bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Schizophrenia Exhibits Bi-directional Brain-Wide Alterations in Cortico-Striato-Cerebellar Circuits
Authors: Ji Jie Lisa , Diehl Caroline , Schleifer Charles , Tamminga Carol A , Keshavan Matcheri S , Sweeney John A , Clementz Brett A , Hill S Kristian , Pearlson Godfrey , Yang Genevieve , Creatura Gina , Krystal John H , Repovs Grega , Murray John , Winkler Anderson , Anticevic Alan
Published: December 2018

Distributed neural dysconnectivity is considered a hallmark feature of schizophrenia (SCZ), yet a tension exists between studies pinpointing focal disruptions versus those implicating brain-wide disturbances. The cerebellum and the striatum communicate reciprocally with the thalamus and cortex through monosynaptic and polysynaptic connections, forming cortico-striatal-thalamic-cerebellar (CSTC) functional pathways that may be sensitive to brain-wide dysconnectivity in SCZ. It remains unknown if the same pattern of alterations persists across CSTC systems, or if specific alterations exist along key functional elements of these networks. We characterized connectivity along major functional CSTC subdivisions using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging in 159 chronic patients and 162 matched controls. Associative CSTC subdivisions revealed consistent brain-wide bi-directional alterations in patients, marked by hyper-connectivity with sensory-motor cortices and hypo-connectivity with association cortex. Focusing on the cerebellar and striatal components, we validate the effects using data-driven k-means clustering of voxel-wise dysconnectivity and support vector machine classifiers. We replicate these results in an independent sample of 202 controls and 145 patients, additionally demonstrating that these neural effects relate to cognitive performance across subjects. Taken together, these results from complementary approaches implicate a consistent motif of brain-wide alterations in CSTC systems in SCZ, calling into question accounts of exclusively focal functional disturbances.
Pain relief after orthodontic archwire installation—a comparison between intervention with paracetamol and chewing gum: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Alshammari Abdulrahman K , Huggare Jan
Published: December 2018

Background

Pain and discomfort are main concerns at the commencement of orthodontic treatment. It may have negative impact on compliance or even discourage patients from being treated. Orthodontic pain can be alleviated by paracetamol or use of chewing gum. However, studies comparing their effectiveness are scarce.

Objectives

To compare the effectiveness of paracetamol versus chewing gum for pain alleviation and to investigate the frequency of bracket loss during the first day of fixed orthodontic treatment.

Trail design

Prospective randomized multicentre clinical trial.

Methods

Sixty patients (28 boys and 32 girls), between 12 and 18 years of age were randomly allocated either to take paracetamol (31 patients) or to use chewing gum (29 patients). After one arch bonding and insertion of the initial archwire, the patients rated the sensation of pain on a visual analogue scale with the jaw at rest and when biting after 6 hours (T1), at bedtime (T2), and the next morning (T3). Paracetamol (1000 mg) was taken 1 hour and chewing gum was used 10 minutes prior to pain rating at T2 and T3. A simple method of randomization was used in this study, and blinding of subjects and the operators to the type of intervention was not possible because of the nature of the treatments.

Results

There was no detectable difference in pain sensation between the groups at T1. At T2 and T3 the chewing gum group displayed higher mean values than the paracetamol group but when adjusting for age, gender, and mode of pain registration, there was no significant difference between the groups. There was no bracket loss in the chewing gum group, whereas two patients in the paracetamol group lost two brackets.

Conclusions

The effect of chewing gum and paracetamol for initial orthodontic pain relief seems equivalent. Short term use of chewing gum is not a risk factor for bracket loss.

Trial registration

This study was not registered.
Evolution of DNA Methylation in Papio Baboons
Authors: Vilgalys Tauras P , Rogers Jeffrey , Jolly Clifford J , Baboon Genome Analysis  , Mukherjee Sayan , Tung Jenny
Published: December 2018

Changes in gene regulation have long been thought to play an important role in primate evolution. However, although a number of studies have compared genome-wide gene expression patterns across primate species, fewer have investigated the gene regulatory mechanisms that underlie such patterns, or the relative contribution of drift versus selection. Here, we profiled genome-scale DNA methylation levels in blood samples from five of the six extant species of the baboon genus Papio (4–14 individuals per species). This radiation presents the opportunity to investigate DNA methylation divergence at both shallow and deeper timescales (0.380–1.4 My). In contrast to studies in human populations, but similar to studies in great apes, DNA methylation profiles clearly mirror genetic and geographic structure. Divergence in DNA methylation proceeds fastest in unannotated regions of the genome and slowest in regions of the genome that are likely more constrained at the sequence level (e.g., gene exons). Both heuristic approaches and Ornstein–Uhlenbeck models suggest that DNA methylation levels at a small set of sites have been affected by positive selection, and that this class is enriched in functionally relevant contexts, including promoters, enhancers, and CpG islands. Our results thus indicate that the rate and distribution of DNA methylation changes across the genome largely mirror genetic structure. However, at some CpG sites, DNA methylation levels themselves may have been a target of positive selection, pointing to loci that could be important in connecting sequence variation to fitness-related traits.
Sustained investment surges
Authors: Libman Emiliano , Montecino Juan Antonio , Razmi Arslan
Published: December 2018

