bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dissociation and Declamation in Schubert’s Heine Songs
Authors: Ferris David
Published: September 2016

The texts of ‘Der Atlas’ and ‘Der Doppelgänger’, like many of the poems in Heine’s Buch der Lieder, are concerned with the themes of memory and loss. One unusual feature that these two poems share is an unexpected shift in narrative perspective in the final stanza. In ‘Der Atlas’ the protagonist suddenly begins speaking to his heart, and in ‘Der Doppelgänger’ he addresses a ghostly figure who turns out to be himself. In this essay I consider some of the ways in which Schubert responded to the narrative peculiarity of these poems when he set them as the first and last of his Heine songs. By combining recent techniques to analyse rhythmic declamation with the analysis of other aspects of the songs, such as tonality, voice leading, texture and hypermetre, I show how Schubert exploits and manipulates the declamatory patterns in the poems in order to express musically the narrative and semantic levels of meaning.
Disability, Self-Critique and Failure in Schubert’s ‘Der Doppelgänger’
Authors: Binder Benjamin
Published: September 2016

One commonly acknowledged indicator of ‘late style’ in music is self-critique. At the end of a long career, a composer subjects his or her musical language to a rigorous deconstructive analysis, exposing its fundamental premises in order to reassess its expressive validity. In 2008, however, Joseph Straus suggested that ‘late-style’ musical features are often more fruitfully interpreted as inscriptions of a composer's physical or mental disability. Speaking of a retrospective, self-critical ‘late style’ in Schubert’s case is potentially problematic, since he was only thirty-one when he died. But there is general consensus that Schubert’s experience of his fatal illness (and the limitations it placed upon him) left traces in his music. This chapter offers a reading of Schubert’s ‘Der Doppelgänger’ as a ‘late’ work in both respects. Schubert’s artistic response to disability in this song takes the form of a reflective self-critique.
A Gauntlet Thrown
Authors: Youens Susan
Published: September 2016

It is inconceivable that Schubert would not have known Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte and equally inconceivable that he would not have responded to it, given his already massive investment in reshaping the song composition of his day. One imagines Schubert searching for an appropriate text to which he could fit his own Liederkreis-under-one-roof, its songs inseparably connected, or at least being alive to the possibility of the right words, should they come along. And they did, in Johann Mayrhofer’s ‘Einsamkeit’, which Schubert set to music in 1818. Four years later he would revisit this work again, the result being an augmented version with twelve measures not found in the 1818 copy in Schober’s song album (the autograph is lost). One purpose of this essay is to explore the nature of Mayrhofer’s poem against the backdrop of the Jeitteles text. The main point, however, is to discuss those ways in which Schubert’s music acknowledges Beethoven’s model, diverges from it and challenges it.
The Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
Authors: Gilliver Peter
Published: September 2016

This book tells the history of the Oxford English Dictionary from its beginnings in the middle of the nineteenth century to the present. It explores the cultural background from which the idea of a comprehensive historical dictionary emerged as a new concept in the lexicography of English, and traces the process of bringing this concept to fruition, from the first attempts to collect quotation evidence in the 1850s, under the auspices of the Philological Society of London, through the engagement of Oxford University Press as the Dictionary’s publisher, the appearance of the first printed fascicle in 1884, and various other publishing developments, to the launching of the OED as an online database in 2000 and beyond. It also examines the evolution of the lexicographers’ working methods, and provides much information about the individuals who have contributed to the project over the last century and a half. Numerous individual words, and their entries in the Dictionary, are also discussed.
“I most sincerely wish an Arabic Manuscript of the Koran”
Authors: Einboden Jeffrey
Published: September 2016

William Bentley, a pioneering Unitarian minister and successor to Ezra Stiles as national diarist, produced voluminous records of daily life in the early Republic. As shown for the first time in Chapter 2, however, Bentley also succeeded Stiles in his personal appeal to Islamic precedents. Studying Middle Eastern languages while preaching at Salem’s East Church, Bentley reached eastward in transatlantic exchanges as well, trading Arabic letters and literary treasures with Yemeni merchants. Recounting a forgotten and foundational chapter in American–Middle Eastern relations, the author uncovers Bentley’s private cache of Arabic correspondence, as well his lost library of Muslim manuscripts, including the Qur’ān—an incomparable archive of Arabic and Persian sources in the early United States, collected by Bentley until just days before his December 1819 death.
“Intermingled with Texts of the Koran”
Authors: Einboden Jeffrey
Published: September 2016

