bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms of carbon dimer formation in colliding laser-produced carbon plasmas
Authors: Sizyuk Tatyana , Oliver John , Diwakar Prasoon K.
Published: July 2017

It has been demonstrated that the hot stagnation region formed during the collision of laser-produced carbon plasmas is rich with carbon dimers which have been shown to be synthesized into large carbon macromolecules such as carbon fullerene onions and nanotubes. In this study, we developed and integrated experimental and multidimensional modeling techniques to access the temporal and spatial resolution of colliding plasma characteristics that elucidated the mechanism for early carbon dimer formation. Plume evolution imaging, monochromatic imaging, and optical emission spectroscopy of graphite-produced, carbon plasmas were performed. Experimental results were compared with the results of the 3D comprehensive modeling using our HEIGHTS simulation package. The results are explained based on a fundamental analysis of plasma evolution, colliding layer formation, stagnation, and expansion. The precise mechanisms of the plasma collision, plume propagation, and particle formation are discussed based on the experimental and modeling results.
Study of fractal features of magnetized plasma through an MHD shell model
Authors: Domínguez M. , Nigro G. , Muñoz V. , Carbone V.
Published: July 2017

A magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) shell model is used to describe the dissipative events which take place in magnetized plasmas. A scatter plot box-counting fractal dimension D is calculated for the time series of the magnetic energy dissipation rate obtained in the MHD shell model, and the correlation between D and the energy dissipation rate is analyzed. We show that, depending on the values of the viscosity and the diffusivity, the fractal dimension and the occurrence of bursts exhibit correlations similar to those observed in previous studies.
Theoretical investigation on exciplex pumped alkali vapor lasers with sonic-level gas flow
Authors: Xu Xingqi , Shen Binglin , Huang Jinghua , Xia Chunsheng , Pan Bailiang
Published: July 2017

Considering the effects of higher excited and ion energy states and utilizing the methodology in the fluid mechanics, a modified model of exciplex pumped alkali vapor lasers with sonic-level flowing gas is established. A comparison of output characters between subsonic flow and supersonic flow is made. In this model, higher excited and ion energy states are included as well, which modifies the analysis of the kinetic process and introduces larger heat loading in an operating CW exciplex-pumped alkali vapor laser. The results of our calculations predict that subsonic flow has an advantage over supersonic flow under the same fluid parameters, and stimulated emission in the supersonic flow would be quenched while the pump power reaching a threshold value of the fluid choking effect. However, by eliminating the influence of fluid characters, better thermal management and higher optical conversion efficiency can be obtained in supersonic flow. In addition, we make use of the “nozzle-diffuser” to build up the closed-circle flowing experimental device and gather some useful simulated results.
Large anisotropic thermal conductivity and excellent thermoelectric properties observed in carbon foam
Authors: Tan Ting , Chen Shi-Zhang , Cao Xuan-Hao , Zhou Wu-Xing , Xie Fang , Chen Ke-Qiu
Published: July 2017

Using first-principles calculations in combination with the Boltzmann transport equation and empirical potential models, we investigate the thermal transport and thermoelectric properties of carbon foam. The results show that large anisotropic thermal conductivity can be observed in carbon foam. The Z direction of carbon foam has the highest thermal conductivity of 22.97 W/m K at room temperature, which is about 25 times greater than that of the Y direction. This is due to the lower phonon group velocity and stronger anharmonic interaction in the Y direction than those in the Z direction. Moreover, we find that the carbon form has excellent thermoelectric properties in the Y direction, the ZT can reach 0.5 at room temperature, and the ZT can be further improved to 0.84 at 800 K, which is two orders of magnitude higher than that in the Z direction. This results from the large power factor and ultralow thermal conductivity in the Y direction.
Over-injection and self-oscillations in an electron vacuum diode
Authors: Leopold J. G. , Siman-Tov M. , Goldman A. , Krasik Ya. E.
Published: July 2017

We demonstrate a practical means by which one can inject more than the space-charge limiting current into a vacuum diode. This over-injection causes self-oscillations of the space-charge resulting in an electron beam current modulation at a fixed frequency, a reaction of the system to the Coulomb repulsive forces due to charge accumulation.
Reduction of the thermal conductivity of the thermoelectric material ScN by Nb alloying
Authors: Tureson Nina , Van Nong Ngo , Fournier Daniele , Singh Niraj , Acharya Somnath , Schmidt Susann , Belliard Laurent , Soni Ajay , le Febvrier Arnaud , Eklund Per
Published: July 2017

