bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
KlebSeq: A Diagnostic Tool for Healthcare Surveillance and Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring ofKlebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Bowers Jolene R. , Lemmer Darrin , Sahl Jason W. , Pearson Talima , Driebe Elizabeth M. , Engelthaler David M. , Keim Paul
Published: March 2016

Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) kill tens of thousands of people each year and add significantly to healthcare costs. Multidrug resistant and epidemic strains are a large proportion of HAI agents, and multidrug resistant strains ofKlebsiella pneumoniae, a leading HAI agent, have become an urgent public health crisis. In the healthcare environment, patient colonization ofK. pneumoniaeprecedes infection, and transmission via colonization leads to outbreaks. Periodic patient screening forK. pneumoniaecolonization has cost-effective and life-saving potential. In this study, we describe the design and validation of KlebSeq, a highly informative screening tool that detectsKlebsiellaspecies and identifies clinically important strains and characteristics using highly multiplexed amplicon sequencing without a live culturing step. We demonstrate the utility of this tool on several complex specimen types including urine, wound swabs and tissue, several types of respiratory, and fecal, showingK. pneumoniaespecies and clonal group identification and antimicrobial resistance and virulence profiling, including capsule typing. Use of this amplicon sequencing tool can be used to screen patients forK. pneumoniaecarriage to assess risk of infection and outbreak potential, and the expansion of this tool can be used for several other HAI agents or applications.
Karyomegalic interstitial nephritis and DNA damage-induced polyploidy in Fan1 nuclease-defective knock-in mice
Authors: Lachaud Christophe , Slean Meghan , Marchesi Francesco , Lock Claire , Odell Edward , Castor Dennis , Toth Rachel , Rouse John
Published: March 2016

The Fan1 endonuclease is required for repair of DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs). Mutations in human Fan1 cause karyomegalic interstitial nephritis (KIN), but it is unclear whether defective ICL repair is responsible or whether Fan1 nuclease activity is relevant. We show that Fan1 nuclease-defective (Fan1nd/nd) mice develop a mild form of KIN. The karyomegalic nuclei from Fan1nd/nd kidneys are polyploid, and fibroblasts from Fan1nd/nd mice become polyploid upon ICL induction, suggesting that defective ICL repair causes karyomegaly. Thus, Fan1 nuclease activity promotes ICL repair in a manner that controls ploidy, a role that we show is not shared by the Fanconi anemia pathway or the Slx4–Slx1 nuclease also involved in ICL repair.
An extended set of yeast-based functional assays accurately identifies human disease mutations
Authors: Sun Song , Yang Fan , Tan Guihong , Costanzo Michael , Oughtred Rose , Hirschman Jodi , Theesfeld Chandra L. , Bansal Pritpal , Sahni Nidhi , Yi Song , Yu Analyn , Tyagi Tanya , Tie Cathy , Hill David E. , Vidal Marc , Andrews Brenda J. , Boone Charles , Dolinski Kara , Roth Frederick P.
Published: March 2016

We can now routinely identify coding variants within individual human genomes. A pressing challenge is to determine which variants disrupt the function of disease-associated genes. Both experimental and computational methods exist to predict pathogenicity of human genetic variation. However, a systematic performance comparison between them has been lacking. Therefore, we developed and exploited a panel of 26 yeast-based functional complementation assays to measure the impact of 179 variants (101 disease- and 78 non-disease-associated variants) from 22 human disease genes. Using the resulting reference standard, we show that experimental functional assays in a 1-billion-year diverged model organism can identify pathogenic alleles with significantly higher precision and specificity than current computational methods.
A [Cu3(μ3-O)]–pyrazolate metallacycle with terminal nitrate ligands exhibiting point group symmetry 3
Authors: Mathivathanan Logesh , Cruz Raquel , Raptis Raphael G.
Published: March 2016

The trinuclear triangular cuprate anion of the title compound, tris[bis(triphenylphosphoranylidene)ammonium] tris(μ2-4-chloropyrazolato-κ2N:N′)-μ3-oxido-tris[(nitrato-κ2O,O′)cuprate(II)] nitrate monohydrate, (C36H30P2N)[Cu3(C3H2ClN2)3(NO3)3O]NO3·H2O, has point group symmetry 3., with the μ3-O atom located on the threefold rotation axis. The distorted square-pyramidal coordination sphere of the CuIIatom is completed by two N atoms oftrans-bridging pyrazolate groups and a chelating nitrate anion. The complex anion is slightly bent, with the nitrate and pyrazolate groups occupying positions above and below the Cu3plane, respectively. In the crystal, weak O—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds, as well as π–π interactions, are present.
Redetermination of cytosinium hydrogen maleate–cytosine (1/1) from the original data
Authors: Fábry Jan
Published: March 2016

