bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dietary influences on chronic obstructive lung disease and asthma: a review of the epidemiological evidence
Authors: Smit Henriette A. , Grievink Linda , Tabak Cora
Published: February 2011

The epidemiological evidence for a relationship between diet and indicators of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is evaluated. The review focuses on the intake of Na,n−3 fatty acids, and antioxidant vitamins as well as fruit and vegetables. Experimental studies suggest that a high-Na diet has a small adverse effect on airway reactivity in asthma patients. However, observational studies provide no clear evidence that high Na intake has adverse effects on airway reactivity or asthma symptoms in open populations.n−3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are present in fish oils, are metabolized into less broncho-constricting and inflammatory mediators thann−6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Studies in the general adult population suggest that a high fish intake has a beneficial effect on lung function, but the relationship with respiratory symptoms and clinically-manifest asthma or COPD is less evident. Also, experimental studies in asthma patients have not demonstrated an improvement in asthma severity after supplementation with fish oil. Several studies showed a beneficial association between fruit and vegetable intake and lung function, but the relationship with respiratory symptoms and the clinically-manifest disease was less convincing. A similar pattern was found for vitamin C in relation to indicators of asthma and COPD, but there are still conflicting results with respect to vitamin E and β-carotene. In conclusion, the epidemiological evidence for a beneficial effect on indicators of asthma and COPD of eating fish, fruit and vegetables is increasing. However, the effectiveness of dietary supplementation in open-population samples is often not demonstrated. Several unresolved questions are raised, which should be addressed in future studies on the relationship between diet and respiratory disease.
China: the soyabean-pork dilemma
Authors: Geissler Catherine
Published: February 2011

In 1996 the population of China reached 1.23 billion, 22 % of the world population, and is expected to increase to 1.5 billion by 2020. As China has only 7 % of the world's arable land such population increases are likely to have an important impact on food supply in China and the world. Projections of the potential impact are discussed. The restructuring of Chinese agriculture at the end of the 1970s has led to dramatic increases in agricultural production and food consumption, in particular of animal products, fruit and vegetables. Along with these rapid changes there is evidence of a nutrition transition in which diseases associated with affluence are becoming more prevalent than deficiency diseases. This transition has led to concern about the evolving dietary pattern. The replacement of legumes, including soyabean, by meat and other animal products as rich sources of protein and other nutrients has been controversially argued on grounds of nutritional health, ecological impact, economic effects and world food supply. These arguments are reviewed and the pressures internal and external to China concerning the production and consumption of animalv. legume products are presented. It is concluded that nutritional policies to promote the consumption of soyabean are unlikely to be effective in the context of an increasingly free and global market.
Food aid in emergencies: a case for wheat?
Authors: Landman Jacqueline
Published: February 2011

As disasters and conflict increase, a higher proportion of total food aid is given as humanitarian aid. Most food aid is in the form of cereals, primarily wheat. The main donors are the USA and the EU, but there is an increase in the numbers of donors, including non-governmental organizations, buying food rather than using surpluses. Alongside the greater diversity and complexity of food aid, there is more controversy about policy and practice. If disasters are development failures, emergency food aid must be a step in the continuum from relief to rehabilitation. Comparisons of the seventeen countries that were major recipients of food aid (> 10 000 t) in 1997, show diversity in social development, dietary pattern, number of refugees, relative food inadequacy and wasting (i.e. % standard weight-for-height > 2 SD). In the absence of information of consistent quality, what influences the scale of emergency aid is unclear and susceptible to politicization, so that need and supply may not be matched. Local considerations seem to be as important as external food aid for the nutrition of the recipients. Challenges for the future include assuring the nutritional quality of rations to solve deficiency problems. The implications for the professional public health nutritionist working on emergency food provision include continuing professional development to enhance the technical expertise necessary to design appropriate feeds or rations. These public health nutritionists, more than others, require a grounding in social science theories that underpin management, ethics of professionalism and the politics of food aid.
Food choice and intake: the human factor
Authors: Mela David J.
Published: February 2011

Human perceptions and selection of food are derived from the prevailing and momentary food, agro-economic and cultural environment, cognitive and biological characteristics of individuals, and the real and perceived intrinsic and extrinsic attributes of foods themselves. The range of items typically chosen and consumed within a given population is largely determined by interaction of the external environmental context with guiding sets of implicit and explicit social and psychobiological ‘rules’. Within the rather broad limits of biology, individual food choices and intake behaviours relate to and reflect aspects of food availability, existing habitual behaviours, learning mechanisms, and individual beliefs and expectations. Many of the relevant features of these variables are uniquely human, together determining what is ‘food’, when, how, by and with whom it is chosen and eaten, and in what quantities. They also provide the opportunities for individuals to establish and maintain a relatively stable set of culturally and biologically determined affective responses (‘likes’) and intake behaviours. Understanding of the potential contribution of these influences under different conditions can serve to explain many of the observed characteristics of human eating, and highlight potential avenues for intervention.
The impact of dietary protein restriction on insulin secretion and action
Authors: Holness Mark J.
Published: February 2011

