bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolution of the Chinese rural-urban migrant labor market from 2002 to 2007
Authors: Frank Qu Zhaopeng , Zhao Zhong
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the dynamic change of the migrant labor market in China from 2002 to 2007 using two comparable data sets.

Design/methodology/approach

– To understand the factors behind the wage change, the authors use the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition (Oaxaca, 1973; Blinder, 1973) method to study the hourly wage change over this five-year period.

Findings

– The focus is on the rural-urban migration decision, the wage structure of migrants, the labor market segmentation between migrants and urban natives, and the changes of these aspects from 2002 to 2007. The paper finds that prior migration experience is a key factor for the migration decision of rural household members, and its importance keeps increasing from 2002 to 2007. The results show that there is a significant increase in wages among both migrants and urban natives over this five-year period, but migrants have enjoyed faster wage growth, and most of the increase of wages among migrants can be attributed to the increase of returns to their characteristics. The authors also find evidence suggesting convergence of urban labor markets for migrants and for urban natives during this five-year period.

Research limitations/implications

– In order to make the 2002 and 2007 data sets comparable, the authors had to restrict the observations with fixed residence only, and can only include seven cities. These limit the representativeness of the sample. When interpret the findings in this paper, it is important to keep this in mind.

Originality/value

– Due to the scarcity of data, there are few studies on the dynamics of the migrating population and the migrant labor market. Since the urban natives and migrants are still segmented in the labor market, the migrant labor market may have its own characteristics, and also, because of the increasing importance of the migrants in Chinese society, knowledge of the evolution of the migrant labor market is crucial for grasping the whole story behind the Chinese economic miracle.
Hedging effectiveness of weather index-based insurance in China
Authors: Pelka Niels , Musshoff Oliver , Finger Robert
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Maize production in China is exposed to pronounced yield risks, in particular weather risk, which is one of the most important and least controllable sources of risk in agriculture. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the extent to which weather index-based insurance can contribute to reducing the revenue risk in maize production caused by yield variations. An average farm producing maize is analyzed for each of eight Chinese provinces, six of which are part of the Northern Plains of China.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data are based on the Statistical Yearbook of China and the Chinese Meteorological Administration. The used method of insurance pricing is burn analysis. Hedging effectiveness of precipitation index-based insurance is measured by the relative reduction of the standard deviation (SD) and the Value at Risk of maize revenues.

Findings

– Results reveal that precipitation index-based insurance can cause a reduction of up to 15.2 percent of the SD and 38.7 percent of the Value at Risk with a 90 percent confidence level of maize revenues in the study area. However, there are big differences in the hedging efficiencies of precipitation index-based insurance measured at different weather stations in the various provinces. Therefore, it is recommended for insurance providers to analyze the hedging effectiveness of weather index-based insurance with regard to the geographical location of their reference weather station if they would like to offer weather index-based insurance products.

Research limitations/implications

– The absence of individual, long-term yield data in the study area prevents the evaluation of risk on individual farms. Thus, the hedging effectiveness can only be analyzed on an aggregated level of yield data and can rather be modeled for an average farm of a particular province.

Originality/value

– To the author's knowledge, this paper is the first that investigates the hedging effectiveness of precipitation index-based insurance designed for reducing revenue risk of maize production in eight Chinese provinces.
Drive optimization of a pulsatile total artificial heart
Authors: Pohlmann André , Hameyer Kay
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Total artificial hearts (TAHs) are required for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In order to replace the native heart a TAH must provide a sufficient perfusion of the human body, prevent blood damage and meet the implantation constraints. Until today there is no TAH on the market which meets all constraints. So the purpose of this paper is to design a drive in such a way that the operated TAH meets all predefined constraints.

Design/methodology/approach

– The drive is designed in terms of weight and electric losses. In setting up a cost function containing those constraints, the drive design can be included in a optimization process. When reaching the global minimum of the cost function the optimum drive design is found. In this paper the optimization methods manual parameter variation and differential evolution are applied.

Findings

– At the end of the optimization process the drive's weight amounts to 460 g and its mean losses sum up to 10 W. This design meets all predefined constraints. Further it is proposed to start the optimization process with a parameter variation to reduce the amount of optimization parameters for the time consuming differential evolution algorithm.

Practical implications

– This TAH has the potential to provide a therapy for all patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases as it is independent of donor organs.