Washington Irving was a leading American Romantic, author of classic tales including “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Privately, however, he was also one of America’s earliest translators and transmitters of the Qur’ān. Chapter 3 establishes for the first time the wide extent, and the rich afterlife, of Irving’s Islamic studies. It reproduces selections from his manuscript Qur’ān renditions, as well as from Irving’s “Arabic Notebook,” a journal of Semitic language study reflecting his journeys in Andalucía. Held by the New York Public Library, Irving’s previously unpublished notes and notebooks testify to his domestic translation of Muslim sources into a distinctly American idiom spanning more than two decades, culminating with his 1850 romantic biography of the Prophet, Mahomet and his Successors.
A Dictionary of Contemporary World History
Authors: Riches Christopher , Palmowski Jan
Published: September 2016

‘Concise, current information … highly recommended’ – Choice, the magazine of the American Library Association

Over 2,800 entries

The authoritative dictionary provides informative and analytical entries on the most important people, organizations, events, movements, and ideas that have shaped the world we live in. Covering the period from 1900 to the present day, this fully revised and updated new edition presents a global perspective on recent history, with a wide range of new entries from Tony Abbott, the European migration crisis, and ISIL to Narendra Modi, Hassan Rouhani, and UKIP. All existing entries have been brought up to date. Handy tables include lists of office-holders for countries and organizations and winners of the Nobel Peace Prize.

This comprehensive reference resource will be invaluable to students of history, politics, and international relations as well as to journalists, policymakers, and general readers interested in the modern world.
A Guide to Countries of the World
Authors: Riches Christopher , Stalker Peter
Published: September 2016

Over 240 entries

This invaluable A–Z provides a wealth of up-to-date information on every country in the world, including dependent territories. Each entry provides a brief history of the country and outlines its political, economic, and social issues. A quick-reference fact box provides comparative information on land area, people, language, religion, life expectancy, GDP, and gender equality and environmental performance. Invaluable supplementary material includes detailed indicator tables showing income and poverty, health and population, and a list of international organizations, such as the EU and the African Union, with essential information about these groupings.

This accessible guide is an ideal reference for students and teachers of geography, politics, economics, and world history at all levels, as well as anyone wanting access to reliable information on any country of the world.
Relationship Between Different Subpopulations of Circulating CD4+ T-lymphocytes and Microvascular Structural Alterations in Humans
Authors: De Ciuceis Carolina , Rossini Claudia , Airò Paolo , Scarsi Mirko , Tincani Angela , Tiberio Guido Alberto Massimo , Piantoni Silvia , Porteri Enzo , Solaini Leonardo , Duse Sarah , Semeraro Francesco , Petroboni Beatrice , Mori Luigi , Castellano Maurizio , Gavazzi Alice , Agabiti Rosei Claudia , Agabiti Rosei Enrico , Rizzoni Damiano
Published: September 2016

BACKGROUND

Different components of the immune system, including innate and adaptive immunity (T-effector lymphocytes and T-regulatory lymphocytes—TREGs) may be involved in the development of hypertension. In addition, it was demonstrated in animal models that TREGs may prevent angiotensin II-induced hypertension and vascular injury/inflammation. However, no data are presently available in humans about possible relationships between T-lymphocyte subtypes and microvascular structural alterations.

METHODS

For this purpose, in the present study, we enrolled 24 normotensive subjects and 12 hypertensive patients undergoing an elective surgical intervention. No sign of local or systemic inflammation was present. All patients underwent a biopsy of subcutaneous fat during surgery. Subcutaneous small resistance arteries were dissected and mounted on a wire myograph and the media to lumen ratio (M/L) was calculated. In addition, retinal arteriolar structure was evaluated noninvasively by scanning laser Doppler flowmetry. Capillary density in the nailfold, dorsum of the finger, and forearm were evaluated by videomicroscopy. A peripheral blood sample was obtained before surgery for assessment of T-lymphocyte subpopulations by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Significant negative correlations were observed between indices of microvascular structure (M/L of subcutaneous small arteries and wall to lumen ratio of retinal arterioles) and circulating TREG lymphocytes. A direct correlation was observed between M/L of subcutaneous small arteries and circulating Th17 lymphocytes. In addition, total capillary density was correlated with a TREG effector memory subpopulation.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that some lymphocyte subpopulations may be related to microvascular remodeling, confirming previous animal data, and opening therapeutic possibilities.
A prediction model of survival for patients with bone metastasis from
uterine corpus cancer
Authors: Takeshita Sho , Todo Yukiharu , Matsumiya Hiroko , Okamoto Kazuhira , Yamashiro Katsushige , Kato Hidenori
Published: September 2016

Objective

The aim of the study was to establish a predictive model of survival period after bone metastasis from endometrial cancer.