The goal of this review is to develop the hypothesis, and review the evidence, that protein restriction, through synergistic effects on multiple organ systems predisposes to loss of normal regulation of fuel homeostasis that plays the central role in the development of type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. The ability of insulin to regulate glucose production and disposal varies between individuals. These differences, together with the various compensatory mechanisms that are invoked to attempt to normalize fuel homeostasis, are of fundamental importance in the development and clinical course of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Protein deprivation impacts on both insulin secretion and insulin action. These effects may persist even when a diet containing adequate protein is presented subsequently. Data are presented that suggest that protein restriction results in an impaired ability of pancreatic β-cells to compensate adequately for the defect in insulin action in insulin-resistant individuals. This persistent impairment of insulin secretion resulting from protein restriction predisposes to loss of glucoregulatory control and impaired insulin action after the subsequent imposition of a diabetogenic challenge. This inability to maintain the degree of compensatory hyperinsulinaemia necessary to prevent loss of glucose tolerance may have relevance to the increased incidence of diabetes on changing from a nutritionally-poor diet to a Western diet, and to the hypothesis that some cases of type 2 diabetes in adulthood may be related to poor early nutrition.
Outcomes of undernutrition in patients in the community with cancer or cardiovascular disease
Authors: Edington Jackie , Winter Paul D. , Coles Steve J. , Gale Catharine R. , Martyn Christopher N.
Published: February 2011

Public health concern has tended to focus on the dangers of obesity, but there is evidence that undernutrition may also pose a risk to physical and mental well-being, particularly in those who are already ill. Using the General Practice Research Database (see office for Population Censuses and Surveys, 1995), we followed up 10 128 men and women aged 18 years and over who had been diagnosed with cancer or cardiovascular disease to examine whether nutritional status, as indicated by BMI, affected rates of use of health care resources and mortality. In both diagnostic groups, patients with a BMI below 20 kg/m2had higher rates of consultation with GP, higher rates of prescription and higher death rates during the follow-up period compared with those with a BMI of 20 – < 25 kg/m2. In men and women with cardiovascular disease, poor nutritional status was associated with a sharply increased risk of hospital admission. Patients whose BMI was 30 – <40 kg/m2also tended to have increased rates of GP consultation and prescription, and if they were under the age of 65 years, they had an increased risk of death. The results of the present study suggest that in men and women with cancer or cardiovascular disease, even minor degrees of undernutrition are associated with a marked increase in morbidity and mortality.
Glutathione status in critically-ill patients: possibility of modulation by antioxidants
Authors: Wernerman Jan , Luo Jia-Li , Hammarqvist Folke
Published: February 2011

Muscle tissue serves as a protein reservoir which is mobilized to meet the specific metabolic needs associated with various catabolic conditions in human subjects, such as trauma and critical illness. Glutathione is one of the most abundant short-chain peptides and a major source of non-protein thiol in the body, and tissue glutathione concentration is related to its oxidative capacity. Skeletal muscle is relatively unique with respect to a variety of metabolic properties, such as oxidative potential, patterns of amino acid utilization, and antioxidant enzyme activity. The glutathione concentration is not influenced by food intake, or by food deprivation. Moreover, there is no diurnal variation on muscle glutathione levels. Following elective surgery the muscle concentration of GSH (the reduced form) decreases by 40 % 24 h post-operatively, while the concentration of GSSG (the oxidized form) remains unaltered. During critical illness a similar decrease in the GSH concentration is seen, but in addition a change in the redox status indicative of an elevated GSSG level occurs. Furthermore, correlations between the concentrations of glutamine as well as glutamate and GSH exist in these patients. From available evidence accumulated it is clear that glutathione plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of the intracellular redox status, the antioxidant vitamin levels, and the antioxidant enzyme functions under various metabolic conditions. The effectiveness of glutathione protection in the individual tissue depends on the tissue concentration of glutathione as well as the capacity of the tissue to import GSH and to export GSSG. The mechanisms by which catabolism regulates tissue glutathione levels and the enzyme activities associated with the γ-glutamyl cycle are not completely understood and further studies need to be conducted.
Toward the European administrative space: the role of e-government policy
Authors: Amoretti Francesco , Musella Fortunato
Published: February 2011

