bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring Concept of Sustainability through Understanding Traditional Resource Management Practices: Case of Thar Desert, India
Authors: Ghosh Saxena D
Published: June 2019

The Brundtland Report published in 1980s, for the United Nations Organization, mentioned the concept of sustainability for the first time. It explained the concept as it is understood in modern times. However, while the term itself may not be very old, but is the core idea of sustainability and sustainable development also so recent? Or has it been central to the historic cities and developments which have managed to survive for centuries. Following paper examines various components, principles and parameters of sustainability, as defined in contemporary discourse, in a specific geographical context. The background is set in Indian subcontinent’s desert landscape- Thar, an arid and semi-arid geographic region. It explores knowledge systems developed and still practiced by native communities, over generations, to brave tough climatic condition and have shaped unique habitat in this/such resource parched geographies. The paper highlights the core values of sustainability as understood by the native communities of Thar and the nature of development it eventually shaped here as a product of this understanding. Finally, it concludes the merits in taking clues from traditional practices of resource management and strengthening the role of communities towards a more sensitive and sustainable future.
Urban Decay in Central Hill, Port Elizabeth
Authors: Swanepoel F , Smallwood J
Published: June 2019

Urban decay has caused the destruction of many neighbourhoods in many great cities, and Central Hill in Port Elizabeth is no exception. Given the reports in the media, and the visible urban decay in areas of Central Hill, a qualitative study entailing interviews was undertaken to determine the status quo, and the relationship, if any between various issues relating to urban decay. Findings include: that urban regeneration has had an impact, however urban decay is still occurring; there are five key issues in terms of mitigating urban decay through the management of the area; there are thirteen qualities that make a building uninhabitable; the raiding of abandoned buildings cause urban decay; there are five key aspects of a building require regular maintenance, and building owners can receive enough income to maintain their buildings if they ask fair market related rentals. Conclusions include that the cause of urban decay cannot be pinned to one specific event or incident, but is a result of many factors. Recommendations include: the development of an overarching strategy; optimum management of the area by all stakeholders; optimum policing; adequate maintenance of buildings; market-related rentals; development and enforcement of municipal bylaws, and municipal incentives for maintaining buildings in an optimum state.
OptEEmAL: Decision-Support Tool for the Design of Energy Retrofitting Projects at District Level
Authors: García-Fuentes M A , Hernández G , Serna V , Martín S , Álvarez S , Lilis G N , Giannakis G , Katsigarakis K , Mabe L , Oregi X , Manjarres D , Ridouane H El , De Tommasi L
Published: June 2019

Designing energy retrofitting actions poses an elevated number of problems, as the definition of the baseline, selection of indicators to measure performance, modelling, setting objectives, etc. This is time-consuming and it can result in a number of inaccuracies, leading to inadequate decisions. While these problems are present at building level, they are multiplied at district level, where there are complex interactions to analyse, simulate and improve. OptEEmAL proposes a solution as a decision-support tool for the design of energy retrofitting projects at district level. Based on specific input data (IFC(s), CityGML, etc.), the platform will automatically simulate the baseline scenario and launch an optimisation process where a series of Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) will be applied to this scenario. Its performance will be evaluated through a holistic set of indicators to obtain the best combination of ECMs that complies with user’s objectives. A great reduction in time and higher accuracy in the models are experienced, since they are automatically created and checked. A subjective problem is transformed into a mathematical problem; it simplifies it and ensures a more robust decision-making. This paper will present a case where the platform has been tested.
Influence of Airflow on Thermal Comfort in an Energy-Saving House
Authors: Adamovský D , Kny M
Published: June 2019

The current thermal properties of building external structures including openings are supposed to suppress effects of draft to thermal comfort. But is it true expectation? The subject of the paper is the analysis of airflow around the window in three types of heating systems with predominant radiant as heat transfer. The analysis is based on experiments in the climatic cabin representing the room of a low-energy family house. To obtain the relevant data, a series of particle image laser velocimetry measurements were performed to visualize and quantify the airflow in the investigated area. The paper present results of the thermal comfort of the inhabitants of the room, which prove that with the influence of draft it is necessary to count on modern energy-saving buildings. They prove that old well-known rules about the position of the heating surface apply to the most cooled constructions and bring interesting conclusions about underfloor heating.
Daylighting Design Process for Visual Comfort and Energy Efficiency for a Signature Building
Authors: Kutlar N , Mengüç M P
Published: June 2019

