bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ragnarøk: An Elegy
Authors: Adams Michael
Published: March 2016

In a world where names of cosmic significance are daily degraded to the level of mere lexis, Ragnarøk long remained above the fray. Now, it too has lost its onomastic grandeur as meaning ‘the fall of the gods and civilization after an all-inclusive battle between the Jætter and the Æsir’ and has been brought down to mundane lexical use as ‘really big mess’ by a Danish detective novel and its English translation. Could the fall of Ragnarøk signal the Twilight of End of Times terminology? Will Gotterdamerung be the next mighty name to fall? All things — even our names for them — finally pass.
Final report on supplementary comparison APMP.M.P-S6 in gas gauge pressure from 10 MPa to 100 MPa
Authors: Kajikawa Hiroaki , Olson Douglas A , Iizumi Hideaki , Driver Robert Greg , Kojima Momoko
Published: March 2016

A supplementary comparison of gas high-pressure standards was conducted between the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ/AIST) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), within the framework of the Asia-Pacific Metrology Programme (APMP), in order to determine their degrees of equivalence in the pressure range from 10 MPa to 100 MPa in gauge mode. The pilot institute was NMIJ/AIST. The measurements were carried out from July 2014 to October 2014. Both participating institutes used pressure balances as their pressure standards. Different gases were used for the pressure medium: NMIJ/AIST used Nitrogen, while NIST used Helium. A set of two pressure monitors was used as the transfer standard. The pressure monitors were found sufficiently stable during the measurements. Characteristics of the pressure monitors were evaluated at the pilot institute, and then used for data corrections and uncertainty estimations. In particular, the effect of the gas medium on the pressure monitors was found to be significant, and then all the measurement data were corrected to those with Nitrogen. The degrees of equivalence between the two institutes were evaluated by the relative differences of the participant's results and their associated expanded (k = 2) uncertainties. The gas pressure standards in the range 10 MPa to 100 MPa for gauge mode of the two participating institutes were found to be equivalent within their claimed uncertainties.

Main text

To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/.

The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).
Mode of inheritance for biochemical traits in genetically engineered cotton under water stress
Authors: Abid Muhammad Ali , Malik Waqas , Yasmeen Azra , Qayyum Abdul , Zhang Rui , Liang Chengzhen , Guo Sandui , Ashraf Javaria
Published: March 2016

Drought is an abiotic environmental stress that can significantly reduce crop productivity. We examined the mode of inheritance for different biochemical traits including total soluble proteins, chlorophyll a , chlorophyll b , total chlorophyll, carotenoids, total phenolic contents and enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase), and their relationship with Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt ) toxin under control and drought conditions. Eight genetically diverse cotton genotypes were selfed for two generations to ensure homozygosity. Fifteen F 1 hybrids were developed by crossing five non- Bt female lines with three Bt male testers. The F 1 hybrids and eight parents were finally evaluated under control (100 % field capacity (FC)) and drought (50 % FC) conditions in 2013. The biochemical traits appeared to be controlled by non-additive gene action with low narrow sense heritability estimates. The estimates of general combining ability and specific combining ability for all biochemical traits were significant under control and drought conditions. The genotype-by-trait biplot analysis showed the better performance of Bt cotton hybrids when compared with their parental genotypes for various biochemical traits under control and drought conditions. The biplot and path coefficient analyses revealed the prevalence of different relationships between Cry1Ac toxin and biochemical traits in the control and drought conditions. In conclusion, biochemical traits could serve as potential biochemical markers for breeding Bt cotton genotypes without compromising the optimal level of Bt toxin.
Attract them anyway: benefits of large, showy flowers in a highly autogamous,
carnivorous plant species
Authors: Salces-Castellano A. , Paniw M. , Casimiro-Soriguer R. , Ojeda F.
Published: March 2016

Reproductive biology of carnivorous plants has largely been studied on species that rely on insects as pollinators and prey, creating potential conflicts. Autogamous pollination, although present in some carnivorous species, has received less attention. In angiosperms, autogamous self-fertilization is expected to lead to a reduction in flower size, thereby reducing resource allocation to structures that attract pollinators. A notable exception is the carnivorous pyrophyte Drosophyllum lusitanicum (Drosophyllaceae), which has been described as an autogamous selfing species but produces large, yellow flowers. Using a flower removal and a pollination experiment, we assessed, respectively, whether large flowers in this species may serve as an attracting device to prey insects or whether previously reported high selfing rates for this species in peripheral populations may be lower in more central, less isolated populations. We found no differences between flower-removed plants and intact, flowering plants in numbers of prey insects trapped. We also found no indication of reduced potential for autogamous reproduction, in terms of either seed set or seed size. However, our results showed significant increases in seed set of bagged, hand-pollinated flowers and unbagged flowers exposed to insect visitation compared with bagged, non-manipulated flowers that could only self-pollinate autonomously. Considering that the key life-history strategy of this pyrophytic species is to maintain a viable seed bank, any increase in seed set through insect pollinator activity would increase plant fitness. This in turn would explain the maintenance of large, conspicuous flowers in a highly autogamous, carnivorous plant.
Comment on stock assessment of eels in the Baltic by Westerberg and Wickström (2015): do we need more unknowns?
Authors: Svedäng Henrik , Cardinale Massimiliano
Published: March 2016