The ‘challenge of convergence’ has become a core element of the European policy-making agenda. Many programs have been initiated by European institutions with a view to ensure uniformity in administrative actions and structures. In this article, we will investigate the formation of a ‘European administrative space’ as a result of a process of convergence toward a common European model, looking, in particular, at the role of communication and information technologies. As numerous policy documents produced by the European Commission indicate, new technologies have the potential to create administrative systems that are integrated across the European context in terms of their semantic, organizational, and technical content. We will pay close attention to the role of technological standardization in promoting economic development and competitiveness, as well as considering security policy as an example of ‘homogenization through technology’.
The model with many moments for relativistic electron beams: A simplified solution
Authors: Carrisi Maria Cristina , Pennisi Sebastiano
Published: February 2011

In the 1980s, Amendt and Weitzner proposed an interesting model capable to describe relativistic electron beams. It concerned 14 independent variables and the closure was obtained by using the entropy and the Einstein relativity principles. As we know from literature, an extension to many moments allows to achieve an improvement in the results. Three years ago, we exhibited a macroscopic model with an arbitrary but fixed number of moments for relativistic extended thermodynamics. Such model was more general than those previously appeared in literature, so it was applicable even to materials different from an electron beam. Subsequently, we found the closure of such model consistent with the entropy and the Einstein relativity principles, up to whatever order with respect to equilibrium. The solution was determined in terms of a family of arbitrary single variable functions arising from integration. Those results have a very complex shape and are very difficult to handle so a simplification is necessary. In this paper we will reach this goal. Furthermore, we will prove that by fixing a certain order np with respect to equilibrium and a scalar valued single variable function, appearing at that order, then all the terms appearing at orders n ⩽ np are determined without introducing any other function. This result has already been found for the nonrelativistic case but its extension to the relativistic framework is not straightforward and it requires a supplementary mathematical tool: the above mentioned simplification in the shape of the solutions.
Scaling limit of quantum electrodynamics with spatial cutoffs
Authors: Takaesu Toshimitsu
Published: February 2011

In this paper, the Hamiltonian of quantum electrodynamics with spatial cutoffs is investigated. A scaled total Hamiltonian is introduced and its asymptotic behavior is investigated. In the main theorem, it is shown that the scaled total Hamiltonian converges to a self-adjoint operator in the strong resolvent sense, and the effective potential of the Dirac field is derived.
Modulation doping of graphene: An approach toward manufacturable devices
Authors: Gu Gong , Xie Zhijian
Published: February 2011

Stable, controlled, and patternable doping is the cornerstone of the microelectronics industry, and will be necessary for the next generation semiconductors. The lack of a suitable doping scheme is among the challenges that graphene faces as a candidate future electronic material. Here, we explore the use of modulation doping, where charge carriers are transferred from a doped wider band gap material to an undoped narrower band gap one, to achieve stable, controlled, and patternable doping of graphene in a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatible structure. Numerical calculation shows that such devices exhibit CMOS-like characteristics.
Study of automatic recovery on the metal nanocrystal-based Al2O3/SiO2 gate stack
Authors: Chen Y. N. , Pey K. L. , Goh K. E. J. , Lwin Z. Z. , Singh P. , Mahapatra S.
Published: February 2011

Automatic recovery of leakage current to its prestress condition was observed after soft breakdown on Ru metal nanocrystal-based Al2O3/SiO2 gate stack. We propose that the high current density induced upon breakdown causes considerable Joule heating in the breakdown percolation path. This increases the probability of detrapping and thermal diffusion of the oxygen ions which passivates the oxygen vacancies in the percolation path. This recovery mechanism is supported by studies on leakage current and dielectric relaxation current at elevated temperatures. We discuss the significance of our findings in the lights of enhancing the reliability margin of metal nanocrystal-based nonvolatile memory.
Electronic fiber in graphene
Authors: Wu Zhenhua
Published: February 2011

We investigate theoretically the transmission properties through a p-n-p junction on graphene. Here, we show that the electronic transport property presents deep analogies with light propagation. It originates from the similarity between the linear spectra of the Dirac fermions and photons that obey the Maxwell’s equations. We demonstrate that the p-n-p channel acts as an electronic fiber in which electrons propagate along the channel without dissipation.
Reporting Surgical Site Infections Following Primary and Revision Hip Arthroplasty— One Size Does Not Fit All
Authors: Worth LJ , Bull AL , Richards MJ
Published: February 2011