Human comfort is the most important priority in designing living environments. Achieving thermal comfort, visual comfort, effective operation of a building along with innovative energy efficiency measures require extensive involvement of engineers and architectures in tandem for the future high-performance buildings. In this paper, we focus on design of the daylighting aspects of a complicated building and present a methodology. The concept here is based on the interactions of several stakeholders including the project owner, the project architect, structural engineers, façade engineers, mechanical engineers, lighting designers and electric engineers, who are involved in extensive discussions towards the design and construction of a complicated building in a iniversity campus. Simulations are carried out using different architectural and computational techniques including DesignBuilder and Revit. The project constraints set by the stakeholder preferences are resolved with other engineering methodologies. This interactive process allowed a very favourable design of daylighting in the building. In this paper, the steps are discussed and the methodology is outlined.
Potential and Impact of Incorporating Roof Photovoltaic to Enhance Environmental Sustainability of Historic English Churches in the United Kingdom
Authors: Khatri S , Ip K , Picco M , Hashemi A
Published: June 2019

The Church of England (CofE) is responding to climate change by taking measures to reduce their CO2 footprint under its flagship programme -‘Shrinking the Footprint’, to facilitate the CO2 emission reduction target of 80 % by 2050. Meeting this target will require both energy efficiency measures and zero carbon energy generation of which solar PV technology is a frontrunner as it has a substantially lower CO2 footprint than grid’s electricity, with no moving parts, low maintenance and a long service life. Conventional church roofs built along the East-West axis offer the ideal pitches and orientation for collecting solar energy. However, within the CofE’s vast estate of over 15,000 church buildings, 78 % of these buildings are listed and hence care must be taken to protect the building fabric. With this context in mind, this study identifies the benefits and concerns associated with the application of rooftop solar PV on historic English Churches and evaluates viable technologies currently available. The specific design and procedural requirements have been investigated and the process map of the implementation methodology established and illustrated through a case study of an existing church. Results showed that rooftop solar PV system has the potential to reduce the GHG emissions substantially, ranging between 75 %–84 % for electricity and between 20 %–27 % for gas based on the current demand and the choice of technology option. Findings on the issues, design options and life cycle environmental impacts are analysed with discussion and recommendation of future adaptation at a national level.
A State‐Level Analysis of the Impact of a U.S.‐EU Harmonization of Food Safety Standards on U.S. Exports of Fruits and Vegetables
Authors: Karemera David , Xiong Bo , Whitesides Louis
Published: June 2019

A comprehensive trade agreement has the potential to intensify agricultural trade between the United States and the European Union (EU). The cooperation on non‐tariff barriers including food safety standards and sanitary and phytosanitary issues will expand trade in fruits and vegetables. Using quarterly bilateral trade data at the U.S. state level, we deployed gravity models and probit equations and found that a 10% reduction in MRL stringency would promote trade by 5%. If the final provisions endorse the Codex MRLs, the U.S.‐EU agreement would boost U.S. exports of fruits and vegetables to the EU by $473 million a year.
Five-Year Retrospective Analysis of Eurosilicone’s Silicone Gel–Filled Breast Implants
Authors: Saturno Maurizio , Stewart Sharon , Bell Erin , Esposito Emanuela
Published: June 2019

Background

Silicone breast implants have been widely used for breast augmentation and reconstruction. During this time, silicone breast implants have undergone several modifications to improve their safety, quality, and clinical performance. Complications such as reoperation, capsular contracture, and rupture are risks often associated with breast implants.

Objectives

The authors conducted a retrospective study to analyze and report complication rates associated with Eurosilicone’s (Eurosilicone S.A.S, Apt, Cedex, France) silicone gel–filled breast implants over a period of 5 years.

Methods

In this retrospective clinical study, 2151 women who underwent either breast augmentation or breast reconstruction with Eurosilicone breast implants were diagnosed. Data on early and late complications including implant removal (explantation/exchange), capsular contracture, and rupture were collected using questionnaires, completed by 39 surgeons across Italy.

Results

Of the 2151, only 60 patients (2.78%) required implant removal. Twenty-five patients experienced capsular contracture (Baker Grade III/IV), giving an actual rate of 1.2%. The actual rate of implant rupture confirmed by breast magnetic resonance images was 0.18% (4 implants). Six patients (0.27%) were diagnosed with breast cancer following breast augmentation, and local complications including hematoma (1 patient) and seroma (2 patients) were experienced.

Conclusions

This retrospective clinical study involving Eurosilicone’s round and anatomical textured silicone gel–filled mammary implants demonstrates an excellent safety profile through 5 years.

