bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Innovative beer-brewing of typical, old and healthy wheat varieties to boost their spreading
Authors: Albanese Lorenzo , Ciriminna Rosaria , Meneguzzo Francesco , Pagliaro Mari
Published: March 2017

Certain typical old wheat varieties grown in the Mediterranean countries and elsewhere are renowned for their nutritional value due to higher concentration of polyphenols, especially flavonoids, as well as of important minerals, than modern varieties. However, the respective economical sustainability is constrained by reduced yield, increasing costs and stagnating or decreasing market prices. Moreover, under certain conditions, connected with the respective scale and local market volume, low-input, organically grown cereals can lead to lower environmental footprint. Brewing with a portion of such old grains can effectively boost their spreading, conditioned on its ability to supply a significant additional net income to farmers. Beer has become the worldwide most consumed alcoholic beverage and, although its market is dominated by few global players and standardized products, craft breweries have quickly spread out in most countries. Nevertheless, a scale issue has arisen about the economic sustainability of microbreweries, mainly due to high initial capital investment, energy costs, scale, and sometimes taxation. It is shown how breakthrough, cheaper, more efficient and profitable microbreweries can help solving the sustainability issues affecting old wheat varieties, thus boosting the respective spreading, lowering the environmental footprint of the cereal sector and contributing to improve the public health.
Whole genome methylation analysis of non-dysplastic Barretts oesophagus that progresses to invasive cancer
Authors: Dilworth MP , Nieto T , Stockton JD , Whalley C , Tee L , James JD , Hallissey MT , Hejmadi R , Trugdill N , Tucker O , Beggs AD
Published: March 2017

Objective

To investigate differences in methylation between patients with non-dysplastic Barretts’ oesophagus who progress to invasive adenocarcinoma and those that do not.

Design

A whole genome methylation interrogation using the Illumina HumanMethylation 450 array of patients with non-dysplastic Barrett’s Oesophagus who either develop adenocarcinoma or remain static, with validation of findings by bisulfite pyrosequencing

Results

In total, 12 patients with “progressive” vs. 12 with “non-progressive” non-dysplastic Barrett’s oesophagus were analysed via methylation array. Fourty-four methylation markers were identified that may be able to discriminate between non-dysplastic Barrett’s Oesophagus that either progress to adenocarcinoma or remain static. Hypomethylation of the recently identified tumour supressorOR3A4(probe cg09890332) validated in a separate cohort of samples (median methylation in progressors = 67.8% vs. 96.7% in non-progressors,p=0.0001, z = 3.85, Wilcoxon rank sum test) and was associated with the progression to adenocarcinoma. There were no differences in copy number between the two groups, but a global trend towards hypomethylation in the progressor group was observed.

Conclusion

Hypomethylation ofOR3A4has the ability to risk stratify the patient with non-dysplastic Barrett’s Oesophagus and may form the basis of a future surveillance program.
Cell cycle entry triggers a switch between two modes of Cdc42 activation during yeast polarization
Authors: Witte Kristen , Strickland Devin , Glotzer Michael
Published: March 2017

Cell polarization underlies many cellular and organismal functions. The GTPase Cdc42 orchestrates polarization in many contexts. In budding yeast, polarization is associated with a focus of Cdc42•GTP which is thought to self sustain by recruiting a complex containing Cla4, a Cdc42-binding effector, Bem1, a scaffold and Cdc24, a Cdc42 GEF. Using optogenetics, we probe yeast polarization and find that local recruitment of Cdc24 or Bem1 is sufficient to induce polarization by triggering self-sustaining Cdc42 activity. However, the response to these perturbations depends on the recruited molecule, the cell cycle stage, and existing polarization sites. Before cell cycle entry, recruitment of Cdc24, but not Bem1, induces a metastable pool of Cdc42 that is sustained by positive feedback. Upon Cdk1 activation, recruitment of either Cdc24 or Bem1 creates a stable site of polarization that induces budding and inhibits formation of competing sites. Local perturbations have therefore revealed unexpected features of polarity establishment.
NIST Standard Reference Material 3600: Absolute Intensity Calibration Standard for Small-Angle X-ray Scattering
Authors: Allen Andrew J. , Zhang Fan , Kline R. Joseph , Guthrie William F. , Ilavsky Jan
Published: March 2017