Methods

A total of 28 patients with bone metastasis from uterine corpus cancer were included in the study. Data at the time of bone metastasis diagnosis, which included presence of extraskeletal metastasis, performance status, history of any previous radiation/chemotherapy and the number of bone metastases, were collected. Survival data were analyzed using Kaplan–Meier methods and Cox proportional hazard models.

Results

The most common site of bone metastasis was the pelvis (50.0%), followed by lumbar spine (32.1%), thoracic spine (25.0%) and rib bone (17.9%). The median survival period after bone metastasis was 25 weeks. The overall rate of survival after bone metastasis of the entire cohort was 75.0% at 13 weeks, 46.4% at 26 weeks and 42.9% at 52 weeks. Performance status of 3–4 was confirmed as an independent prognostic factor (Hazard ratio, 3.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.41–8.70) and multiple bone metastases tended to be associated with poor prognosis (Hazard ratio, 2.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.95–5.97). A prognostic score was calculated by adding up the number of these two factors. The 26-week survival rates after bone metastasis were 88.9% for those with a score of 0, 45.5% for those with a score of 1 and 0% for those with a score of 2 (P = 0.0006).

Conclusions

This scoring system can be used to determine the optimal treatment for patients with bone metastasis from endometrial cancer.
Biomechanical Comparison of Superior Versus Anterior Plate Position for Fixation of Distal Clavicular Fractures: A New Model
Authors: Wilkerson James , Paryavi Ebrahim , Kim Hyunchul , Murthi Anand , Pensy Raymond A.
Published: September 2016

Objectives:

Although most clavicular fractures are amenable to nonoperative management, metadiaphyseal fractures are considerably more complex, with rates of suboptimal healing as high as 75% when treated nonoperatively. The poor results are ascribed to the deforming forces on the distal clavicle from the surrounding muscles and the weight of the arm. It recently has been noted that some operative fixations of these fractures are also failing when a standard superiorly placed plate is used. We hypothesized that anterior plating, when compared with superior plating, improves the strength and durability of the construct by redirecting the axis of the major deforming force across rather than in line with the screws of the construct.

Methods:

Six pairs of fresh-frozen human cadaveric clavicles with the scapula attached by the coracoclavicular ligaments were osteotomized just medial to the ligaments and plated with a standard 3.5-mm limited-contact dynamic compression plate. Specimens were potted and mounted on a materials testing system machine, preserving the anatomic relationship of the clavicle and scapula. They were then loaded through the coracoclavicular ligaments to mimic the weight of the arm pulling inferiorly. Each specimen was loaded with 375 N at 1 Hz for 2000 cycles. Sequential loading was then applied at 25-N intervals until failure. Statistical analysis was performed using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Results:

The superiorly plated specimens failed after fewer cycles and with lower force than the anteriorly plated specimens. The median number of cycles to failure was 2082 for anterior plated specimens and 50 for superiorly plated (P = 0.028). The median load to failure was 587.5 N in the anterior group and 375 N in the superior group (P = 0.035). The median stiffness was 46.13 N/mm for anterior and 40.45 N/mm for superior (P = 0.375) plates.

Conclusions:

Anteriorly plated distal third clavicular fractures have superior strength and durability compared with fractures plated superiorly when using a physician-contoured, 3.5-mm, limited-contact, dynamic compression plate in this cadaver model.
A Useful Preoperative Planning Technique for Transiliac–Transsacral Screws
Authors: Lucas Justin F. , Routt Milton Lee (Chip) , Eastman Jonathan G.
Published: September 2016

Stabilization of posterior pelvic ring injuries is increasingly performed using percutaneously placed iliosacral and transiliac–transsacral screws. Understanding the unique and specific anatomical variations present in each patient is paramount. Multiple methods of evaluating potential osseous fixation pathways for screw placement exist, but many require specific imaging protocols, specialized software, or modification of data. Not all surgeons and institutions have access to these options for a variety of reasons. A simple technique to preoperatively plan for safe transiliac–transsacral screws is proposed.
Polymer physics of nuclear organization and function
Authors: Amitai A. , Holcman D.
Published: September 2016

