bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Misfits, Mavericks and Mainstreams: Drivers of Innovation in the Creative Industries
Authors: Jones Candace , Svejenova Silviya , Pedersen Jesper Strandgaard , Townley Barbara
Published: June 2016

Creative industries are among the fastest-growing and most important sectors of European and North American economies. Their growth depends on continuous innovation, which is important in many industries and also challenging to manage because of inherent tensions. Creative industries, similar to many industries, depend not only on novelty to attract consumers, but also on familiarity to aid comprehension and stabilize demand for cultural products. Agents in the creative industries play with these tensions, generating novelty that shifts industries’ labels and boundaries. This tension and agency makes them a valuable setting for advancing theoretical ideas on who drives innovation, from mavericks that challenge conventions to mainstreams that build upon them. We trace this history and then turn to the five papers in the special issue, which examine in depth how mavericks, misfits, mainstreams and amphibians in various creative domains, from artistic perfumery to choreography, engage with innovation and address tensions. These processes of innovation point to future research that explores and exploits the role of materiality in meaning making, the role of capitals in translation processes and the dynamics of value and evaluation.
Political militaries in popular uprisings: A comparative perspective on the Arab Spring
Authors: Koehler Kevin
Published: June 2016

What determines whether militaries will defect from authoritarian incumbents during regime crises? Variance in military behavior in the Arab Spring has given rise to a debate around this issue. This article highlights weaknesses of the dominant explanation and develops an alternative account of military behavior in ‘endgame scenarios’. If militaries are politicized institutions that play a major role in regulating access to power under authoritarianism, they are more likely to intervene during normal times, but less likely to defect during mass uprisings. I quantitatively test this argument against data on military coups between 1975 and 2000 drawing on a new variable that allows me to explicitly model the impact of major regime crises. I illustrate the emergence of different forms of political–military relations and their consequences in the Arab Spring by drawing on evidence from Syria, Egypt, and Tunisia.
Office‐Based Ultrasound‐Guided FNA with Molecular Testing for Thyroid Nodules
Authors: Dhingra Jagdish K.
Published: June 2016

Objective

Ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy is the primary method of evaluating thyroid nodules. Up to one‐third of FNA results are reported to be of “indeterminate” cytology, which carries a 25% malignancy risk. Most of these patients are referred for diagnostic surgery, which results in many unnecessary interventions. We implemented an FNA protocol combining expert thyroid cytopathology and molecular testing of indeterminate lesion in our community practice. This study is a report of the outcomes from this protocol as compared with historical data in the same setting over a similar period.

Study Design

Case series with planned data collections and retrospective chart reviews.

Setting

A large community‐based practice with multiple satellite offices.

Subjects and Methods

A total of 264 thyroid nodules (196 patients) were evaluated under the new protocol from January to December 2014, and data were collected in a prospective manner. Historical data for a similar period (2012), obtained by chart review, included 164 nodules (134 patients) biopsied in a hospital setting by a number of radiologists, with cytologic interpretations completed by community‐based pathologists. Statistical analyses included χ2 and Fischer’s exact tests.

Results

Based on the new protocol, the rate of indeterminate lesion diagnosis was reduced from 24% to 10% (P =. 006) and the rate of diagnostic surgery from 24% to 6% (P <. 001). Of the patients who underwent diagnostic surgery, 58% had evidence of malignancy, as compared with 12% in our previous experience (P =. 04).

Conclusion

Expert cytopathologic analysis combined with molecular testing of indeterminate FNA samples significantly reduced unnecessary operations.
Supporting caregivers in developing responsive communication partnerships with their children: Extending a caregiver-led interactive language program
Authors: Cologon Kathy , Wicks Lilly , Salvador Aliza
Published: June 2016

This study investigates whether extension of a caregiver-led interactive language program may enhance its effectiveness in supporting communication. Caregiver-led language programs, which focus on establishing responsive interaction patterns to support opportunities for communication between caregivers and young children within natural settings, are frequently used in early childhood intervention services. One example is the Hanen Program It Takes Two to Talk® (ITTT), which involves working in groups with caregivers, with some concurrent individualized support for families. Given the importance of communication, potential strategies to enhance the effectiveness of such programs warrant investigation. Based on a transactional theory of interaction, it can be hypothesized that by directly supporting communication partners to continuously adapt to each others’ behaviours, individualized interventions may further enhance the outcomes of ITTT and, potentially, similar programs. In phase one of this study, 10 caregivers of young children with a range of disability labels completed the ITTT program. Participants were then randomly assigned to a control or experimental group for phase two. In the experimental group, the caregivers were provided with additional individual sessions with a Speech Language Therapist over the subsequent four months. Assessments of caregiver–child interactions were conducted prior to commencing the ITTT program, following the completion of phase one, and again at the completion of phase two. Significant positive changes were found at the completion of phase one for all participants. These findings support the effectiveness of the ITTT program. At the completion of phase two further significant positive changes were found for the experimental group. For the control group there was no further notable change. Although this is a small study, the findings have implications for practice in demonstrating that extending the individualized support provided within such programs may facilitate increased communication, with benefits for caregiver–child interactions and relationships and for child participation more broadly.
To explore the relationship between the use of midazolam and cessation of oral intake in the terminal phase of hospice inpatients: A retrospective case note review: Does midazolam affect oral intake in the dying?
Authors: Giles Alison , Sykes Nigel
Published: June 2016

