bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of rapid susceptibility testing and antibiotic selection strategy on the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance in gonorrhea
Authors: Tuite Ashleigh R , Gift Thomas L , Chesson Harrell W , Hsu Katherine , Salomon Joshua A , Grad Yonatan H
Published: April 2017

Background

Increasing antibiotic resistance limits treatment options for gonorrhea. We examined the extent to which a hypothetical point-of-care (POC) test reporting antibiotic susceptibility profiles could slow the spread of resistance.

Methods

We developed a deterministic compartmental model describing gonorrhea transmission in a single-sex population with three antibiotics available to treat infections. Probabilities of resistance emergence on treatment and fitness costs associated with resistance were based on characteristics of ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, and ceftriaxone. We evaluated time to 1% and 5% prevalence of resistant strains among all isolates with: (1) empiric treatment (azithromycin plus ceftriaxone), and treatment guided by POC tests determining susceptibility to (2) ciprofloxacin only and (3) all three antibiotics.

Findings

Based on current gonococcal susceptibility patterns in the United States, the model indicated that continued empiric dual antibiotic treatment without POC testing resulted in >5% of isolates being resistant to both azithromycin and ceftriaxone within 15 years. When either POC test was used in 10% of identified cases, this was delayed by 5 years. The three antibiotic POC test delayed the time to reach 1% prevalence of triply-resistant strains by 6 years, while the ciprofloxacin-only test resulted in no delay. Results were less sensitive to assumptions about fitness costs and test characteristics with increasing test uptake. The main limitation of this study is that we made simplifying assumptions to describe gonorrhea transmission and the emergence and spread of resistance in the population.

Conclusions

Rapid diagnostics that report antibiotic susceptibility have the potential to extend the usefulness of existing antibiotics for treatment of gonorrhea. Monitoring resistance patterns will be critical with the introduction of such tests.
Prototyping and Implementation of a Novel Feedforward Loop in a Cell-Free Transcription-Translation System and Cells
Authors: Guo Shaobin , Murray Richard M.
Published: April 2017

Building novel synthetic biological devices is a time-consuming task because of the lengthy cell-based testing and optimization processes. Recent progress made in the cell-free field suggests that the utilization of mathematical models and cell-free transcription-translation testing platforms to systematically design and test novel synthetic biocircuits may help streamline some of the processes. Here we present a study of building a novel functional biological network motif from scratch with the aid of the mathematical modeling and the cell-free prototyping. In this work, we demonstrated that we were able to make a 3-promoter feedforward circuit from a concept to a working biocircuit in cells within a month. We started with performing simulations with a cell-free transcription-translation simulation toolbox. After verifying the feasibility of the circuit design, we used a fast assembling method to build the constructs and used the linear DNAs directly in the cell-free system for prototyping. After additional tests and assemblies, we implemented the circuit in plasmid forms in cells and showed that thein vivoresults were consistent with the simulations and the outcomes in the cell-free platform. This study showed the usefulness of modeling and prototyping in building synthetic biocircuits and that we can use these tools to help streamline the process of circuit optimizations in future studies.
Rate of Fixation of Rare Variants in a Population
Authors: Khatri Bhavin S.
Published: April 2017

The process of molecular evolution has been dominated by the Kimura paradigm for nearly 60 years; mutations arise at a certain rate in the population and they go to fixation with a probability given by Kimura’s classic formula, which assumes there are no further mutations that interfere with the fixation process. An alternative view is that rare variants exist in the population in a mutation-drift-selection balance and rise to fixation through a combination of chance (genetic drift), selection and mutation. When mutations increase in strength, but still in the weak regime, we would expect the Kimura rate approximation to be an overestimate, as a rare variant which grows in frequency will suffer a greater backward flux of mutations, slowing progress to fixation. However, to date calculating important quantities for a general model of selection and mutation, like the rate of fixation of these rare variants has not been tractable in the conventional diffusion approximation of population genetics. Here, we use Fisher’s angular transformation to convert the frequency-dependent diffusion inherent in population genetics to simple diffusion in an effective potential, which describes the forces of selection, drift and mutation. Once this potential is defined it is simple to show that the mean first passage time is given by a double integral which relate to populations at the barrier. Exact numerical integration shows excellent agreement with discrete Wright-Fisher simulations, which do show a slowing down of the fixation of mutants at higher mutation rates and for strong positive selection, compared to the Kimura prediction. We then seek a closed-form analytical expression for the rate of fixation of mutants, by adapting Kramer’s approximation for the mean first passage time. This overall gives an accurate approximation, but however, does not improve on the Kimura rate.
Biophysics and population size constrains speciation in an evolutionary model of developmental system drift
Authors: Khatri Bhavin S. , Goldstein Richard A.
Published: April 2017

