bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing a pulse trigger generator for a three-electrode spark-gap switch in a transversely excited atmospheric CO2 laser
Authors: Wang Jingyuan , Guo Lihong , Zhang Xingliang
Published: April 2016

To improve the probability and stability of breakdown discharge in a three-electrode spark-gap switch for a high-power transversely excited atmospheric CO2 laser and to improve the efficiency of its trigger system, we developed a high-voltage pulse trigger generator based on a two-transistor forward converter topology and a multiple-narrow-pulse trigger method. Our design uses a narrow high-voltage pulse (10 μs) to break down the hyperbaric gas between electrodes of the spark-gap switch; a dry high-voltage transformer is used as a booster; and a sampling and feedback control circuit (mainly consisting of a SG3525 and a CD4098) is designed to monitor the spark-gap switch and control the frequency and the number of output pulses. Our experimental results show that this pulse trigger generator could output high-voltage pulses (number is adjusted) with an amplitude of >38 kV and a width of 10 μs. Compared to a conventional trigger system, our design had a breakdown probability increased by 2.7%, an input power reduced by 1.5 kW, an efficiency increased by 0.12, and a loss reduced by 1.512 kW.
Structural dynamics of a methionine γ-lyase for calicheamicin biosynthesis: Rotation of the conserved tyrosine stacking with pyridoxal phosphate
Authors: Cao Hongnan , Tan Kemin , Wang Fengbin , Bigelow Lance , Yennamalli Ragothaman M. , Jedrzejczak Robert , Babnigg Gyorgy , Bingman Craig A. , Joachimiak Andrzej , Kharel Madan K. , Singh Shanteri , Thorson Jon S. , Phillips George N.
Published: April 2016

CalE6 from Micromonospora echinospora is a (pyridoxal 5′ phosphate) PLP-dependent methionine γ-lyase involved in the biosynthesis of calicheamicins. We report the crystal structure of a CalE6 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid complex showing ligand-induced rotation of Tyr100, which stacks with PLP, resembling the corresponding tyrosine rotation of true catalytic intermediates of CalE6 homologs. Elastic network modeling and crystallographic ensemble refinement reveal mobility of the N-terminal loop, which involves both tetrameric assembly and PLP binding. Modeling and comparative structural analysis of PLP-dependent enzymes involved in Cys/Met metabolism shine light on the functional implications of the intrinsic dynamic properties of CalE6 in catalysis and holoenzyme maturation.
Link between hopping models and percolation scaling laws for charge transport in mixtures of small molecules
Authors: Ha Dong-Gwang , Kim Jang-Joo , Baldo Marc A.
Published: April 2016

Mixed host compositions that combine charge transport materials with luminescent dyes offer superior control over exciton formation and charge transport in organic light emitting devices (OLEDs). Two approaches are typically used to optimize the fraction of charge transport materials in a mixed host composition: either an empirical percolative model, or a hopping transport model. We show that these two commonly-employed models are linked by an analytic expression which relates the localization length to the percolation threshold and critical exponent. The relation is confirmed both numerically and experimentally through measurements of the relative conductivity of Tris(4-carbazoyl-9-ylphenyl)amine (TCTA) :1,3-bis(3,5-dipyrid-3-yl-phenyl)benzene (BmPyPb) mixtures with different concentrations, where the TCTA plays a role as hole conductor and the BmPyPb as hole insulator. The analytic relation may allow the rational design of mixed layers of small molecules for high-performance OLEDs.
Convergence in word structure
Authors: Karatsareas Petros
Published: April 2016

Cappadocian Greek is reported to display agglutinative inflection in its nominal system, namely, mono-exponential formatives for the marking of case and number, and nom.sg-looking forms as the morphemic units to which inflection applies. Previous scholarship has interpreted these developments as indicating a shift in morphological type from fusion to agglutination, brought about by contact with Turkish. This study takes issue with these conclusions. By casting a wider net over the inflectional system of the language, it shows that, of the two types of agglutinative formations identified, only one evidences a radical departure from the inherited structural properties of Cappadocian noun inflection. The other, on the contrary, represents a typologically more conservative innovation. The study presents evidence that a combination of system-internal and -external motivations triggered the development of both types, it describes the mechanisms through which the innovation was implemented, and discusses the factors that favoured change.
Whither Realis marking
Authors: Pearce Elizabeth
Published: April 2016