Existing empirical studies have mainly focused on determinants of average investment levels. Instead, we investigate episodes of accelerated capital stock growth having a duration of eight years or longer. We find that episodes are relatively common, even in low-growth regions, but more so in middle-income and Asian countries. After identifying 175 episodes between 1950 and 2014, we employ probit analysis to explore their characteristics. Turning points in investment tend to be preceded by macroeconomic stability, real exchange rate undervaluation, and net capital outflows (especially portfolio outflows). We also find a negative correlation with the capital to output ratio and per capita GDP, and a positive correlation with a human capital index. Investment surges tend to be associated with changes in the trade balance and, to a (statistically) weaker extent, with structural change.
The Limits of Federation-wide Political Parties in Ensuring Federal Stability: Nigeria under the Peoples Democratic Party
Authors: Okpanachi Eyene
Published: December 2018

Since Nigeria’s return to electoral rule in 1999, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ruled the country as the majority party at both levels of its federal system until 2015. However, despite this dominance, the relationship between presidents and governors was often so divisive that the instability within the party threatened the stability of not only the ruling governments, but also the federation as a whole and undermined its productivity. This article examines this anomaly against the background of scholarship emphasizing the crucial role of federation-wide parties in fostering smooth intergovernmental bargains and in facilitating federal stability. It argues that Nigeria’s recent experience provides counterevidence of this theory and discusses the mutually reinforcing contextual factors that might have influenced this development, focusing on the PDP’s norms and the country’s intergovernmental fiscal structure.
Local Actions, National Policies and International Knowledge: Family Planning and Statistical Practices in Taiwan (1949–1980s)
Authors: Lin Yi-Tang
Published: December 2018

Using an approach based on the sociology of quantification, this article illustrates how actors utilised statistics when importing family planning to Taiwan and exporting their experience to international policy makers. The functions of statistics—producing knowledge and making policies—assisted the implementation of international programmes in Taiwan, where any actions leading to a population decrease were prohibited in the 1950s. The Population Council and Taiwanese officials first secured the provincial government’s tacit consent by claiming the programme to be an experiment in general population policy rather than one focused on the insertion of intra-uterine devices (IUDs). They went on to win the central government’s endorsement in 1964 by presenting IUD insertions as tools for achieving the ideal population size for economic development. Finally, experts packaged and repackaged the Taiwan programme as a success by wielding locally-collected statistics, reframing the programme to fit the conclusions of international research at the time.
Somatic uniparental disomy mitigates the most damagingEFL1allele combination in Shwachman-Diamond syndrome
Authors: Lee Sangmoon , Shin Chang Hoon , Lee Jawon , Jeong Seong Dong , Hong Che Ry , Kim Jun-Dae , Kim Ah-Ra , Son Soo Jin , Kokhan Oleksandr , Yoo Taekyeong , Ko Jae Sung , Sohn Young Bae , Kim Ok-Hwa , Ko Jung Min , Cho Tae-Joon , Wright Nathan T. , Seong Je Kyung , Jin Suk-Won , Kang Hyoung Jin , Kim Hyeon Ho , Choi Murim
Published: December 2018

Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS; OMIM: #260400) is caused by variants inSBDS(Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome gene), which encodes a protein that plays an important role in ribosome assembly. Recent reports suggest that recessive variants inEFL1are also responsible for SDS. However, the precise genetic mechanism that leads toEFL1-induced SDS remains incompletely understood. Here we present three unrelated Korean SDS patients that carry biallelic pathogenic variants inEFL1with biased allele frequencies, resulting from a bone marrow-specific somatic uniparental disomy (UPD) in chromosome 15. The recombination events generated cells that were homozygous for the relatively milder variant, allowing for the evasion of catastrophic physiological consequences. Still, the milderEFL1variant was solely able to impair 80S ribosome assembly and induce SDS features in cell line, zebrafish, and mouse models. The loss ofEFL1resulted in a pronounced inhibition of terminal oligo-pyrimidine element-containing ribosomal protein transcript 80S assembly. Therefore, we propose a more accurate pathogenesis mechanism of EFL1 dysfunction that eventually leads to aberrant translational control and ribosomopathy.
Plant-Necrotroph Co-transcriptome Networks Illuminate a Metabolic Battlefield
Authors: Zhang Wei , Corwin Jason A. , Copeland Daniel , Feusier Julie , Eshbaugh Robert , Cook David E. , Atwell Susana , Kliebenstein Daniel J.
Published: December 2018

