bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cyclin A triggers Mitosis either via Greatwall or Cyclin B
Authors: Hégarat Nadia , Crncec Adrijana , Peredoa Rodri-guez Maria F. Suarez , Iturra Fabio Echegaray , Gu Yan , Lang Paul F. , Barr Alexis R. , Bakal Chris , Kanemaki Masato T. , Lamond Angus I. , Novak Bela , Ly Tony , Hochegger Helfrid
Published: December 2018

Two mitotic Cyclins, A and B, exist in higher eukaryotes, but their specialised functions in mitosis are poorly understood. Using degron tags we analyse how acute depletion of these proteins affects mitosis. Loss of Cyclin A in G2-phase prevents the initial activation of Cdk1. Cells lacking Cyclin B can enter mitosis and phosphorylate most mitotic proteins, because of parallel PP2A:B55 phos-phatase inactivation by Greatwall kinase. The final barrier to mitotic establishment corresponds to nuclear envelope breakdown that requires a decisive shift in the balance of Cdk1 and PP2A:B55 activity. Beyond this point Cyclin B/Cdk1 is essential to phosphorylate a distinct subset mitotic Cdk1 substrates that are essential to complete cell division. Our results identify how Cyclin A, B and Greatwall coordinate mitotic progression by increasing levels of Cdk1-dependent substrate phos-phorylation.
High-flow Nano-chromatography Columns Facilitate Rapid and High-quality Proteome Analysis on Standard Nano-LC Hardware
Authors: Hughes Christopher S. , Adomat Hans , LeBihan Stephane , Collins Colin , Sorensen P.H. , Morin Gregg B.
Published: December 2018

Optimizing the acquisition of proteomics data collected from a mass spectrometer (MS) requires careful selection of processed material quantities, liquid-chromatography (LC) setup, and data acquisition parameters. The small internal diameter (ID) columns standardly used in nano-chromatography coupled MS result in long per injection overhead times that require sacrifices in design of offline-fractionation and data acquisition schemes. As cohort sizes and the numbers of samples to be analyzed continue to increase, there is a need to investigate methods for improving the efficiency and time of an acquisition (LC + MS). In this work, the ability to improve throughput in single runs or as part of an in-depth proteome analysis of a fractionated sample using standard LC hardware is investigated. Capitalizing on the increased loading capacity of nanochromatography columns with larger IDs, substantially improved throughput with no reduction in detection sensitivity is achieved in single-injection proteome analyses. An optimized 150 μm ID column setup is paired with an offline fractionation-concatenation scheme to demonstrate the ability to perform in-depth proteome analysis on-par with current state-of-the-art studies, while minimizing sample loading overhead. Together, these data demonstrate an easy and effective means to improve sample analysis throughput with no reduction in data quality using an approach that is applicable to any standard nano-LC hardware.
Decoys provide a scalable platform for the genetic analysis of plant E3 ubiquitin ligases that regulate circadian clock function
Authors: Feke Ann , Liu Wei , Hong Jing , Li Man-Wah , Lee Chin-Mei , Zhou Elton , Gendron Joshua M.
Published: December 2018

The circadian clock in all eukaryotes relies on the regulated degradation of clock proteins to maintain 24-hour rhythmicity. Despite this knowledge, we know very few of the components that mediate degradation of proteins to control clock function. This is likely due to high levels of gene duplication and functional redundancy within plant E3 ubiquitin ligase gene families. In order to overcome this issue and discover E3 ubiquitin ligases that control circadian clock function, we generated a library of transgenic Arabidopsis lines expressing dominant-negative “decoy” E3 ubiquitin ligases. We determined their effects on the plant circadian clock and identified dozens of new potential regulators of circadian clock function. To demonstrate the potency of the decoy screening methodology to overcome genetic redundancy and identify bona fide clock regulators, we performed follow-up studies on PUB59 and PUB60. Using knock-out studies, we show that they redundantly control circadian clock period by regulating gene splicing. Furthermore, we confirm that they are part of a conserved protein complex that mediates splicing in eukaryotes. This work demonstrates the viability of E3 ubiquitin ligase decoys as a scalable screening platform to overcome traditional genetic challenges and discover E3 ubiquitin ligases that regulate plant developmental processes.
Functional and evolutionary impact of polymorphic inversions in the human genome
Authors: Giner-Delgado Carla , Villatoro Sergi , Lerga-Jaso Jon , Gayà-Vidal Magdalena , Oliva Meritxell , Castellano David , Pantano Lorena , Bitarello Bárbara D. , Izquierdo David , Noguera Isaac , Olalde Iñigo , Delprat Alejandra , Blancher Antoine , Lalueza-Fox Carles , Esko Tõnu , O’Reilly Paul , Andrés Aida , Ferretti Luca , Puig Marta , Cáceres Mario
Published: December 2018

