bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Vivo Ultrasound Assessment of Gastric Emptying in Newborn Mice
Authors: Welsh Christopher , Jarrin Jose , Daneman Alan , Belik Jaques
Published: October 2014

Objectives:

The aim of the present study was to develop an ultrasonographic approach to comparatively assess gastric emptying in newborn wild‐type and guanosine triphosphate cyclohydrolase knockout hph‐1 mice, because we previously reported gastroparesis early in life in this strain.

Methods:

Stomach transverse, anteroposterior, and longitudinal ultrasonographic measurements were obtained with a 40‐MHz transducer in pups immediately after maternal separation and 4 hours later. A conventional equation was used and the predicted values validated by obtaining postmortem gastric content volume measurements. Wild‐type and hph‐1 mice gastric emptying rates were comparatively evaluated at 1 to 3 and 5 to 8 days of age, respectively.

Results:

The ultrasound equation closely predicted the newborn stomach content volumes with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.93 and 0.81 (P < 0.01) for measurements obtained on full stomach and after 4 hours of fasting, respectively. In wild‐type mice, gastric emptying was age dependent and associated with a greater residual volume at 1 to 3 days (65% ± 7%), as compared with 5‐ to 8‐day‐old pups (33% ± 4%; P < 0.01), after fasting. In contrast, an equal duration of fasting resulted in a significantly greater residual gastric content volume in 5‐ to 8‐day‐old hph‐1 mice (68% ± 7%; P < 0.01), as compared with same‐age wild‐type mice.

Conclusions:

Ultrasonography offers a sensitive and accurate estimate of gastric content volume in newborn mice. In wild‐type newborn mice, gastric emptying rate is age dependent and significantly reduced in the immediate postnatal period. The newborn hph‐1 mice have a significantly higher gastric residual volume, as compared with wild‐type same‐age animals.
Are genes faster than crabs? Mitochondrial introgression exceeds larval dispersal during population expansion of the invasive crabCarcinus maenas
Authors: Darling John A. , Tsai Yi-Hsin Erica , Blakeslee April M. H. , Roman Joe
Published: October 2014

Biological invasions offer unique opportunities to investigate evolutionary dynamics at the peripheries of expanding populations. Here, we examine genetic patterns associated with admixture between two distinct invasive lineages of the European green crab,Carcinus maenasL., independently introduced to the northwest Atlantic. Previous investigations based on mitochondrial DNA sequences demonstrated that larval dispersal driven by advective currents could explain observed southward displacement of an admixture zone between the two invasions. Comparison of published mitochondrial results with new nuclear data from nine microsatellite loci, however, reveals striking discordance in their introgression patterns. Specifically, introgression of mitochondrial genomes relative to nuclear background suggests that demographic processes such as sex-biased reproductive dynamics and population size imbalances—and not solely larval dispersal—play an important role in driving the evolution of the genetic cline. In particular, the unpredicted introgression of mitochondrial alleles against the direction of mean larval dispersal in the region is consistent with recent models invoking similar demographic processes to explain movements of genes into invading populations. These observations have important implications for understanding historical shifts inC. maenasrange limits, and more generally for inferences of larval dispersal based on genetic data.
New stopping criteria for iterative root finding
Authors: Nikolajsen Jorgen L.
Published: October 2014

A set of simple stopping criteria is presented, which improve the efficiency of iterative root finding by terminating the iterations immediately when no further improvement of the roots is possible. The criteria use only the function evaluations already needed by the root finding procedure to which they are applied. The improved efficiency is achieved by formulating the stopping criteria in terms of fractional significant digits. Test results show that the new stopping criteria reduce the iteration work load by about one-third compared with the most efficient stopping criteria currently available. This is achieved without compromising the accuracy of the extracted roots.
Proposal of Novosphingobium rhizosphaerae sp. nov., isolated from the rhizosphere
Authors: Kämpfer Peter , Martin Karin , McInroy John A. , Glaeser Stefanie P.
Published: October 2014

A yellow, Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacterium (strain JM-1T) was isolated from the rhizosphere of a field-grown Zea mays plant in Auburn, AL, USA. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of strain JM-1T showed high sequence similarity to the type strains of

Novosphingobium capsulatum

(98.9 %),

Novosphingobium aromaticivorans

(97.4 %),

Novosphingobium subterraneum

(97.3 %) and

Novosphingobium taihuense

(97.1 %); sequence similarities to all other type strains of species of the genus

