bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical dormancy in a changing climate
Authors: Hudson Alice R. , Ayre David J. , Ooi Mark K. J.
Published: January 2015

Species with physically dormant (PY) seeds make up over 25% of plant species in a number of ecologically important ecosystems around the globe, such as savannah and Mediterranean shrublands. Many of these ecosystems are subject to temporally stochastic events, such as fire and drought; but are in areas projected to experience some of the most extreme climatic changes in the future. Given the importance of PY in controlling germination timing for successful recruitment, we ask how plastic the PY trait is, and if changes to the maternal environment from climate change could alter recruitment. This review focuses on: (1) the evidence for inter- and intraspecific variation in PY; (2) the genetic, maternal and environmental controls involved; and (3) the ecological consequences of (1) and (2) above. Evidence for (within-community) interspecific variation in conditions required to break PY is strong, but for intraspecific variation evidence is contradictory and limited by a paucity of studies. Identifying controllers of variation in PY is complex, there is some suggestion that conditions of the maternal environment may be important, but no consensus on the nature of effects. The implications of PY plasticity for the persistence of seed banks, species and communities under climate change are discussed. We highlight a number of key knowledge gaps, such as a lack of research estimating the components of variation in non-agricultural species, and identify a suite of seed attributes relevant to understanding the potential impacts of climate change on the population dynamics of PY species in the future.
Regulation of CD4 T‐cell differentiation and inflammation by repressive histone methylation
Authors: Antignano Frann , Zaph Colby
Published: January 2015

Repressive epigenetic modifications such as dimethylation and trimethylation histone H3 at lysine 9 (H3K9me2 and H3K9me3) and H3K27me3 have been shown to be critical for embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation by silencing cell lineage‐promiscuous genes. CD4+ T helper (TH) cell differentiation is a powerful model to study the molecular mechanisms associated with cellular lineage choice in adult cells. Naïve TH cells have the capacity to differentiate into one of the several phenotypically and functionally distinct and stable lineages. Although some repressive epigenetic mechanisms have a critical role in TH cell differentiation in a similar manner to that in ES cells, it is clear that there are disparate functions for certain modifications between ES cells and TH cells. Here we review the role of repressive histone modifications in the differentiation and function of TH cells in health and disease.
A novel function for Egr4 in posterior hindbrain development
Authors: Bae Chang-Joon , Jeong Juhee , Saint-Jeannet Jean-Pierre
Published: January 2015

Segmentation of the vertebrate hindbrain is an evolutionarily conserved process. Here, we identify the transcription factor early growth response 4 (egr4) as a novel regulator of posterior hindbrain development in Xenopus. egr4 is specifically and transiently expressed in rhombomeres 5 and 6 (r5/r6) and Egr4 knockdown causes a loss of mafb/kreisler and krox20/egr2 expression in r5/r6 and r5, respectively. This phenotype can be fully rescued by injection of frog or mouse Egr4 mRNA. Moreover Egr4-depleted embryos exhibit a specific loss of the neural crest stream adjacent to r5 and have inner ear defects. While the homeodomain protein vHnf1/Hnf1b directly activates Mafb and Krox20 expression in the mouse hindbrain to specify r5, we show that in Xenopus this process is indirect through the activation of Egr4. We provide evidence that rearrangements in the regulatory sequences around egr4 and mafb genes may account for this difference.
A naphthalimide-based fluorescent probe for highly selective detection of histidine in aqueous solution and its application in in vivo imaging
Authors: Un Hio-Ieng , Wu Shuai , Huang Chang-Bo , Xu Zheng , Xu Lin
Published: January 2015

A naphthalimide-based fluorescent probe for selectively detecting His in aqueous solution, living cells, andC. eleganshas been developed.
Knitting up 2,7-disubstituted carbazole based oligomers through supramolecular interactions for their application in organic thin film transistors
Authors: Singh Ranjodh , Meena Jagan Singh , Wu Chung-Shu , Ko Fu-Hsiang
Published: January 2015

A specific molecule has been knitted up to form a supramolecular architecture and applied to organic thin film transistors.
One-pot conversion of cephalosporin C by using an optimized two-enzyme process
Authors: Conti Gianluca , Pollegioni Loredano , Rosini Elena
Published: January 2015

Setup of a low cost one-pot enzymatic system to directly convert cephalosporin C into 7-aminocephalosporanic acid with high purity.
Facile and generalized encapsulations of inorganic nanocrystals with nitrogen-doped carbonaceous coating for multifunctionality
Authors: Yang Yong , Zhang Jingchao , Wang Shitong , Xu Xiaobin , Zhang Zhicheng , Wang Pengpeng , Tang Zilong , Wang Xun
Published: January 2015