A central goal of studying host-pathogen interaction research is to understand how the host and pathogen manipulate each other to promote their own fitness in a pathosystem. Co-transcriptomic approaches can simultaneously analyze dual transcriptomes during infection and provide a systematic map of the cross-kingdom communication between two species. Here we used the Arabidopsis-B. cinerea pathosystem to test how plant host and fungal pathogen interaction at the transcriptomic level during infection. We assessed the impact of natural genetic diversity in the pathogen and plant host by utilization of a collection of 96 isolates of B. cinerea infection on Arabidopsis wild-type and two mutants with jasmonate or salicylic acid compromised immunities. We identified ten B. cinerea gene co-expression networks (GCNs) that encode known or novel virulence mechanisms. We constructed a dual interaction network by combining four host-and ten pathogen-GCNs into a single network, which revealed potential connections between the fungal and plant GCNs involving both novel and conserved mechanisms. These co-transcriptome data shed lights on the potential mechanisms underlying host-pathogen interaction and illustrate the continued need for advancements of in planta analysis of dual-species dynamics.
Identification of the m6Am methyltransferase PCIF1 reveals the location and functions of m6Am in the transcriptome
Authors: Boulias Konstantinos , Toczydlowska-Socha Diana , Hawley Ben R , Liberman-Isakov Noa , Takashima Ken , Zaccara Sara , Guez Theo , Vasseur Jean-Jacques , Debart Francoise , Aravind L. , Jaffrey Samie R , Greer Eric Lieberman
Published: December 2018

mRNAs are regulated by nucleotide modifications that influence their cellular fate. Two of the most abundant modified nucleotides are N6-methyladenosine (m6A), found within mRNAs, and N6,2-O-dimethyladenosine (m6Am), which is found at the first-transcribed nucleotide. A long-standing challenge has been distinguishing these similar modifications in transcriptome-wide mapping studies. Here we identify and biochemically characterize, PCIF1, the methyltransferase that generates m6Am. We find that PCIF1 binds and is dependent on the m7G cap. By depleting PCIF1, we definitively identified m6Am sites and generated transcriptome-wide maps that are selective for m6Am and m6A. We find that m6A and m6Am misannotations largely arise from mRNA isoforms with alternate transcription-start sites. These isoforms contain m6Am that appear to map to internal sites, increasing the likelihood of misannotation. Using the new m6Am annotations, we find that depleting m6Am does not affect mRNA translation but reduces the stability of a subset of m6Am-annotated mRNAs. The discovery of PCIF1 and our accurate mapping technique will facilitate future studies to characterize m6Ams function.
Assembly and early maturation of large subunit precursors
Authors: Chaker-Margot Malik , Klinge Sebastian
Published: December 2018

The eukaryotic ribosome is assembled through a complex process involving more than 200 factors. As pre-ribosomal RNA is transcribed, assembly factors bind the nascent pre-rRNA and guide its correct folding, modification and cleavage. While these early events in the assembly of the small ribosomal subunit have been relatively well-characterized, assembly of the large subunit precursors, or pre-60S, is less well understood. Recent structures of nucleolar intermediates of large subunit assembly have shed light on the role of many early large subunit assembly factors but how these particles emerge is still unknown. Here, we use the overexpression and purification of truncated pre-rRNAs to examine the initial assembly of pre-60S particles. Using this approach, we can recapitulate the early recruitment of large subunit assembly factors mainly to the domains I, II and VI of the assembling 25S rRNA.
Cell type-specific modulation of sensory and affective components of itch in the periaqueductal gray
Authors: Samineni Vijay K , Grajales-Reyes Jose G , Sundaram Saranya S , Gereau Robert W
Published: December 2018

Itch is a distinct aversive sensation that elicits a strong urge to scratch. Despite recent advances in our understanding of the peripheral basis of itch, we know very little regarding how central neural circuits modulate acute and chronic itch processing. Here we establish the causal contributions of defined periaqueductal gray (PAG) neuronal populations in itch modulation. Chemogenetic manipulations demonstrate bidirectional modulation of scratching by neurons in the PAG. Fiber photometry studies show that activity of GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons in the PAG is modulated in an opposing manner during chloroquine-evoked scratching. Furthermore, activation of PAG GABAergic neurons or inhibition of glutamatergic neurons resulted in attenuation of scratching in both acute and chronic pruritis. Surprisingly, PAG GABAergic neurons, but not glutamatergic neurons, seem to encode the aversive component of itch. Thus, the PAG represents a neuromodulatory hub that regulates both the sensory and affective aspects of acute and chronic itch.
Meiotic Drive and Survival Probability of Newly Inverted Chromosomes
Authors: Koury Spencer A.
Published: December 2018

