knowledge in acquiring a competitive advantage and pursuing organizational strategic goals. Therefore, knowledge management is now a competitive requirement in organizations. However, if proper infrastructures and necessary prerequisites are not provided for executing such a process, the result will be nothing except failure and resource waste. Therefore, it is necessary that organizations identify effective factors for their readiness in executing knowledge management. The purpose of this study is identifying and prioritizing of effective constructs in readiness of knowledge management implementation by using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP).

Design/methodology/approach

In the present study, the relevant literature is initially reviewed and then seven factors and 19 affecting indicators on knowledge management readiness are identified by using a questionnaire for knowledge management elites which also constitute the research conceptual model. Finally, the weight of each factor is determined by fuzzy analytical hierarchy process and the readiness priority and preference of each factor are discussed.

Findings

The results of fuzzy analytic hierarchy process show that the management factor is recognized as the most effective factor in knowledge management execution readiness.

Research limitations/implications

The model proposed in this study is applicable to the academic culture. Modification of the proposed model may be needed in applying this model to other environments.

Originality/value

As limited studies have been carried out on identifying and prioritizing of effective constructs in readiness of knowledge management implementation by using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, the findings of this study will be useful in identifying and assessing the main components in readiness of knowledge management implementation in the research and training centers.
Research into the influence factors of knowledge workers sharing residual claims rights
Authors: Lei Hongzhen , Lan Juanli
Published: April 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to prove the validity and necessity of knowledge stickiness and knowledge investment level.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical study method is taken in this investigation which focuses on knowledge‐related industries' workers and proves the validity and necessity of knowledge stickiness and knowledge investment level with SPSS13.0 software.

Findings

The authors confirm the positive correlation between knowledge contribution and sharing residual claims based on management, and also confirm the positive correlation between knowledge stickiness, knowledge investment level and sharing residual claims based on technology. However, a negative correlation on management is also confirmed.

Originality/value

After an analysis on the incentive distortion caused by the information asymmetry between the principal and agent in the traditional incentive mode, a residual claims sharing structure containing knowledge contract is put forward.
Regulating public/private interests in town and village greens
Authors: Bogusz Barbara
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how public law regulates the relationship between private landowners and users of town and village greens. It explores the scope of the public law which permits the exercise of customary rights of recreation over private property, and considers the limits that exist within the current regulatory framework. In particular the paper explores how subsidiary considerations such as protection of the environment have become increasingly relevant to the disputes involving town and village greens.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis is based on a critical appraisal of recent judgments, academic literature and policy papers which address the regulation of town and village greens.

Findings

The paper determines that the current regulatory framework fails to sufficiently protect landowners against opportunistic claims for registration of a town and village green. Specifically the paper identifies that gaps exist both in the substance of the statute and the judicial application of these provisions, and that the Human Rights Act 1998 offers insufficient protection for landowners.

Originality/value

The paper examines recent case law where there is evident judicial conflict on the scope and application of the legislative provisions. The paper considers this judicial debate within the context of the DEFRA consultation document 2011 and the Growth and Insfrastructure Bill 2012.
Cooperation and competition in complex construction projects
Authors: Marique Yseult
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show that technical complexity in construction projects is intensified by complexity in public decision making. Public authorities need to build on the conflicting imperatives of fostering cooperation with their (potential) contractors and following strict procurement regulations to enhance competition.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a comparative analysis of the English and Belgian legal systems. The comparison is based on traditional legal analysis of the primary sources, cases and their scholarly comments. It is supplemented, when appropriate, by project management concepts.

Findings

The analysis in the paper suggests that awarding authorities do not always resolve the conflict between cooperation and competition for themselves. There is a range of alternative techniques embedded in the legal system.

Practical implications

The paper suggests that developing tools for successful construction processes requires perspectives building in both law and project management, taking into account the institutional contexts in which projects are carried out.