A simple strategy towards versatile encapsulations of inorganic nanocrystals with N-doped carbon has been developed.
Bionanotherapeutics: niclosamide encapsulated albumin nanoparticles as a novel drug delivery system for cancer therapy
Authors: Bhushan Bharat , Dubey Poornima , Kumar S. Uday , Sachdev Abhay , Matai Ishita , Gopinath P.
Published: January 2015

In this work niclosamide was encapsulated into albumin nanoparticles through a desolvation method to improve its scope of application in cancer therapy.
Size-controlled synthesis of MCM-49 zeolites and their application in liquid-phase alkylation of benzene with ethylene
Authors: Shi Yanchun , Xing Enhui , Xie Wenhua , Zhang Fengmei , Mu Xuhong , Shu Xingtian
Published: January 2015

Size-controlled synthesis of MCM-49 zeolites was achieved via topology reconstruction from NaY zeolites with different sizes.
Comprehensive and quantitative analysis for controlling the physical/chemical states and particle properties of nanodiamonds for biological applications
Authors: Sotoma S. , Akagi K. , Hosokawa S. , Igarashi R. , Tochio H. , Harada Y. , Shirakawa M.
Published: January 2015

The physical/chemical states and properties of nanodiamonds subjected to thermal annealing and air oxidation, which are indispensable processes for the preparation of fluorescent nanodiamonds, were investigated.
MM quadruply bonded complexes supported by vinylbenzoate ligands: synthesis, characterization, photophysical properties and application as synthons
Authors: Brown-Xu Samantha E. , Chisholm Malcolm H. , Durr Christopher B. , Spilker Thomas F. , Young Philip J.
Published: January 2015

MM complexes as potential synthons for the development of higher order extended structures via Heck coupling reactions, exhibiting interesting photophysical properties.
Emptying and filling a tunnel bronze
Authors: Marley Peter M. , Abtew Tesfaye A. , Farley Katie E. , Horrocks Gregory A. , Dennis Robert V. , Zhang Peihong , Banerjee Sarbajit
Published: January 2015

We report the synthesis of a new tunnel-structured polymorph of V2O5(ζ-V2O5) synthesized by topotactic ion extraction.
Composite silica nanoparticle/polyelectrolyte microcapsules with reduced permeability and enhanced ultrasound sensitivity
Authors: Gao Hui , Wen Dongsheng , Sukhorukov Gleb B.
Published: January 2015

This work reports novel silica/polyelectrolyte composite microcapsules, which exhibit superior ultrasonic sensitivity and reduced permeability. The composite capsules were facilely incorporated with silica nanoparticles and successfully applied to encapsulate Rh-B dyes with low molecular weight.
Controlling colloidal stability of silica nanoparticles during bioconjugation reactions with proteins and improving their longer-term stability, handling and storage
Authors: Moore C. J. , Montón H. , O'Kennedy R. , Williams D. E. , Nogués C. , Crean (née Lynam) C. , Gubala V.
Published: January 2015

Robust protocols for antibody-nanoparticle (Ab-NP) conjugation, and improved method for long-term stability and storage of Ab-NPs using cryoprotectants.
Polymer brush-based optical device with multiple responsivities
Authors: Wei Menglian , Gao Yongfeng , Serpe Michael J.
Published: January 2015

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) brush-based optical materials were fabricated, and the tunability of their optical properties characterized.
Active cold load MMICs for Ka‐, V‐, and W‐bands
Authors: Kantanen Mikko , Weissbrodt Ernst , Varis Jussi , Leuther Arnulf , Seelmann‐Eggebert Matthias , Rösch Markus , Schlecthweg Michael , Poutanen Torsti , Sundberg Iiro , Kaisti Matti , Altti Miikka , Jukkala Petri , Piironen Petri
Published: January 2015

Three active cold load circuits operating at millimetre‐wave frequencies are presented. The circuits have been manufactured using 100 nm metamorphic high electron mobility transistor technology. On‐wafer measurements of noise temperature and match are presented. Measured noise temperatures are 75 K, 141 K, and 170 K at 31.4 GHz, 52 GHz, and 89 GHz, respectively. Measured reflection coefficients are better than −19 dB for all designs.
Performance evaluation of a dual band paper substrate wireless sensor networks antenna over curvilinear surfaces
Authors: Kizhekke Pakkathillam Jayaram , Kanagasabai Malathi
Published: January 2015

This study brings out the design, fabrication and performance evaluation of a compact, dual band antenna on paper substrate. The two bands of operations are 2.18 to 2.50 and 5.22 to 5.72 GHz. These bands are used by the wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and radio frequency identification systems (RFID). The antenna becomes useful for the WSN nodes and RFID systems at these frequencies. The overall size of the antenna is 40 mm × 20 mm × 0.6 mm, which makes it a compact one. Antenna was tested for the effect of bending by placing it over curvilinear surfaces. The bending was done in horizontal (X) and vertical (Y) axes. These examinations will help to understand the effect of wind loading and other packaging related bending on antenna performance. The main features of this antenna are stability in performance under bent conditions, simple configuration and low cost of fabrication. A thin polyethylene layer has been used to laminate the antenna for permanence. The effect of lamination has also been explained in the course of the study.
Nanogram calorimetry using microscale suspended SiNx platforms fabricated via focused ion beam patterning
Authors: Wickey K. J. , Chilcote M. , Johnston-Halperin E.
Published: January 2015

