bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-assembly of Ge quantum dots on periodically corrugated Si surfaces
Authors: Buljan M. , Facsko S. , Delač Marion I. , Mikšić Trontl V. , Kralj M. , Jerčinović M. , Baehtz C. , Muecklich A. , Holý V. , Radić N. , Grenzer J.
Published: November 2015

The fabrication of regularly ordered Ge quantum dot arrays on Si surfaces usually requires extensive preparation processing, ensuring clean and atomically ordered substrates, while the ordering parameters are quite limited by the surface properties of the substrate. Here, we demonstrate a simple method for fabrication of ordered Ge quantum dots with highly tunable ordering parameters on rippled Si surfaces. The ordering is achieved by magnetron sputter deposition, followed by an annealing in high vacuum. We show that the type of ordering and lattice vector parameters of the formed Ge quantum dot lattice are determined by the crystallographic properties of the ripples, i.e., by their shape and orientation. Moreover, the ordering is achieved regardless the initial amorphisation of the ripples surface and the presence of a thin oxide layer.
Nonlinear focusing of ultrasonic waves by an axisymmetric diffraction grating embedded in water
Authors: Jiménez N. , Romero-García V. , Picó R. , Garcia-Raffi L. M. , Staliunas K.
Published: November 2015

We report the nonlinear focusing of ultrasonic waves by an axisymmetric diffraction grating immersed in water. In the linear regime, the system presents high focal gain (32 dB), with a narrow beam-width and intense side lobes as it is common in focusing by Fresnel-like lenses. Activating the nonlinearity of the host medium by using high amplitude incident waves, the focusing properties of the lens dramatically change. Theoretical predictions show that the focal gain of the system extraordinary increases in the strongly nonlinear regime (Mach number of 6.1 × 10−4). Particularly, the harmonic generation is locally activated at the focal spot, and the second harmonic beam is characterized by strongly reduced side-lobes and an excellent beam profile as experiments show in agreement with theory. The results can motivate applications in medical therapy or second harmonic imaging.
Acousto-optic modulation of a photonic crystal nanocavity with Lamb waves in microwave K band
Authors: Tadesse Semere A. , Li Huan , Liu Qiyu , Li Mo
Published: November 2015

Integrating nanoscale electromechanical transducers and nanophotonic devices potentially can enable acousto-optic devices to reach unprecedented high frequencies and modulation efficiency. Here, we demonstrate acousto-optic modulation of a photonic crystal nanocavity using Lamb waves with frequency up to 19 GHz, reaching the microwave K band. The devices are fabricated in suspended aluminum nitride membrane. Excitation of acoustic waves is achieved with interdigital transducers with period as small as 300 nm. Confining both acoustic wave and optical wave within the thickness of the membrane leads to improved acousto-optic modulation efficiency in these devices than that obtained in previous surface acoustic wave devices. Our system demonstrates a scalable optomechanical platform where strong acousto-optic coupling between cavity-confined photons and high frequency traveling phonons can be explored.
A laboratory based edge-illumination x-ray phase-contrast imaging setup with two-directional sensitivity
Authors: Kallon Gibril K. , Wesolowski Michal , Vittoria Fabio A. , Endrizzi Marco , Basta Dario , Millard Thomas P. , Diemoz Paul C. , Olivo Alessandro
Published: November 2015

We report on a preliminary laboratory based x-ray phase-contrast imaging system capable of achieving two-directional phase sensitivity, thanks to the use of L-shaped apertures. We show that in addition to apparent absorption, two-directional differential phase images of an object can be quantitatively retrieved by using only three input images. We also verify that knowledge of the phase derivatives along both directions allows for straightforward phase integration with no streak artefacts, a known problem common to all differential phase techniques. In addition, an analytical method for 2-directional dark field retrieval is proposed and experimentally demonstrated.
Experimental phase-advance in woven textile metasurface
Authors: Burgnies L. , Cochrane C. , Rault F. , Sadaune V. , Lheurette É. , Koncar V. , Lippens D.
Published: November 2015

Transmission with phase advance is experimentally evidenced in a woven metasurface made of metallic wires and dielectric yarns. Similar to the negative refraction in metamaterials, phase advance is analyzed with a retrieval procedure of effective medium parameters. It is shown that a quasi-unitary transmission level can be achieved below the magnetic plasma frequency with a phase advance in a propagation regime for which both effective permittivity and permeability exhibit negative values. By stacking two metasurfaces with metallic wires woven in orthogonal directions, the phase advance is maintained and a polarization insensitive woven metamaterial is achieved.
The marked flooding tolerance of seedlings of a threatened swamp gum: implications for the restoration of critical wetland forests
Authors: Greet Joe
Published: November 2015