Originality/value

The ways in which the implementation of EU procurement directives interacts with the dynamics particular to legal systems, and therefore diverges in their actual results, are often overlooked as the literature more often studies the harmonizing effects of these EU directives within the internal market.
Social media and policing: matching the message to the audience
Authors: Ruddell Rick , Jones Nicholas
Published: April 2013

Purpose

This research aimed to explore the characteristics of respondents who accessed a municipal police service's webpage or social media (Facebook or Twitter). Perceptions about the usefulness of social media in policing were solicited from the respondents.

Design/methodology/approach

Several survey items about social media were included in a study of trust and confidence in policing that was collected in two waves: a random telephone sample of 504 community residents and 314 university students.

Findings

One in five respondents had accessed the police service's webpage, while 6.9 percent had accessed their Twitter feed and 5.4 percent had viewed their Facebook site. Social media users tended to be younger and better educated while respondents over 65 years of age rarely accessed these tools. Younger respondents reported that computer‐based methods of communication were useful whether they had accessed these services or not. Older non‐users, by contrast, saw little future value in social media. Chi‐square analyses revealed that users of social media had more confidence in the police as well as greater overall satisfaction with the police.

Research limitations/implications

Participants were from a medium‐sized Canadian city and the results might not be generalizable to other populations.

Practical implications

Social media campaigns should be planned and target demographic groups likely to receive the intended message. Younger and better educated residents are the highest users of these services. Computer‐based media campaigns targeting senior citizens will likely be ineffective given their low participation in accessing social media and lack of interest in these methods of communication.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first to examine the recipients of social media and their perceptions of the usefulness of computer‐based communication for law enforcement.
Security, respect and culture in British teenagers' discourses of knife‐carrying
Authors: Palasinski Marek
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The aim of the paper is to provide an overview of English adolescents' views on knife‐carrying and offer a potential framework for challenging their implicit tolerance of the phenomenon.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 25 adolescents from three large English cities (London, Birmingham and Manchester) was interviewed about knife‐carrying at seven youth community centers and their narratives were analyzed by drawing on the classical discourse analysis and the concept of narrative repertoires.

Findings

The adolescents constructed the social and legal consequences of knife‐carrying as normal, trivial and inevitable.

Research limitations/implications

Talking to a stranger with a voice recorder about the sensitive subject of knife‐carrying appeared to be problematic, which probably had an inhibitory effect despite the conversational warm‐up and assured anonymity.

Practical implications

Cautioning against creating common sense associations between knife‐carrying and irresponsibility or deviance, the paper emphasizes the need for the focus on the low controllability and unpredictability of the knife.

Originality/value

The paper presents scholars and outreach workers with an intimate glimpse of how personal responsibility for knife‐carrying and its potential consequences could be diminished by removing the agency from the carrier and rhetorically placing it in society.
Is crime a question of health?
Authors: Schuller Nina
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to encourage greater cross‐disciplinary understanding of the development of crime prevention and public health approaches, by using a wider framework of analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The findings of this paper are based on the scanning of a range of papers and developments across both the crime prevention and public health fields. The concept of convergence (which can be found in various fields of science and social science) provides a wider framework for analysis.

Findings

The resulting analysis suggests an increasing convergence between crime prevention and public health approaches, in terms of theory, policy and practice. It is also suggested that wider political and socio‐demographic trends could lead to the enforced integration.

Research limitations/implications

This paper does not draw on primary research.

Practical implications

Those working in each field are then left to choose whether to support such convergence, or alternatively argue for why the two areas should remain distinctive.

Social implications

This paper argues for greater consideration across the disciplines of the likely consequences of convergence.

Originality/value

There have been a number of previous papers on various intersections between crime prevention and public health. This paper seeks to draw on these, and offer a broader viewpoint on the development of the two disciplines within a wider framework of analysis.
The US cap and trade initiative: current status and potential impact on business
Authors: McClain Bruce W. , Hylton Meier Heidi
Published: April 2013

Purpose

Even during these tough economic times the current administration has proposed to revive the US “Cap and Trade” initiative and to see it through to passage. Many in the public are not aware that the idea of cap and trade is not new as similar programs have been successfully used in the US and other countries to “wind down” environmentally damaging emissions. The aim of this paper is to explain cap and trade and to project what form current proposals could take.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper explains cap and trade and goes on to project what form current proposals could take. It also examines the alternatives and the arguments both for and against cap and trade. Projected costs and benefits are examined, along with some examination of the actual mechanics by which the system is expected to operate.

