bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The progressive
Authors: Collins Peter
Published: March 2014

The progressive aspect has enjoyed spectacular growth in English since late Modern English, but its spread has not been uniform across all varieties. The study compared the frequency and uses of the progressive in Australian, New Zealand, British and American English across a range of variables. These included the overall frequency of tokens, the proportion of complex progressive forms, the proportion of special pragmatic uses, the frequency of main clause progressives and the frequency of contracted forms. It was found that the rise of the progressive is most advanced in the two antipodean varieties, with Australian English ahead of New Zealand English, and that of the northern hemisphere pair American English is the more advanced.
Concord with collective nouns in Australian and New Zealand English
Authors: Hundt Marianne
Published: March 2014

In English, nouns like government or team can be used with singular or plural verbs and pronouns. In the twentieth century, there seems to be a growing trend to use singular concord with most collective nouns. This change is particularly pronounced in American English but can also be found in other national varieties of English. The focus of this chapter is variable concord in Australian and New Zealand English. Data for the study come from the relevant components of the International Corpus of English which, unlike the corpora used in most previous studies, offer information on written as well as spoken usage. Somewhat surprisingly, variability in this area of grammar is not, primarily, a question of the regional variety investigated. Instead, it is mainly due to language-internal factors, such as medium (written vs. spoken usage) or the choice of noun (with some nouns preferring singular, others preferring plural concord).
“Where’s the party yaar!”
Authors: Lange Claudia
Published: March 2014

For some reason, Indian English (IndE) discourse particles have not been as popular with the World Englishes scientific community as their counterparts in Singapore English. Whereas the whole range of discourse particles in colloquial Singapore English has already been treated quite exhaustively, the available literature only offers some scanty remarks on individual IndE discourse particles. This paper will attempt a systematic treatment of the meaning and use of the IndE discourse particle yaar on the basis of data from the spoken part of The International Corpus of English, Indian component (ICE-IND). Since ICE-IND also includes information about speakers’ sociolinguistic profiles, the descriptive account of the meaning of yaar will be augmented by an analysis of the distribution throughout the IndE speech community.
World Englishes between simplification and complexification
Authors: Kortmann Bernd , Szmrecsanyi Benedikt
Published: March 2014

This paper offers a broad empirical morphosyntactic study contributing to three debates in linguistics, one of long standing (the so-called equi-complexity axiom), the other two rather more recent, namely McWhorter’s claim (2001 a, b, 2007) that (pidgins and) creoles have the simplest grammars, and Trudgill’s claim (2009) that high-contact varieties of English are characterized by structural simplification processes while low-contact varieties are the result of complexification processes. We will present the results of comparative analyses covering three notionally different morphosyntactic complexity metrics applied to two different data types for about 50 largely non-standard varieties of English (low-contact L1s, high-contact L1s, L2s, pidgins and creoles). Ultimately, we believe to be in a firm position to reject the axiom that the morphosyntax of all languages (and varieties of a language) is equally complex and to support both the claims by McWhorter and Trudgill.
Word-formation in New Englishes
Authors: Biermeier Thomas
Published: March 2014

This article reports on a corpus-based study (of the International Corpus of English ICE) comparing seven new varieties of English as to their word-formation properties and trends. First, the article outlines different methods of determining the extent of use and productivity rate of any given word-formation category. To point out systematic differences between the new varieties, I then analyze categories such as compounding, conversion and affixation by comparing frequencies obtained by specifically devised tests. On a qualitative level, the numerous new coinages found in ICE are evidence of the varieties’ productive potential. Furthermore, the paper contains a wide range of variants to express gender. Finally, I demonstrate that the current lexical trends and systematic differences indicate independent developments in New Englishes.
New voices in the canon
Authors: Hallett Jill
Published: March 2014

Literature in non-canonical Englishes is infused with distinct culture, history, and politics. Should the creative writer adhere strictly to traditional English literary norms, language use would seem artificial and unconvincing, and social nuances would be lost. This paper tests this hypothesis with African-American English (AAE) literature. One passage was scanned for AAE features, and examined for social nuances these features convey. European-American and African-American respondents received passages as written and with AAE features deleted, with follow-up questionnaires. Results indicate connections made between language used in the text and identification of character background and desire to read more by this author. The function of non-traditional linguistic elements is demonstrated, supporting their inclusion in pedagogical texts.
Sharp anisotropic interpolation error estimates for rectangular Raviart-Thomas elements
Authors: Stynes Martin
Published: March 2014

Anisotropic

L
p

L_p

-norm error estimates are derived for the standard rectangular Raviart-Thomas elements

R

T

[
k
]

(

K
~

)

RT_{[k]}(\tilde K)

in

R

d

\mathbb {R}^d

for

p
∈
[
1
,
∞
]
,
 
k
≥
0

p\in [1, \infty ],\ k\ge 0

and

d
≥
2

d \ge 2

. Here

K
~

\tilde K

is an affine image of an axi-parallel parallelotope

K
K

. The proofs are based on a variant of the classical Poincaré inequality. The estimates derived make full use of the asymmetric nature of the vector space components of