The risk of surgical site infection (SSI) is greater after revision hip arthroplasty than after primary procedures. While this is accepted as a clinical phenomenon, standardized surveillance strategies for healthcare-associated infections, including SSIs, do not currently take this into consideration. Most notably, the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) risk index for stratification does not differentiate between primary and revision surgeries. Using data from a single US center, Leekha et al. recently demonstrated that the risk for SSI was almost twice as high after revision total hip arthroplasty when compared to primary total hip arthroplasty and that risk was even greater when deep incisional or organ/space infections were analyzed. The objective of this study was to compare SSI rates following primary and revision hip arthroplasty in a much larger Australian population to determine whether differences are accounted for by current risk indexing.
Detection of the kinetic geodesic acoustic mode (KGAM) near the centre region of JIPPT-IIU tokamak plasmas
Authors: Hamada Y. , Watari T. , Nishizawa A. , Yamagishi O. , Narihara K. , Ida K. , Kawasumi Y. , Ido T. , Kojima M. , Toi K.
Published: February 2011

The broad and intense spectrum of the geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) oscillations near the magnetic axis of tokamak plasmas with T
e/T
i ≫ 1 becomes narrow and weak during neutral beam heating. It then becomes wide and weak during third harmonics ICRF heating. The wide spectra of GAMs are generally consistent with recent kinetic GAM (KGAM) theories.
Time resolving imaging spectroscopy applied to the analysis of plasmas generated by pulsed lasers
Authors: Alvira F C , Ponce L , Arronte M , Bilmes G M
Published: February 2011

Start your abstract here... Time resolved imaging spectroscopy were used to study the spatial and temporal evolution of LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) plasmas generated in Cu substrates by laser pulses of different duration. Long laser pulses (microsecond) and short laser pulses (nanosecond) as well as multipulse emission were used for excitation. Analysis was made by using an imaging spectrometer with time resolved detection. Results show that the use of long laser excitation pulses produce emission spectra with the same signal to noise ratio, but with lower resolution than those produced with shorter ones. The different species generated in LIBS experiments as neutral or single ionized have a different spatial distribution inside the plasma. We demonstrated that using spatial discrimination procedures is possible to obtain spectra with the same signal to noise ratio than those obtained with a gating detector. In this case an appreciable advantage in cost reduction is obtained by replacing the gating detector by a cheap screen.
Description of Christensenella minuta gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from human faeces, which forms a distinct branch in the order Clostridiales, and proposal of Christensenellaceae fam. nov.
Authors: Morotomi Masami , Nagai Fumiko , Watanabe Yohei
Published: February 2011

A novel, strictly anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming, Gram-negative, short, straight rod with tapered ends, designated YIT 12065T, was isolated from human faeces. Strain YIT 12065T was saccharolytic and negative for catalase, oxidase and urease, hydrolysis of aesculin and gelatin, nitrate reduction and indole production. The end products of glucose fermentation were acetic acid and a small amount of butyric acid. The DNA G+C content was 51.3 mol%. The predominant fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 0 and C14 : 0. Respiratory quinones were not detected. The cell wall contained glutamic acid, serine, alanine and ll-diaminopimelic acid. The whole-cell sugars were ribose, rhamnose, galactose and glucose. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences using three treeing algorithms revealed that the strain formed a novel family-level lineage within the phylum Firmicutes, class Clostridia, order Clostridiales. Caldicoprobacter oshimai JW/HY-331T was shown to be the closest named relative on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (86.9 %), followed by Tindallia californiensis DSM 14871T (86.3 %) and Clostridium ganghwense JCM 13193T (86.1 %). Similar 16S rRNA gene sequences (98.6–96.7 %) were found amongst faecal uncultured clones of human and dugong (Dugong dugon). They clustered with strain YIT 12065T in a distinct and deep evolutionary lineage of descent in the order Clostridiales. The distinct phylogenetic position supports the proposal of Christensenella gen. nov., with the type species Christensenella minuta sp. nov. (type strain YIT 12065T  = DSM 22607T  = JCM 16072T). A new family Christensenellaceae fam. nov. is also proposed.
Ruminococcus champanellensis sp. nov., a cellulose-degrading bacterium from human gut microbiota
Authors: Chassard, Christophe , Delmas, Eve , Robert, Céline , Lawson Paul A. , Bernalier-Donadille Annick
Published: February 2011