Wetland forests home to the last remaining wild populations of the helmeted honeyeater and lowland Leadbeater’s possum are under threat from tree dieback and a lack of natural regeneration, putatively the result of an altered hydrological regime. To restore these critical wetland forests, a better understanding of the flooding tolerance of the seedlings of the dominant tree species, Eucalyptus camphora subsp. humeana L.A.S.Johnson & K.D.Hill, is essential. I tested the effect of flooding on the establishment and growth of E. camphora seedlings in three nursery-based experiments. These experiments involved E. camphora seedlings of different ages (1, 3, and 8 months old) being subjected to different depths and durations (up to 12 months) of flooding. Eucalyptus camphora seedlings were able to survive and grow while flooded for 12 months as long as they were emergent. However, flooding negatively affected the growth of E. camphora seedlings, with these effects increasing with increasing depth and duration of flooding, and decreasing seedling age. The ability of E. camphora seedlings to survive prolonged shallow flooding is considerable, an ability enabled by its rapid and extensive production of aerenchyma tissue and stem-borne adventitious roots under flooded conditions. Nonetheless, conditions for E. camphora seedling establishment and growth are likely to improve with reduced flooding, with an absence of flooding during its growth period (early spring–late summer) most favourable.
Tensions between the conduct of randomised controlled trials in health promotion research and the role of autonomy in human health and well being
Authors: Buchanan David R.
Published: November 2015

The goal of developing increasingly effective interventions to change health‐related behaviours, which is an inevitable result of the use of the scientific method, conflicts with respect for the autonomy and dignity of the individual. This paper recommends a new direction for the field of health promotion based on building people's capacity to exercise autonomy, in the ethically relevant meaning of the term, and thereby promote a more comprehensive understanding of the goals of the field, a state of health that includes the irreducible ethical dimension signified by human dignity.
Engaging dental professionals in residential aged-care facilities: staff perspectives regarding access to oral care
Authors: Hearn Lydia , Slack-Smith Linda
Published: November 2015

The limited access to oral care for older people living in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) has been noted repeatedly in the literature. The aim of this study was to explore RACF staff perspectives on how to engage dental professionals in the provision of oral care for RACF residents. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 staff from six purposively selected RACFs located in high socioeconomic areas to gain understanding of the multidimensional issues that influenced the engagement of dental professionals from a carer perspective. Analysis revealed that staff perceived tensions regarding affordability, availability, accessibility and flexibility of dental professionals as significant barriers to better oral care for their residents. Participants raised a series of options for how to better engage dental professionals and reduce these barriers. Their ideas included: the engagement of RACF staff in collaborative discussions with representatives of public and private dental services, dental associations, corporate partners and academics; the use of hygienists/oral health therapists to educate and motivate RACF staff; the promotion of oral health information for troubleshooting and advice on how to deal with residents’ dental pain while waiting for support; the encouragement of onsite training for dental professionals; and the importance of gerodontology (geriatric dentistry). Findings highlighted the need to explore alternative approaches to delivering oral care that transcend the model of private clinical practice to focus instead on the needs of RACFs and take into account quality of end-of-life oral care.
Mandibular and dental characteristics of Late Triassic mammaliaform
Haramiyavia
and their ramifications for basal mammal evolution
Authors: Luo Zhe-Xi , Gatesy Stephen M. , Jenkins Farish A. , Amaral William W. , Shubin Neil H.
Published: November 2015

Significance

The origins and earliest evolution of mammals can be deciphered by studying Late Triassic fossil relatives of modern mammals. The computed tomography study of
Haramiyavia
from the Late Triassic has revealed new information about the skull evolution and dental function in the forerunners of mammals.
Haramiyavia
had a unique way of chewing. Its teeth of multiple cusp-rows were adapted to omnivory or herbivory and are distinctive from the teeth of other early mammal relatives that are presumed to be insectivorous. On the mammal family tree
Haramiyavia
occupies a position crucial for dating the initial appearance of the major mammalian groups. Our reanalysis affirms that the earliest diversification of mammals occurred in the Jurassic.
Augmentor α and β (FAM150) are ligands of the receptor tyrosine kinases ALK and LTK: Hierarchy and specificity of ligand–receptor interactions
Authors: Reshetnyak Andrey V. , Murray Phillip B. , Shi Xiarong , Mo Elizabeth S. , Mohanty Jyotidarsini , Tome Francisco , Bai Hanwen , Gunel Murat , Lax Irit , Schlessinger Joseph
Published: November 2015