Level of Evidence: 2
TCR3d: The T cell receptor structural repertoire database
Authors: Gowthaman Ragul , Pierce Brian G
Published: June 2019

T cell receptors (TCRs) are critical molecules of the adaptive immune system, capable of recognizing diverse antigens, including peptides, lipids and small molecules, and represent a rapidly growing class of therapeutics. Determining the structural and mechanistic basis of TCR targeting of antigens is a major challenge, as each individual has a vast and diverse repertoire of TCRs. Despite shared general recognition modes, diversity in TCR sequence and recognition represents a challenge to predictive modeling and computational techniques being developed to predict antigen specificity and mechanistic basis of TCR targeting. To this end, we have developed the TCR3d database, a resource containing all known TCR structures, with a particular focus on antigen recognition. TCR3d provides key information on antigen binding mode, interface features, loop sequences and germline gene usage. Users can interactively view TCR complex structures, search sequences of interest against known structures and sequences, and download curated datasets of structurally characterized TCR complexes. This database is updated on a weekly basis, and can serve the community as a centralized resource for those studying T cell receptors and their recognition.

Availability and implementation

The TCR3d database is available at https://tcr3d.ibbr.umd.edu/.
Hydra image processor: 5-D GPU image analysis library with MATLAB and python wrappers
Authors: Wait Eric , Winter Mark , Cohen Andrew R
Published: June 2019

Light microscopes can now capture data in five dimensions at very high frame rates producing terabytes of data per experiment. Five-dimensional data has three spatial dimensions (x, y, z), multiple channels (λ) and time (t). Current tools are prohibitively time consuming and do not efficiently utilize available hardware. The hydra image processor (HIP) is a new library providing hardware-accelerated image processing accessible from interpreted languages including MATLAB and Python. HIP automatically distributes data/computation across system and video RAM allowing hardware-accelerated processing of arbitrarily large images. HIP also partitions compute tasks optimally across multiple GPUs. HIP includes a new kernel renormalization reducing boundary effects associated with widely used padding approaches.

Availability and implementation

HIP is free and open source software released under the BSD 3-Clause License. Source code and compiled binary files will be maintained on http://www.hydraimageprocessor.com. A comprehensive description of all MATLAB and Python interfaces and user documents are provided. HIP includes GPU-accelerated support for most common image processing operations in 2-D and 3-D and is easily extensible. HIP uses the NVIDIA CUDA interface to access the GPU. CUDA is well supported on Windows and Linux with macOS support in the future.
Measuring Racial Bias in International Migration Flows
Authors: Rosenberg Andrew S
Published: June 2019

Are international migration flows racially biased? Despite widespread consensus that racism and xenophobia affect migration processes, no measure exists to provide systematic evidence on this score. In this research note, I construct such a measure—the migration deviation. Migration deviations are the difference between the observed migration between states, and the flow that we would predict based on a racially blind model that includes a wide variety of political and economic factors. Using this measure, I conduct a descriptive analysis and provide evidence that migrants from majority black states migrate far less than we would expect under a racially blind model. These results pave a new way for scholars to study international racial inequality.
Improving Generalizability in Transnational Bureaucratic Influence Research: A (Modest) Proposal
Authors: Ege Jörn , Bauer Michael W , Wagner Nora
Published: June 2019

An impressive amount of evidence has been collected underpinning the importance of international public administrations (i.e., the secretariats of international governmental organizations) in a variety of policy areas, actor configurations, and multilevel political contexts. However, the problem of how to systematically observe and explain bureaucratic influence still lies at the core of the research puzzles that scholars presently attempt to solve. While acknowledging the achievements of recent research efforts, we argue that it is no coincidence that the results remain rather scattered and disconnected—as no consensus has been reached about how bureaucratic influence beyond nation states might be reasonably defined or reliably observed and how the individual insights gained could feed into the construction of a more general theory of bureaucratic influence in transnational governance. Based on a review of the literature, the essay describes what we see as the characteristic pitfalls of current research and presents two modest proposals on how the underlying challenges can be addressed. We first suggest defining the target of influence in terms of a particular policy and second advocate the inclusion of bureaucratic policy preferences into the influence concept. In order to help researchers to observe and compare policy influence across IPAs, we present a simple heuristic measurement scheme, which, if systematically applied, may help overcome the central ailment of recent influence studies. We demonstrate the applicability of the scheme by means of two empirical illustrations. The argument is that in the absence of a comprehensive descriptive, let alone analytical, theory of bureaucratic influence in transnational policymaking, our proposal may help to boost the accumulative potential of current research in the area.
Assessing the Impact of Music Therapy on Sensory Gating and Attention in Children With Autism: A Pilot and Feasibility Study
Authors: LaGasse A Blythe , Manning Rachel C B , Crasta Jewel E , Gavin William J , Davies Patricia L
Published: June 2019