The verb paradigms of declarative clauses in Unua (an Oceanic language of Malakula, Vanuatu) have a distinct Irrealis prefixb-contrasting with zero marking for the Realis. In relative clauses, however, the Irrealisb-contrasts with a prefixm-encoding realis interpretations. On the basis of comparative evidence, the synchronicm-prefix is a remnant of an earlier Realis *mw- that has become specialized for use in relative clauses. The diachronic loss of overt morphology in unmarked categories is not unusual. What is unusual in the Unua case is the retention and specialization of the morphology for the unmarked category in a sub-class of constructions, relative clauses. This paper sketches out the likely significant factors in the historical changes giving rise to the synchronic state. These include conditioned phonological weakening and effects of the salience of them-prefix in the cross-construction noun modification functional role.
Making Me You: The Elusive Missions of Development and Peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone
Authors: Pul Hippolyt A.S.
Published: April 2016

Pressure on development actors to demonstrate results has forced the adoption of logical models that objectify contexts and people through cultural, time, and other value-laden frames that distance the service providers from those they purport to serve. This permits the compartmentalisation of the past, the present, and the future of target populations into dismembered experiences in which the emotions, knowledge, and desires of people bear no relationship to each other. Based on encounters in workshops, focus group discussions, and personal interviews, as part of post-conflict peace and development interventions in Liberia, this study asserts that the best efforts of donors and practitioners in peace and development can do no more than skirt around the challenges ordinary people face without finding lasting solutions, since their metrics aim to make the targets be like them, not better of themselves. Donors count what target populations do not count as peace or development.
Donor Policies in Post-War Sierra Leone
Authors: Kanyako Vandy
Published: April 2016

The Sierra Leone peace process following the country's 1991–2002 civil war between the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) benefited immensely from the energetic involvement of an eclectic mix of donors. Traditional inter-governmental financial institutions and relatively new private funding foundations all channelled aid money and technical expertise through various multilateral and bilateral mechanisms for rebuilding the country. Without a doubt Sierra Leone's recovery from the debilitating 11-year war would not have come to pass in the time and manner it did without the robust intervention of such funders. Based on fieldwork conducted in Sierra Leone at the height of the peacebuilding process, this article outlines the role played by international donors in rebuilding post-war Sierra Leone. It posits that understanding the modus operandi of the assorted mix of donor agencies in creating the country's aid architecture is key to grasping the nuances of the Sierra Leone peace process. This is partly because the aid largesse, though well intentioned, was injected into a barely functioning system that lacked a coherent recipient regime. The article concludes that though donors were critical to Sierra Leone's rebuilding efforts, their lack of emphasis on a needs-centred funding mechanism created an inadequate model to address the country's complex post-war reconstruction challenges.
Fractionated irradiation-induced EMT-like phenotype conferred radioresistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Hongfang , Luo Honglei , Jiang Zhenzhen , Yue Jing , Hou Qiang , Xie Ruifei , Wu Shixiu
Published: April 2016

The efficacy of radiotherapy, one major treatment modality for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is severely attenuated by radioresistance. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular process that determines therapy response and tumor progression. However, whether EMT is induced by ionizing radiation and involved in tumor radioresistance has been less studied in ESCC. Using multiple fractionated irradiation, the radioresistant esophageal squamous cancer cell line KYSE-150R had been established from its parental cell line KYSE-150. We found KYSE-150R displayed a significant EMT phenotype with an elongated spindle shape and down-regulated epithelial marker E-cadherin and up-regulated mesenchymal marker N-cadherin in comparison with KYSE-150. Furthermore, KYSE-150R also possessed some stemness-like properties characterized by density-dependent growth promotion and strong capability for sphere formation and tumorigenesis in NOD-SCID mice. Mechanical studies have revealed that WISP1, a secreted matricellular protein, is highly expressed in KYSE-150R and mediates EMT-associated radioresistance both in ESCC cells and in xenograft tumor models. Moreover, WISP1 has been demonstrated to be closely associated with the EMT phenotype observed in ESCC patients and to be an independent prognosis factor of ESCC patients treated with radiotherapy. Our study highlighted WISP1 as an attractive target to reverse EMT-associated radioresistance in ESCC and can be used as an independent prognostic factor of patients treated with radiotherapy.
Transsacral-Transiliac Screw Stabilization: Effective for Recalcitrant Pain Due to Sacral Insufficiency Fracture
Authors: Sanders Drew , Fox Joshua , Starr Adam , Sathy Ashoke , Chao John
Published: April 2016

Objectives:

To evaluate the effectiveness of transsacral-transiliac screw fixation for the treatment of sacral insufficiency fractures that fail nonoperative treatment.

Design:

A pilot study series of consecutive patients identified over 5 years were treated and followed prospectively.

Setting:

Academic-affiliated, tertiary referral, level 1 trauma center in Dallas, TX.

Patients/Participants:

Patients were selected on the basis of presenting diagnosis, and failure of nonoperative treatment of their sacral insufficiency fracture. Eleven patients entered to the study, and 10 completed follow-up.

Intervention:

Placement of transsacral-transiliac screws for sacral insufficiency fracture.