We review here recent progress to link the nuclear organization to its function, based on elementary physical processes such as diffusion, polymer dynamics of DNA, chromatin and the search mechanism for a small target by double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) break. These physical models and their analysis make it possible to compute critical rates involved in cell reorganization timing, which depends on many parameters. In the framework of polymer models, various empirical observations are interpreted as anomalous diffusion of chromatin at various time scales. The reviewed theoretical approaches offer a framework for extracting features, biophysical parameters, predictions, and so on, based on a large variety of experimental data, such as chromosomal capture data, single particle trajectories, and more. Combining theoretical approaches with live cell microscopy data should unveil some of the still unexplained behavior of the nucleus in carrying out some of its key function involved in survival, DNA repair or gene activation.
Arabidopsisreceptor-like cytoplasmic kinase BIK1: purification, crystallization and X-ray diffraction analysis
Authors: Lal Neeraj K. , Fisher Andrew J. , Dinesh-Kumar Savithramma P.
Published: September 2016

Receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases (RLCKs) inArabidopsisplay a central role in the integration of signaling input from various growth and immune signaling pathways. BOTRYTIS-INDUCED KINASE 1 (BIK1), belonging to the RLCK family, is an important player in defense against bacterial and fungal pathogens and in ethylene and brassinosteroid hormone signaling. In this study, the purification and crystallization of a first member of the class VI family of RLCK proteins, BIK1, are reported. BIK1 was crystallized using the microbatch-under-oil method. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.35 Å resolution. The crystals belonged to the monoclinic space groupC2, with two monomers per asymmetric unit.
Crystal structure of rofecoxib bound to human cyclooxygenase-2
Authors: Orlando Benjamin J. , Malkowski Michael G.
Published: September 2016

Rofecoxib (Vioxx) was one of the first selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors (coxibs) to be approved for use in humans. Within five years after its release to the public, Vioxx was withdrawn from the market owing to the adverse cardiovascular effects of the drug. Despite the widespread knowledge of the development and withdrawal of Vioxx, relatively little is known at the molecular level about how the inhibitor binds to COX-2. Vioxx is unique in that the inhibitor contains a methyl sulfone moiety in place of the sulfonamide moiety found in other coxibs such as celecoxib and valdecoxib. Here, new crystallization conditions were identified that allowed the structural determination of human COX-2 in complex with Vioxx and the structure was subsequently determined to 2.7 Å resolution. The crystal structure provides the first atomic level details of the binding of Vioxx to COX-2. As anticipated, Vioxx binds with its methyl sulfone moiety located in the side pocket of the cyclooxygenase channel, providing support for the isoform selectivity of this drug.
A study on the control of an automatic picking system (APS) in a warehouse
Authors: Kim Woo Ram , Kim Namuook , Chang Yoon Seok
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to explore methods of defining ejecting zones (EZs) used in automatic picking systems (APSs), particularly in A-frame APSs. An A-frame APS automatically ejects products onto a conveyor, which then brings the products to their destination. EZs are moving zones on a conveyor, and each EZ corresponds to one picking order. Products are ejected as a zone passes channels in which the products are stored.

Design/methodology/approach

First, three EZ types are defined, and their operations are explained. Second, picking orders are analyzed and categorized by considering the structure and the picking mechanism of an A-frame APS. In addition, picking-order instances reflecting actual data are randomly generated according to each category. Finally, the performance of the EZs is evaluated using the picking-order instances and computer simulations.

Findings

The results from the computer simulations suggest the EZ types suitable for use with various picking order types considering order fulfilment speed and energy usage.

Research limitations/implications

In this paper, the authors only adopt a triangular distribution which is considered most practical distribution in the industry.

Practical implications

It is believed that these results can provide managers and operators with useful guides to facilitate the effective operation of an A-frame APS. The provided ideas have been implemented at the pharmaceutical warehouse of the largest logistics company in Korea.

Social implications

The result shows that the proposed idea could save energy consumption and the APS have potential to save labor involvement in picking.

Originality/value

It is essential to define the EZs when operating an A-frame APS efficiently, but there is almost no research in this area. This paper focuses on defining EZs, as well as methods to utilize these zones.
Optimal control method on assembly precision for a remanufactured car engine based on state space model
Authors: Hu Jing , Zhang Yuan , GE Maogen , Liu Mingzhou , Conghu Liu , Wang Xiaoqiao
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The optimal control on reassembly (remanufacturing assembly) error is one of the key technologies to guarantee the assembly precision of remanufactured product. However, because of the uncertainty existing in remanufactured parts, it is difficult to control assembly error during reassembly process. Based on the state space model, this paper aims to propose the optimal control method on reassembly precision to solve this problem.

Design/methodology/approach

Initially, to ensure the assembly precision of a remanufactured car engine, this paper puts forward an optimal control method on assembly precision for a remanufactured car engine based on the state space model. This method takes assembly workstation operation and remanufactured part attribute as the input vector reassembly status as the state vector and assembly precision as the output vector. Then, the compensation function of reassembly workstation operation input vector is calculated to direct the optimization of the reassembly process. Finally, a case study of a certain remanufactured car engine crankshaft is constructed to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the method proposed.

