bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
I “hear” what you're “saying”: Auditory perceptual simulation, reading speed, and reading comprehension
Authors: Zhou Peiyun , Christianson Kiel
Published: February 2015

Auditory perceptual simulation (APS) during silent reading refers to situations in which the reader actively simulates the voice of a character or other person depicted in a text. In three eye-tracking experiments, APS effects were investigated as people read utterances attributed to a native English speaker, a non-native English speaker, or no speaker at all. APS effects were measured via online eye movements and offline comprehension probes. Results demonstrated that inducing APS during silent reading resulted in observable differences in reading speed when readers simulated the speech of faster compared to slower speakers and compared to silent reading without APS. Social attitude survey results indicated that readers’ attitudes towards the native and non-native speech did not consistently influence APS-related effects. APS of both native speech and non-native speech increased reading speed, facilitated deeper, less good-enough sentence processing, and improved comprehension compared to normal silent reading.
Subliminal repetition primes help detection of phonemes in a picture: Evidence for a phonological level of the priming effects
Authors: Manoiloff Laura , Segui Juan , Hallé Pierre
Published: February 2015

In this research, we combine a cross-form word–picture visual masked priming procedure with an internal phoneme monitoring task to examine repetition priming effects. In this paradigm, participants have to respond to pictures whose names begin with a prespecified target phoneme. This task unambiguously requires retrieving the word-form of the target picture's name and implicitly orients participants' attention towards a phonological level of representation. The experiments were conducted within Spanish, whose highly transparent orthography presumably promotes fast and automatic phonological recoding of subliminal, masked visual word primes. Experiments 1 and 2 show that repetition primes speed up internal phoneme monitoring in the target, compared to primes beginning with a different phoneme from the target, or sharing only their first phoneme with the target. This suggests that repetition primes preactivate the phonological code of the entire target picture's name, hereby speeding up internal monitoring, which is necessarily based on such a code. To further qualify the nature of the phonological code underlying internal phoneme monitoring, a concurrent articulation task was used in Experiment 3. This task did not affect the repetition priming effect. We propose that internal phoneme monitoring is based on an abstract phonological code, prior to its translation into articulation.
Tomato Whole Genome Transcriptional Response toTetranychus urticaeIdentifies Divergence of Spider Mite-Induced Responses Between Tomato andArabidopsis
Authors: Martel Catherine , Zhurov Vladimir , Navarro Marie , Martinez Manuel , Cazaux Marc , Auger Philippe , Migeon Alain , Santamaria M. Estrella , Wybouw Nicky , Diaz Isabel , Van Leeuwen Thomas , Navajas Maria , Grbic Miodrag , Grbic Vojislava
Published: February 2015

The two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae is one of the most significant mite pests in agriculture, feeding on more than 1,100 plant hosts, including model plants Arabidopsis thaliana and tomato, Solanum lycopersicum. Here, we describe timecourse tomato transcriptional responses to spider mite feeding and compare them with Arabidopsis in order to determine conserved and divergent defense responses to this pest. To refine the involvement of jasmonic acid (JA) in mite-induced responses and to improve tomato Gene Ontology annotations, we analyzed transcriptional changes in the tomato JA-signaling mutant defenseless1 (def-1) upon JA treatment and spider mite herbivory. Overlay of differentially expressed genes (DEG) identified in def-1 onto those from the timecourse experiment established that JA controls expression of the majority of genes differentially regulated by herbivory. Comparison of defense responses between tomato and Arabidopsis highlighted 96 orthologous genes (of 2,133 DEG) that were recruited for defense against spider mites in both species. These genes, involved in biosynthesis of JA, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, and terpenoids, represent the conserved core of induced defenses. The remaining tomato DEG support the establishment of tomato-specific defenses, indicating profound divergence of spider mite–induced responses between tomato and Arabidopsis.
Comparative Genomic Analysis ofPseudomonas chlororaphisPCL1606 Reveals New Insight into Antifungal Compounds Involved in Biocontrol
Authors: Calderón Claudia E. , Ramos Cayo , de Vicente Antonio , Cazorla Francisco M.
Published: February 2015

Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1606 is a rhizobacterium that has biocontrol activity against many soilborne phytopathogenic fungi. The whole genome sequence of this strain was obtained using the Illumina Hiseq 2000 sequencing platform and was assembled using SOAP denovo software. The resulting 6.66-Mb complete sequence of the PCL1606 genome was further analyzed. A comparative genomic analysis using 10 plant-associated strains within the fluorescent Pseudomonas group, including the complete genome of P. chlororaphis PCL1606, revealed a diverse spectrum of traits involved in multitrophic interactions with plants and microbes as well as biological control. Phylogenetic analysis of these strains using eight housekeeping genes clearly placed strain PCL1606 into the P. chlororaphis group. The genome sequence of P. chlororaphis PCL1606 revealed the presence of sequences that were homologous to biosynthetic genes for the antifungal compounds 2-hexyl, 5-propyl resorcinol (HPR), hydrogen cyanide, and pyrrolnitrin; this is the first report of pyrrolnitrin encoding genes in this P. chlororaphis strain. Single-, double-, and triple-insertional mutants in the biosynthetic genes of each antifungal compound were used to test their roles in the production of these antifungal compounds and in antagonism and biocontrol of two fungal pathogens. The results confirmed the function of HPR in the antagonistic phenotype and in the biocontrol activity of P. chlororaphis PCL1606.
Childhood Esophagitis Changes in 30 Years at 1 Center
Authors: Memon Zebunnissa , Baker Robert D. , Khan Abdur , Baker Susan S.
Published: February 2015

Eosinophils are nonspecific harbingers of esophageal disease. We report on the incidence and features of esophageal eosinophilia diagnosed at our center in 2011 and compare the findings with previously published results between 1980–1988 and 2000–2002. Eosinophils per high‐power field were counted in esophageal biopsies from 675 patients who underwent 710 endoscopic procedures between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2011. Of these, 209 (33%) patients were infiltrated with eosinophils; the other 466 (67%) showed no pathological changes. The highest concentrations of eosinophils were observed in the distal esophagus. Our findings also indicate that esophageal eosinophilia fluctuates over time.
Improvement of Hepatic Steatosis in Cystic Fibrosis With Ivacaftor Therapy
Authors: Hayes Don , Warren Patrick S. , McCoy Karen S. , Sheikh Shahid I.
Published: February 2015

Treatment of liver disease, including hepatic steatosis, in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is limited. With the development of ivacaftor, which corrects the gating defect of the CF transmembrane regulator channel, there is a potential new therapy available for this subgroup of the CF patient population. We present an adolescent with CF who had significant improvement in hepatic steatosis with ivacaftor treatment while hypothesizing on a mechanism of why it occurred.
Microbacterium shaanxiense sp. nov., isolated from the nodule surface of soybean
Authors: Peng Shi , Dongying Liu , Bingxin Yang , Mingjun Li , Gehong Wei
Published: February 2015

A Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, catalase- and oxidase-positive rod, designated CCNWSP60T, was isolated from the nodule surface of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] cultivar Zhonghuang 13. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis clearly showed that the isolate belonged to the genus

Microbacterium

. On the basis of pairwise comparisons of 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain CCNWSP60T was most closely related to

Microbacterium murale

DSM 22178T (98.8 % similarity),

Microbacterium aerolatum

DSM 14217T (98.3 %),

Microbacterium ginsengiterrae

DSM 24823T (98.0 %) and

Microbacterium profundi

DSM 22239T (97.8 %). However, the DNA–DNA relatedness values of strain CCNWSP60T to

M. murale

DSM 22178T,

M. aerolatum

DSM 14217T,

M. ginsengiterrae

DSM 24823T and

M. profundi

DSM 22239T were 48 %, 43 %, 28 % and 41 %, respectively. Growth of strain CCNWSP60T occurred at 4–40 °C and at pH 5.0–9.0. The NaCl range for growth was 0–4 % (w/v). The predominant menaquinone of strain CCNWSP60T was MK-13; MK-12 was also detected. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified glycolipid and one unidentified phospholipid. The diagnostic diamino acid of the peptidoglycan was ornithine. The acyl type of the peptidoglycan was glycolyl. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and C16 : 0. The DNA G+C content of the type strain was 67.4 mol%. As the physiological and biochemical characteristics as well as the DNA–DNA relatedness between strain CCNWSP60T and the type strains of its closest phylogenetic neighbours showed clear differences, a novel species Microbacterium
shaanxiense is proposed to accommodate it. The type strain is CCNWSP60T ( = DSM 28301T = ACCC 19329T = JCM 30164T).
Psychrobacter oceani sp. nov., isolated from marine sediment
Authors: Matsuyama Hidetoshi , Minami Hideki , Sakaki Takeshi , Kasahara Hirokazu , Watanabe Akane , Onoda Takumi , Hirota Kikue , Yumoto Isao
Published: February 2015