Main Outcome Measurements:

Comparison of preoperative and postoperative Visual Analog Scale scores and Oswestry Low Back Disability Index scores.

Results:

Patients experienced statistically significant improvement in both outcome measures after intervention. No complications encountered.

Conclusions:

Transsacral-transiliac screw fixation seems to be a safe and effective treatment for sacral insufficiency fractures recalcitrant to nonoperative management.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Osteochondral Autograft Transplantation: A Review of the Surgical Technique and Outcomes
Authors: Richter Dustin L. , Tanksley John A. , Miller Mark D.
Published: April 2016

Isolated chondral and osteochondral defects of the knee are challenging clinical entities, particularly in younger patients. Cartilage treatment strategies have previously been characterized as palliation (ie, chondroplasty and debridement), repair (ie, drilling and microfracture), or restoration (ie, autologous chondrocyte implantation, osteochondral autograft, and osteochondral allograft). The osteochondral autograft transplantation procedure allows defects to be filled immediately with mature, hyaline articular cartilage by utilizing either an arthroscopic or a mini-open procedure. Graft harvest and placement can be technically demanding, but results show trends toward greater longevity, durability, and improved outcomes in high-demand patients when compared with alternative techniques. Improved results are shown in younger patients with isolated lesions between 1 and 4 cm2.
Platelet-rich Plasma and Bone Marrow–derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Sports Medicine
Authors: Gobbi Alberto , Fishman Matthew
Published: April 2016

Regenerative medicine is a fast-growing field in orthopedic sports medicine. Platelet-rich plasma contains multiple factors that have been shown to augment healing, thereby stimulating its use in multiple areas of acute and chronic injuries. Mesenchymal stem cells have pluripotent potential to form into tissues pertinent to orthopedics, such as cartilage and bone. As such, there is been a surge in the research directed toward steering those stem cells into a particular lineage as part of treatment for a variety of soft-tissue, cartilage, and bone pathologies. Overall, there are promising reports of their potential success, but there is a need for continued investigation into the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma and stem cells in sports medicine.
Debridement of Articular Cartilage: The Natural Course
Authors: Grieshober Jason A. , Stanton Michael , Gambardella Ralph
Published: April 2016

Chondral defects of the knee are quite common, affecting an estimated 10% to 12% of the population. Symptomatic chondral defects are thought to be persistent and possibly progressive. Less is known about the natural history of asymptomatic chondral lesions. Traditional treatment of chondral lesions has involved arthroscopic debridement with a mechanical shaver. Radiofrequency chondroplasty has been explored as a possible alternative or adjuvant to mechanical chondroplasty. The role of chondroplasty in the setting of knee osteoarthritis is more controversial. Early studies demonstrated promising results of arthroscopic debridement in the context of knee arthritis. However, publications in the last 10 to 15 years have brought into question the role of arthroscopic debridement in the setting of knee osteoarthritis. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the role of arthroscopic debridement in the treatment of chondral defects.
Malalignment: A Requirement for Cartilage and Organ Restoration
Authors: Weber Alexander E. , Gitelis Matthew E. , McCarthy Mark A. , Yanke Adam B. , Cole Brian J.
Published: April 2016

The treatment of combined knee pathology is a challenging problem that requires careful attention to all aspects of the underlying disease. This is true of the interplay among malalignment and meniscal or articular cartilage restoration in the knee. Optimal outcomes are contingent on a comprehensive preoperative evaluation of patient-specific factors (patient expectations, patient age, and activity level), as well as disease-specific factors of the knee. Surgical intervention for meniscal or chondral deficiencies without attention to malalignment will lead to inferior outcomes. The focus of this review is to highlight the importance of malalignment correction when treating meniscal and articular cartilage pathology. This objective will be accomplished by outlining the approach to the preoperative evaluation, discussing the indications for surgical intervention, reviewing the preferred surgical techniques for correcting coronal malalignment of the knee, and providing a discussion of clinical outcomes.
Using Perceived Self-efficacy to Improve Fatigue and Fatigability In Postsurgical Lung Cancer Patients
Authors: Hoffman Amy J. , Brintnall Ruth Ann , Given Barbara A. , von Eye Alexander , Jones Lee W. , Brown Jean K.
Published: April 2016

Background:

Fatigue remains a prevalent and debilitating symptom in persons with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Exercise has been shown to be effective in reducing fatigue, yet interventions are limited for postsurgical NSCLC patients. To date, while surgery is offered as a standard curative treatment for NSCLC, no formal guidelines exist for postsurgical rehabilitation.

Objective:

This study focuses on the design and testing of a postsurgical intervention for NSCLC patients to promote perceived self-efficacy for fatigue self-management targeting cancer-related fatigue (CRF) severity and its associated fatigability through exercise.