Findings

The optimal control method on reassembly precision is an effective technology in improving the quality of the remanufactured crankshaft. The average qualified rate of the remanufactured crankshaft increased from 83.05 to 90.97 per cent as shown in the case study.

Originality/value

The optimal control method on the reassembly precision based on the state space model is available to control the assembly precision, thus enhancing the core competitiveness of the remanufacturing enterprises.
Surface characterization of mild steel exposed to atmosphere after being treated by sodium benzoate and dicyclohexylamine nitrite
Authors: Kahraman Ramazan , Saricimen Huseyin , Malaibari Zuhair Omar , Abdur Rauf Md
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the performances of two inhibitors in controlling corrosion of steel products in industrial and marine atmosphere.

Design/methodology/approach

Corrosion rates were determined by weight loss measurements. At certain periods of atmospheric exposure, the (disc shape) specimens were retrieved and studied by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectrometry surface analysis techniques.

Findings

Both inhibitors were effective against corrosion of steel in the early stages of the atmospheric exposure (for about two months). With further exposure to the atmosphere, their inhibition effectiveness deteriorated and was totally lost within four months. Analysis of the specimens before exposure showed that the inhibitor film was thin for both treatments, and the unexposed treated surface for both inhibitors appeared similar to the untreated unexposed specimen surface. Characterization of the specimens at different exposure periods showed fewer corrosion blisters on dicyclohexylamine nitrite- and sodium benzoate-treated surfaces than on untreated specimens.

Originality/value

The objective of this study was to characterize the surfaces of the steel products produced locally during their exposure to the industrial and marine atmosphere of the Arabian Gulf region after being treated by sodium benzoate and dicyclohexylamine nitrite in controlling the corrosion of local mild steel products. According to the literature review, this study is original and will add value to the studies of inhibition of steel corrosion under similar environments.
Comprehensive evaluation of anti-corrosion capacity of electroactive polyaniline for steels
Authors: Pan Tongyan , Yu Qifeng
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This study aims to present the fabrication of the two-layer system, coating it on steel surface and evaluating the system’s anti-corrosion performance using the ASTM Standard Salt-Spray Test: B117 and the technique of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS).

Design/methodology/approach

A synthesized electroactive polyaniline (PANi) was utilized in this study to make a PANi-based primer, with which a two-layer coating system was fabricated by overlaying the primer with a polyurethane top-coat.

Findings

In the Salt-Spray test, the two-layer PANi/polyurethane system exhibited higher corrosion resistance than the two-layer control epoxy/polyurethane system. In particular, the PANi/polyurethane system tended to mitigate the production of rust on substrate surface and demonstrated higher delamination resistance. The EIS analysis confirmed the high corrosion resistance and delamination resistance of the two-layer PANi/polyurethane system based on parameters obtained using the best-fit equivalent circuits.

Practical implications

The demonstrated anti-corrosion capacity of this new PANi/polyurethane system laid a solid base for industrial applications.

Originality/value

This novel coating system is expected to achieve improved corrosion protection for steels than the conventional zinc-rich three-layer coatings.
Being versus becoming ontology of paradox management
Authors: Jing Runtian , Van de Ven Andrew H.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the theoretical contribution of Li’s (2016) “Yin-Yang balancing” approach of paradox management, as well as its future development to guide paradox management research across the east and west contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

It begins by recognizing the importance of paradox management research, especially the indigenous epistemological approach as Li (2016) has followed. The authors take “being” and “becoming” ontology toward social reality as the basic premise in this commentary, and summarize the knowledge that the study has contributed to existing literature.

Findings

The “Yin-Yang balancing” approach can extend the knowledge about paradox management phenomena at least from four aspects: the “either/and” frame to view a paradox system, the importance of “seed” or “threshold” in defining moderate rather than extreme groups, duality map as a novel tool for paradox management, and comparison of being and becoming ontology.