Developmental system drift is a likely mechanism for the origin of hybrid incompatibilities between closely related species. We examine here the detailed mechanistic basis of hybrid incompatibilities for a genotype-phenotype map for developmental system drift under stabilising selection, where the organismal phenotype is conserved, but the underlying molecular phenotypes and genotype can drift. This leads to number of emergent phenomenon not obtainable by modelling genotype or phenotype alone. Our results show that: 1) speciation is more rapid at smaller population sizes with a characteristic, Orr-like, power law, but at large population sizes slow, characterised by a sub-diffusive growth law; 2) the molecular phenotypes under weakest selection contribute to the earliest incompatibilities; and 3) pairwise incompatibilities dominate over higher order, contrary to previous predictions that the latter should dominate. Our results indicate that biophysics and population size provide a much stronger constraint to speciation than suggested by previous models.
CogStack - Experiences Of Deploying Integrated Information Retrieval And Extraction Services In A Large National Health Service Foundation Trust Hospital
Authors: Jackson Richard , Kartoglu Ismail Emre , Agrawal Asha , Lui Kenneth , Wu Honghan , Groza Tudor , Roberts Angus , Gorrell Genevieve , Song Xingyi , Lewsley Damian , Northwood Doug , Folarin Amos , Stringer Clive , Stewart Robert , Dobson Richard
Published: April 2017

Traditional health information systems are generally devised to support clinical data collection at the point of care. However, as the significance of the modern information economy expands in scope and permeates the healthcare domain, there is an increasing urgency for healthcare organisations to offer information systems that address the expectations of clinicians, researchers and the business intelligence community alike. Amongst other emergent requirements, the principal unmet need might be defined as the 3R principle (right data, right place, right time) to address deficiencies in organisational data flow while retaining the strict information governance policies that apply within the UK National Health Service (NHS). Here, we describe our work on deploying structured and unstructured data search and information extraction technologies within King's College Hospital, the management of governance concerns and the associated use cases and cost saving opportunities that such components present.
Popping Out MX Cassettes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: McCusker John H.
Published: April 2017

MX cassettes are frequently used to generate knockout (KO) mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The recycling or “popping out” of an MX cassette flanked by direct repeats allows the same cassette to be reused in a strain to generate additional KO mutations. Popping out MX cassettes also eliminates MX homology in a strain, which facilitates the subsequent generation of additional KO mutations with other MX cassettes. MX cassettes can be recycled or “popped out” of the genome by spontaneous recombination between large, cassette-borne MX3 or PR direct repeats and by Cre-mediated, site-specific recombination between small, cassette-borne loxP direct repeats. Both of these techniques leave a mutation with a cassette-encoded “scar.” For the URA3MX, LYS5MX, FCA1/FCY1MX, and amdSYM cassettes, there are counterselections. Counterselections are extremely useful as they allow for positive selection for plasmid shuffling, transplacement of mutant alleles into the genome, and recycling or popping out cassettes flanked by cassette-encoded direct repeats to yield mutations with a cassette-encoded scar. Finally, after amplifying with the appropriately designed primers, integrated counterselectable MX cassettes can be popped out to generate seamless or “scar-free” deletion mutations, as well as indel and point mutations.
Isolation of the Spermatogonial Stem Cell-Containing Fraction from Testes
Authors: Goodyear Shaun , Brinster Ralph
Published: April 2017

A testis cell fraction enriched for spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) compared with the unfractionated total testis cell population can be isolated from testes after birth and adult stages. This protocol involves dissociating the seminiferous tubules into a single-cell suspension, using enzymes and mechanical disruption. This is followed by the selection of the Thy1+ cell fraction that contains nearly the entire SSC population and is enriched for these cells compared with the total testis cell population. This isolated fraction can be used for molecular studies, transfer into culture to establish primary cultures, or transplantation into the testes of recipients for spermatogenesis. Typically, if the SSCs are destined for transplantation, a marker is included to visualize the clones of spermatogenesis (e.g., lacZ or green fluorescent protein [GFP] transgenes). It is important to note that the isolated Thy1+ cell fraction does not consist of pure SSCs and that most germ cells are non-stem-cell progenitors, and a smaller portion of the population is somatic cells.
Preparation of an 8-kb Mate-Pair Library for Illumina Sequencing
Authors: Mardis Elaine , McCombie W. Richard
Published: April 2017

