bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technological Change, Financial Innovation, and Diffusion in Banking
Authors: Frame W. Scott , White Lawrence J.
Published: June 2015

The commercial banking business has changed dramatically over the past 30 years, due in large part to technological change. This chapter first describes the role of the financial system in economies and how technological change and financial innovation can affect social welfare. We then survey the literature relating to several specific financial innovations—broadly categorized as new products or services, new production processes, or new organizational forms—and evaluate them in the context of the broader economics literature on innovation. While much effort has been devoted to understanding the characteristics of users and adopters of financial innovations and the attendant welfare implications, we still know little about how and why financial innovations are initially developed.
Payments and Payment Systems
Authors: Humphrey David
Published: June 2015

Payments are absolutely essential to an economy, and they come in two types. Cash, checks, debit and credit cards are used to make retail or consumer payments at the point of sale while automated clearing houses (in the US) and giro networks (in Europe) along with mailed checks are used for bill payments and employee disbursements. Retail transactions have a small value but their annual transaction volume is in the billions. Wholesale or business transactions use giro and wire transfer networks to make almost all large-value business, government, and financial market transactions. Although the volume of wholesale transactions is small, their daily value is in the trillions. International transactions rely on message transfer networks and associated interbank accounting entries. Even though banks are almost the sole supplier of payment services, payment costs have been falling due to greater use of cheaper electronic instruments as well as economies of scale.
Banking in Japan
Authors: Uchida Hirofumi , Udell Gregory F.
Published: June 2015

This chapter focuses on the Japanese banking industry. We examine its structure, its performance, and some of its defining characteristics. We first provide an overview of the Japanese banking system. Topics covered are the importance of banking and intermediated finance in the Japanese economy, segmentation in the Japanese banking market, market structure and competition in the Japanese banking industry, the efficiency of Japanese banks, commercial vs. universal banking in Japan, and the regulation of the Japanese banking system. In addition, we cover three specific topics related to the Japanese banking system that are of particular interest: the Japanese main bank system and relationship banking, lending technologies used in Japan, and the Japanese banking crisis (with some discussion on Japanese banks and the global financial crisis).
“Years in Prison”
Authors: Izzo Francesco
Published: June 2015

This article examines censorship in pre-unification Italy by focusing on opera composer Giuseppe Verdi. Before explaining how Verdi’s thorough involvement in the creative process of his works makes him a central figure in the discourse on censorship of the period, the article analyzes what he meant when he uttered the words “From Nabucco onward I haven’t had, one can say, an hour of peace. Sixteen years in prison!” in a May 12, 1858 letter to his close friend, the Milanese countess Clarina Maffei. More specifically, it discusses the censorship of one of his operas, Gustavo III, and its musical implications. It also considers Verdi’s reactions to the censorship of several of his works.
Genetic Gains in Agronomic and Selected End‐Use Quality Traits over a Century of Plant Breeding of Canada Western Red Spring Wheat
Authors: Hucl Pierre , Briggs Connie , Graf Robert J. , Chibbar Ravindra N.
Published: June 2015

Canadian Western Red Spring (CWRS) market class is the predominant type of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in Canada since the turn of the 20th century. Wheat cultivars ranging from cv. Red Fife to cv. Superb were field tested in a series of 24 replicated trials spanning 19 years in central Saskatchewan, Canada. The objective of this study was to measure the rate of cultivar improvement in light of relatively narrow end‐use quality definitions for the CWRS market class. Regression of cultivar trait means on year of cultivar registration was used to assess the rate of change in yield, productivity traits, and end‐use quality parameters. Yield levels were estimated to be increasing at a rate of approximately 15 kg/ha per year in 1970 and 23 kg/ha per year in 1995. Days to spike emergence and plant height decreased over time. Kernel weight, grain protein concentration, SDS sedimentation volume, farinograph absorption, and dough development time increased over time, whereas farinograph mixing tolerance index and yellow pigment concentration decreased. The results show that improvement in key agronomic and end‐use traits has been achieved in CWRS wheat.
Relationship Between Solvent Retention Capacity and Protein Molecular Weight Distribution, Quality Characteristics, and Breadmaking Functionality of Hard Red Spring Wheat Flour
Authors: Hammed Ademola Monsur , Ozsisli Bahri , Ohm Jae‐Bom , Simsek Senay
Published: June 2015