Comprehensive characterization of thermal properties in nanoscale heterostructures requires microscale thermally isolated platforms combined with sensitive thermometry in order to measure small heat accumulations. Amorphous SiNx membranes are often used for these measurements due to their low thermal conductivity and compatibility with standard fabrication techniques. The total thermal conductance of such SiNx membranes is typically microwatts per kelvin or higher. Here, we further reduce this thermal coupling to 120 nW/K by using a focused ion beam (FIB) to remove large portions of commercially available amorphous SiNx membranes, leaving a 100 μm × 100 μm square platform suspended by 10 μm wide by 325 μm long support legs. We demonstrate the capability of these platforms by measuring the heat capacity of a 6.2 ng Au sample and show that it matches well with established specific heat of bulk Au.
Pragmatic models for the prediction and digital mapping of soil properties in eastern Australia
Authors: Gray Jonathan M. , Bishop Thomas F. A. , Yang Xihua
Published: January 2015

To help meet the increasing need for knowledge and data on the spatial distribution of soils, readily applied multiple linear regression models were developed for key soil properties over eastern Australia. Selected covariates were used to represent the key soil-forming factors of climate (annual precipitation and maximum temperature), parent material (a lithological silica index) topography (new topo-slope and aspect indices) and biota (a modified land disturbance index). The models are presented at three depth intervals (0–10, 10–30 and 30–100 cm) and are of variable but generally moderate statistical strength, with concordance correlation coefficients in the order of 0.7 for organic carbon (OC) upper depth, pHca, sum of bases, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and sand, but somewhat lower (0.4–0.6) for OC lower depths, total phosphorous, clay and silt. The pragmatic models facilitate soil property predictions at individual sites using only climate and field-collected data. They were also moderately effective for deriving digital soil maps over the state of New South Wales and a regional catchment. The models and derived maps compared well in predictive ability to those derived from more sophisticated techniques involving Cubist decision trees with remotely sensed covariates. The readily understood and interpreted nature of these products means they may provide a useful introduction to the more advanced digital soil modelling and mapping techniques. The models provide useful information and broader insights into the factors controlling soil distribution in eastern Australia and beyond, including the change in a soil property with a given unit change in a covariate.
Central role for the insular cortex in mediating conditioned responses to anticipatory cues
Authors: Kusumoto-Yoshida Ikue , Liu Haixin , Chen Billy T. , Fontanini Alfredo , Bonci Antonello
Published: January 2015

Significance

Classical studies have been focused on understanding the role of gustatory areas in evaluating the sensory component of taste. However, recent studies have suggested an involvement of gustatory areas, specifically the insular cortex, in guiding behavior on the basis of anticipation of food. At present, however, no causal link between gustatory cortex anticipatory activity and feeding behaviors has been demonstrated. The experiments in this study combine electrophysiological, pharmacological, and optogenetic approaches to establish, for the first time to our knowledge, that cue-evoked activity in the gustatory cortex is necessary to drive food-oriented behaviors. These results demonstrate that the integration between perception and action can occur also in primary sensory areas.
Giant reversible, facet-dependent, structural changes in a correlated-electron insulator induced by ionic liquid gating
Authors: Jeong Jaewoo , Aetukuri Nagaphani B. , Passarello Donata , Conradson Steven D. , Samant Mahesh G. , Parkin Stuart S. P.
Published: January 2015

Significance

We report a remarkable reversible change in structure of vanadium dioxide films when gated with an ionic liquid. We show that the film expands by more than 3% in the out-of-plane direction when gated to the metallic state. This giant structural change is not only more than 10 times larger than the one at the thermally controlled insulator-to-metal transition measured in the same films, but is in the opposite direction—an expansion rather than a contraction. These results are very important to the field of ionic liquid gating, which has largely ignored the possibility that the high electric fields created on gating at the liquid–oxide interface can result in significant structural changes rather than a purely electrostatic phenomenon.
Autophagy-independent functions of UVRAG are essential for peripheral naive T-cell homeostasis
Authors: Afzal Samia , Hao Zhenyue , Itsumi Momoe , Abouelkheer Yasser , Brenner Dirk , Gao Yunfei , Wakeham Andrew , Hong Claire , Li Wanda Y. , Sylvester Jennifer , Gilani Syed O. , Brüstle Anne , Haight Jillian , You-Ten Annick J. , Lin Gloria H. Y. , Inoue Satoshi , Mak Tak W.
Published: January 2015