The “mate-pair” approach for dual end sequencing uses long library fragments (1000–10,000 bp) that are circularized by ligation to the ends of a single, common DNA adaptor of known sequence. Once the ends are mated to the adaptor, a final library of fragments that retain the adaptor and only the ends of the original, circularized piece of DNA can be obtained. This protocol provides instructions for preparing an 8-kb paired-end library suitable for sequencing on the Illumina instrument. These are large-insert libraries, and the initial shearing will use various parameters and different instruments to achieve the desired high-size fraction.
In Vivo Patch-Clamp Recording in Awake Head-Fixed Rodents
Authors: Lee Doyun , Lee Albert K.
Published: April 2017

Whole-cell recording has been used to measure and manipulate a neuron’s spiking and subthreshold membrane potential, allowing assessment of the cell’s inputs and outputs as well as its intrinsic membrane properties. This technique has also been combined with pharmacology and optogenetics as well as morphological reconstruction to address critical questions concerning neuronal integration, plasticity, and connectivity. This protocol describes a technique for obtaining whole-cell recordings in awake head-fixed animals, allowing such questions to be investigated within the context of an intact network and natural behavioral states. First, animals are habituated to sit quietly with their heads fixed in place. Then, a whole-cell recording is obtained using an efficient, blind patching protocol. We have successfully applied this technique to rats and mice.
MX Cassettes for Knocking Out Genes in Yeast
Authors: McCusker John H.
Published: April 2017

Precise modifications of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome use marker cassettes, most often in the form of “knockout” (KO) marker cassettes, to delete genes. Many different KO marker cassettes exist, some of which require strains with specific genotypes, such as auxotrophic mutations, and others that have no strain genotype requirements, such as selections for drug resistance and one of two selections for nitrogen source utilization. This introduction focuses on the most frequently used family of KO cassettes—the MX cassettes. In particular, we focus on and describe the different types of MX cassettes and selections; specifically, selections for prototrophy; selections for utilization of cytosine or acetamide as sole nitrogen sources; and selections for resistance to six different drugs. The use of cassettes to place genes under regulated control is briefly discussed. Also discussed are strain genotype requirements (where applicable); media requirements; how to “recycle” or “pop out” cassettes; and counterselections against specific KO cassettes.
Whole-Cell Recording in the Awake Brain
Authors: Lee Doyun , Lee Albert K.
Published: April 2017

Intracellular recording is an essential technique for investigating cellular mechanisms underlying complex brain functions. Despite the high sensitivity of the technique to mechanical disturbances, intracellular recording has been applied to awake, behaving, and even freely moving, animals. Here we summarize recent advances in these methods and their application to the measurement and manipulation of membrane potential dynamics for understanding neuronal computations in behaving animals.
A high-pressure single-crystal-diffraction experimental system at 4W2 beamline of BSRF
Authors: Li Xiaodong , Li Hui , Li Pengshan , Li Rui , Liu Jing , Li Yanchun , Cui Weiran
Published: April 2017

Information on the structural evolution of materials under high pressure is of great importance for understanding the properties of materials exhibited under high pressure. High-pressure powder diffraction is widely used to investigate the structure evolution of materials at such pressure. Unfortunately, powder diffraction data are usually insufficient for retrieving the atomic structures, with high-pressure single-crystal diffraction being more desirable for such a purpose. Here, a high-pressure single-crystal diffraction experimental system developed recently at beamline 4W2 of Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BSRF) is reported. The design and operation of this system are described with emphasis on special measures taken to allow for the special circumstance of high-pressure single-crystal diffraction. As an illustration, a series of diffraction datasets were collected on a single crystal of LaB6 using this system under various pressures (from ambient pressure to 39.1 GPa). The quality of the datasets was found to be sufficient for structure solution and subsequent refinement.
Conceptualising the contemporary corporate value creation process
Authors: Adams Carol A.
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine and explain the complex interrelationships which influence the ability of firms to create value for their providers of finance and other stakeholders (loosely referred to in practice as “integrated thinking”). In doing so it examines the interrelationships between: environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk; delivering on corporate strategy; non-financial corporate reporting; and, board oversight.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews were conducted with board chairs and non-executive directors of large listed companies on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (where Boards are required to have a social and ethics sub-committee and approve integrated reports which have been mandatory since 2010) and the Australian Stock Exchange (where Board directors’ liability legislation results in Boards being reluctant to adopt integrated reporting which is voluntary).