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently demonstrate atypical processing of sensory information and deficits in attentional abilities. These deficits may impact social and academic functioning. Although music therapy has been used to address sensory and attentional needs, there are no studies including physiologic indicators of sensory processing to determine the impact of music therapy. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of conducting study protocols, determine the adequacy of electroencephalography (EEG) and behavioral measures in identifying attentional differences in children with ASD compared with typically developing (TD) children, and to gather preliminary evidence of intervention effects on brain responses and attention outcomes. Seven children with high functioning ASD ages 5 –12 and seven age- and gender-matched TD completed procedures measuring brain responses (EEG) and behaviors (the Test of Everyday Attention for Children). Children with ASD then completed a 35-min individual music therapy attention protocol delivered by a board-certified music therapist ten times over 5 weeks. Children with ASD completed measures of brain responses and behavior post-intervention to determine pre- to post-test differences. Consent and completion rates were 100% for children who met the study criteria. Feasibility measures indicated that measures of brain responsivity could be used to determine attentional differences between children with ASD and typical children. Initial outcome data for brain responses and behavior indicated positive trends for the impact of music therapy on selective attention skills.
Individualist and Ensemblist Approaches to the Foundations of Statistical Mechanics
Authors: Goldstein Sheldon
Published: June 2019

I will contrast the two main approaches to the foundations of statistical mechanics: the individualist (Boltzmannian) approach and the ensemblist approach (associated with Gibbs). I will indicate the virtues of each, and argue that the conflict between them is perhaps not as great as often imagined.
Music Therapists’ Preparation for Song Discussion: Meaning-Making With the Music
Authors: Hiller James
Published: June 2019

Songs are powerful catalysts and resources for change processes in music psychotherapy. Not surprisingly, music therapists often invite clients to listen to recordings of popular songs. A common song listening method is song discussion, in which a therapist selects a relevant song to explore with a client or group and facilitates the listening and subsequent verbal processing. In the relevant music therapy literature, lyrics assume a primary focus (i.e., lyric analysis), and yet, the music of a song, as integrated with its lyrics, impacts both client’s and therapist’s meaning-making and is therefore crucial to take into account. The purpose of the present investigative essay is to encourage music therapists to give attention to the music of recorded songs as they plan to facilitate song discussion. Herein I present a conceptualization of recorded popular songs and consider how one makes meaning from song listening processes. I urge therapists to prepare for song discussion through careful phenomenological listening and introspective interpretation. Finally, I describe procedures of a developing model for aural song analysis and interpretation based on Bruscia’s Improvisation Assessment Profiles (IAPs) with an abbreviated example viewed through multiple theoretical perspectives.
High Prevalence of Anal and Oral High-Risk Human Papillomavirus in Human Immunodeficiency Virus–Uninfected French Men Who Have Sex With Men and Use Preexposure Prophylaxis
Authors: Mboumba Bouassa Ralph-Sydney , Bélec Laurent , Gubavu Camelia , Péré Hélène , Matta Mathieu , Maka Artur , Puech Julien , Tonen Wolyec Serge , Veyer David , Gravier Anne , Hocqueloux Laurent , Prazuck Thierry
Published: June 2019

Background

We assessed the prevalence and risk factors of anal and oral high-risk (HR) human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in human immunodeficiency virus–uninfected men who have sex with men (MSM) and take preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in France.

Methods

Anal and oral samples were screened by multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (Anyplex II HPV 28; Seegene) for HPV DNA.

Results

A total of 61 unvaccinated MSM (mean age, 36.1 years) were enrolled. Anal HPV and HR-HPV prevalences were 93.4% and 81.9%, respectively, and oral HPV and HR-HPV prevalences, 33.9% and 19.6%, respectively. HR-HPV type 33 was the most detected genotype, in both anal and oral samples. Among MSM, 68.8% carried ≥1 anal HPV type targeted by the 9-valent Gardasil-9 vaccine; all oral HPV-positive samples carried ≥1 strain included in the vaccine. Condomless receptive anal intercourse and history of anal gonorrhea were the main factors associated with increased risk for anal HPV infection (adjusted odds ratio, 10.4) and anal infection with multiple HR-HPV genotypes (5.77), respectively. Conversely, having had <10 partners in the last 12 months was associated with decreased risk for anal carriage of both multiple HPV (adjusted odds ratio, 0.19) and HR-HPV (0.17) types.

Conclusion

French MSM using PrEP are at high risk for both anal and oral carriage of HR-HPV that could lead to HPV-related cancers.
Accelerated Protein Biomarker Discovery from FFPE tissue samples using Single-shot, Short Gradient Microflow SWATH MS
Authors: Sun Rui , Hunter Christie , Chen Chen , Ge Weigang , Morrice Nick , Liang Shuang , Yuan Chunhui , Zhang Qiushi , Cai Xue , Yu Xiaoyan , Chen Lirong , Dai Shaozheng , Luan Zhongzhi , Aebersold Ruedi , Zhu Yi , Guo Tiannan
Published: June 2019

We report and evaluated a microflow, single-shot, short gradient SWATH MS method intended to accelerate the discovery and verification of protein biomarkers in clinical specimens. The method uses 15-min gradient microflow-LC peptide separation, an optimized SWATH MS window configuration and OpenSWATH software for data analysis.