R

T

[
k
]

(

K
~

)

RT_{[k]}(\tilde K)

; a Shishkin mesh example demonstrates their superiority over previous estimates.
Structure of 4-pyridoxolactonase fromMesorhizobium loti
Authors: Kobayashi Jun , Yoshikane Yu , Yagi Toshiharu , Baba Seiki , Mizutani Kimihiko , Takahashi Nobuyuki , Mikami Bunzo
Published: March 2014

4-Pyridoxolactonase fromMesorhizobium loticatalyzes the zinc-dependent lactone-ring hydrolysis of 4-pyridoxolactone (4PAL) to 4-pyridoxic acid (4PA) in vitamin B6degradation pathway I. The crystal structures of 4-pyridoxolactonase and its complex with 5-pyridoxolactone (5PAL; the competitive inhibitor) were determined. The overall structure was an αβ/βα sandwich fold, and two zinc ions were coordinated. This strongly suggested that the enzyme belongs to subclass B3 of the class B β-lactamases. In the complex structure, the carbonyl group of 5PAL pointed away from the active site, revealing why it acts as a competitive inhibitor. Based on docking simulation with 4PAL, 4PA and a reaction intermediate, 4-pyridoxolactonase probably catalyzes the reaction through a subclass B2-like mechanism, not the subclass B3 mechanism.
Purification, crystallization and X-ray crystallographic studies on a putative methyltransferase, YtqB, fromBacillus subtilis
Authors: Park Sun Cheol , Song Wan Seok , Wi Jimin , Yoon Sung-il
Published: March 2014

S-Adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases (MTases) catalyze the transfer of a methyl group from a SAM cofactor to specific substrate molecules, including small chemicals, proteins, DNAs and RNAs, and are required for various cellular functions, such as regulation of gene expression and biosynthesis of metabolites.Bacillus subtilisYtqB is a putative SAM-dependent MTase whose biological function has not been characterized. To provide biochemical and structural insights into the role of YtqB in bacteria, the recombinant YtqB protein was overexpressed in theEscherichia coliexpression system and purified by chromatographic methods. YtqB crystals were obtained in PEG-containing conditions and diffracted to 1.68 Å resolution. The YtqB crystals belonged to space groupP212121, with two molecules in the asymmetric unit.
Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and X-ray crystallographic analysis of (S)-3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase fromClostridium butyricum
Authors: Kim Eun-Jung , Kim Kyung-Jin
Published: March 2014

(S)-3-Hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase fromClostridium butyricum(CbHBD) is an enzyme that catalyzes the second step in the biosynthesis ofn-butanol from acetyl-CoA by the reduction of acetoacetyl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA. TheCbHBD protein was crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method in the presence of 2 Mammonium sulfate, 0.1 MCAPS pH 10.5, 0.2 Mlithium sulfate at 295 K. X-ray diffraction data were collected to a maximum resolution of 2.3 Å on a synchrotron beamline. The crystal belonged to space groupR3, with unit-cell parametersa=b= 148.5,c= 201.6 Å. With four molecules per asymmetric unit, the crystal volume per unit protein weight (VM) is 3.52 Å3 Da−1, which corresponds to a solvent content of approximately 65.04%. The structure was solved by the molecular-replacement method and refinement of the structure is in progress.
Structure of human nucleosome containing the testis-specific histone variant TSH2B
Authors: Urahama Takashi , Horikoshi Naoki , Osakabe Akihisa , Tachiwana Hiroaki , Kurumizaka Hitoshi
Published: March 2014

The human histone H2B variant TSH2B is highly expressed in testis and may function in the chromatin transition during spermatogenesis. In the present study, the crystal structure of the human testis-specific nucleosome containing TSH2B was determined at 2.8 Å resolution. A local structural difference between TSH2B and canonical H2B in nucleosomes was detected around the TSH2B-specific amino-acid residue Ser85. The TSH2B Ser85 residue does not interact with H4 in the nucleosome, but in the canonical nucleosome the H2B Asn84 residue (corresponding to the TSH2B Ser85 residue) forms water-mediated hydrogen bonds with the H4 Arg78 residue. In contrast, the other TSH2B-specific amino-acid residues did not induce any significant local structural changes in the TSH2B nucleosome. These findings may provide important information for understanding how testis-specific histone variants form nucleosomes during spermatogenesis.
Structure of the kinase domain of Gilgamesh fromDrosophila melanogaster
Authors: Han Ni , Chen CuiCui , Shi Zhubing , Cheng Dianlin
Published: March 2014

