bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of PBL on students' self-efficacy beliefs in chemistry
Authors: Mataka Lloyd M. , Kowalske Megan Grunert
Published: September 2015

A convergent mixed methods research study was used to investigate whether or not undergraduate students who participated in a problem-based learning (PBL) laboratory environment improved their self-efficacy beliefs in chemistry. The Chemistry Attitude and Experience Questionnaire (CAEQ) was used as a pre- and post-test to determine changes in students' self-efficacy beliefs in general chemistry laboratories at a Midwestern University in the USA. Interviews were used to augment the quantitative data. Paired samplet-tests were used to determine the difference in means between pre- and post-tests. Analysis of variance was used to determine the influence of confounding variables. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the interview data. There was an observed improvement in students' self-efficacy beliefs using both qualitative and quantitative data. Interviews with the participants indicated that students had higher self-efficacy beliefs in chemistry for conducting chemistry experiments and for participating in undergraduate research after the PBL laboratory experience than they had before it. Students felt that PBL provided them with autonomy while exploring phenomena and allowed them to take more responsibility for their own learning. This study is significant in that it adds knowledge to research on the effects of PBL instruction and strengthens existing information on the relationship between PBL and the affective domain. Results from this study may also be informative to chemistry laboratory instructors on what PBL has to offer with regard to student outcomes.
An electrochromic supercapacitor and its hybrid derivatives: quantifiably determining their electrical energy storage by an optical measurement
Authors: Zhu Minshen , Huang Yang , Huang Yan , Meng Wenjun , Gong Qingchao , Li Guangming , Zhi Chunyi
Published: September 2015

Quantifiably determining the electrical energy storage of solid-state supercapacitors is fulfilled by integrating electrochromic tungsten oxide electrodes.
On sulfur core level binding energies in thiol self-assembly and alternative adsorption sites: An experimental and theoretical study
Authors: Jia Juanjuan , Kara Abdelkader , Pasquali Luca , Bendounan Azzedine , Sirotti Fausto , Esaulov Vladimir A.
Published: September 2015

Characteristic core level binding energies (CLBEs) are regularly used to infer the modes of molecular adsorption: orientation, organization, and dissociation processes. Here, we focus on a largely debated situation regarding CLBEs in the case of chalcogen atom bearing molecules. For a thiol, this concerns the case when the CLBE of a thiolate sulfur at an adsorption site can be interpreted alternatively as due to atomic adsorption of a S atom, resulting from dissociation. Results of an investigation of the characteristics of thiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) obtained by vacuum evaporative adsorption are presented along with core level binding energy calculations. Thiol ended SAMs of 1,4-benzenedimethanethiol (BDMT) obtained by evaporation on Au display an unconventional CLBE structure at about 161.25 eV, which is close to a known CLBE of a S atom on Au. Adsorption and CLBE calculations for sulfur atoms and BDMT molecules are reported and allow delineating trends as a function of chemisorption on hollow, bridge, and atop sites and including the presence of adatoms. These calculations suggest that the 161.25 eV peak is due to an alternative adsorption site, which could be associated to an atop configuration. Therefore, this may be an alternative interpretation, different from the one involving the adsorption of atomic sulfur resulting from the dissociation process of the S–C bond. Calculated differences in S(2p) CLBEs for free BDMT molecules, SH group sulfur on top of the SAM, and disulfide are also reported to clarify possible errors in assignments.
The prototype imaging motional Stark effect diagnostic for ASDEX upgrade
Authors: Ford O. P. , Howard J. , Wolf R. C.
Published: September 2015

This paper presents the development and testing of the prototype Imaging Motional Stark-Effect (IMSE) diagnostic, designed for ASDEX upgrade. A detailed description of the core hardware, theory of operation, and application to complex MSE spectra are presented and analytical evaluation methods suitable for the required accuracy are developed. The diagnostic is tested with a MSE-like polarised spectrum to assess the accuracy of different modulation modes suggested in previous works. Each is found to have small systematic errors due to non-ideal effects of the components, which must be carefully examined. In particular, the effect of intrinsic contrast that results from imperfect parallelism of the birefringent plates is found to have a strong effect. Methods to mitigate and correct for this are discussed. With the necessary corrections and calibrations, the accuracy of polarisation orientation is shown to be within ±0.2°. The effect of finite ellipticity is examined and the possibility to measure this to an accuracy of ±2.0° is demonstrated. The system is shown to be insensitive to broadband polarised background light, temperature variations, and critically to variations in the details of the MSE spectrum.
Microwave soft x-ray microscopy for nanoscale magnetization dynamics in the 5–10 GHz frequency range
Authors: Bonetti Stefano , Kukreja Roopali , Chen Zhao , Spoddig Detlef , Ollefs Katharina , Schöppner Christian , Meckenstock Ralf , Ney Andreas , Pinto Jude , Houanche Richard , Frisch Josef , Stöhr Joachim , Dürr Hermann A. , Ohldag Hendrik
Published: September 2015