Originality/value

– The optimization-based design process yields an optimum drive for a TAH in terms of weight and electrical losses. In this way a TAH is developed which meets all implantation constraints and provides sufficient perfusion of the human body at the same time.
Optimization of EMI filters for electrical drives in aircraft
Authors: Touré Baidy , Gerbaud Laurent , Schanen Jean-Luc , Ruelland Régis
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to deal with the design of passive filter for power electronics voltage inverters used in aircraft electrical drives (a permanent magnet synchronous machine fed by a six-phase voltage inverter with PMW control), using optimization for both sizing and sensibility analyses.

Design/methodology/approach

– The approach is generic. An aid allows to modify easily the frequency model and so to check various study cases, and to carry out the filter optimization for different topologies or control strategies.

Findings

– The approach is generic. An aid allows to modify easily the frequency model and so to check various study cases, and to carry out the filter optimization for different topologies or control strategies.

Research limitations/implications

– The power electronics load is supposed to be a set of predefined harmonic sources, obtained by experiment or time simulation plus fast fourier transformation before the optimization process.

Practical implications

– The problem has numerous constraints on the components, mainly technological constraints. The volume is minimized, respecting electromagnetic standards and an electro magnetic interference filter prototype has been made.

Originality/value

– The frequency model is automatically generated. A complex aircraft application has been studied thanks to the approach. Several sensibility analyses have been carried out. An EMC filter has been sized and an experimental prototype has been made, comforting the sizing by optimization.
n-level output space mapping for electromagnetic design optimization
Authors: Ben Ayed Ramzi , Brisset Stéphane
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to reduce the evaluations number of the fine model within the output space mapping (OSM) technique in order to reduce their computing time.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, n-level OSM is proposed and expected to be even faster than the conventional OSM. The proposed algorithm takes advantages of the availability of n models of the device to optimize, each of them representing an optimal trade-off between the model error and its computation time. Models with intermediate characteristics between the coarse and fine models are inserted within the proposed algorithm to reduce the number of evaluations of the consuming time model and then the computing time. The advantages of the algorithm are highlighted on the optimization problem of superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES).

Findings

– A major computing time gain equals to three is achieved using the n-level OSM algorithm instead of the conventional OSM technique on the optimization problem of SMES.

Originality/value

– The originality of this paper is to investigate several models with different granularities within OSM algorithm in order to reduce its computing time without decreasing the performance of the conventional strategy.
Optimal household energy management using V2H flexibilities
Authors: Dargahi Ardavan , Ploix Stéphane , Soroudi Alireza , Wurtz Frédéric
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The use of energy storage devices helps the consumers to utilize the benefits and flexibilities brought by smart networks. One of the major energy storage solutions is using electric vehicle batteries. The purpose of this paper is to develop an optimal energy management strategy for a consumer connected to the power grid equipped with Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) power supply and renewable power generation unit (PV).

Design/methodology/approach

– The problem of energy flow management is formulated and solved as an optimization problem using a linear programming model. The total energy cost of the consumer is optimized. The optimal values of decision variables are found using CPLEX solver.

Findings

– The simulation results demonstrated that if the optimal decisions are made regarding the V2H operation and managing the produced power by solar panels then the total energy payments are significantly reduced.

Originality/value

– The gap that the proposed model is trying to fill is the holistic determination of an optimal energy procurement portfolio by using various embedded resources in an optimal way. The contributions of this paper are in threefold as: first, the introduction of mobile storage devices with a periodical availability depending on driving schedules; second, offering a new business model for managing the generation of PV modules by considering the possibility of grid injection or self-consumption; third, considering Real Time Pricing in the suggested formulation.
“I don’t really like the pub […]”: reflections on young people and pre-loading alcohol
Authors: Barton Adrian , Husk Kerryn
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Recent research (Barton and Husk, 2012) suggested that in the UK we are seeing a shift from the traditional “pub-club” drinking pattern to a “home-pub-club” pattern. In the latter model often excessive early evening drinking is occurring in the private sphere in the absence of external control, leading to problems when the drinkers enter the public sphere. Moreover, pre-loading has become a key aspect in the drinking patterns of many of the Night Time Economy (NTE) population with around 60-70 per cent of people drinking some alcohol prior to going out. In the previous work (Barton and Husk, 2012) 50 per cent of people were drinking significant quantities of alcohol prior to entering the NTE. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– However, whilst these statistics give a general overview of patterns of drinking, they fail to provide the depth required to uncover potential mechanisms. It is generally assumed that the driving force behind this cultural shift in alcohol use is price. However, the feeling is that this is too simplistic. To explore this, the authors conducted a set of in-depth qualitative interviews with young people to ascertain why pre-loading is such an entrenched aspect of their drinking culture (n=20).