The CK1 family kinases regulate multiple cellular aspects and play important roles in Wnt/Wingless and Hedgehog signalling. The kinase domain ofDrosophilaGilgamesh isoform I (Gilgamesh-I), a homologue of human CK1-γ, was purified and crystallized. Crystals of methylated Gilgamesh-I kinase domain with a D210A mutation diffracted to 2.85 Å resolution and belonged to space groupP43212, with unit-cell parametersa=b= 52.025,c= 291.727 Å. The structure of Gilgamesh-I kinase domain, which was determined by molecular replacement, has conserved catalytic elements and an active conformation. Structural comparison indicates that an extended loop between the α1 helix and the β4 strand exists in the Gilgamesh-I kinase domain. This extended loop may regulate the activity and function of Gilgamesh-I.
Recombinant production, purification and crystallization of theToxoplasma gondiicoronin WD40 domain
Authors: Kallio Juha Pekka , Kursula Inari
Published: March 2014

Toxoplasma gondiiis one of the most widely spread parasitic organisms in the world. Together with other apicomplexan parasites, it utilizes a special actin–myosin motor for its cellular movement, called gliding motility. This actin-based process is regulated by a small set of actin-binding proteins, which in Apicomplexa comprises only 10–15 proteins, compared with >150 in higher eukaryotes. Coronin is a highly conserved regulator of the actin cytoskeleton, but its functions, especially in parasites, have remained enigmatic. Coronins consist of an N-terminal actin-binding β-propeller WD40 domain, followed by a conserved region, and a C-terminal coiled-coil domain implicated in oligomerization. Here, the WD40 domain and the conserved region of coronin fromT. gondiiwere produced recombinantly and crystallized. A single-wavelength diffraction data set was collected to a resolution of 1.65 Å. The crystal belonged to the orthorhombic space groupC2221, with unit-cell parametersa= 55.13,b= 82.51,c= 156.98 Å.
Successful data recovery from oscillation photographs containing strong polycrystalline diffraction rings from an unknown small-molecule contaminant: preliminary structure solution ofSalmonella typhimuriumpyridoxal kinase (PdxK)
Authors: Deka G. , Kalyani J. N. , Benazir J. F. , Savithri H. S. , Murthy M. R. N.
Published: March 2014

Pyridoxal kinase (PdxK; EC 2.7.1.35) belongs to the phosphotransferase family of enzymes and catalyzes the conversion of the three active forms of vitamin B6, pyridoxine, pyridoxal and pyridoxamine, to their phosphorylated forms and thereby plays a key role in pyridoxal 5′-phosphate salvage. In the present study, pyridoxal kinase fromSalmonella typhimuriumwas cloned and overexpressed inEscherichia coli, purified using Ni–NTA affinity chromatography and crystallized. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.6 Å resolution at 100 K. The crystal belonged to the primitive orthorhombic space groupP212121, with unit-cell parametersa= 65.11,b= 72.89,c= 107.52 Å. The data quality obtained by routine processing was poor owing to the presence of strong diffraction rings caused by a polycrystalline material of an unknown small molecule in all oscillation images. Excluding the reflections close to powder/polycrystalline rings provided data of sufficient quality for structure determination. A preliminary structure solution has been obtained by molecular replacement with thePhaserprogram in theCCP4 suite usingE. colipyridoxal kinase (PDB entry 2ddm) as the phasing model. Further refinement and analysis of the structure are likely to provide valuable insights into catalysis by pyridoxal kinases.
Micro-assembly precise coaxial alignment methodology based on surface roughness and reflectiveness matching
Authors: Tang Yong-long , Zhang Zhi-jing , Ye Xin , Zhang Xiao-feng
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel method of coaxial optical precision alignment based on surface roughness and reflectiveness matching.

Design/methodology/approach

– The micro-assembly experiment system set-up was constructed according to the principle of the coaxial optical alignment. The coaxial optical alignment error is theoretically analyzed and calculated. When the prism orthogonal alignment mechanism produces the error of 0.001°, the theoretical deviation was less than 0.87 μm and the actual experimental micro-assembly platform assembly accuracy exceeded 3 μm. A peg-in-hole precise assembly of punching pin micro-assembly experiment was done in order to validate feasibility of this method.

Findings

– The results indicate that coaxial optical precision alignment could be used for the assembly of complex micro-heterogeneous system which is integrated by similar devices, such as 3D complex micro-structures, silicon micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices and non-silicon MEMS devices with flat structure.

Originality/value

– The paper provides certain methodological guidelines for MEMS for high precision automatic assembly of complex 3D micro-structures.
A knowledge reuse-based computer-aided fixture design framework
Authors: Zhang Xutang , Peng Gaoliang , Hou Xin , Zhuang Ting
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– Fixture design is a complicated task requiring both intensive knowledge and experience. This paper aims to present a computer-aided fixture design (CAFD) system framework based on design reuse technology.

Design/methodology/approach

– Fixture design domain ontology is constructed by analyzing fixture design document corpus. A design reuse engine is proposed to realize fixture design knowledge retrieval and fixture model retrieval based on ontology and find fixture design cases similar to fixture design problem, and then use evolutionary methods to modify the retrieved model to meet the design requirements and then generate a new fixture.