The title salt, C4H6N3O+·C4H3O4−·C4H5N3O, has been redetermined from the data published by Benali-Cherif, Falek & Direm [Acta Cryst.(2009), E65, o3058–o3059]. The improvement of the present redetermination consists in the discovery of the splitting of one of the H atoms into two disordered positions, the occupancies of which are equal to 0.55 (2) and 0.45 (2). These H atoms are involved in an N...N hydrogen bond and are shifted towards its centre. The disorder of these H atoms is in agreement with a similar environment of the two independent, but chemically equivalent, cytosinium/cytosine molecules.
5-Chloro-1-(prop-2-ynyl)indoline-2,3-dione
Authors: Bargavi Srinivasan , Kandhasamy Subramani , Perumal Paramasivam T. , Lakshmi Srinivasakannan
Published: March 2016

In the title isatin derivative, C11H6ClNO2, the indoline ring is planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.009 Å), with the two ketone O atoms lying in the plane and the chlorine atom displaced by 0.036 (1) Å. The dihedral angle between the mean plane of the indoline ring system with that of the propynyl chain is 73 (8)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked by C—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming zigzag chains propagating along theb-axis direction. The chains are linkedviaweak π–π interactions [inter-centroid distance = 3.728 (1) Å], forming slabs parallel to thebcplane.
4-Benzyloxy-1,1′-biphenyl
Authors: Adam Farook , Ameram Nadiah , Kamath Shevgoor Dhiraj , Pallavi  , Samshuddin Seranthimata
Published: March 2016

In the title compound, C19H16O, the dihedral angle between the benzene rings of the biphenyl unit is 1.54 (13)° and the C—O—C—C torsion angle is 174.4 (2)°. In the crystal, very weak C—H...π interactions link the molecules into a three-dimensional network.
How “space” and “place” contribute to occupational aspirations as a value-constituting practice for working-class males
Authors: Stahl Garth , Baars Sam
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to consider how working-class boys constitute themselves as subjects of “value” through a close examination of their occupational aspirations. The authors consider two significant influences on the aspirations of these young men: “space” and “place”; and neoliberal discourses which privilege a particular concept of individualized personhood. Contending with neoliberal conceptions of personhood and aspiration (that are primarily competitive, economic, and status based), working-class and working-poor young men either align themselves with the “entrepreneurial” or “aspirational” self or face the label of “low aspirations”.

Design/methodology/approach

– Employing space and place as conceptual lenses allows for a nuanced understanding of how aspirations are formed (and reformed) according to immediate locale. To explore the identity negotiations surrounding the occupational aspirations of working-class males, the authors draw on two qualitative research studies in deprived neighbourhoods located in South Manchester and South London.

Findings

– Based on the evidence as well as the wider research concerning working-class males and occupational aspirations, the authors argue that aspirations are formed in a contested space between traditional, localized, classed identities and a broader neoliberal conception of the “aspirational” rootless self.

Research limitations/implications

– This study focuses on aspiration formation in two specific neighbourhoods, and caution should be taken when generalizing the findings beyond these area contexts.

Originality/value

– This study problematizes the literature generated by government bodies and educational institutions regarding working-class youth as having a “poverty of aspirations”. Additionally, value lies in the cross-reference of two specific geographic areas using the conceptual lens of space and place.
Assessing the functions and dimensions of visualizations in foresight
Authors: Müller Adrian W. , Shwarz Jan Oliver
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to address a central question in foresight exercises: how to communicate derived results?

Design/methodology/approach

– By drawing on an empirical study, this paper presents a framework for using visualizations in foresight and illustrates its application by referring to a case study.

Findings

– The argument is made that by using a dimensional framework, the effects of visualization can be leveraged for communicating foresight results and creating stronger buy-in.

Originality/value

– Although visualizations appear to be a central means of communication and engagement, little is known in the context of foresight on the functions and dimension of visualizations.
Coordination to manage dependencies between logistics service providers and shippers
Authors: Sallnäs Uni
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– Although it has been suggested that shippers’ demands regarding environmental practices appear to have an impact on the environmental work of LSPs, limited attention has been given to environmental practices in the relationships between LSPs and shippers. The purpose of this paper is to explore how dependencies between LSPs and shippers can influence the way in which environmental practices are coordinated in the relationships between them.

Design/methodology/approach

– Four dyadic case studies, each consisting of one LSP and one shipper, provide the empirical basis for this paper.

