bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
C ion-implanted TiO2 thin film for photocatalytic applications
Authors: Impellizzeri G. , Scuderi V. , Romano L. , Napolitani E. , Sanz R. , Carles R. , Privitera V.
Published: March 2015

Third-generation TiO2 photocatalysts were prepared by implantation of C+ ions into 110 nm thick TiO2 films. An accurate structural investigation was performed by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, secondary ion mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, Raman-luminescence spectroscopy, and UV/VIS optical characterization. The C doping locally modified the TiO2 pure films, lowering the band-gap energy from 3.3 eV to a value of 1.8 eV, making the material sensitive to visible light. The synthesized materials are photocatalytically active in the degradation of organic compounds in water under both UV and visible light irradiation, without the help of any additional thermal treatment. These results increase the understanding of the C-doped titanium dioxide, helpful for future environmental applications.
Distinguished Lecture: Social structure, narrative and explanation
Authors: Haslanger Sally
Published: March 2015

Recent work on social injustice has focused on implicit bias as an important factor in explaining persistent injustice in spite of achievements on civil rights. In this paper, I argue that because of its individualism, implicit bias explanation, taken alone, is inadequate to explain ongoing injustice; and, more importantly, it fails to call attention to what is morally at stake. An adequate account of how implicit bias functions must situate it within a broader theory of social structures and structural injustice; changing structures is often a precondition for changing patterns of thought and action and is certainly required for durable change.
The daidzein- and estradiol- induced anorectic action in CCK or leptin receptor deficiency rats
Authors: Fujitani Mina , Mizushige Takafumi , Bhattarai Keshab , Iwahara Asami , Aida Ryojiro , Kishida Taro
Published: March 2015

We investigated the effect of daidzein feeding and estradiol treatment on food intake in cholecystokinin-1 receptor (CCK1R) deficiency, leptin receptor (ObRb) deficiency rats and their wild-type rats. These rats underwent an ovariectomy or a sham operation. For the 5 week experiment, each rat was divided in three groups: control, daidzein (150 mg/kg diet), and estradiol (4.2 μg/rat/day) groups. In both CCK1R+ and CCK1R− rats, daidzein feeding and estradiol treatment significantly decreased food intake. Daidzein feeding significantly reduced food intake in ovariectomized ObRb− rats, although not in ObRb+ rats. Estradiol treatment significantly lowered food intake in ovariectomized ObRb+ and ObRb− rats. In the ovariectomized rats, estradiol treatment significantly increases uterine weight, while daidzein feeding did not change it, suggesting that daidzein might have no or weak estrogenic effect in our experiment. These results suggest that CCK1R and ObRb signalings were not essential for the daidzein- and estradiol-induced anorectic action.
The Role of Surface-Based Representations of Shape in Visual Object Recognition
Authors: Reppa Irene , Greville W. James , Leek E. Charles
Published: March 2015

This study contrasted the role of surfaces and volumetric shape primitives in three-dimensional object recognition. Observers ( N = 50) matched subsets of closed contour fragments, surfaces, or volumetric parts to whole novel objects during a whole–part matching task. Three factors were further manipulated: part viewpoint (either same or different between component parts and whole objects), surface occlusion (comparison parts contained either visible surfaces only, or a surface that was fully or partially occluded in the whole object), and target–distractor similarity. Similarity was varied in terms of systematic variation in nonaccidental (NAP) or metric (MP) properties of individual parts. Analysis of sensitivity ( d′) showed a whole–part matching advantage for surface-based parts and volumes over closed contour fragments—but no benefit for volumetric parts over surfaces. We also found a performance cost in matching volumetric parts to wholes when the volumes showed surfaces that were occluded in the whole object. The same pattern was found for both same and different viewpoints, and regardless of target–distractor similarity. These findings challenge models in which recognition is mediated by volumetric part-based shape representations. Instead, we argue that the results are consistent with a surface-based model of high-level shape representation for recognition.
On the boundedness of certain bilinear oscillatory integral operators
Authors: Rodríguez-López Salvador , Rule David , Staubach Wolfgang
Published: March 2015

We prove the global

L
2

×

L
2

→

L
1

L^2 \times L^2 \to L^1

boundedness of bilinear oscillatory integral operators with amplitudes satisfying a Hörmander-type condition and phases satisfying appropriate growth as well as the strong non-degeneracy conditions. This is an extension of the corresponding result of R. Coifman and Y. Meyer for bilinear pseudodifferential operators, to the case of oscillatory integral operators.
MUGBAS: a species free gene-based programme suite for post-GWAS analysis
Authors: Capomaccio S. , Milanesi M. , Bomba L. , Vajana E. , Ajmone-Marsan P.
Published: March 2015

Genome Wide Association Studies between molecular markers and phenotypes are now routinely run in model and non-model species. However, tools to estimate the probability of association of functional units (e.g. genes) containing multiple markers are not developed for species other than humans. Here we introduce MUGBAS (MUlti species Gene-Based Association Suite), software that estimates the P-value of a gene using information on annotation, single marker GWA results and genotype. The software is species and annotation independent, fast, highly parallelized and ready for high-density marker studies.