Background:

Sedative drugs are used to improve comfort in dying patients but have been accused of shortening survival by reducing patients’ ability to maintain nutrition and hydration. However, as part of the dying process, patients in the last days of life often have impaired conscious levels and an inability to maintain oral intake.

Aim:

To establish whether the decline in oral intake is related to the use of midazolam in the last week of life.

Design:

This is a retrospective case note review.

Setting/participants:

The data were obtained from nursing records and medication charts of 125 consecutive hospice inpatients who died at a hospice in South London.

Results:

A total of 72 patients received midazolam on one or more days within the last 7 days of life (midazolam group) and 49 patients received no midazolam (control group).

Conclusion:

Mean oral intake was reduced 7 days prior to death and declined sequentially over subsequent days in both patient groups. More patients required midazolam as death approached and most patients received midazolam for less than 3 days. Mean doses of midazolam used were low. Patients in the midazolam group had lower oral intake than those in the control group, but this association does not indicate causation.
Health-related quality-of-life outcome measures in paediatric palliative care: A systematic review of psychometric properties and feasibility of use
Authors: Coombes Lucy H , Wiseman Theresa , Lucas Grace , Sangha Amrit , Murtagh Fliss EM
Published: June 2016

Background:

The number of children worldwide requiring palliative care services is increasing due to advances in medical care and technology. The use of outcome measures is important to improve the quality and effectiveness of care.

Aim:

To systematically identify health-related quality-of-life outcome measures that could be used in paediatric palliative care and examine their feasibility of use and psychometric properties.

Design:

A systematic literature review and analysis of psychometric properties.

Data sources:

PsychInfo, Medline and EMBASE were searched from 1 January 1990 to 10 December 2014. Hand searches of the reference list of included studies and relevant reviews were also performed.

Results:

From 3460 articles, 125 papers were selected for full-text assessment. A total of 41 articles met the eligibility criteria and examined the psychometric properties of 22 health-related quality-of-life measures. Evidence was limited as at least half of the information on psychometric properties per instrument was missing. Measurement error was not analysed in any of the included articles and responsiveness was only analysed in one study. The methodological quality of included studies varied greatly.

Conclusion:

There is currently no ‘ideal’ outcome assessment measure for use in paediatric palliative care. The domains of generic health-related quality-of-life measures are not relevant to all children receiving palliative care and some domains within disease-specific measures are only relevant for that specific population. Potential solutions include adapting an existing measure or developing more individualized patient-centred outcome and experience measures. Either way, it is important to continue work on outcome measurement in this field.
Thermal treatment of electronic waste in a fluidised bed and chemical digestion of solid products
Authors: Woynarowska Amelia , Żukowski Witold , Żelazny Sylwester
Published: June 2016

The article presents the results of e-waste thermal treatment in a fluidised bed reactor and solid products digestion under acidic conditions. During the processes, measurements of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, phenol, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, hydrogen fluoride and phosgene were carried out. Several digestion tests of the solid residue in sulphuric acid (VI) at 25 °C–65 °C, for 55 min–24 h were conducted. In each case, the dilution method was used, i.e. preliminary digestion in concentrated sulphuric acid (VI) (95%) for 40 min, and then dilution to expected concentrations (30%–50%). Most preferred results were obtained using sulphuric acid (VI) with a target concentration of 40% at 65 °C, where the leaching degrees were 76.56% for copper, 71.67% for iron, 91.89% for zinc and 97.40% for tin. The time necessary to effectively carry out the digestion process was 220 min.
In vitro hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility of a three-layered vascular scaffold fabricated by sequential electrospinning of PCL, collagen, and PLLA nanofibers
Authors: Haghjooy Javanmard Shaghayegh , Anari Jamal , Zargar Kharazi Anousheh , Vatankhah Elham
Published: June 2016