Originality/value

Based on the comparison of “being” and “becoming” ontological view, the authors suggest to further develop this “Yin-Yang balancing” approach by emphasizing the following issues: eastern culture does not have exclusive ownership of the “becoming” ontology toward the world, elaboration of alternative theoretical explanation to win out the identity approach about organizational existence, the linkage between the “Yin-Yang balancing” epistemological system and process research method, and boundary condition of the “Yin-Yang balancing” approach.
Moving towards a geocentric, polycultural theory of organizational paradox
Authors: Keller Joshua , Lewis Marianne W.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This paper comments on “Global implications of the indigenous epistemological system from the east” (Li, 2016), which provides an indigenous Chinese perspective on organizational paradox. Li introduces Yin-Yang balancing as an epistemological system that can help scholars examine and practitioners manage paradoxes. In this commentary, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the merits of Yin-Yang balancing and how this approach and other indigenous theories might enrich organizational paradox theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors provide a commentary and suggestions for future research. The authors distinguish between Yin-Yang balancing as a normative theory, a meta-theory and a lay theory. The authors encourage both geocentrism and polycentrism as goals for future paradox research, enabling attention to the diversity of ideas across and within varied cultures.

Originality/value

The commentary connects Yin-Ying balancing with extant research on organizational paradox.
Research data management in universities of central China
Authors: Liu Xia , Ding Ning
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Revealing research data’s production and use, the status of research data management (RDM) and researchers’ service requirements in universities of Central China; this study aims to investigate the feasibility of university libraries in providing RDM services without any supporting policies from governments or funding agencies.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a stratified sampling method, faculties and graduate students from 11 universities were investigated. Four pilot subjects at Wuhan University (WHU) were chosen for whom a pilot RDM platform was to be constructed.

Findings

Research data at Chinese universities are small, sporadic and discontinuous. Such data are intensively or dispersedly under researcher’s management, with some unresolved problems regarding data security, data sharing and utilisation efficiency. Researchers’ needs for data services are strong. University libraries in China can develop RDM systems and provide related services. To realise this, more work should be done on service mechanism, service promotion, software development and staff training.

Research limitations/implications

The user survey covered 11 universities in central China, which may not reveal the real RDM status of researcher in different areas of China.

Practical implications

The practice at WHU could provide reference to other university libraries in China or other developing countries.

Social implications

The practice at WHU could provide reference to other university libraries in China or other developing countries.

Originality/value

The user survey is designed to be as comprehensive as possible and cover 902 researchers from 11 different types of Chinese universities. The practice at WHU is one of the first RDM initiatives led by university library in China.
Differences of Pareto principle performance in e-resource download distribution
Authors: Zhu Qiandong , Xiang Huimin
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether the databases from a certain library are Pareto-compliant or not? If so, to what extent is the Pareto principle performance evident among these databases? The other purpose is to determine the differences in Pareto principle performance according to time change and database type.

Design/methodology/approach

Data on full-text downloads from six e-resources – Elsevier ScienceDirect (SD), Wiley Blackwell, Springer Journal, EBSCO Business Source Premier (BSP), American Chemical Society and American Institute of Physics (AIP) – for the period 2007-2013 were analysed; 42 samples were collected from these databases. The proportion of frequently downloaded journals from databases was selected as an indicator to determine differences in Pareto principle performance according to time change. The difference between the proportion of frequently downloaded journals and the classic proportion of 20 per cent was used as indicator to determine difference in Pareto principle performance related to database type.

Findings

There are 33 samples (78.57 per cent) which exhibited the Pareto principle. Four databases – Elsevier SD, Wiley Blackwell, EBSCO BSP and AIP – constantly exhibited the Pareto principle. The differences were not significant according to time change. The two multi-discipline databases – Elsevier SD and Wiley Blackwell – fluctuated more moderately than the two single-discipline databases – EBSCO BSP and AIP. Multi-discipline and single-discipline databases showed some differences in Pareto principle performance; however, these differences were not remarkable.

Originality/value

The Pareto principle confirmed that there were frequent and infrequent downloads of e-journals from e-journal databases. It was of great importance to analyse these to improve digital resources acquisition and user service.
Knowledge discovery of digital library subscription by RFC itemsets
Authors: Weng Cheng-Hsiung
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The paper aims to understand the book subscription characteristics of the students at each college and help the library administrators to conduct efficient library management plans for books in the library. Unlike the traditional association rule mining (ARM) techniques which mine patterns from a single data set, this paper proposes a model, recency-frequency-college (RFC) model, to analyse book subscription characteristics of library users and then discovers interesting association rules from equivalence-class RFC segments.

Design/methodology/approach

A framework which integrates the RFC model and ARM technique is proposed to analyse book subscription characteristics of library users. First, the author applies the RFC model to determine library users’ RFC values. After that, the author clusters library users’ transactions into several RFC segments by their RFC values. Finally, the author discovers RFC association rules and analyses book subscription characteristics of RFC segments (library users).