European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is considered as critical endangered and even under the best circumstances it may take decades before the stock recovers. Estimation of eel escapement biomass, Bescapement, is of critical importance to evaluate management schemes and to predict the recovery potential for the eel stock. Westerberg and Wickström (2015. Stock assessment of eels in the Baltic: reconciling survey estimates to achieve quantitative analysis. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 73: 75–83) attempt to estimate potential Bescapement based on the assumptions that all elvers at the entrance of the Baltic also migrate into the Baltic Sea and that natural mortality is low under the whole growth stage (close to 0.02 at the age of 10 years and older). As a consequence, Westerberg and Wickström estimated the present potential Bescapement at ∼10–20 000 tonnes and fishing mortality close to 0.05–0.10, while it was also suggested that other sources of anthropogenic mortality may reduce the actual escapement to unknown levels. Here we argue that these conclusions are entirely speculative and contradicted by tagging experiment and fishery data, which instead indicate a much higher fishing mortality (mortality induced by legal professional fishery) rates and a considerably smaller eel biomass.
A rational approach to legacy data validation when transitioning between electronic health record systems
Authors: Pageler Natalie M , Grazier G’Sell Max Jacob , Chandler Warren , Mailes Emily , Yang Christine , Longhurst Christopher A
Published: March 2016

Objective The objective of this project was to use statistical techniques to determine the completeness and accuracy of data migrated during electronic health record conversion.

Methods Data validation during migration consists of mapped record testing and validation of a sample of the data for completeness and accuracy. We statistically determined a randomized sample size for each data type based on the desired confidence level and error limits.

Results The only error identified in the post go-live period was a failure to migrate some clinical notes, which was unrelated to the validation process. No errors in the migrated data were found during the 12- month post-implementation period.

Conclusions Compared to the typical industry approach, we have demonstrated that a statistical approach to sampling size for data validation can ensure consistent confidence levels while maximizing efficiency of the validation process during a major electronic health record conversion.
Maize Proximate Composition and Physical Properties Correlations to Dry‐Grind Ethanol Concentrations
Authors: Ramchandran Divya , Hojilla‐Evangelista Mila P. , Moose Stephen P. , Rausch Kent D. , Tumbleson M. E. , Singh Vijay
Published: March 2016

Dry‐grind ethanol plants incur economic losses because of seasonal variations in ethanol yields. One possible cause associated with ethanol yield variability is incoming grain quality. There is little published information on factors causing variation in dry‐grind ethanol concentrations. The objective of this study was to determine relationships between rapidly measurable corn quality attributes (physical parameters and chemical composition) and dry‐grind ethanol concentrations. Corn samples obtained from a Midwestern ethanol plant were analyzed for physical quality parameters (test weight, kernel weight, true density, percent stress cracks, and moisture content) and composition (starch, protein, oil, and soluble sugars contents) and then processed with a laboratory‐scale dry‐grind procedure. There were significant (P < 0.05) variations in corn quality parameters and ethanol concentrations. Correlation coefficients were significant (P < 0.05) but low (–0.50 < r < 0.50) between starch content and final ethanol concentrations (72 h) and total soluble sugar content and ethanol concentrations at 72 and 48 h. Ethanol concentrations (at 24, 48, and 72 h) were predicted as a function of a combination of grain quality factors using multiple regression methods; however, the R2 values obtained were low. Variations in ethanol concentrations were not related to physical and chemical composition quality factors. Other factors, such as structural and physiologic attributes of corn grain, need to be evaluated.
RT-PCR Differentiation, Molecular and Pathological Characterization of Andean and Ordinary Strains of Potato virus S in Potatoes in China
Authors: Wang Jinghui , Meng Fanye , Chen Ruhao , Liu Jun , Nie Xianzhou , Nie Bihua
Published: March 2016