A novel marine bacterium, designated strain 4k5T, was isolated from a sediment sample of the Pacific Ocean. The strain was Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, non-motile, oxidase-positive and catalase-positive and required Na+for growth. Its major isoprenoid quinone was ubiquinone 8 (Q-8), and its cellular fatty acid profile consisted mainly of C18 : 1v9c (71.4 %), C16 : 1v7c (9.1 %) and C18 : 0. The DNA G+C content was 45.3 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis suggested that strain 4k5Tis a member of the genusPsychrobacter. Strain 4k5Texhibited the closely phylogenetic affinity toPsychrobacter pacificensisIFO 16270T(99.4 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity),P. piscatoriiT-3-2T(97.7 %),P. nivimaris88/2-7T(97.7 %),P. celerSW-238T(97.7 %),P. aestuariiSC35T(97.6 %) andP. vallisCMS39T(97.6 %). DNA–DNA hybridization between strain 4k5TandP. pacificensisNBRC 103191T,P. piscatoriiJCM 15603T.P. nivimarisDSM 16093T,P. celerJCM 12601T,P. aestuariiJCM 16343TandP. vallisDSM 15337Twas 42.5, 47.0, 38.1, 23.7, 9.0 and 27.4 %, respectively. Owing to the significant differences in phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence and DNA–DNA relatedness data, the isolate merits classification within a novel species, for which the namePsychrobacter oceanisp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 4k5T( = JCM 30235T = NCIMB 14948T).
Dissection of a complex disease susceptibility region using a Bayesian stochastic search approach to fine mapping
Authors: Wallace Chris , Cutler Antony J , Pontikos Nikolas , Pekalski Marcin L , Burren Oliver S , Cooper Jason D , Rubio Garcia Arcadio , Ferreira Ricardo C , Guo Hui , Walker Neil M , Smyth Deborah J , Rich Stephen S , Onengut-Gumuscu Suna , Sawcer Stephen S , Ban Maria , Richardson Sylvia , Todd John , Wicker Linda
Published: February 2015

Identification of candidate causal variants in regions associated with risk of common diseases is complicated by linkage disequilibrium (LD) and multiple association signals. Nonetheless, accurate maps of these variants are needed, both to fully exploit detailed cell specific chromatin annotation data to highlight disease causal mechanisms and cells, and for design of the functional studies that will ultimately be required to confirm causal mechanisms. We adapted a Bayesian evolutionary stochastic search algorithm to the fine mapping problem, and demonstrated its improved performance over conventional stepwise and regularised regression through simulation studies. We then applied it to fine map the established multiple sclerosis (MS) and type 1 diabetes (T1D) associations in the IL-2RA (CD25) gene region. For T1D, both stepwise and stochastic search approaches identified four T1D association signals, with the major effect tagged by the single nucleotide polymorphism, rs12722496. In contrast, for MS, the stochastic search found two distinct competing models: a single candidate causal variant, tagged by rs2104286 and reported previously using stepwise analysis; and a more complex model with two association signals, one of which was tagged by the major T1D associated rs12722496 and the other by rs56382813. There is low to moderate LD between rs2104286 and both rs12722496 and rs56382813 (r2 =~ 0.3) and our two SNP model could not be recovered through a forward stepwise search after conditioning on rs2104286. Both signals in the two variant model for MS affect CD25 expression on distinct subpopulations of CD4 + T cells, which are key cells in the autoimmune process. The results support a shared causal variant for T1D and MS. Our study illustrates the benefit of using a purposely designed model search strategy for fine mapping and the advantage of combining disease and protein expression data.
Joint annotation of chromatin state and chromatin conformation reveals relationships among domain types and identifies domains of cell-type-specific expression
Authors: Libbrecht Maxwell W. , Ay Ferhat , Hoffman Michael M. , Gilbert David M. , Bilmes Jeffrey A. , Noble William Stafford
Published: February 2015

The genomic neighborhood of a gene influences its activity, a behavior that is attributable in part to domain-scale regulation. Previous genomic studies have identified many types of regulatory domains. However, due to the difficulty of integrating genomics data sets, the relationships among these domain types are poorly understood. Semi-automated genome annotation (SAGA) algorithms facilitate human interpretation of heterogeneous collections of genomics data by simultaneously partitioning the human genome and assigning labels to the resulting genomic segments. However, existing SAGA methods cannot integrate inherently pairwise chromatin conformation data. We developed a new computational method, called graph-based regularization (GBR), for expressing a pairwise prior that encourages certain pairs of genomic loci to receive the same label in a genome annotation. We used GBR to exploit chromatin conformation information during genome annotation by encouraging positions that are close in 3D to occupy the same type of domain. Using this approach, we produced a model of chromatin domains in eight human cell types, thereby revealing the relationships among known domain types. Through this model, we identified clusters of tightly regulated genes expressed in only a small number of cell types, which we term “specific expression domains.” We found that domain boundaries marked by promoters and CTCF motifs are consistent between cell types even when domain activity changes. Finally, we showed that GBR can be used to transfer information from well-studied cell types to less well-characterized cell types during genome annotation, making it possible to produce high-quality annotations of the hundreds of cell types with limited available data.
Spatial enhancer clustering and regulation of enhancer-proximal genes by cohesin
Authors: Ing-Simmons Elizabeth , Seitan Vlad C. , Faure Andre J. , Flicek Paul , Carroll Thomas , Dekker Job , Fisher Amanda G. , Lenhard Boris , Merkenschlager Matthias
Published: February 2015