Significance

Many cancers (e.g., subpopulations of lung cancer, anaplastic lymphoma, and neuroblastoma) are driven by mutations in the receptor tyrosine kinase ALK (for anaplastic lymphoma kinase). However, the extracellular protein signals that regulate ALK’s activity and its ligand-induced mechanism of activation remain elusive. Here we describe a cytokine designated augmentor-α that binds with high affinity and specificity to ALK’s extracellular glycine-rich region, resulting in robust receptor activation. Augmentor-α also potently activates the related leukocyte tyrosine kinase (LTK) receptor, whereas a previously identified LTK ligand (augmentor-β) only weakly activates ALK. These experiments reveal an important missing link necessary for the regulation of a known oncogenic RTK, providing important insights into its biology and offering new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
Forcible destruction of severely misfolded mammalian glycoproteins by the non-glycoprotein ERAD pathway
Authors: Ninagawa Satoshi , Okada Tetsuya , Sumitomo Yoshiki , Horimoto Satoshi , Sugimoto Takehiro , Ishikawa Tokiro , Takeda Shunichi , Yamamoto Takashi , Suzuki Tadashi , Kamiya Yukiko , Kato Koichi , Mori Kazutoshi
Published: November 2015

Glycoproteins and non-glycoproteins possessing unfolded/misfolded parts in their luminal regions are cleared from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by ER-associated degradation (ERAD)-L with distinct mechanisms. Two-step mannose trimming from Man9GlcNAc2 is crucial in the ERAD-L of glycoproteins. We recently showed that this process is initiated by EDEM2 and completed by EDEM3/EDEM1. Here, we constructed chicken and human cells simultaneously deficient in EDEM1/2/3 and analyzed the fates of four ERAD-L substrates containing three potential N-glycosylation sites. We found that native but unstable or somewhat unfolded glycoproteins, such as ATF6α, ATF6α(C), CD3-δ–ΔTM, and EMC1, were stabilized in EDEM1/2/3 triple knockout cells. In marked contrast, degradation of severely misfolded glycoproteins, such as null Hong Kong (NHK) and deletion or insertion mutants of ATF6α(C), CD3-δ–ΔTM, and EMC1, was delayed only at early chase periods, but they were eventually degraded as in wild-type cells. Thus, higher eukaryotes are able to extract severely misfolded glycoproteins from glycoprotein ERAD and target them to the non-glycoprotein ERAD pathway to maintain the homeostasis of the ER.
Philo of Alexandria
Authors: Sterling Gregory E.
Published: November 2015

Philo of Alexandria (c. 20 bce–c. 50 ce) was the most prolific commentator on the Pentateuch in the Second Temple Jewish period (539 bce–70/135 ce). Philo was a member of a prominent Jewish family in one of the largest Jewish communities in the early Roman world. An observant Jew who made at least one pilgrimage to the temple, Philo led the Jewish embassy before Caligula following the pogrom in Alexandria in 38 ce. His real contribution lay in his writings; he wrote more than seventy treatises, although a third of these have been lost. The bulk of the treatises belongs to three series of commentaries on the Pentateuch. It is possible, although not provable, that Philo produced these in a school setting similar to the schools of ancient philosophers. His writings constitute a rich deposit of exegetical traditions. He inherited a large number of these exegetical traditions that began as early as the 2nd century bce with the works of Aristobulus and Pseudo-Aristeas. He also developed his own interpretations that primarily focus on the ascent of the soul to God. This point of orientation reflects his familiarity with Hellenistic philosophy, especially Middle Platonism. He had read and digested a number of Plato’s treatises, although he also knew other traditions as well. His creative blend of philosophy and exegesis made him attractive to early Christians who preserved the writings that have come down to us.
Hans Memling
Authors: Kirkland-Ives Mitzi
Published: November 2015

Hans Memling (b. c. 1440–d. 1494) was a German-born painter active in Bruges, Belgium, from 1465 to his death in 1494. Over the thirty years of his known activity Memling was one of the most successful painters in Bruges, producing works ranging from small devotional panels and individual portraits to large-scale retables for both a local and an international clientele. Memling was especially popular among the communities of foreign merchants and bankers present in Bruges, then among the most important mercantile centers of northern Europe. Memling was respected as one of the best-known northern artists internationally after his death, and ranked alongside such artists as Raphael in the 19th century and considered a paragon of pious medieval Christian artists—appealing to the Romantic tastes of that era—but his critical fortunes turned with 20th-century preferences and he was relegated by some scholars to the second tier of artists. The 500th anniversary of Memling’s death in 1994, however, saw a resurgence of interest in Memling’s work. In the years that have followed a number of high-profile exhibitions and related catalogues and essay collections have contributed greatly to the study of his work and legacy, as have a number of updated catalogues raisonnés. Today Memling is recognized as among the first rank of painters of the last quarter of the 15th century, particularly appreciated as a leading innovator in portraiture—among other contributions developing further the devotional portrait diptych—and credited with the development of novel new compositions (especially ingenious are the narrative panoramas). Memling is also recognized for his place among those northern artists identified as having a strong influence on developments in Italian art in the last quarter of the 15th century through his international clientele and the resulting presence and reception of his work in Florence in particular.
Ferdinand de Saussure
Authors: Joseph John E.
Published: November 2015