Findings

The research finds that contemporary reporting processes, and in particular those set out in the King III Code and the International Integrated Reporting Framework, influence cognitive frames enhancing board oversight and assisting organisations in managing complexity. This results in increased awareness of the impact of ESG issues together with a broader view of value creation despite investor disinterest.

Research limitations/implications

A number of avenues of research are suggested to further examine the interrelationships identified.

Practical implications

The research assists the development of practice and policy by articulating and enhancing the understanding of linkages, which loosely fall under the vague practitioner term “integrated thinking”.

Social implications

The conceptualisation can inform national and global discussions on the appropriateness of corporate reporting and governance models to achieve sustainable development and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Originality/value

The paper conceptualises emerging and complex interrelationships. The cross-country comparison allows an assessment of the extent to which different national social contexts with differing governance and reporting frameworks lead to different perspectives on, and approaches to, value creation.
Generalized finite element analysis of high-rise wall-frame structural systems
Authors: Son HongJun , Park Jonghwan , Kim Heecheul , Lee Young Hak , Kim Dae-Jin
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a generalized finite element technique that can accurately approximate the solution of the flexural-shear cantilever model of wall-frame structures proposed by Heidebrecht and Stafford Smith.

Design/methodology/approach

This approach adopts scaled monomials as enrichment functions, and they are highly effective in accurately capturing the solution of the problem, as it consists of smooth functions such as polynomials, hyperbolic and trigonometric functions. Several numerical experiments are performed on the static and modal analyses of the flexural-shear cantilever wall-frame structures using the proposed generalized finite element method (GFEM), and their accuracies are compared with those obtained using the standard finite element method.

Findings

The proposed GFEM is able to achieve theoretical convergence rates of the static and modal analyses, which are, in principle, identical to those of the standard FEM, for various polynomial orders of its shape functions such as quadratic, cubic and quartic orders. The proposed GFEM with quartic enrichment functions can provide more accurate solutions than the standard FEM, and thus can be effectively used at the initial design stage of high-rise wall-frame structures.

Originality/value

This work is the first paper where the GFEM is applied to the analysis of high-rise wall-frame structures, and the developed technique can be used as a good analysis tool at the initial design stage.
A study of 3D model similarity based on surface bipartite graph matching
Authors: Wang Jihua , Wang Huayu
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This study aims to compute 3D model similarity by extracting and comparing shape features from the neutral files.

Design/methodology/approach

In this work, the clear text encoding document STEP (Standard for The Exchange of Product model data) of 3D models was analysed, and the models were characterized by two-depth trees consisting of both surface and shell nodes. All surfaces in the STEP files can be subdivided into three kinds, namely, free, analytical and loop surfaces. Surface similarity is defined by the variation coefficients of distances between data points on two surfaces, and subsequently, the shell similarity and 3D model similarity are determined using an optimal algorithm for bipartite graph matching.

Findings

This approach is used to experimentally verify the effectiveness of the 3D model similarity algorithm.

Originality/value

The novelty of this study research lies in the computation of 3D model similarity by comparison of all surfaces. In addition, the study makes several key observations: surfaces reflect the most information concerning the functions and attributes of a 3D model and so the similarity between surfaces generates more comprehensive content (both external and internal); semantic-based 3D retrieval can be obtained under the premise of comparison of surface semantics; and more accurate similarity of 3D models can be obtained using the optimal algorithm of bipartite graph matching for all surfaces.
Study of laser displacement measurement data abnormal correction algorithm
Authors: Yi Zeguang , Pan Nan , Liu Yi , Guo Yu
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to reduce and eliminate the abnormal peaks which, because of the reflection in the process of laser detection, make it easier to proceed with further analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

To solve the above problem, an abnormal data correction algorithm based on histogram, K-Means clustering and improved robust locally weighted scatter plot smoothing (LOWESS) is put forward. The proposed algorithm does section leveling for shear plant first and then applies histogram to define the abnormal fluctuation data between the neighboring points and utilizes a K-Means clustering to eliminate the abnormal data. After that, the improved robust LOWESS method, which is based on Euclidean distance, is used to remove the noise interference and finally obtain the waveform characteristics for next data processing.