Methods:

A 2-arm randomized controlled trial was used to examine the impact of a 6-week rehabilitative CRF self-management exercise intervention on 37 NSCLC participants compared with 35 control group participants receiving usual care from diagnosis to 6 weeks’ postsurgical hospital discharge.

Results:

We exceeded goals for recruitment (66%), retention (97%), adherence (93%), and acceptability. Our 6-week exercise intervention demonstrated preliminary efficacy in significantly reducing CRF severity and fatigability as compared with usual care, with mean CRF levels restored to levels lower than presurgery. Likewise, the exercise group’s functional performance (physical and mental health scores) exceeded usual care. Furthermore, no adverse events were reported; participants had a mean age of 67 years and a mean of 8 comorbid conditions.

Conclusions:

An exercise intervention for postsurgical NSCLC patients is feasible, safe, and highly acceptable showing positive changes in CRF self-management.

Implications for Practice:

To advance practice, testing of the effectiveness of this health-promoting self-management exercise intervention in a larger-scale randomized controlled trial is needed.
Psychometric Validation of an Instrument to Measure Family Coping During a Child’s Hospitalization for Cancer
Authors: Lyu Qi-yuan , Kong Sarah K.F. , Wong Frances K.Y. , You Li-ming , Yan Jun , Zhou Xue-zhen , Li Xian-wen
Published: April 2016

Background:

Families with children hospitalized for cancer treatment experience multiple, serious challenges. Family coping is a crucial moderator between family stress and family adaptation. A newly developed instrument, the Hospitalization Coping Scale (HCS), measures the effectiveness of family coping during a child’s hospitalization.

Objective:

The aims of this study were to revise and validate the psychometric properties of the HCS for families with children hospitalized for cancer treatment in pediatric oncology departments in Mainland China.

Methods:

Psychometric properties of the HCS were examined among 253 families with children hospitalized in pediatric oncology departments in 4 hospitals. Reliability, construct validity, known-group validity, and concurrent validity of the revised HCS were examined.

Results:

The revised 15-item HCS contains 3 renamed factors: maintaining mental stability, mutual support for child care, and seeking support from external systems. Cronbach’s α coefficients for the total and 3 factors were .87, .78, .83, and .79, respectively. The revised scale demonstrated sound known-group validity and concurrent validity.

Conclusions:

The revised 15-item HCS is a reliable and valid instrument to measure coping effectiveness of families with children hospitalized for cancer treatment.

Implications for Practice:

The HCS can be used by pediatric oncology nurses to assess the effectiveness of family coping during a hospitalization of their child with cancer and may help pediatric oncology nurses to develop and implement realistic support strategies based on assessments of family coping effectiveness.
National Institutes of Health Funding in Plastic Surgery: A Crisis?
Authors: Silvestre Jason , Abbatematteo Joseph M. , Serletti Joseph M. , Chang Benjamin
Published: April 2016

Background:

Decreasing funding rates and increasing competition for National Institutes of Health research grants have prompted diverse interventions in various fields of biomedicine. Currently, the state of National Institutes of Health funding for plastic surgery research is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to describe the portfolio of National Institutes of Health grants in academic plastic surgery.

Methods:

Plastic surgery faculty at integrated and independent programs were queried individually in the National Institutes of Health RePORTER database for grants awarded in 2014. Funding totals, mechanisms, and institutes were calculated. Abstracts were categorized by research type and field of interest. Characteristics of National Institutes of Health–funded principal investigators were elucidated.

Results:

Eight hundred sixty-one academic plastic surgeons at 94 programs were queried, and only 18 investigators (2.1 percent) were funded at 12 programs (12.8 percent). National Institutes of Health–funded investigators were predominately male (72 percent), fellowship-trained (61 percent), and aged 49.3 ± 7.8 years. A total of 20 awards amounted to $6,916,886, with an average award of $345,844 ± $222,909. Costs were primarily awarded through the R01 mechanism (77.2 percent). The top three National Institutes of Health institutes awarded 72.9 percent of the entire portfolio. Funding supported clinical (41.1 percent), translational (36.9 percent), and basic science (22.0 percent) research. Craniofacial (20.5 percent), hand (18.7 percent), and breast (16.2 percent) had the greatest funding.