In addition to mediating sister chromatid cohesion during the cell cycle, the cohesin complex associates with CTCF and with active gene regulatory elements to form long-range interactions between its binding sites. Genome-wide chromosome conformation capture had shown that cohesin's main role in interphase genome organization is in mediating interactions within architectural chromosome compartments, rather than specifying compartments per se. However, it remains unclear how cohesin-mediated interactions contribute to the regulation of gene expression. We have found that the binding of CTCF and cohesin is highly enriched at enhancers and in particular at enhancer arrays or “super-enhancers” in mouse thymocytes. Using local and global chromosome conformation capture, we demonstrate that enhancer elements associate not just in linear sequence, but also in 3D, and that spatial enhancer clustering is facilitated by cohesin. The conditional deletion of cohesin from noncycling thymocytes preserved enhancer position, H3K27ac, H4K4me1, and enhancer transcription, but weakened interactions between enhancers. Interestingly, ∼50% of deregulated genes reside in the vicinity of enhancer elements, suggesting that cohesin regulates gene expression through spatial clustering of enhancer elements. We propose a model for cohesin-dependent gene regulation in which spatial clustering of enhancer elements acts as a unified mechanism for both enhancer-promoter “connections” and “insulation.”
Quasiperiodicity and the nanoscopic morphology of some polyurethanes
Authors: Stribeck Norbert , Li Xuke , Eling Berend , Pöselt Elmar , in 't Veld Pieter J.
Published: February 2015

When straining polyurethane elastomers (PUEs), it is often observed that the long-period peak of the small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) does not shift normally. An explanation is indicated for some PUEs in the real-space chord distribution. It exhibits a sequence of constant long-period bands. The band positions form a Fibonacci sequence. This relates to the underlying chemical synthesis by polyaddition of hard and soft modules, indicating a nearly quasiperiodic setup in sequences of stringed hard domains. These sequences appear to be the probes provided by SAXS for the study of morphology evolution in such PUEs. Should a regular-as-possible arrangement of physical crosslinks optimize a property of the material, then in the synthesis the mole fractionnHof hard modules should be chosen to benH= τ/(1 + τ) ≃ 0.62, where τ is the golden ratio.
Mode-crystallography analysis of the crystal structures and the low- and high-temperature phase transitions in Na0.5K0.5NbO3
Authors: Orayech B. , Faik A. , López G. A. , Fabelo O. , Igartua J. M.
Published: February 2015

Na0.5K0.5NbO3has been synthesized by the conventional solid-state reaction process. The crystal structures and phase transitions, at low and high temperature, determined from the Rietveld refinements of X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data are reported. The structure evolution of Na0.5K0.5NbO3in the temperature range from 2 to 875 K shows the presence of three phase transitions. The first one, at ∼135 K, is discontinuous from the rhombohedralR3c(No. 161) space group to the room-temperature orthorhombicAmm2 (No. 38) space group; the second is discontinuous from the orthorhombic to the tetragonalP4mmspace group (No. 99) at ∼465 K, and the third is continuous from the tetragonal to the cubic Pm\overline{3}m space group (No. 221) at ∼700 K. The obtained phase-transition sequence isR3c→Amm2 →P4mm→Pm\overline{3}m. No previous studies at low temperature have been carried out on the material with composition Na0.5K0.5NbO3. In the course of the determination of the three experimentally found phases, a novel method of refinement is presented. This is a step forward in the use of the symmetry-adapted modes as degrees of freedom in the refinement process: the parameterization of a direction in the internal space of the, in this case, sole irreducible representation, GM4−, responsible for the symmetry breaking from the parent cubic space group to the polar distorted low-symmetry phases. Eventually, this procedure enables the calculation of the spontaneous polarization.
Branding from emerging countries: how to compete internationally?
Authors: Chailan Claude , Ille Francis
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to clarify the challenge of emerging countries’ firms regarding their brand policy. The purpose of the paper is to examine the branding options offered to emerging countries companies when expanding internationally.

Design/methodology/approach

– After having clarified the two paradoxes faced by emerging countries’ brands by way of synthesizing various works, the author formulates a model that provides a representation for the possible brand strategy choices of emerging country companies.

Findings

– The authors formulate a framework with four brand management options which may be put into practice in emerging countries’ companies and suggest how an emerging country’s company could create and develop the best-adapted international brand policy depending on its specific situation regarding localness emphasis and customers’ risk reduction acceptance.