Inversions are one type of structural variants linked to phenotypic differences and adaptation in multiple organisms. However, there is still very little information about inversions in the human genome due to the difficulty of their detection. Here, thanks to the development of a new high-throughput genotyping method, we have performed a complete study of a representative set of 45 common human polymorphic inversions. Most inversions promoted by homologous recombination occur recurrently both in humans and great apes and, since they are not tagged by SNPs, they are missed by genome-wide association studies. Furthermore, there is an enrichment of inversions showing signatures of positive or balancing selection, diverse functional effects, such as gene disruption and gene-expression changes, or association with phenotypic traits. Therefore, our results indicate that the genome is more dynamic than previously thought and that human inversions have important functional and evolutionary consequences, making possible to determine for the first time their contribution to complex traits.
Antimalarial drug mefloquine kills both trophozoite and cyst stages of Entamoeba
Authors: Sauvey Conall , Ehrenkaufer Gretchen , Debnath Anjan , Abagyan Ruben
Published: December 2018

Entamoeba histolytica is a protozoan parasite which infects approximately 50 million people worldwide, resulting in an estimated 70,000 deaths every year. Since the 1960s E. histolytica infection has been successfully treated with metronidazole. However, drawbacks to metronidazole therapy exist, including adverse effects, length of treatment, and the need for additional drugs to prevent transmission. All of these may decrease patient compliance and hence increase disease severity and spread of infection. In this study we identified the antimalarial drug mefloquine as possessing more potent, rapid, amoebicidal in vitro activity against E. histolytica trophozoites than metronidazole. We also showed that mefloquine could kill the cysts of a closely related reptilian parasite Entamoeba invadens unlike metronidazole. Additionally, mefloquine is known to possess a much longer half-life in human patients than metronidazole. This property, along with mefloquine's rapid and broad action against E. histolytica position it as a promising new drug candidate against this widespread and devastating disease.
Economic performance and cost-effectiveness of using a DEC-salt social enterprise for eliminating the major neglected tropical disease, lymphatic filariasis
Authors: Sharma Swarnali , Smith Morgan E. , Reimer James , O'Brien David B. , Brissau Jean M. , Donahue Marie C. , Carter Clarence E. , Michael Edwin
Published: December 2018

Background

Salt fortified with the drug, diethylcarbamazine (DEC), and introduced into a competitive market has the potential to overcome the obstacles associated with tablet-based Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) elimination programs. Questions remain, however, regarding the economic viability, production capacity, and effectiveness of this strategy as a sustainable means to bring about LF elimination in resource poor settings.

Methodology and Principal Findings

We evaluated the performance and effectiveness of a novel social enterprise-based approach developed and tested in Léogâne, Haiti, as a strategy to sustainably and cost-efficiently distribute DEC-medicated salt into a competitive market at quantities sufficient to bring about the elimination of LF. We undertook a cost-revenue analysis to evaluate the production capability and financial feasibility of the developed DEC salt social enterprise, and a modeling study centered on applying a dynamic mathematical model localized to reflect local LF transmission dynamics to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of using this intervention versus standard annual Mass Drug Administration (MDA) for eliminating LF in Léogâne. We show that the salt enterprise because of its mixed product business strategy may have already reached the production capacity for delivering sufficient quantities of edible DEC-medicated salt to bring about LF transmission in the Léogâne study setting. Due to increasing revenues obtained from the sale of DEC salt over time, expansion of its delivery in the population, and greater cumulative impact on the survival of worms, this strategy could also represent a significantly more cost-effective option than annual DEC tablet-based MDA for accomplishing LF elimination.

Significance

A social enterprise approach can offer an innovative market-based strategy by which edible salt fortified with DEC could be distributed to communities both on a financially sustainable basis and at sufficient quantity to eliminate LF. Deployment of similarly fashioned intervention strategies would improve current efforts to successfully accomplish the goal of LF elimination, particularly in difficult-to-control settings.
Spliceosomal Prp8 intein at the crossroads of protein and RNA splicing
Authors: Green Cathleen M. , Li Zhong , Novikova Olga , Bacot-Davis Valjean R. , Gao Fenghan , Banavali Nilesh K. , Li Hongmin , Belfort Marlene
Published: December 2018