We present a scanning transmission x-ray microscopy setup combined with a novel microwave synchronization scheme for studying high frequency magnetization dynamics at synchrotron light sources. The sensitivity necessary to detect small changes in the magnetization on short time scales and nanometer spatial dimensions is achieved by combining the excitation mechanism with single photon counting electronics that is locked to the synchrotron operation frequency. Our instrument is capable of creating direct images of dynamical phenomena in the 5-10 GHz range, with high spatial resolution. When used together with circularly polarized x-rays, the above capabilities can be combined to study magnetic phenomena at microwave frequencies, such as ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and spin waves. We demonstrate the capabilities of our technique by presenting phase resolved images of a ∼6 GHz nanoscale spin wave generated by a spin torque oscillator, as well as the uniform ferromagnetic precession with ∼0.1° amplitude at ∼9 GHz in a micrometer-sized cobalt strip.
Anisotropic time-resolved solution X-ray scattering patterns from explicit-solvent molecular dynamics
Authors: Brinkmann Levin U. L. , Hub Jochen S.
Published: September 2015

Time-resolved wide-angle X-ray scattering (TR-WAXS) is an emerging experimental technique used to track chemical reactions and conformational transitions of proteins in real time. Thanks to increased time resolution of the method, anisotropic TR-WAXS patterns were recently reported, which contain more structural information than isotropic patterns. So far, however, no method has been available to compute anisotropic WAXS patterns of biomolecules, thus limiting the structural interpretation. Here, we present a method to compute anisotropic TR-WAXS patterns from molecular dynamics simulations. The calculations accurately account for scattering of the hydration layer and for thermal fluctuations. For many photo-excitable proteins, given a low intensity of the excitation laser, the anisotropic pattern is described by two independent components: (i) an isotropic component, corresponding to common isotropic WAXS experiments and (ii) an anisotropic component depending on the orientation of the excitation dipole of the solute. We present a set of relations for the calculation of these two components from experimental scattering patterns. Notably, the isotropic component is not obtained by a uniform azimuthal average on the detector. The calculations are illustrated and validated by computing anisotropic WAXS patterns of a spheroidal protein model and of photoactive yellow protein. Effects due to saturated excitation at high intensities of the excitation laser are discussed, including opportunities to extract additional structural information by modulating the laser intensity.
Magnetoresistance control in granular Zn1-x-y CdxMnyGeAs2 nanocomposite ferromagnetic semiconductors
Authors: Kilanski L. , Fedorchenko I. V. , Górska M. , Ślawska-Waniewska A. , Nedelko N. , Podgórni A. , Avdonin A. , Lähderanta E. , Dobrowolski W. , Aronov A. N. , Marenkin S. F.
Published: September 2015

We present studies of structural, magnetic, and electrical properties of Zn1-x-y CdxMnyGeAs2 nanocomposite ferromagnetic semiconductor samples with changeable chemical composition. The presence of MnAs clusters induces the studied alloy room temperature ferromagnetism with the Curie temperature, TC, around 305 K. The chemical composition of the chalcopyrite matrix controls the geometrical parameters of the clusters, inducing different magnetoresistance effects in the crystals. The presence of ferromagnetic clusters in the alloy induces either negative or positive magnetoresistance with different values. The Cd-content allows a change of magnetoresistance sign in our samples from negative (for x≈0.85) to positive (for x≈0.12). The negative magnetoresistance present in the samples with x≈0.85 is observed at temperatures T<25 K with maximum values of about −32% at T=1.4 K and B=13 T, strongly depending on the Mn content, y. The positive magnetoresistance present in the samples with x≈0.12 is observed with maximum values not exceeding 50% at B=13 T and T=4.3 K, changing with the Mn content, y.
Nonlinear dynamics of cold magnetized non-relativistic plasma in the presence of electron-ion collisions
Authors: Sahu Biswajit , Sinha Anjana , Roychoudhury Rajkumar
Published: September 2015

A numerical study is presented of the nonlinear dynamics of a magnetized, cold, non-relativistic plasma, in the presence of electron-ion collisions. The ions are considered to be immobile while the electrons move with non-relativistic velocities. The primary interest is to study the effects of the collision parameter, external magnetic field strength, and the initial electromagnetic polarization on the evolution of the plasma system.
Effect of ensemble generalization on the highest-occupied Kohn-Sham eigenvalue
Authors: Kraisler Eli , Schmidt Tobias , Kümmel Stephan , Kronik Leeor
Published: September 2015