Practical implications

– Results lead to the conclusion that the notion that only global brands are associated with higher product quality or prestige (in relation to local brands) is not a universal truth and thus needs to be interpreted with caution. The research provides support for a branding strategy embedded in the local emerging countries context and tally with research showing that more and more firms from emerging economies are using foreign image association strategies as important components of their branding and marketing strategies.

Originality/value

– The proposal reinforces the contingency perspective of international marketing according to which brand policy may depend on company criteria, as well as foreign market specificities. The research confirms the competitive capacity of emerging countries’ companies’ brands, broadens the scope of international branding knowledge by shifting the focus to under-researched regions of the world.
The impact of social and human capital on individual cooperative behaviour
Authors: De Jong Gjalt
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to analyse whether, and if so, how, personal background and intellectual assets determine individual cooperation.

Design/methodology/approach

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse whether, and if so, how, social and human capital determine cooperation.

Findings

– The empirical results show that variations in human and social capital offer a substantial explanation for the likelihood of cooperative behaviour in people involved in social dilemma situations.

Research limitations/implications

– Testing the model in an international setting with non-student subjects (managers, policymakers) would allow us to explore the consequences of cross-national differences in various forms of capital.

Practical implications

– Successful implementation of strategic change requires leaders who are able to effectively communicate and motivate employees. The study highlights what factors makes some leaders more cooperative and, hence, potentially more successful in supervising corporate change than others.

Social implications

– For sustainable growth, countries need leaders who are willing and able to collaborate not only with other international leaders but also within their public administration. This paper offers explanations why some political leaders more than others are able to successfully collaborate with their political opponents.

Originality/value

– The added value of mainstream economics to understand key elements of international business is limited due to their stringent behavioural assumptions. The research is original in that it shows that individuals make decisions not like rational machines but like real human beings.
Assessment of social sustainability in construction projects using social network analysis
Authors: Almahmoud Essam , Doloi Hemanta Kumar
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to propose a framework that puts the stakeholders at the forefront of achieving sustainability in the social context. This research, thus, argues that the social sustainability outcomes in construction are best achieved by taking into account the satisfactions of the stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on sustainability and equity theories, a dynamic assessment model has been developed to evaluate the contributions of projects in a social context. Multiple stakeholders and their differing interests associated with the construction projects have been integrated using social network analysis. The mapping of the relationships between the project stakeholders, with respect to their relative stakes and seven social core functions, have been integrated in the assessment model.

Findings

– The findings of this research suggest that the degree of satisfying the needs of diverse stakeholders is highly significant in achieving social sustainability performance of projects. Using a case study from Saudi Arabia, the applicability and significance of the assessment model has been demonstrated. The application of the model provides the opportunity to identify any problems and to enhance the overall performance of projects in the social context.

Research limitations/implications

– The functionality and efficacy of the model need to be further tested outside the Saudi Arabian region.

Originality/value

– The research is original in the sense that for the first time, a novel approach has been developed, putting the stakeholders at the forefront of achieving sustainability outcomes in construction projects.
The forecast of cultivate land quantity based on Grey-Markov model
Authors: Huan Hongyan , Tan Qing-mei
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to employ the Grey-Markov Chain Model for the scale prediction of cultivated land and took an empirical research with the case of Jiangsu province.

Design/methodology/approach

– Along with China’s industrialization and urbanization accelerated, a large number of cultivated land converse into construction land. The change of utilization of cultivated land concerns national food security and sustainable development of economy and society. Due to the fact that the different investigation methods of arable land usually cause a uncertain. The Grey-Markov model combines the Grey GM(1,1) and Markov chain, with two advantages of dealing with poor information and long-term and volatile series. A numeric example of scale prediction of cultivated land in Jiangsu province is also computed in the third part of the paper.

Findings

– The results show that the Grey-Markov Chain Model has a higher prediction accuracy compared with GM (1,1), which is a reliable guarantee for the change of cultivated land resources.

Practical implications

– The forecast of cultivated land can provide useful information for the general land use planning.

Originality/value

– The paper confirmed the feasibility of the Grey-Markov model in scale prediction of cultivated land.
Appraisement and benchmarking of supply chain performance extent
Authors: Sahu Santosh Kumar , Datta Saurav , Mahapatra Siba Sankar
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– Supply chain performance (SCP) extent can be attributed as a function of multiple criteria/attributes. Most of the criterions/attributes being intangible in nature; SCP appraisement relies on the subjective judgment of the decision makers. Moreover, quantitative appraisement of SCP appears to be very difficult due to involvement of ill-defined (vague) performance measures as well as metrics. The purpose of this paper is to develop an efficient decision support system (DSS) to facilitate SCP appraisement, benchmarking and related decision making.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study explores the concept of fuzzy logic in order to tackle incomplete and inconsistent subjective judgment of the decision makers’ whilst evaluating supply chain’s overall performance. Grey relational analysis has been adopted in the later stage to derive appropriate ranking of alternative companies/enterprises (in the same industry) in view of ongoing SCP extent.