ScN-rich (Sc,Nb)N solid solution thin films have been studied, motivated by the promising thermoelectric properties of ScN-based materials. Cubic Sc1-xNbxN films for 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.25 were epitaxially grown by DC reactive magnetron sputtering on a c-plane sapphire substrate and oriented along the (111) orientation. The crystal structure, morphology, thermal conductivity, and thermoelectric and electrical properties were investigated. The ScN reference film exhibited a Seebeck coefficient of −45 μV/K and a power factor of 6 × 10−4 W/m K2 at 750 K. Estimated from room temperature Hall measurements, all samples exhibit a high carrier density of the order of 1021 cm−3. Inclusion of heavy transition metals into ScN enables the reduction in thermal conductivity by an increase in phonon scattering. The Nb inserted ScN thin films exhibited a thermal conductivity lower than the value of the ScN reference (10.5 W m−1 K−1) down to a minimum value of 2.2 Wm−1 K−1. Insertion of Nb into ScN thus resulted in a reduction in thermal conductivity by a factor of ∼5 due to the mass contrast in ScN, which increases the phonon scattering in the material.
On the promotion of human flourishing
Authors: VanderWeele Tyler J.
Published: July 2017

Many empirical studies throughout the social and biomedical sciences focus only on very narrow outcomes such as income, or a single specific disease state, or a measure of positive affect. Human well-being or flourishing, however, consists in a much broader range of states and outcomes, certainly including mental and physical health, but also encompassing happiness and life satisfaction, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, and close social relationships. The empirical literature from longitudinal, experimental, and quasiexperimental studies is reviewed in attempt to identify major determinants of human flourishing, broadly conceived. Measures of human flourishing are proposed. Discussion is given to the implications of a broader conception of human flourishing, and of the research reviewed, for policy, and for future research in the biomedical and social sciences.
Analytic and synthetic
Authors: Haspelmath Martin , Michaelis Susanne Maria
Published: July 2017

It has long been observed that the modern European languages use more function words compared to earlier inflectional patterns, and this trend seems to have increased even further in creoles and other non-standard varieties. Here we make two arguments: First, we note that the terms synthetic and analytic are based on the “word” concept, which is not well-defined, so that these concepts cannot be used in a synchronic typology. But we can define a notion of “analyticization”, i.e. the replacement of an earlier pattern by a new, more elaborate pattern based on lexical or concrete items. Second, we observe that such analyticizations are particularly common in creole languages (when viewed as continuations of their lexifiers), and we hypothesize that this is due to the extra transparency that is required in situations with many adult second-language speakers.
Dynamics, variation and the brain
Authors: Schmidt Jürgen Erich
Published: July 2017

German dialects offer an unparalleled data situation for carrying out fine-grained research on language change. On the basis of empirical data, phonetic-cum-phonological change can be traced back over 100 years in time and space. Which factors play a role in triggering the different types of sound change can be determined on the basis of the available data. It will be demonstrated how neurolinguistic methods can be applied to study speaker-listener constellations between language varieties in contact with one another. Linguistic stability, word for word phonological change and the rapid change of phonemes as a whole are accompanied by differing physiological processes in the brain for the speaker and the listener.
Aggregate analysis of lexical variation in Galician
Authors: Sousa Xulio
Published: July 2017

This paper presents the results of an aggregate analysis of lexical maps from the Atlas Lingüístico Galego. Aggregate dialectology enables an analysis of a large set of data and identification of behavioural patterns in it which help to account for territorial nuclei of spatial distribution. Using this procedure, we were able to identify in the Galician linguistic territory a set of dialectal areas showing internal similarity. The results also make it possible to discover areas where one may identify linguistic proximity to other zones belonging to adjacent, closely related linguistic domains within Galician. This study yields conclusions that are sufficiently solid to suggest that the analysis of lexical variation across space ought to be incorporated into descriptions of Galician language variation.
Vowel raising and vowel deletion as sociolinguistic variables in Northern Greek
Authors: Pappas Panayiotis A.
Published: July 2017

The research reported here is part of a longitudinal case study into the linguistic effects of de-urbanization, which is occurring in Greece due to severe economic recession. The overall aim of the analysis is to explore the way in which de-urbanization is affecting the evaluation and production of dialects in rural communities. In this paper, I present evidence that the features of unstressed vowel deletion and vowel raising are socially embedded in Northern Greek. Even though the usage of standard variants is very close to categorical, a quantitative comparison of the linguistic patterns of urban in-migrants who have returned to the rural community against the usage of speakers who have never left reveals that the use of standard variants indexes more advanced education and an orientation towards the urban lifestyle.
Variation in style
Authors: Adli Aria
Published: July 2017

This study presents a sociolinguistic analysis of two linguistic variables of French, subject doubling and subject-verb inversion in wh-questions. First, factor and cluster analyses led to a grouping of the sample into four distinct lifestyle types. Then, statistical tests show that lifestyle, gender, and age are significant external factors, and that lifestyle exhibits the most salient effect. While the lifestyle associated with orthodoxy correlates with a high inversion rate (formal linguistic style) and low doubling rate (informal linguistic style), the group associated with heterodoxy demonstrates the inverse pattern. It stands to reason that sociolinguistic studies can uncover more patterns of variation if they go beyond the standard sociodemographic variables (such as age, gender, etc.) and a ‘narrow’ concept of class.
A corpus-based study of concessive conjunctions in three L1-varieties of English
Authors: Schützler Ole
Published: July 2017