The spliceosome is a large ribonucleoprotein complex that removes introns from pre-mRNAs. At its functional core lies the essential Prp8 protein. Across diverse eukaryotes, this protein cofactor of RNA catalysis harbors a self-splicing element, called an intein. Inteins in Prp8 are extremely pervasive and are found at seven different sites in various species. Here, we focus on the Prp8 intein from Cryptococcus neoformans, a human fungal pathogen. We solved the crystal structure of this intein, revealing structural homology among self-splicing sequences in eukaryotes, including Hedgehog protein. Working with the C. neoformans Prp8 intein in a reporter assay, we find that the biologically relevant divalent metals copper and zinc inhibit intein splicing, albeit by two different mechanisms. Copper likely stimulates reversible modifications on a catalytically important cysteine, whereas zinc binds via the same critical cysteine with a Kd of ~1 nM. An intein-containing Prp8 precursor model is presented, suggesting that metal-induced protein splicing inhibition would disturb function of both Prp8 and the spliceosome. These results indicate that Prp8 protein splicing can be modulated, and that this could alter spliceosome function and RNA splicing under specific conditions.
Visualizing murine placental extracellular vesicle data with tidyNano: a computational framework for analyzing and visualizing nanoparticle data in R
Authors: Nguyen Sean L , Greenberg Jacob W , Wang Hao , Collaer Benjamin W , Wang Jianrong , Petroff Margaret G
Published: December 2018

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are increasingly recognized as important mediators of intercellular communication, and in mammals are generally classified as ~50–150nm exosomes, ~100–1000nm microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies, each arising as a result of different biological processes. EVs carry protein, lipids, and nucleic acids within the circulation, to target cells whereupon they mediate physiological changes. Due to their small size, quantification and characterization by conventional microscopy is not possible. However, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) has provided a method to determine the fluid concentration and size of extracellular vesicles and other nanoparticles. While NTA provides statistical summaries of samples in an experiment, a recurring difficulty is the organization, manipulation, and management of raw particle count data because of the large size of datasets, and resultant vulnerability to user error. To address these limitations, we developed tidyNano, an R package that provides functions to import, clean, and quickly summarize raw NanoSight (Malvern Panalytical) data for efficient calculation of statistics and visualization. Here, we provide a framework for importing raw nanoparticle data and provide functions to facilitate rapid and efficient analysis, visualization and calculation of summary statistics. tidyNano was used to analyze murine plasma extracellular vesicles across gestation by aggregating and summarizing samples based on technical, biological and gestational parameters. In addition, we developed shinySIGHT, a Shiny web application that allows for interactive exploration and visualization of EV data. Using this package, we analyzed data generated from 36 samples of EV derived from the plasma of mice across gestation.

Peripheral EV concentration increased linearly across pregnancy, with trending increases as early as gestation day (GD) 5.5 and significant rises at GD14.5, and 17.5 relative to EV concentrations in nonpregnant females. Thus, the data highlight the utility of the mouse as a model of EV biology in pregnancy. Further, the package provides a mechanism for seamless analysis of EV data generated by NanoSight. Importantly, this package provides a straightforward framework by which diverse types of large datasets can be simply and efficiently analyzed. tidyNano and shinySIGHT are freely available under the MIT license and is hosted on GitHub (https://nguyens7.github.io/tidyNano/).
Sustainability integration and supply chain performance of manufacturing small and medium size enterprises
Authors: Fekpe Edward , Delaporte Yvonne
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to use empirical data to examine the impacts of integrating sustainability elements on the performance of supply chains of manufacturing small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual framework was based on the systems theory and the triple bottom line concept. Purposive sampling approach was used to collect data from a cross-section of manufacturing SMEs. Partial least square (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was used to explore the relationships among the constructs.

Findings

The results indicate strong statistically significant positive relationships between each of the three sustainability elements and integration constructs. Sustainability integration is a mediating variable that explains a significant variance in performance of a supply chain. Supply chain performance is determined by the degree of integration of the three sustainability elements.

Research limitations/implications

The research focused on SMEs in the manufacturing industry in a less developed economy. An extension of the findings to the service industry and larger manufacturing firms and different operating environments may be limited.

Practical implications

Sustainability integration enhances supply chain performance and can be a competitive tool for manufacturing SMEs. The research emphasizes the value of sustainability integration into supply chains of manufacturing SMEs in less developed countries.

Originality/value

This is an original research that examined the impacts of sustainability integration on performance of supply chains of manufacturing SMEs in a developing economy. This research used empirical data to establish that integration of the three sustainability elements collectively acts as a critical mediating variable that determines the performance of a supply chain. The research also demonstrates the use of PLS-SEM to analyze supply chain attributes that cannot be directly measured.
Value-chain activities and individual wages
Authors: Márquez-Ramos Laura
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of whether emerging economies benefit or suffer more because of value-chain activities than advanced economies do. Specifically, it focuses on the consequences in terms of individual wages.

Design/methodology/approach

Panel data techniques are used to estimate an expanded Mincerian wage equation over the period 1995-2007. The analysis is performed using micro-level data for two countries that represent two different experiences of value-chain activities in Central Europe: Germany and Slovenia.