Findings

– In this work, a performance appraisement index system has been postulated to gather evaluation information (weights and ratings) in relation to SCP measures and metrics. Combining the concepts of fuzzy set theory, entropy, ideal and grey relation analysis, a fuzzy grey relation method for SCP benchmarking problem has been presented. First, triangular fuzzy numbers and linguistic evaluation information characterized by triangular fuzzy numbers have been used to evaluate the importance weights of all criteria and the superiority of all alternatives vs various criteria above the alternative level. Then, the concept of entropy has been utilized to solve the adjusted integration weight of all objective criteria above the alternative level. Moreover, using the concept of the grey ration grades, various alternatives have been ranked accordingly.

Originality/value

– Finally, an empirical example of selecting most appropriate company has been used to demonstrate the ease of applicability of the aforesaid approach. The study results showed that this method appears to be an effective means for tackling multi-criteria decision-making problems in uncertain environments. Empirical data have been analysed and results obtained thereof, have been reported to exhibit application potential of the said fuzzy grey relation based DSS in appropriate situation.
Detecting communities in social networks by local affinity propagation with grey relational analysis
Authors: Guo Kun , Zhang Qishan
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to discover social communities from the social networks by propagating affinity messages among members in a localized way. The affinity between any two members is computed by grey relational analysis method.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, the responsibility messages and the availability messages are restricted to be broadcasted only among a node and its neighbours, i.e. the nodes that connected to it directly. In this way, both the time complexity and the space complexity can be reduced to be near linear to the network size. The near-linear time and space complexity is quite important for social network analysis because social networks are generally very large. Second, instead of the widely used Euclidean distance, the grey relational degree is adopted in the calculation of node similarity, because the latter is more suitable for the discovery of the hidden relations among the nodes. On the basis of the two improvements, a new social community detection algorithm is proposed. Finally, experiments are conducted to verify the performance of the new algorithm.

Findings

– The new algorithm is evaluated by the experiments on both the real-world and the artificial data sets. The experimental results prove the proposed algorithm to be quite effective and efficient at community discovery.

Practical implications

– The algorithm proposed in the paper can be applied to discover communities in many social networks. After the recognition of the social communities, the authors can send advertisements, spot valuable customers or locate criminals more precisely.

Originality/value

– The new algorithm revises the affinity propagation progress to be localized to improve both time and space complexity. Furthermore, the grey relational analysis is applied to solve the complex relations among members of the social networks.
An application of 5S concept to organize the workplace at a scientific instruments manufacturing company
Authors: Gupta Shaman , Jain Sanjiv Kumar
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to use the 5S tool to assist a small-scale manufacturing organization to become more productive and more efficient.

Design/methodology/approach

– A simple approach has been adopted to create the teams for implementing 5S. Cause-and-effect diagram has been studied for shop floor analysis. Later, four data collection methods have been used to ensure right implementation of the 5S.

Findings

– In the frames of this case study, it has been analyzed that implementation of “5S” resulted in overall improvement of the organization. With the implementation of “5S”, major benefits in the form of tool searching time have been achieved. Tool searching time from shop floor has been reduced from 30 minutes to 5 minutes. “5S” audit has been conducted in the organization. “5S” audit score has been increased from 7 (Week 1) to 55 (Week 20).

Practical implications

– 5S is a powerful tool and can be implemented in various industries whether micro, small, medium or large. Implementation of 5S has large horizontal development and can be implemented in all the workstations of an organization.

Originality/value

– The publications and case study presented in this paper will be useful to researchers, professionals and others concerned with this subject to understand the significance of 5S.
Mentoring for women starting a PhD: a “free zone” into academic identity
Authors: Stroude Aurianne , Bellier-Teichmann Tanja , Cantero Odile , Dasoki Nora , Kaeser Laure , Ronca Miriam , Morin Diane
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– Despite increasing numbers of women attaining higher levels in academic degrees, gender disparities remain in higher education and among university faculty. Authors have posited that this may stem from inadequate academic identity development of women at the doctoral level. While gender differences may be explained by multiple and variable factors, mentoring has been proposed as a viable means to promote academic identity development and address these gender gaps. A “StartingDoc program” was launched and supported by four universities in French-speaking Switzerland. The purpose of this paper is to report the experience of one of the six “many-to-one” mentoring groups involved in the StartingDoc program in 2012-2013.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study is based on the description of a group experience within a university-based mentoring scheme offered to women entering in their PhD program in French-speaking Switzerland. It is examined using a qualitative, narrative case study design.