Findings

– This paper provides the preliminary findings of that research. It shows, amongst other things, that beyond the price factor many young people seemingly need alcohol to cope with the NTE; that they prefer the safety and control of the environment that drinking in the private sphere provides; and that some of them (despite drinking alcohol) simply do not like pubs.

Originality/value

– The paper adds to the discourse on pre-loading by suggesting richly described underlying mechanisms of action.
Effects of chemical reaction and thermal radiation on unsteady double diffusive convection
Authors: Rashad A.M. , Elsayed Ahmed Sameh , Ahmed Mansour Mohamed
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this numerical paper is to investigate the simulation of an unsteady double diffusive natural convection in square enclosure filled with a porous medium with various boundary conditions in the presence of thermal radiation and chemical reaction effects.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this study, the governing dimensionless equations were written using the Brinkman Forchheimer extended Darcy model. They are numerically solved by using finite difference method by applying adiabatic boundary condition in top surface. The bottom surface is maintained at uniform temperature and concentration and left and right vertical walls are cooled.

Findings

– Results are presented by streamlines, isotherms, temperature and concentration contours profiles as well as the local Nusselt number and Sherwood numbers for different values of the governing parameters such as Darcy number, buoyancy ratio, Rayleigh number, thermal radiation parameter and chemical reaction parameter. It is found that that both of the local Nusselt and Sherwood numbers increase as the Rayleigh number, buoyancy ratio and Darcy number increase. Moreover, increasing the thermal radiation effects leads to a pronounced increase in the local Nusselt number, while the opposite behavior is displayed by the local Sherwood number. Furthermore, the local Sherwood number increases and the local Nusselt number decrease when the chemical reaction parameter increase.

Originality/value

– The originality of this study is the square cavity with various boundary conditions filled with a porous medium with thermal radiation and chemical reaction effects.
Analytic approximate solutions for time-dependent flow and heat transfer of a Sisko fluid
Authors: Khan Masood , Shahzad Azeem , Anjum Asia , M. Mahomed Fazal
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to find analytic approximate solutions for time-dependent flow and heat transfer of a Sisko fluid.

Design/methodology/approach

– The homotopy analysis method is used to find a family of travelling wave solutions of the governing non-linear problem.

Findings

– The effects of different parameters on the velocity and temperature profiles are shown graphically.

Originality/value

– The analytic solutions of the system of non-linear ordinary differential equations are constructed in the series form for various values of the power index.
Projection method for high-order compact schemes for low Mach number flows in enclosures
Authors: Tyliszczak Artur
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Variable density flows play an important role in many technological devices and natural phenomena. The purpose of this paper is to develop a robust and accurate method for low Mach number flows with large density and temperature variations.

Design/methodology/approach

– Low Mach number approximation approach is used in the paper combined with a predictor-corrector method and accurate compact scheme of fourth and sixth order. A novel algorithm is formulated for the projection method in which the boundary conditions for the pressure are implemented in such a way that the continuity equation is fulfilled everywhere in the computational domain, including the boundary nodes.

Findings

– It is shown that proposed implementation of the boundary conditions considerably improves a solution accuracy. Assessment of the accuracy was performed based on the constant density Burggraf flow and for two benchmark cases for the natural convection problems: steady flow in a square cavity and unsteady flow in a tall cavity. In all the cases the results agree very well with exemplary solutions.

Originality/value

– A staggered or half-staggered grid arrangement is usually used for the projection method for both constant and low Mach number flows. The staggered approach ensures stability and strong pressure-velocity coupling. In the paper a high-order compact method has been implemented in the framework of low Mach number approximation on collocated meshes. The resulting algorithm is accurate, robust for large density variations and is almost free from the pressure oscillations.
The gender wage gap among Spanish managers
Authors: Scicchitano Sergio
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the existence of sticky floor and glass ceiling effects in the gender wage gap (GWG) among Spanish managers. In addition, the paper determines if the pay gap at every quantile is a result of the gender characteristic differences, or the differences in returns to those characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper exploits a counterfactual decomposition analysis, using quantile regression, to decompose the GWG into one component that is based on differences in characteristics and one component that is based on differences in coefficients across the wage distribution.

Findings

– A significant GWG over all the wage distribution is found. Such a gap exhibits a clear U-shaped pattern, thus pointing out both significant sticky floor and glass ceiling effects. Furthermore, the paper shows that such pattern is mainly determined by the coefficient effect, whose relative incidence is almost continuously increasing along the wage distribution.

Research limitations/implications

– While it is difficult to give a definitive explanation for the significant U-shaped pattern in the GWG and for the bigger incidence of the glass ceiling, the authors suggest two possible explanations that are consistent with these findings. The paper leaves the identification of these explanations to future research.