Findings

The current US mood is that proposals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will be expensive and burdensome to businesses and consumers. In fact, this is what is preventing them from going forward. The consensus is now growing that in order to achieve the goals of cap and trade, proposals will have to be cost effective, expanded internationally, and include India, China and other emerging manufacturing economies. If this can be done, it appears that cap and trade will continue to be part of the landscape of US emission reductions, along with the use of alternative and other renewable energy resources.

Originality/value

The paper examines costs and benefits of cap and trade, along with some examination of the actual mechanics by which the system is expected to operate
Alliance portfolio R&D intensity and new product introduction
Authors: Caner Turanay , Tyler Beverly B.
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether alliance portfolio R&D intensity contributes to biopharmaceutical firms' number of new product approvals and whether alliance portfolio R&D intensity is more positively related to the number of new product approvals for pharmaceutical firms than for biotechnology firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs a random effects Poisson regression model using panel data of 821 firm year observations for 146 biopharmaceutical firms operating in the USA. The robustness of results is also checked with additional analysis, provided in an appendix.

Findings

The results of this study show that the R&D intensity of firms' alliance portfolios is positively related to their new product introductions. It is also found that alliance portfolio R&D intensity has a more positive impact on the pharmaceutical segment of the industry's new product introductions than those of the biotechnology segment.

Originality/value

The authors develop and test theory about how the combined effects of two dimensions of alliance portfolio configuration (size and relationship strength) positively impact new product development. The authors propose a two dimensional alliance portfolio configuration measure, alliance portfolio R&D intensity. They combine the number of R&D alliances relative to the total number of alliances in the portfolio with the differential strength of ties associated with resource commitments required to source information from upstream and downstream alliances.
Human resource management practices in mid‐sized enterprises
Authors: McEvoy Glenn M. , Buller Paul F.
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the similarities and differences in human resource (HR) practices between large and mid‐sized organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

With organization life cycle as the theoretical base, this study collects data on HR practices from a sample of mid‐sized firms in one western state and compares the results to a previously published study of HR practices in much larger firms. Mid‐sized firms are defined as having between 300 and 3,000 employees (mean=1,205); the average number of employees in the large firm sample was 30,700.

Findings

While there are some similarities in HR practices, it appears that HR organizations in large firms are more targeted at strategic business issues and have achieved a greater degree of outsourcing and/or information technology application for the routine, file maintenance aspects of HR work. On the other hand, HR informants in mid‐sized firms are more operationally focused, appear to be more satisfied with the skills and knowledge of their significantly smaller HR staffs, and give their HR organizations higher ratings on performance along multiple dimensions.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations to the present study include the use of a single informant and a limited sample of mid‐sized firms (n=32). However, the study suggests numerous possibilities for future research, including expansion of the sample both in size and geographic scope, the collection of measures of performance for comparison with those of HR satisfaction, and fuller development of a set of expectations for HR focus dependent on the size and rate of growth of the organization.

Originality/value

The HR practices of large and small (less than 500 employees) firms have been studied in the past. This paper fills a gap in organization life cycle theory by examining HR practices in mid‐sized firms, suggesting in particular that the drive to refocus HR on strategic issues in large firms may be inappropriate in enterprises with 300 to 3,000 employees.
Determinants of utilization of antenatal care services in developing countries
Authors: Nketiah‐Amponsah Edward , Senadza Bernardin , Arthur Eric
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the key socio‐economic and demographic factors influencing the utilization of antenatal care services in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper utilizes the most recent Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS V) data. The dependent variable is the intensity of utilization (number) of antenatal care visits. Hence, the negative binomial regression is employed to investigate the socio‐economic and demographic correlates of the intensity of antenatal care utilization in Ghana.