A strictly anaerobic, cellulolytic strain, designated 18P13T, was isolated from a human faecal sample. Cells were Gram-positive non-motile cocci. Strain 18P13T was able to degrade microcrystalline cellulose but the utilization of soluble sugars was restricted to cellobiose. Acetate and succinate were the major end products of cellulose and cellobiose fermentation. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the isolate belonged to the genus Ruminococcus of the family Ruminococcaceae. The closest phylogenetic relative was the ruminal cellulolytic strain Ruminococcus flavefaciens ATCC 19208T (<95 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). The DNA G+C content of strain 18P13T was 53.05±0.7 mol%. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis, and morphological and physiological data, strain 18P13T can be differentiated from other members of the genus Ruminococcus with validly published names. The name Ruminococcus champanellensis sp. nov. is proposed, with 18P13T ( = DSM 18848T = JCM 17042T) as the type strain.
Phylogeny of nodulation and nitrogen-fixation genes in Bradyrhizobium: supporting evidence for the theory of monophyletic origin, and spread and maintenance by both horizontal and vertical transfer
Authors: Menna Pâmela , Hungria Mariangela
Published: February 2011

Bacteria belonging to the genus Bradyrhizobium are capable of establishing symbiotic relationships with a broad range of plants belonging to the three subfamilies of the family Leguminosae ( = Fabaceae), with the formation of specialized structures on the roots called nodules, where fixation of atmospheric nitrogen takes place. Symbiosis is under the control of finely tuned expression of common and host-specific nodulation genes and also of genes related to the assembly and activity of the nitrogenase, which, in Bradyrhizobium strains investigated so far, are clustered in a symbiotic island. Information about the diversity of these genes is essential to improve our current poor understanding of their origin, spread and maintenance and, in this study, we provide information on 40 Bradyrhizobium strains, mostly of tropical origin. For the nodulation trait, common (nodA), Bradyrhizobium-specific (nodY/K) and host-specific (nodZ) nodulation genes were studied, whereas for fixation ability, the diversity of nifH was investigated. In general, clustering of strains in all nod and nifH trees was similar and the Bradyrhizobium group could be clearly separated from other rhizobial genera. However, the congruence of nod and nif genes with ribosomal and housekeeping genes was low. nodA and nodY/K were not detected in three strains by amplification or hybridization with probes using Bradyrhizobium japonicum and Bradyrhizobium elkanii type strains, indicating the high diversity of these genes or that strains other than photosynthetic Bradyrhizobium must have alternative mechanisms to initiate the process of nodulation. For a large group of strains, the high diversity of nod genes (with an emphasis on nodZ), the low relationship between nod genes and the host legume, and some evidence of horizontal gene transfer might indicate strategies to increase host range. On the other hand, in a group of five symbionts of Acacia mearnsii, the high congruence between nod and ribosomal/housekeeping genes, in addition to shorter nodY/K sequences and the absence of nodZ, highlights a co-evolution process. Additionally, in a group of B. japonicum strains that were symbionts of soybean, vertical transfer seemed to represent the main genetic event. In conclusion, clustering of nodA and nifH gives additional support to the theory of monophyletic origin of the symbiotic genes in Bradyrhizobium and, in addition to the analysis of nodY/K and nodZ, indicates spread and maintenance of nod and nif genes through both vertical and horizontal transmission, apparently with the dominance of one or other of these events in some groups of strains.
Zygosaccharomyces gambellarensis sp. nov., an ascosporogenous yeast isolated from an Italian ‘passito’ style wine
Authors: Torriani Sandra , Lorenzini Marilinda , Salvetti Elisa , Felis Giovanna E.
Published: February 2011

Yeast strains were isolated from Vin Santo of Gambellara, a sweet white wine with the specificity of Controlled Designation of Origin produced from off-vine overripened grapes in the Veneto region (Italy). Comparative sequence analysis of the 26S rRNA gene revealed that three representative strains (ZO03-5T, CA06-8 and ME06-9) constitute a taxon related to, but distinct from,Zygosaccharomyces machadoi. Similarity between the 26S rRNA gene domain D1/D2 sequence of the three isolates andZ. machadoiwas 97.9 %; moreover, the morphological characteristics and the physiological behaviour also supported recognition of a novel taxon of osmophilic non-psychrophilic yeast showing a flower-like arrangement of budding cells that remain attached to each other. The nameZygosaccharomyces gambellarensisis proposed for the novel species, with ZO03-5T( = CBS 12191T = MUCL 53393T) as the type strain.
A Per-ARNT-Sim-Like Sensor Domain Uniquely Regulates the Activity of the Homeodomain Leucine Zipper Transcription Factor REVOLUTA inArabidopsis
Authors: Magnani Enrico , Barton M. Kathryn
Published: February 2011