There are several approximations to the exchange-correlation functional in density-functional theory, which accurately predict total energy-related properties of many-electron systems, such as binding energies, bond lengths, and crystal structures. Other approximations are designed to describe potential-related processes, such as charge transfer and photoemission. However, the development of a functional which can serve the two purposes simultaneously is a long-standing challenge. Trying to address it, we employ in the current work the ensemble generalization procedure proposed by Kraisler and Kronik [Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 126403 (2013)]. Focusing on the prediction of the ionization potential via the highest occupied Kohn-Sham eigenvalue, we examine a variety of exchange-correlation approximations: the local spin-density approximation, semi-local generalized gradient approximations, and global and local hybrid functionals. Results for a test set of 26 diatomic molecules and single atoms are presented. We find that the aforementioned ensemble generalization systematically improves the prediction of the ionization potential, for various systems and exchange-correlation functionals, without compromising the accuracy of total energy-related properties. We specifically examine hybrid functionals. These depend on a parameter controlling the ratio of semi-local to non-local functional components. The ionization potential obtained with ensemble-generalized functionals is found to depend only weakly on the parameter value, contrary to common experience with non-generalized hybrids, thus eliminating one aspect of the so-called “parameter dilemma” of hybrid functionals.
Influence of temperature on period of torsion pendulum with a high-Q fused silica fiber
Authors: Luo Jie , Wu Wei-Huang , Shao Cheng-Gang , Li Qing , Liu Jian-Ping , Zhan Wen-Ze , Wang Dian-Hong
Published: September 2015

Due to the high-Q fused silica fiber’s extreme sensitivity to temperature change, the period estimation of torsion pendulum with high precision depends on the effective correction of the thermoelastic effect. In the measurement of G with the time-of-swing method, we analyze the complex relation between temperature and the pendulum’s period and propose a developed method to find the shear thermoelasticity coefficient as well as isolate the influence of temperature on period alone. The result shows that the shear thermoelasticity coefficient is 101(2) × 10−6/∘C, the resultant correction to Δ(ω2) is 9.16(0.18) ppm, and the relative uncertainty to G is less than 1 ppm.
A magneto-optical microscope for quantitative measurement of magnetic microstructures
Authors: Patterson W. C. , Garraud N. , Shorman E. E. , Arnold D. P.
Published: September 2015

An optical system is presented to quantitatively map the stray magnetic fields of microscale magnetic structures, with field resolution down to 50 μT and spatial resolution down to 4 μm. The system uses a magneto-optical indicator film (MOIF) in conjunction with an upright reflective polarizing light microscope to generate optical images of the magnetic field perpendicular to the image plane. A novel single light path construction and discrete multi-image polarimetry processing method are used to extract quantitative areal field measurements from the optical images. The integrated system including the equipment, image analysis software, and experimental methods are described. MOIFs with three different magnetic field ranges are calibrated, and the entire system is validated by measurement of the field patterns from two calibration samples.
Study of periodic surface profile on improving the window capacity at single and repetitive pulses
Authors: Liu Y. S. , Chang C. , Zhang X. W. , Zhang Z. Q. , Shao H. , Wang Y. , Liu W. Y. , Ke C. F. , Chen C. H. , Liang Y. Q. , Wu X. L. , Guo L. T.
Published: September 2015

The surface breakdown of dielectric windows seriously limits the transmission of high power microwaves (HPM), and has blocked the development of microwave technology in recent decades. In this paper, X-band HPM experiments of window breakdown at the vacuum/dielectric interface and the atmosphere/dielectric interface at single and repetitive pulses were conducted. The cross-linked polystyrene (CLPS) dielectric window with a periodic surface profile can significantly improve the breakdown threshold at single and repetitive pulses. Furthermore, the flat surface layer of CLPS was discovered to be carbonized to a depth of several millimeters and filled with electrical trees at repetitive pulses. Theoretical models were built to understand the underlying physics behind the phenomena in experiments. With the analysis of the electron resonance process breaking the molecular bond and the temperature rise caused by the traversing current in the dielectric material, a microscopic explanation for the carbonization of the dielectric window was introduced.
Kinetic theory of turbulence for parallel propagation revisited: Low-to-intermediate frequency regime
Authors: Yoon Peter H.
Published: September 2015

A previous paper [P. H. Yoon, “Kinetic theory of turbulence for parallel propagation revisited: Formal results,” Phys. Plasmas 22, 082309 (2015)] revisited the second-order nonlinear kinetic theory for turbulence propagating in directions parallel/anti-parallel to the ambient magnetic field, in which the original work according to Yoon and Fang [Phys. Plasmas 15, 122312 (2008)] was refined, following the paper by Gaelzer et al. [Phys. Plasmas 22, 032310 (2015)]. The main finding involved the dimensional correction pertaining to discrete-particle effects in Yoon and Fang's theory. However, the final result was presented in terms of formal linear and nonlinear susceptibility response functions. In the present paper, the formal equations are explicitly written down for the case of low-to-intermediate frequency regime by making use of approximate forms for the response functions. The resulting equations are sufficiently concrete so that they can readily be solved by numerical means or analyzed by theoretical means. The derived set of equations describe nonlinear interactions of quasi-parallel modes whose frequency range covers the Alfvén wave range to ion-cyclotron mode, but is sufficiently lower than the electron cyclotron mode. The application of the present formalism may range from the nonlinear evolution of whistler anisotropy instability in the high-beta regime, and the nonlinear interaction of electrons with whistler-range turbulence.
Secondary relaxation dynamics in rigid glass-forming molecular liquids with related structures
Authors: Li Xiangqian , Wang Meng , Liu Riping , Ngai Kia L. , Tian Yongjun , Wang Li-Min , Capaccioli Simone
Published: September 2015