Practical implications

– The pattern of rising coefficient effects at higher quantiles suggests that the glass ceiling is a more relevant question than the sticky floor. Indeed, at the highest wage quantiles, differences in characteristics make essentially no contribution to the overall wage gap. This suggests that upper-echelon female managers have the same characteristics as their male counterparts, which emphasizes the role of discrimination for these top-level jobs.

Originality/value

– Despite the general GWG has been largely investigated, the analysis of a wage differential among managerial workers has certainly drawn much less attention. In particular just a few papers have investigated the existence of sticky floors and glass ceiling among managers. In addition, as to Spain, there is no empirical survey investigating and decomposing the gender pay gap among managers.
Delphi-based strategic issue management: crafting consumer goods supply chain strategy
Authors: Förster Bernadette , Keller Jonas , A. von der Gracht Heiko , Darkow Inga-Lena
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Consumer goods supply chains (SCs) are characterized by continuously changing customer trends. Early detection of these trends is crucial for deriving successful long-term SC strategies. The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic process to support decision makers in assessing future-relevant issues and developing strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

– In order to contribute to the quality of long-term decision making for SC strategy, we combine strategic issue management (SIM) and corporate foresight methodology. The authors develop a procedure that integrates the Delphi technique and SIM to empirically demonstrate how “Delphi-based SIM” can support SC strategy development.

Findings

– The paper demonstrates how to craft a strategy for consumer goods SCs supported by Delphi-based SIM. The authors are able to include and evaluate uncertain and ambivalent future developments. Pertinent strategic issues for the consumer goods SC include: consumer demographics, automated ordering, city supply, and concept stores. For the reference company, five different strategic paths were created and evaluated.

Practical implications

– It is challenging for companies to be well prepared for dynamic business environments and to successfully establish a robust SC strategy. The authors develop a systematic Delphi-based SIM for detecting and evaluating signals and integrating them into SC strategy development.

Originality/value

– To date, a structured approach to integrate uncertain and ambivalent issues into SC strategy development is missing. With SIM and corporate foresight, the authors provide novel methods for strategy development in the consumer goods SC.
Persona missing, feared drowned: the digital persona concept, two decades later
Authors: Clarke Roger
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to document the development path of a specific concept during its first 20 years.

Design/methodology/approach

– Evidence was extracted of the citation-counts of relevant articles, uses of the term in other articles that do not cite the original articles, and uses of terms with similar meanings. Examination of the data took into account insights from epidemiology, memetics and diffusion of innovations theory.

Findings

– The concept has had insufficient impact to overcome the weaknesses in theory and practice that it was intended to address. It has lacked champions. It has proven to be sufficiently fit to survive, but not to flourish.

Research limitations/implications

– Google Scholar has a wide catchment area, and hence provides a basis for tracking the path of development of new ideas. However, the tools remain fairly blunt, and do not, for example, enable efficient extraction of patterns of citation over time, or the nature of the uses made of terms by the citing articles.

Practical implications

– Neologisms take on a life of their own, losing the associations that they were intended to have with other ideas, and shedding their embedment in a body of theory. For a new term to successfully project a meme, its proponent must enthuse a critical mass of early adopters to apply it, and to generate a further round of adopters.

Originality/value

– Concepts are seldom tracked over time. This paper shows that a new term and its associated body of theory require more than publications in top-level journals if they are to have significant impacts on academic research and industry practice.
Unlocking laggard markets: innovation without high tech
Authors: Matzler Kurt , A. Mooradian Todd , Füller Johann , Anschober Markus
Published: May 2014

Purpose

–In every market there are non-consumers – potential customers that withstand an innovation. A common reason is that products targeted to early adopters or the mass market are over-engineered. Established companies usually neglect the laggards in a market. This offers growth opportunities for new entrants. These market niches can be unlocked when products are simplified and adapted to the special needs of the laggards.

Design/methodology/approach

–Using a short case study from an Austrian producer of cell-phones targeted to seniors, and some other examples, we show how innovative solutions can be developed by targeting to the special needs of laggards in a market.

Findings

–Technologies usually evolve faster than market needs and established companies, in their efforts to grow and improve profitability, try to innovate faster than their competitors. This often leads to over-engineered products. In many markets there are consumers that withstand these innovative and over-engineered products. A vacuum for low-priced, simple, and easy-to-use solutions emerges. We describe a five-step approach for unlocking these market segments and developing solutions for laggards.