Availability and implementation: https://bitbucket.org/capemaster/mugbas

Contact:  capemaster@gmail.com
Acinetobacter Infections and Outcomes at an Academic Medical Center: A Disease of Long-Term Care
Authors: Townsend Jennifer , Park An Na , Gander Rita , Orr Kathleen , Arocha Doramarie , Zhang Song , Greenberg David E.
Published: March 2015

Background.  Our study aims to describe the epidemiology, microbial resistance patterns, and clinical outcomes of Acinetobacter infections at an academic university hospital. This retrospective study analyzed all inpatient clinical isolates of Acinetobacter collected at an academic medical center over 4 years. The data were obtained from an Academic tertiary referral center between January 2008 and December 2011. All consecutive inpatients during the study period who had a clinical culture positive for Acinetobacter were included in the study. Patients without medical records available for review or less than 18 years of age were excluded.

Methods.  Records were reviewed to determine source of isolation, risk factors for acquisition, drug resistance patterns, and clinical outcomes. Repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction of selected banked isolates was used to determine patterns of clonal spread in and among institutions during periods of higher infection rates.

Results.  Four hundred eighty-seven clinical isolates of Acinetobacter were found in 212 patients (in 252 admissions). Patients with Acinetobacter infections were frequently admitted from healthcare facilities (HCFs) (59%). One hundred eighty-three of 248 (76%) initial isolates tested were resistant to meropenem. One hundred ninety-eight of 249 (79.5%) initial isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR). Factors associated with mortality included bacteremia (odds ratio [OR] = 1.93, P = .024), concomitant steroid use (OR = 2.87, P < .001), admission from a HCF (OR = 6.34, P = .004), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR = 3.17, P < .001).

Conclusions.  Acinetobacter isolates at our institution are frequently MDR and are more common among those who reside in HCFs. Our findings underline the need for new strategies to prevent and treat this pathogen, including stewardship efforts in long-term care settings.
Lensing time delays as a substructure constraint: a case study with the cluster SDSS J1004+4112
Authors: Mohammed Irshad , Saha Prasenjit , Liesenborgs Jori
Published: March 2015

Gravitational lensing time delays are well known to depend on cosmological parameters, but they also depend on the details of the mass distribution of the lens. It is usual to model the mass distribution and use time-delay observations to infer cosmological parameters, but it is naturally also possible to take the cosmological parameters as given and use time delays as constraints on the mass distribution. In this paper we develop a method of isolating what exactly those constraints are, using a principal-components analysis of ensembles of free-form mass models. We find that time delays provide tighter constraints on the distribution of matter in the very highly dense regions of the lensing clusters. We apply it to the cluster lens SDSS J1004+4112, whose rich lensing data include two time delays. We find, assuming a concordance cosmology, that the time delays constrain the central region of the cluster to be rounder and less lopsided than would be allowed by lensed images alone. This detailed information about the distribution of the matter is very useful for studying the dense regions of the galaxy clusters which are very difficult to study by direct measurements. A further time-delay measurement, which is expected, will make this system even more interesting.
Fibromyalgia Survey Criteria Are Associated with Increased Postoperative Opioid Consumption in Women Undergoing Hysterectomy
Authors: Janda Allison M. , As-Sanie Sawsan , Rajala Baskar , Tsodikov Alex , Moser Stephanie E. , Clauw Daniel J. , Brummett Chad M.
Published: March 2015

AbstractAbstract

In 208 women undergoing hysterectomy, higher scores on a fibromyalgia survey were independently associated with increased opioid consumption after accounting for known risk factors. This fibromyalgia survey may be useful in identifying individuals at high risk for increased opioid consumption after surgery.

Background:

The current study was designed to test the hypothesis that the fibromyalgia survey criteria would be directly associated with increased opioid consumption after hysterectomy even when accounting for other factors previously described as being predictive for acute postoperative pain.

Methods:

Two hundred eight adult patients undergoing hysterectomy between October 2011 and December 2013 were phenotyped preoperatively with the use of validated self-reported questionnaires including the 2011 fibromyalgia survey criteria, measures of pain severity and descriptors, psychological measures, preoperative opioid use, and health information. The primary outcome was the total postoperative opioid consumption converted to oral morphine equivalents.