The dielectric relaxation in three glass-forming molecular liquids, 1-methylindole (1MID), 5H-5-Methyl-6,7-dihydrocyclopentapyrazine (MDCP), and Quinaldine (QN) is studied focusing on the secondary relaxation and its relation to the structural α-relaxation. All three glass-formers are rigid and more or less planar molecules with related chemical structures but have dipoles of different strengths at different locations. A strong and fast secondary relaxation is detected in the dielectric spectra of 1MID, while no resolved β-relaxation is observed in MDCP and QN. If the observed secondary relaxation in 1MID is identified with the Johari-Goldstein (JG) β-relaxation, then apparently the relation between the α- and β-relaxation frequencies of 1MID is not in accord with the Coupling Model (CM). The possibility of the violation of the prediction in 1MID as due to either the formation of hydrogen-bond induced clusters or the involvement of intramolecular degree of freedom is ruled out. The violation is explained by the secondary relaxation originating from the in-plane rotation of the dipole located on the plane of the rigid molecule, contributing to dielectric loss at higher frequencies and more intense than the JG β-relaxation generated by the out-of-plane rotation. MDCP has smaller dipole moment located in the plane of the molecule; however, presence of the change of curvature of dielectric loss, ε″(f), at some frequency on the high-frequency flank of the α-relaxation reveals the JG β-relaxation in MDCP and which is in accord with the CM prediction. QN has as large an in-plane dipole moment as 1MID, and the absence of the resolved secondary relaxation is explained by the smaller coupling parameter than the latter in the framework of the CM.
Thermodynamics of amyloid formation and the role of intersheet interactions
Authors: Irbäck Anders , Wessén Jonas
Published: September 2015

The self-assembly of proteins into β-sheet-rich amyloid fibrils has been observed to occur with sigmoidal kinetics, indicating that the system initially is trapped in a metastable state. Here, we use a minimal lattice-based model to explore the thermodynamic forces driving amyloid formation in a finite canonical (NVT) system. By means of generalized-ensemble Monte Carlo techniques and a semi-analytical method, the thermodynamic properties of this model are investigated for different sets of intersheet interaction parameters. When the interactions support lateral growth into multi-layered fibrillar structures, an evaporation/condensation transition is observed, between a supersaturated solution state and a thermodynamically distinct state where small and large fibril-like species exist in equilibrium. Intermediate-size aggregates are statistically suppressed. These properties do not hold if aggregate growth is one-dimensional.
Effect of initial phase on error in electron energy obtained using paraxial approximation for a focused laser pulse in vacuum
Authors: Singh Kunwar Pal , Arya Rashmi , Malik Anil K.
Published: September 2015

We have investigated the effect of initial phase on error in electron energy obtained using paraxial approximation to study electron acceleration by a focused laser pulse in vacuum using a three dimensional test-particle simulation code. The error is obtained by comparing the energy of the electron for paraxial approximation and seventh-order correction description of the fields of Gaussian laser. The paraxial approximation predicts wrong laser divergence and wrong electron escape time from the pulse which leads to prediction of higher energy. The error shows strong phase dependence for the electrons lying along the axis of the laser for linearly polarized laser pulse. The relative error may be significant for some specific values of initial phase even at moderate values of laser spot sizes. The error does not show initial phase dependence for a circularly laser pulse.
n-ZnO/p-4H-SiC diode: Structural, electrical, and photoresponse characteristics
Authors: Guziewicz M. , Schifano R. , Przezdziecka E. , Domagala J. Z. , Jung W. , Krajewski T. A. , Guziewicz E.
Published: September 2015