We applied the method to a cohort 204 of FFPE prostate tissue samples from 58 prostate cancer patients and 10 prostatic hyperplasia patients. Altogether we identified 27,976 proteotypic peptides and 4,043 SwissProt proteins from these 204 samples. Compared to a reference SWATH method with 2-hour gradient the accelerated method consumed only 27% instrument time, quantified 80% proteins and showed reduced batch effects. 3,800 proteins were quantified by both methods in two different instruments with relatively high consistency (r = 0.77). 75 proteins detected by the accelerated method with differential abundance between clinical groups were selected for further validation. A shortlist of 134 selected peptide precursors from the 75 proteins were analyzed using MRM-HR, exhibiting high quantitative consistency with the 15-min SWATH method (r = 0.89) in the same sample set. We further verified the capacity of these 75 proteins in separating benign and malignant tissues (AUC = 0.99) in an independent prostate cancer cohort (n=154).

Overall our data show that the single-shot short gradient microflow-LC SWATH MS method achieved about 4-fold acceleration of data acquisition with reduced batch effect and a moderate level of protein attrition compared to a standard SWATH acquisition method. Finally, the results showed comparable ability to separate clinical groups.
A gatekeeping function of the replicative polymerase controls pathway choice in the resolution of lesion-stalled replisomes
Authors: Chang Seungwoo , Naiman Karel , Thrall Elizabeth S. , Kath James E. , Jergic Slobodan , Dixon Nicholas , Fuchs Robert P. , Loparo Joseph J
Published: June 2019

DNA lesions stall the replisome and proper resolution of these obstructions is critical for genome stability. Replisomes can directly replicate past a lesion by error-prone translesion synthesis. Alternatively, replisomes can reprime DNA synthesis downstream of the lesion, creating a single-stranded DNA gap that is repaired primarily in an error-free, homology-directed manner. Here we demonstrate how structural changes within the bacterial replisome determine the resolution pathway of lesion-stalled replisomes. This pathway selection is controlled by a dynamic interaction between the proofreading subunit of the replicative polymerase and the processivity clamp, which sets a kinetic barrier to restrict access of TLS polymerases to the primer/template junction. Failure of TLS polymerases to overcome this barrier leads to repriming, which competes kinetically with TLS. Our results demonstrate that independent of its exonuclease activity, the proofreading subunit of the replisome acts as a gatekeeper and influences replication fidelity during the resolution of lesion-stalled replisomes.
H3K9me2 orchestrates inheritance of spatial positioning of peripheral heterochromatin through mitosis
Authors: Poleshko Andrey , Smith Cheryl L. , Nguyen Son C. , Sivaramakrishnan Priya , Murray John Isaac , Lakadamyali Melike , Joyce Eric F. , Jain Rajan , Epstein Jonathan A.
Published: June 2019

Cell-type-specific 3D organization of the genome is unrecognizable during mitosis. It remains unclear how essential positional information is transmitted through cell division such that a daughter cell recapitulates the spatial genome organization of the parent. Lamina-associated domains (LADs) are regions of repressive heterochromatin positioned at the nuclear periphery that vary by cell type and contribute to cell-specific gene expression and identity. Here we show that histone 3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) is an evolutionarily conserved, specific mark of nuclear peripheral heterochromatin and that it is retained through mitosis. During mitosis, phosphorylation of histone 3 serine 10 temporarily shields the H3K9me2 mark allowing for dissociation of chromatin from the nuclear lamina. Using high-resolution 3D immuno-oligoFISH, we demonstrate that H3K9me2-enriched genomic regions, which are positioned at the nuclear lamina in interphase cells prior to mitosis, re-associate with the forming nuclear lamina before mitotic exit. The H3K9me2 modification of peripheral heterochromatin ensures that positional information is safeguarded through cell division such that individual LADs are re-established at the nuclear periphery in daughter nuclei. Thus, H3K9me2 acts as a 3D architectural mitotic guidepost. Our data establish a mechanism for epigenetic memory and inheritance of spatial organization of the genome.
Disorder in La1−x
Ba1+x
GaO4−x/2 ionic conductor: resolving the pair distribution function through insight from first-principles modeling
Authors: Coduri Mauro , Casolo Simone , Jalarvo Niina , Scavini Marco
Published: June 2019