Novosphingobium

were below 97.0 %. DNA–DNA hybridizations of strain JM-1T and

N. capsulatum

DSM 30196T,

N. aromaticivorans

SMCC F199T and

N. subterraneum

SMCC B0478T showed low similarity values of 33 % (reciprocal: 21 %), 14 % (reciprocal 16 %) and 36 % (reciprocal 38 %), respectively. Ubiquinone Q-10 was detected as the major respiratory quinone. The predominant fatty acid was C18 : 1ω7c (71.0 %) and the typical 2-hydroxy fatty acid C14 : 0 2-OH (11.7 %) was detected. The polar lipid profile contained the diagnostic lipids diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingoglycolipid and phosphatidylcholine. Characterization by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, physiological parameters, pigment analysis, and ubiquinone, polar lipid and fatty acid composition revealed that strain JM-1T represents a novel species of the genus

Novosphingobium

. For this species we propose the name Novosphingobium rhizosphaerae sp. nov. with the type strain JM-1T ( = LMG 28479T = CCM 8547T).
A STRESS-RESPONSIVE NAC1-Regulated Protein Phosphatase Gene RiceProtein Phosphatase18Modulates Drought and Oxidative Stress Tolerance through Abscisic Acid-Independent Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging in Rice
Authors: You Jun , Zong Wei , Hu Honghong , Li Xianghua , Xiao Jinghua , Xiong Lizhong
Published: October 2014

Plants respond to abiotic stresses through a complexity of signaling pathways, and the dephosphorylation mediated by protein phosphatase (PP) is an important event in this process. We identified a rice (Oryza sativa) PP2C gene, OsPP18, as a STRESS-RESPONSIVE NAC1 (SNAC1)-regulated downstream gene. The ospp18 mutant was more sensitive than wild-type plants to drought stress at both the seedling and panicle development stages. Rice plants with OsPP18 suppressed through artificial microRNA were also hypersensitive to drought stress. Microarray analysis of the mutant revealed that genes encoding reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging enzymes were down-regulated in the ospp18 mutant, and the mutant exhibited reduced activities of ROS scavenging enzymes and increased sensitivity to oxidative stresses. Overexpression of OsPP18 in rice led to enhanced osmotic and oxidative stress tolerance. The expression of OsPP18 was induced by drought stress but not induced by abscisic acid (ABA). Although OsPP18 is a typical PP2C with enzymatic activity, it did not interact with SNF1-RELATED PROTEIN KINASE2 protein kinases, which function in ABA signaling. Meanwhile, the expression of ABA-responsive genes was not affected in the ospp18 mutant, and the ABA sensitivities of the ospp18 mutant and OsPP18-overexpressing plants were also not altered. Together, these findings suggest that OsPP18 is a unique PP2C gene that is regulated by SNAC1 and confers drought and oxidative stress tolerance by regulating ROS homeostasis through ABA-independent pathways.
Reconstruction of local orientation in grains using a discrete representation of orientation space
Authors: Viganò Nicola , Ludwig Wolfgang , Batenburg Kees Joost
Published: October 2014

This work presents a mathematical framework for reconstruction of local orientations in grains based on near-field diffraction data acquired in X-ray diffraction contrast tomography or other variants of the monochromatic beam three-dimensional X-ray diffraction methodology. The problem of orientation reconstruction is formulated in terms of an optimization over a six-dimensional space {\bb X}^6 = {\bb R}^3 \otimes {\bb O}^{3}, constructed from the outer product of real and orientation space, and a strongly convergent first-order algorithm that makes use of modern l_1-minimization techniques is provided, to cope with the increasing number of unknowns introduced by the six-dimensional formulation of the reconstruction problem. The performance of the new reconstruction algorithm is then assessed on synthetic data, for varying degrees of deformation, both in a restricted line-beam illumination and in the more challenging full-beam illumination. Finally, the algorithm's behavior when dealing with different kinds of noise is shown. The proposed framework, along the reconstruction algorithm, looks promising for application to real experimental data from materials exhibiting intra-granular orientation spread of up to a few degrees.
In situsmall-angle X-ray scattering characterization of X-ray-induced local heating
Authors: Witala Monika , Han Jun , Menzel Andreas , Nygård Kim
Published: October 2014

It is shown that small-angle X-ray scattering from binary liquid mixtures close to the critical point of demixing can be used forin situcharacterization of beam-induced heating of liquid samples. For demonstration purposes, the proposed approach is applied on a well studied critical mixture of water and 2,6-lutidine. Given a typical incident X-ray flux at a third-generation synchrotron light source and using a 1.5 mm-diameter glass capillary as sample container, a beam-induced local temperature increase of 0.45 ± 0.10 K is observed.
2-Ethyl-1-[5-(4-methylphenyl)pyrazol-3-yl]-3-(thiophene-2-carbonyl)isothiourea: molecular ribbons containing three types of hydrogen-bonded ring
Authors: Castro Edison , Insuasty Henry , Insuasty Braulio , Cobo Justo , Glidewell Christopher
Published: October 2014