Results:

Higher fibromyalgia survey scores were significantly associated with worse preoperative pain characteristics, including higher pain severity, more neuropathic pain, greater psychological distress, and more preoperative opioid use. In a multivariate linear regression model, the fibromyalgia survey score was independently associated with increased postoperative opioid consumption, with an increase of 7-mg oral morphine equivalents for every 1-point increase on the 31-point measure (Estimate, 7.0; Standard Error, 1.7; P < 0.0001). In addition to the fibromyalgia survey score, multivariate analysis showed that more severe medical comorbidity, catastrophizing, laparotomy surgical approach, and preoperative opioid use were also predictive of increased postoperative opioid consumption.

Conclusions:

As was previously demonstrated in a total knee and hip arthroplasty cohort, this study demonstrated that increased fibromyalgia survey scores were predictive of postoperative opioid consumption in the posthysterectomy surgical population during their hospital stay. By demonstrating the generalizability in a second surgical cohort, these data suggest that patients with fibromyalgia-like characteristics may require a tailored perioperative analgesic regimen.
Comparison of Treatment Outcomes of Different Spermatic Vein Ligation Procedures in Varicocele Treatment
Authors: Lv Jin-Xing , Wang Liang-Liang , Wei Xue-Dong , Zhang Zhen , Zheng Tian-Lan , Huang Yu-Hua , Zhou Jian , Xia Fei , Pu Jin-Xian
Published: March 2015

In this study, 4 different spermatic vein ligation procedures for varicocele (VC) treatment were compared based on recurrence rate, postoperative complications, and semen quality. Between January 2012 and May 2013, a total of 345 male patients with VC were recruited at The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. Patients were performed by different ligation procedures, and they were divided into 4 groups: laparoscopic varicocelectomy group (LV group: n = 84), microscopic inguinal varicocelectomy group (MIV group: n = 85), microscopic retroperitoneal varicocelectomy group (MRV group: n = 86), and microscopic subinguinal varicocelectomy group (MSV group: n = 90). In MSV group, the operative time was 55 ± 6.9 minutes, which was significantly longer than LV, MIV, and MRV groups (P < 0.05). Recurrence rate in LV group was at 11.9%, the highest rate observed compared with the MIV, MRV, and MSV groups (P < 0.05). Scrotal edema and testicular atrophy in MSV group were markedly decreased (P < 0.05), and scrotal pain was relieved in almost all patients in the MSV group at a significantly higher rate than LV, MIV, and MRV groups (P < 0.05). Sperm concentration, sperm count of grades a + b, and sperm motility (%) in the MSV group were sharply higher than LV, MIV, and MRV groups (all P < 0.05). Our study indicates that MSV is the most beneficial of the 4 spermatic vein ligation procedures and may be offered as the first-line treatment for VC in infertile men.
Hymenobacter wooponensis sp. nov., isolated from wetland freshwater
Authors: Kang Joo Won , Lee Ji Hee , Baik Keun Sik , Lee Sang Suk , Seong Chi Nam
Published: March 2015

A non-motile and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain WM78T, was isolated from freshwater collected from the Woopo wetland (Republic of Korea). Cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. The major fatty acids were iso-C15
:0, anteiso-C15
:0, C16
:1ω7c and/or C16
:1ω6c and iso-C17
:1 I and/or anteiso-C17
:1 B. The strain contained MK-7 as the major isoprenoid quinone, phosphatidylethanolamine as the major polar lipid and sym-homospermidine as the major polyamine. The genomic DNA G+C content was 62 mol%. A phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain WM78T forms evolutionary lineage within the radiation comprising members of the genus Hymenobacter with Hymenobacter gelipurpurascens Txg1T (97.7 % sequence similarity) as its nearest neighbour. A number of phenotypic characteristics distinguished strain WM78T from related members of the genus Hymenobacter. The evidence presented in this study support the designation of strain WM78T as a representative of a novel species in the genus Hymenobacter for which the name Hymenbactor wooponensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is WM78T ( = KCTC 32528T = JCM 19491T).
Cell Wall Maturation of Arabidopsis Trichomes Is Dependent on Exocyst Subunit EXO70H4 and Involves Callose Deposition
Authors: Kulich Ivan , Vojtíková Zdeňka , Glanc Matou¡ , Ortmannová Jitka , Rasmann Sergio , Žárský Viktor
Published: March 2015

Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaf trichomes are single-cell structures with a well-studied development, but little is understood about their function. Developmental studies focused mainly on the early shaping stages, and little attention has been paid to the maturation stage. We focused on the EXO70H4 exocyst subunit, one of the most up-regulated genes in the mature trichome. We uncovered EXO70H4-dependent development of the secondary cell wall layer, highly autofluorescent and callose rich, deposited only in the upper part of the trichome. The boundary is formed between the apical and the basal parts of mature trichome by a callose ring that is also deposited in an EXO70H4-dependent manner. We call this structure the Ortmannian ring (OR). Both the secondary cell wall layer and the OR are absent in the exo70H4 mutants. Ecophysiological aspects of the trichome cell wall thickening include interference with antiherbivore defense and heavy metal accumulation. Ultraviolet B light induces EXO70H4 transcription in a CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1-dependent way, resulting in stimulation of trichome cell wall thickening and the OR biogenesis. EXO70H4-dependent trichome cell wall hardening is a unique phenomenon, which may be conserved among a variety of the land plants. Our analyses support a concept that Arabidopsis trichome is an excellent model to study molecular mechanisms of secondary cell wall deposition.
From business process management to customer process management
Authors: Trkman Peter , Mertens Willem , Viaene Stijn , Gemmel Paul
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to argue that in order to achieve customer centricity through business process management (BPM), companies have to obtain the profound understanding of customers’ processes and when necessary change not only the interactions with but also the processes of their customers. A method is presented that allows doing this in a systematic manner.

Design/methodology/approach

– A case study of a large multinational company was conducted. Several different sources and methods were used, including document analysis, interviews and a qualitative analysis of responses to open-ended questions. Data were gathered at three points in time: before, during and after the implementation of the presented approach.

Findings

– The method that was successfully employed by the case organisation consisted of combining BPM with service blueprinting, and of extending these efforts by integrating the customers’ internal processes into the scope of improvement.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper does not thoroughly evaluate the long-term effects of the proposed approach. Some results of the case study analysis had to be excluded from this paper due to reasons of confidentiality.

Practical implications

– The paper presents an approach for organisations to not only understand the needs of their customers but also the way in which their product is used in customers’ processes. In this way BPM can be implemented in a truly customer-oriented way.

Originality/value

– This paper extends previous work by presenting one way in which BPM can follow up on its promise of increasing an organisations customer orientation. While servitisation has received a lot of attention in various disciplines, its application within BPM research and practice has been scarce.
Improving the efficiency of public administrations through business process reengineering and simulation
Authors: Rinaldi Marta , Montanari Roberto , Bottani Eleonora
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a business process reengineering (BPR) approach to a public administration of Italy, to first assess the efficiency of the administration, then to redesign its internal processes, to improve the current performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– A detailed mapping of the AS IS processes of the public administration was initially carried out, together with the collection of the relevant data. Then, a simulation model was designed to support the BPR approach. In particular, the model was exploited to assess the performance of the AS IS scenario of the organization, then to investigate numerous TO BE process configurations and evaluate the achievable performance improvements.

Findings

– From the study, it emerged that the current efficiency level of the public administration examined has potentials to be significantly improved. For instance, by maintaining its current workforce, the public administration could consider the opportunity of providing additional services to the citizens or to serve citizens from the neighbouring municipalities. Otherwise, the organization could consider a reorganization and reduction of its current workforce, at the same time keeping the service level to its citizens almost unchanged.

Research limitations/implications

– Results of this study cannot be fully generalized, since the whole analysis is grounded on specific public administration. Moreover, although the simulation outcomes of the TO BE processes show interesting improvements compared to the AS IS scenario, the TO BE configurations were not (yet) implemented in practice. Therefore, the results provided should be confirmed in future research activities.

Practical implications

– The case study allowed deriving some useful guidelines to improve the efficiency of the public administration examined, as well as to identify some TO BE configurations that could be implemented in practice.

Originality/value

– Scientific literature includes a limited number of studies that evaluate the efficiency of public organizations in real contexts. Moreover, no studies target public administrations in Italy. Therefore, this case study represents an interesting addition to the literature.
Corporate social responsibility in emerging markets: case studies of Spanish MNCs in Latin America
Authors: Lopez Belen , Fornes Gaston
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to analyse corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in emerging markets (EMs) from developed countries-based multinational companies (MNCs).

Design/methodology/approach

– The analysis is based on eight case studies with data collected through in-depth interviews with senior managers of the companies representing 85 per cent of the Spanish foreign investments in Latin America.

Findings

– The findings tend to indicate that instrumental theories of CSR seem to apply for Western MNCs operating in EMs. CSR initiatives from these companies seem to be guided by instrumental theories, as they use these initiatives as a strategic tool to achieve economic objectives, seek a positive relation between them and their financial performance and use them to strengthen their reputation.

Research limitations/implications

– The results of this article resulted from an in-depth analysis of case studies with data collected from a carefully selected theoretical sample with data analysed by following well-established methods like coding, triangulation and pattern matching. This combination was designed to minimise possible concerns in these areas, and as a consequence to strengthen the research design and, therefore, the conclusions of the paper. Measures were taken to minimise possible concerns in this area. The companies were selected for theoretical, not statistical, reasons with the aim to replicate or extend emergent theories, which is one of the main objectives of the research.