Findings

– The paper finds that the proposed framework is an efficient tool to improve efficiency of fixture design.

Practical implications

– Fixture design existing experience and cases can be used efficiently reused and to advance new fixture design processes.

Originality/value

– This paper presents a CAFD system framework capable of carrying out fixture design through full using of the existing fixture design resource and experienced knowledge.
Numerical study on predicting and correcting assembly deformation of a large fuselage panel during digital assembly
Authors: Bi Yunbo , Yan Weimiao , Ke Yinglin
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The deformation of a large fuselage panel is unavoidable due to its weak-stiffness and low-rigidity. Sometimes, the assembly accuracy of the panel is out of tolerance. The purpose of this paper is to propose a method to predict and correct the assembly deformation of a large fuselage panel during digital assembly by using a finite element (FE) analysis and partial least squares regression (PLSR) method.

Design/methodology/approach

– A FE model is proposed to optimize the layout of load-transmitting devices to reduce panel deformation after the process of hoisting and supporting. Furthermore, another FE model is established to investigate the deformation behavior of the panel. By orthogonal simulations, the position error data of measurement points representing the precision of the panel are obtained. Then, a mathematical model of the relationship between the position errors of measurement points on the panel and the displacements of numerical control positioners is developed based on the PLSR method.

Findings

– The case study shows that the model has a high level of computing accuracy and that the proposed method is an efficient way to correct the panel deformation in digital assembly.

Originality/value

– The results of this study will enhance the understanding of the deformation behavior of a panel in aircraft digital assembly and help to improve the assembly precision systematically and efficiently.
Development of pallet pattern placement strategies in robotic palletisation
Authors: Masood S.H. , A. Khan Hussain
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– This paper presents an investigation on the development of different pattern placement strategies in robotic palletisation of box packages in the packaging industry with practical implementations for one, two, four and five block patterns with the aim of improving the operational efficiency in robotic palletisation.

Design/methodology/approach

– The work involves considering the gripper design and maximum number of picks and various process parameters that affect the robotic implementation of pallet patterns and develops a methodology to form different patterns for a given pallet size.

Findings

– The proposed methodology represents an efficient approach for pallet pattern implementation and results in reduced number of placements required for a given number of boxes per layer and reduced time for palletisation.

Originality/value

– The paper introduces a novel technique for pallet loading problem (PLP) considering the physical aspects and restrictions encountered when using the robot and the gripper size to generate the pattern on the pallet. Traditional solutions of PLP do not consider these aspects in pattern placements.
Accounting without accounting
Authors: Frezatti Fábio , B. Carter David , F.G. Barroso Marcelo
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– An effective management accounting information system (MAIS), as well as the accounting discourse related to it, can support, facilitate, enable, and constrain diverse business discourses. This paper aims to examine the discursive and organisational effects of an organisation accounting upon absent accounting artefacts, i.e. accounting without accounting. Situated within the discursive literature, this paper examines the construction of competing articulations of the organisation by focusing on what accounting does or does not do within an organisation. In particular, the paper acknowledges the fundamental importance of the accounting discourse in supporting, facilitating, enabling, and constraining competing organisational discourses, as it illustrates how the absence of accounting centralises power within the organisation.

Design/methodology/approach

– From a rhetorical, discursive perspective, the authors develop an in-depth qualitative case study in a manufacturing organisation where MAIS has been abandoned for approximately two years. Interpretive research approaches, from a post-structural perspective, provided the base for the structure of the research. The authors studied how other organisational discourses (such as entrepreneurship and growth), which are traditionally constructed with reference to accounting and other artefacts, continued to be produced and sustained. The non-use and non-availability of management accounting information created a vacuum that needed to be filled. The lack of discursive counterpoints and counter-evidence provided by MAIS created a vacuum of information, allowing powerful, proxy discourses to prevail in the organisation, increasing risks to business management.

Findings

– The absence of MAIS to support an accounting discourse requires that contingent discourses “fill in the discursive gap”. Despite appearances, they are no substitute for the accounting discourse. Thus, over time, the entrepreneurial, growth and partners' discourses lose credibility, without the corresponding use of management accounting information and its associated discourse.

Originality/value

– There are at least two main contributions from the case study and the findings presented in this paper: first, they provide a new perspective for studying MAIS, as a specific organisational discourse among other discourses that shape people relationship within the organisation as an examination of accounting without accounting. Second, this discussion reinforces the relevance of accounting discourse for other organisational discourses, supporting, facilitating, enabling, and constraining them, by demonstrating the effects of its absence.
Micro-drilling process control by using adaptive sliding controller
Authors: Chen Hung-Yi
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– Recently, the micro-positioning technology has become more important for achieving the requirement of precision machinery. The piezo-actuator plays a very important role in this application area. A model-free adaptive sliding controller with fuzzy compensation is proposed for a piezo-actuated micro-drilling process control in this paper. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Due to the system's nonlinear and time-varying characteristics, this control strategy employs the functional approximation technique to establish the unknown function for releasing the model-based requirement of the sliding mode control. In addition, a fuzzy scheme with online learning ability is augmented to compensate for the finite approximation error and facilitate the controller design.