Originality/value

–While most companies try to innovate faster than their competitors to defend their market leadership, laggard innovation targets non-consumers in the market. By simplifying over-engineered products and adapting them to the special needs of laggards, new market opportunities emerge. This paper shows how these market niches can be unlocked.
Attitudes toward women in policing
Authors: C. Chu Doris , Tsao Chang-Chi
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to compare Taiwanese male and female cadets’ attitudes toward women in policing. Specifically, this study assesses whether female and male recruits differ in: their assessment of women in policing; and their preferred roles of women in policing.

Design/methodology/approach

– Surveys were conducted with 438 cadets (229 males and 209 females) who received recruitment training at the Taiwan Police College in 2011. This methodology provided a rich sample to explore police recruits’ attitudes toward women in policing.

Findings

– Although male cadets had reservations about females’ capability and physical strength in handling certain aspects of police work, they supported women being assigned to equal or similar duties as men upon entry into the police force. Compared to male cadets, female cadets were more likely to perceive females as being competent as males and thus adequate for police work. Nevertheless, female cadets were reluctant to embrace women's integration into police work, which might require them to perform duties similar to or the same as those of men, such as patrol.

Research limitations/implications

– It should be noted that the survey in the current study was conducted while recruits were going through training at the police college. The authors cannot rule out the possibility that surveys conducting under this type of circumstances may result in socially desirable responses. Future study should include surveys with cadets at different stages of their training (before, between, and at the end of the training) to further examine if the levels of recruits’ receptiveness to gender integration change over time.

Practical implications

– This finding highlights the importance of equipping female recruits with mental preparation and physical skills. The training at the academy should prepare cadets with the required skills to serve as patrol officers to boost their confidence. Equally important is to provide suitable training to help cadets raise stress awareness and develop coping mechanisms.

Originality/value

– Most studies conducted in the past have mainly focussed on police officers’ perceptions of women in policing. Only a handful of studies examine future police recruits’ attitudes toward women in policing, and most of these studies are conducted in western countries. A better understanding of police recruits’ attitudes toward women in policing in a non-western cultural setting can provide insight into theoretical and policy perspectives related to these issues.
Public contacts with Russian police in life-threatening situations
Authors: Semukhina Olga
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine key factors responsible for unwillingness of Russian respondents to contact police in life-threatening situations.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is based on a survey data (n=5,088) collected during 1998-2007 in Volgograd, Russia. The multivariate regression is employed for data analysis.

Findings

– Findings of this study suggest that pervasive public distrust and dissatisfaction of police institution coupled with fear of police abuse and negative previous experiences with crime reporting are responsible for citizens’ unwillingness to contact Russian police.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings imply that both instrumental and normative approaches to the police legitimacy are useful when explaining the issues of public-police cooperation in Russia.

Practical implications

– Paper also has practical implications pertinent to the 2011 police reform in Russia.

Originality/value

– The study also provides an original empirical research in previously under-research area of public-police cooperation in Russia and advances the understanding of Russian police by using the process-based model of policing.
The effect of securitization on US bank lending and monetary policy transmission
Authors: Ben Salah Nesrine , Fedhila Hassouna
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to assess the effect of securitization on US bank lending and monetary policy transmission.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use a sample of 174 US commercial banks from 2001 to 2008 and regress the ratio of total loans per total assets on variables related to securitization activity, variables related to bank-specific characteristics, economic growth and monetary policy, as well as interaction terms that are the product of this variable with securitization and bank-specific characteristics. GLS and SUR techniques are used.

Findings

– The results show that a greater recourse to securitization is associated with an increase of US bank lending capacities. Furthermore, it makes banks (especially less liquid ones) less sensitive to a monetary tightening. The authors conclude that when securitization is used as a risk management tool, the efficacy of monetary actions is confirmed. However, when securitization is considered as a substitute for liquid assets, monetary actions become ineffective. So, an increase in federal rates cannot, in this case, affect bank lending.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to a better understanding of how securitization affects bank lending and the effectiveness of monetary policy. The volume of securitized assets should now be considered as a part of traditional liquidity measures.
A laboratory assessment of the choice of vessel size under individual transferable quota regimes
Authors: Tanaka Kenta , Higashida Keisaku , Managi Shunsuke
Published: May 2014