Findings

The experiment result of liner tool mark laser test data correction demonstrates the accuracy and reliability of the proposed algorithm.

Originality/value

The study enables the following points: the detection signal automatic leveling; abnormal data identification and demarcation using K-Means clustering and histogram; and data smoothing using LOWESS.
Inconsistency detection and data fusion in USAR task
Authors: Lee Pei-Ju , You Peng-Sheng , Huang Yu-Chih , Hsieh Yi-Chih
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The historical data usually consist of overlapping reports, and these reports may contain inconsistent data, which may return incorrect results of a query search. Moreover, users who issue the query may not learn of this inconsistency even after a data cleaning process (e.g. schema matching or data screening). The inconsistency can exist in different types of data, such as temporal or spatial data. Therefore, this paper aims to introduce an information fusion method that can detect data inconsistency in the early stages of data fusion.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper introduces an information fusion method for multi-robot operations, for which fusion is conducted continuously. When the environment is explored by multiple robots, the robot logs can provide more information about the number and coordination of targets or victims. The information fusion method proposed in this paper generates an underdetermined linear system of overlapping spatial reports and estimates the case values. Then, the least squares method is used for the underdetermined linear system. By using these two methods, the conflicts between reports can be detected and the values of the intervals at specific times or locations can be estimated.

Findings

The proposed information fusion method was tested for inconsistency detection and target projection of spatial fusion in sensor networks. The proposed approach examined the values of sensor data from simulation that robots perform search tasks. This system can be expanded to data warehouses with heterogeneous data sources to achieve completeness, robustness and conciseness.

Originality/value

Little research has been devoted to the linear systems for information fusion of tasks of mobile robots. The proposed information fusion method minimizes the cost of time and comparison for data fusion and also minimizes the probability of errors from incorrect results.
Mutually agreed termination, job destruction and dismissals
Authors: Signoretto Camille
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the implementation of a new open-ended contract termination in 2008 in France, called therupture conventionnelle(RC), which is a mutually agreed contract termination. More precisely, this paper analyses first the impact of the RC on the employers’ termination decisions (termination or not?). Then it seeks to provide empirical evidence of a substitution between the RC and other contract terminations (if there is termination, what types?).

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is first empirical. The author uses two matched firms’ data sets: one relating to the movement of employees and other from accounting data from 2006 to 2009. Using a propensity score matching method, the author creates two similar (from observable characteristics) firms’ groups – those that used RC in 2009 and those not. The author compares the evolution of the employment decisions between the two groups between 2008 and 2009 in order to identify the specific effect of the RC in the user firms.

Findings

The results indicate that the introduction of the RC tends to increase workforce exits and does lead to much more job destruction in the user firms, i.e. job destruction would have been weaker in the user firms if the RC had not been implemented. Substitutions with dismissals for personal reasons and for economic reasons also may have appeared, albeit weakly.

Originality/value

The RC seems an important measure to make the labour market more flexible, especially in France where EPL is often criticize for its rigidities. But few studies analyse the consequences of this new institutional rule on firms’ behaviour and with firms’ data set. Then this paper provides first some understanding and assessment of the economic effects of the RC.
Managing uncertainty for sustainability of complex projects
Authors: Brink Tove
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reveal how management of uncertainty can enable sustainability of complex projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was conducted from June 2014 to May 2015 using a qualitative deductive approach among operation and maintenance actors in offshore wind farms. The research contains a focus group interview with 11 companies, 20 individual interviews and a seminar presenting preliminary findings with 60 participants.

Findings

The findings reveal the need for management of uncertainty through two different paths. First, project management needs to frontload important issues, which results in the need to use resources much earlier than noted in the usual stage gate approach. Additionally, the base organisation needs the capacity to both explore and exploit important issues. In the summarisation of findings, a tool is developed for the two paths to join efforts.

Research limitations/implications

Further research is needed to reveal the generalisability of the findings in other complex project contexts containing “unknown unknowns”.

Practical implications

The research leads to the development of a tool for uncertainty management for sustainability of complex projects, which is termed “UMSCoPS”. The model provides a guide for insight and understanding of uncertainty management.