Findings

– Two types of dependencies are suggested as having an influence over the coordination of environmental practices in LSP-shipper relationships: dependence between LSPs and shippers as such; and dependence with regard to specific environmental practices. In addition, the environmental ambition of the actors is found to be of relevance when LSPs and shippers coordinate environmental practices between them. Based on these parameters, different coordination mechanisms for environmental practices in LSP-shipper relationships are discussed.

Research limitations/implications

– The research is limited to four cases in a Swedish context. Additional cases might provide other insights into LSP-shipper relationships and thereby lead to modifications of the proposed conceptual framework.

Practical implications

– The results can help both LSPs and shippers improve their work with environmental practices through the use of the appropriate coordination mechanisms in their inter-organisational relationships.

Originality/value

– Contrary to previous research, which mainly takes one party’s perspective, this paper takes a dyadic approach and thereby adds valuable knowledge to the inter-organisational aspects of LSPs’ environmental work.
Negotiation based decision support system for order acceptance
Authors: Piya Sujan , Khadem Mohammad Miftaur Rahman Khan , Shamsuzzoha Ahm
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a mathematical model of a make-to-order manufacturing company simultaneously negotiating multiple contingent orders that possess conflicting issues in order to achieve order acceptance decisions (OADs).

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper developed a mathematical model by incorporating probabilistic theory and some theories of negotiation in the OAD problem. The model helps to harness the relationship between the manufacturer and customers of contingent orders on conflicting issues. A numerical example is enumerated to illustrate the working mechanism and sensitivity of the model developed.

Findings

– In the negotiation-based OAD system, if more than one customer is willing to negotiate on the offer of manufacturer, rather than engaging in one-to-one negotiation, the manufacturer has to negotiate with all the customers simultaneously to maximize the expected contribution and acceptance probability from all the orders. Also, the numerical example illustrates that, sometimes, rejecting an order/orders from the order set gives better results in terms of the expected contribution than continuing negotiations on them.

Originality/value

– Through continuing research efforts in this domain, certain models and strategies have been developed for negotiation on a one-to-one basis (i.e. negotiation by the manufacture with only one customer at a time). One-to-one negotiation will neither help companies to streamline their production systems nor will it maximize the expected contribution. To the best of the author’s knowledge, so far, this is the first instance of research work in the domain of a joint OAD and negotiation framework that attempts to develop a simultaneous negotiation method for arriving at OADs.
Conceptualizing sources, key concerns and critical factors for manufacturing flexibility adoption
Authors: Mishra Ruchi , Pundir Ashok K. , Ganapathy L.
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors influencing manufacturing flexibility adoption and simultaneously explores some of the key issues prevailing in manufacturing flexibility adoption in Indian context. The study also stratifies critical factors for successful manufacturing flexibility adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using exploratory sequential design, a series of focus group interviews were conducted with Indian manufacturing professionals and these interviews were supplemented by 127 follow-up structured questionnaires.

Findings

– Two major themes emerged from the first phase of the study – role played by some of the unexplored antecedents of manufacturing flexibility and key issues in manufacturing flexibility adoption. In the second phase, a list of factors was categorized based on their degree of importance in manufacturing flexibility adoption.

Research limitations/implications

– Being qualitative in nature, the study suffers from inherent risk of subjectivity associated with manufacturing practitioners. A large-scale survey and rigorous quantitative analysis would be helpful to further validate the list of factors and underlying relationships among proposed factors.

Practical implications

– The identified list of factors and some of the key issues in manufacturing flexibility adoption can be of great help to practitioners. The stratified list of factors can be further used by academicians to develop an instrument for manufacturing flexibility adoption.

Originality/value

– The paper identifies a set of factors that affects manufacturing flexibility adoption. It offers a basis for instrument development for manufacturing flexibility adoption and provides direction for future quantitative research in manufacturing flexibility area.
5S impact on safety climate of manufacturing workers
Authors: Srinivasan Siddarth , Ikuma Laura Hughes , Shakouri Mahmoud , Nahmens Isabelina , Harvey Craig
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– 5S is a commonly used Lean tool that focusses on creating an organized work environment, but the effects of 5S on safety climate are not as well studied. The purpose of this paper is to determine the impact of a 5S event on safety climate.

Design/methodology/approach

– This pre-test post-test study examines the effect of implementing 5S on safety climate of the packaging area of a manufacturing plant. Two groups of employees (case and control groups) completed a safety climate questionnaire (Safety Climate Assessment Toolkit) prior to the 5S event, one month after, and two months after.

Findings

– Total safety climate significantly improved for the case group but remained unchanged for the control group over the study period. Specifically, management commitment and involvement dimensions of safety climate improved for the case group.