Ionic conduction in dry LaBaGaO4 occurs through the vacant oxygen sites formed by the substitution of Ba for La. The resulting La1−x
Ba1+x
GaO4−x/2 solid solution shows significant disorder characteristics. The local structure of compositions x = 0, 0.20 and 0.30 was studied using the pair distribution function (PDF). Unfortunately, increasing peak overlap and the number of independent structural parameters make PDF modeling challenging when dealing with low-symmetry phases. To overcome this problem, density functional theory (DFT) was employed to create different structural models, each one with a different relative position for the substitutional Ba ion with respect to the oxygen vacancy. The atomic distributions generated by DFT were used as a starting point to refine experimental PDF data. All models result in the formation of Ga2O7 dimers, with their major axis oriented along the c axis. At the local scale, the most stable DFT model also provides the best fit of the PDF. This accounts for the dopant as first and second neighbors of the vacancy and of the O bridge in the dimer, suggesting that substitutional barium ions act as pinning centers for oxygen vacancies. Above 6 Å the average orthorhombic structure fits the PDF better than the DFT models, thus indicating that Ga2O7 dimers are not correlated with each other to form extended ordered structures. The combination of DFT simulations and X-ray diffraction/PDF refinements was used successfully to model the local atomic structure in La1−x
Ba1+x
GaO4−x/2, thus suggesting that this approach could be positively applied in general to disordered systems.
X-ray magnetic diffraction under high pressure
Authors: Wang Yishu , Rosenbaum T. F. , Feng Yejun
Published: June 2019

Advances in both non-resonant and resonant X-ray magnetic diffraction since the 1980s have provided researchers with a powerful tool for exploring the spin, orbital and ion degrees of freedom in magnetic solids, as well as parsing their interplay. Here, we discuss key issues for performing X-ray magnetic diffraction on single-crystal samples under high pressure (above 40 GPa) and at cryogenic temperatures (4 K). We present case studies of both non-resonant and resonant X-ray magnetic diffraction under pressure for a spin-flip transition in an incommensurate spin-density-wave material and a continuous quantum phase transition of a commensurate all-in–all-out antiferromagnet. Both cases use diamond-anvil-cell technologies at third-generation synchrotron radiation sources. In addition to the exploration of the athermal emergence and evolution of antiferromagnetism discussed here, these techniques can be applied to the study of the pressure evolution of weak charge order such as charge-density waves, antiferro-type orbital order, the charge anisotropic tensor susceptibility and charge superlattices associated with either primary spin order or softened phonons.
Intermolecular hydrogen bonding in isostructural pincer complexes [OH-(
t-BuPOCOP
t-Bu)MCl] (M = Pd and Pt)
Authors: Joksch Markus , Spannenberg Anke , Beweries Torsten
Published: June 2019

In the crystal structure of the isostructural title compounds, namely {2,6-bis[(di-tert-butylphosphanyl)oxy]-4-hydroxyphenyl}chloridopalladium(II), [Pd(C22H39O3P2)Cl], 1, and {2,6-bis[(di-tert-butylphosphanyl)oxy]-4-hydroxyphenyl}chloridoplatinum(II), [Pt(C22H39O3P2)Cl], 2, the metal centres are coordinated in a distorted square-planar fashion by the POCOP pincer fragment and the chloride ligand. Both complexes form strong hydrogen-bonded chain structures through an interaction of the OH group in the 4-position of the aromatic POCOP backbone with the halide ligand.
Evaluation of supply chain coordination index in context to Industry 4.0 environment
Authors: Singh Rajesh Kumar , Kumar Pravin , Chand Mahesh
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Today, most of the manufacturing systems are changing very fast in terms of the adoption of new technologies. New technologies being implemented are Internet of Things, cyber physical systems, cloud computing, Big Data analytics and information and communication technologies. Most of the organizations in the value chain are implementing these technologies at the individual level rather than across the whole supply chain. It makes the supply chain less coordinated and causes suboptimal utilization of resources. For efficient and optimal use of modern technologies, supply chains should be highly coordinated. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate an approach for determining the index to quantify coordination in the supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

From the literature review, total 32 factors have been identified. These factors are further clubbed into six clusters for evaluation of the coordination index. The graph theoretic approach has been used for evaluating the coordination index of a supply chain of an Indian organization.

Findings

This study has illustrated a comprehensive approach to quantify coordination of a supply chains for effective benchmarking of the supply chain performance in the Industry 4.0 era. Presently, it is observed that top management is giving more focus on organizational issues such as lean organization structure, organization culture and responsiveness factors for improving coordination in the supply chain rather than on Industry 4.0 technologies.