Epitaxial n-type ZnO film has been grown, on a commercial 5 μm thick p-type 4H-SiC(00.1) Al doped epilayer, by atomic layer deposition. A full width at half maximum of the ZnO 00.2 diffraction peak rocking curve of 0.34° ± 0.02° has been measured. Diodes formed on the n-ZnO/p-4H-SiC heterostructure show rectifying behavior with a forward to reverse current ratio at the level of 109 at ±4 V, a leakage current density of ∼6 × 10−8 A/cm2, and a low ideality factor equal to 1.17 ± 0.04. In addition, the diodes exhibit selective photoresponse with a maximum at 367 nm, and with a current increase of ∼103 under illuminations with respect to the dark value, which makes such devices prospective candidates for ultraviolet light sensors.
Quantitative analysis of the density of trap states at the semiconductor-dielectric interface in organic field-effect transistors
Authors: Diemer Peter J. , Lamport Zachary A. , Mei Yaochuan , Ward Jeremy W. , Goetz Katelyn P. , Li Wei , Payne Marcia M. , Guthold Martin , Anthony John E. , Jurchescu Oana D.
Published: September 2015

The electrical properties of organic field-effect transistors are governed by the quality of the constituting layers, and the resulting interfaces. We compare the properties of the same organic semiconductor film, 2,8-difluoro- 5,11-bis (triethylsilylethynyl) anthradithiophene, with bottom SiO2 dielectric and top Cytop dielectric and find a 10× increase in charge carrier mobility, from 0.17 ± 0.19 cm2 V−1 s−1 to 1.5 ± 0.70 cm2 V−1 s−1, when the polymer dielectric is used. This results from a significant reduction of the trap density of states in the semiconductor band-gap, and a decrease in the contact resistance.
Interaction between adsorbed hydrogen and potassium on a carbon nanocone containing material as studied by photoemission
Authors: Yu Xiaofeng , Raaen Steinar
Published: September 2015

Hydrogen adsorption on a potassium doped carbon nanocone containing material was studied by photoelectron spectroscopy and work function measurement. The valence band spectra indicate that there is charge transfer from potassium to carbon. Upon deposition on carbon potassium is in its ionic state for lower doping and shows both ionic and metallic behavior at higher doping. Adsorption of hydrogen facilitates diffusion of potassium on the carbon material as seen by changes in the K2p core level spectrum. Variations in the measured sample work function indicate that hydrogen initially adsorb on the K dopants and subsequently adsorb on the carbon cone containing material.
A model for the Pockels effect in distorted liquid crystal blue phases
Authors: Castles F.
Published: September 2015

Recent experiments have found that a mechanically distorted blue phase can exhibit a primary linear electro-optic (Pockels) effect [F. Castles et al., Nat. Mater. 13, 817 (2014)]. Here, it is shown that flexoelectricity can account for the experimental results and a model, which is based on continuum theory but takes into account the sub-unit-cell structure, is proposed. The model provides a quantitative description of the effect accurate to the nearest order of magnitude and predicts that the Pockels coefficient(s) in an optimally distorted blue phase may be two orders of magnitude larger than in lithium niobate.
Vectorial near-field imaging of a GaN based photonic crystal cavity
Authors: La China F. , Intonti F. , Caselli N. , Lotti F. , Vinattieri A. , Vico Triviño N. , Carlin J.-F. , Butté R. , Grandjean N. , Gurioli M.
Published: September 2015

We report a full optical deep sub-wavelength imaging of the vectorial components of the electric local density of states for the confined modes of a modified GaN L3 photonic crystal nanocavity. The mode mapping is obtained with a scanning near-field optical microscope operating in a resonant forward scattering configuration, allowing the vectorial characterization of optical passive samples. The optical modes of the investigated cavity emerge as Fano resonances and can be probed without the need of embedded light emitters or evanescent light coupling into the nanocavity. The experimental maps, independently measured in the two in-plane polarizations, turn out to be in excellent agreement with numerical predictions.
What Is Going on Inside the Arrows? Discovering the Hidden Springs in Causal Models
Authors: Murray-Watters Alexander , Glymour Clark
Published: September 2015

Using Gebharter’s representation, we consider aspects of the problem of discovering the structure of unmeasured submechanisms when the variables in those submechanisms have not been measured. Exploiting an early insight of Sober’s, we provide a correct algorithm for identifying latent, endogenous structure—submechanisms—for a restricted class of structures. The algorithm can be merged with other methods for discovering causal relations among unmeasured variables, and feedback relations between measured variables and unobserved causes can sometimes be learned.
Global existence and energy decay of a nondissipative Cauchy viscoelastic problem
Authors: Kafini Mohammad , Mustafa Muhammad
Published: September 2015

A viscoelastic Cauchy problem subjected to a nonlinear source term is investigated. The memory term in the system involves a kernel which is regular, as is usually the case, but the system is not dissipative and is considered in the whole space. We prove global existence and nonexistence results. In the case of global existence, we show that solutions go to zero in a polynomial manner as time goes to infinity under some conditions on the source.
The Philosophy of Mind of Kundakunda and Umāsvāti
Authors: Balcerowicz Piotr
Published: September 2015