Findings

Increasing value-chain activities reduce wages for low-skilled workers in high-skill-intensive industries in Germany, hence driving up the skill wage premium. Conversely, evidence is found of a decreasing skill wage premium as a consequence of increasing value-chain activities in Slovenia. Finally, increasing value-chain activities reduces the wages of workers in low-skill-intensive industries in both Germany and Slovenia.

Originality/value

This paper analyses the effect of value-chain activities on wages. It is the first empirical assessment that brings individual wage data directly into the picture for an international comparison focussed on two Central European countries that represent “two faces” of value chains. This paper shows that the effects of increasing value-chain activities on wages differ by country, by industry and by individual skills.
Manufacturing reshoring
Authors: Ciabuschi Francesco , Lindahl Olof , Barbieri Paolo , Fratocchi Luciano
Published: December 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to theorize on the internationalization process model to explain cases of manufacturing reshoring as decisions taken to manage risk when internationalizing.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is of a conceptual nature. Building on the logic of the internationalization process model, the authors extend previous work by focusing on firms’ risk perception (determined by commitment, knowledge and uncertainty as key variables) to explain also reshoring decisions.

Findings

Four propositions were developed, concerning the likelihood of firms to make manufacturing reshoring decisions. The first two propositions deal with the effects of new risk contingencies, and the other two refer specifically to the effects of managerial perceptions of three different typologies of risk, namely, host-country, home-country and reshoring-process specific risk.

Originality/value

While reshoring has been discussed mainly on the basis of economic arguments, this paper offers an alternative, behavioural view of this phenomenon as a strategic risk-management process. Therefore, it offers initial steps to theorize about reshoring from a risk-management perspective and, in doing so, opens up a number of avenues for future research.
Design optimization of FGM beam in stability problem
Authors: Andrianov Igor V. , Awrejcewicz Jan , Diskovsky Alexander A.
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to define and solve the problem of an optimized structural topology of the simply supported beam made from functionally graded material (FGM) enabling achievement of a maximum buckling load.

Design/methodology/approach

Two kinds of inclusions are considered: regular distribution of inclusions of different rigidities and non-uniform distribution of identical inclusions. It is shown that the optimal conditions are similar for both structural designs. The optimization problems are solved by using the homogenization method, and the target functions belong to the class of piece-wise continuous functions. Both optimized structures exhibit border zones free of any inclusions, and the largest amount of inclusions is localized in the central zone of the beams.

Findings

It has been shown that the final result of the carried out optimization of the internal structure for both studied types of FGM are similar. The relative increase in the buckling force of the FG beam with the optimized internal structure is on amount of 20 per cent while comparing it with the regular structure beam.

Originality/value

In contrary to a standard approach, this paper is aimed to detect and study a scenario of transition from heterogeneous to its counterpart homogeneous beam structure based on the consideration of the FGM inclusions. In addition, the problem of inversed transition from the optimized homogeneous structure to the optimal heterogeneous one is solved.
Transient elastodynamic analysis with a combination of convolution quadrature method and pseudo-initial condition method
Authors: Li Yuan , Zhang J. , Zhong Yudong , Shu Xiaomin , Dong Yunqiao
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The Convolution Quadrature Method (CQM) has been widely applied to solve transient elastodynamic problems because of its stability and generality. However, the CQM suffers from the problems of huge memory requirement in case of direct implementation in time domain or CPU time in case of its reformulation in Laplace domain. The purpose of this paper is to combine the CQM with the pseudo-initial condition method (PICM) to achieve a good balance between memory requirement and CPU time.

Design/methodology/approach

The combined methods first subdivide the whole analysis into a few sub-analyses, which is dealt with the PICM, namely, the results obtained by previous sub-analysis are used as the initial conditions for the next sub-analysis. In each sub-analysis, the time interval is further discretized into a number of sub-steps and dealt with the CQM. For non-zero initial conditions, the pseudo-force method is used to transform them into equivalent body forces. The boundary face method is employed in the numerical implementation. Three examples are analyzed. Results are compared with analytical solutions or FEM results and the results of reformulated CQM.

Findings

Results demonstrate that the computation time and the storage requirement can be reduced significantly as compared to the CQM, by using the combined approach.

Originality/value

The combined methods can be successfully applied to the problems of long-time dynamic response, which requires a large amount of computer memory when CQM is applied, while preserving the CQM stability. If the number of time steps is high, then the accuracy of the proposed approach can be deteriorated because of the pseudo-force method.
Workplace spirituality, employee wellbeing and intention to stay
Authors: Aboobaker Nimitha , Edward Manoj , K.A. Zakkariya
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of workplace spirituality on employee well-being and intention to stay with the organization among teachers in technical higher education institutions. Furthermore, the study endeavors to test the difference in model estimates across two groups of teachers who differ in their intentional career choice.