When a new gene arrangement is generated by spontaneous mutation its survival is uncertain and largely unaffected by associated fitness effects. However, if a new chromosomal inversion is introduced into a population already polymorphic for inversions, then its survival probability will be a function of the relative size, position, and linkage phase of the gene rearrangements. This dependence on structural features is due to the complex meiotic behavior of overlapping inversions generating asymmetric dyads, which in turn cause both underdominance and meiotic drive/drag. Therefore, survival probabilities of new inversions can be expressed in terms of the probability of forming an asymmetric dyad via crossing over in meiosis I and the probability of recovery from that asymmetric dyad during disjunction in meiosis II. This model of female meiotic drive was parameterized with data from published experiments on laboratory constructs inDrosophila melanogaster. Generalizing this analysis to all possible inversions predicts a bias towards larger, proximally located inversions having a shorter persistence time in populations. These population genetic predictions are consistent with cytological evidence from natural populations ofD. melanogaster. This research mathematically formalizes a cytogenetic mechanism for female meiotic drive/drag as the major force governing behavior of new gene arrangements entering populations, and therefore determining the genomic distribution of segregating inversion polymorphism.
Clinical outcomes after whole-genome sequencing in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer
Authors: Tsang Erica S. , Shen Yaoqing , Chooback Negar , Ho Cheryl , Jones Martin , Renouf Daniel J. , Lim Howard , Sun Sophie , Yip Stephen , Pleasance Erin , Ionescu Diana N. , Mungall Karen , Kasaian Katayoon , Ma Yussanne , Zhao Yongjun , Mungall Andrew , Moore Richard , Jones Steven J.M. , Marra Marco , Laskin Janessa
Published: December 2018

The Personalized Onco-Genomics (POG) program at BC Cancer integrates whole-genome (DNA) and RNA sequencing into practice for metastatic malignancies. We examined the subgroup of patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and report the prevalence of actionable targets, treatments, and outcomes. We identified patients who were enrolled in the POG program between 2012 and 2016 who had a tumor biopsy and blood samples with comprehensive DNA (80×, 40× normal) and RNA sequencing followed by in-depth bioinformatics to identify potential cancer drivers and actionable targets. In NSCLC cases, we compared the progression-free survival (PFS) of “POG-informed therapies” with the PFS of the last regimen prior to POG (PFS ratio). In 29 NSCLC cases, 11 were male (38%), the median age was 60.2 yr (range: 39.4–72.6), and histologies included were adenocarcinoma (93%) and squamous cell carcinoma (7%). Potential molecular targets (i.e., cancer drivers including TP53 mutations) were identified in 26 (90%), and 21 (72%) had actionable targets. Therapies based on standard-of-care mutation analysis, such as EGFR mutations, were not considered POG-informed therapies. Thirteen received POG-informed therapies, of which three had no therapy before POG; therefore a comparator PFS could not be obtained. Of 10 patients with POG-informed therapy, median PFS ratio was 0.94 (IQR 0.2–3.4). Three (30%) had a PFS ratio ≥1.3, and three (30%) had a PFS ratio ≥0.8 and <1.3. In this small cohort of NSCLC, 30% demonstrated longer PFS with POG-informed therapies. Larger studies will help clarify the role of whole-genome analysis in clinical practice.
Corrosion fatigue behavior of Al-5Mg coated AISI 316L stainless steel in sodium chloride environments under bending load
Authors: Öcal Mustafa , Sadeler Recep
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to describe the environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) of AISI 316L stainless steel as bare and coated cases in several corrosion environments. The main purpose of this study is to extend the lifespan of 316L material under corrosive fatigue in sodium chloride environments.

Design/methodology/approach

Fatigue tests carried out by using a Schenk type plane bending fatigue machine made by Tokyokoki Co. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to observe the fracture surfaces and tested specimen surfaces. The micro-Vickers hardness of specimens was measured by using a PC-controlled Buehler–Omnimet tester.

Findings

Under reciprocating bending condition (R = −1) the behavior of 316L SS bare samples and 316L SS coated with Al-5%Mg samples were investigated comparatively at room temperature in ambient air and in several corrosion solutions. The results obtained from the data showed that Al-5Mg coating procedure significantly stabilized the 316L SS even in the most aggressive environment 5 per cent NaCl solution as compared with bare samples.