Class III homeodomain leucine zipper (HD-ZIP III) transcription factors regulate critical developmental programs in plants; these include leaf polarity, polarity along the shoot-root axis, and stem cell specification and proliferation. One of the defining features of HD-ZIP III proteins is the presence of a Per-ARNT-Sim-like (PAS-like) MEKHLA domain at the C terminus. PAS-like domains are known to respond to a variety of chemical and physical stimuli. Here, we provide evidence that the MEKHLA domain acts as a negative regulator of Arabidopsis thaliana HD-ZIP III REVOLUTA activity. Based on experiments in yeast and plants, we propose a model in which the MEKHLA domain inhibits dimerization through a sequence-independent steric masking mechanism. This inhibition is relieved in response to a cellular signal that requires the C terminus of the MEKHLA domain for its perception. Overexpression experiments suggest that this signal is unequally distributed and/or sensed in the plant. Our data show that the function of the REVOLUTA MEKHLA domain differs among other HD-ZIP III family members; this difference may explain the genetic differences that have been observed among family members. This finding, combined with our phylogenetic analysis, suggests that REVOLUTA is the latest type of HD-ZIP III protein to have evolved in land plants.
Enabled backchannel: conference Twitter use by digital humanists
Authors: Ross C. , Terras M. , Warwick C. , Welsh A.
Published: February 2011

Purpose

To date, few studies have been undertaken to make explicit how microblogging technologies are used by and can benefit scholars. This paper aims to investigate the use of Twitter by an academic community in various conference settings, and to pose the following questions: Does the use of a Twitter‐enabled backchannel enhance the conference experience, collaboration and the co‐construction of knowledge? and How is microblogging used within academic conferences, and can one articulate the benefits it may bring to a discipline?

Design/methodology/approach

This paper considers the use of Twitter as a digital backchannel by the Digital Humanities (DH) community, taking as its focus postings to Twitter during three different international 2009 conferences. The resulting archive of 4,574 “Tweets” was analysed using various quantitative and qualitative methods, including a qualitative categorisation of Twitter posts by open coded analysis, a quantitative examination of user conventions, and text analysis tools. Prominent Tweeters were identified and a small qualitative survey was undertaken to ascertain individuals' attitudes towards a Twitter‐enabled backchannel.

Findings

Conference hashtagged Twitter activity does not constitute a single distributed conversation, but rather multiple monologues with a few intermittent, discontinuous, loosely joined dialogues between users. The digital backchannel constitutes a multidirectional complex space in which the users make notes, share resources, hold discussions and ask questions as well as establishing a clear individual online presence. The use of Twitter as a conference platform enables the community to expand communication and participation in events amongst its members. The analysis revealed the close‐knit nature of the DH researcher community, which may be somewhat intimidating for those new to the field or conference.

Practical implications

This study has indicated that, given that Twitter is becoming increasingly important for academic communities, new, dedicated methodologies for the analysis and understanding of Tweet‐based corpora are necessary. Routinely used textual analysis tools cannot be applied to corpora of Tweets in a straightforward manner, due to the creative and fragmentary nature of language used within microblogging. In this paper, a method has been suggested to categorise Tweets using open coded analysis to facilitate understanding of Tweet‐based corpora, which could be adopted elsewhere.

Originality/value

This paper is the first known exhaustive study that concentrates on how microblogging technologies such as Twitter are used by and can benefit scholars. This data set both provides a valuable insight into the prevalence of a variety of Twitter practices within the constraints of a conference setting, and highlights the need for methodologies to be developed to analyse social media streams such as Twitter feeds. It also provides a bibliography of other research into microblogging.
Information overload and information poverty: challenges for healthcare services managers?
Authors: MacDonald Jackie , Bath Peter , Booth Andrew
Published: February 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into managers' decision‐making practices when challenged by inappropriate information quality, and to test frameworks developed from research to see whether they apply to these managers.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory, multiple case study used the critical incident technique in 19 semi‐structured interviews. Responses were analyzed using framework analysis, a matrix‐based content analysis technique, and then considered with respect to the research literature on information overload, information poverty and satisficing.

Findings

The managers in this study tended to satisfice (terminate the search process and make a good enough decision, while recognizing that information gaps remain). Those challenged by too little information appear to fit descriptions of information poverty, while others described aspects of information overload.

Research limitations/implications

A shortage of information behavior research on managers makes it difficult to conclude whether these results are typical of managers in general or of healthcare services managers specifically. Further research is needed to confirm initial findings and address questions suggested by this paper.