This research aims to investigate the relationship between the solvent retention capacity (SRC) test and quality assessment of hard red spring (HRS) wheat flour samples obtained from 10 HRS cultivars grown at six locations in North Dakota. The SRC values were significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with flour chemical components (protein, gluten, starch, and damaged starch contents, except arabinoxylan); with farinograph parameters (stability [FST], water absorption, peak time [FPT], and quality number); and with breadmaking parameters (baking water absorption [BWA], bread loaf volume [BLV], and symmetry). Differences in locations and cultivars contributed significantly to variation in quality parameters and SRC values. Suitability of SRC parameters for discriminatory analysis of HRS wheat flour is greatly influenced by molecular weight distribution (MWD) of SDS‐unextractable proteins. SRC parameters, except for sucrose SRC, showed significant (P < 0.01) and positive correlations with high‐molecular‐weight (HMW) polymeric proteins in SDS‐unextractable fractions, whereas only lactic acid SRC exhibited significant (P < 0.01) correlations with low‐molecular‐weight polymeric proteins. HMW polymeric proteins also exhibited positive associations with FPT, FST, BWA, and BLV. The discrepant variation in association of SRC parameters with respect to MWD of SDS‐unextractable proteins could improve segregation of HRS wheat flour samples for quality.
Effects of Monoglycerides of Varying Fatty Acid Chain Length and Mixtures Thereof on Sponge‐and‐Dough Breadmaking Quality
Authors: Hattori Kazuki , Dupuis Brigitte , Fu Bin Xiao , Edwards Nancy M.
Published: June 2015

Monoglycerides are widely used in the baking industry because of their antistaling effects, mainly suppressing crumb firming. Commercial monoglycerides are normally prepared from hydrogenated fats, with stearate being the most common fatty acid. In a previous study, monoglycerides such as monopalmitate (C16) and monostearate (C18) had positive effects on Canadian short process bread but no improvements on sponge‐and‐dough process (SDP) bread. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of saturated monoglycerides of varying fatty acid chain length (C14–C22) on SDP breadmaking quality by using volume judgment, crumb image analysis, and texture measurements. Higher levels (1.00–1.50%) of all monoglycerides (C14, C16, and C18) significantly (P < 0.05) increased loaf volume and cell diameter. The larger cell diameter with increasing levels of these monoglycerides may have resulted from softer, more extensible dough handling properties and greater gas cell stability during baking. Addition of C16 and C18 caused the largest increase in crumb softness with increasing monoglyceride levels but showed relatively low resilience, which might be related to larger loaf volume (i.e., lower density of bread). However, addition of blended monoglycerides C14+C16 increased crumb softness and loaf volume while partially retaining resilience. Each monoglyceride had a different function in breadmaking quality and somewhat positive effects on SDP.
Strategies for RUN1 Deployment Using RUN2 and REN2 to Manage Grapevine Powdery Mildew Informed by Studies of Race Specificity
Authors: Feechan Angela , Kocsis Marianna , Riaz Summaira , Zhang Wei , Gadoury David M. , Walker M. Andrew , Dry Ian B. , Reisch Bruce , Cadle-Davidson Lance
Published: June 2015

The Toll/interleukin-1 receptor nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat gene, “resistance to Uncinula necator 1” (RUN1), from Vitis rotundifolia was recently identified and confirmed to confer resistance to the grapevine powdery mildew fungus Erysiphe necator (syn. U. necator) in transgenic V. vinifera cultivars. However, sporulating powdery mildew colonies and cleistothecia of the heterothallic pathogen have been found on introgression lines containing the RUN1 locus growing in New York (NY). Two E. necator isolates collected from RUN1 vines were designated NY1-131 and NY1-137 and were used in this study to inform a strategy for durable RUN1 deployment. In order to achieve this, fitness parameters of NY1-131 and NY1-137 were quantified relative to powdery mildew isolates collected from V. rotundifolia and V. vinifera on vines containing alleles of the powdery mildew resistance genes RUN1, RUN2, or REN2. The results clearly demonstrate the race specificity of RUN1, RUN2, and REN2 resistance alleles, all of which exhibit programmed cell death (PCD)-mediated resistance. The NY1 isolates investigated were found to have an intermediate virulence on RUN1 vines, although this may be allele specific, while the Musc4 isolate collected from V. rotundifolia was virulent on all RUN1 vines. Another powdery mildew resistance locus, RUN2, was previously mapped in different V. rotundifolia genotypes, and two alleles (RUN2.1 and RUN2.2) were identified. The RUN2.1 allele was found to provide PCD-mediated resistance to both an NY1 isolate and Musc4. Importantly, REN2 vines were resistant to the NY1 isolates and RUN1REN2 vines combining both genes displayed additional resistance. Based on these results, RUN1-mediated resistance in grapevine may be enhanced by pyramiding with RUN2.1 or REN2; however, naturally occurring isolates in North America display some virulence on vines with these resistance genes. The characterization of additional resistance sources is needed to identify resistance gene combinations that will further enhance durability. For the resistance gene combinations currently available, we recommend using complementary management strategies, including fungicide application, to reduce populations of virulent isolates.
Metachronal waves in the flagellar beating ofVolvoxand their hydrodynamic origin
Authors: Brumley Douglas R. , Polin Marco , Pedley Timothy J. , Goldstein Raymond E.
Published: June 2015