A survey of potatoes in a field in Hubei, China, for common potato viruses revealed that Potato virus S (PVS) was the most abundant virus. To unveil the strain identity of the virus, primers specific to the ordinary and/or Andean strains of PVS (i.e., PVSO and PVSA) were designed. RT-PCR using these primers successfully detected PVSO and PVSA in the samples. Sequence analysis of the amplicons confirmed the correctness of the RT-PCR assay. Two isolates, PVS HB24 and PVS HB7, representing PVSO and PVSA, respectively, were chosen for molecular and biological characterization. Both isolates contained a genome of 8,453 nt in length with six open reading frames. They shared a sequence identity of 79.5% at the complete genome sequence level. Phylogenetic analysis placed PVS HB24 and PVS HB7 to PVSO and PVSA clades, respectively. PVS HB24 induced chlorotic local lesions on the inoculated leaves but no visible symptom on the upper uninoculated leaves of Chenopodium quinoa after mechanical inoculation, whereas PVS HB7 induced both local and systemic symptoms on C. quinoa. ELISA and RT-PCR confirmed that PVS HB7 infected C. quinoa systemically whereas PVS HB24 failed to do so. Both isolates infected potato cv. Shepody and Solanum chacoense asymptomatically, but did not infect Nicotiana occidentalis and N. tobaccum cv. Samsun.
The U.S. Culture Collection Network Lays the Foundation for Progress in Preservation of Valuable Microbial Resources
Authors: McCluskey Kevin , Alvarez Anne , Bennett Rick , Bokati Deepak , Boundy-Mills Kyria , Brown Daniel , Bull Carolee T. , Coffey Michael , Dreaden Tyler , Duke Clifford , Dye Greg , Ehmke Erin , Eversole Kellye , Fenstermacher Kristi , Geiser David , Glaeser Jessie A. , Greene Stephanie , Gribble Lisa , Griffith M. Patrick , Hanser Kathryn , Humber Richard , Johnson Barbara W. , Kermode Anthony , Krichevsky Micah , Laudon Matt , Leach Jan , Leslie John , May Meghan , Melcher Ulrich , Nobles David , Fonseca Natalia Risso , Robinson Sara , Ryan Matthew , Scott James , Silflow Carolyn , Vidaver Anne , Webb Kimberly M. , Wertz John E. , Yentsch Sara , Zehr Sarah
Published: March 2016

The U.S. Culture Collection Network was formed in 2012 by a group of culture collection scientists and stakeholders in order to continue the progress established previously through efforts of an ad hoc group. The network is supported by a Research Coordination Network grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and has the goals of promoting interaction among collections, encouraging the adoption of best practices, and protecting endangered or orphaned collections. After prior meetings to discuss best practices, shared data, and synergy with genome programs, the network held a meeting at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Fort Collins, Colorado in October 2015 specifically to discuss collections that are vulnerable because of changes in funding programs, or are at risk of loss because of retirement or lack of funding. The meeting allowed collection curators who had already backed up their resources at the USDA NCGRP to visit the site, and brought collection owners, managers, and stakeholders together. Eight formal collections have established off-site backups with the USDA-ARS, ensuring that key material will be preserved for future research. All of the collections with backup at the NCGRP are public distributing collections including U.S. NSF-supported genetic stock centers, USDA-ARS collections, and university-supported collections. Facing the retirement of several pioneering researchers, the community discussed the value of preserving personal research collections and agreed that a mechanism to preserve these valuable collections was essential to any future national culture collection system. Additional input from curators of plant and animal collections emphasized that collections of every kind face similar challenges in developing long-range plans for sustainability.
Incorporation of Bacterial Blight Resistance Genes Into Lowland Rice Cultivar Through Marker-Assisted Backcross Breeding
Authors: Pradhan Sharat Kumar , Nayak Deepak Kumar , Pandit Elssa , Behera Lambodar , Anandan Annamalai , Mukherjee Arup Kumar , Lenka Srikanta , Barik Durga Prasad
Published: March 2016

Bacterial blight (BB) of rice caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae is a major disease of rice in many rice growing countries. Pyramided lines carrying two BB resistance gene combinations (Xa21+xa13 and Xa21+xa5) were developed in a lowland cultivar Jalmagna background through backcross breeding by integrating molecular markers. In each backcross generation, markers closely linked to the disease resistance genes were used to select plants possessing the target genes. Background selection was continued in those plants carrying resistant genes until BC3 generation. Plants having the maximum contribution from the recurrent parent genome were selected in each generation and hybridized with the recipient parent. The BB-pyramided line having the maximum recipient parent genome recovery of 95% was selected among BC3F1 plants and selfed to isolate homozygous BC3F2 plants with different combinations of BB resistance genes. Twenty pyramided lines with two resistance gene combinations exhibited high levels of tolerance against the BB pathogen. In order to confirm the resistance, the pyramided lines were inoculated with different X. oryzae pv. oryzae strains of Odisha for bioassay. The genotypes with combination of two BB resistance genes conferred high levels of resistance to the predominant X. oryzae pv. oryzae isolates prevalent in the region. The pyramided lines showed similarity with the recipient parent with respect to major agro-morphologic traits.
Phylogenetic fields through time: temporal dynamics of geographical co-occurrence and phylogenetic structure within species ranges
Authors: Villalobos Fabricio , Carotenuto Francesco , Raia Pasquale , Diniz-Filho José Alexandre F.
Published: March 2016