Originality/value

The previous knowledge on managing uncertainty for sustainability of complex projects is enhanced regarding the uncertainty management in complex projects. The approach to uncertainty has returned to the original notion of the “unknown unknowns”, and project management thereby leaves the widely used stage gate approach. The developed tool provides a fresh understanding of the challenges of uncertainty.
What is project alliance capability?
Authors: Hietajärvi Anna-Maija , Aaltonen Kirsi , Haapasalo Harri
Published: April 2017

Purpose

Project alliancing – a project delivery model used in delivering complex projects – demands new organizational capabilities for successful project implementation. The purpose of this paper is to define the concept of project alliance (PA) capability and to identify the elements that constitute an organization’s PA capability.

Design/methodology/approach

This study provides empirical evidence of PA capability based on an investigation of participants’ experiences of Finnish construction and infrastructure alliance projects. The adopted research approach is qualitative and inductive.

Findings

The paper conceptualizes PA capability and defines the elements that constitute an organization’s PA capability, including important activities in the pre-formation, development and post-formation phases of PAs and the contractual, behavioral, relational, and operational skills that organizations need for successful alliance project initiation and implementation.

Practical implications

The identified alliance project activities are targets for routinization and best practices that organizations can deploy from one project to another. The identified skills indicate areas in which organizations should build and develop expertise.

Originality/value

There is limited empirical research on the elements defining an organization’s capability to bid, manage and operate in alliance projects. This study presents some preliminary thoughts to augment knowledge of the successful initiation and management of alliance projects and to suggest why some organizations may be more successful than others in alliance projects.
In the eye of the beholder
Authors: Niknazar Pooria , Bourgault Mario
Published: April 2017

Purpose

Projects have high stakes in how they are categorized. The final place of a project within a classification scheme depends on the inclusion or exclusion of certain classification criteria. So far, many researchers and organizations have used a variety classification criteria to construct different project classification schemes. However, most of these classification criteria have been taken for granted and the process of selecting them to categorize projects still remains a black box. The purpose of this paper is to open the black box of classification process and explain how it is reflected in picking the classification criteria.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on insights from cognitive psychology’s literature, the authors examine the main views of classification process to provide insight into the unknown or implicit reasons that one might have to pick particular attributes as project classification criteria.

Findings

The authors argue that classification occurs in the eye of the beholder; it is not only the project’s featuresper sebut also the classifier’s “goals, ideal and preference” or “knowledge of causal relations” that are reflected in the classification criteria.

Research limitations/implications

By elaborating the classification process, the authors brought the project context into the big picture of classification and provide a more rational, and coherent picture of how project classification works. This contributes to a theoretical blind spot, raised by prior researchers, related to the selection of project classification criteria.

Practical implications

Understanding classification processes will reduce the ambiguities, inconsistencies and multiple interpretations of project categories and help practitioners increase their projects’ visibility and legitimacy within an already established classification scheme. These implications help organizations in addressing some of the main obstacles to using categorization in project management practice.

Originality/value

The review of prior work in the category research literature and the insights from this paper will provide project management scholars with a useful toolbox for future research on project classification, which has long been understudied.
Spontaneous concerns about risk and abuse reported by people with dementia and their carers
Authors: Benbow Susan M. , Kingston Paul
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to look at concerns about risk/abuse expressed spontaneously by people with dementia (PwD) and their carers in narratives describing their journeys with dementia.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 35 narratives were elicited from PwD, carers of PwD and couples where one partner was living with dementia as part of a study on the impact of producing narratives on PwD and their carers. Participants were found to allude to risk/abuse, or specifically mention thoughts on risk and abuse in their narratives. A secondary analysis of the theme of risk/abuse is reported here.

Findings

Concerns about risk/exploitation were often expressed in the narratives, and covered a range of areas including driving, safety in the home, safety outdoors, falls, finances, risk to PwD from others, risk to others from PwD, potential or actual police incidents and neglect.

Research limitations/implications

The narratives were elicited as part of another project and participants were not asked directly about risk; themes reported here were brought up spontaneously by participants.

Practical implications

In relation to dementia a wide range of risk/abuse issues is of concern to PwD and their carers, including driving and financial vulnerabilities. PwD and carers are prepared to talk about risk/abuse when given an opportunity. It is important to investigate and understand experiences and concerns about risk/abuse if they are to be addressed in health and social care practice.