Significance

T-cell homeostasis is a tightly regulated process that ensures a constant number of naïve T cells in the periphery of an organism. Mechanisms that promote the survival and homeostatic proliferation of naïve peripheral T cells are essential for maintaining this balance and thus effective immunity against pathogens and incipient tumors. We have identified UV radiation resistance-associated gene (UVRAG), an autophagic tumor suppressor in many cell lineages, as a novel nonautophagic regulator of naïve peripheral T cell homeostasis. Furthermore, our findings distinguish UVRAG from other autophagy-related genes and indicate that this regulator may have important nonautophagic functions that are cell type-specific.
Representationalism, perceptual distortion and the limits of phenomenal concepts
Authors: Bourget David
Published: January 2015

This paper replies to objections from perceptual distortion (blur, perspective, double vision, etc.) against the representationalist thesis that the phenomenal characters of experiences supervene on their intentional contents. It has been argued that some pairs of distorted and undistorted experiences share contents without sharing phenomenal characters, which is incompatible with the supervenience thesis. In reply, I suggest that such cases are not counterexamples to the representationalist thesis because the contents of distorted experiences are always impoverished in some way compared to those of normal experiences. This can be shown by considering limit cases of perceptual distortion, for example, maximally blurry experiences, which manifestly lack details present in clear experiences. I argue that since there is no reasonable way to draw the line between distorted experiences that have degraded content and distorted experiences that do not, we should allow that an increase in distortion is always accompanied by a degradation in content. I also discuss the prospects for a positive account of the contents specific to distorted experiences. I argue that the prospects for such an account are dim, but that this is due to limitations of our phenomenal concepts, not to the falsity of the representationalist thesis.
Securitisation of development in Ethiopia: the discourse and politics of developmentalism
Authors: Gebresenbet Fana
Published: January 2015

This paper examines the developmental discourse of the Ethiopian government since 2001. This discourse frames poverty as an existential threat to Ethiopia, and it securitises development. The securitisation of a public issue gives credence to the immediate need for wider state powers and the aggressive mobilisation of (natural, financial and human) resources – at times by ignoring agreed-upon conventions – to combat a perceived existential threat. Thus, the argument is that the securitisation of development is rationalising the drive to aggressively extract and mobilise resources as well as increasing the power and stature of the ruling coalition.
Fluid pressure waves trigger earthquakes
Authors: Mulargia Francesco , Bizzarri Andrea
Published: January 2015

Fluids—essentially meteoric water—are present everywhere in the Earth's crust, occasionally also with pressures higher than hydrostatic due to the tectonic strain imposed on impermeable undrained layers, to the impoundment of artificial lakes or to the forced injections required by oil and gas exploration and production. Experimental evidence suggests that such fluids flow along preferred paths of high diffusivity, provided by rock joints and faults. Studying the coupled poroelastic problem, we find that such flow is ruled by a nonlinear partial differential equation amenable to a Barenblatt-type solution, implying that it takes place in form of solitary pressure waves propagating at a velocity which decreases with time as v ∝ t [1/(n − 1) − 1] with n ≳ 7. According to Tresca-Von Mises criterion, these waves appear to play a major role in earthquake triggering, being also capable to account for aftershock delay without any further assumption. The measure of stress and fluid pressure inside active faults may therefore provide direct information about fault potential instability.
Analysis of a long-term outbreak of XDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a molecular epidemiological study
Authors: Willmann Matthias , Bezdan Daniela , Zapata Luis , Susak Hana , Vogel Wichard , Schröppel Klaus , Liese Jan , Weidenmaier Christopher , Autenrieth Ingo B. , Ossowski Stephan , Peter Silke
Published: January 2015

Objectives

Here we report on a long-term outbreak from 2009 to 2012 with an XDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa on two wards at a university hospital in southern Germany.

Methods

Whole-genome sequencing was performed on the outbreak isolates and a core genome was constructed for molecular epidemiological analysis. We applied a time–place–sequence algorithm to improve estimation of transmission probabilities.

Results

By using conventional infection control methods we identified 49 P. aeruginosa strains, including eight environmental isolates that belonged to ST308 (by MLST) and carried the metallo-β-lactamase IMP-8. Phylogenetic analysis on the basis of a non-recombinant core genome that contained 22 outbreak-specific SNPs revealed a pattern of four dominant clades with a strong phylogeographic structure and allowed us to determine the potential temporal origin of the outbreak to July 2008, 1 year before the index case was diagnosed. Superspreaders at the root of clades exhibited a high number of probable and predicted transmissions, indicating their exceptional position in the outbreak.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the initial expansion of dominant sublineages was driven by a few superspreaders, while environmental contamination seemed to sustain the outbreak for a long period despite regular environmental control measures.
Formulation and Characterization of Drug‐Loaded Microparticles Using Distillers Dried Grain Kafirin
Authors: Lau Esther T. L. , Johnson Stuart K. , Stanley Roger A. , Mereddy Ram , Mikkelsen Deirdre , Halley Peter J. , Steadman Kathryn J.
Published: January 2015