Groups of eukaryotic cilia and flagella are capable of coordinating their beating over large scales, routinely exhibiting collective dynamics in the form of metachronal waves. The origin of this behaviour—possibly influenced by both mechanical interactions and direct biological regulation—is poorly understood, in large part due to a lack of quantitative experimental studies. Here we characterize in detail flagellar coordination on the surface of the multicellular algaVolvox carteri, an emerging model organism for flagellar dynamics. Our studies reveal for the first time that the average metachronal coordination observed is punctuated by periodic phase defects during which synchrony is partial and limited to specific groups of cells. A minimal model of hydrodynamically coupled oscillators can reproduce semi-quantitatively the characteristics of the average metachronal dynamics, and the emergence of defects. We systematically study the model's behaviour by assessing the effect of changing intrinsic rotor characteristics, including oscillator stiffness and the nature of their internal driving force, as well as their geometric properties and spatial arrangement. Our results suggest that metachronal coordination follows from deformations in the oscillators' limit cycles induced by hydrodynamic stresses, and that defects result from sufficiently steep local biases in the oscillators' intrinsic frequencies. Additionally, we find that random variations in the intrinsic rotor frequencies increase the robustness of the average properties of the emergent metachronal waves.
Hysteretic dynamics of active particles in a periodic orienting field
Authors: Romensky Maksym , Scholz Dimitri , Lobaskin Vladimir
Published: June 2015

Active motion of living organisms and artificial self-propelling particles has been an area of intense research at the interface of biology, chemistry and physics. Significant progress in understanding these phenomena has been related to the observation that dynamic self-organization in active systems has much in common with ordering in equilibrium condensed matter such as spontaneous magnetization in ferromagnets. The velocities of active particles may behave similar to magnetic dipoles and develop global alignment, although interactions between the individuals might be completely different. In this work, we show that the dynamics of active particles in external fields can also be described in a way that resembles equilibrium condensed matter. It follows simple general laws, which are independent of the microscopic details of the system. The dynamics is revealed through hysteresis of the mean velocity of active particles subjected to a periodic orienting field. The hysteresis is measured in computer simulations and experiments on unicellular organisms. We find that the ability of the particles to follow the field scales with the ratio of the field variation period to the particles' orientational relaxation time, which, in turn, is related to the particle self-propulsion power and the energy dissipation rate. The collective behaviour of the particles due to aligning interactions manifests itself at low frequencies via increased persistence of the swarm motion when compared with motion of an individual. By contrast, at high field frequencies, the active group fails to develop the alignment and tends to behave like a set of independent individuals even in the presence of interactions. We also report on asymptotic laws for the hysteretic dynamics of active particles, which resemble those in magnetic systems. The generality of the assumptions in the underlying model suggests that the observed laws might apply to a variety of dynamic phenomena from the motion of synthetic active particles to crowd or opinion dynamics.
Potential unsatisfiability of cyclic constraints on stochastic biological networks biases selection towards hierarchical architectures
Authors: Smith Cameron , Pechuan Ximo , Puzio Raymond S. , Biro Daniel , Bergman Aviv
Published: June 2015

Constraints placed upon the phenotypes of organisms result from their interactions with the environment. Over evolutionary time scales, these constraints feed back onto smaller molecular subnetworks comprising the organism. The evolution of biological networks is studied by considering a network of a few nodes embedded in a larger context. Taking into account this fact that any network under study is actually embedded in a larger context, we define network architecture, not on the basis of physical interactions alone, but rather as a specification of the manner in which constraints are placed upon the states of its nodes. We show that such network architectures possessing cycles in their topology, in contrast to those that do not, may be subjected to unsatisfiable constraints. This may be a significant factor leading to selection biased against those network architectures where such inconsistent constraints are more likely to arise. We proceed to quantify the likelihood of inconsistency arising as a function of network architecture finding that, in the absence of sampling bias over the space of possible constraints and for a given network size, networks with a larger number of cycles are more likely to have unsatisfiable constraints placed upon them. Our results identify a constraint that, at least in isolation, would contribute to a bias in the evolutionary process towards more hierarchical -modular versus completely connected network architectures. Together, these results highlight the context dependence of the functionality of biological networks.
Synthesis, characterization and modelling of zinc and silicate co-substituted hydroxyapatite
Authors: Friederichs Robert J. , Chappell Helen F. , Shepherd David V. , Best Serena M.
Published: June 2015