Practical implications

– Companies are using CSR in EMs as a strategic tool to achieve economic objectives (the main principle behind instrumental theories). MNCs seek a positive relation between CSR initiatives in EMs and their financial performance (also a key principle within instrumental theories). Companies in the sample develop CSR initiatives, including those in EMs, to increase their legitimacy as part of their global reputation rather to deal with host country challenges. Finally, MNCs actively manage stakeholders to strengthen their local reputation as a means to improve financial performance.

Social implications

– Instrumental theories of CSR seem to apply for Western MNCs operating in EMs. These findings highlight the need to continue the study of CSR from Western MNCs in Ems, as the vast majority of academic literature relates to the characteristics of social responsibility initiatives in developed economies.

Originality/value

– Instrumental theories apply in a global market for MNCs; in this case, Spanish companies operating in more than 30 countries with a global strategy in CSR and similar objectives.
How knowledge flows in university-industry relations
Authors: Dalmarco Gustavo , Zawislak Paulo Antônio , Hulsink Willem , Brambilla Flávio
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to characterize the knowledge flow between companies and universities based on national and sectoral systems of innovation perspective. It is argued here that high-tech sectors can describe a knowledge flow mainly based on scientific research, while sectors with lower technological impact may establish relations based on technical needs.

Design/methodology/approach

– A case study research was conducted in the horticulture and aerospace sectors in Brazil. Thirteen interviews were performed with chief executive officer’s and academic researchers from both fields.

Findings

– Results demonstrated differences in technology development and knowledge infrastructure when comparing both sectors, reflecting the impacts of national and sectoral systems of innovation. The horticulture sector presented technological limitations due to restricted eating habits, logistics, knowledge development at universities and difficulties on the establishment of partnerships between local companies and Embrapa, the main public research centre. Such restrictions limit academic activities while companies look for research partnerships abroad. Space industry also has limited technological development due to international embargoes and lack of research alignment between companies and universities. Companies end up developing research activities internally, usually funded by governmental tenders.

Research limitations/implications

– The horticulture sector has limitations, as it is not the main agriculture area in science and technology applications. Future studies may analyse areas like soy beans, sugar cane and coffee, which may present differences specially regarding sectoral systems of innovation.

Originality/value

– The finding of this paper may influence the review of sectoral innovation policies, improving the development of local research activities which may be a source of valuable knowledge to companies. It also demonstrates the importance of the knowledge flow to improve sector’s technology level.
On the determinants of firm leverage: evidence from a structural estimation
Authors: Menichini Amilcar
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the phenomena of convergence and stability of leverage reported by Lemmon et al. (2008).

Design/methodology/approach

– A dynamic trade-off model of the firm was used to simulate investment, leverage, and payout decisions for different types of firms. From an econometric standpoint, the Efficient Method of Moments was used to recover the structural parameters.

Findings

– The structural model generates a leverage ratio that oscillates around a long-run, time-invariant level and consistently reproduces the convergence and stability of leverage reported by Lemmon et al. (2008). The model also suggests the causes of those observed properties of the data. That is, convergence is due to the mean-reversion of profits while stability is due to the different fundamental characteristics (e.g. capital elasticity, volatility of profits, etc.) of the firm.

Practical implications

– Determining the optimal capital structure of a firm is a complex problem that has challenged academics and practitioners for a long time. Understanding leverage decisions is of great importance not only for financial managers, but also for investors, such as banks, debt-holders, equity-holders, and other capital providers, who need to understand how firms make capital structure decisions in order to achieve an efficient allocation of funds.

Originality/value

– The author shows that the firm-specific fixed effects in leverage regressions are not related to the usual determinants (e.g. profitability, market-to-book ratio), but to the primitive characteristics of the firm (e.g. elasticity of capital in the production function, the volatility of profits, the capital depreciation rate, the income tax rate, etc.)
Risk management for a tailings re-mining project in Ghana
Authors: Famiyeh Samuel , Adaku Ebenezer , Kissi-Mensah Laud , Amoatey Charles Teye
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– Proper risk management is a critical requirement for the success of every project. This is, to a large extent, due to the role risk plays in determining project outcomes. The mining sector usually is linked with high environmental, social and economic risks. Hence, the process of systematic risk management applied to a single case study of a tailings re-mining project in Ghana holds the potential for invaluable insights on risk management in the mining sector. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Mining organization experts were asked to identify project risks, and 50 staff from the organization were invited to make subjective assessments of the probability of occurrence and consequences for each of 15 identified risks. From this assessment, a risk severity matrix was developed.