Kafirin, a protein extracted from sorghum grain, has been formulated into microparticles and proposed for use as a delivery system owing to the resistance of kafirin to upper gastrointestinal digestion. However, extracting kafirin from sorghum distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) may be more efficient, because the carbohydrate component has been removed by fermentation. This study investigated the properties and use of kafirin extracted from DDGS to formulate microparticles. Prednisolone, an anti‐inflammatory drug that could benefit from a delayed and targeted delivery system to the colon, was loaded into DDGS kafirin microparticles by phase separation with sodium chloride. Scanning electron micrographs revealed that the empty and prednisolone‐loaded microparticles were round in shape and varied in size. Surface binding studies indicated prednisolone was loaded within the microparticles rather than being solely bound on the surface. These findings demonstrate DDGS kafirin can be formulated into microparticles and loaded with medication. Future studies could investigate the potential applications of DDGS kafirin microparticles as an orally administered targeted drug‐delivery system.
Safeguarding Fruit Crops in the Age of Agricultural Globalization
Authors: Gergerich Rose C. , Welliver Ruth A. , Osterbauer Nancy K. , Kamenidou Sophia , Martin Robert R. , Golino Deborah A. , Eastwell Kenneth , Fuchs Marc , Vidalakis Georgios , Tzanetakis Ioannis E.
Published: January 2015

The expansion of fruit production and markets into new geographic areas provides novel opportunities and challenges for the agricultural and marketing industries. Evidence that fruit consumption helps prevent nutrient deficiencies and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer has assisted in the expansion of all aspects of the fruit industry. In today's competitive global market environment, producers need access to the best plant material available in terms of genetics and health if they are to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. An ever-increasing amount of plant material in the form of produce, nursery plants, and breeding stock moves vast distances, and this has resulted in an increased risk of pest and disease introductions into new areas. One of the primary concerns of the global fruit industry is a group of systemic pathogens for which there are no effective remedies once plants are infected. These pathogens and diseases require expensive management and control procedures at nurseries and by producers locally and nationally. Here, we review (i) the characteristics of some of these pathogens, (ii) the history and economic consequences of some notable disease epidemics caused by these pathogens, (iii) the changes in agricultural trade that have exacerbated the risk of pathogen introduction, (iv) the path to production of healthy plants through the U.S. National Clean Plant Network and state certification programs, (v) the economic value of clean stock to nurseries and fruit growers in the United States, and (vi) current efforts to develop and harmonize effective nursery certification programs within the United States as well as with global trading partners.
Emerging trends in vibration control of wind turbines: a focus on a dual control strategy
Authors: Staino Andrea , Basu Biswajit
Published: January 2015

The paper discusses some of the recent developments in vibration control strategies for wind turbines, and in this context proposes a new dual control strategy based on the combination and modification of two recently proposed control schemes. Emerging trends in the vibration control of both onshore and offshore wind turbines are presented. Passive, active and semi-active structural vibration control algorithms have been reviewed. Of the existing controllers, two control schemes, active pitch control and active tendon control, have been discussed in detail. The proposed new control scheme is a merger of active tendon control with passive pitch control, and is designed using a Pareto-optimal problem formulation. This combination of controllers is the cornerstone of a dual strategy with the feature of decoupling vibration control from optimal power control as one of its main advantages, in addition to reducing the burden on the pitch demand. This dual control strategy will bring in major benefits to the design of modern wind turbines and is expected to play a significant role in the advancement of offshore wind turbine technologies.
Imaging of Lipids in Microalgae with Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Microscopy
Authors: Cavonius Lillie , Fink Helen , Kiskis Juris , Albers Eva , Undeland Ingrid , Enejder Annika
Published: January 2015