Originality/value

The narratives offer unique insights into the concerns of PwD and family carers.
Practices, drivers and barriers of implementing green leases: lessons from South Australia
Authors: Rameezdeen Raufdeen , Zuo Jian , Stevens Jack
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the practices, drivers and barriers which influence the implementation of green leases in South Australia. Despite some efforts on legal aspects of green leases, only a few studies have examined these aspects from an operational perspective. In addition, very little empirical evidence was presented in previous studies to show how green leases work in real-life settings.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with landlord and tenant representatives who have considerable experience in green leases. These interviewees were selected via a purposive sampling technique that identified buildings which use green leases in South Australia. The concept of interface management (IM) was used to operationalize this research.

Findings

The green leases were found to be mainly initiated by tenants while government involvement, economic and environmental benefits are the main drivers in South Australia. Drivers such as staff retention, well-being and corporate social responsibility are found to be more relevant to tenants. Lack of awareness and transaction costs are the main barriers to the implementation of green leases.

Research limitations/implications

This study focuses on the South Australian context and mainly covers dark green leases. There are implications for the government’s continued involvement and the promotion of lighter shades of green leases to overcome operational issues and barriers identified in this study.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the body of knowledge on the subject of green lease implementation from an operational perspective. In addition, the study introduces a conceptual framework via IM that could be used in future research endeavours.
The impact of distance on headquarters’ network management capabilities
Authors: Mykhaylenko Alona , Waehrens Brian V. , Slepniov Dmitrij
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The ability of an organisation’s headquarters (HQ) to bring value to and manage a globally dispersed multinational enterprise has been questioned in the existing literature. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that HQ-subsidiary distance is an important factor that affects such ability; this report also investigates the impact of distance on the HQ’s network management capabilities in the context of a global organisation’s evolution.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, a single company was chosen to take part in a retrospective, longitudinal case study that highlighted two embedded product cases. The concept of distance was viewed as a variety of distance dimensions existing between the HQ and its subsidiaries.

Findings

The results indicated that distance impacted the effectiveness of the HQ’s network management capabilities by affecting HQ-subsidiary interaction and, consequently, shaping HQ’s knowledgeability about the subsidiaries’ operations. Moreover, the results suggested that the impact of such distance may shift from positive to negative over the course of a global organisation’s evolution.

Research limitations/implications

Although this study was explorative, some generalisability to industrial-goods companies of Scandinavian origin that have transferred activities to their owned subsidiaries may be expected. Further replication of the study using multiple case companies across various industries and countries is desirable.

Originality/value

This work extends the understanding of technological distance, sheds light on the conditions necessary for the HQ of a globally networked organisation to engage in value creation in the context of its evolution and contributes to the overall appreciation of distance as a factor that comprises multiple dimensions.
Supply chain integration within global manufacturing networks: a contingency flow-based view
Authors: Golini Ruggero , Caniato Federico , Kalchschmidt Matteo
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how the role of the plant in a manufacturing network (MN) affects the configurations of the flows of goods among plants, suppliers and customers and how these configurations, in turn, affect the extent of adoption and effectiveness of supply chain (SC) integration.

Design/methodology/approach

Three research questions are developed at the plant level and then tested using an international survey (IMSS 6) featuring 364 plants which are part of an intra-company MN from 18 countries.

Findings

Five configurations of flows of goods emerge from the analysis. These configurations appear to be related to the role of the plant in the network and to the effectiveness of SC integration practices, but not to their extent of adoption.

Research limitations/implications

Research limitations include the focus on specific industries (assembly industries) and limited size of the clusters which did not allow for a deep investigation of each single cluster.

Originality/value

The paper creates a bridge between two literature streams (MNs and SC management) by means of an innovative flow-based perspective that can help researchers and practitioners to disentangle the two interwoven perspectives.
A fuzzy superiority and inferiority ranking based approach for IT service management software selection
Authors: Rouhani Saeed
Published: April 2017

Purpose

Information technology service management (ITSM) has become a major IT department management system in organizations. Successful implementation of ITSM depends on select adequate ITSM software. Evaluation and selection of the ITSM solution or software packages is complicated and time-consuming decision-making problem. This paper aims to present an approach for dealing with such a problem.