Aiming to mimic a blood vessel structurally, morphologically, and mechanically, a sequential electrospinning technique using a small diameter mandrel collector was performed and a three-layered tubular scaffold composed of nanofibers of polycaprolactone, collagen, and poly(l-lactic acid) as inner, intermediate, and outer layers, respectively, was developed. Biological performances of the scaffold in terms of compatibility with blood and endothelial cells were assessed to get some insights into its potential use as a tissue engineered small-diameter vascular replacement compared to an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene vascular graft. Due to direct contact of the blood and endothelial cells with inner surface of the scaffold, polycaprolactone fibers were characterized using SEM, water contact angle measurement, and ATR-FTIR. Despite similar surface wettability of the electrospun scaffold and the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft, the three-layered scaffold significantly reduced platelet adhesion and hemolysis ratio compared to expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft while comparable blood clotting profiles were observed for both electrospun scaffold and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft. However, inflammatory response to nanofibrous surface of the scaffold was reduced compared to expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft. The electrospun scaffold also presented a significantly more supportive substrate for endothelialization than the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft. The results described herein suggested that the three-layered scaffold has superior biological properties compared to an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft for vascular tissue engineering.
How Not to Go Beyond Marx: A Reply to Worrell and Krier
Authors: Smith Tony
Published: June 2016

Worrell and Krier’s ‘Atopia Awaits! A Critical Sociological Analysis of Marx’s Political Imaginary’ raises serious issues regarding Marx’s legacy. They hold that a fatal flaw in Marx’s framework can be detected in his account of a post-capitalist society, which reveals a theoretically impoverished and politically dangerous neglect of essential features of social life. I argue that there are good reasons to reject Worrell and Krier’s thesis that Marx got immensely important things horribly wrong. Marx’s limited remarks on post-capitalist society are certainly inadequate in numerous respects. However, they point in the right general direction, and Worrell and Krier fail to offer a satisfactory alternative. The prospects for a critical social theory adequate to the immense challenges of the 21st century would be harmed if their readers agreed with the paper’s main thesis.
A hybrid (permanent magnet and foil) bearing set for complete passive levitation of high-speed rotors
Authors: Bekinal Siddappa I , Kulkarni Sadanand S , Jana Soumendu
Published: June 2016

This paper presents the design and development of a hybrid bearing set for complete passive levitation of a typical rotor. A hybrid bearing set consists of permanent magnet thrust bearing and radial discrete bump foil bearings. The permanent magnet thrust bearing is made up of three pairs of ring magnets arranged in rotation magnetized direction. The mathematical model to determine the force and stiffness in rotation magnetized direction configuration is presented using Coulombian model and vector approach. Bump foil bearings are designed and developed for rotor weight to provide the radial support to the rotor system. The proposed bearing set with rotor is analysed using finite element analysis for rotor dynamic characteristics. The experiments are conducted on the fabricated rotor-bearing configuration by rotating the rotor up to the speeds of 40,000 r/min. The system response is acquired using advanced rotor-dynamic data acquisition system. The experimental results show that the rotor is completely airborne and stable at the desired speed.
An insight into elasticity analysis of common carotid artery using ultrasonography
Authors: Raj Jean Rossario , Rahman SMK , Anand Sneh
Published: June 2016

Elastance is a distinguished marker in diagnosing various arterial diseases as studies have reported carotid artery–related diseases linked with stiffness index (β) values greater than 5. This study was to estimate elasticity of common carotid artery by measuring the diameter during systolic and diastolic phases using pixel tracing of successive frames and blood pressure. The B-mode ultrasonography video containing arterial wall motion was captured and fragmented into image frames. Each pixel on the greyscale image was converted into RGB intensity values. The diameter of the artery as well as the thickness of the wall was measured by tracing the pixel displacements from successive frames during arterial pulsation. The study was conducted on 19 subjects aged 25–40 years. The systolic and diastolic carotid artery lumen diameters and carotid intima-media thickness were calculated as 7.1 ± 0.7, 6.3 ± 0.6 and 0.5 ± 0.05 mm (mean ± standard deviation), respectively. The mean stiffness index (β), Peterson’s modulus and Young’s modulus of elasticity were 5.2 ± 1.1, 69 ± 15 kPa and 453 ± 99 kPa, respectively. The pixel displacements in tunica intima, tunica media and tunica adventitia were not homogeneous, due to varied macro-constituents such as endothelial tissues, smooth muscle cells, elastin lamina, fibrous tissue and micro-constituents such as collagen, fibroblast and elastin. We found that women have smaller arteries, and the stiffness increased during the systolic phase.
The Power of the Like in Adolescence
Authors: Sherman Lauren E. , Payton Ashley A. , Hernandez Leanna M. , Greenfield Patricia M. , Dapretto Mirella
Published: June 2016