Findings

– The Lyapunov direct method can be applied to find adaptive laws for updating coefficients in the approximating series and tuning parameter in the fuzzy compensator to guarantee the control system stability. With the addition adaptive fuzzy compensator, as less as five Fourier series functions can be used to approximate the nonlinear time-varying function for designing a sliding mode controller for micro-drilling process control.

Originality/value

– The important advantages of this approach are to achieve the sliding mode controller design without the system dynamic model requirement and release the trial-and-error work of selecting approximation function.
Design of a six-speed transmission hub with an integrated brushless permanent-magnet motor used for electric bicycles
Authors: Wu Yi-Chang , Lin Bo-Wei
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The electric motor and multi-speed transmission hub are essential components for an electric bicycle. Traditionally, these two devices have been designed and manufactured independently. The purpose of this study is to propose a novel electromechanical device that artfully integrates an exterior-rotor brushless permanent-magnet (BLPM) motor into a transmission hub to become a compact structural assembly.

Design/methodology/approach

– A novel design that integrates a three-phase, 20-pole/18-slot exterior-rotor BLPM motor with a multi-speed transmission hub composed of a six-link, two-degrees-of-freedom (2-DOF) compound planetary gear train (PGT) is presented in this study to overcome inherent drawbacks of existing designs. An analytical approach, based on fundamental circuits, is developed to synthesize the clutching sequences and numbers of teeth of all gears of the PGT.

Findings

– The integrated device provides six forward speeds, including two underdrives, two direct drives, and two overdrives, as well as two drive modes: the motor-drive mode and the human-drive mode, for electric bicycles. The main feature of the proposed design is the spur gear teeth merged with the pole shoes of the stator to dramatically minimize the detent torque, which is an oscillatory torque that always induces vibration and acoustic noise of the BLPM motor.

Originality/value

– The gear teeth on the pole shoes of the stator provide functions not only for transmission, but also act as dummy slots for adjusting the magnetostatic field of the BLPM motor to effectively reduce the detent torque. The peak value of the detent torque of the integrated design is only 9 percent of the original BLPM motor with identical magnet properties and motor dimensions. Such a feature is contributive in suppressing the vibration and acoustic noise of the electric bicycle's BLPM motor. A BLPM motor rated at 310 W and 250 r/min for the integrated device is presented and analyzed by using the commercial finite-element package Ansoft/Maxwell 2D Field Simulator.
Risk of adopting mission-critical OSS applications: an interpretive case study
Authors: Poba-Nzaou Placide , Raymond Louis , Fabi Bruno
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to explore the process of open source software (OSS) adoption in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and more specifically open source enterprise resource planning (ERP) as a “mission critical” OSS application in manufacturing. It also addresses the fundamental issue of ERP risk management that shapes this process.

Design/methodology/approach

– The approach is done through an interpretive case study of a small Canadian manufacturer that has adopted an open source ERP system.

Findings

– Interpreted in the light of the IT risk management, OSS and packaged application adoption literatures, results indicate that the small manufacturer successfully managed the adoption process in a rather intuitive manner, based on one guiding principle and nine practices. In analyzing the data, diffusion of innovation theory appeared to fit rather well with the situation observed and to offer rich insights to explain the mission-critical OSS adoption process.

Research limitations/implications

– A single case study of successful IT adoption should be eventually counterbalanced by future cases considered to be partial or total failures, using a wider multiple case study approach for comparative purposes. And this should include alternative theoretical interpretations and more detailed empirical work on the extent to which the distinctive features of OSS make its adoption more or less risk-laden. This initial effort should also be followed by further research on mission-critical OSS adoption in contexts other than SMEs (e.g. healthcare organizations) and other than ERP (e.g. customer-relationship management).

Practical implications

– This research confirms that open source is a credible alternative for SMEs that decide willingly or under external pressure to adopt a mission-critical system such as ERP. Moreover, it suggests that a high level of formalization is not always necessary.

Originality/value

– The authors argue that rich insights into the dynamics of the mission-critical OSS adoption process can be obtained by framing this process within an IT risk management context.
The impact of emergent virtual leadership competencies on team effectiveness
Authors: Ziek Paul , Smulowitz Stacy
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The research on virtual team leadership does well to describe the skills that are needed to guide and direct effective teams. However, what is presupposed in the previous research is that virtual teams have assigned leaders. That is, leaders were either management, appointed by management or were chosen by the team itself. Yet in today's global economy not all virtual teams have assigned leaders, instead many virtual team leaders emerge on their own to direct the group's actions. The purpose of this paper is to examine which emergent leadership competencies most impact virtual team effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a mixed method study where both a participant survey and content analysis of actual participant messages are used to determine the competencies of emergent virtual team leaders. The research participants for the current study were required to work in assigned teams on organizational case analyses. At the end of each case, teams presented their solutions in the form of final recommendations designed to fix the problem present in the case.