Originality/value

This framework can also be used for comparison, ranking and analysis of coordination issues in different supply chains in the era of Industry 4.0. Organizations can use this approach for benchmarking purpose also to improve different supply chain processes for meeting dynamic market requirements.
Bridges the crowd: rim chain framework
Authors: Li Pengze , Zhang Ran , Liu Lei , Cui Lizhen , Li Qingzhong , Zhou Guangpeng
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Science of the Crowd is a new paradigm. The research on the relationship between provision and requirement arising from the behavior of the crowd under the interconnected environment is a promising topic. This paper aims at studying a new type of interconnected architecture.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is a pioneer work on the establishment of a new type of interconnected architecture – rim chain. The rim chain aims at supporting prompt matching between provision and requirements.

Findings

The analytical results suggest that requirements can be fulfilled in accordance with six degrees of separation. In other words, the matching between the requirements and provision takes place with six hops in the rim chain framework.

Originality/value

Knowledge graph is used to implement the rim chain.
Trade openness and sectoral growth in developing countries: some new insights
Authors: Tahir Muhammad , Mazhar Tooba , Afridi Muhammad Asim
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The trade–growth nexus has been researched during the past few decades. However, the impact of trade openness on different sectors of the economy is not well explored. The purpose of the current study is to focus on developing countries to examine the impact of trade openness on three main sectors: industrial, service and agricultural.

Design/methodology/approach

The study applied econometric techniques that control unobserved heterogeneity and endogeneity to obtain robust and reliable results.

Findings

The results revealed that trade openness impacts different sectors differently. Trade openness positively impacts agriculture and industrial sectors, whereas it negatively affects the service sector. A similar trend is observed with regard to employment as it affects service sector negatively and creates a positive impact on other sectors, namely, agriculture and industrial sectors. Furthermore, it was found that human capital has a negative effect on all sectors, whereas financial development has positive effects on service and industrial sectors and negative effect on agriculture sector. The results are robust because of the method of estimation and the addition of some relevant variables.

Practical implications

The policymakers should focus on trade in agricultural and industrial sectors and should discourage trade in the service sector.

Originality/value

This study has examined the impact of trade openness on sectoral growth by focusing on the developing world, which is an under-researched area in the literature.
Does level of CPA firm assurance affect investing decisions?
Authors: Schneider Arnold
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the level of assurance associated with financial statements affects individual investing decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

A between-subjects behavioral experiment is used with a control condition and three treatment conditions involving different levels of auditor assurance.

Findings

As the level of assurance progresses from none to compilation to review to audit, investors’ perceptions of risk associated with the investment decrease. However, the type of certified public accounting (CPA) firm association did not seem to influence the amounts that individuals were willing to invest.

Research limitations/implications

The results for the investment scenario in this paper cannot necessarily be generalized to other types of investment scenarios. Also, individuals often obtain more information about an investment prospect than what appeared in this study’s questionnaire. Another limitation is that this study did not have economic incentives such as suffering financial losses from poor investing decisions.

Practical implications

Findings about risk assessments suggest that companies might be willing to pay more for greater levels of CPA firm assurance, but the results pertaining to amounts invested suggest that companies need not consider incurring additional costs to obtain more assurance.

Originality/value

No prior study has unambiguously examined the effects of compilations, reviews and audits on investing decisions. This study explores this issue by conducting an experiment whereby investing judgments are compared across groups who received information about one of four levels of auditor assurance.
Stimulating new business creation through system dynamics education
Authors: Costanza Francesca
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The international community recognizes the role of entrepreneurship education in fostering economic growth and sustainable development. However, preparing the next generation of entrepreneurs is not an easy task, since today’s complexity requires the creation of skills and capabilities for which the traditional programs reveal their inadequacy. Some scholars remark how entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention are not necessarily related and, in line with policy makers’ concerns, call for educational programs more routed in financial skills’ enhancement. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of system dynamics (SD) for entrepreneurial education, investigating the relationships between financial and entrepreneurial skills’ formation and business development.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper introduces the main elements of SD, describes literature streams of SD applications fitting the entrepreneurial education spheres and proposes an SD’ insight model based on selected literature and declined in terms of stock-and-flow and causal loop structures.

Findings

The study provides a causal model capturing the links between the processes of entrepreneurial skill formation and firms’ start-ups and closures. Such model introduces a double effect of financial literacy on entrepreneurial orientation and locates the contribution of simulated entrepreneurial decisions in formal and informal educational contexts.

Originality/value

The paper displays how SD can contribute to entrepreneurship and presents an original causal model highlighting the accumulation of financial and non-financial skills through education and experience, their impact on business development and the usefulness of SD methodology for skill achievement.
Economic freedom variables endogenous to business cycles
Authors: Murphy Ryan H.
Published: June 2019

Purpose

A large empirical literature has found positive effects of economic freedom on economic outcomes, such as output and per capita growth. However, several variables in the index are very likely to decline in conjunction with recessions. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether, in the absence of these variable, whether the positive relationship between economic freedom and economic output remains.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper makes use of a dynamic panel to compare the performance of economic freedom with and without variables endogenous to business cycles, which pertain to levels of government spending, rates of inflation, government borrowing and interest rates.