The certification of a new standard reference material for small-angle scattering [NIST Standard Reference Material (SRM) 3600: Absolute Intensity Calibration Standard for Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS)], based on glassy carbon, is presented. Creation of this SRM relies on the intrinsic primary calibration capabilities of the ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering technique. This article describes how the intensity calibration has been achieved and validated in the certifiedQrange,Q= 0.008–0.25 Å−1, together with the purpose, use and availability of the SRM. The intensity calibration afforded by this robust and stable SRM should be applicable universally to all SAXS instruments that employ a transmission measurement geometry, working with a wide range of X-ray energies or wavelengths. The validation of the SRM SAXS intensity calibration using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) is discussed, together with the prospects for including SANS in a future renewal certification.
Satellite formation keeping via chaotic artificial bee colony
Authors: Olukunle Kolawole Soyinka , Haibin Duan
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Keeping satellite position within close tolerances is key for the utilization of satellite formations for space missions. The presence of perturbation forces makes control inevitable if such mission objective is to be realised. Various approaches have been used to obtain feedback controller parameters for satellites in a formation; this paper aims to approach the problem of estimating the optimal feedback parameter for a leader–follower pair of satellites in a small eccentric orbit using nature-based search algorithms.

Design/methodology/approach

The chaotic artificial bee colony algorithm is a variant of the basic artificial bee colony algorithm. The algorithm mimics the behaviour of bees in their search for food sources. This paper uses the algorithm in optimizing feedback controller parameters for a satellite formation control problem. The problem is formulated to optimize the controller parameters while minimizing a fuel- and state-dependent cost function. The dynamical model of the satellite is based on Gauss variational equations with J2 perturbation. Detailed implementation of the procedure is provided, and experimental results of using the algorithm are also presented to show feasibility of the method.

Findings

The experimental results indicate the feasibility of this approach, clearly showing the effective control of the transients that arise because of J2 perturbation.

Originality/value

This paper applied a swarm intelligence approach to the problem of estimating optimal feedback control parameter for a pair of satellites in a formation.
A missile guidance law tolerant to unestimated evasive maneuvers
Authors: Marzat Julien
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This note aims to introduce a terminal guidance law that is able to compensate for evasive target maneuvers without estimating their acceleration.

Design/methodology/approach

The new guidance law is derived in the framework of linear-quadratic optimal control to ensure interception with minimum energy even in the presence of a target maneuver.

Findings

An explicit closed-form expression for the missile acceleration command is provided, which turns out to be a non-trivial extension of proportional navigation guidance. Simulation results against evasive maneuvers of various intensities are provided to compare the new law to classical ones and thus show the benefits of the proposed approach.

Originality/value

The proposed guidance law was not reported so far in the literature and provides a simple way to deal with evasive maneuvers.
Young service users from refugee backgrounds: their perspectives on barriers to accessing Australian mental health services
Authors: Valibhoy Madeleine Claire , Szwarc Josef , Kaplan Ida
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine barriers to accessing mental health services, from the perspective of young people of refugee background who have been service users, and to suggest strategies to improve access to mental health services.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative study was conducted with 16 young people (aged 18-25), who had been refugees and who had attended mental health professionals in Australia. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically to examine participants’ perspectives on what hinders initial access to mental health services.

Findings

Stigma about mental health problems was particularly prominent. Many believed a high level of disturbance was the threshold for entering services, and for some there was no knowledge of such services’ existence. Options for assistance other than mental health services were often preferred, according to young people’s explanatory models. Apprehension was expressed that sessions would be uncomfortable, distressing or ineffective. The desire to be self-reliant functioned as a further barrier. Finally, structural obstacles and social exclusion deterred some young refugees from accessing services.

Practical implications

Implications include the need for service providers to be equipped to provide culturally sensitive, responsive services that ideally offer both practical and psychological assistance. Potential referrers, including health professionals and community leaders, could facilitate increased access if trained to recognise and address barriers. Finally, findings indicate potential content for awareness-raising initiatives for young refugees about mental health problems and services.

Originality/value

This paper is original in its sample, method, topic and findings; being drawn from the first known qualitative research exploring views of young mental health service users who have been refugees about barriers to accessing mental health services.
Influence of job characteristics on engagement: does support at work act as moderator?
Authors: Rai Alka , Ghosh Piyali , Chauhan Ragini , Mehta Navin Kumar
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Indian banking industry is one the biggest players in the country’s service sector, with public sector banks (PSBs) occupying the major share. The purpose of this paper is to develop a model linking job characteristics (JC) and work engagement, moderated by perceived organizational and supervisor support as contextual variables.