Conclusions:

Few programs and faculty drive the National Institutes of Health portfolio of plastic surgery research. These data suggest a tenuous funding situation that may be susceptible to future spending cuts. Future research is needed to identify barriers to National Institutes of Health funding procurement in academic plastic surgery.
Amyloid Imaging, Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers Predict Driving Performance Among Cognitively Normal Individuals
Authors: Roe Catherine M. , Barco Peggy P. , Head Denise M. , Ghoshal Nupur , Selsor Natalie , Babulal Ganesh M. , Fierberg Rebecca , Vernon Elizabeth K. , Shulman Neal , Johnson Ann , Fague Scot , Xiong Chengjie , Grant Elizabeth A. , Campbell Angela , Ott Brian R. , Holtzman David M. , Benzinger Tammie L.S. , Fagan Anne M. , Carr David B. , Morris John C.
Published: April 2016

Postmortem brain studies of older drivers killed in car accidents indicate that many had Alzheimer disease (AD) neuropathologic changes. We examined whether AD biomarkers are related to driving performance among cognitively normal older adults. Individuals with normal cognition, aged 65+ years, and driving at least once per week, were recruited. Participants (N=129) took part in clinical assessments, a driving test, and positron emission tomography imaging with Pittsburgh compound B (PIB) and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection. General linear models tested whether the number of driving errors differed as a function of each of the biomarker variables (mean cortical binding potential for PIB, and CSF Aβ42, tau, ptau181, tau/Aβ42, ptau181/Aβ42). Higher ratios of CSF tau/Aβ42, ptau181/Aβ42, and PIB mean cortical binding potential, were associated with more driving errors (P<0.05). Preclinical AD may have subtle cognitive and functional effects, which alone may go unnoticed. However, when combined, these changes may impact complex behaviors such as driving.
Inferring interaction partners from protein sequences
Authors: Bitbol Anne-Florence , Dwyer Robert S. , Colwell Lucy J. , Wingreen Ned S.
Published: April 2016

Specific protein-protein interactions are crucial in the cell, both to ensure the formation and stability of multi-protein complexes, and to enable signal transduction in various pathways. Functional interactions between proteins result in coevolution between the interaction partners. Hence, the sequences of interacting partners are correlated. Here we exploit these correlations to accurately identify which proteins are specific interaction partners from sequence data alone. Our general approach, which employs a pairwise maximum entropy model to infer direct couplings between residues, has been successfully used to predict the three-dimensional structures of proteins from sequences. Building on this approach, we introduce an iterative algorithm to predict specific interaction partners from among the members of two protein families. We assess the algorithm's performance on histidine kinases and response regulators from bacterial two-component signaling systems. The algorithm proves successful without anya prioriknowledge of interaction partners, yielding a striking 0.93 true positive fraction on our complete dataset, and we uncover the origin of this surprising success. Finally, we discuss how our method could be used to predict novel protein-protein interactions.
Recombineering inC. elegans: genome editing usingin vivoassembly of linear DNAs
Authors: Paix Alexandre , Schmidt Helen , Seydoux Geraldine
Published: April 2016

Recombineering, the use of endogenous homologous recombination systems to recombine DNAin vivo, is a commonly used technique for genome editing in microbes. Recombineering has not yet been developed for animals, where non-homology-based mechanisms have been thought to dominate DNA repair. Here, we demonstrate that homology-dependent repair (HDR) is robust inC. elegansusing linear templates with short homologies (~35 bases). Templates with homology to only one side of a double-strand break initiate repair efficiently, and short overlaps between templates support template switching. We demonstrate the use of single-stranded, bridging oligonucleotides (ssODNs) to target PCR fragments precisely to DSBs induced by CRISPR/Cas9 on chromosomes. Based on these findings, we develop recombineering strategies for genome editing that expand the utility of ssODNs and eliminatein vitrocloning steps for template construction. We apply these methods to the generation of GFP knock-in alleles and gene replacements without co-integrated markers. We conclude that, like microbes, metazoans possess robust homology-dependent repair mechanisms that can be harnessed for recombineering and genome editing.
(4S,5S,6R,E)-3,5-Dimethyl-6-vinylhept-2-ene-1,4,7-triol
Authors: Kiedrowski Valeska von , Quentin Florian , Golz Christopher , Strohmann Carsten , Preut Hans , Hiersemann Martin
Published: April 2016

The title compound, C11H20O3, was obtained in the course of the total syntheses of curvicollides A–C and features the same relative configuration for the central lactone moiety as that reported for the latter compounds. In the crystal, molecules are linkedviaO—H...O hydrogen bonds: all of the OH groups act as donors as well as acceptors for these bonds, hence each molecule is bound to six surrounding molecules and a three-dimensional network is formed. The absolute structure was confirmed by refinement of the Flack parameter.
Earnings quality and audit attributes in high concentrated ownership market
Authors: Al-Rassas Ahmed Hussein , Kamardin Hasnah
Published: April 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the audit committee (AC) independence, financial expertise, internal audit function, audit quality and ownership concentration on earnings quality (EQ) and, consequently, ascertain whether the AC’s independence and financial expertise has a moderating effect on the relationship between internal audit function and EQ.

Design/methodology/approach

The study sample is 508 firms listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia (formerly known as Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange) for the years 2009 to 2012. EQ was measured using two modified Jones models of discretionary accruals.