Practical implications

– These results show that two important aspects of safety climate (management commitment and involvement) can be significantly, positively influenced by successful 5S events, which may translate to improved safety overall.

Originality/value

– Prior literature on 5S speculates a positive impact of 5S on safety and safety climate, but this assertion is not well supported with empirical evidence. This study provides quantitative measurement of positive safety climate changes that resulted from a successful 5S event. The results provide additional incentive for management to continue 5S and other Lean activities with the possibility of also improving safety.
Exploring resistance in rural and remote island communities
Authors: Mendas Zrinka Ana
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to discuss and use living stories to provide examples and some basic principles of cooperation as the alternative way of organising island community.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study draws upon autoethnography and storytelling to show co-operative practices. Storytelling is supported by deconstruction of living stories.

Findings

– Island communities create and maintain resistance through a culture of cooperation. Living stories (I-V) illustrate different instances of cooperative practices, for example, friends in need, gathering, search and moba, and where sympathy, gift, and humanity and care are essential elements.

Research limitations/implications

– It would be interesting to explore whether island communities elsewhere exhibit similar patterns.

Practical implications

– Deconstructed stories helped in reconstructing the bigger picture of how the people on the island offer collective resistance by developing different ways of cooperation.

Social implications

– Living stories (I-V) based on reciprocity of taking turns and giving back to the community, is a strategy for survival and of collective resistance within the rural island communities.

Originality/value

– Appreciation of the true value of collective resistance based on gift and reciprocity rather than financialisation and economisation aids to better understanding of the needs of traditional societies of island archipelagos, on the part of policy makers and other stakeholders who are involved in the process of planning for island development.
Accessible tourism: the golden key in the future for the specialized travel agencies
Authors: Özogul Gamze , Baran Günseli Güçlütürk
Published: March 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the comprehension of the importance of “Accessible Tourism” for the specialized travel agencies by proposing suggestions and key factors to improve the supply of accessible tourism offers.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts specialized travel agencies on the accessible tourism perspective of disabled tourist flows. Also, this paper describes the circumstances, social, politic, economic consequences and key decisions that thereby Turkey would be recognized, preferring, establishing on the intention of purchased and suggested positive word of mouth among people.

Findings

According to European Commission (EU) (2013) more than half of the individuals with disabilities in the EU made approximately 170 million day trips and a similar number of overnight trips within the EU during the 12 months between mid-2012 and mid-2013. Despite the developments in tourism, lack of product/service appropriate to the travel rights of the individuals with accessibility needs is one of the obstacles should be overcome. Accessible tourism is one of the keys for the survival of the specialized travel agencies in the future. Providing appropriate product/service by targeting the individuals with accessibility needs together with a correct approach and strategy, the specialized travel agencies will be able to have a competitive advantage and continue their activities. Also this market segment will create having sustainable activity and a golden opportunity for the specialized travel agencies in the future.

Originality/value

Little research has been done on accessible tourism, future development and on the impact that disabled tourists have on tourism. The paper presents suggestions on what the specialized travel agencies should do with regards to making Turkey be preferred in the future by the individuals having accessibility needs.
An effort to develop accessible tourism in Greece and Turkey: the MEDRA project approach
Authors: Naniopoulos Aristotelis , Tsalis Panagiotis , Nalmpantis Dimitrios
Published: March 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop accessible tourism in two areas of Greece and Turkey. The areas of Drama in Greece and Mersin in Turkey have cooperated in the frame of MEDRA project to assess their potential and set up a plan for developing accessible tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

The choice of the two areas was not random. Mersin currently enjoys continuous development, as one of Turkey’s biggest ports and a free trade zone. Drama is a developing area in agricultural manufacturing and high-tech sectors with a rich physical environment which aspires to develop a healthy alternative tourism industry.

Findings

The findings include, amongst others, the identification of needs of tourists with disabilities, and the relevant historical evolution, legislative framework, international good practices, policy-improvement proposals, accessibility assessment in Mersin and Drama, and suggestions for developing accessible infrastructure together with the training of stakeholders.

Practical/implications

Greece although made a lot of progress regarding the issues of disability and accessibility still is not on the same level as many European countries, while Turkey has a lot to learn in order to deal with accessibility from a holistic point of view.

Social/implications

Both countries owe a large percentage of their national income, to the tourist industry and seek ways to gain advantages in this highly competitive sector.