Design/methodology/approach

Data on 214 employees from 15 PSBs were used to examine this model. Analysis of data has established the moderating role of support at work in the relationship between JC and work engagement.

Findings

Findings suggest that employees who have a positive perception of organizational and supervisor support are more likely to respond positively to JC and therefore would have a higher propensity to engage with their jobs. In addition to enriched jobs, the wider organizational climate characterized by support from supervisors and organization as a whole is critical to establish a positive environment, which would lead to greater work engagement.

Originality/value

The moderating role of support at workplace on JC and work engagement has been researched very rarely in literature. This study, hence, aims at investigating whether interaction between JC and perceived organizational and supervisor support influences work engagement of employees working in Indian PSBs.
Big data text analytics: an enabler of knowledge management
Authors: Khan Zaheer , Vorley Tim
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of big data text analytics as an enabler of knowledge management (KM). The paper argues that big data text analytics represents an important means to visualise and analyse data, especially unstructured data, which have the potential to improve KM within organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses text analytics to review 196 articles published in two of the leading KM journals –Journal of Knowledge ManagementandJournal of Knowledge Management Research & Practice– in 2013 and 2014. The text analytics approach is used to process, extract and analyse the 196 papers to identify trends in terms of keywords, topics and keyword/topic clusters to show the utility of big data text analytics.

Findings

The findings show how big data text analytics can have a key enabler role in KM. Drawing on the 196 articles analysed, the paper shows the power of big data-oriented text analytics tools in supporting KM through the visualisation of data. In this way, the authors highlight the nature and quality of the knowledge generated through this method for efficient KM in developing a competitive advantage.

Research limitations/implications

The research has important implications concerning the role of big data text analytics in KM, and specifically the nature and quality of knowledge produced using text analytics. The authors use text analytics to exemplify the value of big data in the context of KM and highlight how future studies could develop and extend these findings in different contexts.

Practical implications

Results contribute to understanding the role of big data text analytics as a means to enhance the effectiveness of KM. The paper provides important insights that can be applied to different business functions, from supply chain management to marketing management to support KM, through the use of big data text analytics.

Originality/value

The study demonstrates the practical application of the big data tools for data visualisation, and, with it, improving KM.
How the Internet of Things can help knowledge management: a case study from the automotive domain
Authors: Uden Lorna , He Wu
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Current knowledge management (KM) systems cannot be used effectively for decision-making because of the lack of real-time data. This study aims to discuss how KM can benefit by embedding Internet of Things (IoT).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper discusses how IoT can help KM to capture data and convert data into knowledge to improve the parking service in transportation using a case study.

Findings

This case study related to intelligent parking service supported by IoT devices of vehicles shows that KM can play a role in turning the incoming big data collected from IoT devices into useful knowledge more quickly and effectively.

Originality/value

The literature review shows that there are few papers discussing how KM can benefit by embedding IoT and processing incoming big data collected from IoT devices. The case study developed in this study provides evidence to explain how IoT can help KM to capture big data and convert big data into knowledge to improve the parking service in transportation.
Interrelationship between big data and knowledge management: an exploratory study in the oil and gas sector
Authors: Sumbal Muhammad Saleem , Tsui Eric , See-to Eric W.K.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between big data and knowledge management (KM).

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a qualitative research methodology and a case study approach was followed by conducting nine semi-structured interviews with open-ended and probing questions.

Findings

Useful predictive knowledge can be generated through big data to help companies improve their KM capability and make effective decisions. Moreover, combination of tacit knowledge of relevant staff with explicit knowledge obtained from big data improvises the decision-making ability.

Research limitations/implications

The focus of the study was on oil and gas sector, and, thus, the research results may lack generalizability.

Originality/value

This paper fulfills an identified need of exploring the relationship between big data and KM which has not been discussed much in the literature.
Davenport and Prusak on KM and big data/analytics: interview with David J. Pauleen
Authors: Pauleen David J.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Larry Prusak and Tom Davenport have long been leading voices in the knowledge management (KM) field. This interview aims to explore their views on the relationship between KM and big data/analytics.

Design/methodology/approach

An interview was conducted by email with Larry Prusak and Tom Davenport in 2015 and updated in 2016.

Findings

Prusak and Davenport hold differing views on the role of KM today. They also see the relationship between KM and big data/analytics somewhat differently. Davenport, in particular, has much to say on how big data/analytics can be best utilized by business as well as its potential risks.