The title compound, C18H18N4OS2, was prepared by reaction ofS,S-diethyl 2-thenoylimidodithiocarbonate with 5-amino-3-(4-methylphenyl)-1H-pyrazole using microwave irradiation under solvent-free conditions. In the molecule, the thiophene unit is disordered over two sets of atomic sites, with occupancies of 0.814 (4) and 0.186 (4), and the bonded distances provide evidence for polarization in the acylthiourea fragment and for aromatic type delocalization in the pyrazole ring. An intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bond is present, forming anS(6) motif, and molecules are linked by N—H...O and N—H...N hydrogen bonds to form a ribbon in which centrosymmetricR22(4) rings, built from N—H...O hydrogen bonds and flanked by inversion-related pairs ofS(6) rings, alternate with centrosymmetricR22(6) rings built from N—H...N hydrogen bonds.
Gynetic organisms: pro-anorexic techno bodies
Authors: Connor Geneva , Coombes Leigh
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse pro-anorexia from a discursive, metaphorical standpoint in order to enable an understanding of how pro-anorexia functions as political resistance through technological bodies.

Design/methodology/approach

– Techno-metaphor is used to reveal how pro-anorexic communities online function through technology.

Findings

– Six techno-metaphors work to construct pro-anorexic cyborg embodiment through technology. This pro-anorexic cyborg embodiment offers relief from the tensions of patriarchal femininity and provides control over troublesome embodiment. Technology enables women experiencing anorexia to resist the dominant interpretations of their lived experience that subjugate them.

Originality/value

– This research offers an understanding of pro-anorexia as resistance to intolerable femininity and reconstructed female bodies through technology. By exploiting technological political space, pro-anorexics are claiming positions and forms of embodiment previously off-limits to women and their biological bodies.
World Masters Games 2017: organisational delivery models
Authors: Middleditch Lara , Bradbury Trish
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore how multiple partners could be managed to ensure the successful delivery of the World Masters Games (WMG), 2017. Specifically, its objectives are to understand how event organisers manage relationships with multiple delivery partners, what tools and practices are used to ensure consistency and what risks and benefits exist.

Design/methodology/approach

– An applied, qualitative, exploratory method used thematic analysis to obtain findings from seven semi-structured interviews of senior managers involved in five international sports event held in Australasia.

Findings

– Findings were interpreted into nine themes related to event delivery partnerships such as reducing inconsistency, localising delivery through specialists, managing stakeholder relationships, managing workloads and taking an athlete-centred approach. Recommendations include establishing relationship strategies for each partner, determining the degree of control over delivery, crafting contracts appropriate to each partner, creating a suite of tools to aid consistency, recruiting an executive team with Games/mass participation event experience and a senior management team with sport or venue operations experience, centralising knowledge and planning, up-skilling partners as necessary and fully engaging local communities.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample was restricted to five event organisations and only a small number of participants per organisation were interviewed. This study collected the experiences and opinions from the event organisers’ point of view and did not capture the same from delivery partners.

Originality/value

– The literature revealed little specifically on operational delivery methods adopted by sport events; therefore this study adds to the conversation on sport event delivery models from an outsourcing perspective.
Integrating “self-efficacy” theory to the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) model to reveal factors that influence inclusive engagement within local community festivals
Authors: Jepson Allan , Clarke Alan , Ragsdell Gillian
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– This study lies within “classical discourse” (Getz, 2010) within festival studies as its context is firmly situated within cultural anthropology and sociology. Unlike previous studies this research is unique in that it integrates social cognitive theory (SCT) which is usually found in psychology discourses. The purpose of this paper is to propose how the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) model would benefit from integrating self and group efficacy theory. It achieves this by building on previous analysis of primary data collected in the field at the Utcazene, Street Music Festival, Veszprem, Hungary, (Jepson et al., 2013) using an adapted MOA model.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper analyses previous studies which have tested the MOA model through primary data collection. Following this analysis best practice is and similarities are identified through discussion; then a case is then made to adapt the model to integrate and test Bandura's (1986) concept of self-efficacy based on the benefits it could provide to future research within community festivals and events.

Findings

– This paper has been framed by initial research by Jepson et al. (2013) and Hung et al. (2011) which after analysis revealed that the MOA model was still lacking in its ability to reveal “why” local people were motivated or empowered to engage in the planning of community festivals and events. It has become evident through discussion that measuring self-efficacy has much to contribute in regards to community engagement in the event planning process; moreover there is strong evidence to support its inclusion within the MOA model. It could be used to further inform on the synergy within and between the three disciplines underpinning the model such as the relationship between knowledge, opportunity and ability, as well as reveal new ones between self-efficacy and knowledge, opportunity and ability.