Ferdinand de Saussure (b. 1857–d. 1913) is acknowledged as the founder of modern linguistics and semiology, and as having laid the groundwork for structuralism and post-structuralism. Born and educated in Geneva, in 1876 he went to the University of Leipzig, where he received a doctorate in 1881. While a student there he published the Mémoire sur le système primitif des voyelles dans les langues indo-européennes (1879), which radically reimagined how the original Indo-European vowel system might be reconstructed. During the 1880s Saussure was lecturer in Gothic and Old High German at the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris, and he served as adjunct secretary of the Société de Linguistique de Paris and was responsible for the Société’s publications in which a number of his own papers appeared. He also began, but abandoned, several more ambitious projects. In 1891 he returned to Geneva to take up a chair in Sanskrit and comparative Indo-European philology. He began another project on the “double essence” of language that was never completed. His papers on Lithuanian accentuation from this period would earn recognition for “Saussure’s Law,” which applies to historical accent shifts in a particular category of Lithuanian words. The next decade saw him devote his attention to various topics, including local toponyms around Geneva, legends of the Germanic peoples who had settled in the area, and finally the search for anagrams in Greek and Latin poetry, but no publications resulted. In 1907 he was given responsibility for the university’s course in general linguistics, a course meant for students who lacked sufficient grounding in any ancient or medieval language to do in-depth textual study. Saussure had no experience in teaching a course in general linguistics, nor indeed had he ever taken one. Restructuring the course each of the three times he gave it, he brought in sign theory and other aspects of the grammaire générale tradition in which he himself had been taught (see John E. Joseph, Saussure [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012]) but that linguists had laid aside and forgotten in the intervening decades. Soon after his death in 1913, his colleagues Charles Bally and Albert Sechehaye, appreciating the extraordinary nature of his lectures, began gathering his manuscript notes and the notebooks of his students. From these they fashioned the Cours de linguistique générale (Course in general linguistics), published in 1916. It would become one of the most influential books of the twentieth century, not just for linguistics but also across many realms of intellectual endeavor. Many previously unpublished texts by Saussure have been appearing in recent years, principally in the volumes of the Cahiers Ferdinand de Saussure. Various projects are underway for making photographic reproductions of the manuscript material online.
William Wells Brown
Authors: Ernest John
Published: November 2015

Born in Kentucky, probably in 1814, William Wells Brown was, in a long and active career, among other things, an antislavery lecturer and conductor of the Underground Railroad; a tireless advocate for the temperance cause; a barber; a medical doctor of questionable expertise; an author of poems, novels, autobiographies, travel narratives, and historical studies; and one of Frederick Douglass’s rivals for preeminence in the field of 19th-century black male leadership. Having escaped from slavery, Brown soon became active in the temperance movement, and active as well in helping fellow fugitive slaves escape to relative freedom—but Brown’s future was influenced particularly by his attendance at the National Convention of Colored Citizens in Buffalo in 1843, at which meeting he met the great antislavery leader Frederick Douglass. By the end of that year, Brown was an agent for the Western New York Anti-Slavery Society, and, in 1844, Brown presented his first significant antislavery speech at the tenth anniversary meeting of the American Anti-Slavery Society. In 1847 Brown, now estranged from his wife, moved to Boston and became a lecturing agent for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. There he published his Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave, a book that helped to establish him as an increasingly important leader in the antislavery movement. In the years that followed, Brown traveled extensively, both in the United States and abroad, and published in virtually every literary genre—fiction, autobiography, poetry, drama, history, and travel—in addition to writing for numerous newspapers in the United States and Great Britain and publishing orations from his long career as a professional lecturer on various subjects. But even though Brown has long been recognized for his pioneering work—as one of the first African American novelists, playwrights, travel writers, and historians—critical recognition of and appreciation for his achievements was somewhat slow in coming. Although the historical importance of his publications has long been acknowledged, early commentary on his work ranged from critical to dismissive. But with the development of African American literary scholarship from the 1970s onward, and with new and prominently published anthologies and reference works in the 1990s, Brown’s fortunes slowly rose. Today, he is appreciated nearly as much as a historian, playwright, and travel writer as he is as the author of Clotel.
Noninvasive Papillary Basal-like Urothelial Carcinoma: A Subgroup of Urothelial Carcinomas With Immunohistochemical Features of Basal Urothelial Cells Associated With a High Rate of Recurrence and Progression
Authors: Mai Kien T. , Ball Christopher G. , Belanger Eric C.
Published: November 2015

Background:

We investigated the clinical and pathologic significance of a subgroup of noninvasive papillary urothelial carcinomas (UCs) expressing reactivity to urothelial basal cell markers.