Species co-occur with different sets of other species across their geographical distribution, which can be either closely or distantly related. Such co-occurrence patterns and their phylogenetic structure within individual species ranges represent what we call the species phylogenetic fields (PFs). These PFs allow investigation of the role of historical processes—speciation, extinction and dispersal—in shaping species co-occurrence patterns, in both extinct and extant species. Here, we investigate PFs of large mammalian species during the last 3 Myr, and how these correlate with trends in diversification rates. Using the fossil record, we evaluate species' distributional and co-occurrence patterns along with their phylogenetic structure. We apply a novel Bayesian framework on fossil occurrences to estimate diversification rates through time. Our findings highlight the effect of evolutionary processes and past climatic changes on species' distributions and co-occurrences. From the Late Pliocene to the Recent, mammal species seem to have responded in an individualistic manner to climate changes and diversification dynamics, co-occurring with different sets of species from different lineages across their geographical ranges. These findings stress the difficulty of forecasting potential effects of future climate changes on biodiversity.
Dissecting the role of histidine kinase and HOG1 mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling in stress tolerance and pathogenicity of Parastagonospora nodorum on wheat
Authors: John Evan , Lopez-Ruiz Francisco , Rybak Kasia , Mousley Carl J. , Oliver Richard P. , Tan Kar-Chun
Published: March 2016

The HOG1 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is activated through two-component histidine kinase (HK) signalling. This pathway was first characterized in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a regulator of osmotolerance. The fungus Parastagonospora nodorum is the causal agent of septoria nodorum blotch of wheat. This pathogen uses host-specific effectors in tandem with general pathogenicity mechanisms to carry out its infection process. Genes showing strong sequence homology to S. cerevisiae HOG1 signalling pathway genes have been identified in the genome of P. nodorum. In this study, we examined the role of the pathway in the virulence of P. nodorum on wheat by disrupting putative pathway component genes: HOG1 (SNOG_13296) MAPK and NIK1 (SNOG_11631) hybrid HK. Mutants deleted in NIK1 and HOG1 were insensitive to dicarboximide and phenylpyrrole fungicides, but not a fungicide that targets ergosterol biosynthesis. Furthermore, both Δnik1 and Δhog1 mutants showed increased sensitivity to hyperosmotic stress. However, HOG1, but not NIK1, is required for tolerance to elevated temperatures. HOG1 deletion conferred increased tolerance to 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone, a cereal phytoalexin. This suggests that the HOG1 signalling pathway is not exclusively associated with NIK1. Both Δnik1 and Δhog1 mutants retained the ability to infect and cause necrotic lesions on wheat. However, we observed that the Δhog1 mutation resulted in reduced production of pycnidia, asexual fruiting bodies that facilitate spore dispersal during late infection. Our study demonstrated the overlapping and distinct roles of a HOG1 MAPK and two-component HK signalling in P. nodorum growth and pathogenicity.
A decade of the anaphase-promoting complex in the nervous system
Authors: Huang Ju , Bonni Azad
Published: March 2016

Control of protein abundance by the ubiquitin–proteasome system is essential for normal brain development and function. Just over a decade ago, the first post-mitotic function of the anaphase-promoting complex, a major cell cycle-regulated E3 ubiquitin ligase, was discovered in the control of axon growth and patterning in the mammalian brain. Since then, a large number of studies have identified additional novel roles for the anaphase-promoting complex in diverse aspects of neuronal connectivity and plasticity in the developing and mature nervous system. In this review, we discuss the functions and mechanisms of the anaphase-promoting complex in neurogenesis, glial differentiation and migration, neuronal survival and metabolism, neuronal morphogenesis, synapse formation and plasticity, and learning and memory. We also provide a perspective on future investigations of the anaphase-promoting complex in neurobiology.
The gendered international school: barriers to women managers’ progression
Authors: Sanderson Ruth Elizabeth , Whitehead Stephen
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the barriers women identify to their promotion in international schools and also the ways in which women can overcome these barriers.

Design/methodology/approach

– The field of enquiry is international schools, with the study drawing on qualitative research. The researchers interviewed 11 women from a leading international school in Seoul, South Korea.

Findings

– The women interviewed provided rich qualitative data and identified a number of barriers relating to culture, including gender stereotyping and self-confidence issues, and organisational behaviour, including the lack of a work-life balance and the patriarchal and hierarchical structures in place. The suggested ways in which women could overcome the barriers included building self-confidence and seeking mentoring.

Practical implications

– The women also developed a list of factors that any woman would need to contemplate if she is thinking about applying to be a senior manager, including qualifications, communication skills and acknowledging, tolerating and overcoming gender unfairness, in that men do not need to think about the same issues when seeking leadership positions.