Experimental chemistry and atomic modelling studies were performed here to investigate a novel ionic co-substitution in hydroxyapatite (HA). Zinc, silicate co-substituted HA (ZnSiHA) remained phase pure after heating to 1100°C with Zn and Si amounts of 0.6 wt% and 1.2 wt%, respectively. Unique lattice expansions in ZnSiHA, silicate Fourier transform infrared peaks and changes to the hydroxyl IR stretching region suggested Zn and silicate co-substitution in ZnSiHA. Zn and silicate insertion into HA was modelled using density functional theory (DFT). Different scenarios were considered where Zn substituted for different calcium sites or at a
2b
site along the
c
-axis, which was suspected in singly substituted ZnHA. The most energetically favourable site in ZnSiHA was Zn positioned at a previously unreported interstitial site just off the
c
-axis near a silicate tetrahedron sitting on a phosphate site. A combination of experimental chemistry and DFT modelling provided insight into these complex co-substituted calcium phosphates that could find biomedical application as a synthetic bone mineral substitute.
Quantification of the passive and active biaxial mechanical behaviour and microstructural organization of rat thoracic ducts
Authors: Caulk Alexander W. , Nepiyushchikh Zhanna V. , Shaw Ryan , Dixon J. Brandon , Gleason Rudolph L.
Published: June 2015

Mechanical loading conditions are likely to play a key role in passive and active (contractile) behaviour of lymphatic vessels. The development of a microstructurally motivated model of lymphatic tissue is necessary for quantification of mechanically mediated maladaptive remodelling in the lymphatic vasculature. Towards this end, we performed cylindrical biaxial testing of Sprague–Dawley rat thoracic ducts (
n
= 6) and constitutive modelling to characterize their mechanical behaviour. Spontaneous contraction was quantified at transmural pressures of 3, 6 and 9 cmH
2
O. Cyclic inflation in calcium-free saline was performed at fixed axial stretches between 1.30 and 1.60, while recording pressure, outer diameter and axial force. A microstructurally motivated four-fibre family constitutive model originally proposed by Holzapfel
et al
. (Holzapfel
et al
. 2000
J. Elast.
61, 1–48. (
doi:10.1023/A:1010835316564
)) was used to quantify the passive mechanical response, and the model of Rachev and Hayashi was used to quantify the active (contractile) mechanical response. The average error between data and theory was 8.9 ± 0.8% for passive data and 6.6 ± 2.6% and 6.8 ± 3.4% for the systolic and basal conditions, respectively, for active data. Multi-photon microscopy was performed to quantify vessel wall thickness (32.2 ± 1.60 µm) and elastin and collagen organization for three loading conditions. Elastin exhibited structural ‘fibre families’ oriented nearly circumferentially and axially. Sample-to-sample variation was observed in collagen fibre distributions, which were often non-axisymmetric, suggesting material asymmetry. In closure, this paper presents a microstructurally motivated model that accurately captures the biaxial active and passive mechanical behaviour in lymphatics and offers potential for future research to identify parameters contributing to mechanically mediated disease development.
Microbuckling of fibrin provides a mechanism for cell mechanosensing
Authors: Notbohm Jacob , Lesman Ayelet , Rosakis Phoebus , Tirrell David A. , Ravichandran Guruswami
Published: June 2015

Biological cells sense and respond to mechanical forces, but how such a mechanosensing process takes place in a nonlinear inhomogeneous fibrous matrix remains unknown. We show that cells in a fibrous matrix induce deformation fields that propagate over a longer range than predicted by linear elasticity. Synthetic, linear elastic hydrogels used in many mechanotransduction studies fail to capture this effect. We develop a nonlinear microstructural finite-element model for a fibre network to simulate localized deformations induced by cells. The model captures measured cell-induced matrix displacements from experiments and identifies an important mechanism for long-range cell mechanosensing: loss of compression stiffness owing to microbuckling of individual fibres. We show evidence that cells sense each other through the formation of localized intercellular bands of tensile deformations caused by this mechanism.
Ectopic expression of ecdysone oxidase impairs tissue degeneration in
Bombyx mori
Authors: Li Zhiqian , You Lang , Zeng Baosheng , Ling Lin , Xu Jun , Chen Xu , Zhang Zhongjie , Palli Subba Reddy , Huang Yongping , Tan Anjiang
Published: June 2015