This paper presents an analysis of the concessive conjunctions although, though and even though in three varieties of English from different world regions: British, Canadian and New Zealand English. The analysis, which is based on the International Corpus of English, reveals that although and though are typically used to mark concessives of the semantic type referred to as speech-act concessive, while even though prefers another type, defined as content concessive. Notably, these semantic properties of conjunctions are very similar not only in the three varieties under investigation, but also in speech and writing. The paper thus highlights underexplored semantic characteristics of different concessive conjunctions and demonstrates their inter- and intra-varietal stability.
Variation in the structure of conjunctions in Luxembourgish German in the 19th century
Authors: Beyer Rahel
Published: July 2017

This contribution aims to shed light on the structural development of Luxembourgish German in the 19th century. The fact that it is embedded in a multilingual context raises many research questions. The evidence comprises predominantly bilingual German/French public notices issued by the City of Luxembourg in this period. The analysis of two conjunctions suggests that processes of replication and interlingual transfer are sources for variation. It shows that the influence of French was particularly acute during the “French period” (1795–1814). However, rather than working in isolation, the language contact phenomena operate on the basis of similar constructions existing in the borrowing language. In addition, ancient German forms quickly disappeared, despite showing similarity to forms in the local dialect.
Geolinguistic documentation of multilingual areas
Authors: Oberholzer Susanne , Kunzmann Markus
Published: July 2017

This chapter presents the research project VerbaAlpina funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The project investigates the specific Alpine lexis in the multilingual Alpine region where different dialects and languages from the Germanic, Romance and Slavic language families are spoken. This chapter focuses on the methodology used to transfer analogue data from traditional linguistic atlases and dictionaries into a digital format. The method used enables, for the first time, the representation and comparison of traditional geolinguistic data within a digital and multilingual research environment open to the public realm.
De novo telomere addition at chromosome breaks: Dangerous Liaisons
Authors: Churikov Dmitri , Géli Vincent
Published: July 2017

Telomerase counteracts the loss of terminal DNA sequences from chromosome ends; however, it may erroneously add telomeric repeats to DNA double-strand breaks. In this issue, Ouenzar et al. (2017. J. Cell Biol. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201610071) uncover cell cycle–dependent sequestration of the telomerase RNA in nucleoli, a process that excludes telomerase from DNA repair sites.
Platelet Aggregation in Direct Oral Factor Xa Inhibitors–treated Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Pilot Study
Authors: Bánovčin Peter , Škorňová Ingrid , Samoš Matej , Schnierer Martin , Bolek Tomáš , Kovář František , Staško Ján , Kubisz Peter , Mokáň Marián
Published: July 2017

Background:

Activated factor X (factor Xa) plays an important role in regulation of platelets. The aim of this study was to test the effect of direct oral factor Xa inhibitors—rivaroxaban and apixaban—on platelet aggregation in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Patients and Methods:

This single-center pilot study enrolled 21 factor Xa inhibitors–treated (9 rivaroxaban-treated and 12 apixaban-treated) patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. The trough and peak samples of these patients were tested for adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced, epinephrine-induced, and collagen-induced platelet aggregation with light transmission aggregometry, and with factor Xa–calibrated anti-Xa chromogenic analysis.

Results:

The detected trough anti-Xa activity was 57.5 ± 43.4 μg/L. There was a significant increase in peak anti-Xa activity to 175.9 ± 119.6 μg/L (P < 0.001) observed. The platelet aggregation was reduced with reduced inductor concentration. However, no significant changes in ADP-induced, or in epinephrine-induced, or in collagen-induced platelet aggregation were seen comparing trough and peak sample. There were no significant differences in anti-Xa activity or in platelet aggregation comparing rivaroxaban-treated and apixaban-treated patients.

Conclusions:

This study showed that factor Xa inhibition does not affect ADP-induced, epinephrine-induced, and collagen-induced platelet aggregation.
Return to Driving After Hip Arthroscopy
Authors: Momaya Amit M. , Stavrinos Despina , McManus Benjamin , Wittig Shannon M. , Emblom Benton , Estes Reed
Published: July 2017

Objective:

The objective of this study was to evaluate patients' braking performance using a modern driving simulator after undergoing a right hip arthroscopy.

Design:

This prospective study included 5 total driving sessions at which measurements were taken.

Setting:

The study was conducted at an academic medical center.

Patients:

A total of 14 patients scheduled to undergo a right hip arthroscopy were enrolled and compared with a control group of 17 participants to account for a potential learning phenomenon.

Interventions:

Patients drove in the simulator preoperatively to establish a baseline, and then drove again at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks postoperatively. The control group did not undergo any type of surgical procedure. The main independent variable was time from surgery.