Design:

In total, 302 consecutive cases of noninvasive papillary UC were evaluated immunohistochemically with cytokeratin 5 (CK5)/CD44. Any UC that was reactive for greater than 25% thickness of the urothelium was designated as basal-like urothelial carcinoma (BUC); remaining UC cases were designated as non-BUC. The follow-up period was up to 3 years. Historical review of UC was extended for up to 3 retrospective years.

Results:

Among 302 noninvasive UC, BUC was identified in 33 of 256 (12.9%) low-grade UC and 8 of 46 (17%) high-grade UC (P=0.041). Immunoreactivity for CD44 was similar to that of CK5, but displayed weaker and more diffuse staining. CK20 was reactive in 9 cases, primarily high-grade BUC. Other basal cell markers (34bE12, p63, bcl2, and EP4) were found to be neither sensitive nor specific in detecting UC with high CK5 expression. In comparison with non-BUC, BUC was associated with increased multifocality, larger tumor size, higher recurrence rate, and more frequent upgrading and stage progression. In the follow-up period of 3 years, distant metastasis occurred in 6 cases of which 5 were in the BUC subgroup.

Conclusions:

Our results showed that noninvasive papillary BUC represents a small subset associated with increased risk of tumor recurrence and progression. The aggressive behavior is likely associated with basal-like features of BUC, as seen in carcinomas with basal cell features in other body sites.
Solubility of CO
2
in [1-
n
-butylthiolanium][Tf
2
N]+toluene mixtures: liquid–liquid phase split separation and modelling
Authors: Canales Roberto I. , Lubben Michael J. , Gonzalez-Miquel Maria , Brennecke Joan F.
Published: November 2015

Carbon dioxide has been shown to be an effective antisolvent gas for separating organic compounds from ionic liquids (ILs) by inducing a liquid–vapour to liquid–liquid–vapour transition. Using carbon dioxide, toluene can be separated from imidazolium, phosphonium and pyridinum cation-based ILs with the bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion, which is relatively hydrophobic and has a high toluene solubility. A new IL with relatively low viscosity is tested here for the same toluene separation process: 1-
n
-butylthiolanium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide. Carbon dioxide solubility in binary and ternary systems containing toluene and 1-
n
-butylthiolanium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide is measured at 298.15 and 313.15 K up to 7.4 MPa. Solubility behaviour in this IL is similar to imidazolium-based ILs with the same anion. However, phase split pressures are lower when 1-
n
-butylthiolanium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide is used instead of 1-
n
-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsu- lfonyl)imide at the same conditions of temperature and initial composition of toluene in the IL. Solubility data are modelled with the conductor-like screening model for real solvents combined with the Soave–Redlich–Kwong equation of state, which provides good qualitative results.
Carbon dioxide pressure-induced coagulation of microalgae
Authors: Lee Roland , Jessop Philip G. , Champagne Pascale
Published: November 2015

The move to a low-carbon economy has generated renewed interest in microalgae for the production of biofuels with the potential mutual benefit of wastewater treatment. However, harvesting has been identified as a limiting factor to the economic viability of this process. This paper explores the harvesting of microalgae using high-pressure gas without the addition of coagulants. Coagulation of microalgae under high-pressure gas was found to be an efficient method to separate algae from suspension. The critical coagulation pressures (CCPs) for H
2
and CO
2
were determined to be 6.1 and 6.2 MPa, respectively. The CO
2
-induced decrease in solution pH positively influenced coagulation rates, without appearing to affect the CCP. This approach could be beneficial for the economic removal of microalgae from solution for the production of both biofuels and biomedical compounds without the addition of non-environmentally friendly chemicals.
Ant And Mite Diversity Drives Toxin Variation In The Little Devil Poison Frog
Authors: McGugan Jenna R. , Byrd Gary D. , Roland Alexandre B. , Caty Stephanie N. , Kabir Nisha , Tapia Elicio E. , Trauger Sunia A. , Coloma Luis A. , O’Connell Lauren A.
Published: November 2015