Originality/value

– This paper examines an area of gendered leadership that has received little critical academic scrutiny, international schools and is particularly valuable to women working in these schools. However, its scope extends to all international school leaders who seek to improve the effectiveness of their organisations by employing and promoting the best leaders available.
“If it is dreamable it is doable”: the role of desired job flexibility in imagining the future
Authors: Guglielmi Dina , Chiesa Rita , Mazzetti Greta
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to compare how the dimension of attitudes toward future that consists in perception of dynamic future may be affected by desirable goals (desired job flexibility) and probable events (probable job flexibility) in a group of permanent vs temporary employees. Moreover the aim is to explore the gender differences in respect to variables studied.

Design/methodology/approach

– The data were collected using self-report questionnaires on a sample of 710 employees, of which 63 percent women, 57.2 percent permanent employees, and 42.8 percent fixed-term employees.

Findings

– The results showed that probable job flexibility mediated the relationship between desired job flexibility and the perception of a dynamic professional future. In addition, the type of contract moderated the interaction effect of job mastery on the relationship between desired and probable flexibility. Job mastery, however, has a direct effect on probable flexibility only on women in fixed-term employment.

Research limitations/implications

– The study presented some limitations: the data derived from the self-report questionnaires, respondents participated on a voluntary basis, and the research design was cross-sectional.

Practical implications

– The results of this study could be used to influence guidance practitioners’ decisions on the role of antecedents of future orientation (desired flexibility, probable flexibility, and job mastery) in designing programs and interventions for career management that also take gender into account.

Originality/value

– Overall, these results provided some insight into the relationship between specific guidance actions and goal-oriented career planning.
Assessing the desirability and feasibility of scenarios on eco-efficient transport: a heuristic for efficient stakeholder involvement during foresight processes
Authors: Schippl Jens
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to illustrate and discuss how stakeholder assessment of scenarios can be used to trigger a structured and, therefore, more efficient debate amongst stakeholders about future options for achieving a more eco-efficient transport system in Europe. Particularly, it wants to explore the extent to which a distinction between the desirability and the feasibility of a potential future development can render such debates more rational and transparent.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is based on a project on eco-efficient transport for the Science and Technology Option Assessment panel of the European Parliament (STOA). Key elements of the methods used in the STOA project were easily understandable scenarios and a survey of the main assumptions underlying the scenarios. Both the scenarios and the survey were used in a stakeholder workshop to assess the desirability and the feasibility of approaches towards establishing a more eco-efficient transport system.

Findings

– The methodological approach proved helpful for collecting a large amount of valuable information in a relative short time. In particular, the distinction between desirability and feasibility was useful in mapping out the patterns of opinion amongst stakeholders and for understanding where there is common ground, where there are differences and what the reasons behind these differences are. It helped in identifying promising pathways towards more eco-efficient transport futures and in getting a better understanding of barriers and of the ways to overcome them.

Practical implications

– The approach served as the basis for having a well-structured, rational and, thus, efficient debate. In practice, this factor is relevant because stakeholder involvement is crucial when it comes to transitions of socio-technical systems, such as the transport system. Keeping stakeholders motivated to take part in such participatory processes is only possible, however, if they perceive that these processes are well-structured and, therefore, efficient.

Originality/value

– In contrast to many other scenario-based approaches, the scenarios in this project were understood as an input to the discussion and not as the result of a process. Furthermore, not only the results but also the underlying assumptions of the scenarios were explicitly made a topic for assessment. The differentiation between desirability and feasibility was used as a guiding dimension for the assessment.
ISO 9000 moderation role over supply chain alignment in manufacturing context
Authors: El Mokadem Mohamed
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which International Standardization Organization (ISO) 9000 implementation is associated with better alignment of supply chain activities.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research hypothesized the moderation effect of ISO 9000 over the alignment between customer priorities from one side and supplier selection criteria priorities from the other side. Collected survey data were analyzed using cluster analysis. Then, moderated regression analysis using ordinary least squares was employed to test the study hypotheses.

Findings

– Advanced ISO 9000 implementation moderates the relation between customer priorities and the prioritization of supplier selection criteria with respect to priorities of cost management, total cost of ownership and product flexibility. While, there was no sufficient evidence to the same effect with respect to priorities of logistical flexibility and delivery.

Research limitations/implications

– This research presents a new perspective for researchers to study the extended benefits of ISO 9000 implementation and its moderating effect over supply chain relations. However, the small sample size might limit the ability to generalize the research findings. Further research is required to confirm the research findings using wider sample.