Research limitations/implications

– This is a conceptual paper and therefore is based on theoretical discussion but not on empirical data collected in the field of event studies.

Originality/value

– Very few studies have engaged measurement of community participation within festivals and events. This study is original as it is interdisciplinary and investigates the concerns the roles local community take (as stakeholders), meanings (how local community culture is represented within the festival) and impacts (internal and external festival impacts and how these effect the local community) through established planning frameworks and SCT.
Changing audience behaviour: festival goers and throwaway tents
Authors: Henderson Stephen , Musgrave James
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– To translate theory into a practical tool, the purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual framework for the development of social marketing strategies to modify event attendee behaviour in a sustainable direction.

Design/methodology/approach

– Consumer value is synthesised with social marketing and consumer behaviour theory to develop the framework. A major problem for festivals (throwaway tents) and current pro-environmental practices are used to determine the framework's applicability.

Findings

– The conceptual framework suggests that achieving desired behaviour(s) within an audience requires consideration of the added value at the downstream level, strategies that recognise offsite/onsite behaviour settings, engagement of upstream advocacy and more attention to the evaluation of success.

Research limitations/implications

– A single low-involvement behaviour example is used to validate the conceptual framework suggesting further work is needed to widen tests of its applicability.

Originality/value

– This paper synthesises theory into a framework that has significant potential as a tool to develop behavioural change strategies at events.
Social network analysis and festival cities: an exploration of concepts, literature and methods
Authors: Jarman David , Theodoraki Eleni , Hall Hazel , Ali-Knight Jane
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– Social network analysis (SNA) is an under-utilised framework for research into festivals and events. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the history of SNA and explore its key concepts, in order that they might be applied to festivals and their environments.

Design/methodology/approach

– Secondary material underpins the paper, primarily SNA literature, tourism studies research and festival industry publications.

Findings

– Festival cities offer dynamic environments in which to investigate the workings of social networks. The importance of such networks has long been recognised within the industry, yet there is scant reflection of this in the event studies literature. Uses of SNA in tourism studies publications offer some precedents.

Originality/value

– This paper emphasises the importance of relationships between people in a festival economy, complementing and building upon stakeholder analyses. A research method is proposed, suitable for application across a diverse range of festivals and events.
The managerial issues related to transferring shop floor knowledge in manufacturing relocation
Authors: Praest Knudsen Mette , Skov Madsen Erik
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the specific practices of management in the dispatching unit and to identify mechanisms for supporting transfer of shop floor knowledge embedded in operating manufacturing equipment.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper applies an inductive and a case study approach for exploring three empirical cases that represent different manufacturing facility relocation processes and differences in the applied managerial practices.

Findings

– The paper identifies two important gaps in international production literature when firms relocate equipment to other sites; a time gap (from dismantling to re-assembly of production facilities) and a space gap (from the current to the new site abroad). These gaps are important for understanding why relocation processes are difficult and what management can do to facilitate such processes.

Practical implications

– The paper identifies four issues that management faces in the dispatching context when relocating manufacturing facilities.

Originality/value

– The paper gives new insights to a limited literature of shop floor knowledge transfer when relocating manufacturing facilities.
A review on elder care and mistreatment in Macao
Authors: C.K. Tam Derrick , W.Y. Yu Eilo , M.S. Wu Anise
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– Elder mistreatment is a neglected issue in the Macao elder policy. The purpose of this paper is to review the current elder policy as well as legislation on the prevention and management of elder mistreatment in Macao and providing practical suggestions to improve the situation.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper reviews government documents and statistics on elder services and policy of Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) government. The authors interviewed frontline social workers for the phenomenon of elder mistreatment in Macao as well as the issues and problems in handling abuse cases.

Findings

– This paper argues that the MSAR government has paid attention to financial aid to its senior citizens. In terms of elder care services, the government outsources various elder care services to nonprofit organizations and other private bodies. However, this public-private partnership approach cannot adequately coordinate service providers to prevent and manage elder mistreatment. Furthermore, Macao-mainland integration has encouraged more and more elders to stay in mainland China. Stronger government initiatives are needed to collaborate with Macao society, as well as mainland authorities, regarding the mistreatment of Macao elders.

Research limitations/implications

– It is only a review on elder mistreatment in Macao. Further research is needed to survey the extent of mistreatment of elder people in Macao (quantitatively and qualitatively). Besides, more effort has to be paid on the problem and difficulty of frontline social workers handling elder mistreatment.