We investigated a unique way in which adolescent peer influence occurs on social media. We developed a novel functional MRI (fMRI) paradigm to simulate Instagram, a popular social photo-sharing tool, and measured adolescents’ behavioral and neural responses to likes, a quantifiable form of social endorsement and potential source of peer influence. Adolescents underwent fMRI while viewing photos ostensibly submitted to Instagram. They were more likely to like photos depicted with many likes than photos with few likes; this finding showed the influence of virtual peer endorsement and held for both neutral photos and photos of risky behaviors (e.g., drinking, smoking). Viewing photos with many (compared with few) likes was associated with greater activity in neural regions implicated in reward processing, social cognition, imitation, and attention. Furthermore, when adolescents viewed risky photos (as opposed to neutral photos), activation in the cognitive-control network decreased. These findings highlight possible mechanisms underlying peer influence during adolescence.
Preventing the development of SLE: identifying risk factors and proposing pathways for clinical care
Authors: Choi M Y , Barber M R W , Barber C E H , Clarke A E , Fritzler M J
Published: June 2016

Although challenging, developing evidence-based approaches to an early and accurate diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus is a key approach to preventing disease and lupus-associated morbidity and mortality. Advances in our understanding of preclinical and incomplete lupus erythematosus have enabled the identification of risk factors that may predict disease and the development of potential strategies aimed at primary prevention. Emerging data support the notion that there is a temporal disease progression from initial asymptomatic autoimmunity (preclinical lupus) through early clinical features of the disease (incomplete lupus erythematosus) to finally becoming fully classifiable systemic lupus erythematosus (complete lupus erythematosus). Here, we review the demographic, clinical, biomarker as well as genetic and environmental features that are reported to increase the risk of disease progression. Based on these risk factors, we propose a clinical care pathway for patients with early disease. We envisage that such a pathway, through early identification of disease, may improve patient outcomes, while reducing health care costs.
Diagnostic ANCA algorithms in daily clinical practice: evidence, experience, and effectiveness
Authors: Avery T Y , Bons J , van Paassen P , Damoiseaux J
Published: June 2016

Detection of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) for ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV) is based on indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) on ethanol-fixed neutrophils and reactivity toward myeloperoxidase (MPO) and proteinase 3 (PR3). According to the international consensus for ANCA testing, presence of ANCA should at least be screened for by IIF and, if positive, followed by antigen-specific immunoassays. Optimally, all samples are analyzed by both IIF and quantitative antigen-specific immunoassays. Since the establishment of this consensus many new technologies have become available and this has challenged the positioning of IIF in the testing algorithm for AAV. In the current paper, we summarize the novelties in ANCA diagnostics and discuss the possible implications of these developments for the different ANCA algorithms that are currently applied in routine diagnostic laboratories. Possible consequences of replacing ANCA assays by novel methods are illustrated by our data obtained in daily clinical practice. Eventually, it is questioned if there is a need to change the consensus, and if so, whether IIF can be discarded completely, or be used as a confirmation assay instead of a screening assay. Both alternative options require that ANCA requests for AAV can be separated from ANCA requests for gastrointestinal autoimmune diseases.
Multiparametric detection of autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Budde P , Zucht H-D , Vordenbäumen S , Goehler H , Fischer-Betz R , Gamer M , Marquart K , Rengers P , Richter J , Lueking A , Schulz-Knappe P , Schneider M
Published: June 2016

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous disease with respect to disease manifestations, disease progression and treatment response. Therefore, strategies to identify biomarkers that help distinguishing SLE subgroups are a major focus of biomarker research. We reasoned that a multiparametric autoantibody profiling approach combined with data mining tools could be applied to identify SLE patient clusters. We used a bead-based array containing 86 antigens including diverse nuclear and immune defense pathway proteins. Sixty-four autoantibodies were significantly ( p < 0.05) increased in SLE ( n = 69) compared to healthy controls (HC, n = 59). Using binary cut-off thresholds (95% quantile of HC), hierarchical clustering of SLE patients yields five clusters, which differ qualitatively and in their total number of autoantibodies. In two patient clusters the overall accumulated autoantibody reactivity of all antigens tested was 31% and 48%, respectively. We observed a positive association between the autoantibody signature present in these two patient clusters and the clinical manifestation of glomerulonephritis (GLMN). In addition, groups of autoantibodies directed against distinct intracellular compartments and/or biological motifs characterize the different SLE subgroups. Our findings highlight the relevant potential of multiparametric autoantibody detection and may contribute to a deeper understanding of the clinical and serological diversity of SLE.
Advances in the treatment of cutaneous lupus erythematosus
Authors: Kuhn A , Landmann A , Wenzel J
Published: June 2016

Lupus erythematosus (LE) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease with clinical manifestations of differing severity which may present with skin manifestations as primary sign of the disease (cutaneous lupus erythematosus, CLE) or as part of a disease spectrum (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE). To date, no drugs are approved specifically for the treatment of CLE and only single agents have been applied in randomized controlled trials. Therefore, topical and systemic agents are used “off-label”, primarily based on open-label studies, case series, retrospective analyses, and expert opinions. In contrast, several agents, such as hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, and belimumab, are approved for the treatment of SLE. Recent approaches in the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of LE enabled the development of further new agents, which target molecules such as interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interferon (IFN). Only single trials, however, applied these new agents in patients with cutaneous involvement of the disease and/or included endpoints which evaluated the efficacy of these agents on skin manifestations. This article provides an updated review on new and recent approaches in the treatment of CLE.
Anti-beta-2 glycoprotein I epitope specificity: from experimental models to diagnostic tools
Authors: Meroni P L
Published: June 2016