Originality/value

Al-5Mg coating showed a stable structure under the corrosion liquids used in the experiments. The coating material served as a stable barrier between the base material and the corrosion fluid, thus ensuring a tightness even in long-term tests below the endurance limit.
Megamart Seasonal Demand Planning
Authors: Thomas Rodney
Published: December 2018

The Megamart case study addresses demand planning challenges that retailers often face in categories that have bulky, seasonal, imported products. Historical point-of-sale data on gas grill SKUs is provided for analysis and developing appropriate product flow plan that meets the needs of all retail supply chain stakeholders.
Silo Manufacturing Corporation (SMC) Managing with Economic Order Quantity
Authors: Farris Ted
Published: December 2018

This two-part case illustrates the use of economic order quantity to manage conflicting performance measures across different siloed functions in an organization. Part A requires students to assess the costs of various order quantities and quantify the concept of “robustness.“ Part B emphasizes managing the variables of annual demand, ordering cost, inventory carrying cost, and unit price to achieve strategic goals. The student must determine how to lower ordering costs to compensate for increases in the other variables as well as to help guide Just-In-Time implementation efforts.
Organizational culture: does it influence the way a company deals with CSR?
Authors: Castro-González Sandra , Bande Belén
Published: December 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to show how managers model culture for employees to promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposal begins by highlighting the importance of culture for CSR implementation and then explains the impact of culture on employees.

Findings

Currently, many companies carry out activities under the CSR umbrella, but they may do so without considering whether their company’s context is ideal for such initiatives. They may also not consider the types of employees composing the workforce or their disposition toward CSR. In these circumstances, organizations may miss out on the added value of CSR practices.

Originality/value

The important influence of CSR practices on employees’ attitudes and behaviors at work requires organizations to implement these types of actions. Therefore, the contextual factors that are most likely to aid in developing and maintaining these practices must be acknowledged. This paper seeks to offer a new perspective to managers and human resource managers regarding the implementation of CSR activities.
Trading derivatives options contracts: the associated risk and potential
Authors: Singh Vipul Kumar
Published: December 2018

Learning outcomes

It intends to help the learners assess the scenarios of volatility in the Indian capital market which was caused by unpredictable market forces. It also helps in understanding how analysts struggle to predict the direction of the market and what options strategies can be recommended to be deployed by the investors to maximize returns in such compelling scenarios.

Case overview/synopsis

This case study presents snapshots of high volatilities caused by the market and economic forces in the Indian capital market. It depicts how analysts struggled to predict the direction of the market; and how high volatility can put them in trouble. It also exemplifies as to how by selecting the apt strategies, investors maximize their immediate returns in a volatile period and can produce large returns in a short time.

Complexity academic level

The best time to discuss the case is during the completion of options strategies in the course of Derivatives or Portfolio/Investment Management.

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.

Subject code

CSS 1: Accounting and Finance.
Third-party interventions in workplace bullying: a neoliberal agenda?
Authors: Mawdsley Hazel , Thirlwall Alison
Published: December 2018

Purpose

Bullying is a persistent, damaging feature of neoliberal workplaces, despite the increased use of third-party interventions (TPIs). The purpose of this paper is to investigate how TPIs relate to individualisation of the employment contract, whether TPIs deflect attention away from bullying and the impact for targets.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered from focus groups and interviews with members and officials of three large UK trade unions.

Findings

TPIs individualise bullying allegations and such interventions are further characterised by impotence, injustice and lack of impartiality, serving to deflect bullying claims and exacerbate targets’ suffering.

Practical implications

Recommendations are made to improve the efficacy of interventions.

Originality/value

This paper increases the limited research into the efficacy of TPIs and makes a significant contribution to debates on neoliberal individualism.
Dual-position excitation technique in flow control over an airfoil at low speeds
Authors: Ebrahimi Abbas , Hajipour Majid , Ghamkhar Kamran
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to control flow separation over a NACA 4415 airfoil by applying unsteady forces to the separated shear layers using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators. This novel flow control method is studied under conditions which the airfoil angle of attack is 18°, and Reynolds number based on chord length is 5.5 × 105.

Design/methodology/approach

Large eddy simulation of the turbulent flow is used to capture vortical structures through the airfoil wake. Power spectral density analysis of the baseline flow indicates dominant natural frequencies associated with “shear layer mode” and “wake mode.” The wake mode frequency is used simultaneously to excite separated shear layers at both the upper surface and the trailing edge of the airfoil (dual-position excitation), and it is also used singly to excite the upper surface shear layer (single-position excitation).

Findings

Based on the results, actuations manipulate the shear layers instabilities and change the wake patterns considerably. It is revealed that in the single-position excitation case, the vortices shed from the upper surface shear layer are more coherent than the dual-position excitation case. The maximum value of lift coefficient and lift-to-drag ratio is achieved, respectively, by single-position excitation as well as dual-position excitation.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the understanding and progress of DBD plasma actuators for flow control applications. Further, this research could be a beneficial solution for the promising design of advanced low speed flying vehicles.
Homoclinic breather-wave and singular periodic wave for a (2 + 1)D GSWW equation
Authors: Xiaorong Kang , Daquan Xian
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the homoclinic breathe-wave solutions and the singular periodic solutions for (2 + 1)-dimensional generalized shallow water wave (GSWW) equation.