Practical implications

– This paper suggests practical methods and measures to Macao government to manage and prevent elder mistreatment which is a neglect issue in the society.

Social implications

– There are very few studies on elder mistreatment in Macao. This paper aims to draw the attention of Macao government and public as well as academic to the issue.

Originality/value

– Many scholars and academics studying Macao elders have been directing to the government focus and keep their eye on the pension system and social security for the elderly. Very limited studies have examined the elder care and mistreatment. This paper is a breakthrough of Macao elder studies that serving as a pilot study of elder mistreatment and hence shifting public attention to the intangible need of Macao elder.
Prevalence and psychosocial correlates of the fear of crime in older Chinese
Authors: Qin Nan , Yan Elsie
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence and psychosocial correlates of fear of crime in older Chinese. Attempt was made to test a theoretical model which integrated the vulnerability model, “broken windows” theory, victimization theory and risk interpretation model.

Design/methodology/approach

– A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 453 older adults from a representative sample recruited from Kunming using stratified sampling methods.

Findings

– More than half of the participants (n=258, 57.0 percent) reported fear of one or more types of depicted common crime. By comparison, a smaller percentage (n=57, 12.6 percent) reported fear of domestic violence (FDV). Correlational analysis indicated different correlates for fear of common crime (FCC) and FDV. Female gender, a younger age, poor financial and health statuses, perception of greater social instability and neighborhood disorder, direct and/or indirect victimization and perception of a higher risk of victimization were significantly associated with higher levels of FCC. Limited social networks, perception of greater neighborhood disorder, direct and/or indirect victimization and perception of a higher risk of victimization were salient correlates of FDV. The results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that the integrated model explained 37 and 43 percent of the variance in FCC and FDV, respectively.

Originality/value

– This study found diverse patterns in terms of the prevalence and risk factors for FCC and FDV. The findings have important implications for policy, practice and research.
Effect of defects on the strength of welds
Authors: Dundu Morgan
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is an experimental investigation to determine the effects of defects on the strength of welds.

Design/methodology/approach

– This investigation was carried out using butt- and fillet-welded specimens in tension. Several welding skills were incorporated into the investigation so as to come up with different types of defects. Half of the samples were welded flat and the other half, vertical.

Findings

– Vertical welding resulted in a greater percentage of defects than flat welding. Most of the defects in the welds were a result of incomplete penetration, lack of fusion, slag inclusion, porosity and failure to weld to the given dimensions. The tests show that there is a linear relationship between the area of defects and the ultimate capacity of the joints.

Originality/value

– Although the purpose of this research was to determine the effect of defects on the strengths of both butt and fillet welds, more attention was focused on fillet welds, as this investigation had not been carried out before. Fillet welds experience shear only, unlike butt welds which can either be in tension or shear, or, in rare cases, a combination of the two.
Essential factors towards optimal utilisation of construction resources
Authors: Ayodeji Fapohunda Julius , Chileshe Nicholas
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to evaluate and present the essential factors that will enhance site managers’ efficient performance which will perpetuate optimal construction resources utilisation. The capability of controlling and monitoring construction resources and the application of production information to achieve predetermined objectives of scope, cost, time, quality and clients’ satisfaction are the primary functions of site managers. However, the effective implementation of this production information is usually hindered by some factors, often resulting in conscious, unconscious or unavoidable resource wastage.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research is triangulated. The investigations are based on an action survey, comprising structured quantitative questionnaires and qualitative interview surveys conducted with a few project managers in the UK construction industry.

Findings

– The research evaluates problems associated with the site managers’ project delivery and establishes essential factors towards efficient resources utilisation. Among the identified predicaments are the design team’ attitudes towards site managers’ corrections, modification and alterations; communication gap between the design and construction teams; and production information inadequacy. Thus, the factors identified which will enhance the efficiencies of the site managers are communication effectiveness and effective information dissemination, conducive environment, production information simplicity and explicitness, in addition to skilled workers’ participation in knowledge transfer and sharing, to mention but a few.

Originality/value

– The facts presented in this study will significantly enhance site managers’ optimal resources utilisation, and provide the opportunity for construction resources waste minimisation. Thus, the adequate implementation of the innovative measures presented in this study will not only enhance the performance of site managers on resources utilisation, but will also augment client satisfaction.
Design methodology for integrating multipath systems (building services)
Authors: Fouchal Farid , M. Hassan Tarek , L. Loveday Dennis
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to report on a geometrical integration methodology that can be used to organise some types of these systems. Most multipath delivery systems, such as Building Services (BSs), are arbitrarily distributed with no known solution to reduce the complexity in the way channels are arranged.