Beta-2 glycoprotein I (β2GPI) is the main antigenic target for anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPL), the serological markers of anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS). Conformational changes of the molecule seem to be essential for exposing the cryptic epitope for aPL binding and to trigger pathogenic pathways. There is increasing evidence that a conformational epitope located in the Domain I (DI) of the molecule is the main epitope targeted by human autoantibodies. The pathogenic role of the DI epitope has been recently supported by in vivo models and by immuno-histopathological findings in APS patients. Antibodies targeting β2GPI-DI are more frequently detected in patients with full-blown APS compared to asymptomatic aPL carriers or patients with infectious diseases who have antibodies directed against the whole molecule. Anti-DI antibodies are positively correlated with medium to high titres of aPL, with the presence of lupus anticoagulant and thrombotic and pregnancy manifestations, enabling identification of patients at higher risk of clinical events. However, some APS patients develop antibodies reacting against β2GPI epitopes other than DI, suggesting that other anti-β2GPI antibody subsets may be clinically relevant. Although preliminary results suggest that anti-DI antibodies can be detected by different assays in a comparable manner, further prospective studies are needed to support their use in the clinical setting and their predictive value.
Complement levels and anti-C1q autoantibodies in patients with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Magro-Checa C , Schaarenburg R A , Beaart H J L , Huizinga T W J , Steup-Beekman G M , Trouw L A
Published: June 2016

Objective

The objective of this paper is to analyse serum levels of anti-C1q, C1q circulating immune complexes (CIC), complement activation and complement components in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients during the first central nervous system neuropsychiatric (NP) event and to define the possible association between these results and clinical and laboratory characteristics.

Methods

A total of 280 patients suspected of having NP involvement due to SLE were recruited in the Leiden NPSLE-clinic. All SLE patients were classified according to the ACR 1982 revised criteria for the classification of SLE. The clinical disease activity was measured by the SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) and NP diagnoses were classified according to the 1999 ACR case definitions for NPSLE. We measured in serum of all patients anti-C1q and C1q CIC levels, the activation capacity of complement (CH50 and AP50) and different complement components (C1q, C3, C4).

Results

In 92 patients the symptoms were attributed to SLE. NPSLE patients consisted of 63 patients with focal NPSLE and 34 patients with diffuse NPSLE. Anti-C1q antibodies were significantly higher and CH50, AP50 and C3 were significantly lower in NPSLE patients compared with SLE patients without NPSLE. This association was specially marked for diffuse NPSLE while no differences were found for focal NPSLE. After using potential predictors, decreased C4 remained significantly associated with focal NPSLE, but only when antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) were included in the model. C3 and AP50 were independently associated with diffuse NPSLE. When SLEDAI-2K was included in the model these two associations were lost. When individual NPSLE syndromes were analysed, psychosis and cognitive dysfunction showed significantly lower values of complement activation capacity and all complement components. No significant associations were seen for other individual NPSLE syndromes.

Conclusion

The associations between diffuse NPSLE and anti-C1q, C3/AP50 and focal NPSLE and C4 may be explained by disease activity and the presence of aPL, respectively. The role of complement activation and complement components in lupus psychosis and cognitive dysfunction merits further research.
From autoantibody research to standardized diagnostic assays in the management of human diseases – report of the 12th Dresden Symposium on Autoantibodies
Authors: Conrad K , Andrade L E C , Chan E K L , Mahler M , Meroni P L , Pruijn G J M , Steiner G , Shoenfeld Y
Published: June 2016

Testing for autoantibodies (AABs) is becoming more and more relevant, not only for diagnosing autoimmune diseases (AIDs) but also for the differentiation of defined AID subtypes with different clinical manifestations, course and prognosis as well as the very early diagnosis for adequate management in the context of personalized medicine. A major challenge to improve diagnostic accuracy is to harmonize or even standardize AAB analyses. This review presents the results of the 12th Dresden Symposium on Autoantibodies that focused on several aspects of improving autoimmune diagnostics. Topics that are addressed include the International Consensus on ANA Patterns (ICAP) and the International Autoantibody Standardization (IAS) initiatives, the optimization of diagnostic algorithms, the description and evaluation of novel disease-specific AABs as well as the development and introduction of novel assays into routine diagnostics. This review also highlights important developments of recent years, most notably the improvement in diagnosing and predicting the course of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, and of autoimmune neurological, gastrointestinal and liver diseases; the potential diagnostic role of anti-DFS70 antibodies and tumor-associated AABs. Furthermore, some hot topics in autoimmunity regarding disease pathogenesis and management are described.
Learning from Israel? ‘26/11’ and the anti-politics of urban security governance
Authors: Machold Rhys
Published: June 2016