Practical implications

This paper suggests that existing definitions for the concepts of information poverty and information overload can be used to describe managers' experiences.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to what is known about information behavior in managers in general and healthcare services managers specifically. It may serve as an example of how to consider new research findings within existing frameworks.
Factors affecting relevance judgment: a report from TREC Legal track
Authors: Chu Heting
Published: February 2011

Purpose

This study intends to identify factors that affect relevance judgment of retrieved information as part of the 2007 TREC Legal track interactive task.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered and analyzed from the participants of the 2007 TREC Legal track interactive task using a questionnaire which includes not only a list of 80 relevance factors identified in prior research, but also a space for expressing their thoughts on relevance judgment in the process.

Findings

This study finds that topicality remains a primary criterion, out of various options, for determining relevance, while specificity of the search request, task, or retrieved results also helps greatly in relevance judgment.

Research limitations/implications

Relevance research should focus on the topicality and specificity of what is being evaluated as well as conducted in real environments.

Practical implications

If multiple relevance factors are presented to assessors, the total number in a list should be below ten to take account of the limited processing capacity of human beings' short‐term memory. Otherwise, the assessors might either completely ignore or inadequately consider some of the relevance factors when making judgment decisions.

Originality/value

This study presents a method for reducing the artificiality of relevance research design, an apparent limitation in many related studies. Specifically, relevance judgment was made in this research as part of the 2007 TREC Legal track interactive task rather than a study devised for the sake of it. The assessors also served as searchers so that their searching experience would facilitate their subsequent relevance judgments.
Ontological supports of knowledge: knowledge creation and analytical knowledge
Authors: Akehurst Gary , Rueda‐Armengot Carlos , Vivas López Salvador , Palacios Marqués Daniel
Published: February 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine, from the perspective of different theoretical approaches, the relationship that exists between different ontological supports of knowledge and knowledge itself (the way it is created and its characteristics).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper proposes two different types of knowledge (knowledge of concrete situations and abstract knowledge) and two approaches (the constructivist view and the cognitive view) and provides a general classification of the different knowledge types. Second, it examines the underlying ontological support‐knowledge creation, characteristics or types of knowledge relationship in different approaches. Finally, conclusions are drawn that show how the conception of ontological support conditions the way in which knowledge is conceived.

Findings

The results of the paper consist of making explicit the ontological support‐knowledge creation, characteristics or types of knowledge relationship in different approaches; and enabling understanding of the fact that the ideas one has about knowledge (how it is created or what its characteristics are) come from one's beliefs about the supports in, or in interaction with, which it is created.

Research limitations/implications

The implications for the different approaches to knowledge theory are important. The study proposes a change with regard to how one considers the ontological supports of knowledge. The limitation of the paper lies in the fact that this proposal needs to be presented in a more extensive format, through a series of different papers and analyses.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper stems from the fact that it focuses on the ontological supports of knowledge and highlights the idea that the conception of these supports leads to a particular way of conceiving knowledge.
Keynesian, post‐Keynesian versus Schumpeterian, neo‐Schumpeterian
Authors: Dabic Marina , Cvijanović Vladimir , González‐Loureiro Miguel
Published: February 2011

Purpose

In order to explain change and growth at the aggregate levels, three levels: macro, meso and micro must be taken into account. Applying the theories from Keynesian and post‐Keynesian economics (PKE) best explains the macro level and applying those from Schumpeterian and neo‐Schumpeterian economics (NSE) best explains the micro level. Besides this, the meso level can be further explained by merging both post‐Keynesian and neo‐Schumpeterian theories. Such a unifying approach has been missing from the literature so far. Bringing these schools of thought together is important for mutual learning and further development of innovation theory. This paper aims to effect this.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a survey of the relevant secondary literature of the aforementioned schools of thought, identifying their methodological practice and key contributions to innovation theory.

Findings

A combination of these schools of thought offers a richer approach to studying innovation. It is found to exist in particular in the evolutionary, institutional and long‐run perspectives, in combination with emphasis on the role of finance in production.

Research limitations/implications

One is invited to develop one's own theoretical and empirical approach that combines the advantages of all the schools of thought presented.

Originality/value

The paper is exploratory, as it reconsiders how a comprehensive approach to studying innovations can be built. It examines the existing literature. It will be of value to researchers in innovation.
Stakeholder theory: issues to resolve
Authors: Wagner Mainardes Emerson , Alves Helena , Raposo Mario
Published: February 2011

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to collate and debate the main issues driving the stakeholder theory academic debate.

Design/methodology/approach

First, a discussion of the stakeholder concept is set out before moving on to the history and nature of stakeholder theory. The work proceeds with an attempt to bring together systematically the points of divergence among researchers interested in stakeholder theory, and, finally, there is a brief discussion of these theoretical loopholes in conjunction with a proposed research agenda for the field.