This paper examines the effect of individual transferable quota regimes on technology choice, such as choice of vessel size, by using the laboratory experiment method. We find that even if vessel sizes change over time, the quota price can converge to the fundamental value conditioned on the vessels chosen. We also find that subjects choose their vessel type to maximise their profits based on the quota trading prices in the previous period. This result implies that the efficiency of quota markets in the beginning period is important because any inefficiency in quota markets may affect vessel sizes in ensuing periods. Moreover, we find that the initial allocations may significantly influence vessel sizes through two channels: first, a higher initial allocation to a subject increases the likelihood that the subject invests in a large‐sized vessel; second, the quota price may be higher and more unstable under unequal allocation than under equal allocation; thus, whether the allocation is equal influences subjects' choice of vessel type.
The Role of the State in Explaining the Internationalization of Emerging Market Enterprises
Authors: Hong Junjie , Wang Chengqi , Kafouros Mario
Published: May 2014

While the competitive advantages of firms from developed economies are well understood, knowledge of the advantages that enable emerging market enterprises (EMEs) to expand overseas remains limited. Our analysis goes beyond theorizing that focuses on firm resources, enhancing the understanding of how EMEs expand abroad by internalizing home‐country institutional advantages that extend beyond the firm boundaries. More specifically, we examine how the state and institutional idiosyncrasies in the home country help EMEs internationalize. We demonstrate that state ownership has a strong independent effect on the international expansion of EMEs. This effect, however, is contingent upon firms' own resources and other location‐ and industry‐specific forces pertaining to the market orientation of each subnational region and the institutional policies within a given industry.
Determinants of high‐performance work systems in small and medium‐sized private enterprises in China
Authors: Qiao Kun , Wang Xiaoyun , Wei Li‐Qun
Published: May 2014

This study investigates the determinants of high‐performance work systems (HPWS) in small and medium‐sized private enterprises (SMPEs) in China. Fifteen SMPE owners in a medium‐sized city of China were interviewed, the data were analysed and a grid model was developed. The results show that stakeholder relationships and the commitment of owners to human resource management (HRM) are the two main aspects determining the adoption of HPWS in China's SMPEs. Most of the HRM practices used by these SMPEs were developed by the owners according to the specific needs of the firm and the need for flexibility. This research contributes to the HPWS literature by providing evidence on its development in SMPEs in a transitional economy.
Changing patterns of compensation and benefits in multinational andAustralian companies 1996–2009
Authors: McGraw Peter
Published: May 2014

This paper explores the compensation and benefits (C&B) practices of subsidiaries of multinational companies (MNCs) operating inAustralia between 1996 and 2009 and contrasts them with comparable local firms. The evolution ofC&Bover the period is tracked using a composite index taken from two iterations (1996, 2008/9) of theCRANET Australia survey ofHRpractices and analysed in the context of significant deregulation ofAustralian human resource/industrial relations institutional settings during this period. The research finds no overall increase in compensation and benefits sophistication, but significant differences betweenMNCsand locals and enduring country of origin/region effects within the differentMNCgroups. Localization pressures onMNCpractices appear to have reduced in response to deregulation and there is some, but not conclusive, evidence of increasing dominance effects.
Developing a framework of effective prevention and response strategies in workplace sexual harassment
Authors: McDonald Paula , Charlesworth Sara , Graham Tina
Published: May 2014

Sexual harassment remains a widespread workplace phenomenon, despite laws that proscribe it. Drawing initially on a typology from the violence prevention literature that conceptualizes prevention and response approaches according to when they occur, the paper synthesizes strategies identified in literature addressing workplace sexual harassment, as well as other workplace injustices or grievances. The paper utilizes this previous research to develop a framework of sexual harassment prevention strategies along two dimensions: functions and timing. The framework offers a research‐informed set of organization‐wide preventative and remedial approaches, a systemic approach to what is often seen as an individual problem, and a means to better focus interventions that are often disparate and unco‐ordinated. The paper also highlights important areas for future research including a stronger focus on longer‐term (tertiary) corrective actions.
Patronage and the Pariah of Captain Cook's Third Voyage: Captain John Williamson, Sir William Jones and the Duchess of Devonshire
Authors: Bertelsen Lance
Published: May 2014

The most perplexing character in the historical drama known as the ‘Death of Captain Cook’ is Lieutenant John Williamson. Reviled by contemporaries for failing to come to Cook's aid at Kealakekua Bay, he was inexplicably promoted and given command upon his return to Britain, a mystery that has led to scholarly accusations of a cover‐up at both shipboard and Admiralty levels. In uncovering patterns of command and patronage that affected Williamson's later career, this article explores the workings of interest in the Royal Navy, expands Williamson's biography and offers new insights into his role in Cook's death.
Community‐based wildlife management failing to link conservation and financial viability
Authors: Humavindu M. N. , Stage J.
Published: May 2014