Findings

– The findings show that the most severe risks for a tailings re-mining project include spillage caused by leakage from pipes; vandalism by illegal mining operators; late deliveries of mining materials; the effect of rainfall; and failure to gain project approval from the Environmental Protection Agency. Risk treatment options are suggested for these risks.

Research limitations/implications

– The study is limited to only the risk issues associated with tailings re-mining projects.

Practical implications

– Practically, this study highlights for mining companies and operators, the critical risks factors that militate against successful tailings re-mining projects.

Social implications

– This study, essentially, reveals the threat of illegal mining operations to such an important project and hence the need for strong security to avoid such threats.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the debate on the risk factors that affect tailings re-mining, especially, from a developing country’s point of view.
Where is intentionality in studying project delays?
Authors: Eizakshiri Farhad , Chan Paul W. , Emsley Margaret W.
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– In this paper, the dominant techno-rational view of studying delays in projects is challenged. In so doing, the purpose of this paper is to urge for more attention paid to studying the intentionalities of the planners involved in planning the schedule for projects.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, the authors take a critical approach to review a range of literatures related to the concept of project delays. Through this review, the authors render the relative absence of acknowledging intentionality in the study of delays problematic. Therefore, the authors inject fresh insights into how intentionality can play a crucial role in advancing the understanding of project delays.

Findings

– Prevailing research tends to assume the primacy of the project plan and conceptualise delays as a consequence of flawed execution. The review offers three possibilities for reconceptualising delays as a consequence of flawed plans. In so doing, the authors refocus the attention on how intentionality could play a crucial role in shaping “inaccurate” plans, which in turn could lead to the creation of delays.

Research limitations/implications

– As a consequence of this review paper, the authors invite scholarship into project delays to move away from finding “cause-and-effect” mechanisms to attend more closely to the role intentionality plays in creating delays, whether intended, unintended, or imagined.

Originality/value

– This paper brings intentionality to the fore to challenge the assumptions over the nature of delays. In so doing, the review expands the understanding of project delays by incorporating unintended, intended, and imaginary perspectives.
The competence loop
Authors: Medina Rolf , Medina Alicia
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– Knowledge-intensive organizations tend to be project intensive having many projects of different size and importance. In this context, competence evolves through projects. The purpose of this paper is to identify the mechanisms that steers competence management in these kinds of organizations and also the factors that are involved in the human capital contribution to competitive advantage in relation to the interaction between parent organizations and projects.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study has a contingency theory perspective and consists of a literature search in the following domains: project-intensive organizations, knowledge-intensive organizations, competence management, human resource management and dynamic capabilities and learning.

Findings

– The main contribution of this study is the theoretical framework derived from different domains. The framework is called the competence loop and explains how projects generate competence that the parent organization can either exploit in further activities or use for strategy adjustment. It also explains how an organization can use learning strategies to support competence exploration/exploitation. Another contribution is the description of the relationship between dynamic capabilities and organizational learning in project-intensive organizations.

Research limitations/implications

– This paper is a conceptual paper intended to create a base for further empirical studies.

Originality/value

– The paper combines different domains to define a framework that is a new approach to competence management in a project-parent organizational context. The framework includes learning and competence management characteristics and has both theoretical and practical value.
Integration of contractors skills and expertise as part of the people capability of complex project based organisations
Authors: Taylor David , Walker Derek H.T. , Maqsood Tayyab
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this Thesis Research Note (TRN) paper is to provide a summary of key aspects of a recently completed and passed PhD thesis. It enables readers who may be interested in the thesis topic to gain an overview of that work and a link to the entire thesis through a URL link http://researchbank.rmit.edu.au/eserv/rmit:160896/Taylor.pdf. The second main purpose of this TRN is to explain the thesis author’s doctoral journey.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research approach discussed in relation to the reported upon PhD was soft systems methodology and sensemaking. The approach for the paper is to provide a reflective narrative to explain the lived experience of the authors throughout the candidate’s doctoral journey.

Findings

– Findings from the PhD are summarised. The contribution to theory about practice, for practice and theory in practice is identified and the use of coding interview transcripts as an additional tool to be used in developing rich pictures is also discussed.

Research limitations/implications

– The research reported upon is limited to a specific context and while conclusions cannot be generalised they can be used to better frame further context-specific studies.

Originality/value

– The TRN provides a highly individualised account of a doctoral journey but it is intended to contribute to the growing body of TRNs published in this journal that in turn may inform decisions relating to candidates embarking on a doctoral journey.
Paper mill plant performance evaluation with power supply in standby mode
Authors: Ram Mangey , Kumar Amit
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the performance of paper mill plant, which is a very key factor in improving its production. A number of safety challenges can be successfully fixed for a paper mill to continue to make further improvements in reliability, safety and economics. Many incidents in the paper mill plants are frequently caused by human error and equipment failure. Many of the incidents are generally based on poor managerial strategies. These types of errors could have been prevented if safety instructions had been correctly followed and supported in the maintenance system.