Findings

– Results indicate that not only do leaders emerge in virtual teams, but in most cases multiple leaders emerge. Results also show that the model that best describes team effectiveness includes the competencies of asking questions, cognitive and creative ability and vision setting.

Originality/value

– The contribution of the current study is that it extends the research on emergent virtual team leadership by introducing the idea that this type of leadership is often a collective action among individuals. It also advances a model of emergent virtual team leadership as a practice of communication. The better emergent virtual team leaders are at communicating to team members the more effective the team will be in completing tasks and projects, which in turn can lead to a more effectively functioning business unit.
Contextualising brand consumption experiences: a multi-modal enabling technique
Authors: Bulmer Sandy , Buchanan-Oliver Margo
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on a novel multi-modal enabling technique for contextualising brand consumption experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

– A multi-modal interpretive narrative approach is presented as a means of investigating brands as experiential entities for use in consumer identity projects. It reports the strategic use of different modes of data collection: autobiographical narratives generated by solo participants to create a benchmark of identity and subsequent friendship pair guided discussion interviews. This offers a faster, cheaper and more convenient means of gaining access to consumer experiences of brands than traditional ethnographic methods, which require prolonged engagements within a community.

Findings

– Consumer narratives of actual brand consumption and of mediated brand consumption are enhanced using this method. The consumer narratives generated provided rich insights into the role of brands in contributing to national identity. The contextualised use and function of identity narratives provided by brands were identified in addition to the identification of national community rituals of consumption.

Originality/value

– The multi-modal use of friendship pair interviews with solo autobiographical interviews is shown to offer benefits to qualitative consumer researchers focussing on brand/identity issues. The combination of data collection methods allowed for greater reflexive, memorial and contextualised discussion in the friendship pair interviews about brand narrative consumption and generated responses that advance beyond socio-political conventions concerning brands. Consequently, contextualised brand consumption experiences can be accessed more effectively than in conventional depth interviews.
Decentralizing the Farmer-to-Farmer extension approach to the local level
Authors: Kumar Shrestha Shiva
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– As the government extension services are less effective in reaching the remote areas and mid-hills of Nepal, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of community-based management in technology transfer.

Design/methodology/approach

– The Farmer-to-Farmer (FtF) extension approach as a better alternative to government extension services will be adopted in the research.

Findings

– The FtF approach is a cost effective and sustainable service delivery mechanism for extending basic and innovative technologies to rural farmers, especially in remote areas. Even marginalized, poor and disadvantaged groups, often excluded from mainstream assistance, have better access to extension services disseminated through the FtF approach. The agriculture committees established at the Village Development Committee (VDC) level are much entrusted by the people as they facilitates their participation in the planning-to-implementation processes related to local agriculture development programmes. Consequently, there is much local support for the establishment of the local committees and the FtF approach. Several challenges remain however, one being the committee members’ management capacity.

Originality/value

– Decentralizing the FtF extension approach to the local level, the VDCs.
The identity crisis of sustainable development
Authors: Ratiu Catalin , B. Anderson Beverlee
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– There are many different conceptualizations to sustainable development and these different approaches may have led to confusion amongst the public. The purpose of this paper is to explore the identities of the term and how the confused identity may be leading to problems for sustainable development efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

– The design is exploratory, using both secondary and primary data to understand the different sustainable development concepts.

Findings

– There is no consistent understanding or use of the term “sustainable development” among various groups.

Research limitations/implications

– Future research should include a larger sample that is more representative of people from different backgrounds and geographical areas.

Practical implications

– The public is generally willing to support only projects that it understands. Without a clear understanding of sustainable development, the public will be less inclined to support these efforts.

Originality/value

– This study examines the perceptions and understandings of the term by the general public representing different generations.
Mapping the Indian nanotechnology innovation system
Authors: Kumar Amit , N. Desai Pranav
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to map out the Indian nanotechnology innovation system. An attempt is made to identify the dominant actors, collaborative pattern and analyse the role of and interactions between the actors and institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

– A combination of frameworks such as national and international system of innovation is used to include all possible actors and institutions involved. A scientometric analysis is also carried out.

Findings

– Despite a series of government interventions discernible in various programmes since the 1980s, nanotechnology-based industries are yet to emerge as a dominant sector. The health sector has emerged as one of the major contributors in terms of nanotechnology applications. There are many other challenges of safety and standards, socioeconomic, ethical and environmental concerns. Academic R&D labs are active in technology transfer.

Research limitations/implications

– A scant literature is available for this sector in India and especially from the international innovation system framework to analyse the socioeconomic and risk governance issues.

Practical implications

– A scant literature is available for this sector in India and especially from the international innovation system framework to analyse the socioeconomic and risk governance issues.