Main Outcome Measures:

A modern driving simulator was used to measure initial reaction time (IRT), throttle release time (TRT), foot movement time (FMT), and brake travel time (BTT). The braking reaction time (BRT) was calculated as the sum of IRT + TRT + FMT, and the total braking time (TBT) was calculated as the sum of BRT + BTT.

Results:

The experimental group showed no significant changes in BTT (P = 0.11,

JOURNAL/cjspm/04.03/00042752-201805000-00009/inline-formula1/v/2023-09-24T061115Z/r/image-tiff

= 0.04) nor TBT (P = 0.20,

JOURNAL/cjspm/04.03/00042752-201805000-00009/inline-formula2/v/2023-09-24T061115Z/r/image-tiff

= 0.03) over the duration of 8 weeks. Although the experimental group did exhibit significant improvements in IRT (P = 0.002), TRT (P < 0.0001), FMT (P < 0.0001), and BRT (P = 0.0002) between preoperative and 2 weeks postoperative driving sessions, there were no significant changes thereafter. The mean preoperative TBT and 2 weeks postoperative TBT for the experimental group were 3.07 seconds (SD = 0.50) and 2.97 seconds (SD = 0.57), respectively. No learning phenomenon was observed in the control group.

Conclusions:

This study's findings suggest that patients may return to driving 2 weeks postoperatively from a right-sided hip arthroscopy procedure.
The Reconstruction of 2,631 Draft Metagenome-Assembled Genomes from the Global Oceans
Authors: Tully Benjamin J. , Graham Elaina D. , Heidelberg John F.
Published: July 2017

Microorganisms play a crucial role in mediating global biogeochemical cycles in the marine environment. By reconstructing the genomes of environmental organisms through metagenomics, researchers are able to study the metabolic potential of Bacteria and Archaea that are resistant to isolation in the laboratory. Utilizing the large metagenomic dataset generated from 234 samples collected during the Tara Oceans circumnavigation expedition, we were able to assemble 102 billion paired-end reads into 562 million contigs, which in turn were co-assembled and consolidated in to 7.2 million contigs ≥2kb in length. Approximately 1 million of these contigs were binned to reconstruct draft genomes. In total, 2,631 draft genomes with an estimated completion of ≥50% were generated (1,491 draft genomes >70% complete; 603 high-quality genomes >90% complete). A majority of the draft genomes were manually assigned phylogeny based on sets of concatenated phylogenetic marker genes and/or 16S rRNA gene sequences. The draft genomes are now publically available for the research community at-large.
Environmental engineering is an emergent feature of diverse ecosystems and drives community structure
Authors: Advani Madhu , Bunin Guy , Mehta Pankaj
Published: July 2017

A central question in ecology is to understand the ecological processes that shape community structure. Niche-based theories have emphasized the important role played by competition for maintaining species diversity. Many of these insights have been derived using MacArthur’s consumer resource model (MCRM) or its generalizations. Most theoretical work on the MCRM has focused on small ecosystems with a few species and resources. However theoretical insights derived from small ecosystems many not scale up large ecosystems with many resources and species because large systems with many interacting components often display new emergent behaviors that cannot be understood or deduced from analyzing smaller systems. To address this shortcoming, we develop a sophisticated statistical physics inspired cavity method to analyze MCRM when both the number of species and the number of resources is large. We find that in this limit, species generically and consistently perturb their environments and significantly modify available ecological niches. We show how our cavity approach naturally generalizes niche theory to large ecosystems by accounting for the effect of this emergent environmental engineering on species invasion and ecological stability. Our work suggests that environmental engineering is a generic feature of large, natural ecosystems and must be taken into account when analyzing and interpreting community structure. It also highlights the important role that statistical-physics inspired approaches can play in furthering our understanding of ecology.
Key role of piRNAs in telomeric chromatin maintenance and telomere nuclear positioning inDrosophilagermline
Authors: Radion Elizaveta , Morgunova Valeriya , Ryazansky Sergei , Akulenko Natalia , Lavrov Sergey , Abramov Yuri , Komarov Pavel A. , Glukhov Sergey I. , Olovnikov Ivan , Kalmykova Alla
Published: July 2017

Telomeric small RNAs related to PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) were discovered in different species, however, their role in germline-specific telomere function remains poorly understood. Using aDrosophilamodel, we show that the piRNA pathway provides a strong germline-specific mechanism of telomere homeostasis. We show that telomeric retrotransposon arrays belong to a unique class of dual-strand piRNA clusters whose transcripts, required for telomere elongation, serve simultaneously as piRNA precursors and their only targets. However, the ability to produce piRNAs and bind Rhino – a germline-specific homolog of heterochromatic protein 1 (HP1) – varies along telomeres. Most likely, this heterogeneity is determined by the peculiarities of telomeric retrotransposons themselves. piRNAs play a pivotal role in the establishment and maintenance of telomeric and subtelomeric chromatin in the germline facilitating loading of HP1 and histone 3 lysine 9 trimethylation mark – highly conservative telomere components – at different telomeric regions. piRNA pathway disruption results in telomere dysfunction characterized by a loss of heterochromatic components and translocation of telomeres from the periphery to the nuclear interior but does not affect the telomere end capping.
The WYL domain of the PIF1 helicase from the thermophilic bacteriumThermotoga elfiiis an accessory single-stranded DNA binding module
Authors: Andis Nicholas M. , Sausen Christopher W. , Alladin Ashna , Bochman Matthew L.
Published: July 2017