Findings

The paper provides experimental results from the survey data. It shows that the precision of the frequent itemsets discovered by the proposed RFC model outperforms the traditional approach in predicting library user subscription itemsets in the following time periods. Besides, the proposed approach can discover interesting and valuable patterns from library book circulation transactions.

Research limitations/implications

Because RFC thresholds were assigned based on expert opinion in this paper, it is an acquisition bottleneck. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to automatically infer the RFC thresholds from the library book circulation transactions.

Practical implications

The paper includes implications for the library administrators in conducting library book management plans for different library users.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a model, the RFC model, to analyse book subscription characteristics of library users.
Recognizing spaces of dissensus in English teacher education
Authors: Barnes Meghan E.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This study inquires into the ways that three preservice teachers enrolled in one English education program at a state namesake university in the Southeastern part of USA, oriented to uncertainty when interacting with one another as they discussed potentially challenging/uncomfortable topics.

Design/methodology/approach

The tools of conversation analysis were used to analyze the three preservice teachers’ talk as they discussed the potential for using President Obama’s (2008)A More Perfect Unionspeech with their own secondary students.

Findings

The findings from this study suggest that when discussing uncomfortable topics like race and politics, preservice teachers tend to work toward consensus, rather than valuing tension and disagreement. Specifically, the preservice teachers in this study engaged in several strategies as they worked toward consensus with one another and also to excuse themselves from having potentially divergent opinions from one another or their potential future students.

Research limitations/implications

Possible explanations for the tendency toward agreement, as well as recommendations for future teaching that could challenge such an inclination for agreement, are delineated.

Originality/value

Previous studies on the role of discussion within educational settings have focused on the possibilities of dialogue to contribute to the construction of individuals’ identities and also to encourage participants to arrive at a singular understanding of the topic being discussed. This study offers a new perspective on the role of discussion, by suggesting that attempts at consensus and the development of singular identities limits potential for dialogue, thus limiting learning and development.
Storying the classroom: storytelling and teacher evaluation
Authors: Tanner Samuel Jaye
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This essay uses the author’s experience with teacher evaluation as a point of departure to consider how narrative methods might be used to complicate contemporary trends in teacher evaluation. Ultimately, this piece hopes to contribute to a discussion about how storytelling might be implemented as a model of teacher evaluation that could speak back to instrumentalist or technical practices in schools that undermine the complexity of the teaching profession.

Design/methodology/approach

This piece uses narrative inquiry to consider teacher evaluation.

Findings

This piece uses narrative inquiry to consider more complex implementations of teacher evaluation.

Originality/value

This piece is an original consideration of the potential forms of teacher evaluation.
Constructing English: pre-service ELA teachers navigating an unwieldy discipline
Authors: Macaluso Kati , McKenzie Cori , VanDerHeide Jennifer , Macaluso Michael
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a pedagogical innovation – a matrix construction exercise – intended to help pre-service teachers (PTs) navigate the multiple and oftentimes competing discourses that shape the school subject English Language Arts (ELA).

Design/methodology/approach

To explore the various ways the PTs drew on the discursively constructed paradigms of ELA throughout their teacher preparation program, researchers (themselves teacher educators) conducted an intertextual analysis (Prior, 1995) of PTs’ classroom texts and interview transcripts.

Findings

The intertextual analysis suggested that PTs possessed knowledge of and investment in a range of discourses, which they used to anchor their own pedagogical and curricular decision-making and to anticipate the leanings and ideologies of other stakeholders in ELA. Although the organizational schema of the matrix proved helpful from an orientation standpoint, it also may have disguised the productive tensions between particular discourses for some PTs.

Originality/value

Although scholars have long noted the plurality of the school subject English and some studies on innovations in teacher education allude to the difficulties that teachers encounter as they navigate the multiple purposes of ELA, there is little scholarship that considers how pre-service and beginning teachers might best navigate that incoherence and unwieldiness. This study, which contextualizes and explores a pedagogical innovation in an English methods class designed to help PTs navigate the many “Englishes”, attempts to fill this gap. The findings suggest that teacher preparation in ELA would do well to conceive of pedagogical innovations in teacher education that allow teachers to grapple with, rather than solve, the uncertainty and unfinalizability of the discipline.
From pre-service to early-career English teacher in the UK: negotiating powerful myths
Authors: Turvey Anne Marie , Lloyd Jeremy
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate contemporary pre-service English teacher education in the UK and the transition, for one individual, from pre-service into early-career English teacher. The investigation explores how standards-based education reforms are narrowing the scope of professional practice in UK schools, especially in regard to the creativity of teachers and students.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use critical autobiography (Haug, 1992; Miller, 1995; Rosen, 1998) and dialogic storytelling strategies (Doecke and Parr, 2009; Parr et al., 2015), that are grounded in Bakhtinian (1981) theories of language, education and creativity.