Design/methodology/approach

– Integration for optimal functionality through reduction of geometrical complexity is achieved by understanding the elements of complexity within current practices; identifying commonalities between the various components which can be used for integration; performing an axiomatic design to resolve design complications; adopting theory of inventive problem-solving for methodology and process development towards optimal functionality; and generating a mathematical solution to inform digital modelling of optimal design. The study takes into account thermophysical and electromagnetic interactions between utilities and uses novel mathematical manipulations based on designing a manifold of spherical and cylindrical geometries joined using Bezier surfaces.

Findings

– Once a solution was reached, computer-aided design (CAD) iterations were undertaken for channelling six BSs into a single unit. The outcome was concentric cylindrical–spherical shells superimposed with spacings of typically few millimetres to deliver/distribute the utilities. It is applied to bring together BSs into a single trunking system at minimal, yet appropriate, proximal distances, and it allows distribution of any number of services in any direction. Physical prototypes were produced and initial testing of their performance (reported elsewhere) has been encouraging.

Originality/value

– A design methodology for integrating arbitrary distributed paths/conduits. The approach could be incorporated into CAD tools as a design feature to facilitate integration of multipath delivery systems.
Forty criteria based agility assessment using scoring approach in an Indian relays manufacturing organization
Authors: Aravindraj Sakthivel , Vinodh S.
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study was to develop a 40-criteria agility assessment model and explore its practical feasibility in an industrial scenario.

Design/methodology/approach

– Agile manufacturing (AM) principles enable organizations to understand customer needs and incorporate the necessary changes in product- and processes-oriented approaches. In this research study, a 40-criteria agility assessment model was developed. The agility assessment model was subjected to investigation in an Indian relays manufacturing organization.

Findings

– The research study indicates that the organization is agile. Besides computing agility level, the gaps across agile criteria have been identified and actions for agility improvement were subjected to implementation in the case organization.

Research limitations/implications

– The 40-criteria agility assessment model was subjected to investigation in a single manufacturing organization. In future, more number of studies could be conducted.

Practical implications

– To acquire agile characteristics, modern organizations should assess the agility level at which they operate. In this context, the agility assessment model was developed.

Originality/value

– The agility assessment tool presented in this paper consists of 40 agile criteria, which are well supported by the research findings reported in literature. Hence, the developed 40-criteria agile model is original and novel.
Dispute management in Islamic financial institutions: a case study of near sukuk defaults
Authors: A. Oseni Umar
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the vital importance of dispute management in cases of both near and outright sukuk defaults. With the case studies, this study examines the vital importance of dispute management in cases of both near and outright sukuk defaults. With a number of case studies, the study shows how debt restructuring can play a significant role as a dispute management procedure recognized in Islamic law.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study uses the case study methodology to determine the impact of debt restructuring in instances of near and outright sukuk default and the process taken to reach a win-win settlement among the parties. Due to some sensitive financial information, the study has fully anonymized the sukuk companies examined.

Findings

– The paper finds that for a more sustainable and stable and resilient Islamic finance industry, the role of law through dispute management cannot be ruled out, as appropriate dispute management mechanism facilitates the underlying contracts.

Research limitations/implications

– This study limits its focus to near and outright sukuk defaults and the need to come up with Shari’ah-based mechanisms for dispute management when things seem to have fallen apart.

Practical implications

– The study proposes an integrated regulatory-cum-remedial framework which may serve as sustainable mechanism for handling circumstances involving near and outright sukuk defaults with a view to protecting the rights of all the stakeholders.

Originality/value

– Though few studies have been conducted on sukuk defaults in cross-border transactions, there has not been much focus on dispute management of cases involving such defaults. This study seeks to fill such an important gap, which has the potential of streamlining dispute management practices in the sukuk industry.
Can today’s standardized achievement tests yield instructionally useful data?
Authors: James Popham W. , C. Berliner David , M. Kingston Neal , H. Fuhrman Susan , M. Ladd Steven , Charbonneau Jeffrey , Chatterji Madhabi
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– Against a backdrop of high-stakes assessment policies in the USA, this paper explores the challenges, promises and the “state of the art” with regard to designing standardized achievement tests and educational assessment systems that are instructionally useful. Authors deliberate on the consequences of using inappropriately designed tests, and in particular tests that are insensitive to instruction, for teacher and/or school evaluation purposes.

Methodology/approach

– The method used is a “moderated policy discussion”. The six invited commentaries represent voices of leading education scholars and measurement experts, juxtaposed against views of a prominent leader and nationally recognized teacher from two American education systems. The discussion is moderated with introductory and concluding remarks from the guest editor, and is excerpted from a recent blog published byEducation Week. References and author biographies are presented at the end of the article.