Originality/value

It is important to understand how two of the most serious KM thinkers since the early years of KM understand the relationship between big data/analytics, KM and organizations. Their views can help shape thinking in these fields.
The mental health literacy of British community pharmacists
Authors: Morral Kim , Morral Jordi
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the mental health literacy (MHL) of British community pharmacists.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey instrument was sent by facsimile to a random sample of community pharmacists in England, Scotland and Wales. The survey instrument contained items concerning recognition of the symptoms of depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, the helpfulness of a range of interventions, mental health stigma and the degree of comfort providing pharmaceutical care to people with mental health problems.

Findings

Among community pharmacists (n=329) symptom recognition was high for depression but lower for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Pharmacists showed a preference for evidence-based interventions and support for psychological therapies and physical activity for all three mental health problems. Pharmacists expressed less comfort providing pharmacy services to people with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression than cardiovascular disease. Mental health stigma was higher for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder than depression, with many pharmacists holding misperceptions about schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Practical implications

The study findings indicate the need for enhanced mental health content in the undergraduate pharmacy curriculum which should challenge misperceptions of mental illness.

Originality/value

This is the first study to investigate the MHL of British community pharmacists.
The additive manufacturing innovation: a range of implications
Authors: Steenhuis Harm-Jan , Pretorius Leon
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into whether additive manufacturing (AM) represents incremental, radical, disruptive innovation or an industrial revolution and its implications.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applies a desk research strategy. Data were collected through a variety of industry sources as well as academic publications.

Findings

It was found that AM represents different innovations in different settings, while it represents incremental innovation in one industry, it has led to radical changes in other industries. There are also indications that it has a disruptive nature and some of the developments appear to be of the industrial revolutionary type, i.e. they cause fundamental shifts in society. Some explanation for the observed differences can come from different performance objectives.

Research limitations/implications

The spread of AM has been limited due to initial intellectual property protection. That means that while illustrations and examples were found for the different types of innovations, the level in which AM will ultimately penetrate manufacturing industries and society overall is not (yet) known. This calls for continued research for instance to study, in-depth, the adoption characteristics of AM in very specific settings.

Practical implications

Manufacturing is undergoing many changes as a consequence of the AM innovation. Many manufacturing industries have already been impacted through incremental changes as well as radical changes to entire industry dynamics. Manufacturers are advised to carefully monitor the continuous innovations in the technological capabilities of AM and their competitive and strategic consequences for adoption decisions.

Social implications

AM has an impact on many aspects of society because it affects many industries and enables household manufacturing. It has also affected education, i.e. the current generation of students in terms of skill requirements, and leads to legal difficulties in terms of intellectual property.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the understanding of the AM innovation and the widespread implications for different manufacturing industries and society at large.
The pattern of technological accumulation
Authors: Bai Xu , Liu Yun , Wang Gangbo , Wen Changcun
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The national technology accumulation pattern in three-dimensional (3D) printing technology field has not yet been studied until now. This paper is to fill this gap. To be specific, the purpose of this paper is to answer the following two questions. What is the comparative advantage of 3D printing technology among countries? What is the relative impact of 3D printing technology in the worldwide?

Design/methodology/approach

Patent bibliometric analysis was used for analyzing and collecting data to find critical information of 3D printing. Some indicators (RTA, FSGI, RII, CV) have been applied in analyzing the national patterns of technology accumulation in developed and developing countries by using patent statistics.

Findings

First, the USA, Japan, and Germany are the leading countries in 3D printing technology, while the technology accumulation patterns of these countries are rather different. Second, Israel and Italy have good performance in the fast-growing technology sub-fields. Third, although the number of patents owned by developing countries, such as China and Russia, is not few, the citations received by these patents are low.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation of this study is that technological development can be reflected by many indicators and patent statistic is merely one reflection form. This study just analyzes the 3D printing technology development from the perspective of patent statistic, the authors would like to continue the comprehensive analysis with the other data indicators in a future study.

Originality/value

The national technology accumulation pattern in 3D printing technology field has not yet been studied until now. This paper is to fill this gap.
Gender diversity, financial expertise and its effects on accounting quality
Authors: García-Sánchez Isabel-Maria , Martínez-Ferrero Jennifer , García-Meca Emma
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether gender diversity on board and financial expertise on audit committee affect accounting conservatism in banking sector. Additionally, the authors focus on the effects of board characteristics on bank earnings quality and examine their effects on earnings persistence.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a large sample of 159 banks from nine different countries from the period 2004-2010. The authors study whether the differences in the timeliness of earnings to bad news and earnings quality across governance structures of banks are driven by differences across investor protection and bank regulation levels in banks.