Design/methodology/approach

This approach introduces functional, non-functional requirements and novel fuzzy out-ranking evaluation method for ITSM software selection. The presented approach breaks down ITSM software selection criteria into two broad categories, namely, functional (service strategy, service design, service transition, service operation, continual service improvement according to Information Technology Infrastructure Library V3) and non-functional requirements (quality, technical, vendor, implementation) including totally 46 selection criteria. A novel fuzzy superiority and inferiority ranking (FSIR) was developed and made applicable for ITSM software selection based on identified criteria.

Findings

The proposed approach is applied to IT services company to select and acquire ITSM software, and the provided numerical example illustrates the applicability of the approach for this choice. The approach can facilitate firms to achieve suitable ITSM software and have a precise acquisition decision; however, the limitation of dependency on experts’ competence and proficiency in the both ITSM field and IT technical issues exists.

Research limitations/implications

The approach can facilitate firms to achieve suitable ITSM software and have a precise acquisition decision; however, the limitation of dependency on experts’ competence and proficiency in the both ITSM field and IT technical issues exists.

Practical implications

Facilitating of ITSM implementation through its handy software selection is the major impact of current research.

Originality/value

A facile FSIR-based approach for software selection has been customized to contribute to the current literature in the ITSM field. Facilitating of ITSM implementation through its handy software selection is the major impact of current research.
Causality in complex systems
Authors: Usó-Domenech Jose-Luis , Nescolarde-Selva Josué Antonio , Lloret-Climent Miguel
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is the study of the causal relationship. The concept called “naive” causality can be stated more generally as the belief (or knowledge) that results follow actions, and that these results are not random, but are consistently linked with causes. The authors have thus formed a very general and precarious concept of causality, but one that appropriately reflects the meaning of causality at the level of common sense.

Design/methodology/approach

Mathematical and logical development of the causality in complex systems.

Findings

There are three aspects of rationality that give the human mind a unique vision of reality: quantification: reduction of phenomena to quantitative terms; cause and effect: causal relationship, which allows predicting; and the necessary and valid use of (deterministic) mechanical models. This work is dedicated to the second aspect, that of causality, but at present leaves aside the discussion of possibility-necessity, proposing a modification to philosophical synthesis of causality specified by Bunge (1959), with contributions made by Patten et al. (1976) and LeShan and Margenau (1982).

Originality/value

Causality is an epistemological category, because it concerns the experience and knowledge of the human subject, without being necessarily a property of reality.
Deep learning architecture using rough sets and rough neural networks
Authors: Hassan Yasser F.
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to utilize machine learning and soft computing to propose a new method of rough sets using deep learning architecture for many real-world applications.

Design/methodology/approach

The objective of this work is to propose a model for deep rough set theory that uses more than decision table and approximating these tables to a classification system, i.e. the paper propose a novel framework of deep learning based on multi-decision tables.

Findings

The paper tries to coordinate the local properties of individual decision table to provide an appropriate global decision from the system.

Research limitations/implications

The rough set learning assumes the existence of a single decision table, whereas real-world decision problem implies several decisions with several different decision tables. The new proposed model can handle multi-decision tables.

Practical implications

The proposed classification model is implemented on social networks with preferred features which are freely distribute as social entities with accuracy around 91 per cent.

Social implications

The deep learning using rough sets theory simulate the way of brain thinking and can solve the problem of existence of different information about same problem in different decision systems

Originality/value

This paper utilizes machine learning and soft computing to propose a new method of rough sets using deep learning architecture for many real-world applications.
Social introduction to library services for international students
Authors: Sheu Feng-Ru , Panchyshyn Roman S.
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness that a social function, an international student reception, has on making international students comfortable with library services and resources in an American academic library at Kent State University.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire was used to collect responses from attendees of an international student reception. The questionnaire was distributed both in-person and by e-mail. Ninety-three valid responses were received. The descriptive survey method was used in the study.

Findings

The findings reveal that the reception is attracting its target market, international students who have been enrolled at the university for less than one year. Food selection is critical to the success of the reception. However, there is room for improvement in many areas, such as the timing of the event, physical location and interactions between library staff and the international students.

Research limitations/implications

The survey was limited to only the international students who could attend the reception.

Practical implications

The study shows that partnership between the library and another department on campus (Office of Global Education) was a major key in the success of these receptions. Also, findings support that the comfort level of the students is a critical factor for the introduction of library services to international students. Future research is needed to measure the long-term impact of social event on library use.

Originality/value

This is the first case study in the literature where an academic library evaluates the impact of a social function, a reception, to gauge its ability to make international students comfortable with the library and its services.