PIF1 family helicases are conserved from bacteria to man. With the exception of the well-studied yeast PIF1 helicases (e.g., ScPif1 and ScRrm3), however, very little is known about how these enzymes help maintain genome stability. Indeed, we lack a basic understanding of the protein domains found N- and C-terminal to the characteristic central PIF1 helicase domain in these proteins. Here, using chimeric constructs, we show that the ScPif1 and ScRrm3 helicase domains are interchangeable and that the N-terminus of ScRrm3 is important for its functionin vivo. This suggests that PIF1 family helicases evolved functional modules fused to a generic motor domain. To investigate this hypothesis, we characterized the biochemical activities of the PIF1 helicase from the thermophilic bacteriumThermotoga elfii(TePif1), which contains a C-terminal WYL domain of unknown function. Like helicases from other thermophiles, recombinant TePif1 was easily prepared, thermostablein vitro, and displayed activities similar to its eukaryotic homologs. We also found that the WYL domain was necessary for high-affinity single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding and affected both ATPase and helicase activities. Deleting the WYL domain from TePif1 or mutating conserved residues in the predicted ssDNA binding site uncoupled ATPase activity and DNA unwinding, leading to higher rates of ATP hydrolysis but less efficient DNA helicase activity. Our findings suggest that the domains of unknown function found in eukaryotic PIF1 helicases may also confer functional specificity and additional activities to these enzymes, which should be investigated in future work.
An exact transformation for CNN kernel enables accurate sequence motif identification and leads to a potentially full probabilistic interpretation of CNN
Authors: Ding Yang , Li Jing-Yi , Wang Meng , Tu Xinming , Gao Ge
Published: July 2017

Motivation

Convolutional neural network (CNN) has been widely used in functional motifs identification for large-scale DNA/RNA sequences. Currently, however, the only way to interpret such a convolutional kernel is a heuristic construction of a position weight matrix (PWM) from fragments scored highly by that kernel.

Results

Instead of using heuristics, we developed a novel, exact kernel-to-PWM transformation whose equivalency is theoretically proven: the log-likelihood of the resulting PWM generating any DNA/RNA sequence is exactly the sum of a constant and the convolution of the original kernel on the same sequence. Importantly, we further proved that the resulting PWM’s performance on sequence classification/regression can be exactly the same as the original kernel’s under popular CNN frame-works. In simulation, the exact transformation rivals or outperforms the heuristic PWMs in terms of classifying sequences with sequence- or structure-motifs. The exact transformation also faithfully reproduces the output of CNN models on real-world cases, while the heuristic one fails, especially on the case with little prior knowledge on the form of underlying true motifs. Of note, the time complexity of the novel exact transformation is independent on the number of input sequences, enabling it to scale well for massive training sequences.

Availability

Python scripts for the transformation from kernel to PWM, the inverted transformation from PWM to kernel, and a proof-of-concept for the maximum likelihood estimation of optimal PWM are available throughhttps://github.com/gao-lab/kernel-to-PWM.

Contact

gaog@mail.cbi.pku.edu.cn
CellNetVis: a web tool for visualization of biological networks using force-directed layout constrained by cellular components
Authors: Heberle Henry , Carazzolle Marcelo Falsarella , Telles Guilherme P. , Vaz Meirelles Gabriela , Minghim Rosane
Published: July 2017

Background

The advent of “omics” science has brought new perspectives in contemporary biology through the high-throughput analyses of molecular interactions, providing new clues in protein/gene function and in the organization of biological pathways. Biomolecular interaction networks, or graphs, are simple abstract representations where the components of a cell (e.g. proteins, metabolites etc.) are represented by nodes and their interactions are represented by edges. An appropriate visualization of data is crucial for understanding such networks, since pathways are related to functions that occur in specific regions of the cell. The force-directed layout is an important and widely used technique to draw networks according to their topologies. Placing the networks into cellular compartments helps to quickly identify where network elements are located and, more specifically, concentrated. Currently, only a few tools provide the capability of visually organizing networks by cellular compartments. Most of them cannot handle large and dense networks. Even for small networks with hundreds of nodes the available tools are not able to reposition the network while the user is interacting, limiting the visual exploration capability.

Results

Here we propose CellNetVis, a web tool to easily display biological networks in a cell diagram employing a constrained force-directed layout algorithm. The tool is freely available and open-source. It was originally designed for networks generated by the Integrated Interactome System and can be used with networks from others databases, like InnateDB.