Metamorphosis in insects includes a series of programmed tissue histolysis and remolding processes that are controlled by two major classes of hormones, juvenile hormones and ecdysteroids. Precise pulses of ecdysteroids (the most active ecdysteroid is 20-hydroxyecdysone, 20E), are regulated by both biosynthesis and metabolism. In this study, we show that ecdysone oxidase (EO), a 20E inactivation enzyme, expresses predominantly in the midgut during the early pupal stage in the lepidopteran model insect,
Bombyx mori
. Depletion of
BmEO
using the transgenic CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/RNA-guided Cas9 nucleases) system extended the duration of the final instar larval stage. Ubiquitous transgenic overexpression of
BmEO
using the Gal4/UAS system induced lethality during the larval–pupal transition. When
BmEO
was specifically overexpressed in the middle silk gland (MSG), degeneration of MSG at the onset of metamorphosis was blocked. Transmission electron microscope and LysoTracker analyses showed that the autophagy pathway in MSG is inhibited by
BmEO
ectopic expression. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis revealed that the genes involved in autophagic cell death and the mTOR signal pathway are affected by overexpression of
BmEO
. Taken together,
BmEO
functional studies reported here provide insights into ecdysone regulation of tissue degeneration during metamorphosis.
Vitellogenin and vitellogenin receptor gene expression is associated with male and female parenting in a subsocial insect
Authors: Roy-Zokan Eileen M. , Cunningham Christopher B. , Hebb Lauren E. , McKinney Elizabeth C. , Moore Allen J.
Published: June 2015

Complex social behaviour in Hymenoptera has been hypothesized to evolve by co-opting reproductive pathways (the ovarian ground plan hypothesis, OGPH) and gene networks (the reproductive ground plan hypothesis, RGPH). In support of these hypotheses, in eusocial Hymenoptera where there is reproductive division of labour, the yolk precursor protein vitellogenin (Vg) influences the expression of worker social behaviour. We suggest that co-opting genes involved in reproduction may occur more generally than just in the evolution of eusociality; i.e. underlie earlier stages of social evolution such as the evolution of parental care, given that reproduction and parental care rarely overlap. We therefore examined
vitellogenin
(
vg
) gene expression associated with parental care in the subsocial beetle
Nicrophorus vespilloides
. We found a significant reduction in the expression of
vg
and its receptor,
vgr
, in head tissue during active parental care, and confirmed that the receptor is expressed in the brains of both sexes. Ours is the first study to show that
vgr
is expressed in the brain of a non-eusocial insect. Given the association between behaviour and gene expression in both sexes, and the presence of vitellogenin receptors in the brain, we suggest that Vg was co-opted early in the evolution of sociality to have a regulatory function. This extends the association of Vg in parenting to subsocial species and outside of the Hymenoptera, and supports the hypothesis that the OGPH is general and that heterochrony in gene expression is important in the evolution of social behaviour and precedes subsequent evolutionary specialization of social roles.
Pangenome-wide and molecular evolution analyses of thePseudomonas aeruginosa species
Authors: Mosquera-Rendón Jeanneth , Rada-Bravo Ana M. , Cárdenas-Brito Sonia , Corredor Mauricio , Restrepo-Pineda Eliana , Benítez-Páez Alfonso
Published: June 2015

Background

Drug treatments and vaccine designs against the opportunistic human pathogenPseudomonas aeruginosahave multiple issues, all associated with the diverse genetic traits present in this pathogen, ranging from multi-drug resistant genes to the molecular machinery for the biosynthesis of biofilms. Several candidate vaccines againstP. aeruginosahave been developed, which target the outer membrane proteins; however, major issues arise when attempting to establish complete protection against this pathogen due to its presumably genotypic variation at the strain level. To shed light on this concern, we proposed this study to assess theP. aeruginosapangenome and its molecular evolution across multiple strains.

Results

TheP. aeruginosapangenome was estimated to contain more than 16,000 non-redundant genes, and approximately 15% of these constituted the core genome. Functional analyses of the accessory genome indicated a wide presence of genetic elements directly associated with pathogenicity. An in-depth molecular evolution analysis revealed the full landscape of selection forces acting on theP. aeruginosapangenome, in which purifying selection drives evolution in the genome of this human pathogen. We also detected distinctive positive selection in a wide variety of outer membrane proteins, with the data supporting the concept of substantial genetic variation in proteins probably recognized as antigens. Approaching the evolutionary information of genes under extremely positive selection, we designed a new Multi-Locus Sequencing Typing assay for an informative, rapid, and cost-effective genotyping ofP. aeruginosaclinical isolates.