Design/methodology/approach

– A paper mill plant mainly consists four sections namely the head box, wire part, press part and dryer. All these four parts are connected in series configuration. The authors have developed a mathematical model for the plant in which power supply is in standby mode. The designed system can fail in five ways, i.e. by the failure of head box failure, wire part failure, press part failure, dryer failure and power (electricity) failure. So to make proper functioning of paper machine and no interruption in power supply, the authors have considered that power supply is in standby mode.

Findings

– Using the supplementary variable technique, the Laplace transformations and Markov process theory, the reliability indices of the paper mill plant model are determined.

Originality/value

– In the present paper, the authors have developed a mathematical model based on a paper plant machine.
Perceived service quality and satisfaction of self-service technology
Authors: Narteh Bedman
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose and investigate the dimensions of automated teller machine (ATM) service quality and their relationship with customer satisfaction in the retail banking sector.

Design/methodology/approach

– A structured questionnaire gleaned from the literature was used to collect data from 530 ATM customers of 15 banks in Ghana. Descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis were used to identify the dimensions of ATM service quality and their relationship with customer satisfaction.

Findings

– The study found convenience, reliability, ease of use, privacy and security, responsiveness and fulfillment to be the major dimensions of ATM service quality. Apart from security and privacy, these dimensions are significantly related to customer satisfaction.

Practical implications

– The ATM quality dimensions found in this study provide practical guidelines for bank managers to improve customer experience with ATMs. The relative importance of the factors identified in the study also provide managers with a sense of what issues to focus on in order to improve service delivery through the ATMs.

Originality/value

– The ATM service quality dimensions found in this study have enriched knowledge in electronic banking usage in developing countries such as Ghana. In addition, the study also provides bank managers with insights into how to improve customer satisfaction in retail banking through the usage of ATMs.
A review of inventory lot sizing review papers
Authors: Bushuev Maxim A , Guiffrida Alfred , Jaber M. Y. , Khan Mehmood
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to give a comprehensive review, summary, and discussion on inventory models that have appeared in the literature. During these past ten decades, no seminal paper reviewing the field of inventory lot sizing has even been published. This limitation has been identified in the literature by several researchers over the years, with the sheer volume of the number of published inventory lot sizing models acting as a factor which has limited a research endeavor to review the literature on inventory lot sizing models.

Design/methodology/approach

– This article reviews research on inventory lot size models and provides a review of previously published literature review papers on inventory models. Based on this initial review, the literature extending current research practices on inventory modeling in supply chains and in sustainable practices is presented. Directions for expanding research in these two areas are examined in light of concerns expressed in the historical use of inventory models and in light of a new inventory research paradigm.

Findings

– In our paper, we have adopted a novel strategy to overcome this limitation by focusing our review on a review of inventory lot sizing review papers.

Originality/value

– By adopting the methodology of reviewing published inventory review papers, we can contribute a comprehensive review of the inventory lot sizing literature that serves to provide in one paper a consolidation of inventory research that can serve as a single source to keep researchers up to date with the research developments in inventory lot sizing models. We also identify gaps in the field which could stimulate new research agendas in the areas of supply chain management and sustainable inventory practices.
In good company
Authors: Madden Laura , Mathias Blake D. , Madden Timothy M.
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to explore the relationships among perceived organizational support, positive relationships at work and intent to turnover through a social exchange theory lens. The main contribution of this paper is the investigation of different types of positive workplace relationships on employee withdrawal behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

– A 49-item survey was developed through a review of literature related to positive workplace relationships and intent to turnover. Surveys were made available to 200 healthcare employees; 73 surveys were accurately completed and used to test a mediated model of positive relationships at work.

Findings

– Positive relationships at work were found to have a mediating effect between perceived organizational support and intent to turnover. Additionally, perceived organizational support was found to have direct and indirect effects on intent to turnover.

Practical implications

– Managers can affect employees’ intentions to turnover by improving practices that provide support to employees and encouraging positive relationships with coworkers. Additional literature related to our variables of interest suggests that employees perceive more support when their organizations offer commensurate rewards, opportunities for growth and participation in decision making.