Conclusions

CellNetVis has demonstrated to be applicable for dynamic investigation of complex networks over a consistent representation of a cell on the Web, with capabilities not matched elsewhere.
The role of consumers in food innovation processes
Authors: Busse Maria , Siebert Rosemarie
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The need for consumer involvement in innovation processes has been recognised for four decades. Consumer involvement as a part of open innovation is an important strategy in the food sector, specifically for enhancing consumer acceptance and promoting successful market introduction. The purpose of this paper is to systematically analyse the concept of consumers’ role and the level of consumer integration and interaction in recent food innovation processes.

Design/methodology/approach

In 2016, a three-step literature search was performed to identify the state-of-the-art scientific literature on consumer-involvement approaches and methods in the food sector. These methods and approaches were qualitatively analysed based on categories in accordance with the qualitative content analysis method.

Findings

A key finding is that most implemented consumer-involvement approaches and methods fall under von Hippel’s manufacturer-active paradigm rather than the customer-active paradigm (CAP). However, there are practical reasons for the low diffusion of CAP. The presumed reasons include needed change of the perception of roles and of organisational structures, as well as a lack of trust among actors.

Practical implications

There remains a need to promote an active role for consumers, especially amid changing consumer demand and increasingly conscious consumer behaviour concerning food production and processing conditions.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the theoretical and practical discussion about innovation management by reflecting on the innovation paradigm underlying an approach or method. The paper may also have practical implications for the choice and implementation of business models that consider consumers’ role.
Mentoring pre-service educators in the development of professional disposition
Authors: Kindall Heather D. , Crowe Tracey , Elsass Angela
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Professional dispositions must be cultivated through focused self-reflection and targeted, authentic, internship experiences prior to entering the teaching profession. Continued development through mentoring during the clinical internship can enhance the effectiveness of pre-service teacher candidates as instructional leaders. The purpose of this paper is to explore the unique experiences found to be successful in mentoring pre-service teachers from student to professional during an authentic, yearlong internship experience.

Design/methodology/approach

Intern participants in this pilot study completed an inventory that measured professional dispositions five times during an internship experience. Data were analyzed using a mixed methods study design.

Findings

Results of the study determined that intern participants held unrealistic views of teaching and did not recognize the importance of dispositional development prior to focused mentoring throughout the year of clinical internship. One central finding in this study is that change and growth about perceptions of professional dispositions can be developed through focused mentoring.

Originality/value

Mentoring within the teacher preparation program can help in the transition of understanding professional growth and development, attitudes, and the view of complex behaviors. The dispositions necessary for effective teaching can be honed through cultural and clinical experiences, continual self-reflection, constructive feedback on evaluations of teaching, and targeted mentoring before beginning the clinical student internship and throughout the experience.
Preparing teachers to mentor beginning teachers: an Australian case study
Authors: Beutel Denise , Crosswell Leanne , Willis Jill , Spooner-Lane Rebecca , Curtis Elizabeth , Churchward Peter
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to present an Australian mentor preparation program designed to prepare experienced teachers to mentor beginning teachers and second, to identify and discuss mentor teachers’ personal and professional outcomes and the wider contextual implications emerging from the Mentoring Beginning Teachers (MBT) mentor preparation program.

Design/methodology/approach

This case study, situated within Queensland, Australia, draws on qualitative data collected via interviews and focus groups with mentor teachers who participated in a large-scale systemic mentor preparation program. The program positions mentoring as supportive, based on a process of collaborative inquiry and encouraging critically reflexive praxis with the mentor professional learning focusing on reflection, dialog and criticality.

Findings

Initial findings show the outcomes of the mentor preparation program include building a common language and shared understanding around the role of mentor, consolidating a collaborative inquiry approach to mentoring and providing opportunity for self-reflection and critique around mentoring approaches and practices. Some findings, such as a greater self-awareness and validation of mentors’ own teaching performance, have confirmed previous research. However, the originality of this research lies in the personal and professional impacts for mentor teachers and the wider contextual impacts that have emerged from the study.

Practical implications

The study highlights the impact of the mentor preparation program on the professional learning of teacher-mentors and contributes to the current lack of empirical research that identifies the personal and professional impacts for mentors and the wider contextual factors that impact effective mentoring in schools.

Originality/value

The originality of this research lies in the personal and professional impacts for mentor teachers and the wider contextual impacts more broadly that have emerged from the study.
Role of green self-identity and peer influence in fostering trust towards organic food retailers
Authors: Khare Arpita , Pandey Shivendra
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of green self-identity, green peer influence, service and product quality of organic food retailers on Indian consumers’ perceived trust and transaction risk.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consisted of consumers purchasing organic food products from organic food retailers. A mix of judgemental and convenience sampling was used.