Poison frogs sequester chemical defenses from arthropod prey, although the details of how arthropod diversity contributes to variation in poison frog toxins remains unclear. We characterized skin alkaloid profiles in the Little Devil frog,Oophaga sylvatica(Dendrobatidae), across three populations in northwestern Ecuador. Using gas chromatography mass spectrometry, we identified histrionicotoxins, 3,5- and 5,8-disubstituted indolizidines, decahydroquinolines, and lehmizidines as the primary alkaloid toxins in theseO. sylvaticapopulations. Frog skin alkaloid composition varied along a latitudinal gradient across populations in a principal component analysis. We also characterized diversity in arthropods isolated from frog stomach contents and confirmedO. sylvaticaspecialize on ants and mites. To test the hypothesis that poison frog toxin diversity reflects species and chemical diversity in arthropod prey, we (1) used liquid chromatography mass spectrometry to chemically profile consumed ants and mites, and (2) used sequencing of cytochrome oxidase 1 to identify individual prey specimens. We show that chemical profiles of consumed ants and mites cluster by frog population, suggesting different frog populations have access to chemically distinct prey. We identified 45 ants and 9 mites isolated from frog stomachs, finding several undescribed species. Finally, by comparing chemical profiles of frog skin and isolated prey items, we were able to trace the arthropod source of four poison frog alkaloids, including 3,5- and 5,8-disubstituted indolizidines and a lehmizidine alkaloid. Together, our data shows the diversity of alkaloid toxins found inO. sylvaticacan be traced to chemical diversity in arthropod prey.
A protein aggregation-dependent scaling-free synaptic facilitation rule for neural network simulations
Authors: Sanguanini Michele , Cattaneo Antonino
Published: November 2015

The regulation of mRNA translation at synaptic level is believed to be fundamental in memory and learning at cellular level. A family of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) which emerged to be important during development and in adult neurons is the one of Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation Element Binding proteins (CPEBs).DrosophilaOrb2 (homolog of vertebrate CPEB2 protein and of the neural isoform ofAplysiaCPEB) has been found to be involved in the translation of plasticity-dependent mRNAs and has been associated to Long Term Memory (LTM). Orb2 protein presents two main isoforms, Orb2A and Orb2B, which form an activity induced amyloid-like functional aggregate, which is thought to be the translation-inducing state of the RBP. Here we present a two-states continuous differential model for Orb2A-Orb2B aggregation and we propose it, more generally, as a new synaptic facilitation rule for learning processes involving protein aggregation-dependent plasticity (PADP).
Operational efficiency across the Chinese aerospace industry: a DEA and Malmquist analysis
Authors: Dong Peiwu , Qiao Kai , Yang Mei
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the operational efficiency of aerospace industry in China and compare the difference in efficiency between the private aerospace enterprises and the state-owned aerospace enterprises. This paper enriches the study on evaluating the operational efficiency of aerospace industry and develops the theory on aerospace industry management.

Design/methodology/approach

– The sample comprises all the aerospace enterprises listed in the A share market for which financial data are collected from the RESSET for subsequent analysis. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) and Malmquist productivity index (MPI) are used to derive findings.

Findings

– The paper finds both the scale and the technical level of the industry increased during the period, and this was mainly due to the growth of the state-owned enterprises. However, with the increase of scale, the total factor productivity of the sample decreased. This was mainly because the performance of the leading enterprises regressed. Overall, the operational efficiency of the industry was still relatively low. By comparing the private enterprises and the state-owned enterprises, this paper finds, in terms of scale, the private enterprises were far lower than the state-owned enterprises. However, as for operational efficiency, the private was more efficient, which indicates an imbalance in the development of the industry.

Originality/value

– This paper explores the operational efficiency across the Chinese aerospace industry, a focus currently lacking in research, presenting an overview of the industry and examining the difference in efficiency between the private aerospace enterprises and the state-owned aerospace enterprises to provide policymakers and managers with some practical suggestions to promote the development of the industry.
Unraveling the technological innovation pattern of China’s aerospace: synergy innovation
Authors: Gao Pengbin , Liu Yexin , Li Xiaoli , Wang Yan
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to unravel the technological innovation pattern in China’s aerospace industry. The technological innovation pattern of China’s aerospace industry is identified and its theoretical foundation, structure, philosophy, formation and effects on the development of China’s aerospace industry are explored.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, the theoretical foundation of synergy innovation of China’s aerospace industry is reviewed to further identify the technological innovation pattern. Second, Chinese ancient philosophy (dialectical thinking) is used to explain the structure and process of synergy innovation in China’s aerospace industry. Third, the formation process of synergy innovation is introduced, and, finally, the effects of synergy innovation are discussed.

Findings

– The technological innovation pattern of China’s aerospace industry has undergone an evolutionary process. During this process, China’s aerospace firms have formed a unique technological innovation pattern, synergy innovation, under China’s special political and economic background. The synergy innovation has three characteristics, including original, integrated and application-based. The synergy innovation pattern application is one of the most important reasons behind the great achievements of China’s aerospace industry.

Originality/value

– A unique technological innovation pattern, synergy innovation, is proposed for the first time. A new perspective for understanding innovation is provided by applying the Chinese dialectical thinking to decipher the philosophy of the technological innovation pattern. Based on this, this paper suggests that China’s aerospace industry should follow the situation and apply the synergy innovation pattern to achieve development and growth. This paper also illustrates a multi-method approach and emphasizes the different levels of organizing for innovation.
Control and structure in a professional service firm
Authors: Ang Pauline , Siti-Nabiha A.K , Phua Lian-Kee
Published: November 2015

Subject area

Accounting and Finance (Performance Management and Management Control System).