Practical implications

– This research provides practitioners with a path to acknowledge the role of ISO 9000 as a business practice that helps organizations to align their supply chain activities.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to knowledge by proposing the moderation effect of ISO 9000 implementation on the alignment between customer priorities from one side and the emphasis that organization place on the same priorities while selecting suppliers from the other side.
The perfect fit? Being both volunteer and ethnographer in a UK foodbank
Authors: Garthwaite Kayleigh
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore both volunteer and ethnographer in a Trussell Trust foodbank in Stockton-on-Tees, North East England during a period of welfare reform and austerity. It shows how ethnographic researchers can develop a more effective qualitative understanding of foodbank use through volunteering.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodological design was ethnographic both in terms of data collection and analysis. Volunteering and participant observation began in November 2013 and is ongoing. The data presented are derived from field notes of participant observations.

Findings

– Tensions are present when considering how best to write up ethnographic research when the researcher adopts a “volunteer ethnographer” role. The negotiation of relationships, practices, and emotions requires the researcher to appreciate the complex and “politicized” discourse surrounding foodbank use in order to report how the foodbank operates in an objective yet truly reflective way.

Originality/value

– There is an expanding research interest in the growth of foodbanks. This paper offers unique insights into the value and tensions of adopting the dual role of “volunteer ethnographer” when researching foodbank use in the UK.
The inspired maverick: Dirty Harry lives on the edge
Authors: Sloane Stephen
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe three threshold experience cases where individuals avoid and disobey hierarchy and rules in order to satisfy their own values and aspirations.

Design/methodology/approach

– Observations of the author as a participant observer, employee, and academic researcher are reported and analyzed.

Findings

– In each of the three cases, the formal hierarchy was reversed or temporarily dissolved, continuity of tradition was uncertain and outcomes were thrown into doubt. These were liminal situations which involved uncertainty, ambiguity, doubts, and fear as a result of the suspending of organizational structure. The circumstances in which disobedience is most likely to occur are: lack of transparency; conflict between point of view of leaders and individual perception; demands that seem to be unreasonable; individual role in conflict with authoritative expectations.

Originality/value

– Organizational hierarchy and mandates are designed to produce achievement of management goals. There are, however, circumstances where individual resistance is required in order to achieve desired results.
Participatory methodologies for intersectional research in organisations
Authors: Plowman Penelope J.
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore what it means to do intersectional research in an organisational ethnographic case study addressing gender, race, power and change. The main contribution of this paper is a methodological one. The focus is on the relevance and experience of adapting two qualitative research methods – diary study and photographic method.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper describes the design, implementation and impact of the diary and photographic methods. Both research methods combine personal reflection with group dialogue. The case study is framed by feminist analysis of the gendered organisation and examines subjectivities and gender power relations embedded in organisational culture.

Findings

– Insights from the case study indicate the importance of participatory methodologies for deepening organisational research in the context of an organisational ethnography; the adaptability of the diary and photo methods; the effectiveness of open questions for reflecting on race and gender when participants know the research context; the significance of reflexive practice; the importance of a process approach for organisational analysis and change.

Research limitations/implications

– The case study findings are generalisable. The adaptations of the two key methods are applicable for research in practice. The concrete methodologies are significant for intersectional research inside organisations. The choice of intersections to be studied will depend on the research context.

Practical implications

– The case study shows methodological refinements for researching gender, power and difference inside organisations.

Originality/value

– The paper provides methodological insights into how to conduct intersectional and deep organisational research.
Donut time: the use of humor across the police work environment
Authors: Gayadeen S. Marlon , Phillips Scott W.
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this research is to examine ritualistic humor or joking that exists in a small, rural police department in Western New York.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected through participatory observations and interviews during the summer of 2014. Both authors worked in tandem to capitalize on individual expertise to maximize data collection and analyses.

Findings

– Results suggest that humor is leveraged by officers to socialize, cope and demarcate authority. Depending on the circumstance, humor can be orchestrated or spontaneous, given the intentions of the officer.

Originality/value

– Humor is an important lens through which to view police behavior. The current research underscores the importance of levity as a gauge of organizational and individual health.
Choosing to lead
Authors: Le Binh P.
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– Asian Americans (AAs) are underrepresented in leadership roles in academic libraries in the USA. Instead of exploring the factors contributing to their under-representation, the purpose of this paper is to focus on exploring the major factors that have helped AA academic librarians, albeit small in number, to attain, maintain, and advance further into leadership positions in academic libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey was conducted to garner responses from AAs who have held or currently hold senior leadership positions in American academic libraries. In total, 12 participants participated in the study: five women and seven men. The participants included three retired deans/directors/university librarians; seven deans/directors/university librarians; one associate dean/associate director/associate university librarian; and one assistant dean/assistant director/assistant university librarian. The participants represented a multiplicity of institutions, including community colleges, Ivy League institutions, and small as well as large private and public universities.

Findings

– The results of the survey revealed several important success characteristics of AA academic library leaders, including wanting to serve, willing to assume leadership roles, taking non-AA traditional career path, seeking visibility, and developing communication skills.