Originality/value

The successful implementation of the MEDRA project constitutes an example worthy of a wider application in the development of accessible tourism, not only in the two countries but also to countries with similar characteristics.
Airbnb: the future of networked hospitality businesses
Authors: Oskam Jeroen , Boswijk Albert
Published: March 2016

Purpose

Although networked hospitality businesses as Airbnb are a recent phenomenon, a rapid growth has made them a serious competitor for the hospitality industry with important consequences for tourism and for tourist destinations. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the nature of the phenomenon, its potential further development in the next five years and the impact this developments will have on tourism, on hotels and on city destinations.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature study, combined with scenario workshops and a Delphi panel, were used to map current trends and uncertainties. With this input, future scenarios were elaborated using the Global Business Network (“scenario cross”) method.

Findings

Network platforms as Airbnb are often classified under something called the “Sharing Economy”, a denomination that obscures their true nature. Airbnb is a challenging innovation to which traditional hospitality will have to respond. Its impact has at the same time led to a call for regulatory policies. The definition of these policies and the evolution of tourism are variables that determine future scenarios. Attempts to ban the phenomenon mean a disincentive to innovation and protect oligopolistic markets; more receptive policies may have the desired results if tourism grows moderately but in booming destinations they may lead to a harmful commercialization.

Originality/value

Until now, Airbnb has been described in conceptual studies about the so-called “Sharing economy”, or more recently in empirical studies about isolated effects of holiday rentals. This paper contextualizes the evolution of networked hospitality and seeks to synthesize the sum of its impacts, thus enabling businesses and local governments to define positions and strategies.
The future of food tourism
Authors: Yeoman Ian , McMahon-Beatte Una
Published: March 2016

Purpose

The authors identify five driving forces of changes that are shaping the discourses about food tourism. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach used by this paper is a general review.

Findings

The five driving forces identified are: food tourism as political capital; food tourism as a visionary state; what it means to be a foodie; the drive for affluence and exclusivity; fluid experiences in a post-modernist world.

Originality/value

The five drivers of change are identified as the core of any food tourism strategy for policy makers.
“Chill or thrill”: the impact of the “polarity paradox” on hospitality and tourism
Authors: De Visser-Amundson Anna , De Korte Annemieke , Williams Simone
Published: March 2016

Purpose

In a society of abundance, complexity, uncertainty and secularisation, consumers seek extreme market offerings. They thereby avoid the grey middle ground and rather seek white or black, or rather utopia or dystopia, in their experiences. This consumer behaviour is coined the Polarity Paradox. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of the Polarity Paradox on travel and tourism and specifically highlight how darker and dystopian type of tourism experiences can add value to the overall tourist experience.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on literature and trend report reviews to support the direction of the Polarity Paradox trend and the opportunities it presents to the hospitality and tourism industry.

Findings

Travellers do not seek only beauty and happiness when travelling. Examples of the thrilling or dystopian side of the Polarity Paradox clearly illustrate travellers’ emerging needs to look for the extreme. In fact, new travel and hospitality experiences are all about originality and understanding that whether the experience triggers positive or negative emotions matter less in a market where consumers want to be “shaken up”, surprised, taught something or seek a deeper meaning. The difference with the past is that these same thrill seeking tourists, also seek “white” and chilling experiences and that demands a new approach to market segmentation.

Originality/value

Until now, the Polarity Paradox has been described as a general consumer trend. In this paper, the authors are the first to analyse its possible impact on hospitality and tourism and in detail describe that black, dystopian and thrilling experiences can be positive when they trigger emotions and reactions meaningful to the traveller. The authors further show that “playing it safe” will not be the future to build successful hospitality and tourism experiences. The examples explore how the hospitality and tourism industry can add elements of “dystopia” and by doing that actually add value to the overall travel experience.
Method for decision making in virtual library teams
Authors: Cordes Sean
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate an action process method including coordination, monitoring, and backup response, to improve collaborative decision making in online library work teams.

Design/methodology/approach

– The method was tested using a single factor experimental design where some groups used an action process intervention developed by the researcher, while others used team designated ad hoc process. Participants comprised 26 four person teams. The experiment was performed in a distributed environment where teams used Google chat communication, and a shared Google document to organize, clarify, and evaluate information. Decision performance was measured in two ways. Decision accuracy was measured by the selection of a correct choice from four alternatives. Decision quality was measured by shift in suitability ratings from participants’ individual choice to the correct answer after team discussion.

Findings

– Teams using an action process method based on monitoring, coordination, and backup behaviors had more accurate and higher quality decisions than groups using ad hoc process.

Research limitations/implications

– The research demonstrates usefulness of empirically designed, team implemented process methods to improve library decision making. Because the research was conducted in a single context, further research in alternative settings and contexts is suggested.

Practical implications

– The research has practical benefits to library work teams and managers performing tasks where effective information sharing and exchange is required to make accurate, high-quality decision.