Findings

– Themes from the narrative analysis included the four dimensions of the Clutterbuck model of mentoring (guiding, coaching, counselling, networking), as well as an additional five emerging themes: first expectations, process, sharing, building identity, and unmet expectations. The qualitative analyses suggest that mentoring can be an effective tool in supporting professional identity development among female doctoral students. However, further work is needed to elucidate the most effective strategies for developing and retaining women in academia.

Originality/value

– While a many-to-one mentoring group has been theorized and is recognized as an effective means of supporting doctoral experience, its implementation in French-speaking Switzerland is in its infancy. This study provides insights into the value of such a mentoring scheme dedicated to women at the very beginning of their doctoral studies. Most notably it created opportunities for mentees to: discover aspects of academic life; break isolation; and develop some of the soft skills required to facilitate their doctoral journey.
Dialectical tensions experienced by diversified mentoring dyads
Authors: Meyer Marcy
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine diversified mentoring relationships (DMRs) at a mid-sized Midwestern state university (MMSU) in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 MMSU faculty members and professional personnel who comprised seven diversified mentoring dyads. The mentees were primarily members of underrepresented minority (URMs) groups, whereas the majority of mentors were members of the dominant culture.

Findings

– A thematic analysis of the data, grounded in the literature on developmental relationships and relational dialectics theory (RDT), reveals tensions that diversified mentoring dyads experienced, as well as communication strategies that dyad members used to manage these tensions.

Research limitations/implications

– Although this research is limited by its small sample size and unique geographic location, the findings offer in-depth insight and practical implications for URM faculty members in predominantly white institutions around the globe.

Practical implications

– The findings of this study have important implications for training supervisors, mentors, and senior colleagues of URM faculty members.

Originality/value

– This study is unique in that it examines DMRs from a dyadic communication perspective; moreover, it applies RDT to DMRs in organizations.
Building a sustainable structure to support the Adaptive Mentorship model in teacher education
Authors: Salm Twyla , Mulholland Val
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a deeper understanding of how to implement a professional development training strategy for the Adaptive Mentorship (AM) model (Ralph and Walker, 2010a) and explore how cooperating teachers used the model, not only to assist pre-service teachers in their development, but also to reflect on their role as a mentor.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research design uses a collective case study approach. The researchers are positioned in the study as active agents, not only in the traditional way as administrating a questionnaire but as participant leaders. The questionnaire was designed to collect data on the frequency of use and effectiveness of the AM model. It was sent to cooperating teachers, for two years from two different cohorts (n=141,n=123).

Findings

– By the end of the second year 84 percent of the cooperating teachers said they “did or mostly did” understand the AM model after the seminar. Less than half of the cooperating teachers (42 percent) recommended that the AM model should be used at seminar. Of the rest, while 21 percent were not in favor of the AM model being used, 37 percent would consider using it at seminar. The findings in this study suggest that for many cooperating teachers the notion of reciprocal development had not yet permeated their consciousness.

Originality/value

– This study will guide future cooperating teacher professional development sessions to support cooperating teachers as they make the paradigmatic shift from supervisor to mentor. To the knowledge it is the only study that explores the professional development training necessary for implementing the AM model with an entire cohort of interns.
Equality of mentoring and coaching opportunity: making both available to pre-service teachers
Authors: Salter Tina
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore why mentoring is preferred over coaching when supporting pre-service teachers, compared with other stages in a teacher’s career where coaching is more readily available.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper first draws upon pre-existing literature which addresses the ways in which mentoring is used for pre-service teachers; followed by a discussion of the place and use of coaching within education. It then focuses on data generated from interviews with senior teachers responsible for the induction of pre-service teachers within three UK-based secondary schools and compares this to findings about mentor and coach approaches used in other sectors or contexts.

Findings

– Findings point towards an imbalance in the use of mentoring and coaching within education, with a particular underuse of coaching for pre-service teachers. Some mentoring (and indeed coaching) interventions are founded on a deficit model; therefore mentors of pre-service teachers could be helped and supported to make greater use of a mentor-coach integrated asset-based approach, which encourages the use of reflection and self-directed learning.

Practical implications

– Schools using internal mentors for pre-service teachers, or internal coaches for post-qualified teachers, could benefit from understanding what a mentor-coach integrated approach might look like, founded on an asset-based model.

Originality/value

– The literature is limited with regards to the use of coaching for pre-service teachers. This paper examines the use of mentoring and coaching within schools in a more balanced way; questioning the underlying beliefs about the purpose of mentoring and coaching and whether or not these are based on deficit or asset-based models.
Integrating environmental management into supply chains
Authors: Wong Chee Yew , Wong Christina WY , Boon-itt Sakun
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The need to integrate environmental management into supply chains has been recognized recently. Yet, there is a lack of theoretical ground and conceptual framework guiding such efforts to leverage resources and capabilities across supply chain partners. Grounded on stakeholder and resource orchestration theories, the purpose of this paper is to map the emerging practices, develops a theoretical framework, and proposes future research for understanding an emerging best-practice called “green supply chain integration” (GSCI).