Findings

The findings confirm the monitoring role of both female and financial experts, noting a positive effect of them on accounting conservatism and earnings quality in banks. According to the institutional characteristics, the results suggest the complementary role of banking regulation and investor protection levels in these effects, noting that in contexts of higher regulatory and greater investor protection environments, gender diversity and financial expertise on boards have more influence on the conservatism and earnings quality of banks.

Originality/value

The authors contribute to both the accounting quality literature and the corporate governance literature by identifying board characteristics that are associated with higher conservatism and quality of earnings in banks around the world. In addition, this study also contributes to the ethics literature by highlighting the benefits of gender diversity and financial expertise in upholding the integrity of financial reporting. Moreover, this paper adds to prior literature about board of directors and accounting quality by identifying additional complementary factors – bank regulation and investor protection – and by focusing on a specific industry, the banking industry.
Perceived organizational support, participation in decision making, and perceived insider status for contract workers
Authors: Ding Cherng G. , Shen Chih-Kang
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the roles of perceived organizational support (POS) and work status (regular worker/contract worker) in moderating the relationship between participation in decision making (PDM) and perceived insider status (PIS).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected with survey questionnaires that were administered to a sample of 369 employees from a case company in Taiwan, for which both regular and contract workers constitute the main workforce. After confirming the reliability and validity of the measurements, the authors conducted hierarchical regression analysis to examine the hypothesized relationships.

Findings

The mean PIS for regular workers is smaller than that for contract workers in the case company. For the group of contract workers, the positive influence of PDM on PIS is greater for those with lower POS than for those with higher POS. However, the negative moderating effect of POS does not exist for the group of regular workers.

Originality/value

This study adds to the existing literature by showing that contract workers, classified as external workers, can experience PIS, and that POS negatively moderates the positive relationship between PDM and PIS for contract workers. The managerial implications are discussed.
Corporate social responsibility and employee organizational citizenship behavior
Authors: Gao Yongqiang , He Wei
Published: March 2017

Purpose

An increasing number of studies have demonstrated a positive effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on employee organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), but little attention has been paid to the mechanisms and boundary conditions underlying this effect. The purpose of this paper is to propose a trickle-down model and examine the mediating role of supervisor ethical leadership and the moderating role of perceived organizational distributive justice in the CSR-OCB relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the arguments, the authors collected field data in four companies located in a central city of China. Through a multi-wave data collection design, a total of 187 employees reported their perceptions toward firms’ CSR and organizational justice at Time 1, and reported their direct supervisors’ ethical leadership behaviors, and their own OCBs at Time 2 (four weeks later).

Findings

Empirical findings demonstrated that CSR had a positive effect on employee OCB, as mediated by supervisors’ ethical leadership. In addition, this mediation effect was found to be moderated by perceived organizational distributive justice such that the mediation relationship was stronger when perceived organizational distributive justice was lower than when it was higher.

Originality/value

The present study makes three major contributions. First, it contributes to the CSR literature by revealing the underlying mechanism of ethical leadership through which CSR will lead to increased employee OCB in the workplace. Second, the moderation findings of the study add a new piece of empirical evidence suggesting the boundary condition of organizational distributive justice affecting the positive effect of CSR on employee OCB. Finally, the trickle-down theoretical model demonstrates the pivotal role of leadership in transforming CSR into positive employee outcomes, providing valuable insights into future research that examines why CSR motivates in-organization employees at work.
Strategic agility-driven business model renewal: the case of an SME
Authors: Arbussa Anna , Bikfalvi Andrea , Marquès Pilar
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to connect strategic agility and business model (BM) innovation, and to explore how capabilities underlying strategic agility fit the SME context.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative in approach, the paper develops a longitudinal, in-depth, single case study focussing on how BM renewal occurs in the dynamic and increasingly important sector of temporary work agencies.

Findings

The findings suggest a partial fit of the existing strategic agility framework for SMEs. Two of the proposed meta-capabilities (leadership unity and resource fluidity) seem inherent to SMEs because they apply easily to this context, although they need to be downscaled. One meta-capability (strategic sensitivity) is less natural and therefore more critical for an SME. An additional meta-capability (resourcefulness) arises as very important for SMEs to be able to overcome some of their size-caused limitations.