Findings

The findings reveal that the independence of AC and investment in internal audit function, as well as the Big4 audit firm, are related to greater EQ. Ownership concentration is found to be associated with lower EQ. The study provides evidence that AC’s independence moderates the relationship between internal audit function (investment in and sourcing arrangements of internal audit function) and EQ. It also shows that AC’s financial expertise moderates the relationship between sourcing arrangements of internal audit function and EQ.

Practical implications

This study extends the prior related literature by examining the AC’s independence and financial expertise as moderating variables on the relationship between internal audit function and EQ.

Social implications

Policymakers might use the findings regarding EQ in relation to governance practices, to recognize the important roles played by the AC’s independence and financial expertise on the effectiveness of internal audit function with EQ.

Originality/value

This study uses the agency theory and resource dependence theory to provide empirical evidence on the impact of internal audit function and AC on EQ in the ownership concentration environment.
Determinants of participation in self-help-groups (SHG) and its impact on women empowerment
Authors: Mohapatra Simantini , Sahoo Bimal Kishore
Published: April 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to gain meaningful insights into a microfinance programme in two different agro-ecological settings in India. The study, using primary survey data, attempts to examine individual, household and environmental characteristics that determine participation in a self-help group (SHG)–bank linkage programme in Odisha.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data are collected by a stratified random sampling method. The sample size is 300 households and information is collected by canvassing a pre-designed schedule to women through door-to-door in-depth interviews. In addition, focus group discussions have been conducted to get qualitative information. A probit binary model is applied to examine the factors determining participation in a SHG–bank linkage programme. A composite index of women empowerment is computed taking three dimensions: autonomy, economic empowerment and the gender relationship. Further, ordinary least square multiple regression and treatment effect evaluation by propensity score matching is carried out to study the impact of participation on women empowerment.

Findings

The study finds that the programme has by-passed the poorest of the poor. It is observed, however, that participation in microfinance has a positive and significant impact on women empowerment.

Research limitations/implications

Given the research methodology adopted in this study, one concern is whether the results generalise. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further.

Practical implications

To improve status of women particularly in developing and underdeveloped regions, microfinance can act as a catalyst.

Social implications

Microfinance in the form of SHG–bank linkage should be promoted, particularly for those social groups and religious communities where women are discriminated. Their participation in SHG–bank linkage programme will improve their social status through empowerment.

Originality/value

This study illustrates how microfinance can improve the status of women.
The intentions of Lebanese consumers to adopt mobile banking
Authors: Koksal Mehmet Haluk
Published: April 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that differentiate customers with high intentions to adopt mobile banking from others. This study examined the effect of perceived usefulness, ease of use, perceived credibility, trust, normative pressure, self-efficacy, compatibility, and trialability. It also included demographics as control variables.

Design/methodology/approach

– The data were collected using the snowball approach. The respondents filled in a structured questionnaire in February 2014 in Beirut, Lebanon. In total, 800 responses were received, 776 of which were completed and analysed.

Findings

– This study showed that perceived compatibility, trialability, perceived usefulness, ease of use, perceived credibility, and trust positively and significantly discriminate high-mobile banking adopters from low adopters. This study also found that perceived self-efficacy separates customers through their willingness to adopt mobile banking.

Originality/value

– Although a handful of studies examined the adoption of mobile banking, the factors differentiating customers with high-adoption intentions from other customers have not been extensively addressed in the literature. In an attempt to at least partially address these factors, this study attempts to identify those that lead to high-adoption intentions in Lebanon.
Internet banking service quality and its implication on e-customer satisfaction and e-customer loyalty
Authors: Amin Muslim
Published: April 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the internet banking service quality and its implication on e-customer satisfaction and e-customer loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

– A total of 1,000 questionnaires were distributed for internet banking customers and 520 were returned (resulting 52 percentage of response rate).

Findings

– The results confirmed that the all four dimensions (personal need, site organization, user friendliness, and efficiency of website) are distinct constructs. The results also indicated that internet banking service quality consisting of four dimensions has appropriate reliability and each dimensions has a positive significant relationship with internet banking service quality. The efficiency of banking website is the important aspect of internet banking service quality. The finding found that the relationship between internet banking service quality, e-customer satisfaction and e-customer loyalty are significant.

Practical implications

– The results show that the higher level of internet banking service quality significantly impacts to e-customer satisfaction and consequently leads to e-customer loyalty and a lower intention to leave the relationship with bank.

Originality/value

– This study proposes a model to understand the effect of internet banking service quality on e-customer satisfaction and e-customer loyalty in developing country. The constructs truly reflect the dynamism of customers’ banking relationship and a better understanding the attitude on internet banking will help the bankers in implementing more effective marketing strategies.
The effects of organization mission fulfillment and perceived organizational support on job performance
Authors: Karatepe Osman M , Aga Mehmet
Published: April 2016

Purpose

– Drawing from Bagozzi’s (1992) reformulation of attitude theory, the purpose of this paper is to propose and test a conceptual model that links organization mission fulfillment (OMF) and perceived organizational support (POS) to job performance (JP) via work engagement (WE).