Findings

The essay critically illustrates how standards-based reforms are narrowing the professional practice of English teachers in secondary classrooms in England and compares this with one account of pre-service teacher education in which prospective teachers are taught to appreciate the situated nature of teaching and learning and the power of creative practices to engage students in their learning and development.

Originality/value

The critical and creative use of dialogic storytelling strategies allows the authors to present rigorously contextualised accounts of English teacher education and English teaching in England. The reflexive accounts complement the increasing numbers of studies that are showing the injurious effects of standards-based education reforms on English teaching and learning in schools.
Determinants of Islamic banking adoption in Tunisia: empirical analysis
Authors: Kaabachi Souheila , Obeid Hassan
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the main factors influencing the adoption of Islamic banking services in Tunisia.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents primary data collected by self-administered questionnaires involving a sample of 239 respondents located in Tunis city. Respondents were conventional banks’ customers who were actually non-users of Islamic banking. A descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to determine consumers’ awareness of Islamic banking.

Findings

The results revealed that Islamic bank reputation, relative advantage of Islamic banking and its compatibility with consumer religious beliefs, values, lifestyle and banking habits influence positively the intention to use it. However, it seems that perceived complexity and risk impact negatively the consumer intention to adopt this new financing system. The major finding of this study is that there is a general lack of consumer awareness about Islamic banking in Tunisia.

Practical implications

By identifying the drivers and inhibitors of Islamic banking acceptance among potential adopters, this research aim to help banks’ managers to target their actions and strategies more effectively.

Originality/value

This study is one of the earliest to be conducted on customers’ perception and willingness to adopt Islamic banking services in Tunisia. It makes a contribution to the Islamic banking adoption literature by extending and testing the diffusion innovation theory (Rogers, 2003) in the context of Tunisia.
Effect of information content and form on customers’ attitude and transaction intention in mobile banking
Authors: S. Sreejesh , M.R. Anusree , Mitra Amarnath
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Although research on mobile banking (M-banking) is an emerging field, the current understanding of the information characteristics of M-banking, such as information content and form and its impacts on customers’ attitude and transaction intention toward the same is limited. Furthermore, no study to date has examined how users’ privacy evaluation regarding the use of M-banking (i.e. users’ perceived privacy concern) influences their processing of information to create attitude and subsequent transaction intention. The purpose of this paper is to attempt to narrow this research gap by investigating the process through and conditions under which the customers’ evaluation of M-banking information content and form contributes to the development of transaction intention.

Design/methodology/approach

A self-administered survey on the users of M-banking was performed to collect the response. Mediation analyses followed by conditional process analyses were carried out to test the proposed set of hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that users’ favorable evaluation of M-banking information content and form creates transaction intention through favorable attitude toward M-banking. However, this relationship is found to be moderated by their perceived privacy concern, as users with high privacy concern do not process information content and form favorably, i.e., their attitude and transaction intention are found to be less, as compared to users with low perceived privacy concern.

Originality/value

Drawing on literature from areas, such as information processing, internet banking, marketing and psychology, the paper develops an understanding of the role of information characteristics of M-banking in determining users’ transaction intention via user attitude. Furthermore, this is the first study that shows how information characteristics differently influence users’ attitude and transaction intention based on their perceived privacy concern.
The role of customer brand engagement and brand experience in online banking
Authors: Khan Imran , Rahman Zillur , Fatma Mobin
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which the customer-brand engagement influences the brand satisfaction and the brand loyalty in an online banking context. It further explores the role of the online brand experience as a mediating variable amidst the relationship of customer-brand engagement with brand satisfaction and brand loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

This study has used 348 responses been collected through an online survey which was conducted among various online bank customers in Delhi, the national capital of India. The responses were analyzed by the means of the confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results of online survey show that customer-brand engagement positively influences online brand experience. The effects of customer-brand engagement on brand satisfaction and brand loyalty are partially mediated by the online brand experience. Mediation of online brand experience produces the stronger effects as compared to those direct effects of the customer-brand engagement on the brand satisfaction and the brand loyalty.

Practical implications

This study suggests bank managers to develop strategies that could be able to increase the levels of the customer-brand engagement in an online setting because of its scheduled effects on the online brand experiences and the consumer behavioral outcomes.

Originality/value

This research is the first-of-its-kind that examines the effect of customer-brand engagement on the customers’ brand experience, brand satisfaction and brand loyalty in the online banking context.