Originality/value

– This is the first and most comprehensive study on AA academic library leaders in the USA. Its goals are to: fill a gap in the literature on AAs and academic library leadership; raise awareness about the challenges facing AAs in their efforts to attain leadership positions in US academic libraries; and highlight some characteristics of successful AA academic library leaders that aspiring AA academic leaders will want to develop.
A review of advertisements for part-time library positions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey
Authors: Wilkinson Zara
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine advertisements for part-time professional library jobs in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The goal is to gain a better understanding of what skills and experience levels are being required of part-time librarians, as well as what their expected salary and hours might be.

Design/methodology/approach

– Advertisements for part-time professional library positions were collected from online sources over the course of one year.

Findings

– Part-time librarian positions tend to be public services positions in either public or academic libraries. Advertisements for these position indicate a need for flexibility and often do not contain information about salary or hours. Many are suitable for entry-level librarians with no experience.

Research limitations/implications

– Job advertisement studies are limited in that they can only examine the information contained in the advertisements themselves and therefore may not reflect the actual person hired.

Practical implications

– This paper will provide useful information for librarians seeking part-time positions, as well as for library and information science educators and library managers who wish to mentor or hire new librarians.

Originality/value

– This paper corrects an identified lack of research into part-time library employment.
Invasive exotic shrub (Rhamnus cathartica) alters the timing and magnitude of post‐dispersal seed predation of native and exotic species
Authors: Bartowitz Kristina J. , Orrock John L.
Published: March 2016

Aims

Invasive exotic plants may generate deleterious indirect effects on native species, such as increasing consumer pressure on native plants (i.e. apparent competition). Although rarely examined, invasive shrubs may create novel pulses of consumer pressure because their leaves senesce later, providing temporal increases in cover. Apparent competition generated by invasive species may have a strong temporal signal due to extended phenologies of invasive plants. Using an experimental manipulation of the invasive shrub,Rhamnus cathartica, we evaluated whether seed predation of multiple species is higher in invaded areas, and if the novel extended phenology ofR. catharticaleads to temporal changes in seed predation.

Location

University of Wisconsin‐Madison Arboretum, Madison,WI,US.

Methods

We removedR. catharticafrom half of 16 invaded plots. Using three 17‐d sessions over two seasons, we quantified seed predation onR. catharticaand four native species:Acer rubrum, A. saccharum, Prunus serotinaandQuercus rubra. Studies included autumn sampling to evaluate whether extended phenology ofR. catharticaled to changes in seed predation. We quantified habitat characteristics and small mammal activity.

Results

Rhamnus catharticaremoval led to decreased seed removal forA. rubrum,A. saccharumandR. cathartica, but magnitude depended upon season. ForR. catharticaandA. rubrum, autumn seed removal was higher inR. catharticainvaded areas, when these areas have substantial leaf cover. Predation ofA. saccharumseeds was highest in areas with intactR. catharticaduring the summer.R. catharticaremoval led to significantly increased light levels at the forest floor, increased leaf litter depth and lower total small mammal captures.

Conclusions

Presence ofR. catharticaaltered seed removal of native and invasive species, and the unique phenology ofR. catharticaprovided cover that generated novel, previously undocumented temporal shifts in consumer pressure. Although our work illustrates how matureR. catharticacan increase seed removal, we conclude that apparent competition between seeds ofR. catharticaand native species is unlikely because higher seed removal caused byR. catharticawas seen forR. catharticaseeds. Our work highlights how predicting and ameliorating effects of invasive plants may require considering temporal dynamics that are currently poorly understood.
Combined Buoyancy Effects of Thermal and Mass Diffusion on Laminar Mixed Convection in Vertical and Horizontal Semicircular Ducts
Authors: Budabous A. , Busedra A. A.
Published: March 2016

The development of laminar mixed convection with heat and mass transfer in vertical and horizontal semicircular ducts has been investigated for the case of thermal boundary conditions of uniform heat input, concentration at the fluid–solid interface axially, and uniform peripheral wall temperature at any axial station. The governing equations were solved numerically over the following conditions: Pr = 0.7, Le = 1, Re = 500, Grt = 1.66 × 105, and Grc = 1.66 × 105. The combined effects of solutal and thermal Grashof numbers on the flow and thermal fields were observed in terms of the axial velocity, temperature, and concentration distributions, as well as, friction factor, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number. Further, the development of velocity, temperature, and concentration at different axial stations was found to be influenced by the solutal and thermal Grashof numbers. The results also showed that the forced-convection boundary layer development dominates very close to the duct inlet, while further downstream, the heat and mass transfer rates are enhanced due to the effect of solutal buoyancy.
Numerical Study of Unsteady Jeffery Fluid Flow With Magnetic Field Effect and Variable Fluid Properties
Authors: Mabood Fazle , Abdel-Rahman Reda G. , Lorenzini Giulio
Published: March 2016