Design/methodology/approach

This descriptive study was conducted amongst a sample of 523 teachers working in technical educational institutions in India. Self-reporting questionnaires were administered among the respondents, who were selected through purposive sampling method. Structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis were done to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Analysis revealed that workplace spirituality enhanced employee well-being and intention to stay. Differences were observed on the effects of different dimensions of workplace spirituality on job outcomes. Also, teachers’ intentional career choice was found to moderate these relationships.

Originality/value

This study is pioneering in conceptualizing and testing a theoretical model linking workplace spirituality, employee well-being and intention to stay, particularly in the context of teachers who differ in their intentional career choice. Implications with regard to the experience of workplace spirituality and job outcomes in the specific context of teaching are elaborated, thus striving to fill a gap in existing literature.
CSR practices of Palestinian Islamic banks: contribution to socio-economic development
Authors: Migdad Abdalrahman Mohamed
Published: December 2018

Purpose

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an important corporate activity that affirms the importance of giving back to the community. This research aims to examine the CSR practices of Palestinian Islamic banks and their contribution to socio-economic development. There is an ongoing debate regarding Islamic financial institutions’ profit motive versus their motivation to achieve human welfare. The Palestinian Islamic banks are not disconnected from this debate, and this paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

For the purpose of assessing the CSR practices of Palestinian Islamic banks, a secondary analysis of the banks’ annual reports was carried out. In addition, 11 structured interviews were conducted with Islamic banks’ practitioners at the decision-making level and with some of the banks’ Sharīʿah board members to gather their views on CSR. These have been analyzed in light of the actual CSR practices disclosed in each bank’s annual reports.

Findings

The main research findings suggest that the CSR practice is highly valued by the Palestinian Islamic banks, but it is small and has marginal effects on the community’s socio-economic development. Another important observation from report analysis is that Islamic banks have great potential for expansion, given that the demand for Islamic financial transactions is double of what Islamic banks currently offer. If Islamic banks live up to that opportunity, they could deliver more in CSR practices, which is their ultimate goal according to the majority of the interviewees.

Originality/value

Existing literature has presented findings on the CSR of Palestinian corporations in general, but there is no available literature on the CSR practices of Palestinian Islamic banks. This research attempts to fill in the gap by presenting preliminary findings on Palestinian Islamic banks’ CSR practices.
The concept and application ofḍamān al-milkiyyah(ownership risk)
Authors: Abdul Razak Lutfi , Saupi Muhammad Nabil
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the concept ofḍamān al-milkiyyah(ownership risk) and to assess its application in contemporary Islamic financial products and services.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology adopted is that of descriptive research.

Findings

From an Islamic law of contract perspective, the concept ofḍamān al-milkiyyahis central to legitimate profit-making transactions and hence must be adhered to in practical applications of Islamic finance.

Research limitations/implications

This study should help motivate further investigation into the position ofḍamān al-milkiyyahamong different parties in existing Islamic financial products and services.

Practical implications

Policymakers and regulators should ensure that Islamic financial products and services are structured in a way that does not allow parties to profit without adequately bearing the liability for potential loss.

Social implications

The condition ofḍamān al-milkiyyahas a source of legitimate profit reflects the idea that the role of finance in Islam is to promote and ensure social benefits.

Originality/value

This paper emphasizes the importance ofḍamān al-milkiyyahas a fundamental condition for profit in Islamic financial transactions.
ISRA-Bloomberg Sharīʿah stock screening and income cleansing methodologies: a conceptual paper
Authors: Md. Hashim Ashraf , Habib Farrukh , Isaacs Ziyaat , Gadhoum Mohamed Anouar
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain and critically analyse the Sharīʿah screening criteria and cleansing process for income generated from stocks with a special focus on a newly developed ISRA-Bloomberg methodology.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper focuses on the methodology of ISRA-Bloomberg in terms of Sharīʿah screening of stocks and the income cleansing process. To achieve this objective, this paper adopts a descriptive approach.

Findings

The methodology of ISRA-Bloomberg is unique in terms of its criterion for screening stocks, the cleansing process and coverage of the universe of stocks. It facilitates the investors by offering a novel colour-coding scheme to indicate the Sharīʿah compliance of a stock. It also provides the exact ratios of the Sharīʿah-compliance criteria to the investors so they can closely observe changes in the trend of ratios and decide beforehand whether or not a company is likely to remain within the Sharīʿah-compliant list. The paper further discusses the issues in the screening and cleansing practices faced by the industry.

Research limitations/implications

This research is limited to the criteria of screening and income purification of stocks which have been used by ISRA-Bloomberg from a Sharīʿah perspective.