Findings

Green peer influence, perceived organic food quality and service quality had a positive influence on perceived trust towards organic food retailer. Green self-identity had a negative influence on perceived transaction risk, and green peer influence had a positive effect on perceived transaction risk.

Practical implications

The findings can be used by organic food retailers to increase trust by improving organic food brands and service quality at the stores. The organic food market is in nascent stage and consumers’ trust towards organic food retailers is crucial in improving intention to purchase organic food. Peer influence should be used in cultivating trust towards products sold by organic food retailers.

Originality/value

The study adds to existing research by analysing the role of green self-identity, peer influence, organic food and service quality on perceived trust and transaction risk. The results can be used by retailers for marketing organic food brands.
Does communicating the customer’s resource integrating role improve or diminish value proposition effectiveness?
Authors: Leroi-Werelds Sara , Streukens Sandra , Van Vaerenbergh Yves , Grönroos Christian
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether explicitly communicating the customer’s resource integrating role in value propositions improves or diminishes value proposition effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on existing research on value propositions, three effectiveness criteria are used: role clarity, expected customer value, and purchase intention. Two experiments manipulating the presence of the customer’s resource integrating role in value propositions test the conceptual model in both an indirect interaction (Study 1, toothpaste, n=207) and a direct interaction context (Study 2, fitness program, n=228). Additionally, Study 2 includes the moderating role of resource availability.

Findings

Explicitly communicating the customer’s resource integrating role in value propositions increases customers’ role clarity, which in turn influences customer’s attitude toward the service and purchase intention through a service-related (i.e. expected benefits and expected efforts) and an ad-related (i.e. ad credibility and attitude toward the ad) route. However, these results only hold for customers high in resource availability.

Originality/value

This research provides initial empirical support for the often-stated claim that value propositions should include the (potential) value of the offering as well as the (resource integrating) role of the customer. Taking a broader perspective, this research provides initial empirical support for recent calls to develop marketing communication practices that facilitate value-in-use. This paper’s findings show that adopting service logic in marketing communications seems to improve value propositions’ effectiveness.
Marketing bank services to youth in China
Authors: Chan Kara , Tsang Lennon , Chen Jie
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the banking experiences and awareness of marketing efforts of banks among youth in mainland China.

Design/methodology/approach

Four focus-group interviews were conducted. A convenience sample of 26 participants aged 17 to 20 years was recruited in Laiwu, Shandong, a medium-sized city in China. They were asked to report experiences that could illustrate good and bad banking services. They were also asked to recall bank marketing promotions.

Findings

Participants’ perceived service quality of banks was determined by staff attitude, service delivery, physical environment and comparison of user experience. The marketing communication activities they recalled most frequently included product placements, advertising slogans, entertaining commercials and co-branding with online games.

Research limitations/implications

The findings were based on a non-probability sample. The study also did not differentiate between personal experience and indirect experience with family and friends. Similar studies can be conducted in large cities or in rural China to compare banking experiences in different social economic settings. Further studies can be designed using quantitative methodology to measure the importance of various factors in influencing perceptions of service quality. Online banking experience can also be studied in the future.

Practical implications

Banks in China can enhance their competitiveness and brand reputation through raising the professionalism of their front-line staff, improving efficiency and transparency and streamlining the service process. Banks can make contacts with youth through offline and online promotional activities, such as co-branding with popular online games.

Originality/value

This is the first study on banking services among youth conducted in a medium-sized city in China.
Exchanging implements: the micro‐materialities of multidisciplinary work in the operating theatre
Authors: Heath Christian , Luff Paul , Sanchez‐Svensson Marcus , Nicholls Maxim
Published: July 2017

Surgical procedures rely upon an array of commonplace tools, implements and materials that mediate practice and disciplinary collaboration within the operating theatre. Substantial time is dedicated to the issue and provision of these artefacts and their timely exchange is critical to the successful accomplishment of surgical procedures. In this article, we consider the practice, knowledge and agency that informs how particular implements and materials are passed by the scrub nurse to the surgeon that in turn enables their deployment with regard to the particular procedure and the contingencies ‘at hand’. We address the technicalities of these ‘non‐technical skills’ and examine how they rely upon a disciplinary vision and interactional organisation that informs both the scrutiny of action and the ways in which implements and materials are handled and exchanged. We explore the implications of our analysis for our understanding of agency in action and the growing interest in developing robots or autonomous agents to support work and collaboration in health care.
The power of personality at work: Core self‐evaluations and earnings in the United Kingdom
Authors: Williams Mark , Gardiner Elliroma
Published: July 2017