Design/methodology/approach

The Hirota bilinear method, the Lie symmetry method and the non-Lie symmetry method are applied to the (2 + 1)D GSWW equation.

Findings

A reduced (1 + 1)D potential KdV equation can be derived, and its soliton solutions are also presented.

Research limitations/implications

As a typical nonlinear evolution equation, some dynamical behaviors are also discussed.

Originality/value

These results are very useful for investigating some localized geometry structures of dynamical behaviors and enriching dynamical features of solutions for the higher dimensional systems.
A pragmatic sociological examination of projectification
Authors: Barondeau Régis , Hobbs Brian
Published: December 2018

Purpose

Boltanski and Thevenot’s Economies of Worth framework and the project world introduced by Boltanski and Chiapello are well known in the fields of sociology and organization theory, but have been largely ignored in the project management literature. The purpose of this paper is to introduce them into the literature on projects and projectification.

Design/methodology/approach

The framework and the project world are described in detail and compared with two streams of writings that are well known in the field of project management: Making Projects Critical and the project as a complex self-organizing emergent network.

Findings

The paper shows that the framework and the project world are relevant to research in project management and the understanding of the projectification of society.

Research limitations/implications

The framework and the concepts presented could be used in both conceptual and empirical research in project management, particularly the analysis of projects in which disputes occur among stakeholders. Several paths that future developments could follow are identified.

Practical implications

The framework can be used to better understand disputes and identify how they can be resolved or compromises can be found.

Social implications

The analysis by Boltanski and Chiapello showed that the evolution of management practice is linked to changes in society and in the dominant ideology.

Originality/value

The paper introduces a very valuable framework into the project literature.
Determinants of SMEs business success – emerging market perspective
Authors: Kozielski Robert
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the role of selected determinants in building business success (comparative analysis between SME sector and large companies).

Design/methodology/approach

Research conducted among companies operating on the Polish market in 2015. 149 companies from the SME sector and 33 companies from the large companies' sector were submitted to the final analysis. PAPI and CAWI methods were used to collect data.

Findings

The performed research was an attempt to assess the ability of small and medium companies to compete in hectic times. The research was limited in scope. They however proved that rejecting the partial hypothesis was not possible, and as a result, it was also impossible to reject the main hypothesis according to which organizations, using market success determinants (MK – market knowledge, MO – marketing orientation, LO – learning organization) to a greater extent achieve better market performance (BS – business success).

Research limitations/implications

It should be noted that the research methodology had its limitations and imperfections. The research was carried out in the PAPI and CAWI market research forms. Standardization of the research method and research process certainly has its advantages. On the other hand, however, it does limit the in-depth observation. Linking the results of the SME sector survey to the large company sector remains inconclusive. Probably, because of the small size of the sample, the analyzed relationships were statistically insignificant. This applied primarily to the relationship between independent variables (MK – market knowledge, MO – marketing orientation, LO – learning organization) and the dependent variable (BS – business success).

Practical implications

Research has shown that the market success of small- and medium-sized companies depends on not only the ability to learn the market faster than competitors but also marketing orientation and market knowledge. It thus can be said that it is the ability to apply the knowledge and not its scale that is crucial for success. This conclusion seems to take on a completely different meaning in the era of new technologies, especially the phenomenon referred to as big data.

Originality/value

The analysis of the nature of market knowledge, marketing orientation and learning organization has shown how closely these concepts are related, how much they complement each other and facilitate the occurrence of synergy effects. There is a gap in the analysis of the relationship between these variables (market knowledge, marketing orientation, learning organization) and business success, especially in terms of the SME sector on the emerging markets. This paper attempt to reduce this gap.
Achievement motivation and presidential effectiveness
Authors: Knights Alexander R.
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The achievement motivation construct has long presented a significant challenge to the study of presidential leadership. The purpose of this paper is to overcome the limitations of prior research by proposing that whether achievement motivation is related to effectiveness in the US presidency may not be a matter of if but how achievement motivation is manifested.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the channeling hypothesis, it was proposed that presidents’ trait behaviors should be accounted for as they directly impact the way that presidents express achievement motivation. To test this thesis, this study relied on data generated from diverse sources that provide both direct and indirect information about US presidents’ personalities and effectiveness, including content analyses of inaugural addresses and presidential biographies and surveys completed by presidential biographers and scholars.

Findings

Results show that among achievement motivated presidents, display of motive-congruent, conscientious behaviors contributes to their effectiveness, whereas display of motive-incongruent, agreeable behaviors tends to detract from it.