Findings

Based on the unification of the theoretically problematic issues, research agenda are put forward with the objective of clarifying doubts and resolving the controversies ongoing among academics. As regards the formulation of stakeholder theory, one question requiring resolution is that of the stakeholder concept itself. Additionally, further research should focus on the boundaries as to what constitutes a stakeholder group as well as defining the criteria for attributing individual membership of one or another group. In practical theoretical application, it is correspondingly necessary to target research on aspects such as conflicts of interest between stakeholders and management difficulties in coping with multiple objectives. Finally, there is a need for research that systematizes the knowledge produced with the objective of attaining the theoretical convergence necessary for the development of stakeholder theory.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this paper derives from the systematization of the various shortcomings that need overcoming within the framework of stakeholder theory and the identification of research agendas.
Entrepreneurship, process innovation and value creation by a non‐profit SME
Authors: Huarng Kun‐Huang , Hui‐Kuang Yu Tiffany
Published: February 2011

Purpose

By using three key factors – namely, funding, stakeholders, and legitimacy – this study seeks to analyse the successful entrepreneurial experiences of a non‐profit small to medium‐sized enterprise: the Taiwan EBook Supply Cooperative Limited (TEBSCo).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes the form of a case study.

Findings

From a legitimacy perspective, TEBSCo is the only registered organisation facilitating e‐book consortia in Taiwan. From a stakeholder perspective, TEBSCo is managed by a board of directors, who are elected from the member representatives. In addition to creating value for its members, TEBSCo also creates value for non‐members and vendors. Its major funding is from annual membership fees. TEBSCo's innovation process, as a collective entrepreneurial activity in a non‐profit SME, creates intangible as well as tangible value. The successful experiences of TEBSCo can be used as examples for new entrants.

Originality/value

TEBSCo is the only registered organisation facilitating e‐book consortia in Taiwan. The successful experiences of TEBSCo can be used as examples for new entrants, and shows a new form of entrepreneurial activity.
Does OD practice within the HR profession in the UK reflect the academic rhetoric?
Authors: Clare Gillon Anne
Published: February 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine whether organizational development (OD), as described in academic writing on the topic, is reflected in practice in the Human Resources (HR) profession in the UK. This research aims to compare the results of an exploratory investigation to establish the main elements of OD practice in this professional group with academic definitions.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach applied in this paper comprises a review of the academic literature on OD combined with an exploratory study by way of content analysis of job advertisements for OD professionals within the UK HR profession. Comparison between what the literature suggests companies should seek in the way of OD practice within the HR profession and the operationalisation of what they are actually requiring (deduced through the content of job advertisements) forms the basis of the methodology.

Findings

While there are features of the academic definitions which do appear prominently in practice (in particular “change management”), there are also significant differences. In particular OD roles in practice in the HR profession appear to be much less likely to be of a consultancy orientation. Also striking is the apparent lack of emphasis on culture and behavioural issues. Within the UK HR profession, the lack of clarity in contemporary definition of OD may underpin the disparate use of terminology.

Research limitations/implications

The data collected in the preliminary research are from a small‐scale investigatory study; therefore this limits the opportunity to draw robust generalised conclusions.

Originality/value

Despite the increasing use of “OD” in the UK HR profession, there is no widely recognised description of what it encompasses within that community, while much of the “theorising” on OD to date has been descriptive/prescriptive. In this paper, a contrast between the academic rhetoric on OD and the reality of the practice within the HR profession has been presented, through comparing the literature with the findings from the preliminary research.
Leadership in action: student leadership development in an event management course
Authors: Marcketti Sara B. , Arendt Susan W. , Shelley Mack C.
Published: February 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the leadership practice scores and leadership behaviors of students before and after participation in an event management course.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methods approach was utilized. The Student‐Leadership Practice Inventory (S‐LPI) was administered to a sample of 184 students in three semesters of an event management course. Students completed the S‐LPI at the beginning and at the end of the course. The students also wrote reflections of their leadership behaviors and understandings.

Findings

Results of the study showed that students' mean leadership scores increased significantly for all practice areas between pre and post. Also, all correlations between pre and post scores were statistically significant, indicating that responses at pre and post followed similar patterns, with students who scored higher on the pre‐test also tending to score higher on the post‐test. Reflections from students demonstrated significant understanding of effective leadership behaviors and learning.

Research limitations/implications

The sample was college students enrolled in an event management course at one university; therefore results may not be generalized to all students.

Practical implications

Results of this study suggest that involvement in an event management course in which students were engaged and responsible for the outcomes of their learning may have positively impacted these students' leadership behaviors.

Originality/value

This paper furthers the knowledge base and understanding of students' leadership growth through involvement in a university course as measured by the S‐LPI.