Given the considerable popularity of community‐based wildlife management as a conservation tool, it is of interest to assess the long‐run sustainability of this policy not only in conservation terms, but also in financial terms. In this paper, we use cost–benefit analysis to study the social and financial sustainability of a large set of community conservancies in Namibia, one of the few countries where community‐based wildlife management policies have been in place long enough to assess their long‐term viability. We find that, although the social sustainability is generally good, the financial sustainability is problematic – especially for the younger conservancies: there is no real link between conservation achievements and financial success. This calls into question the long‐term sustainability of many of these conservancies: if they are unable to generate enough revenue to pay for their running expenditure, they will eventually fail – even if they are successful from a conservation point of view. Similar problems, linked to the way in which external funders have pushed for additional conservancies to be established regardless of financial considerations, are likely to be present in other countries that have implemented such programmes.
Bowel and bladder function after resection of deeply infiltrating endometriosis
Authors: Li Ying Hong , De Vries Bradley , Cooper Michael , Krishnan Surya
Published: May 2014

Aims

To compare bowel and bladder function following uterosacral or rectovaginal excision of endometriosis with excision of endometriosis from other sites of the pelvis.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was performed via a questionnaire derived from validated questionnaires in the literature. This was applied to the two groups of women who have had endometriosis resected in the last 15 years – those with deeply infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) and those with endometriosis from other sites. In the questionnaire, voiding dysfunction, urinary stress incontinence, urinary urge incontinence, stool evacuation and overall symptoms post‐surgery were investigated. The higher the score, the higher the level of dysfunction.

Results

Women with DIE had higher levels of urinary stress dysfunction than the control group (mean 1 vs 0, IQR 3 vs 2, P = 0.047). Women with DIE also expressed a higher level of bowel dysfunction (mean 2 vs 2, IQR 1 vs 0, P = 0.002). However, women with DIE also reported significant improvement in urinary and bowel dysfunction postoperatively. There were no significant differences between the other variables.

Conclusion

The study demonstrated no clear association between the depth of excision of endometriosis with urinary and bowel dysfunction. The differences in urinary stress incontinence and bowel dysfunction may be explained by DIE itself causing damage to the hypogastric plexus.
Unintended pregnancy amongst women attending antenatal clinics at the Port Moresby General Hospital
Authors: Sanga Karen , Mola Glen , Wattimena Jeany , Justesen Aafke , I Black Kirsten
Published: May 2014

Background

National survey data from Papua New Guinea (PNG) suggest that women are having almost 1.5 times the number of children they desire. Women's ability to space and limit the number of children could have a significant impact on the country's high infant and maternal mortality rates.

Aim

To determine the prevalence and demographic associations of unintended pregnancy in women presenting for antenatal care to Port Moresby General Hospital.

Methods

From November 2011 to February 2012, we administered a structured questionnaire to women attending antenatal clinics covering pregnancy intention, contraceptive use and demographic information.

Results

Amongst the 1198 respondents, 49.4% of the pregnancies were reported as unintended with significantly higher proportions amongst women with no education or education only to primary school level (OR:1.46, CI: 1.10–1.92), unmarried women (OR:7.16, CI: 4.08–12.58), women whose first sexual encounter was under the age of 20 (OR 1.55, CI: 1.20–1.99) and women with three or more children compared to those having their first child (OR: 2.70, CI:1.86–3.93). Amongst multiparous women, a short birth interval of less than two years was significantly associated with unintended pregnancy (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Unintended pregnancy was common and occurred more frequently amongst women who already had three or more children, often leading to birth spacing of under two years. There is a need for effective programs and strategies to increase access to contraceptive information and services. Immediate provision of long‐acting reversible contraceptive methods in the postnatal period could facilitate such access and reduce unplanned pregnancy amongst multiparous women.
Pharmacological bronchodilation is partially mediated by reduced airway wall stiffness
Authors: Ansell T K , Noble P B , Mitchell H W , McFawn P K
Published: May 2014

Background and Purpose

In asthmatic patients, airflow limitation is at least partly reversed by administration of pharmacological bronchodilators, typically β2‐adrenoceptor agonists. In addition to receptor‐mediated bronchodilation, the dynamic mechanical environment of the lung itself can reverse bronchoconstriction. We have now explored the possibility that bronchodilators exert a synergistic effect with oscillatory loads by virtue of reducing airway wall stiffness, and therefore, enhancing the bronchodilatory response to breathing manoeuvres.

Experimental Approach

Whole porcine bronchial segments in vitro were contracted to carbachol and relaxed to the non‐specific β‐adrenoceptor agonist, isoprenaline, under static conditions or during simulated breathing manoeuvres.