Practical/implications

The robust screening criteria and comprehensive analysis of the stocks will enhance the confidence of Islamic capital market participants. The investors, regulators and index providers will be equally able to benefit from this initiative.

Originality/value

The paper focuses on the recently established methodology of ISRA-Bloomberg, which has not been discussed in the literature until now. The methodology, because of its exceptionality, may add a new dimension to Sharīʿah screening and cleansing of stocks.
Fiqhī views on bayʿwa salaf and qarḍ-based Islamic banking deposit accounts in Malaysia
Authors: Ahmad Mahadi , Ansary Riaz
Published: December 2018

Purpose

Islamic banks are obliged to carry out transactions that only comply with Islamic commercial laws. Malaysia has been championing the Sharīʿah-based banking system, and so, continuous improvement on the compliance level of the institutions offering Islamic financial services is key to its global recognition in this industry. One of the issues that can affect deposit products is existence of a sale contract and loan facility in one transaction. Famous prophetic tradition prohibits this. Hence, this paper aims to examine the linkage between bayʿwa salaf (combination between a sale contract and loan in one transaction) and deposits accounts in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

The subject matter of this paper is one that is researchable within library-based research. It is on this premise the research used the non-empirical qualitative research methodology. It used inductive method of analysis of both Islamic and policy documents on Islamic banking in Malaysia. Literature from Islamic jurisprudence, websites of some of the Islamic banks in Malaysia and relevant resolutions from the Shariah Advisory Council of Central Bank of Malaysia were consulted.

Findings

Based on the methodology mentioned above, the researchers arrived at the following findings: that, although there is no juristic disagreement about the prohibition of bayʿwa salaf, disagreement, however, occurs in results of some contracts. The most notable area of agreement on the existence of bayʿwa salaf is when there is express stipulation of sale or rendering of service and express or implied stipulation of loan alongside of the sale or service rendering. In an organized reversed tawarruq, the use of these deposits by the banks is regarded as loan from the depositors to the banks, who will soon put the money into sale that will generate profit to be divided between the banks and their depositors. However, this study finds that this is not bayʿwa salaf prohibited by the prophetic tradition.

Originality/value

The originality of this topic is proven by the new banking regulation regime of Malaysia, which compels Islamic banks to guarantee all deposits under them. As Islamic banks carry out their banking activities through trading, there is need to conduct a research such as this. This is to examine whether Islamic banks’ unilateral use of depositors’ funds in non-investment accounts which is translated, constructively, as loan from the depositors to Islamic banks amounts to bayʿwa salaf before the future tawarruq. Here there is loan and sale, which is the tawarruq. Hence, the need to do this research.
Financial reporting of intangible assets in Islamic finance
Authors: Alhabshi Syed Musa , Rashid Hafiz Majdi Ab , Khadijah Syed Agil Sharifah , Ahmed Mezbah Uddin
Published: December 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to address the financial reporting dimensions of intangible assets with specific reference to International Accounting Standards (IAS) 38 as well as relevant International Financial Reporting Standards (IAS 38 exclusion) that are embedded within intangible assets. These have implications for Islamic financial assets with identifiable and measurable intangible components.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses the qualitative research method by way of interviews followed by focus group discussions with professional accountants/accounting academics and Sharīʿah scholars/advisors from academia, the industry and regulatory bodies. Analysis of relevant literature is made to understand the subject matter and Sharīʿah-related issues.

Findings

The study observes that the accounting dimensions of tangible assets are generally consistent with Sharīʿah requirements. However, significant variation arises when the dimensions of intangible assets are represented in financial assets.

Research limitations/implications

The paper presents an exploratory in-depth analysis within the context of intangible assets as specified in IAS 38.

Originality/value

The paper elucidates the comparative accounting dimensions and Sharīʿah requirements in reporting financial assets.
Accessibility to reproductive health rights among adolescents in three provinces of Thailand
Authors: Jensarikorn Patchareewan , Phlainoi Supavan , Phlainoi Nawarat , Saejeng Kittipong
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the situation of accessibility to reproductive health rights, and the conditional factors of accessibility to such rights of adolescents.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative method was used to extract information from 80 informants. Data were collected through in-depth interview, focus group discussion, observation, data recording, audio recording and the review of related documents during August to October 2016.

Findings

Adolescents had not accessed to their right on informing of their decision making; information and education; health; confidentiality and privacy; and treating with equity and no discrimination. Also, the conditional factors influenced to the accessibility on such rights were lacking of knowledge on reproductive health and negative attitude toward this matter among the people concerned. There were still no regulations or policies on the performance of authority agencies and the factors on social dimensions, traditions, customs, sexual culture and religion.