Microalgae have great prospects as a sustainable resource of lipids for refinement into nutraceuticals and biodiesel, which increases the need for detailed insights into their intracellular lipid synthesis/storage mechanisms. As an alternative strategy to solvent- and label-based lipid quantification techniques, we introduce time-gated coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy for monitoring lipid contents in living algae, despite strong autofluorescence from the chloroplasts, at approximately picogram and subcellular levels by probing inherent molecular vibrations. Intracellular lipid droplet synthesis was followed in Phaeodactylum tricornutum algae grown under (1) light/nutrient-replete (control [Ctrl]), (2) light-limited (LL), and (3) nitrogen-starved (NS) conditions. Good correlation (r  2 = 0.924) was found between lipid volume data yielded by CARS microscopy and total fatty acid content obtained from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. In Ctrl and LL cells, micron-sized lipid droplets were found to increase in number throughout the growth phases, particularly in the stationary phase. During more excessive lipid accumulation, as observed in NS cells, promising commercial harvest as biofuels and nutritional lipids, several micron-sized droplets were present already initially during cultivation, which then fused into a single giant droplet toward stationary phase alongside with new droplets emerging. CARS microspectroscopy further indicated lower lipid fluidity in NS cells than in Ctrl and LL cells, potentially due to higher fatty acid saturation. This agreed with the fatty acid profiles gathered by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. CARS microscopy could thus provide quantitative and semiqualitative data at the single-cell level along with important insights into lipid-accumulating mechanisms, here revealing two different modes for normal and excessive lipid accumulation.
Employee architect’s perception of human resource practices and their job satisfaction
Authors: Oluwatayo Adedapo Adewunmi
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– There has been little empirical study on employees’ perceptions of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices in the architectural industry, where the employee architects have been described as the assets of the firm, and how these influence their job satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that define the perceptions of these employees of the HRM practices and how these perceptions influence their job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

– A questionnaire survey of employee architects in Lagos, Nigeria was carried out. The respondents were asked to rate their perceptions of HRM practices in their firms. Data were analyzed using mean ranking, principal component analysis, and regression analyses.

Findings

– The results show that contrary to popular beliefs, most of the respondents were satisfied with their jobs overall, although they were least satisfied with their pay. The factors that predict the satisfaction of the employee architects with various aspects of the job were identified.

Research limitations/implications

– A major limitation to this study lies in the fact that samples were only taken from employees of privately owned architectural firms in Lagos, Nigeria.

Practical implications

– The results indicate areas of HRM practices that principals of architecture firms may explore to enhance employee architects’ satisfaction.

Originality/value

– The study adds to the body of knowledge on employee perception of HRM practices and satisfaction by providing evidence from the architectural industry. This study further contributes to literature satisfaction as a multi-scale item in relation with the employee architects’ demographic and HRM practices.
Market values for olive oil attributes in Chile: a hedonic price function
Authors: Romo Muñoz Rodrigo , Lagos Moya Mario , Gil José M.
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– Focused on the olive oil sector in Chile which is a non-traditional market (both in production and consumption), the purpose of this paper is to determine the implicit value of the most relevant attributes of olive oil on the final price charged by supermarkets to consumers through the hedonic pricing methodology.

Design/methodology/approach

– Field work was carried out between September and October 2012 in 12 supermarkets belonging to the four most important Chilean retail chains. A log-linear price-attribute function was used to estimate the hedonic price function. The sample included 248 observations olive oil prices available to consumers in the leading supermarkets in the city of Chillán (Chile).

Findings

– The model estimation results led to the observation that the attributes that most positively influenced final price are oil acidity level, tin can container of imported oil, and origin. On the other hand, the attributes that most negatively influenced final consumer price are retailer house brand and plastic container.

Research limitations/implications

– A limitation of this study is associated with the geographic area where it was carried out, that is, the city of Chillán in the Bío-Bío Region, which is the second largest region and accounts for 12 per cent of the total population. Further research should include other cities such as Santiago (capital), Concepción, Curicó and Valparaíso.

Originality/value

– This study can be considered as a first approximation of a hedonic pricing model estimation for olive oil in non-traditional markets like Chile, which is considered an emerging market.
Trade-off analysis of packaging attributes for foods and drinks
Authors: Jinkarn Tunyarut , Suwannaporn Prisana
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to understand consumer perspectives and trade-offs on packaging convenience attributes of various food and drink packages vs increased cost.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research utilized structured interviews to collect pertinent data. Personal interviews were conducted at major supermarkets within Bangkok and the vicinity. During data collection, 600 interviews were concluded. Target groups were composed of those who are major shoppers of particular food and drink products. In total, three packages for food products and two packages for drink products were selected for the study, including snack pouches, tuna cans, ready-to-eat plastic trays, laminated juice cartons, and plastic bottles for drinking water. Packaging attributes that were taken into consideration were structure, body style, opening mechanism, reseal features, and tamper-evident characteristics. Part worth analysis and importance level of increased price factors compared with packaging attributes were discussed. Conjoint analysis was used for importance score calculation and data analysis.

Findings

– The most important packaging attributes for all packages were the opening characteristics. Tamper-evident characteristics were also perceived as very important for drinking water bottles. However, for all packages, the importance score level for the price factor accounted for only 10-19 percent. As a result, opening characteristics of the packages seemed to influence consumer purchasing decisions for food and drink products; most consumers were happy to trade-off on a slight increase in price for additional convenience or tamper-evident features of a package.

Originality/value

– The findings of this study can be used in making strategic packaging decisions to improve customer satisfaction and increase sales.
External sources for innovation in food SMEs
Authors: Lefebvre Virginie Marie , De Steur Hans , Gellynck Xavier
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the role that different external sources of knowledge play in product, process, market and organizational innovations in food SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study is based on a web-survey of 214 food European SMEs. Binary logistic regression models were utilized for data analysis.