Research limitations/implications

The small sample size of US presidents and the limited amount of archival data available for some of these subjects prevented more fine-grained analyses. Thus, further research among senior leaders is needed to not only confirm the explanatory mechanism offered herein, but also explore the possibility that there are optimal levels beyond which the personality traits under study may cease to be a help or hindrance to achievement motivated chief executives.

Originality/value

This study represents the first effort to formally integrate motives and traits in the study of chief executives. The findings of this research also substantiate the need for researchers to consider the complex nature of motives in predicting important outcomes across different contexts.
Influence of steadite on the tribological behavior of cylinder liners
Authors: Cousseau Tiago , Serbino Edison , Rejowski Edney , Sinatora Amilton
Published: December 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to understand the effect of steadite in gray cast iron (GCI) cylinder liners performance (friction and wear) when lubricated with new lube oil formulations to verify if steadite can be reduced or suppressed from cylinder liners composition.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents an experimental approach to quantify the separated effect of lube additives and steadite content on GCI performance. Friction and wear of GCI samples with and without steadite were analyzed under lubricated conditions with a 5W30 lubricant and a base oil of similar viscosity under operating conditions similar to the ones observed at the top dead center of Otto engines. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-EDS analysis was used to evaluate wear and tribofilm formation.

Findings

The paper shows that steadite stabilizes friction coefficient and slightly reduces wear in the tests performed with base oil. However, its advantages are marginal in comparison to the ones provided by the fully formulated oil. Furthermore, SEM-EDS analyses of the wear track showed that steadite does not chemically react with zinc and sulfur compounds, reducing the tribofilm formation on the real area of contact and consequently changing the tribosystem behavior.

Originality/value

This paper covers an identified need to study the effect of lube additives and GCI composition using actual piston ring and cylinder liners under operating conditions similar to the ones observed at the top dead center of Otto engines.
Efficient running-in of gears and improved prediction of the tooth flank load carrying capacity
Authors: Zimmer Martin , Bartel Dirk
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine parameters for an efficient running-in of gears and an improved method for the prediction of the tooth flank load carrying capacity.

Design/methodology/approach

In this contribution, a model for the calculation of the pitting life of involute spur gears is introduced, which is based on an extension of the life model according to Ioannides and Harris for rough surfaces. To achieve the most realistic thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication simulation and stress calculation possible, measured real surfaces and elastic-plastic material properties of the area close to the surface are used. Special attention is paid to the compatibility of the fatigue life calculation for heterogeneous rough surfaces and their consistent consideration in the lifespan calculation.

Findings

A non-destructive running-in for twin-disc pairings can be performed using suitable operating parameters, which subsequently can be transferred to tooth flank tests. Using the extended life model according to Ioannides and Harris, an enhanced prediction of the tooth flank load carrying capacity is possible.

Originality/value

The developed extended life model includes a new numerical approach for calculating the tooth flank load carrying capacity. It has the potential to reliably support and hence to accelerate the design process of gears.
A modified approach to estimating thermodynamic impact on buildings
Authors: Emetere Moses Eterigho
Published: December 2018

Purpose

Managing the urban housing plan of a very fast-growing city may be difficult if the scientific input, i.e. thermodynamic architecture and the climate change challenges, is not factored into its initial framework. Recent building plan in some parts of a growing city located in a developing country was adopted for the purpose of this research. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of poor urban planning on humans.

Design/methodology/approach

The reverberation time analysis was carried using the Ecotect software. In total, 15-year surface temperature data were obtained (1999-2013) from the Global Land Data Assimilation System. Thermal distributions were calculated using beta probability and Gaussian distribution. Also, the parametric study of the solar constant was accomplished using possible mathematical outcomes.

Findings

It was discovered that irrespective of the fabrics of building, air properties and materials within a building, the total heat and sound absorptions are high for the life form. Necessary recommendations were made for further study.

Research limitations/implications

Only the outdoor impact was calculated.

Practical implications

There should be more proactive measures by the urban planning authorities.

Social implications

There would be wide spread of diseases and very low thermal comfort.

Originality/value

This paper illustrates on the most ignored parameter in environmental architecture.
Ascertaining the “Halalness” of restaurants – scale development and validation
Authors: Khan Ghazala , Khan Faiza
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a measurement scale for determining the “Halalness” of restaurants and related behaviour among Muslim consumers in the absence of the halal logo. The study responded to scholarly calls for further research in exploring the consumption practices of Muslims.

Design/methodology/approach

The scale was developed and validated using a rigorous methodology recommended in the scale development literature. The study used a total sample of 438 (66 respondents for pilot study, 208 for exploratory survey and 164 for the confirmatory survey) to collect the data. Reliability and validity of the measurement scale was established through average variance extracted, Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, critical ratios and discriminant validity.