Originality/value

The findings from this study would be a help to promote the accessibility for adolescents to reproductive health rights under the Prevention and Solution of Adolescent Pregnancy Problem Act, B.E. 2559 (2016) specific on standard criteria reproductive health services from hospitals and the involvement from Ministry of Education for the development of sex life skill and reproductive health for the teacher.
Procurement practices in the singapore civil service: balancing control and delegation
Authors: Jones David S.
Published: December 2018

The article examines the extent that public procurement in Singapore remains under centralized control and how much has been delegated to the line agencies, which are the recipients of the goods and services purchased. The article shows that Singapore has adopted a mixed hybrid model of public procurement. Procedural rules and evaluation criteria relating to procurement are imposed by centralized authorities, which also undertake bulk purchasing. Operational functions such as interpreting the rules and criteria, making purchasing decisions and awarding contracts are performed by the line agencies. The balance thus achieved between centralization and delegation arises from the desire to meet the divergent requirements that shape the government procurement system.
The florida sunshine law and evaluation committees
Authors: Buffington Kirk W.
Published: December 2018

Within each political subdivision of the state of Florida, there is an ordinance which applies to the procurement of goods and services for agencies under its jurisdiction. One common requirement in all these ordinances is the use of the Request for Proposal when purchasing goods or services above a given threshold. In contrast to an Invitation to Bid, the RFP is structured in such a way as to allow other criteria to be evaluated, along with the bottom line price submitted by vendors. The issue in this analysis is whether each meeting of the evaluation committee set up to review these criteria is subject to Florida’s Sunshine Law. Several court decisions and opinions of Attorneys General have held that meetings of ad-hoc committees, advisory committees, and other panels of staff or non-staff members are subject to the Sunshine Law. It appears clear, after a discussion of a few cases relating to the Sunshine Law, that any agency procurement officer must be very careful to avoid even the suggestion of making any recommendation outside of the public view. Public notice should be posted at least seventy-two hours prior to any meeting of the committee. Only by closely adhering to both the letter and the intent of the law will procurement officers avoid having their agency brought into court for a violation of the Sunshine Law.
Vendor diversity in public sector purchasing: the case of the florida department of health
Authors: Watson Steven A. , Brooks Robert G. , Arnold Thomas , Mason Kathy , McEachron Cathy
Published: December 2018

This article explores the use of a quality management model by a public sector agency to implement a socially responsible purchasing initiative related to minority diversity of the vendor pool. There is a description and discussion of the use of a quality management model for planning and implementing the initiative with a focus on changing organizational culture and reinforcing organizational policy priorities. The initial success of the initiative in increasing total contracted dollars to minorities suggests that a quality management implementation model is a useful approach for initiating a socially responsible policy within an organization.
CHINA’S LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR PUBLIC PROCUREMENT
Authors: Rothery Robert
Published: December 2018

Since the mid 1990s, the Government of China has been developing the regulations, laws, and implementing procedures necessary to bring public procurement under a comprehensive administrative and legal framework. This paper traces the history of its development and explains the motivations: improved quality of public projects, increased transparency, development of national standards, and the relationship with trade. It describes the unique aspects and challenges of China's procurement system, notably the existence of two laws (the Tendering and Bidding Law and the Government Procurement Law), the influences of social and economic policy, and the use of procurement agents. The paper concludes with an assessment of future needs to consolidate the various procurement-related laws, develop implementing regulations, disseminate information, and strengthen the oversight function.
Evaluation of competitive sourcing performance work statement metrics
Authors: Randall Ty A. , Brothers Heidi S. , Holt Daniel T.
Published: December 2018

Competitive sourcing is the government’s term for transferring the operation of an internal process or function to either an external supplier or a reengineered government team. The competitively sourced function is managed through performance metrics. These metrics must be thorough, appropriate and well designed to ensure the government is receiving the level of service required to fulfill its various missions. This research effort develops a performance metric evaluation system that was synthesized from metric design literature, Total Quality Management concepts, and the Government Performance Results Act. Use of the system in a case study is discussed along with how to evaluate the results. Results indicate that some Air Force performance metrics have insufficient and improperly designed metrics.
Ban-on-negotiations in tender procedures: undermining best value for money?
Authors: Krüger Kai
Published: December 2018

Markets for public contracting are in the process of transition. Various public/private partnership arrangements replace conventional purchasing, especially within the local and regional government area. Municipal entities may not be in a position to define their needs up-front because they would not have the overview of what the market may have to offer. So one should ask: Is the traditional ban-on-negotiations in mandatory tender procedures (sealed bidding) - such as it is in EU public procurement law - counter-effective to genuine best value for public money? The article displays significant differences between European Union (EU) law, U.S. law and other regimes such as United Nations Model law, The World Trade Organisation’s Government Procurement Agreement (WTO/GPA), The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). New avenues for public/private demand a new agenda and the recent EU 2004 directive scheme attempts to respond to the market challenges. The author accepts that the new directive on public contracting facilitates a more smooth approach than in current EU law with regard to high-tech complicated contract awards, but questions whether the ’competitive dialogue’ really can afford tailor-made solutions to cope with long-term public/private partnership arrangements of the kind now spreading all over Europe
Improving organizational effectiveness through meaningful involvement of municipal purchasing departments - case studies from ontario canada
Authors: Schiele Joseph J.
Published: December 2018