Study level/applicability

Postgraduate Students in Business and Management.

Case overview

This is a case of SmartBay System Integrator (SSI), an IT infrastructure system integrator based in Malaysia, a company that was facing declining profit margins. SSI was reputed to be a well-established locally owned system integrators in the northern region of the country, and the services it provided included building IT systems with high-end servers, networking solutions and software applications. Apart from the urgent need to improve sales, SSI intended to reduce the number of one-off customers and resolve the issue of increasing customer complaints. The complaints given to the company by customers revolved around the sluggish response to customers' requests, including delays in quotations and proposals, constant rescheduling of meeting with customers as well as unfavorable perceptions regarding the competency of SSI engineers. This case requires the analysis of the structure and control systems adopted by SSI to determine whether they are appropriate for the nature of the business and have suitable systems in place to resolve the issue of customer complaints.

Expected learning outcomes

This case can be used to teach the use of control systems in managing human resource issues in the context of highly specialised technical professionals in small service firms. In addition, the case also illustrates the need to match an appropriate control system to a specific type of organisational structure. In addition, the case can be relied upon to teach the differences between the various types of organisational structures and the different forms of control systems.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Albania: which way forward?
Authors: Kume Vasilika
Published: November 2015

Subject area

Public sector management, policy-making, sustainable development, post-Communism.

Study level/applicability

The case is designed to be used with undergraduate-level and MBA/MPA students. With undergraduate levels, the case can be used on the subject strategic management. In MBA/MPA programs, this case can be used in subjects such as strategic planning for public administration. Here, it can be stressed as being about the problems faced by a country on the long road toward democracy. Issues to be discussed in class include: environmental scanning, competitiveness, public policies and strategic agenda.

Case overview

At the most general level, the case allows for the analysis and evaluation of the strategy and performance of the Albania from 1928 to 2014 along economic, political and social dimensions, using the techniques of country analysis (see Country Analysis Framework, HBS No. 389-080). Depending on time limitations and the particular objectives of the individual instructor, the case can be used to explore all phases of the nation's development or, alternatively, to focus on a specific era, such as Albania, in the way toward a free market economy. The case provides a setting in which to explore the diamond model as a tool for analyzing competitiveness and setting the economic policy agenda. In the Albania case, we highlight diamond analysis in an emerging economy. Albania also highlights the transition from a planned economy to a market economy, and the importance of a cross-border regional integration in competitiveness.

Expected learning outcomes

The case is written to serve a number of purposes: Understanding the problems and challenges to sustainable development, especially in a post-communist emerging economy like Albania. The transition/changes that all policymakers have to go through in their efforts for sustainable development of the country. To discuss production factors and the importance of a growth model based on the production factors.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Murrah Dairy: Thailand's first and only buffalo milk producer
Authors: Kunapatarawong Rasi
Published: November 2015

Subject area

Murrah Dairy Company Limited (Murrah Dairy) is a strategy and management case related to entrepreneurship, with a focus on marketing, expansion, strategy and management of a family-run small and medium enterprise (SME).

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for senior undergraduate and/or graduate MBA strategic management, entrepreneurship and marketing courses.

Case overview

The case is about Murrah Dairy, Thailand's first and only buffalo dairy producer. The company combines the concepts of regular SMEs together with community enterprises to build a business that can be used to achieve community benefits as well as private gains. With 11 years of experience, Murrah Dairy remains the first and only extensive dairy buffalo farm in Thailand. The market is growing, the brand is catching on and the company keeps expanding. Beginning with Murrah Farm in 2003, now Murrah Dairy now operates Murrah Farm, Murrah House and Mini Murrah Farm. The question now is where to go from here and what will it take to grow?

Expected learning outcomes

The expected learning outcomes are the increases in understanding on environment assessment (such as SWOT analysis, Porter's Five Forces, success factors), marketing strategy (product portfolio analysis, market-product analysis) and SME management, as well as abilities to propose growth strategies and marketing strategies for the firm.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Learning with interactive whiteboards
Authors: Kilic Eylem , Güler Çetin , Çelik H. Eray , Tatli Cemal
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors which might affect the intention to use interactive whiteboards (IWBs) by university students, using Technology Acceptance Model by the structural equation modeling approach. The following hypothesis guided the current study:H1.There is a positive relationship between IWB self-efficacy and perceived learning (PL).H2.There is a positive relationship between IWB self-efficacy and perceived ease of use (PEOU).H3.There is a positive relationship between IWB self-efficacy and perceived usefulness (PU).H4.There is a positive relationship between PL and PEOU.H5.There is a positive relationship between PL and PU. H6. There is a positive relationship between PEOU and attitude.H7.There is a positive relationship between PU and attitude.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey method was used to collect the data. Purposive sampling was used, and 416 high-school students participated in the current study. Descriptive statistics and structural equation model conducted to test the proposed model were used in data analysis.