Research limitations/implications

The contribution is limited by using a single case study from a specific sector and should be considered as exploratory and theory-grounding research in the field of SMEs’ strategic agility and BM renewal.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper is that it looks at the SME context in an industry with intensive change and dynamism, which is ideal for illustrating the objective. The authors contribute a model of strategic agility for SMEs.
Leading well pays off: mediating effects and multi-group analysis of strategic performance
Authors: Chen Qinglan , Eriksson Tor , Giustiniano Luca
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reveal the mediating role of leadership style on the relationship between strategy and company performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses empirical data gathered from top managers in a stratified sample of 476 Danish private businesses.

Findings

The results show the mediating effects of leadership styles on strategic performance. In particular, both supportive and directive leadership styles partially mediate the effect of the differentiation strategy, while the supportive leadership style displays a stronger mediating effect than the directive one. The multi-group analysis shows the moderating impact of the manager’s tenure, managerial level, strategy clarity, industry and business environment risk.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited by its nature and the specificity of the national context in which it was conducted. In this vein, the evidence collected here can be enlarged and complemented by having access to panel data or the generalization of some results to neighboring or other developed countries.

Practical implications

Several implications of the findings for managerial practices are discussed.

Originality/value

There are very few discussions of the mediating effect of leadership style between strategy and performance. The paper fills the gap by examining the role of leadership style planning on the relationship between those two variables in Denmark.
The effect of holding company affiliation on bank risk and the 2008 financial crisis
Authors: Dandapani Krishnan , Lawrence Edward R. , Patterson Fernando M.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The organizational form of financial institutions is related to their level of risk, leverage, liquidity and capitalization. High level of risk and leverage and lower levels of liquidity and capitalization are considered to be the root causes of the 2008 financial crisis. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if banks affiliated to holding company structure contributed more to the root causes of crisis than unaffiliated banks.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper isolates the effect of holding company association by restricting the sample to one-bank holding companies and individual banks. A comparative analysis of independent and holding company-affiliated banks is performed. Univariate analysis and multivariate regressions are used to compare the risk, leverage, liquidity and capitalization of affiliated and independent banks.

Findings

The paper finds that holding company affiliation is linked to several root causes of the 2008 financial crisis. Specifically, holding company affiliation results in higher levels of home mortgage loans underwritten and underperforming, higher leverage, lower liquidity and lower capitalization for the subsidiary bank.

Practical implications

The paper demonstrates that affiliated banks use their higher leveraged positions to engage in riskier home mortgage lending, sacrificing both liquidity and capital adequacy. These findings can help policy makers to focus on the group of banks that are part of holding company affiliation and implement such policies and regulations so as to avoid any re-occurrence of financial crisis.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to link the structural differences in banks to the root causes of financial crisis and to isolate the effect of holding company affiliation through sample selection. The paper will be valued to other researchers who try to isolate the effect of holding company affiliation and those studying the causes of the financial crisis of 2008.
Short selling regulation, return volatility and market volatility in the Athens Exchange
Authors: Mertzanis Charilaos
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The relationship between short selling, market volatility and liquidity remains an object of intensive research. However, empirical evidence is yet to provide a conclusive elucidation of this relationship by examining aspects of market fragmentation in the form of different market settings, different timing and different stocks under coverage, among others. This paper aims to contribute to the debate by investigating the impact of short selling on market volatility and liquidity in the Athens Exchange (ATHEX) under three different periods of short sales restrictions.

Design/methodology/approach

Two hypotheses are tested using econometric methodologies (co-integration and Granger-causality tools).

Findings

The empirical results indicate that when short selling is allowed, aggregate stock returns are in the short-term more volatile, but the liquidity of the market is not significantly affected. This might be the result of significant imbalances between supply and demand of stock caused by short-selling restrictions, leading to market price fluctuations.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis of empirical evidence needs further expansion and association with institutional firm-level and country-level elements to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of short selling on market volatility and liquidity.

Practical implications

Stock market regulation involving short-selling restrictions have different implications according to extent and degree of stringency of the restrictions as well as the market on which they are imposed. That is especially important for the assessment of the market impact of the recent European Union regulation on short selling that has been imposed upon all EU member-States alike.

Social implications

Financial regulation policy must balance the benefits and costs for retail investors of imposing short-selling restrictions on stock market trading.