This article calls for a greater emphasis on issues of politics and anti-politics within critical debates about transnational security governance in the metropolis. While scholars have documented the growing popularity of policy ‘models’ and ‘best practices’ in policing and urban security planning, we know little about what makes these schemes attractive to the officials who enroll in them. I take the government of Maharashtra’s decision to ‘learn from Israel’ following the 2008 Mumbai attacks (26/11) as an invitation to re-evaluate the relationships among policymaking, politics, and depoliticization. Focusing on references to Israeli security know-how as a ‘best practice’ by Maharashtra state officials, I explore how an association with Israel was used to negotiate the conflicts and controversies that followed 26/11. The article has two aims: first, it addresses how transnational policy schemes work anti-politically within particular local contexts. Second, it locates counter-terrorism policy as a form of performative politics, which is generative of policy problems. In doing so, the article helps to reclaim the political contingency of policy responses to terroristic violence and addresses the agency of policy actors in the global South.
Corporate Governance: The Search of India INC. For New Mantra
Authors: Maheshwari Girish C.
Published: June 2016

In India, corporate governance has been put in the mainstream of corporate discourse by Kumar Mangalam Birla Committee Report [Listing Agreement (Clause 49 of BSE and 34 of NSE) and The Companies (Amendment) Act, 2000]. This paper seeks to examine the efficacy of the proposed system keeping in view the global experience. For this, the corporate board structure, independence, accountability of the board of directors and their committees have been examined in the context of agency theory. To enhance the explanatory power, the incomplete transaction theory has also been made use of.
Failure of an International Joint Venture: Implications for the India Enthusiasts
Authors: Agrawal Mohan L , Hollensen Svend
Published: June 2016

‘Joint Ventures are fanned out of choice a11d not due to regulatory and policy requirements, according to 81% of the respondents to a FICCI study’, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, August 17, 2001

The paper analyses failure of an international joint venture (IJV) in India, which the Indian media highlighted as an icon of the internationalization of Indian industries. IJVs are deemed to be an excellent mode to penetrate overseas market by international aspirants. Although their present failure rate is estimated between 30 to 60% , the enthusiasm for forging IJVs in India is still undiluted. The paper surveys current literature in respect of their importance and of the reasons for which they break-up. Analyzing the break up of an IJV between Timex (USA) and Titan Industries (India) through a conceptual framework, the paper draws implications that might come handy to the IJV enthusiasts in India.
From Products to Solutions: Transforming how Companies Serve Customers
Authors: Cerasale Mark , Stone Merlin , Foss Bryan , Taylor Glenn
Published: June 2016

This article describes the development of the market for solutions. It shows how in several markets, suppliers- sometimes under pressure from customers- have moved from supplying products and services to supplying solutions. It explores the market pressures that led to this move and the kinds of services that are provided as a result. It examines "the experience of IBM as it has moved from selling products and services to providing solutions. This is the first of two articles, the second of which examines the management implications of solution provision.
Strategies of Subversion: Management of Demand for Software Through Destabilizing Organizational Structure of Your Customer
Authors: Banerjee Parthasarathi
Published: June 2016

Corporate understanding on strategies of cooperation and outsourcing of business processes has come closer over the years. An outsourced partner is described sometimes as the extended enterprise. Supplier's organizational structure, following the logic of extended enterprise, needs to correspond in a certain strange manner with the customer's organizational structure. We argue that the process of finding a fit between two or more structures is expression of a demand; and, this process being unstable destabilizes all the structures in dynamic interactions resulting in generation of new and novel demands. Thus, struch1res become the sources of demand here. Hence, meeting customer's demand or management of current demand create another demand in consequence. Such a sequel ought to be based on increasing return or an endogenous satisfaction of demand, making it provocative enough to look for an endogenous demand. However, management of an endogenous demand rests with the supplier firm- on how innovative structural solutions can be offered by an extended enterprise. The supplier firm acts here as agent provocateurs as it were.
Mcdonald's: Grotesque Method and Metamorphosis of the Three Spheres: Mcdonald's, Mcdonaldland, and Mcdonaldization
Authors: Boje David , Cai Yue
Published: June 2016

In this article we pull together and apply the shards of grotesque method to McDonald's Corporation. Grotesque method was first used by Mikhail Bakhtin in his 1940 dissertation, and is the basis of his later work. We demonstrate the grotesque method in an intertextual analysis of three spheres: McDonald's corporate grotesque body, McDonaldland grotesque bodies, and McDonaldization of the earthly global body.
Toward a Paradigm for Management
Authors: Baba Vishwanath
Published: June 2016