Design/methodology/approach

– Data gathered from frontline bank employees with a time lag of two weeks and their supervisors in Northern Cyprus were utilized to test the aforementioned relationships.

Findings

– The results from structural equation modeling suggest that OMF and POS foster WE. WE in turn stimulates employees’ JP. In short, WE fully mediates the effects of OMF and POS on JP.

Research limitations/implications

– Incorporating creative performance into the conceptual model would shed further light on WE as a mediator of the effects of OMF and POS on various performance outcomes. Gathering data from frontline bank employees in similar islands would allow conducting a cross-national study.

Practical implications

– Management of banks can organize workshops where frontline employees can contribute to the preparation of the mission statement. Employees making such contribution will display elevated levels of WE, because they contribute to something which is significant and meaningful. Management should also use selective staffing procedures to hire individuals who are customer oriented and therefore feel energetic and dedicated and are engrossed in their work.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the current knowledge base by linking OMF and POS to JP via WE in frontline service jobs in the retail banking industry.
Organizational underpinnings of interactive decision making: an empirical inquiry
Authors: Fedele Paolo , Brusati Luca , Ianniello Mario
Published: April 2016

Purpose

– Interactive decision making has become a recurrent practice across countries, policy sectors and tiers of government. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how organizational arrangements, i.e. the way the interactive process is designed, influence its outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research is carried out through a multiple case study. Four cases of interactive decision making are analyzed using a qualitative framework.

Findings

– Findings can contribute to shed light on the organizational underpinnings of the outcomes of interactive decision making. Accessibility, in particular meant as process openness, i.e. the intensity of the decision-making powers that are devolved to the public, seems to represent the key factor in producing positive outcomes, especially if associated to less-formalized arrangements.

Practical implications

– On the practice oriented side, findings provide decision makers with insights about how to design interactive mechanisms to improve the chances they would “work.” Specifically, finding suggest to launch interactive initiatives only when the public’s expectations in terms of process openness can be satisfied.

Originality/value

– The way organizational arrangements influence outcomes is likely to be affected by context-specific factors interacting with the formers in generating the latters. Therefore, in order to reach meaningful research results it might be necessary to systematically factor context-specific features in the analysis. Here lies the relative novelty of the paper: although the relation between arrangements and outcomes of interactive decision making has been already investigated by other contributions, the present analysis purposefully focusses on cases occurred in the same policy sector, in one homogeneous geographical location and characterized by the same administrative tradition in order to discount the influence of these factors.
The role of friendship in the formation and development of entrepreneurial teams and ventures
Authors: D'hont Laura , Doern Rachel , Delgado García Juan Bautista
Published: April 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential influence of friendship on entrepreneurial teams (ETs) and on venture formation and development. The theoretical framework is built on the literature around friendship ties, the interaction of friendship ties and professional ties, and ETs.

Design/methodology/approach

– Taking an interpretative methodological approach, the authors carried out qualitative interviews with ten business founders in Paris, France.

Findings

– The authors identified different four profiles or types of ETs according to how friendship ties interact with professional ties among team members, which the authors designate as “fusion” and “separation”, and describe the orientation of this interaction, which the authors label as “affective” or “strategic”. These profiles affect the emergence of the idea and the choice of members in the formation of teams. They also shape the functioning of teams in terms of decision-making processes, recruitment and investment.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings underline the difficulties of studying friendship in ETs empirically and recommend longitudinal approaches for further research.

Practical implications

– Findings offer insights in to why and how ETs based on friendship ties approach the pre-launch, launch and development phases of businesses as well as in to the interactions between professional and friendship ties, which is helpful to both practitioners and academics. The authors also discuss the consequences and implications of the different team types in terms of their risks and strategies for mitigating these risks.

Originality/value

– This is one of the first empirical studies to examine how friendship and professional ties may combine and evolve in ETs, and their influence on the entrepreneurial process as it relates to venture formation and development.
Using organisational development and learning methods to develop resilience for sustainable futures with SMEs and micro businesses
Authors: Gray Dee , Jones Katherine Fiona
Published: April 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of a collaborative organisational development and learning (OD/L) programme for small and medium-sized enterprise’s (SME’s) and micro businesses (MB) to contribute towards business resilience and sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is an ethnographic case study that utilised an iterative interpretative approach to data collection and analysis, which was conducted around key OD/L interventions.

Findings

– The findings demonstrate that the provision of an OD/L programme that focused on collaboration and learning, had both an immediate positive effect on business owners and long term effect in relation to business confidence, clarity, and action.