Originality/value

First-time empirical evidence is provided on the impact of short selling regulations on market volatility and liquidity of ATHEX highlighting the potential effectiveness of regulation policy.
Surgical technique for ‘ping pong’ fractures: Elevation of depressed skull fractures in neonates with no burr hole
Authors: Chan David Yuen‐Chung , Chan Danny Tat‐Ming , Zhu Cannon Xian‐Lun , Poon Wai‐Sang
Published: March 2017

Aim

Depressed skull fracture is a neurosurgical emergency. Surgical treatment usually requires a sizeable scalp incision and burr hole with or without craniotomy for reduction. However, depressed skull fracture in neonates, or ‘ping pong’ fracture, is an uncommon clinical condition, occurring in approximately 4–10 in 100 000 live births. No standard treatment is established for depressed skull fracture in neonates. With a minimally‐invasive technique, a good surgical outcome can be achieved with minimal blood loss and no bone loss.

Patients and Methods

A full‐term, neonatal girl presented with spontaneous ‘ping pong’ fracture after a smooth, normal vaginal delivery. The anterior fontanelle was full. Computed tomography of the brain showed right parietal depressed skull fracture with sulci effacement, obliteration of the lateral ventricle and midline shift. Skull fracture reduction was performed with the bone elevation technique via access to the coronal suture without a burr hole or craniotomy.

Results

A small stab wound incision was made over the right coronal suture at the lateral edge of the anterior fontanelle. This site was in close proximity to the anterior margin of the depressed skull fracture. With access to the coronal suture and dissection in the epidural space, reduction was achieved intraoperatively by elevation of the inner table of the skull bone. Blood loss was minimal, and there was no bone loss. The clinical outcome was excellent at 1‐week, 3‐months’, 1‐year and 18‐months’ follow up.

Conclusion

For neonatal depressed skull fractures with clinical and radiographic evidence of a mass effect requiring surgical intervention, elevation with no burr hole is a good technique for bone reduction with minimal blood loss and no bone loss.
E‐Beam Irradiation for Improving the Microbiological Quality of Smoked Duck Meat with Minimum Effects on Physicochemical Properties During Storage
Authors: An Kyung‐A , Arshad Muhammad Sajid , Jo Yunhee , Chung Namhyeok , Kwon Joong‐Ho
Published: March 2017

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of different doses (0, 1.5, 3, and 4.5 kGy) of e‐beam irradiation on the quality parameters (pH, Hunter's parameter, and heme pigment) and stability qualifiers (peroxide value [POV], thiobarbituric acid reactive substances[TBARSs], and total volatile basic nitrogen [TVBN]) of smoked duck meat during 40 d of storage under vacuum packaging at 4 °C. The initial populations of total bacteria (7.81 log CFU/g) and coliforms (5.68 log CFU/g) were reduced by approximately 2 to 5 log cycles with respect to irradiation doses. The results showed that pH, myoglobin, met‐myoglobin,L*,a*, andb*showed significant differences with respect to different doses and storage intervals;a*andb*did not vary significantly because of storage. Higher pH was found in samples treated with 4.5 kGy at 40 d, while the minimum was observed in nonirradiated samples at day 0 of storage. Higher POV (2.31 ± 0.03 meq peroxide/kg) and TBARS (5.24 ± 0.03 mg MDA/kg) values were found in 4.5 kGy‐treated smoked meat at 40 d and the lowest was reported in 0 kGy‐treated meat at initiation of storage (0 d). However, irradiation suppressed TVBN during storage and higher TVBN (7.09 ± 0.32 mg/100 mL) was found in duck meat treated with 0 kGy at 40 d. The electronic nose (e‐nose) effectively distinguished flavor profiles during the different storage intervals. The results showed that different sensory attributes did not vary significantly with respect to the dose of irradiation. We conclude that low dose of e‐beam irradiation and vacuum packaging is beneficial for safety and shelf life extension without affecting the sensory characteristics of smoked duck meat.
Free Sorting and Association Task: A Variant of the Free Sorting Method Applied to Study the Impact of Dried Sourdough as an Ingredienton the Related Bread Odor
Authors: Pétel Cécile , Courcoux Philippe , Génovesi Noémie , Rouillé Jocelyn , Onno Bernard , Prost Carole
Published: March 2017