This paper traces the development of management thought and discusses the utility of a conceptual reorientation to the study of management. The evolution of different paradigms in the field of management is highlighted and a critical evaluation of their capacities to unify and provide coherence to the field is offered. The usefulness of order as a unifying concept in developing a paradigm of management is pointed out. Present theories of management are reviewed in the light of the order paradigm and an attempt is made to point out the viability of the paradigm for future theory building in management. Implications for management practice are briefly discussed.
An Econometric Model and Empirical Analysis of Interrelationships Between Debt, Dividends, and the Cost of Capital
Authors: Bathala Chenchuramaiah T. , Rao Ramesh P.
Published: June 2016

In this paper we argue that dividends, debt leverage, and the firm's cost of capital are endogenously related. In order to correctly account for the interdependence between those variables, we develop an econometric model in a system of simultaneous equations. Specifically, we estimate three multiple regression equations with three endogenous variables as the dependent variables using 2SLS and 3SLS methods. Our findings from the 3SLS method show that the three endogenous variables are negatively related to each other. The evidence suggests that use of debt leverage and dividend payout can lower the firm's cost of capital. High beta stocks tend to have higher cost of capital and firms with higher cash flows have a lower cost of capital. The larger the firm size, the lower is the cost of capital. Firms in the financial sector, technology, and utilities have higher costs of capital than those in the excluded set. The findings provide important implications for financial and investment policies of firms.
Incorporating Impact of Economic Conditions on Pricing and Launch-Sequence Determination of Commercial Vehicles
Authors: Chaudhuri Atanu , Singh Kashi N.
Published: June 2016

In any new product development (NPD) process, decisions regarding choice of products to launch, determination of their price and launch sequences are critical. In the context of commercial vehicles, these become more complex, as the prevailing economic conditions also affect the buying decisions of the fleet owners and transport operators. In this paper, we present mathematical models to illustrate how the impact of economic conditions can be incorporated in the above decision making process. Representative data from a commercial vehicle manufacturer in India, Vehicleindia Ltd.†, have been used for analysis. Our model, which determines launch sequence as well as price of the products, provides useful insights on the impact of economic conditions like boom or recession on prices, and also on cannibalization.
Ways of Seeing: Competing Vistas on Organizational Improvisation
Authors: Cunha Miguel Pina E
Published: June 2016

The traditional strategy paradigm tends to associate strategic management with market structures, precluding a careful analysis of the micro-processes involved in strategy making. One such process is improvisation. There is no place for improvisation in the industrial organization approach. If an Austrian approach to strategy is adopted, a different view emerges, one in which competition is a moving target rather than a stable structure. From an Austrian view, improvisation may be a necessity for competing in changing environments. The paper discusses improvisation from an Austrian perspective, presenting it as a process embedded in Schumpeterian environments.
An Empirical Investigation of The Role of Animosity and Affinity in Attitude Towards Foreign Goods
Authors: Bawa Anupam
Published: June 2016

The purpose of this research was to duplicate the animosity model of consumer purchase behaviour, to extend the model by examining the roles of affinity and animosity in affecting attitudes towards foreign goods and to determine the relations of animosity and affinity with selected demographic variables. While many of the hypotheses tested were derived from previous literature, the hypotheses pertaining to the role of affinity had to be empirically generated- thus necessitating a multi-stage study. The research began with qualitative research, which was followed by an exploratory study, a pilot study and a final study. In the final study, hypotheses were tested with the help of ANOV A and structural equation modeling. Four models featuring two carefully chosen countries viz, Pakistan and Japan were tested. This study did not support the animosity model of consumer purchase behaviour. Results showed affinity to be a stronger concept than animosity. Most results did not show soda-demographic variables to be related to animosity or affinity. Animosity was not found to be a serious impediment to globalisation efforts.
An Evaluation of Volatility Forecasting Techniques
Authors: Karmakar Madhusudan
Published: June 2016

The existing literature contains conflicting evidence regarding the relative quality of stock market volatility forecasts. This paper employs daily Indian data to examine the relative ability of various models to forecast monthly stock market volatility. The forecasting models which were selected range from naive model to relatively complex GARCH model. While it is difficult to claim superiority of any one model under all measures used to assess the accuracy of the forecast, the overall results clearly identify two competing models i.e., the RWM and GARCH (1, 1).
Corporate Values, Personal Values, Cultural Congruence and Ethics: A Critical Exploration
Authors: Chakraborty Debangshu , Chakraborty S.K.
Published: June 2016