Kundakunda and Umāsvāti are among the first philosophers in Jainism to lay foundations for of Jaina philosophy of mind. A key concept in their philosophy of mind is that of a cognitive faculty, located in and constitutive of the self. Cognitive faculties should be understood as processes or manners through which the self makes use of the physical sensory apparatus, as well as the actual application of the self’s cognitive potential. This chapter discusses the complex structures of cognitive faculties. Kundakunda takes the self, the cognitive subject, to consist in cognition, a claim which influences the way both thinkers classify cognitive faculties and the important distinction between perceptual experience and cognition.
Theology and the Development of the European Confessional State
Authors: Shore Paul
Published: September 2015

The role of theology in the formation of confessional states derives in part from the subjective perceptions of political leaders: how these leaders understood the function of formal religious thinking during the period of the creation of modern European states. Social forces driven by religious experience, emotion, and reason often became more powerful than many of the temporal or ecclesiastical rulers who sought to control them. Confessional identities extending across the borders of these states are another important aspect of this story. The evolution of the state in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and the development of national languages both influenced the dissemination of theological concepts, while these concepts themselves became reference points in the shaping of such states. Yet the process by which nation states formed around theological constructs evolved into entities largely indifferent to religious experience suggests how fragile these formerly deeply held beliefs actually were.
The Conquest of Memory in the Book of Joshua
Authors: Creangă Ovidiu
Published: September 2015

This chapter tracks the shift in reading approaches to the book of Joshua, from the more traditional criticisms of source and form during the twentieth century to the “new” literary methods that have characterized the transition to the twenty-first century in biblical scholarship. The poetics stance that gradually emerged within the field of Joshua scholarship opened up the book to constructivist as well as deconstructivist readings. The narrative studies mentioned in the chapter exhibit not only remarkable literary depth, but also a strong social and cultural sensitivity that trouble the book’s colonial and androcentric outlook. Using the lens of postmodern spatial theory (“Thirdspace”), the reading of Joshua’s conquest at the end of the chapter decenters the book’s core construction of Israel’s identity around violence, land acquisition, and memorialization of the conquest. The critique “from the margin” gives way to a more compassionate “center.”
Conjunctiva-Sparing Posterior Ptosis Surgery: A Novel Approach
Authors: Vrcek Ivan , Hogan Robert N. , Rossen Jennifer , Mancini Ronald
Published: September 2015

Purpose:

Müller’s muscle conjunctiva resection is a well-established means of correcting blepharoptosis. The primary objective of this prospective study was to determine if modifying Müller’s muscle conjunctiva resection by sparing the conjunctiva would accomplish successful repair while allowing patients to retain their conjunctiva. The potential advantages of preserving conjunctiva are significant and include: conservation of an anatomically normal tissue, retention of goblet cells, reduction of suture-related complications such as corneal irritation or abrasion as the conjunctiva covers the suture during postoperative healing, and preservation of conjunctiva for potential future surgical procedures critical to ocular health.

Methods:

This is a prospective study enrolling patients with mild to moderate ptosis.

Results:

The procedure has been performed in 18 patients and 30 eyelids. Follow up at 1 week revealed normal healing with expected postoperative edema and ecchymosis. Notably, all patients were free of any corneal abrasion or irritation. Follow up at 1 month and a minimum of 3 months (average 5.7 months) revealed that all patients had satisfactory correction of their blepharoptosis with Margin Reflex Distance 1 (MRD1) improvement to within 1 mm of the anticipated goal, preserved eyelid margin contour, and good symmetry (average 0.26 mm difference in MRD1 between the sides).

Conclusion:

These results show an effective correction of blepharoptosis with a favorable cosmetic outcome and low postoperative complication rate; all while preserving the conjunctiva.
Think manager, think male? Heterosexuals’ stereotypes of gay and lesbian managers
Authors: Liberman Benjamin E. , Golom Frank D.
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to extend the “think manager, think male” research paradigm by examining managerial stereotypes as a function of both gender and sexual orientation, thus comparing the similarity of managerial stereotypes against the stereotypes of male (heterosexual and gay) and female (heterosexual and lesbian) managers.

Design/methodology/approach

– In total, 163 heterosexual participants used the 92-item Descriptive Index attribute inventory to rate one of five target groups: successful managers, heterosexual male managers, heterosexual female managers, gay male managers, and lesbian female managers. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the degree of correspondence between ratings of the target groups.

Findings

– The findings showed a higher correspondence between the descriptions of heterosexual male or female managers and the successful manager prototype than between the descriptions of gay male managers and the successful manager prototype. Additionally, results showed that the stereotypes of lesbian female managers were seen as having a moderate level of fit with the successful manager prototype.

Practical implications

– The results of this study suggest that heterosexuals’ beliefs about gay male and lesbian female managers’ abilities are important. In particular, heterosexuals’ stereotypes that gay males lack the qualities of being a successful manager can limit gay men’s access to positions with managerial responsibilities and impede their progress into leadership positions.