This paper presents a new variant of the free sorting method developed to analyze the relationship between dried sourdough (DSD) and corresponding DSD‐bread (bread) odors. The comparison of DSD and bread sensory characteristics is complicated due to their specific features (for example, acidity for DSD and a characteristic “baked bread” aroma for breads). To analyze them at the same time, this study introduces a new variant of the free sorting method, which adds an association task between DSD and bread after those of free sorting and verbalization. This separation makes it possible to change the product between tasks. It was applied to study the impact of 6 European commercial DSDs on their related DSD‐bread. According to our results, this methodology enabled an association between different kinds of products and thus underlined the relationship between them. Moreover, as this methodology contains a verbalization task, it provides product descriptions. Compared with the standard free sorting method, free sorting with an association task gives the distance (i) between DSDs, (ii) between breads, and (iii) between DSDs and breads. The separation of product assessment through sorting and association avoids the separation of products according to their category (DSD or bread).
Are Risk Management Disclosures Informative or Tautological? Evidence from the U.S. Banking Sector
Authors: Jizi Mohammad I. , Dixon Robert
Published: March 2017

Banks experienced increasing risk levels during the latest financial crisis. Investors’ confidence was shaken by the effectiveness of bank risk management practices, which has opened new challenges for bank management in approaching its risk. Understanding and communicating adopted risk management mechanisms is likely to provide insights and enable diagnosis on firm risk exposure. Conveying data that reduces information asymmetry might be reflected on stock performance. Investigating the impact of risk management disclosures content on stock price change and return volatility, using a sample of U.S. national commercial banks during 2009–2010, shows that informative risk management disclosures seems to be valued by investors. This is reflected on current‐year stock prices and reduces the subsequent‐year return variances.
Military Shooter Video Games and the Ontopolitics of Derivative Wars and Arms Culture
Authors: Mantello Peter
Published: March 2017

The “military shooter” (MS) video game is the latest in a long line of video games that immerse the player in a fantasy world. Although the MS video game was once regarded as excessively violent, it has now become socially acceptable, as the virtues of military life have become incorporated in popular culture. That transition has taken place in part because the military has begun to work closely with the producers of MS video games, such as the “Call of Duty” series, to imagine and prepare for future military threats, both on virtual battlefields and on actual terrain. The increasing use of highly paid corporate mercenaries in actual war zones has also influenced game play by introducing players to the potential for large financial rewards by becoming experts in virtual combat. Thus, MS video games incorporate players not only into the technological domain of modern warfare but also into the economic domain of fighting war for profit. In the post 9/11 era, warfare has increasingly become a strategy of risk management, in which the battlefield is less a physical space than a semiotic landscape of conflicting loyalties and financial incentives. The MS shooter game is conditioning the soldiers of the future to fight in this shadowy world that lies between the virtual and the real. All of these changes have political ramifications. In the long run, constant exposure to these games is creating a subculture that is not only immersed in an armament culture but also increasingly allied with current patterns of geopolitical domination and subordination.
Two‐year results of microcatheter‐assisted trabeculotomy in paediatric glaucoma: a randomized controlled study
Authors: El Sayed Yasmine , Gawdat Ghada
Published: March 2017

Purpose

To compare the outcomes of microcatheter‐assisted circumferential trabeculotomy to standard rigid probe trabeculotomy in childhood glaucomas.

Methods

Eyes of children requiring trabeculotomy for primary congenital or secondary paediatric glaucoma were randomized to undergo either trabeculotomy using the Glaucolight illuminated microcatheter, or a rigid probe trabeculotomy. Complete success was defined as an intraocular pressure (IOP) of <18 mmHg without medications.

Results

A total of 62 eyes of 62 patients were included. Of these 30 eyes of 30 patients aged 5.6 ± 4.8 months underwent microcatheter‐assisted trabeculotomy, with 15 eyes (50%) having a complete 360° cut, while 15 eyes (50%) had an incomplete cut ranging from 250 to 350 degrees. The rigid probe trabeculotomy group included 32 eyes of 32 patients aged 4.4 ± 3.8 months. At the end of the 2‐year follow‐up period, the complete success and the failure rates were 67% and 15%, respectively, in the microcatheter‐assisted group versus 47% and 50% in the rigid probe trabeculotomy group (p = 0.006). There was a tendency towards lower IOP in the microcatheter group at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months postoperatively, with the difference in IOP reaching statistical significance at 6 months (p = 0.004). The mean survival time was significantly longer for the microcatheter group (p = 0.01).

Conclusion

At 2 years postoperatively, microcatheter‐assisted trabeculotomy still yielded superior results in terms of IOP control and success rates in children with primary congenital glaucoma. The need for reoperation for glaucoma was significantly lower in the microcatheter group.