Findings

The study finds that wealth status, age, ownership of health insurance (especially for rural women), educational attainment, birth order, religion and administrative region of residence are significant predictors of the intensity of antenatal care services utilization. In particular, the utilization rate increases in wealth status. The authors also found significant statistical relationship between residence and antenatal care utilization. This finding reinforces the differences in health facilities between the rural and urban areas of Ghana. The authors did not, however, find evidence for proxies for financial and physical access.

Research limitations/implications

The GDHS survey lacks data on the distance to the nearest health facility where ANC is sought and a variable for the price of ANC visit. Proxies had to be used to capture these variables.

Practical implications

The fact that ownership of health insurance in rural areas increases the number of ANC visits makes it imperative to intensify health insurance awareness and enrollment campaigns in the rural areas so as to bridge the rural‐urban gap in ANC utilization. Also, while the free maternal health care policy for expecting mothers is laudable, a minimum level of wealth is required to induce antenatal care visitations. This is because household wealth status still plays a major role even in a free maternal health regime.

Originality/value

A new finding of the paper is the significant effect that ownership of health insurance has on the utilization of ANC services among rural women. While generally rural women have a lower propensity to use ANC services compared to urban women, the intensity of usage of ANC services tends to increase for rural women who own health insurance.
Barriers or corridors? The overlooked role of unpaved roads in endozoochorous seed dispersal
Authors: Suárez‐Esteban Alberto , Delibes Miguel , Fedriani José M.
Published: April 2013

Ubiquitous linear developments, such as dirt tracks and firebreaks, termed ‘soft’ linear developments (SLD), represent weaker landscape modifications than paved roads and highways but still could strongly affect populations and communities. Many animals avoid SLD, but some terrestrial mammals seem to select them for faecal marking. Faeces often contain many viable seeds; therefore, SLD may receive a substantial amount and diversity of seeds, which could have important overlooked consequences for plant recruitment.

To evaluate the potential role of SLD as seed attractors, we surveyed transects along SLD verges and along the adjacent scrubland in three patches of Mediterranean scrubland. On each transect, we collected ungulate, carnivore and rabbit faeces during two fruiting seasons (2009 and 2010). We quantified all seeds from fleshy‐fruit shrubs within faeces and compared their abundance and diversity at SLD verges vs. adjacent scrubland.

The frequency of defecation along SLD varied greatly among dispersers, but ungulates avoided SLD for defecation, and carnivores and rabbits positively selected them. Seed prevalence was higher in faeces of carnivores, and seed damage low compared with faeces of rabbits and especially ungulates.

The role of SLD as seed attractors was species‐dependent. We found from 2·7 to 124 times more viable seeds of carnivore‐ and rabbit‐dispersed plants along SLD than in the scrubland, while ungulate‐dispersed plants were more abundant in the scrubland. Of 13 mammal‐dispersed shrubs, 4 species were exclusively found along SLD verges, two were found only in the scrubland, and seven were found in both habitats.

Synthesis and applications. By promoting mammal‐mediated seed dispersal, soft linear developments (SLD) may act as seed corridors. Given the extremely high density of SLD world‐wide, SLD hold a significant overlooked role for management and plant conservation actions. Dispersers selecting SLD can promote roadside restoration, potentially saving financial resources. These feasible benefits must be weighed up against potential spread of alien or undesirable plant species, but we demonstrate the SLD represent a valuable management tool.
ERPs reveal atypical processing of subject versus object Wh‐questions in children with specific language impairment
Authors: Epstein Baila , Hestvik Arild , Shafer Valerie L. , Schwartz Richard G.
Published: April 2013

Background

Children with specific language impairment (SLI) show particular difficulty comprehending and producing object (Who did the bear follow?) relative to subject (Who followed the tiger?) wh‐questions.