Key Results

The bronchodilatory response to isoprenaline was greater during breathing manoeuvres compared with the response under static conditions. As the bronchodilatory response to breathing manoeuvres is dependent upon airway smooth muscle (ASM) strain, and therefore, airway wall stiffness, our findings are likely to be explained by the effect of isoprenaline on reducing airway wall stiffness, which increased ASM strain, producing greater bronchodilation.

Conclusions and Implications

A contribution of reduced airway stiffness and increased ASM strain to the bronchodilator action of isoprenaline is shown, suggesting that oscillatory loads act synergistically with pharmacologically mediated bronchodilation. The implications for the treatment of asthma are that reducing airway wall stiffness represents a potential target for novel pharmacological agents.
Baseline carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) serum levels predict bevacizumab‐based treatment response in metastatic colorectal cancer
Authors: Prager Gerald W. , Braemswig Kira H. , Martel Alexandra , Unseld Matthias , Heinze Georg , Brodowicz Thomas , Scheithauer Werner , Kornek Gabriela , Zielinski Christoph C.
Published: May 2014

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) affects tumorigenesis by enhancing tumor cell survival and by inducing tumor angiogenesis. This study aimed to evaluate baselineCEAserum levels to predict bevacizumab‐based therapy effect and survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Two hundred and ninety eight mCRCpatients receiving chemotherapy plus either bevacizumab or cetuximab were analyzed in a retrospective study. Disease control (DC), progression‐free survival (PFS), and overall survival were assessed and related to pretreatmentCEAserum levels. Patients with baselineCEAserum levels below the statistical median of 26.8 ng/mL (group I) were compared with patients with higherCEAlevels (group II). The cetuximab‐based treatment cohort was analyzed for specificity assessment ofCEAto predict the anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor effect in mCRC. BaselineCEAserum levels inversely correlated with therapeutic response in patients receiving bevacizumab‐based treatment (disease control rate, 84%vs60%), inversely correlated with medianPFSleading to a medianPFSbenefit of 2.1 months for patients in group I when compared with group II, as well as inversely correlated with median overall survival (37.5 monthsvs21.4 months). In an independent cohort of 129 patients treated with cetuximab‐based therapy, no association of therapeutic response orPFSwithCEAserum levels was found. As expected, baselineCEAlevels were prognostic for mCRC. These data give first evidence that baseline serumCEAlevels might constitute an important predictor for the efficacy of first‐line bevacizumab‐based therapy in patients with mCRC.
Full blood count parameters for the detection of asthma inflammatory phenotypes
Authors: Zhang X.‐Y. , Simpson J. L. , Powell H. , Yang I. A. , Upham J. W. , Reynolds P. N. , Hodge S. , James A. L. , Jenkins C. , Peters M. J. , Lin J.‐T. , Gibson P. G.
Published: May 2014

Background

In asthma, the airway inflammatory phenotype influences clinical characteristics and treatment response. Although induced sputum is the gold standard test for phenotyping asthma, a more accessible method is needed for clinical practice.

Objective

To investigate whether white blood cell counts and/or their derived ratios can predict sputum eosinophils or neutrophils in uncontrolled asthma.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study evaluated 164 treated but uncontrolled asthmatic patients with sputum induction and blood collection. Receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the relationship between blood and sputum parameters.

Results

There was a significant positive relationship between blood eosinophil parameters and the percentage of sputum eosinophil count. A weak but significant correlation was found between sputum neutrophil percentage and blood neutrophil percentage (r = 0.219, P = 0.005). ROC curve analysis identified that blood eosinophil percentage count was the best predictor for eosinophilic asthma, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.907 (P < 0.001). The optimum cut‐point for blood eosinophil percentage was 2.7%, and this yielded a sensitivity of 92.2% and a specificity of 75.8%. The absolute blood eosinophil count was also highly predictive with an AUC of 0.898 (P < 0.0001) at a blood eosinophil cut‐off of 0.26 × 109/L. The blood eosinophil/lymphocyte ratio (ELR) and eosinophil/neutrophil ratio (ENR) were increased in eosinophilic asthma, and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was increased in neutrophilic asthma. Neutrophilic asthma could also be detected by blood neutrophil percentages and NLR, but with less accuracy.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

Blood eosinophil counts and derived ratios (ELR and ENR) can accurately predict eosinophilic asthma in patients with persistent uncontrolled asthma despite treatment. Blood neutrophil parameters are poor surrogates for the proportion of sputum neutrophils. Blood counts may be a useful aid in the monitoring of uncontrolled asthma.