This paper could have implications for both public service managers and academics alike. Some of the most difficult challenges facing public purchasers, including those associated with public sector procurement, purchasing consulting services, and purchasing department involvement are discussed. This paper presents insight into the beliefs of municipal purchasing department managers as they relate to meaningful involvement of their departments in consulting service acquisition processes. These research findings may assist others with developing the strategies necessary for increasing municipal purchasing department involvement in these acquisition processes in order to improve organizational effectiveness.
Interweaving planning procedures for environmental impact assessment for high level infrastructure with public procurement procedures
Authors: Valkenburg M. van , Nagelkerke M.C.J.
Published: December 2018

In the traditional setting of a tender procedure on infrastructure in the Netherlands, the procedure starts after the public decision-making procedure has been completed. In recent years, however, the Department of Transport and Water Management has considered advancing the start of the tender procedure in relation to the start of the planning procedure by interweaving both procedures. The possibilities and added values of this market approach have been researched in this paper. Added value has been found in the area of utilisation of knowledge, innovation and creativity of the market, thus gaining time and obtaining a more business-like character of the planning procedure. Solutions are proposed for impediments concerning disclosure versus confidentiality, adapting tender conditions and award criteria, (re)using market party ideas and procedure period.
Public procurement in southeast asia: Challenge and reform
Authors: Jones David S.
Published: December 2018

Despite the economic transformation that the various countries in Southeast Asia have undergone, serious weaknesses have persisted in the area of public procurement. These include fragmented procurement procedures; the lack of professional procurement expertise; the absence of open, competitive tendering, especially for foreign suppliers; widespread corruption; and the lack of transparency. In recent years, limited progress has been made in reforming public procurement but all too often the reforms have been inadequate and have not had the desired impact so that shortcomings still persist. In light of these failings, the paper will highlight the twin challenges facing most of the states of the region: viz. the need to reinforce the recent procurement reforms and to translate them into actual practices.
Imitating private business in public procurement: Swedish ’affärsmässigt’
Authors: Åström Karsten , Bröchner Jan
Published: December 2018

While implementing the EC Procurement Directives in Swedish legislation, there remains a reference to 'business-like' (affärsmässig) practice as an external system of norms. The problem is that the term a. might contradict non-economic considerations in the award of contracts. Municipal procurement is often managed by professionals with limited legal expertise, and diverging practices are found. In recent years, the term a. has spread to court practice in other fields and even to one act belonging to private law. The term a. appears as a chameleon, since when used in a context of private law, it conveys a sense of transparency and objectivity traditionally associated with the operation of the legal system rather than with private business practices.
Size, competition and quality in the italian market for consulting services
Authors: Cervigni Raffaello , Cuccu Oriana , Miniaci Raffaele
Published: December 2018

The quality of consulting services informing project decisions is crucial for the effectiveness of public investments. We analyze the ability of the consulting industry to provide adequate services to government agencies in Italy. At the aggregate level we observe that the value of the public demand for consulting services is a small and highly variable share of revenues of the consulting firms. At the micro level, we analyze the procurement data for some 300 feasibility studies. Although the market for those studies has been reasonably competitive, it has attracted a small fraction of the all consulting sector, and the quality of the studies has been unsatisfactory. We claim that an increasing public demand would provide more incentives for firms to focus their business on the provision of quality consulting services to the public sector.
Contracting officers: turn off the time and material default switch
Authors: Piper Bernard
Published: December 2018

This article addresses the increased use of time and material contracts. It explores the reasons and risks of this contract type’s use. Also, it makes several suggestions to pursue alternate contract types when appropriate.
Public procurement policy: implications for theory and practice
Authors: Snider Keith F. , Rendon Rene G.
Published: December 2018

This paper proposes a conceptual framework for the study of public procurement policy. It reviews policy-related writings by public procurement scholars and assesses these works from the perspective of their contributions to generalized understandings of public procurement policy. Selected tools and concepts from the policy sciences are applied to propose a model to illuminate unique aspects of public procurement policy in ways that will facilitate its study. The paper concludes by discussing some recent actions, trends, and issues from the U.S defense procurement sector in terms of the framework. Models such as the one proposed in this paper will contribute to enhanced approaches to procurement policy analysis by scholars, as well as to informed and sophisticated policy implementation by practitioners.