Organisations are increasingly taking an interest in personality as certain traits purportedly predict desirable attitudes and behaviours. We examine the relationship between one increasingly popular construct—core self‐evaluations (CSEs)—and earnings. We argue that if high levels of CSEs really are valuable traits, then high CSE individuals should be observed to earn more than those with moderate or low levels of CSEs. Using the nationally representative British Household Panel Survey, we find little evidence that individuals with very high CSEs earn more than those with only moderate levels. However, we do find the existence of a pay penalty for individuals very low in CSEs. Similar patterns emerge for the Big Five model of traits. Although the exact mechanisms remain unclear, our findings imply that organisations should play a greater role in the career development of employees scoring lowly in “desirable” traits—especially in a context of increasing career fluidity.
Ownership, governance, and the diffusion of HRM practices in multinational worker cooperatives: Case‐study evidence from the Mondragon group
Authors: Bretos Ignacio , Errasti Anjel , Marcuello Carmen
Published: July 2017

Drawing on a qualitative study of one Mondragon multinational worker cooperative (WC) based on longitudinal data and in‐depth interviews, our research evidences the contradictions that internationalisation poses in WCs, both through privileging managerial control at the expense of worker–member participation and through the setting‐up of capitalist subsidiaries in which employees are excluded from ownership and decision‐making. It further shows how institutions, power relations, and interests shape transfer in WCs, supporting the diffusion of certain human resource management (HRM) practices on grounds of efficiency but hampering the implementation of core cooperative practices. We make a threefold contribution: first, to a strand of inquiry focused on the influence of corporate governance on HRM; second, to the field of international HRM by analysing the cross‐national diffusion of HRM practices in WCs; and third, to ongoing debates on the challenges that WCs face when striving to balance the economic and social dimensions in globalisation.
Dietary Plant Sterols Supplementation Increases In Vivo Nitrite and Nitrate Production in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Study
Authors: Ho Xing Lin , Loke Wai Mun
Published: July 2017

A randomized, double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled and crossover study was conducted to simultaneously measure the effects, 3 h after consumption and after 4‐wk daily exposure to plant sterols‐enriched food product, on in vivo nitrite and nitrate production in healthy adults. Eighteen healthy participants (67% female, 35.3 [mean] ± 9.5 [SD] years, mean body mass index 22.8 kg/m2) received 2 soy milk (20 g) treatments daily: placebo and one containing 2.0 g free plant sterols equivalent of their palmityl esters (β‐sitosterol, 55%; campesterol, 29%; and stigmasterol, 23%). Nitrite and nitrate concentrations were measured in the blood plasma and urine, using stable isotope‐labeled gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. L‐arginine and asymmetric dimethylarginine concentrations in blood serum were measured using commercially available enzyme immunoassays. Nitrite and nitrate concentrations in blood plasma (nitrite 5.83 ± 0.50 vs. 4.52 ± 0.27; nitrate 15.78 ± 0.96 vs. 13.43 ± 0.81 μmol/L) and urine (nitrite 1.12 ± 0.22 vs. 0.92 ± 0.36, nitrate 12.23 ± 1.15 vs. 9.71 ± 2.04 μmol/L) were significantly elevated after 4‐wk plant sterols supplementation Placebo and 3‐h treatments did not affect the blood plasma and urinary concentrations of nitrite and nitrate. Circulating levels of L‐arginine and asymmetric dimethylarginine were unchanged in the placebo and treatment arms. Total plant sterols, β‐Sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol concentrations were significantly elevated after 4‐wk treatments compared to the placebo and 3‐h treatments. Blood plasma nitrite and nitrate concentrations correlated significantly with the plasma total and specific plant sterol concentrations. Our results suggest that dietary plant sterols, in the combination used, can upregulate nitrite, and nitrate production in vivo.
Effects of scalp nerve block on pain and emergence agitation after paediatric nevus surgery: a clinical trial
Authors: Kim J.‐S. , Kim G. W. , Park D. H. , Ahn H. E. , Chang M. Y. , Kim J. Y.
Published: July 2017

Background

Pain is considered as being one cause of post‐operative emergence agitation (EA) from sevoflurane anaesthesia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the pure effect of post‐operative pain on EA after sevoflurane anaesthesia in preschool children undergoing excision of scalp nevi.

Methods

Forty‐four children, 1–7 years old, undergoing scalp nevus excision were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: the remifentanil group received single intravenous injection of short‐acting synthetic opioid, remifentanil 1 μg/kg just before the scalp incision, and the block group received scalp nerve block with 0.25% ropivacaine after intubation. The end‐tidal sevoflurane concentration was maintained around 1.5 vol% unless the mean arterial pressure is out of ±20% range of preoperative values during surgery in both groups. Watcha behaviour scale for EA and face, legs, activity, cry, consolability (FLACC) scale scores for pain were recorded post‐operatively.

Results

There was no difference in end‐tidal sevoflurane concentration between the two groups during surgery and the emergence period. Agitation incidence and scores were not different between the two groups during the recovery period. FLACC scale was significantly lower in the block group than in the remifentanil group at post‐anaesthesia care unit (PACU) arrival, at 10 and 20 min after PACU arrival, respectively.

Conclusion

The scalp nerve block decreased the early post‐operative pain after paediatric nevus excision, but it did not decrease the incidence of EA with sevoflurane anaesthesia.