Originality/value

– A scant literature is available for this sector in India and especially from the international innovation system framework to analyse the socioeconomic and risk governance issues.
Pennies from heaven? Conceptions and earmarking of lottery prize money,
Authors: Hedenus Anna
Published: March 2014

The source of money has been shown to be important for how money is spent. In addition, sudden wealth is often associated with social and psychological risks. This article investigates if conceptions of lottery prize money – as a special kind of money – imply restrictions on how it can be spent. Analysis of interviews with lottery winners shows that interviewees use earmarking of the prize money as a strategy for avoiding the pitfalls associated with a lottery win. Conceptions of lottery prize money as ‘a lot’ or as ‘a little’, as shared or personal, and as an opportunity or a risk, influences the ends for which it is earmarked: for self‐serving spending, a ‘normal’ living standard, paying off loans, saving for designated purposes, or for economic security and independence. Clearly defining and earmarking lottery prize money thus helps lottery winners construe their sudden wealth, not as a risk, but as ‘pennies from heaven.’
Systems‐practice framework: An integrated approach for foodservice management
Authors: Goonan Sarah , Mirosa Miranda , Spence Heather
Published: March 2014

Aim

There is increasing pressure on foodservice organisations to improve the sustainability of their operations and to do so practitioners must be equipped with appropriate tools. In this paper, a tool to guide management strategies for pro‐environmental behaviour change is introduced. The tool is based on a new framework that combines two existing models: the widely used foodservice ‘systems model’ and a model from sociology proven to be effective for understanding sustainable practices, the ‘social practice model’.

Methods

This new hybrid ‘systems‐practice’ framework is applied to an ethnographic case study, using document analyses, observations, focus groups and interviews, to investigate food waste in hospital kitchens. The present case study illustrates the practical implications of employing this approach and enhances the external validity of the proposed framework.

Results

The present study showed how the social practice model added to the existing systems model emphasised the role of foodservice personnel for generating pro‐environmental practices, and thus offered a more people‐based approach to foodservice management.

Conclusions

The case study data provided evidence for the efficacy of a systems‐practice approach to foodservice. This is especially relevant for encouraging a more environmentally aware behavioural orientation within foodservice systems. Based on easy‐to‐follow steps presented in the adjoined ‘application of the systems‐practice guide’, practitioners can use the framework to either understand practices that already exist in their operations, with the purpose being to ensure further systemisation of positive practices, or to effect change by creating new sustainable practices and phasing out existing unsustainable practices.
Maternal caloric restriction partially rescues the deleterious effects of advanced maternal age on offspring
Authors: Gribble Kristin E. , Jarvis George , Bock Martha , Mark Welch David B.
Published: March 2014

While many studies have focused on the detrimental effects of advanced maternal age and harmful prenatal environments on progeny, little is known about the role of beneficial non‐Mendelian maternal inheritance on aging. Here, we report the effects of maternal age and maternal caloric restriction (CR) on the life span and health span of offspring for a clonal culture of the monogonont rotifer Brachionus manjavacas. Mothers on regimens of chronic CR (CCR) or intermittent fasting (IF) had increased life span compared with mothers fed ad libitum (AL). With increasing maternal age, life span and fecundity of female offspring of AL‐fed mothers decreased significantly and life span of male offspring was unchanged, whereas body size of both male and female offspring increased. Maternal CR partially rescued these effects, increasing the mean life span of AL‐fed female offspring but not male offspring and increasing the fecundity of AL‐fed female offspring compared with offspring of mothers of the same age. Both maternal CR regimens decreased male offspring body size, but only maternal IF decreased body size of female offspring, whereas maternal CCR caused a slight increase. Understanding the genetic and biochemical basis of these different maternal effects on aging may guide effective interventions to improve health span and life span.
Telaprevir or boceprevir triple therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C and varying severity of cirrhosis
Authors: Saxena V. , Manos M. M. , Yee H. S. , Catalli L. , Wayne E. , Murphy R. C. , Shvachko V. A. , Pauly M. P. , Chua J. , Monto A. , Terrault N. A.
Published: March 2014

Background

Risks and benefits of protease inhibitor (PI) (telaprevir or boceprevir) triple therapy in hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐infected patients with mildly decompensated cirrhosis, including those wait‐listed for liver transplantation (LT), are incompletely known.

Aim

To assess virological responses and safety of PI triple therapy in patients with mildly decompensated Child‐Pugh (CP) CP ≥6 vs. compensated (CP = 5) cirrhosis.

Methods

Multicentre cohort of 160 adults with cirrhosis treated with peginterferon/ribavirin (peg‐IFN/RBV) plus telaprevir (69%) or boceprevir (31%), comparing outcomes between those with CP = 5 and CP ≥6.