Findings

– The findings support the recent studies that suggest that the introduction of different types of innovation is associated with different types of source of knowledge. They indicate that collaboration with customers matter for product innovations in food SMEs while collaboration with competitors is more important for organizational innovations in this type of firm. In addition, collaboration with science base actors does not appear relevant to innovation in food SMEs, supporting previous works that highlight the predominant role of market base actors in innovation in this type of firm.

Research limitations/implications

– In line with previous research on innovation in SMEs, the generalization of the findings to all European food SMEs may be limited due to the low response rate and the difficulties in collecting innovation data from micro-firms. Data used in the study were gathered from single informants also which may have resulted in self-report bias. Besides, cross-sectional data were employed so no causal inferences could be drawn.

Originality/value

– Although the food industry is a major sector for the European economy, little attention has been given to the sources of knowledge that may be used for innovation in this industry. This paper offers interesting insights into the importance of external sources for innovation. Moreover, past research dealing with collaboration for innovation usually focus on product and process innovations. The paper adds to these by incorporating market and organizational innovations.
Continuous improvement philosophy – literature review and directions
Authors: Singh Jagdeep , Singh Harwinder
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the history and existing research on continuous improvement (CI).

Design/methodology/approach

– Extensive review of the literature.

Findings

– This paper provides an overview of CI, its inception, how it evolved into sophisticated methodologies used in organizations today, and existing research in this field in the literature.

Research limitations/implications

– The literature on classification of CI has so far been very limited. The paper reviews a large number of papers in this field and presents the overview of various CI implementation practices demonstrated by manufacturing organizations globally. It also highlights the sophisticated CI methodologies suggested by various researchers and practitioners in the field of CI.

Practical implications

– The literature on classification of CI has so far been very limited. The paper reviews a large number of papers in this field and presents the overview of various CI implementation practices demonstrated by manufacturing organizations globally. It also highlights the sophisticated CI methodologies suggested by various researchers and practitioners in the field of CI.

Originality/value

– The paper contains a comprehensive listing of publications on the field in question and its classification. It will be useful to researchers, improvement professionals and others concerned with improvement to understand the significance of CI. It should be of value to practitioners of CI programmes and to academics who are interested in how CI has evolved, and where it is today. To the authors’ knowledge, no recent papers have provided an historical perspective of CI.
Performance modeling of the skim milk powder production system of a dairy plant using RAMD analysis
Authors: Aggarwal Anil , Kumar Sanjeev , Singh Vikram
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a method to compute RAMD indices to measure and improve the performance of skim milk powder production system of a dairy plant under real working conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

– The present work is carried out by developing performance model based on Markov birth-death process. The skim milk powder production system consists of six units. The first order governing differential equations are derived using the mnemonic rule and further solved to calculate RAMD indices i.e. reliability, availability, maintainability, dependability, MTBF, MTTR and dependability ratio for each subsystem of the system.

Findings

– The subsystem SS1 comprising of chiller and cream separator is the most critical from maintenance point of view, as the reliability, availability, maintainability, dependability, MTBF and dependability ratio indices are low as compared to those of other subsystems of skim milk powder production system of the dairy plant.

Originality/value

– The RAMD indices of the present work is very useful for finding the critical subsystem and its effect on the performance of the system working under real working conditions. Further, based on findings the maintenance priorities for various subsystems can be decided.
Interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy stochastic multi-criteria decision-making method based on Prospect theory
Authors: Gao Jianwei , Liu Huihui
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a new approach to solving the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy stochastic multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems.

Design/methodology/approach

– To transform the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy number (IVIFN) into a computational numerical value, a new precision score (P-score) function is developed based on the degrees of membership, non-membership and hesitation. The prospect decision-making matrix is derived by applying P-score function and Prospect theory. A new criteria weighting model is put forward based on the least square method, the maximizing deviation method and Prospect theory. Consequently, combined criteria weighting model with the prospect decision-making matrix, the integrated prospect value is derived which presents a measurement scale for ranking the order of alternatives.

Findings

– As a result, the method of the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy stochastic MCDM is suggested. In this method, the new P-score function responses the comprehensive information of the criteria. The prospect decision-making matrix can reflect the risk attitude of the decision maker. The new criteria weighting model can express both the subjective considerations of the decision maker and the objective information meaning.

Research limitations/implications

– The research results may lack generalizability for other fuzzy decision making because of the chosen research approach for IVIFN decision making. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further.

Practical implications

– The developed approach can be applied in many decision-making fields such as selection of renewable energy alternatives, assessment of flexible manufacturing system alternatives and human resource alternatives performance evaluation, etc. where the evaluation values are IVIFNs.