Aims

To determine if school‐age children with SLI, relative to children with typical development (TD), show a more distinct unevenness, or asymmetry, in the comprehension of these questions. In addition, this study examined whether the sustained left‐anterior negativity (LAN) in event‐related potentials (ERP) could be used as a marker for atypical processing of these questions in children with SLI. The LAN effect signals the greater working memory processes for maintaining in memory the dislocated object in object wh‐questions and reflects working memory capacity in adults. It was predicted that the amplitude of the LAN would be greater in children with SLI, reflecting the characteristic low working memory capacity in this population. The concomitance of these behavioural and electrophysiological effects would suggest that the subject–object asymmetry in SLI should be investigated in relation to poor working memory skills.

Methods & Procedures

Groups including 13 children with SLI, 17 same‐age TD children and 18 normal adults completed an auditory sentence comprehension task requiring button responses while continuous electroencephalography (EEG) was collected. Accuracy for subject and object questions was calculated. The mean amplitude values of the ERP data for the wh‐questions were examined to identify differential processing of subject and object questions.

Outcomes & Results

TD children demonstrated asymmetrical comprehension of subject and object wh‐questions, whereas children with SLI comprehended both question types poorly and adults did not show subject–object asymmetry. ERP waveforms spanning the wh‐dependency revealed a large and widespread sustained anterior positivity for object relative to subject questions in the TD group, indicating differential processing of these questions. This effect was attenuated and non‐significant in the SLI group. The adults’ grand average waveforms showed the expected LAN effect, which was opposite in polarity relative to the children, although it only approached significance.

Conclusions & Implications

The finding of less differential processing of subject and object wh‐questions in SLI relative to TD children suggests inefficient maintenance of sentential information in working memory for object questions in SLI. Whereas behavioural methods did not identify subject–object asymmetry in SLI, the more fine‐grained method of ERPs elucidated this effect. Further analysis of working memory as the basis for the subject–object asymmetry in SLI is critical for identifying appropriate intervention targets for this population.
Mycobacterium aviumsubspeciesparatuberculosisis widely distributed inBritish soils and waters: implications for animal and human health
Authors: Rhodes Glenn , Henrys Peter , Thomson Bruce C. , Pickup Roger W.
Published: April 2013

In the first comprehensive geographical survey of distribution inGreatBritain,Mycobacterium aviumssp.paratuberculosis(MAP) was detected in 115 of 1092 (10.5%) soil cores, in the range of 5 × 102to 3 × 106MAPcell equivalents (CE) g−1wet weight soil with the majority of the positivePCRreactions (n = 75; 65%) occurring around the limit of detection (500–5000CEg−1wet weight soil). The distribution ofMAPsignificantly increased fromNorth toSouth and was significantly correlated with increasing cattle numbers over the same longitudinal axis. SimilarlyMAPoccurrence significantly increased towards easterly latitudes although none of the parameters measured were associated. Comparisons of land use indicated thatMAPwas widely distributed in both farming and non‐farming areas. Soil core samples taken from the riversWyre andDouglas catchments (Lancashire,UK) and riverTywi (SouthWales) were negative forMAP. However, river monitoring showed a consistent presence ofMAPsthroughout those catchments over a 6‐month period. We concluded thatMAPis widely distributed within and outside the confines of the farming environment; its geographical distribution is wider than originally anticipated and; monitoring rivers describes theMAPstatus of catchment better than individual soil samples.
Specific binding of aluminium and iron ions to a cation‐selective cell wall channel ofMicrothrix parvicella
Authors: Knaf Tobias , Schade Margit , Lemmer Hilde , Benz Roland
Published: April 2013