Originality/value

– The paper provides a way to improve decision making using an easy-to-implement, process-driven method.
CSR communications strategies through social media and influence on e-reputation
Authors: Dutot Vincent , Lacalle Galvez Eva , Versailles David W.
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– Publics are becoming responsible customers that urge firms to improve society. By using social media, corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions could influence organization’s commitment and e-reputation. The purpose of this paper is to look at the influence on e-reputation of communication strategies (i.e. corporate ability and CSR) on social media.

Design/methodology/approach

– Four international companies (Danone, Renault, Orange and BNP Paribas) were studied and a content analysis was performed: Leximancer for the social media content (between 25 and 50 pages for each company) on a six-month period; and Social Mention for the measurement of e-reputation.

Findings

– Results show that there is a link between CSR communication strategies and e-reputation. More precisely, by using a corporate ability strategy (focus on product quality or innovation R & D), a company can increase its e-reputation better than on a common CSR communication strategy.

Research limitations/implications

– This study is based on only four companies (from four different industries) and would profit from a larger base for analysis. Second, the content the authors analyzed was generated by the company on their own social media.

Originality/value

– This exploratory study is one of the first to look at the influence of CSR communication strategies on e-reputation and tries to see how companies’ action on social media can change the way they are perceived by their customers. It completes the current literature by defining how CSR communications strategies should be declined for in order to influence customers.
Towards a balanced view of innovations
Authors: Prange Christiane , Schlegelmilch Bodo B.
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– Based on theoretical input from punctuated equilibrium theory and the exploration vs exploitation paradigm, a set of innovation drivers and propositions is developed. The purpose of this paper is to present a starting point for a more comprehensive investigation of companies’ innovation trajectories towards balance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper builds on a thorough analysis of the literature and suggests the notion of “strategic inflection points” (SIPs). These points are supposed to mark the transgression between innovation types as reflected in respective performance enhancements.

Findings

– The propositions developed in this paper serve as a basis for further understanding and for subsequent empirical research.

Practical implications

– Managerial implications relate to the understanding that companies need to balance innovation types in order to increase performance.

Originality/value

– This paper discusses a variety of innovation types and suggests the notion of SIPs.
Emotional strategizing in service innovation
Authors: von Koskull Catharina , Strandvik Tore , Tronvoll Bård
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to shed light on an aspect of service innovation processes that has remained fairly hidden so far, namely, the role of emotions.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use the strategizing approach from strategy research, which focusses on detailed processes, practices, and discourse, to understand the influence of emotions on service innovation processes. The empirical data stem from a longitudinal ethnographic study of a service innovation process.

Findings

– In the investigated case, the dominant emotion of anxiety is revealed. The authors focus on this emotion in order to explore how it affects the innovation process itself and the outcome. The authors identify five emotion-driven practices that form elements of what the authors label emotional strategizing.

Practical implications

– Emotion seems to give energy and direction to the service innovation process. This is both positive and challenging for top-level managers.

Originality/value

– The authors reveal a hidden aspect of service innovation processes – the effect of emotions. Furthermore, the authors show that emotions are important because they give energy and direction to the innovation work, and emerge in practices. Emotional strategizing, as a new term, gives visibility to this important issue.
Self-organizing behavior in collective choice models: laboratory experiments
Authors: Arango Santiago , Larsen Erik R. , van Ackere Ann
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to consider queuing systems where captive repeat customers select a service facility each period. Are people in such a distributed system, with limited information diffusion, able to approach optimal system performance? How are queues formed? How do people decide which queue to join based on past experience? The authors explore these questions, investigating the effect of information availability, as well as the effect of heterogeneous facility sizes, at the macro (system) and micro (individual performance) levels.

Design/methodology/approach

– Experimental economics, using a queuing experiment.

Findings

– The authors find little behavioural difference at the aggregate level, but observe significant variations at the individual level. This leads the authors to the conclusion that it is not sufficient to evaluate system performance by observing average customer allocation and sojourn times at the different facilities; one also needs to consider the individuals’ performance to understand how well the chosen design works. The authors also observe that better information diffusion does not necessarily improve system performance.

Practical/implications

– Evaluating system performance based on aggregate behaviour can be misleading; however, this is how many systems are evaluated in practice, when only aggregate performance measures are available. This can lead to suboptimal system designs.

Originality/value

– There has been little theoretical or empirical work on queuing systems with captive repeat customers. This study contributes to the understanding of decision making in such systems, using laboratory experiments based on the cellular automata approach, but with all agents replaced by humans.
Family embeddedness and business performance: evidences from women-owned firms
Authors: Mari Michela , Poggesi Sara , De Vita Luisa
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the family context may affect female firms’ performance by contextualising the study within Italy and empirically analysing 307 Italian women-owned firms.