Originality/value

– This study addresses a critical gap in the management literature as it is the first empirical investigation to assess whether the “think manager, think male” phenomenon holds for managers who are members of sexual minority groups.
Which capitalism for Poland?
Authors: Szahaj Andrzej
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to highlight the direction of economic changes affecting the Polish economy after the political transformation of the early 1990s.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, the author defines the phenomenon of cognitive capitalism. Subsequently, the social and psychological consequences of this form of management and its ideological character are presented. Finally, the effects of the application of cognitive capitalism to the Polish reality are considered and the desirable adjustments of the Polish capitalism are suggested.

Findings

– According to the theses of the paper: the negative effects of the Polish economic transformation are largely the result of an uncritical acceptance of the Anglo-Saxon model of capitalism, and the fight against the high social costs of the functioning of market economy calls for an adjustment of the Polish economy, which would bring it closer to the Scandinavian model of capitalism.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper shows the process of economic transformation in Poland from the perspective of the changes taking place in the bosom of the western capitalism, in particular of the Anglo-Saxon type.

Practical implications

– The author of the paper suggests a number of possible adjustments to the Polish model of capitalism, in particular calling for the introduction of elements of planning and state intervention into the model, the revival of municipal and cooperative ownership, as well as the introduction of corporatist practices.

Originality/value

– The author of the paper criticizes the thesis of the inevitability of the radically liberal transformation of the Polish economy, widely accepted in the literature. Moreover, he sees the relationship between the Polish free-market changes and the processes of “cognitivization” of western capitalism.
Uses of art in the urban space
Authors: Chmielewski Adam J.
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to argue that for many urban dwellers in developed societies proximity of the arts in the urban space is not tantamount to their availability.

Design/methodology/approach

– The method applied is based upon the conception of capabilities and the concept of the Human Development Index; an analysis of the available cultural statistics, as well as a study of two revealing case studies, that of Bilbao, Spain and Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, as distinct and alternative examples of the employment of arts as a stimulus for the urban growth and regeneration.

Findings

– The findings suggest that the current urban policies are not conducive to an equal access to the arts of the urban dwellers.

Originality/value

– The author provides an innovative explanation of this phenomenon from his own perspective of the political aesthetics, which includes,inter alia, the concepts of the public agoraphobia, commodification and interpassivity. Making use of the distinction between the intrinsic and instrumental values, the author argues in favour of the participative approach to the arts in the urban social life, and formulates a policy recommendation according to which small- and medium-sized cities are possibly better suited to satisfy the need for the enjoyment of the arts in a more egalitarian way.
“The totality of caring”
Authors: Kovács Borbála
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to formulate a conceptually and empirically grounded new understanding of childcare arrangements for cross-national and longitudinal micro-level empirical research by drawing on theoretical discussions about the social, spatial and temporal dimensions of embodied childcare and empirical data in the form of parental narratives from a Romanian qualitative study.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper builds on a critique of an extensive body of empirical literature on the micro-level organisation of childcare and the thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with Romanian parents. The paper combines a critical literature review with findings from a qualitative study on childcare.

Findings

– The paper formulates a new understanding of household-level childcare arrangements that is context-insensitive, yet reflects the social, spatial and temporal concerns that the organisation of embodied childcare often raises. The paper expands on six real-life care arrangements in Romanian households represented as different combinations of care encounters.

Research limitations/implications

– As the paper draws on parental narratives from a single country, Romania, the mapping of childcare arrangements in other jurisdictions and/or at different times would strengthen the case for the proposed understanding of care arrangements as a valuable tool to represent, compareand contrast household-level care routines.

Originality/value

– The idea that parents (especially mothers) make work-care decisions in the light of what is best for their child has been widely documented. However, taxonomies of care arrangements have failed to reflect this. The proposed conceptualisation of childcare arrangements addresses this issue by articulating a conceptually coherent approach to developing empirically grounded childcare typologies that “travel well” cross-nationally and over time.
Developing dynamic capabilities in culturally distant service multi-units
Authors: Lee Po-Yen , Kung Chaang-Yung , Li Chun-Sheng Joseph
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a more robust understanding of the development of dynamic capabilities (DCs) in service multi-units with different cultural distances (CD) (high (HCD) and low (LCD)) through the routines of embedded social capital (structural and relational) and knowledge archetype (exploitative and exploratory) learning.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors used survey questionnaires and structural equation modeling to discriminate the relationships among variables.

Findings

– The authors found that structurally embedded social capital has a positive influence on exploratory knowledge learning in HCD service multi-units; relationally embedded social capital has a positive influence on knowledge archetype (exploitative vs exploratory) learning in both HCD and LCD service multi-units; and knowledge archetype learning has a positive influence on the development of DCs in both HCD and LCD service multi-units.