Findings

– In the education assessment profession, there is a promising movement toward more research and development on standardized assessment systems that are instructionally sensitive and useful for classroom teaching. However, the distinctions among different types of testsvis-à-vistheir purposes are often unclear to policymakers, educators and other test users, leading to test misuses. The authors underscore issues related to validity, ethics and consequences when inappropriately designed tests are used in high-stakes policy contexts, offering recommendations for the design of instructionally sensitive tests and more comprehensive assessment systems that can serve a broader set of educational evaluation needs. As instructionally informative tests are developed and formalized, their psychometric quality and utility in school and teacher evaluation models must also be evaluated.

Originality/value

– Featuring perspectives of scholars, measurement experts and educators “on the ground”, this article presents an open and balanced exchange of technical, applied and policy issues surrounding “instructionally sensitive” test design and use, along with other types of assessments needed to create comprehensive educational evaluation systems.
On the merits of, and myths about, international assessments
Authors: Pizmony-Levy Oren , Harvey James , H. Schmidt William , Noonan Richard , Engel Laura , J. Feuer Michael , Braun Henry , Santorno Carla , C. Rotberg Iris , Ash Paul , Chatterji Madhabi , Torney-Purta Judith
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– This paper presents a moderated discussion on popular misconceptions, benefits and limitations of International Large-Scale Assessment (ILSA) programs, clarifying how ILSA results could be more appropriately interpreted and used in public policy contexts in the USA and elsewhere in the world.

Design/methodology/approach

– To bring key issues, points-of-view and recommendations on the theme to light, the method used is a “moderated policy discussion”. Nine commentaries were invited to represent voices of leading ILSA scholars/researchers and measurement experts, juxtaposed against views of prominent leaders of education systems in the USA that participate in ILSA programs. The discussion is excerpted from a recent blog published by Education Week. It is moderated with introductory remarks from the guest editor and concluding recommendations from an ILSA researcher who did not participate in the original blog. References and author biographies are presented at the end of the article.

Findings

– Together, the commentaries address historical, methodological, socio-political and policy issues surrounding ILSA programs vis-à-vis the major goals of education and larger societal concerns. Authors offer recommendations for improving the international studies themselves and for making reports more transparent for educators and the public to facilitate greater understanding of their purposes, meanings and policy implications.

Originality/value

– When assessment policies are implemented from the top down, as is often the case with ILSA program participation, educators and leaders in school systems tend to be left out of the conversation. This article is intended to foster a productive two-way dialogue among key ILSA actors that can serve as a stepping-stone to more concerted policy actions within and across national education systems.
The next digital transformation: from an individual-centered to an everyone-to-everyone economy
Authors: Berman Saul , Marshall Anthony
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– Based on extensive interviews and analysis, the article aims to explain how the next digital transformation, which is already underway, will result in a paradigm shift from one that is customer-centricity to an everyone-to-everyone (E2E) economy.

Design/methodology/approach

– For the 2013 IBM Digital Reinvention Study that this article is based on, IBM researchers surveyed approximately 1,100 business and government executives and 5,000 consumers across 15 countries. Thirty leading futurists were also interviewed. Of those interviewed for the executive study, 42 percent are C-level executives, with Chief Executive Officers comprising 10 percent of that group. More than three-fourths of the consumer study participants are university graduates, with 68 percent between the ages of 25 and 54.

Findings

– E2E is characterized by hyper-connectedness and collaboration of consumers and organizations across the gamut of value chain activities: co-design, co-creation, co-production, co-marketing, co-distribution and co-funding. Prospering in an E2E setting demands disruptive innovation that challenges established norms and blurs organizational boundaries.

Practical implications

– In the future, organizations will operate in ecosystems of converging products, services and industries.

Originality/value

– The four key dimensions of the new E2E business models are: connectivity, interactivity, awareness and intelligence.
The new excellence: spreading constructive beliefs and practices from the few to the many
Authors: Leavy Brian
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to present an interview asking Robert I. Sutton how leaders can create or discover wellsprings of excellence and engagement within their organizations and then scale them successfully to encompass the company as a whole, and then continue to scale them successfully as the business expands.

Design/methodology/approach

– Sutton discusses what was learned in the process of researching his book Scaling Up Excellence: Getting to More without Settling for Less (Crown Business, 2014), co-authored with fellow Stanford professor, Huggy Rao.

Findings

– Scaling depends on having shared beliefs and behaviors that people not only talk about, but they also actually live – and that help guide and motivate people in the pursuit of the local definition of excellence.

Practical implications

– To scale excellence the best leaders and teams employ a one-two punch of first arousing collective emotion, especially pride or anger, and then channelling that emotion to propel the desired action.