Design/methodology/approach

– By using ordinal regressions, this paper empirically investigates the influence of three dimensions of the family context on female firms’ performance, namely: the motivations to start a business; the support from the family once the business is established; and the mechanisms to achieve a suitable balance between work and family life.

Findings

– Overall, the results offer substantial support for the assumption that female business owners benefit from being pulled into the endeavour, from specific linkages with family and also from selected mechanisms to balance work and family life, thus contributing to show how strong the relationship between a firm’s performance and the family context is for women.

Originality/value

– Today female entrepreneurship represents an important economic driver worldwide, leading scholars to strongly advocate the need to shift the female entrepreneurship research focus from the analysis of women business owners’ characteristics to the investigation of those specific factors able to directly affect female firms’ activities. In this vein, this paper aims at pushing further into the still less studied domain of work/family intertwinement as, surprisingly, the impact that family-related factors exert on women-owned businesses’ performance is still under-researched.
Social entrepreneurship and corporate architecture: evidence from Italy
Authors: Bonfanti Angelo , Battisti Enrico , Pasqualino Luca
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the contribution of corporate architecture to social value creation. It especially analyses the social effects of investments in experiential corporate architecture that have been carried out by Italian industrial companies.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study follows a qualitative approach. It is based on a survey and semi-structured in-depth interviews undertaken with six Italian industrial companies. The dimensions of the social-entrepreneurship model (innovativeness, proactiveness, risk management) proposed by Weerawardena and Sullivan Mort were chosen as a framework to investigate the social effects of investments in corporate architecture.

Findings

– The social effects of the innovativeness dimension are the integration of the company with the territory and development of sustainability. Proactiveness is related to improving the employees’ wellbeing in the workplace and the community’s quality of life. Risk management ensures the development of the local economic-social fabric.

Research limitations/implications

– This study combines social entrepreneurship and corporate architecture by highlighting the social effects of corporate architecture. Further, it proposes the structural embeddedness of the company in the territory of reference, a sense for beauty, and a sense of gift giving as further entrepreneurial traits that are generally not proposed in the social entrepreneurship literature.

Practical/implications

– The results of this study suggest that top management should consider: that investments in corporate architecture are a deliberate strategy of the company; that profits are not a purpose in and of themselves, but rather a means to achieve the social mission’s objectives; and the relationship with architects in terms of mutual involvement in order to understand corporate and local needs and effectively transform them into appropriate architectural solutions.

Social/implications

– Corporate architecture can help to solve a number of social problems, such as improving the community’s quality of life, providing employments opportunities, allowing the community to benefit from places of socialisation and aggregation, and offering facilities and services that support culture and encourage cultural exchange. Given that the social benefits are reciprocal, all stakeholders should financially support companies that invest in corporate architecture.

Originality/value

– To the knowledge, this is the first study to connect social entrepreneurship and corporate architecture. This research brings to light some Italian industrial companies that are investing in corporate architecture to create social value in the twenty-first century, after the pioneering investments of the Olivetti company.
Performance Study of Continuous Helical Baffle Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger With Central Low-Pressure Regions
Authors: Saikia Partha Pratim , Majumder Abhik
Published: March 2016

Shell and tube heat exchanger (STHX) is a class of indirect contact heat exchangers which has wide applications in various industries. In this paper, the shell-side performance characteristics of a small STHX with differently notched continuous helical baffle (CHB) geometries are numerically studied and compared with same CHB without notched regions. The indentations are uniquely produced by placing the notch near the core of the heat exchanger, thereby conferring the flow with low-pressure drop regions. Two set of models of inner notched continuous helical baffle (ICHB), i.e., ICHB1 and ICHB2, are studied with notch width of about 5% and 10% of the inner shell diameter of the same heat exchanger. In comparison with the CHBSTHX, it is seen that the STHXs incorporated with ICHBs, the heat transfer rate dropped slightly, but a significant decrease in pressure drop is observed. It is found that the heat transfer coefficient to pressure drop ratio for ICBH1 and ICHB2 shows significant increase in comprehensive performance of about 3.5% and 32.42%, respectively, when compared with same CHB without notched regions.
Lower Limb-Driven Energy Harvester: Modeling, Design, and Performance Evaluation
Authors: Martin Jean-Paul , Shepertycky Michael , Liu Yan-Fei , Li Qingguo
Published: March 2016