Conclusions

We report the unprecedented pangenome characterization ofP. aeruginosaon a large scale, which included almost 200 bacterial genomes from one single species and a molecular evolutionary analysis at the pangenome scale. Evolutionary information presented here provides a clear explanation of the issues associated with the use of protein conjugates from pili, flagella, or secretion systems as antigens for vaccine design, which exhibit high genetic variation in terms of non-synonymous substitutions inP. aeruginosastrains.
Generic framework for enriching services: a multiagent approach
Authors: Carrillo-Ramos Angela , Torres-Ribero Luis Guillermo , Arias-Báez María Paula , Pomares Quimbaya Alexandra , González Enrique , Carreño Julio , Garzón Ruiz Juan Pablo , Martin Hervé
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to present a detailed description of Agents for Enriching Services (AES), an agent-oriented framework that allows adapting a service in an information system. AES provides an adaptation logic that can be instantiated and extended to be useful in different domains. In previous works, we presented the adaptation mechanism of AES, which considers context aspects such as location, infrastructure; user aspects such as preferences and interests; and device aspects such as hardware and software features.

Design/methodology/approach

– The first step was the definition of different profiles, mainly user and context profiles. Then the adaptation mechanism was defined, which considers these profiles. With this mechanism, the adaptation filters to apply them to the initial queries was specified. Finally, feedback was provided, which included implicit and explicit information from the user and the system. AES is an agent-based framework implemented in Java, using the multi-agent platform BESA and a rule-based engine Drools.

Findings

– AES can be used as the starting point to adapt services by enriching them considering different stimulus whether they come from the environment, devices or user preferences.

Research limitations/implications

– This work was tested in an academic environment and was only applied to enhance queries by using keywords. AES uses the query mechanism implemented in the system that invokes it.

Originality/value

– This paper focuses on: an integrated view of AES including its formal description and details about its implementation. Particularly, it includes an exhaustive and formal definition of the filters used to create the adaptation rules and three different scenarios of the application of AES to adapt content according to user and context features. Finally, a comparison analysis is presented to highlight the strengths of our framework, specially its capacity of integration with systems that require providing user- and context-oriented services.
Client-server architecture for pre and post-processing of real problems involving two-dimensional generalized coordinates
Authors: Vilas Boas José Luiz , Matsunaga Fabio Takeshi , Romeiro Neyva Maria Lopes , Brancher Jacques Duílio
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to propose a Web environment for pre-processing and post-processing for 2D problems in generalized coordinate systems.

Design/methodology/approach

– The system consists of a Web service for client-server communication, a database for user information, simulation requests and results storage, a module of (for) calculation processing (front-end) and a graphical interface for visualization of discretized mesh (back-end).

Findings

– The Web system was able to model real problems and situations, where the user can describe the problem or upload a geometry file descriptor, generated from computer graphics software. The Web system, programmed for finite difference solutions, was able to generate a mesh from other complex methods, such as finite elements method, adapting it to the proposed Web system, respecting the finite difference mesh structure.

Research limitations/implications

– The proposed Web system is limited to solve partial differential equations by finite difference discretization. We need to study about refinement and parameters adaptations to solve partial differential equations simulated with other methods.

Practical implications

– The Web system includes implications for the development of a powerful real problems simulator, which is useful for computational physics researchers and engineers. The Web system uses several technologies, such as Primefaces, JavaScript, JQuery and HTML, to provide an interactive user interface.

Originality/value

– The main contribution of this work is the availability of a generic Web architecture for including other types of coordinate systems and to solve others partial differential equations. Moreover, this paper presents an extended version of the work presented in ICCSA 2014.
An empirical analysis of Chinese outward foreign direct investment in Africa
Authors: Ross Andrew G.
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyse determinants of Chinese outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) into a number of African countries for the period 2003-2012.

Design/methodology/approach

– A series of panel data models are used to estimate the determinants of Chinese OFDI into eight African countries: Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Ghana, Kenya, Algeria, Egypt and the Sudan.

Findings

– Results highlighted that Chinese investment in African countries is driven by access to natural resources, and factors related to infrastructure quality and the regulatory environment enforced by host governments.

Originality/value

– To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first papers to identify empirical determinants of Chinese OFDI in Africa and it contributes from two perspectives. Firstly, it identifies drivers behind Chinese OFDI, but also importantly from the African perspective helps understand the reasons that attract investment from one of the world’s largest investors into one of the world’s poorest regions, given the emphasis that is placed on foreign direct investment today as an instrument of growth and development.
To be or not to be? Addressing the ethical void in Macao’s tourism and casino development
Authors: McCartney Glenn
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the level of ethics and codes of responsible behaviour in Macao’s casino tourism industry given its global leadership position in gaming, with suggestions on a way forward toward ethical tourism integration.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research examined the corporate mission statements of Macao’s casino concessionaires with regards to social message content as well as social outcomes to date within Macao’s various tourism stakeholders. Relevant literature on cross-sector social partnership was examined as a possible consideration for Macao’s tourism industry.