A mathematical model has been constructed for determining the effects of variable viscosity and thermal conductivity on unsteady Jeffery flow over a stretching sheet in the presence of magnetic field and heat generation. The governing partial differential equations are transformed into a set of nonlinear coupled ordinary differential equations and then solved numerically by using the Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg method with shooting technique. A critical analysis with earlier published papers is done and the results are found to be in accordance with each other. Numerical solutions are then obtained and investigated in detail for different physical parameters such as skin-friction coefficient and reduced Nusselt number as well as other parametric values such as the velocity and temperature.
Numerical Investigation of Compound Angle Effusion Cooling Using Differential Reynolds Stress Model and Zonal Detached Eddy Simulation Approaches
Authors: Arroyo-Callejo G. , Laroche E. , Millan P. , Leglaye F. , Chedevergne F.
Published: March 2016

Effusion cooling is one of the most effective and widespread techniques to prevent combustor liner from being damaged. However, most recent developments in combustion techniques, resulting from increasingly stricter air pollution regulations, have highlighted the necessity of reducing the amount of air available for effusion cooling while keeping an adequate level of protection. Adoption of compound angles in effusion cooling is increasingly recognized by jet engine manufacturers as a powerful solution to meet new combustor requirements. Therefore, understanding the flow behavior and developing methods able to provide accurate estimates of wall temperatures is of a major importance. This study assesses the capability of a high-level Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) method, differential Reynolds stress model (DRSM), in conjunction with a generalized gradient diffusion hypothesis (GGDH), and of a hybrid RANS–large eddy simulations (LES) method, zonal detached eddy simulation (ZDES), to predict overall film effectiveness. Both approaches are compared with the experimental data from Zhang et al. (2009, “Cooling Effectiveness of Effusion Walls With Deflection Hole Angles Measured by Infrared Imaging,” Appl. Therm. Eng., 29(5), pp. 966–972) and with a classical well-known RANS model (k–ω shear-stress transport (SST) model). Despite the fact that some discrepancies are found, both approaches have proved suitable and reliable for predicting wall temperatures (relative errors of about 5%). Moreover, a new method to deal with ZDES length scales for unstructured grids is proposed. ZDES applicability and its general advantages and drawbacks are also discussed. Finally, an in-depth analysis of the film structure is carried out on the basis of the ZDES simulations. The principal structures are identified (an asymmetric main vortex (AMV) and a counter rotating vortex pair, CRVP), and the film formation mechanisms are presented. Significant spanwise-homogeneous distributions of surface overall film cooling effectiveness are observed.
WSe2 Nanoribbons: New High-Performance Thermoelectric Materials
Authors: Chen Kai-Xuan , Mo Dong-Chuan , Lyu Shu-Shen
Published: March 2016

In this work, we first systematically investigate the ballistic transport properties of armchair WSe2 nanoribbons by using first-principles method. An enhancement in thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) is discovered from monolayer to nanoribbons. To explore the origin of the enhancement mechanism, H-passication is introduced into the systems to make a comparison. The introduction of H-passivation stabilizes the dangling bonds at the ribbon edge and reduces the enhancement. It comfirms our suspect that the enhancement may be contributed from the disorder edge effect owing to the existence of dangling bonds. Our work provides instructional theoretical evidence for the application of armchair WSe2 nanoribbons as promising thermoelectric materials. The enhancement mechanism of disorder edge effect can also highlight the exploration of achieving outstanding thermoelectric materials.
Experimental Study on Al2O3/H2O Nanofluid Flow Boiling Heat Transfer Under Different Pressures
Authors: Wang Y. , Deng K. H. , Liu B. , Wu J. M. , Su G. H.
Published: March 2016

In present work, Al2O3/H2O nanofluid was prepared by ultrasonic oscillation. Furthermore, nanofluid flow boiling heat transfer in a vertical cube is experimentally studied, with 0.1% and 0.5% volume concentration and 20nm diameter. Some factors are under consideration, including heat flux on the heating surface (48∼289kW·m−2), pressure (0.2∼0.8MPa) and mass flow rate (400∼1100 kgm−2s−1). The results confirm that the flow boiling heat transfer of Al2O3/H2O nanofluid is improved mostly about 86% compared with pure water. And the average Nusselt number enhancement rate of nanofluid compared with deionized water is 35% in the range of this work. Moreover, the heat transfer capacity of nanofluid increase with the heat flux on the heating surface, pressure and the volume concentration of nanoparticle. It is proved that nanoparticle deposited on the heating surface by SEM observations, and TEM observations for nanoparticle confirm that nanoparticle have not obviously changed after boiling. In addition, the enhancement rate of nanofluid flow boiling heat transfer capacity increase with the pressure, and the influence of mass flow rate is negligible. In conclusion, this work is a supplement for nanofluid flow boiling heating transfer, especially for the influence of pressure.