Research limitations/implications

– The results identify the central role of social capital (structurally and relationally embedded) in enabling knowledge archetype learning and the development of DCs in service multi-units. In addition, this study provides a description and comparison of how structurally and relationally embedded social capital are key antecedents in knowledge archetype learning and the development of DCs in the context of service multi-units with different HCD and LCD.

Originality/value

– The results provide a practical trajectory for the development of DCs in multi-units of multinational corporations in the service industry with different HCD and LCD.
The model of HRM-trust-commitment relationships
Authors: Lewicka Dagmara , Krot Katarzyna
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– It is worth focusing on the examination of factors influencing the quality of the work environment. The purpose of this paper is to verify the influence of the HRM system and organisational trust on employee commitment.

Design/methodology/approach

– The survey was conducted in Poland among 370 employees in organisations from two sectors of the economy: services and industry. The verification of the theoretical model was performed based on structural equation modelling.

Findings

– Research findings made it possible to successfully verify the model of the relationship between the HRM system (practices, process), organisational trust and commitment. The starting point for trust in an organisation followed by commitment is the HRM system. It seems that the impact of the HRM process on creating organisational trust is higher. Research findings have also confirmed a relationship between each type of organisational trust and calculative commitment based on benefits, which is a strong determinant of affective commitment. Organisational trust is, therefore, an intermediary factor because the organisation must build trust in employees first before they become affectively committed.

Originality/value

– Current studies have not examined the issue of a mutual relationship between three constructs: perceived HRM practices and process, organisational trust and commitment. What is more, previous research was confined to the constructs analysed holistically without considering their complexity (different types of trust and commitment). In addition, the authors attempted to enrich Allen and Mayer’s (1991) model with a new aspect of the commitment – calculative, which is linked to the benefits received by employees. The authors also identified the mediating influence of the trust and calculative commitment onto the affective commitment.
On the relation between stock prices and exchange rates: a review article
Authors: Bahmani-Oskooee Mohsen , Saha Sujata
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– While changes in stock prices are said to affect exchange rates, exchange rate changes are also said to affect stock prices. The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, the authors review all empirical literature by dividing them into two groups of univariate and multivariate studies. Second, a table which summarizes the main features of each study is provided to help future researchers to have easy access to summary of each study. Finally, a new direction for future research is proposed. This new direction relies upon non-linear ARDL approach and shows how to investigate symmetric vs asymmetric effects of exchange rate changes on stock prices.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper reviews existing published work and provides suggestions for future research.

Findings

– The paper reviews existing published work and provides suggestions for future research. An application reveals that exchange rate changes have asymmetric effect on stock prices.

Originality/value

– This is the first review paper on the relation between exchange rates and stock prices.
Determinants of telecommunication stock prices
Authors: Gregoriou Andros , Healy Jerome , Gupta Jairaj
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the determinants affecting the stock prices of telecommunications firms in both developed and developing countries around the world.

Design/methodology/approach

– The empirical analysis is performed using panel data from 160 countries and 45 companies, covering the time period from 2000 to 2011. To identify the significant factors, company level firm-specific financial and non-financial factors have been analyzed that are expected to bear significant impact on price volatility of telecommunications stock.

Findings

– The test results reveal that capital expenditure and book value are the most significant factors. Dividends and debt levels only affect prices significantly in specification tests with either time-series or cross-sectional effects, whereas firms’ earnings and numbers of mobile internet subscribers do not contribute to the explanatory power of telecommunication stock price variability.

Practical implications

– The study sheds light to the potential investors in evaluating the risk associated with investment in stocks of telecommunications firms and take informed investment decisions.

Originality/value

– This is the first study that presents a comprehensive analysis of determinants affecting the stock prices of telecommunications firms in both developed and developing countries around the world.
Research data management and openness
Authors: Higman Rosie , Pinfield Stephen
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between research data management (RDM) and data sharing in the formulation of RDM policies and development of practices in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

Design/methodology/approach

– Two strands of work were undertaken sequentially: first, content analysis of 37 RDM policies from UK HEIs; and second, two detailed case studies of institutions with different approaches to RDM based on semi-structured interviews with staff involved in the development of RDM policy and services. The data are interpreted using insights from Actor Network Theory.

Findings

– RDM policy formation and service development has created a complex set of networks within and beyond institutions involving different professional groups with widely varying priorities shaping activities. Data sharing is considered an important activity in the policies and services of HEIs studied, but its prominence can in most cases be attributed to the positions adopted by large research funders.

Research limitations/implications

– The case studies, as research based on qualitative data, cannot be assumed to be universally applicable but do illustrate a variety of issues and challenges experienced more generally, particularly in the UK.

Practical implications

– The research may help to inform development of policy and practice in RDM in HEIs and funder organisations.

Originality/value

– This paper makes an early contribution to the RDM literature on the specific topic of the relationship between RDM policy and services, and openness – a topic which to date has received limited attention.