Findings

– Despite generating the world’s largest gaming revenues and tourism revenue contribution to gross domestic product, there are limited codes of ethics and an agreed level of acceptable behaviour and responsibility throughout Macao’s tourism and hospitality industry. This is further amplified by Macao’s small landmass, limited workforce pool, increasing tourism arrivals and a vast dependency on imports, creating a constant battle for resources and added pressure on its community and natural environment.

Social implications

– There are possible conflicts between Western casino compliance issues within those of Chinese business cultural practices. It is suggested that greater appreciation of this cultural and community setting is required to realistically adopt ethical codes.

Originality/value

– There has been limited discussion within Macao’s tourism industry on establishing a definition and scope for a code of ethics. Given the numbers participating and financial liquidity in Macao’s tourism system, the paper highlights the need for codes of ethics adoption, suggesting a cross-sector social partnership mechanism.
The destination paradigm continuum revisited: DMOs serving as leadership networks
Authors: Hristov Dean , Zehrer Anita
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to serve as an introduction to a rather under-researched field. It aims to provide a conceptual definition of destination management organisations (DMOs) serving as leadership networks in destinations drawing on what is to be called the DMO Leadership Cycle – a guiding framework integrating the perspectives of management, governance and leadership to influence destination development trajectories.

Design/methodology/approach

– A synthesis of the extant literature on destination management and governance, coupled with the latest academic contributions in destination leadership serves to uncover the existence of a gap in the way leadership is seen in the underpinned domain. DMOs are conceptualised and their role in serving as leadership networks in destinations is then critically discussed.

Findings

– Perspectives of destination management, governance and leadership and their interaction with one another is fundamental to DMOs serving as leadership networks. The paper provides justification for and indicative definition of contemporary DMOs serving as leadership networks in destinations.

Research limitations/implications

– The conceptual nature of this paper calls for empirical evidence where DMOs serving as leadership networks are further investigated in practice and across diverse political and economic contexts.

Practical implications

– This paper aims to shape destination leadership practice by introducing an alternative, yet inclusive approach to leadership focussing on collective orchestration in destinations undertaken by DMO networks.

Social implications

– The paper aims to trigger a discussion on the importance of all-encompassing and integrative leadership as a means for widening participation across diverse destination groups; to serve as an input into and ultimately – shape policy development.

Originality/value

– This discussion provides an alternative perspective to the way we see leadership in destinations. The paper argues that “impactful” leadership is rather embedded in a formal structure and distributed in nature.
Social media practices applied by city hotels: a comparative case study from Turkey
Authors: Sanliöz Özgen Hanim Kader , Kozak Metin
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to examine various forms of hotel businesses’ social media (SM) practices by analysing TripAdvisor (TA) and examining its critical role in decision-making. As a well-known platform of SM in tourism, TA serves as an independent review site where visitors share their holiday experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

– The sample for this study includes hotel businesses located in Istanbul, Turkey, and listed in the top grades of TA ratings. Purposive sampling was used to obtain relevant data. A holistic multiple-case study was designed, as sample hotels vary in official class and attributes. Structured interviews were used to collect data from participating managers in each hotel business. Upon creation of the data set, transcripts were used to develop and classify a matrix table (hotels vs questions) and analysed by clustering responses according to the content of questions.

Findings

– The study findings show that hotels pay significant attention to TA and that it is viewed as an essential tool for various purposes. Hotel businesses benefit from the content of TA for the purpose of marketing and quality management. From a strategic point of view, hotel businesses consider TA as an “ocean of opportunity” that is highly related to service quality, reliable information channels and effective tools to monitor competitors and for undertaking self-review of performance.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample group represents only hotel businesses in the city, and the study utilizes only qualitative techniques. A similar empirical investigation in a resort destination and a longitudinal comparable study using both qualitative and quantitative techniques may generate more insights relating to the social media practices of hotel businesses.

Practical implications

– Hotel businesses consider accuracy, transparency and consistency of content and pricing to be essential prerequisites of competitiveness. As a consequence, this study reveals the fact that TA is a critical tool of SM utilized by hotels with different attributes, despite some concerns regarding fake reviews.

Originality/value

– This is an insightful comparative study of TA practices of hotel businesses with different attributes. The study may inspire further research to study SM practices and related impacts on a longitudinal basis.
An investigation of the persuasive effects of firm-consumer communication dyads using Facebook
Authors: Atwood Morgan , Morosan Cristian
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to provide a deeper understanding of the effective use of Facebook within the hotel industry. It explored which current Facebook practices are effective/persuasive using the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) as the main theoretical foundation.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using an experimental design, the effects of consumers’ exposure to treatments, involving different levels of elaboration and source credibility, were examined to determine whether consumer’s process information from Facebook communication through a central or peripheral route.