Heavy metal salts containing aluminium or iron are used in wastewater treatment to control excessive growth of theGram‐positive bacteriumMicrothrix parvicella, frequently observed in wastewater plants suffering from bulking, foaming and scum.Microthrix parvicellabelongs to the classActinobacteriabut not to mycolata, although its taxonomic position in this class is not identified. Investigations using the microspheres adhesion to cells method (MAC) suggested thatM. parvicellais as strongly hydrophobic as the mycolic acid containing actinomycetes. The cell wall ofM. parvicellawas investigated for the presence of water‐filled channels using the lipid bilayer assay. An ion‐permeable channel calledMppAwith a conductance of 600 pS in 1 MKClwas identified in cell wall extracts and purified to homogeneity. The cation‐selective channel showed no voltage‐dependent closure at higher voltages. Interestingly,MPPAcould be blocked by heavy metal ions. Binding of polyvalent cations such as iron and aluminium was studied in titration experiments and revealed stability constants for their binding toMppAup to 700 M−1. The cell wall channel ofM. parvicellacontains a binding site for polyvalent cations which may play a crucial role for the effect of heavy metals salts onM. parvicella‐dominated activated sludge.
Resistance to essential oils affects survival of Salmonella enterica serovars in growing and harvested basil
Authors: Kisluk Guy , Kalily Emmanuel , Yaron Sima
Published: April 2013

The number of outbreaks of food‐borne illness associated with consumption of fresh products has increased. A recent and noteworthy outbreak occurred in 2007. Basil contaminated with Salmonella enterica serovar Senftenberg was the source of this outbreak. Since basil produces high levels of antibacterial compounds the aim of this study was to investigate if the emerging outbreak reflects ecological changes that occurred as a result of development of resistance to ingredients of the basil oil. We irrigated basil plants with contaminated water containing two Salmonella serovars, Typhimurium and Senftenberg, and showed that Salmonella can survive on the basil plants for at least 100 days. S. Senftenberg counts in the phyllosphere were significantly higher than S. Typhimurium, moreover, S. Senftenberg was able to grow on stored harvested basil leaves. Susceptibility experiments demonstrated that S. Senftenberg is more resistant to basil oil and to its antimicrobial constituents: linalool, estragole and eugenol. This may indicate that S. Senftenberg had adapted to the basil environment by developing resistance to the basil oil. The emergence of resistant pathogens has a significant potential to change the ecology, and opens the way for pathogens to survive in new niches in the environment such as basil and other plants.
Rescaling and Responsibilising the Politics of Urban Resilience: From National Security to Local Place-Making
Authors: Coaffee Jon
Published: April 2013

Drawing on, and integrating, emerging theories and practices of urban resilience, this article charts the emergence and progression of different ‘waves’ of resilience policy in the UK. Specifically, it argues that changing practices of resilience have emerged both as a function of time, and in relation to a range of changing socio-political and economic pressures, which have re-articulated the meaning, scale, operational role of, and responsibility for, resilience. The article seeks to critique resilience policy, raising questions about the usefulness of emerging resilience as the central organising concept for depicting how urban systems respond to contemporary and future crises.
Fame and future of faecal transplantations – developing next‐generation therapies with synthetic microbiomes
Authors: de Vos Willem M.
Published: April 2013

While practised for over thousand years, there is presently a renaissance in the interest of using of faecal transplantations to modify the intestinal microbiota of patients. This clinical practice consists of delivering large amounts of bowel microbes in various forms into the intestinal tract of the recipient that usually has been cleared previously. The major reason for the popularity of faecal transplantations is their effectiveness in treating a variety of diseases. Hence, there is a need to develop this procedure to the next level. While there are various developments to select, standardize and store the donor microbiota, it is more challenging to understand the intestinal microbial communities and develop ways to deliver these via robust biotechnological processes. The various approaches that have been followed to do so are discussed in this contribution that is also addressing the concept of the minimal microbiome as well as the production of the synthetic communities that can be instrumental in new therapeutic avenues to modify the intestinal microbiota.
Cash crop choice and income dynamics in rural areas: evidence for post‐crisis Indonesia
Authors: Klasen Stephan , Priebe Jan , Rudolf Robert
Published: April 2013