Originality/value

– This paper succeeds in studying the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy MCDM based on Prospect theory, which has not been reported in the existing academic literature.
Study on sensitive information leakage vulnerability modeling
Authors: Kim Sung-Hwan , Kim Nam-Uk , Chung Tai-Myoung
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a model for quantitatively analyzing the security profile of an organization’s IT environment. The model considers the security risks associated with stored data, as well as services and devices that can act as channels for data leakages. The authors propose a sensitive information (SI) leakage vulnerability model.

Design/methodology/approach

– Factors identified as having an impact on the security profile are identified, and scores are assigned based on detailed criteria. These scores are utilized by mathematical models that produce a vulnerability index, which indicates the overall security vulnerability of the organization. In this chapter, the authors verify the model result extracted from SI leakage vulnerability weak index by applying the proposed model to an actual incident that occurred in South Korea in January 2014.

Findings

– The paper provides vulnerability result and vulnerability index. They are depends on SI state in information systems.

Originality/value

– The authors identify and define four core variables related to SI leakage: SI, security policy, and leakage channel and value of SI. The authors simplify the SI leakage problem. The authors propose a SI leakage vulnerability model.
Information Externalities, Neighborhood Characteristics and Home Mortgage Pricing and Underwriting
Authors: Voicu Ioan , Paley Irina , Lopez Andres E. , Fang Irene
Published: January 2015

Theories of rational redlining suggest thinness in housing markets should lead to greater uncertainty in house price appraisals, increasing mortgage denial rates or pricing. Empirical tests found support for this theory in mortgage underwriting using 1990s data. Using 2006 data and bank‐specific regression models, we revisit this topic in light of two developments leading to the recent mortgage bubble: the widespread securitization that allowed banks to shift loan risk to investors and the advent of risk‐based pricing. Consistent with expectations, we find that information externalities have become economically very small and have shifted from underwriting to pricing decisions.
Surface Properties of Heat‐Induced Soluble Soy Protein Aggregates of Different Molecular Masses
Authors: Guo Fengxian , Xiong Youling L. , Qin Fang , Jian Huajun , Huang Xiaolin , Chen Jie
Published: January 2015

Suspensions (2% and 5%, w/v) of soy protein isolate (SPI) were heated at 80, 90, or 100 °C for different time periods to produce soluble aggregates of different molecular sizes to investigate the relationship between particle size and surface properties (emulsions and foams). Soluble aggregates generated in these model systems were characterized by gel permeation chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Heat treatment increased surface hydrophobicity, induced SPI aggregation via hydrophobic interaction and disulfide bonds, and formed soluble aggregates of different sizes. Heating of 5% SPI always promoted large‐size aggregate (LA; >1000 kDa) formation irrespective of temperature, whereas the aggregate size distribution in 2% SPI was temperature dependent: the LA fraction progressively rose with temperature (80→90→100 °C), corresponding to the attenuation of medium‐size aggregates (MA; 670 to 1000 kDa) initially abundant at 80 °C. Heated SPI with abundant LA (>50%) promoted foam stability. LA also exhibited excellent emulsifying activity and stabilized emulsions by promoting the formation of small oil droplets covered with a thick interfacial protein layer. However, despite a similar influence on emulsion stability, MA enhanced foaming capacity but were less capable of stabilizing emulsions than LA. The functionality variation between heated SPI samples is clearly related to the distribution of aggregates that differ in molecular size and surface activity. The findings may encourage further research to develop functional SPI aggregates for various commercial applications.
Changes of Quality in the Fruits of Prunus mume during Deacidification by Fermentation with Lactobacillus Fermentium
Authors: Yu Yuanshan , Xiao Gengsheng , Xu Yujuan , Wu Jijun , Zhang Yousheng , Chen Weidong
Published: January 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of quality attributes of Prunus mume fruits during deacidification using the fermentation of Lactobacillus fermentium. Results of HPLC analysis showed that the sucrose and glucose were dominant sugars, and citric acid was dominant organic acids in P. mume fruits. The level of citric acid reaches 39.3 g/kg, and yet the sucrose and glucose content in the P. mume fruits was very lower, which were 2.16 and 0.66 g/L, respectively. After 8 d of fermentation, sugar and citric acid in the P. mume fruits was completely consumed, and the total phenolics, antioxidant activity (oxygen radical absorbance capacity value), and sarcocarp firmness retained 64.4%, 70.0%, 62.6%, respectively. Also, the viability counts of L. fermentium in fermentation broth increased slowly, which were near 8.0 lg CFU/mL after 8 d of fermentation at 30 °C. Overall, fermentation with L. fermentium can be applied in deacidification of P. mume fruits, and also the fermented P. mume fruits can meet the standard to be further processed into prune or sauces, and the fermentation broth of P. mume fruits with L. fermentium have a good prospect in the development of probiotic beverage.