Findings

Two specifications fall in their statistical significance from the 1 to the 10 per cent level when variables relating to inflation are omitted. The worst case considered finds one specification size of the effect is still 66.3 per cent of the effect size of the standard measure of economic freedom.

Practical implications

These findings are consistent with this kind of endogeneity being a minor problem with the data set when imperfect identification strategies are used, but the issue should be strongly considered when business cycles are pertinent to a research question that makes use of economic freedom data.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the small literature focused on the robustness of the effect of economic freedom on output, while raising a specific concern that has not yet been explicitly addressed.
The Giza pyramid: learning from this megaproject
Authors: Procter Chris , Kozak-Holland Mark
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the contemporary relevance of the management of the Great Pyramid of Giza project.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses evidence from the literature from many disciplines concerning both the objectives and construction of the pyramid. It relates this to recent discussion concerned with the issues faced in megaproject management, which are core to the discussion of success and failure.

Findings

The analysis shows the significance of the “break-fix model” of megaproject management and how having a sequence of megaprojects builds management through a learning process. It demonstrates the significance of innovation arising from the experience of previous projects in solving major technical challenges and illustrates the importance of the organisation and ethical management of a substantial workforce.

Research limitations/implications

There is very limited reliable documentary evidence from the time of the construction of Giza (c.2560 BCE). Many sources concerning ancient Egypt are still widely contested. However, the use of research from a combination of disciplines demonstrates the relevance of the project and the importance of learning from history to contemporary project management.

Originality/value

The authors believe that this is the first paper to analyse the Giza pyramid project from a project management perspective. This was arguably the most significant construction project of ancient history and the paper explains the lessons, which can be learned, which are very significant to today’s megaprojects.
Contested internal legitimacy: the emergence of organized academic entrepreneurship
Authors: Sapir Adi
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the emergence of organized academic entrepreneurship in the context of institutional complexity, in which multiple institutional logics co-exist. The paper is focused on the dynamics of internal legitimation of new research commercialization initiatives and the interrelations between internal and external legitimacy and their underlying institutional logics.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a historical case study of the founding of Yeda Research and Development Company at the Weizmann Institute of Science in 1959, the paper examines the rhetorical struggles between the proponents and opponents of the company. The analysis is based on archival data and focuses on the analysis of a meeting of the Institute’s Scientific Committee in which the new company was introduced and debated.

Findings

The findings show the strengths and limitations of rhetorical legitimation work in supporting the establishment of new organizational initiatives. Rhetorical strategies that bridge the different institutional logics in the field can enable the emergence of new enterprises. Yet, when organizational practices do not concur with the institutional logic on which internal legitimacy is based, new organizational initiatives become illegitimate and organizational actors withdraw their support.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the under-researched process of constructing internal legitimacy for an organizational change, both in general and in the specific context of academic entrepreneurship. Further, this study contributes new insights to research on the historical process of the emergence of organized research commercialization in universities in the context of institutional complexity.
Entrepreneurial actions: implications for firm performance
Authors: Sproul Curtis , Cox Kevin , Ross Amanda
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate different types of investment actions undertaken by entrepreneurial firms to determine how these actions influence performance. Specifically, the effects of entrepreneurial action with regards to investments in human capital, the capabilities of the firm and the competitive dynamics of the business relative to other firms are examined. These actions are examined in conjunction with the offering of products, services or both, to determine the benefits of specific actions for firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample is taken from the confidential version of the Kauffman Firm Survey (KFS). The data are analyzed using a fixed effects model.

Findings

Results show that investment in human capital development actions and capability development actions improve firm performance. Further, investment in human capital development actions is shown to have the largest positive impact on the performance of firms that offer products only. Competitive positions actions have the greatest positive impact on firms that offer products and services.

Research limitations/implications

Results contribute to multiple theoretical lenses within the context of entrepreneurship and demonstrate applicability of theory related to entrepreneurial action to other established theories. Findings also demonstrate that different entrepreneurial actions benefit firms that offer products or services in different ways. Limitations of the study are those associated with survey research generally, such as self-reported measures, non-response bias and the KFS specifically such as survivorship bias and variance in survey items across years.

Originality/value

The consideration of firms whose primary focus is the selling of products compared to services and how they moderate specific actions is novel and valuable. Theoretical development tying human capital, competitive dynamics and dynamic capabilities to entrepreneurial action creates new avenues for inquiry.