Findings

The results from the exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory analysis propose a three-dimensional measurement scale with 14 items for establishing the “Halalness” of restaurants and including social servicescape; neighbourhood and behaviour.

Research limitations/implications

The study was unable to validate a number of cues and behaviour such as the presence of images in the restaurant or consumer responses to the presence of alcohol. The researchers are therefore encouraged to test these cues.

Originality/value

The study addresses a gap in Islamic literature, and it is among the first to provide conceptualisation and empirically validate a scale for measuring the “Halalness” of restaurants. The scale was tested and validated based on samples drawn from two different countries, thereby allowing for generalizability.
Ethnographic reflections on access to care services
Authors: Oute Jeppe , Bjerge Bagga
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to explore how gatekeepers’ ways of regulating the researchers’ access to knowledge in/about care services reflect the systemic and interpersonal values that inform Danish welfare systems’ daily workings at the street level; and also explore how the authors’ methodological experiences mirror the value-informed regulatory strategies that professionals and users themselves experience in their daily encounters in the same local practices that the authors have studied.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes its empirical point of departure in a multisited ethnographic field study of the management of citizens with complex problems in Danish welfare systems.

Findings

By means of Michael Lipsky’s outline of access regulation, the authors will analyze the following regulatory strategies that are identified during the fieldwork: “Gatekeepers’ sympathy and creaming,” “Queuing and delay,” and ‘Withdrawal of consent and “no resources.” The paper suggests that trust, shared goals and sympathy seem to be key to the process of getting access.

Originality/value

Despite principles of neutrality, equal rights and access to services in welfare systems, the authors’ experiences thus tend to support other research within bureaucratic and care organizations, which has found that interpersonal relations, sympathy, dislikes, norms and values, etc., can heavily influence timely access to services, tailored information and support.
Organizational culture and performance: a macro-level longitudinal study
Authors: Kim Taesung , Chang Jihyun
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to take a series of snapshots of perceived organizational culture over time, analyze the longitudinal pattern of its change, examine the relationship between organizational culture and organizational performance and verify if the relationship remains consistent, regardless of the flow of time.

Design/methodology/approach

Competing values framework and balanced scorecard are employed to look at organizational culture and its link with organizational performance; the panel data with more than 400 Korean firms from three biennial waves (2011, 2013 and 2015) are analyzed for a macro-level longitudinal examination.

Findings

Findings include that clan and market cultures were more prevalent than adhocracy and hierarchy cultures, and clan culture significantly decreased over time (H1); adhocracy, clan and market cultures had a consistently positive relationship with all the performance variables over the years and demonstrated a stronger impact in that order (H2).

Research limitations/implications

The results call for continued research on organizational culture in a longitudinal and cross-sectional nature, and a more comprehensive culture framework for today’s organizations.

Practical implications

Suggestions include that leaders should engage in bilateral communications and network building for successful organization development and change, and take a comprehensive, long-range approach in conducting cultural assessments.

Originality/value

The current study addresses a lack of empirical support and a single organization, point-of-time perspective in organizational culture research by examining organizational culture and performance with a macro-level longitudinal approach.
Saving green while going green
Authors: Chang C. Edward , Krueger Thomas M. , Witte H. Doug
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the operating characteristics as well as risk and performance measures of all available self-proclaimed socially responsible funds (hereafter SRFs) in the USA over the ten-year (2007–2016) period. The first research question addressed is: Do SRFs perform as well as the average of all mutual funds in their respective categories? The second research question addressed is: Are SRF expense ratios correlated with fund performance?

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzes all socially responsible equity mutual funds, as self-reported to Morningstar. This paper empirically compares operating characteristics and performance measures of SRFs relative to category averages in the US mutual fund industry. Operating characteristics include expense ratios and annual turnover rates. Performance measures include conventional return, risk and risk-adjusted return measures.

Findings

Although prior research suggests that socially responsible investing (SRI) indexes and SRI-friendly stocks have favorable returns, this study finds that these self-proclaimed SRFs underperform the average of all mutual funds in matched equity categories. However, this study demonstrates that a simple filter based on expense ratios can identify those SRFs that will enable investors to do quite well while doing good.

Originality/value

The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, the authors report that self-proclaimed SRFs, as a whole, have not generated competitive returns relative to other mutual funds in the same categories over the past ten years. This result contradicts the notion that socially responsible investors do not give up return performance when investing with their conscience. Second, the authors find that those SRFs with expense ratios in the lowest quartile of their respective category have significantly higher risk-adjusted returns and significantly lower turnover than category averages. Thus, by focusing on SRFs with low-expense ratios, socially responsible investors can do quite well while doing good.