In this article we investigate the factors affecting levels and growth of incomes in rural Indonesia following the crisis of 1997–1998. In particular, we investigate the relative roles of nonfarm incomes and productivity improvements achieved via changes in crops versus improvements on the same crops on income dynamics. Framing the article in the context of an optimal labor allocation model, relying on unique household panel data from Central Sulawesi, and using advanced panel econometric methods, we find that local innovations related to the adoption and intensification of new cash crop varieties, more specifically the shift from coffee to cocoa production, can explain a substantial part of the observed post‐crisis developments. Causal estimates of the effect of growing cocoa suggest that households were on average able to achieve about 14% higher income levels during the post‐crisis period compared to the planting of other crops, most notably coffee. Also, our results demonstrate the importance of engagement in nonfarm activities for household income growth. Comparative analyses using a nationally representative survey suggest that similar processes are at play in other parts of Indonesia.
The value of genetic information to livestock buyers: a combined revealed, stated preference approach
Authors: Vestal Mallory K. , Lusk Jayson L. , DeVuyst Eric A. , Kropp J. Robert
Published: April 2013

DNA profile information has begun appearing in purebred bull auction catalogs; however, the value of this information is as of yet unknown. This study uses data from actual bull sales at a test station and combines it with stated‐preference survey data to determine the value of the DNA profile information. Consistent with previous research, we find that expected progeny differences (EPDs), test performance, and ultrasound information significantly influence bull‐buyers’ willingness‐to‐pay. The newer DNA profile information, however, was unrelated to buyers’ preferences. Methodologically, we find statistically significant differences (but highly correlated willingness‐to‐pay values) across the stated and revealed preference data sources.
Random Weighting Estimation of Confidence Intervals for Quantiles
Authors: Gao Shesheng , Zhong Yongmin , Gu Chengfan
Published: April 2013

This paper presents a new random weighting method for confidence interval estimation for the sample ‐quantile. A theory is established to extend ordinary random weighting estimation from a non‐smoothed function to a smoothed function, such as a kernel function. Based on this theory, a confidence interval is derived using the concept of backward critical points. The resultant confidence interval has the same length as that derived by ordinary random weighting estimation, but is distribution‐free, and thus it is much more suitable for practical applications. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed random weighting method has higher accuracy than the Bootstrap method for confidence interval estimation.
Dysmotility and proton pump inhibitor use are independent risk factors for small intestinal bacterial and/or fungal overgrowth
Authors: Jacobs C. , Coss Adame E. , Attaluri A. , Valestin J. , Rao S. S. C.
Published: April 2013

Background

Whether intestinal dysmotility and the use of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) either independently or together contributes to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and/or small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO) is not known.

Aim

To investigate the role of dysmotility and PPI use in patients with persistent gastrointestinal complaints.

Methods

Patients with unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms and negative endoscopy/radiology tests completed a validated symptom questionnaire and underwent 24‐h ambulatory antro‐duodeno‐jejunal manometry (ADJM). Simultaneously, duodenal aspirate was obtained for aerobic, anaerobic and fungal culture. Dysmotility was diagnosed by (>2): absent phase III MMC, absent/diminished postprandial response, diminished amplitude of antral/intestinal phasic activity, impaired antro‐duodenal coordination. Bacterial growth ≥103 CFU/mL or fungal growth was considered evidence for SIBO/SIFO. PPI use was documented. Correlation of symptoms with presence of SIBO or SIFO was assessed.

Results

One hundred and fifty subjects (M/F = 47/103) were evaluated; 94/150 (63%) had overgrowth: 38/94 (40%) had SIBO, 24/94 (26%) had SIFO and 32/94 (34%) had mixed SIBO/SIFO. SIBO was predominately due to Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Klebsiella and E. coli. SIFO was due to Candida. Eighty of 150 (53%) patients had dysmotility and 65/150 (43%) used PPI. PPI use (P = 0.0063) and dysmotility (P = 0.0003) were independent significant risk factors (P < 0.05) for overgrowth, but together did not pose additional risk. Symptom profiles were similar between those with or without SIBO/SIFO.

Conclusions

Dysmotility and PPI use were independent risk factors for SIBO or SIFO and were present in over 50% of subjects with unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms. Diagnosis of overgrowth requires testing because symptoms were poor predictors of overgrowth.