Originality/value

– The paper provides an insightful look at the process of scaling up continuous customer-focused performance and product innovation by a well-known expert.
Metrics for the emerging Creative Economy
Authors: Denning Stephen
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– Among the most important challenges for leaders is how metrics and analytic tools will help or hinder the transition to the Creative Economy. This paper aims to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

– Many authors argue that commonly used financial metrics cause corporations to forgo crucial invests in market making innovation. Such indictments of the current system of metrics raise an overarching question: Does success in the Creative Economy require new analytic tools, or rather the application of different management mindsets?

Findings

– The author believes the evidence indicates that success in the Creative Economy depends on a combination of different management mindsets and an improved deployment of existing tools.

Practical implications

– In the emerging Creative Economy, making money and corporate survival depend not merely on pushing products at customers but rather on delighting them with continuous innovation so that they want to keep on buying. Financial metrics must not be allowed to subvert this goal.

Originality/value

– The article suggests how a number of metrics and tools, if employed in the proper context, could promote a corporation’s success in the coming Creative Economy, a valuable lesson for leaders who must in turn educate shareholders and other stakeholders.
Commentary on “Gender disorders in learning disabilities – a systematic review”
Authors: Thompson David
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the gender identity of people with learning disabilities as a precursor to considerations of gender dysphoria.

Design/methodology/approach

– Discussion supported by illustrations from the literature.

Findings

– There is limited research on gender identity for people with learning disabilities.

Practical implications

– There is an urgent need to look at how men with Klinefelter's syndrome and learning disabilities are supported in relation to common female sexual characteristics.

Originality/value

– This is personal perspective on gender and people with learning disabilities which may support work with people who question their gender.
Commentary: our children deserve better
Authors: Emerson Eric
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to comment on “Early intervention for children with learning disabilities: making use of what we know.”

Design/methodology/approach

– Narrative review and discussion.

Findings

– The arguments presented by Nick Gore, Richard Hastings and Serena Brady are fully consistent with the broader scientific literature on prevention and the required future direction of English health policy.

Originality value

– This commentary places the arguments made by Gore et al. in a broader scientific and policy context.
Estimating the effect of plantations on pine invasions in protected areas: a case study from South Africa
Authors: McConnachie Matthew M. , van Wilgen Brian W. , Richardson David M. , Ferraro Paul J. , Forsyth Aurelia T.
Published: October 2014

Protected areas (PAs) are a key intervention for conserving biodiversity and ecosystem services. A major challenge for PAs is the control of invasive non‐native plants that spread into PAs from surrounding sources such as forestry plantations. The links between invasions and different source populations are poorly understood, making it difficult to apportion responsibilities for control costs.

We estimated the effect of plantations of invasive pines (Pinus species) on the spread of these trees into PAs in South Africa's Cape Floristic Region (CFR). We assessed the effect of (i) distance from plantation, (ii) plantation and PA orientation in relation to the prevailing wind and (iii) the proportionate size of the surrounding plantation on the abundance of invasions in PAs. We also estimated the historic and potential future costs of controlling invasions in the PAs.

PA management units within 3 km of a plantation had over double the pine cover of control units >6 km from plantations (6·12% vs. 2·39%). We attributed 51% of the pine invasions in PAs to plantations.

Neither the proportional size of the plantations nor their orientation relative to prevailing winds had a detectable effect on the cover of invasive pines.

Costs of controlling invasive pines in the study area totalled 98 million Rand (10 Rand = c. 1 US$ in 2013) between 2001 and 2012. It could cost between 273 and 916 million Rand (all future costs expressed in 2013 Rand), and take between 34 and 113 years, to clear the remaining invasive pines in the study area, depending on rates of spread and the cost–effectiveness of control.

Policy implications. Estimating the contribution of an invasion source, in this case forestry plantations, requires estimating an unobservable counterfactual outcome: the invasions that would have occurred in the absence of the plantations. We have made a first step towards doing this by using empirical approaches that vary in the strictness of their assumptions, along with robustness tests to that assess the plausibility of these assumptions. Our study provides the starting point for estimating the contribution of plantation forestry to protected area invasions in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa.
The Individualization of Class: A Case of Working Life Coaching
Authors: Mäkinen Katariina
Published: October 2014

This article employs empirical analysis on working life coaching in order to offer a complimentary perspective on debates concerning individualization and class. Instead of viewing individualization as a process which erodes or radically shapes structures of class, this article interrogates individualization as a process which individualizes the relation between capital and labour in such a way that it appears in an individualized form. Examining practices of working life coaching sheds light on the ways in which the antagonism of capital and labour is experienced, articulated in an individual form and offered solutions for, and also on the ways in which such practices actually silence and cement the antagonism they are supposed to solve.