Findings

– All hypotheses formulated within the scope of the research model were statistically confirmed.H1, which assumed that interactive whiteboard self-efficacy (IWBSE) have had a positive impact on PL, was found to be statistically significant. The impact of IWBSE on PL was 0.61 which means that if IWBSE increases one unit, the impact on PL will be an average of 0.61 points. The relationship between IWBSE, which is expressed inH2andH3, and, respectively, PEOU and PU latent variables, was statistically significant. IWBSE mostly affected PEOU (= 0.51,t= 7.92), and then PU (= 0.16,t= 2.43). The relationship between PL – which is expressed inH4andH5– and, respectively, PEOU and PU latent variables, was statistically significant. IWBSE mostly affected PU (= 0.63,t= 7.94), and then PEOU (= 0.27,t= 3.95).

Originality/value

– It is aimed to transform the entire classes into computerized classes (Smart Class) around Turkey with FATIH project which includes usage of interactive boards. Because it is a very big project funded by the government, it is important to evaluate its adaptation among teachers and students. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate the factors which might affect the attitude to use IWBs by high-school students.
Augmented reality m-learning to enhance nursing skills acquisition in the clinical skills laboratory
Authors: Garrett Bernard M. , Jackson Cathryn , Wilson Brian
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to report on a pilot research project designed to explore if new mobile augmented reality (AR) technologies have the potential to enhance the learning of clinical skills in the lab.

Design/methodology/approach

– An exploratory action-research-based pilot study was undertaken to explore an initial proof-of-concept design in using AR resources to supplement clinical skills lab teaching. A convenience non-probability sample of 72 undergraduate nursing students tested these resources during lab sessions, and participated in post-exposure surveys and focus groups to help evaluate them. This pilot design aimed to test logistics and gather information prior to further developmental work.

Findings

– Key similarities emerged between the survey and focus group findings regarding the technical issues and support for student learning. Students clearly expressed a comfort with the technology, and both students and faculty identified the ability to access resources to support self-directed learning and review of skills as positive attributes of using AR. However, technical issues such as slow response times and incompatible smartphones interfered with resource access and frustrated some students, potentially having a negative impact on their learning. Students gave positive feedback regarding the value of mobile access and having AR resources available “at the bedside” where they were practicing.

Research limitations/implications

– This empirical pilot study was limited to a small number of participants in a single location. However, a deeper understanding of the potential value of AR in clinical health professional education, and best practices in implementing these new technologies, was achieved.

Practical implications

– This study provides a valuable practical contribution, as the approach for AR resource development described can be readily replicated by teachers with limited technical skills. The practical limitations of AR technologies discovered by use in real-world settings will provide developers and educators with valuable information as they begin to explore the use of AR in the lab and beyond.

Social implications

– AR represents a rapidly developing field, with increasing social impact. This study provides some initial ideas that will help inform future uptake of AR in wider educational settings, beyond health professional education.

Originality/value

– This study represents original work in the field, and specifically, an original implementation of AR in an educational context.
Special safeguard tariff impacts on the Brazilian sugar exports
Authors: Costa Cinthia Cabral da , Burnquist Heloisa Lee , Guilhoto Joaquim José Martins
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to present a critical analysis of special safeguards (SSGs) and a simulation of their effects on Brazilian sugar exports to countries such as the US and the European Union (EU) bloc.

Design/methodology/approach

– The first stage involved the identification of tariff lines for the EU and the US sugar imports from Brazil between 1995 and 2013. Next, notifications of World Trade Organization about SSGs were examined to identify the years when the measure was applied on the sugar trade by these countries. For the years when SSGs were applied, the values of these additional tariffs were calculated. This information was used, along with price elasticities, to obtain the effects of an increase in Brazilian sugar exports in the absence of SSG and also the overall impact on the Brazilian economy, using its input-output matrix.

Findings

– Results indicated that the estimated value of the direct, indirect and income effects of SSG tariffs on Brazilian sugar exports to the EU and the US markets through the period 1995 to 2013 could amount to BRL 22 billion in terms of the exporting country GDP. This suggests that this policy can be highly perverse, as it translates into lower domestic production for both, the exporting and the importing countries. This issue is relevant for discussions on the global sugar market, given the facts that it is one of the markets which have been most distorted by protectionism.

Originality/value

– This issue is relevant for discussions on the global sugar market, given the facts that it is one of the markets which have been most distorted by protectionism.