Originality/value

– This study speaks to those researchers and managers interested in employees’ motivations for staying in or leaving from their organizations. Turnover and related withdrawal behaviors are expensive for organizations, so discovering the factors that members value offers organizations the ability to affect their members’ intentions to turnover. Additionally, the exploration of relationships between perceived organizational support and positive relationships at work suggests that different support mechanisms play different roles in affecting organizational and individual outcomes.
Serum omentin levels: A possible contribution to vascular involvement in patients with systemic sclerosis
Authors: Miura Shunsuke , Asano Yoshihide , Saigusa Ryosuke , Yamashita Takashi , Taniguchi Takashi , Takahashi Takehiro , Ichimura Yohei , Toyama Tetsuo , Tamaki Zenshiro , Tada Yayoi , Sugaya Makoto , Sato Shinichi , Kadono Takafumi
Published: March 2015

Adipokines have been shown to be potentially involved in various pathological processes of systemic sclerosis (SSc), including inflammation, vasculopathy and fibrosis, through their pleiotropic effects. Omentin is a member of the adipokines, and has a protective effect against vascular inflammation and pathological remodeling leading to atherosclerosis as well as a vasodilatory effect. To assess the potential role of omentin in the development of SSc, we determined serum omentin levels by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in 66 SSc and 21 control subjects and evaluated their clinical correlation. Serum omentin levels were significantly decreased in diffuse cutaneous SSc patients compared with limited cutaneous SSc patients, while comparable between total SSc patients and healthy controls. In diffuse cutaneous (dc)SSc, patients with a disease duration of 5 years or less had serum omentin levels significantly lower than those with a disease duration of more than 5 years. In total SSc, serum omentin levels were significantly higher in patients with elevated right ventricular systolic pressure than in the others, while serum omentin levels did not correlate with fibrotic and systemic inflammatory parameters. These results suggest that a loss of omentin‐dependent protection against vascular inflammation and remodeling may be related to pathological vascular events of early dcSSc. The elevation of serum omentin levels may serve as a marker of vascular involvement leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension in SSc, which is possibly due to the compensatory induction of omentin against the increased pulmonary vascular tone.
Tinea nigra showing a parallel ridge pattern on dermoscopy
Authors: Noguchi Hiromitsu , Hiruma Masataro , Inoue Yuji , Miyata Keishi , Tanaka Masaru , Ihn Hironobu
Published: March 2015

An 18‐year‐old healthy female student noticed a brown macule measuring 21 mm in diameter on the left palm and visited our clinic concerned about a cancerous mole. Dermoscopic examination revealed a brown, fine‐dotted and granule‐like structure overlapping an amorphous light brown macule. However, unlike previous cases, analysis of the high dynamic range‐converted image revealed the parallel ridge pattern frequently observed in malignant melanomas. Brown mycelia were detected on direct microscopic examination; black colonies were isolated on fungal culture and the fungus was identified as Hortaea werneckii. The lesion was treated with topical ketoconazole cream, and it diminished 1 month later.
Calibrating animal‐borne proximity loggers
Authors: Rutz Christian , Morrissey Michael B. , Burns Zackory T. , Burt John , Otis Brian , St Clair James J. H. , James Richard
Published: March 2015

Growing interest in the structure and dynamics of animal social networks has stimulated efforts to develop automated tracking technologies that can reliably record encounters in free‐ranging subjects. A particularly promising approach is the use of animal‐attached ‘proximity loggers’, which collect data on the incidence, duration and proximity of spatial associations through inter‐logger radio communication. While proximity logging is based on a straightforward physical principle – the attenuation of propagating radio waves with distance – calibrating systems for field deployment is challenging, since most study species roam across complex, heterogeneous environments.

In this study, we calibrated a recently developed digital proximity‐logging system (‘Encounternet’) for deployment on a wild population of New Caledonian crows Corvus moneduloides. Our principal objective was to establish a quantitative model that enables robust post hoc estimation of logger‐to‐logger (and, hence, crow‐to‐crow) distances from logger‐recorded signal‐strength values. To achieve an accurate description of the radio communication between crow‐borne loggers, we conducted a calibration exercise that combines theoretical analyses, field experiments, statistical modelling, behavioural observations, and computer simulations.

We show that, using signal‐strength information only, it is possible to assign crow encounters reliably to predefined distance classes, enabling powerful analyses of social dynamics. For example, raw data sets from field‐deployed loggers can be filtered at the analysis stage to include predominantly encounters where crows would have come to within a few metres of each other, and could therefore have socially learned new behaviours through direct observation. One of the main challenges for improving data classification further is the fact that crows – like most other study species – associate across a wide variety of habitats and behavioural contexts, with different signal‐attenuation properties.

Our study demonstrates that well‐calibrated proximity‐logging systems can be used to chart social associations of free‐ranging animals over a range of biologically meaningful distances. At the same time, however, it highlights that considerable efforts are required to conduct study‐specific system calibrations that adequately account for the biological and technological complexities of field deployments. Although we report results from a particular case study, the basic rationale of our multi‐step calibration exercise applies to many other tracking systems and study species.