Research limitations/implications

– The limitations of this study relate to the fact that the sample population is small so that the findings are not generalisable, and some of the challenges faced by SME business owners may be confined to socially deprived rural locations. Future research could focus on replicating the designed OD/L programme, or aspects of it, and a longitudinal study could be conducted over time.

Practical implications

– The practical implications of this study are that it gives direction for those designing support for SME/MB’s to include tried and proven OD/L interventions.

Social implications

– The social implications include that by demonstrating targeted support to SME business owners in socially deprived areas, the potential for growth in terms of survival and flourishing are increased and economic regeneration is positively influenced.

Originality/value

– There are few studies in this area, the OD/L programme highlights that collaboration, and sustainable actions to develop resilience, have a part to play in supporting the SME/MB population, and a contribution to make towards a more buoyant economy.
A conceptual framework of cool for social marketing
Authors: Mohiuddin Khondker Galib B. , Gordon Ross , Magee Christopher , Lee Jeong Kyu
Published: April 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual framework of cool for social marketing through a comprehensive literature review and integrating extant literature on cool.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive search and review of extant literature across social marketing, business disciplines, arts, psychology, social sciences and humanities was undertaken to develop an understanding of cool and its relevance to social marketing. The review permitted developing a comprehensive set of characteristics that are associated with cool.

Findings

A conceptual framework of cool organised according to the following dimensions is presented and discussed: deviating from norm, self-expressive, indicative of maturity, subversive, pro-social, evasive, and attractive.

Originality/value

This paper advances theoretical knowledge in the social marketing domain by offering a conceptual framework of cool, and by suggesting a set of guidelines to develop cool social marketing programs.
Determinants of tracking error in German ETFs – the role of market liquidity
Authors: Osterhoff Friedrich , Kaserer Christoph
Published: April 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the impact of market liquidity on the daily tracking error of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). It puts a special focus on the liquidity cost of individual underlying stocks as well as the process of creation/redemption of ETF shares as key determinants of tracking ability.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study is based on daily observations of fund data for eight fully replicating German equity ETFs for July 2001-October 2013. A regression model with fund fixed effects is chosen to determine the effect of liquidity cost, creation/redemption and other control variables on daily tracking error. Data were compiled from issuer websites and Datastream. Proprietary XETRA Liquidity Measure, which was used as proxy for liquidity cost was supplied by Deutsche Börse.

Findings

– The study finds daily tracking error to significantly depend on the liquidity of underlying stocks. This finding emerges even though the ETFs in this study predominantly use in-kind creation/redemption. Even after controlling for creation/redemption, the liquidity impact remains basically unchanged. One reason might be imperfect replication of index weights: Either the in-kind-basket delivered in the course of creation/redemption does not perfectly match the benchmark-weights or the internal rebalancing of weights causes liquidity cost.

Originality/value

– To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper that uses a specific liquidity measure for each single stock underlying an ETF. The findings extend the literature by corroborating the view that liquidity of individual stocks in the underlying portfolio has an impact on tracking error.
Context‐dependent changes in the functional composition of tree communities along successional gradients after land‐use change
Authors: Aiba Masahiro , Kurokawa Hiroko , Onoda Yusuke , Oguro Michio , Nakashizuka Tohru , Masaki Takashi
Published: April 2016

Land‐use change can modify the functional composition of tree communities, which is an essential determinant of the ecosystem functions. The lack of consensus about the functional responses of tree communities to land‐use change is a major uncertainty in the assessments of human impacts on terrestrial ecosystem functions.

In this study, we applied a machine‐learning method to a large data set consisting of 2574 tree communities across Japan to examine changes in the functional composition of tree communities after land‐use change while considering contexts including successional trajectories, forest types and the presence of gymnosperms. Specifically, we hypothesized that functional changes along successional gradients after land‐use change can be different in different contexts.

Effects of two successional variables (stand age and basal area) on functional composition were highly significant throughout the study region. Changes in functional composition with changes in the two successional variables differed greatly, and the effects of basal area often outweighed those of stand age.

Tree communities with small basal area were generally characterized by functional traits related to the resource‐acquisitive strategy, that is short adult stature, low leaf mass per unit area, small seeds, low wood density and large leaves, especially when gymnosperms were excluded from the analysis. Decreasing basal area but not decreasing stand age often led to a considerable loss in functional diversity. Despite these general trends, functional changes along successional gradients after land‐use change were not necessarily parallel and the opposite patterns were sometimes observed among forest types, traits and taxonomic groups.

Synthesis. As a whole, our analyses demonstrate that the functional changes in tree communities after land‐use change are highly evident in a given context but can be different under different contexts. These changes in functional composition can trigger variable changes in ecosystem functions such as carbon and nutrient cycling that depend on the context.