Design/methodology/approach

– A systematic literature review of 142 academic articles is conducted to ensure the process of framework development is auditable and repeatable. The article selection criteria are aligned with the review question ensuring that related theories and practices are identified and evaluated.

Findings

– The paper illustrates how stakeholder and resource orchestration theories can be used to explain an integrative approach of environmental management in supply chains. The paper identifies four GSCI practices – internal, supplier, customer, and stakeholder GSCI. A theoretical framework and proposition also provide for new directions of research.

Research limitations/implications

– The results of this paper are drawn from an extensive review of the existing literature and novel practices that have not been revealed and could have been missed. The emerging practices and theoretical framework can be used for further empirical investigation.

Originality/value

– This paper integrates theoretical concepts and empirical findings from the disparate literature and identifies four emerging practices of environmental management by developing a theoretical framework and proposition for future research.
Antecedents and dimensions of supply chain robustness: a systematic literature review
Authors: Durach Christian F. , Wieland Andreas , Machuca Jose A.D.
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide groundwork for an emerging theory of supply chain robustness – which has been conceptualized as a dimension of supply chain resilience – through reviewing and synthesizing related yet disconnected studies. The paper develops a formal definition of supply chain robustness to build a framework that captures the dimensions, antecedents and moderators of the construct as discussed in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors apply a systematic literature review approach. In order to reduce researcher bias, they involve a team of academics, librarians and managers.

Findings

– The paper first, provides a formal definition of supply chain robustness; second, builds a theoretical framework of supply chain robustness that augments both causal and descriptive knowledge; third,shows how findings in this review support practice; and fourth,reveals methodological insights on the use of journal rankings in reviews.

Research limitations/implications

– At this stage, managers may benefit from seeing these relationships as clues derived from the literature. The paper is fundamentally a call for researchers to conduct quantitative testing of such relationships to derive more reliable understanding and practical applications.

Practical implications

– Rather than presenting empirical findings, this paper reveals to managers that visibility, risk management orientation and reduced network complexity have been the main predictive antecedents of supply chain robustness (as discussed in the academic literature). This provides a potentially important signal as to where to invest resources.

Originality/value

– The study is the first to develop a formal definition of supply chain robustness and to establish a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding the construct.
The new round of reform of state-owned enterprises
Authors: Yang Weidong
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to review the state-owned enterprise (SOE) reform in China and analyzes the role of the Chinese Government in the progress of the SOE reform. It provides suggestions to better guide the direction of further reforms of the SOEs in China.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper reviews the historical path of the SOE reform in China and analyzes the underline policy implication associated with the reform.

Findings

– The success of the function-oriented SOE reform depends on the transformation of governmental functions. Only with the linkage of governmental functions reform can we change the existing pattern of economic development, build a solid foundation for the socialist market economy and achieve the final triumph.

Originality/value

– This paper provides suggestions to better guide the direction of further reforms of the SOEs in China.
Enhancing dynamic capability: a case of Microlit
Authors: Joshi Manoj , Srivastava Apoorva
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– This study/paper aims to create an understanding on how a firm develops dynamic capabilities in new strategic dimensions. Innovation in organizations is not an exclusive domain of large firms. Family-owned and -managed firms have aggressively integrated innovation. Focussed orientation towards product innovation combined with innovative capability and high levels of owner-manager motivation has helped translate technology-based family businesses into highly profitable and competitive ventures. Microlit, is a liquid handling product manufacturer producing high-quality, high-tech, cost-effective, single and multichannel micropipettes. Founded in 1988, by brothers Ajay and Atul Jain, it is based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The key contributor to the firm’s success has been its strong customer-oriented product designs. The challenge lies in development of dynamic capabilities to gain competence in new strategic dimensions? Would the firm be able to leverage its innovation drive?

Design/methodology/approach

– The case is based on primary and secondary testing of the case several times and filling the case gaps during the process. To authenticate information, multiple sources of information have been used.

Findings

– Dynamic capabilities are essential for a firm’s growth. The challenge is in continuously harnessing and managing it within a family business.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings are based on observations of one company and research carried through secondary sources, which may limit the theory creation.

Practical implications

– An enterprise largely competes on the basis of available talent, knowledge, competency and capability. Therefore, knowledge must be managed, and especially, from tacit to explicit.

Originality/value

– The case is original with the business family in its second generation striving to perform amidst professionalization and internationalization.