This paper attempts to explore critically, some differences between ‘corporate values’ and ‘personal values’, as indicated by the values statements of a few well-known companies, both in the West and the East. It appears that values choices by Western companies tend to represent primarily ‘corporate values’, which emphasize the objective character of the organization. Indian companies seem to follow this lead. But most companies in other Asian countries appear to select values in terms of subjective character of individuals that should augment the performance effectiveness of organizations. ‘Corporate values’ tend implicitly to accord priority to objective or doing skills over subjective or being values. But in ‘personal values’ the subjective values dimension receives greater accent than the objective. This is because decisions and actions taken by ‘high skills’ persons may become unethical if their driving values originate from questionable subjective motives (values). Values are the cause, ethicality or unethicality the effect. Moreover, in the ultimate analysis ‘personal values’ at the very top have a pronounced influence on the tone of ‘corporate values’ for the organization as a whole. Besides, both Western and non-Indian Asian companies show close alignment of corporate or personal values with the values of the wider society to which they belong.
Supply Chain Planning in a Process Industry in India: A Case Study
Authors: Ravichandran N.
Published: June 2016

This case study documents the experience of using formal methods and modeling techniques in planning the components of supply chain in the context of a process industry unit located in western India. More specifically, details related to formal methods which will enable the management to improve efficiency related to raw material sourcing, materials planning, facilities planning and inventory management of package material are presented. The contextual information has been documented as a management case for teaching purposes at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. In the last segment of this case study, we summarize the experience in using this case in the class room. More specifically, the learning objectives, the set of issues discussed in the class and the experience in using this case are presented.
Effect of Country of Origin on Buying Behaviour
Authors: Purwar Prem C. , Mathur Nupur
Published: June 2016

This study on the effects of Country of Origin (COO) on buying behaviour seeks to examine how consumers respond to products imported from another country; designed in one country yet assembled in another country; and manufactured in one country but branded in another. Here the differential effects of Country of Assembly (COA) and Country of Design (COD) in combination with two other potentially important cues, namely brand and price have been examined on two types of products - Television and Car.

Consumers, while choosing products/services, make complex trade-off between more than one characteristic. Given this multi-attribute nature of products, conjoint measurement technique has been used.

The methodology used here consists of conjoint analysis through design of orthogonal plan cards using SPSS Package. Data Collection was done by administering the plan cards (product profiles) along with the questionnaire to the selected sample of consumer individually. Our sample consisted of students of Management Institutes.

The findings suggest that the brand name and image are the most important piece of information cue used by consumers, while the country of assembly has the least importance. The country of design has been found to be the second most important piece of information in case of car, while price is the second most important information cue in case of TV. The implications of the study are basically two: Firstly, marketing strategy should lay emphasis upon brand communications in all product categories; and secondly, the country of manufacture/assembly is no longer important to consumers. Hence, manufacturing/assembly should be outsourced to low cost countries.
Beyond Supply Chain: A Demand Chain Perspective for Superior Market Responsiveness
Authors: Agrawal D.K. , Agrawal D.P. , Deshmukh S.G.
Published: June 2016

Value chain is a network of activities performed by firms for creating and delivering superior customer value with distinction. It has two parts, namely; supply chain and demand chain. A supply ch;ain refers to assets, information, ;and processes that provide supply. A demand chain deals with all assets, information, and processes that define demand. In the era of globalization and information technology, firms are under tremendous pressure to m;aximize ;and enhance their market responsiveness capabilities. In this endeavor, they need to look and appraise their value chain continuously. The focus of this paper is to an;alyze the contributions of supply chain in the optimization of supply side of the value chain, and its limitations in the demand side responsiveness in the prevailing market scenario. This paper identifies that there are at least six reasons behind failure of supply chain in the present turbulent market scenario, where superior market responsiveness capability is the key for success. These are management of influence of front-end micro environmental factors, inventory management for value delivery, demand fulfillment, pull marketing strategy, demand-side IT initi;atives, ;and channel relationships. Finally, this paper advocates that firms should emphasize on management of demand chain and supply chain should be aligned with it for meeting the requirements of superior market responsiveness.
Service Encounters in Value Networks: Dimensions for Pure Service Offerings
Authors: Hamilton John , Selen Willem
Published: June 2016

This discussion forum addresses the concept of service encounters for pure services over the Web, when businesses are organized along a value network. For these types of pure service offerings, the se.vice encounter is positioned in a holistic value network framework, leading towards the identification of particular service encounter dimensions.

First, possible bullwhip or upstream amplification effects may be reduced/avoided by ensuring high process quality to avoid rework of customer requests and service fulfilment. Bottlenecks may be overcome by designing excess capacity within the information system network. Second, a number of particular factors related to web-interface development, are discussed. This leads to a further discussion of issues in relation to customer targeting, information communication technology, and web-related financial metrics. Finally, strategic positioning and strategic alignment issues are discussed in a value network, using Porter's five forces model applied to the Internet, as well as an adaptation of Kaplan and Norton's balanced scorecard.