Biomechanical energy harvesters (BMEHs) have shown that useable amounts of electricity can be generated from daily movement. Where access to an electrical power grid is limited, BMEHs are a viable alternative to accommodate energy requirements for portable electronics. In this paper, we present the detailed design and dynamic model of a lower limb-driven energy harvester that predicts the device output and the load on the user. Comparing with existing harvester models, the novelty of the proposed model is that it incorporates the energy required for useful electricity generation, stored inertial energy, and both mechanical and electrical losses within the device. The model is validated with the lower limb-driven energy harvester in 12 unique configurations with a combination of four different motor and three different electrical resistance combinations (3.5 Ω, 7 Ω, and 12 Ω). A case study shows that the device can generate between 3.6 and 15.5 W with an efficiency between 39.8% and 72.5%. The model was able to predict the harvester output peak voltage within 5.6 ± 3.2% error and the peak force it exerts on the user within 9.9 ± 3.4% error over a range of parameter values. The model will help to identify configurations to achieve a high harvester efficiency and provide a better understanding of how parameters affect both the timing and magnitude of the load felt by the user.
First Principles Study of Thermal Conductance Across Cu/Graphene/Cu Nanocomposition and the Effect of Hydrogenation
Authors: Tao Yi , Liu Chenhan , Yang Juekuan , Bi Kedong , Chen Weiyu , Chen Yunfei
Published: March 2016

In this work, the interfacial thermal conductance across Cu/graphene/Cu interfaces is investigated using the density functional theory (DFT) and the nonequilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) method. In order to study how hydrogenation of graphene affects thermal transport behaviors at the interfaces of Cu/graphene/Cu, we also analyze the interfacial thermal conductance across Cu/hydrogenated-graphene/Cu (Cu/H-graphene/Cu) with both double-sided and single-sided hydrogenated graphene. Our results show that, the interfacial thermal conductance across Cu/H-graphene/Cu interfaces is almost twice of the value across Cu/graphene/Cu interfaces. For Cu/H-graphene/Cu with double-sided hydrogenated graphene (Cu/DH-graphene/Cu), the hydrogen atoms between graphene and Cu layers provide additional thermal transport channels. While for Cu/H-graphene/Cu with single-sided hydrogenated graphene (Cu/SH-graphene/Cu), the hydrogen atoms not only provide additional thermal transport channels at the hydrogenated side of graphene, but also reduce the equilibrium separation between graphene and Cu layers at the non-hydrogenated side of graphene due to the transfer of massive electrons, which enhances the interface coupling between graphene and Cu layers. The phonon transmission shows that both double-sided and single-sided hydrogenation of graphene can increase the heat transport across the interface. Our calculation indicates that the interfacial thermal conductance of Cu/graphene/Cu nanocomposition can be improved by hydrogenation.
Thermal Performance of Mini-Scale Heat Sink With Jet Impingement and Roughened Surface
Authors: Shen Zhongyang , Jing Qi , Xie Yonghui , Zhang Di
Published: March 2016

Cooling technique in mini-scale heat sink is essential with the development of high power electronics such as electronic chip. As heat transfer techniques, jet impingement cooling and convective cooling by roughened surface are commonly adopted. To obtain good cooling efficiency, the cooling structure within the heat sink should be carefully designed. In the present study, mini-scale heat sink with feature size of 1∼10 mm is set up. Arrangement of jet impingement and dimple/protrusion surface are designed as heat transfer augmentation approaches. The effect of dimple/protrusion configuration is discussed. From the result, the Nu distribution of on heat sink surface is demonstrated for each case. The pressure penalty due to the arrangement of roughened structure is evaluated. Also, thermal performance TP and performance evaluation plot are adopted as evaluations of cooling performance for each configuration. Comparing all cases, optimal cooling structure considering the energy saving performance is obtained for the mini-scale heat sink. Referencing the statistics, new insight has been provided for the design of cooling structure inside mini-scale heat sink.
The Lattice Boltzmann Investigation for the Melting Process of Phase Change Material in an Inclining Cavity
Authors: Rao Zhonghao , Huo Yutao , Li Yimin
Published: March 2016

The solid-liquid phase transition process is of significant importance the widely usage of phase change material (PCM), including in thermal energy storage and maintaining working temperature. In this paper, a phase change lattice Boltzmann (LB) model has been established to investigate the effects of inclining angle on the melting process in a cavity filled with PCM, considering three kinds of heat flux distribution: uniform distribution, linear distribution and parabolic symmetry distribution. The simulations results show that for all the heat flux distributions, the slight clockwise rotation of cavity is able to accelerate the melting process. Furthermore, when more heat is transported into the cavity through the middle part (parabolic symmetry distribution) or bottom part (linear distribution), the effects of cavity clockwise rotation on temperature field are more than that of anticlockwise rotation.