Findings

– The results of this research showed that consumer attitudes are affected by the source credibility, but not by the level of elaboration. Also, intentions to stay at the hotel and intentions to engage with the hotel brand via social media were not affected by the level of elaboration or source credibility.

Research limitations/implications

– This study presents an important step forward in understanding how consumer persuasion takes place in an online environment. Also, this paper provides a first-hand account of the manner in which social media adds value to a business organization. In addition, this paper provides insight on how consumers process online information.

Originality/value

– As this is the first conceptualization of the ELM in a social media context, this study is uniquely able to explain the concept of persuasion in the hotel industry. Such knowledge is invaluable to academics and hotel decision makers, especially because the research provides specific insights on the manner in which attitudes change in consumers.
Documenting business-to-consumer (B2C) communications on Facebook
Authors: Kwok (Lingzhi Guo) Linchi , Zhang Feifei , Huang Yung-Kuei , Yu Bei , Maharabhushanam Prabhukrishna , Rangan Kasturi
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to document how restaurant’s business-to-consumer communication strategies evolved on Facebook over time and how consumers’ reactions to a variety of Facebook messages changed over time.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study analyzed 2,463 Facebook messages posted by seven quick-service restaurant chains and three casual-dining restaurant chains in the fourth quarter of 2010, 2012 and 2014. ANOVA and post hoc t-test were used to compare the differences among four media types (photo, status update, video and hyperlink) in terms of their usage by companies and Facebook users’ reactions to these messages (measured by number of “Likes”, number of comments and number of shares).

Findings

– Over the three periods of time under observation, there is a substantial decrease of status updates by restaurants and a dramatic increase of photo updates. Photo remained as the most “popular” media type, receiving most “Likes”, comments and shares from consumers. Video was not considered “popular” in 2010 but experienced a slight increase in usage and slowly emerged in 2012 and 2014 as another “popular” media, which no longer had statistical difference with photo in number of comments and shares.

Research limitations/implications

– Some limitations include an under representable sample and its longitudinal design, but the findings provide additional insight to current literature in social media.

Practical implications

– A series of suggestions were advanced from the findings to help hospitality managers better engage Facebook users.

Originality/value

– This is probably the first time-series or longitudinal-like analysis in social media research and yields meaningful findings.
Common themes across social media research
Authors: Bowen John , Baloglu Seyhmus
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to summarize the contribution of the theme issue on the current and future impact of social media on hospitality and tourism. The authors reviewed the papers looking for common themes among the papers. Once identified, the contributions of the papers to the themes were identified and synthesized into an overview of the theme, including implications for practitioners and researchers.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a review of the literature which included the articles within this issue and external literature that provided additional insight into the themes.

Findings

– Five common themes were identified: the importance of user-generated content, regional variances of social media use, the importance of identity, the growing use of mobile access and the importance of measurement. Each of these areas is discussed with new material added to enhance the original discussions within the articles in this issue.

Originality/value

– This summary paper provides a glimpse into the articles in this issue. The discussion of the main themes provides insight into social media for practitioners and provides directions for future research.
Diversity effects on root length production and loss in an experimental grassland community
Authors: Mommer Liesje , Padilla Francisco M. , van Ruijven Jasper , de Caluwe Hannie , Smit‐Tiekstra Annemiek , Berendse Frank , de Kroon Hans
Published: June 2015

Advances in root ecology have revealed that root standing biomass is higher in species‐rich plant communities than in species‐poor communities. Currently, we do not know whether this below‐ground diversity effect is the result of enhanced root production or reduced root mortality or both, which is essential information to understand ecosystem functioning, as it determines C sequestration and N dynamics in soil.

Minirhizotron observations were combined with root coring in five different plant communities (four monocultures and the respective mixture). Molecular markers were used to quantitatively determine species abundance in mixed root biomass samples in order to track shifts in below‐ground species composition. In addition, a litterbag experiment was performed to study root decomposition independent of root mortality.

Root length production was greater and root length loss was lower in the mixture than expected from monocultures in all years. Simulations suggest that at least two species must have had reduced losses in mixture compared to monoculture. However, the diversity effects on root mortality may partially be explained by selection effects as the species with the longest root life span became dominant in the mixtures. Root length loss from minirhizotrons was very low; the combination of minirhizotron length measurements with root biomass estimates from coring suggested underestimation of root loss in minirhizotrons over time. Root decomposition was not affected by diversity.

Diversity enhanced root length production and decreased root loss, resulting in below‐ground overyielding. With decomposition unaffected, our results suggest that root mortality is reduced with increasing diversity. Future studies have to reveal the generality of our observations in larger scale biodiversity experiments by using species having a wider variety of root traits.