Results

Patients, 47% with CP ≥6 cirrhosis (CP range 6–10), received PI triple therapy for a targeted duration of 48 weeks. The cohort was median age 59 years, 32% female, 59% genotype 1a, 35% previous null/partial responders. Sustained virological response at 12 weeks (SVR12) was achieved by 35% of patients with CP ≥6 vs. 54% of those with CP = 5 (P = 0.02). CP = 5, achievement of rapid virological response and genotype 1b/other, independently predicted SVR12. Compared to those with CP = 5, patients with CP ≥6 had more peg‐IFN dose reductions, eltrombopag use, transfusions and hospitalisations to manage adverse events (all P < 0.05). Overall, 67 (42%) discontinued treatment early. Nine wait‐listed patients were treated for a median of 97 days (IQR 60–160) prior to liver transplantation and five achieved post‐LT SVR.

Conclusions

In the presence of mild decompensation (Child‐Pugh ≥6), SVR12 rates with protease inhibitor triple therapy are significantly reduced and adverse events increased. Thus, treatment with protease inhibitor triple therapy, if judged as necessary, should be undertaken with close monitoring and awareness of the significant risks.
Employer Association Responses to the Effects of Bargaining Decentralization inAustralia andItaly: Seeking Explanations from Organizational Theory
Authors: Sheldon Peter , Nacamulli Raoul , Paoletti Francesco , Morgan David E.
Published: March 2014

The literature has neglected to analyse employer associations as organizations facing potential environmental threats to their financial sustainability. We examine associations' responses to collective bargaining decentralization, a major, contemporary threat. Using a qualitative, comparative case approach, we examine eight associations — four each inAustralia andItaly — to develop a model of response types. Stronger decentralization effects increase associations' exposure to new and heightened competition, which in turn produces stronger association responses. These include prioritizing commercial over associational objectives. We analyse responses using strategic choice and resource dependence theories, finding that associations use both. However, the decision how to combine them reflects environmental conditions as well as choices linking organizational purpose and financial sustainability.
Can factors affecting complication rates for ureteric re‐implantation be predicted? Use of the modified Clavien classification system in a paediatric population
Authors: Suer Evren , Ozcan Cihat , Mermerkaya Murat , Gokce Mehmet Ilker , Gulpinar Omer , Telli Onur , Soygur Tarkan , Burgu Berk
Published: March 2014

Objective

To determine preoperative predictive factors of postoperative complications of ureteric re‐implantation in children by using the modified Clavien classification system (MCCS), which has been widely used for complication rating of surgical procedures.

Patients and Methods

In all, 383 children who underwent ureteric re‐implantation for vesico‐ureteric reflux (VUR) and obstructing megaureters between 2002 and 2011 were included in the study. Intravesical and extravesical ureteric re‐implantations were performed in 338 and 45 children, respectively. Complications were evaluated according to the MCCS. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine predictive factors affecting complication rates.

Results

In all, 247 girls and 136 boys were studied. The mean (sd) age was 46 (25) months and the mean (sd) follow‐up was 49.4 (27.8) months. The mean (sd) hospitalisation time was 4.7 (1.6) days. Complications occurred in 76 (19.8%) children; 34 (8.9%) were MCCS grade I, 22 (5.7%) were grade II and 20 (5.2%) were grade III. Society of Fetal Urology (SFU) grade 3–4 hydronephrosis, obstructing megaureters, a tailoring‐tapering and folding procedure, refractory voiding dysfunction and a duplex system were statistically significant predictors of complications on univariate analysis. Prior injection history, paraureteric diverticula, stenting, gender, age, operation technique (intra vs extravesical) were not significant predictors of complications. In the multivariate analysis refractory voiding dysfunction, a tailoring‐tapering and folding procedure, obstructing megaureters (diameter of >9 mm) and a duplex system were statistically significant predictors of complications.

Conclusion

Ureteric re‐implantation remains a valid option for the treatment of certain patients with VUR. Refractory voiding dysfunction, a tailoring‐tapering and folding procedure, obstructing megaureters (diameter of >9 mm) and associated duplex systems were the main predictive factors for postoperative complications. Use of a standardised complication grading system, such as the MCCS, should be encouraged to allow the valid comparison of complication rates between series.
A latent class distance association model for cross‐classified data with a categorical response variable
Authors: Vera José Fernando , de Rooij Mark , Heiser Willem J.
Published: March 2014

In this paper we propose a latent class distance association model for clustering in the predictor space of large contingency tables with a categorical response variable. The rows of such a table are characterized as profiles of a set of explanatory variables, while the columns represent a single outcome variable. In many cases such tables are sparse, with many zero entries, which makes traditional models problematic. By clustering the row profiles into a few specific classes and representing these together with the categories of the response variable in a low‐dimensional Euclidean space using a distance association model, a parsimonious prediction model can be obtained. A generalized EM algorithm is proposed to estimate the model parameters and the adjusted Bayesian information criterion statistic is employed to test the number of mixture components and the dimensionality of the representation. An empirical example highlighting the advantages of the new approach and comparing it with traditional approaches is presented.