bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Suturation Plus Surgicel Application on Post-Tonsillectomy Bleeding and Pain
Authors: Cetiner Hasan , Cavusoglu Ilker , Duzer Sertac , Sakallioglu Oner , Susaman Nihat , Yildirim Yavuz Sultan Selim
Published: August 2017

Objective:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of suturation (tonsillary fossa closure) plus Surgicel application on postoperative bleeding and pain after tonsillectomies performed using a classical dissection method.

Study Design:

A prospective, randomized, double-blind, clinical trial was performed on 760 patients undergoing tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy during a 5-year period.

Methods:

After excluding patients with hemorrhagic disorder, chronic disease, and peritonsillar abscess, both tonsils were removed via classic dissection technique (cold knife or blunt dissection) and then electrocauterized for hemostasis. The tonsillar fossa randomly assigned to the treatment protocol (Group 1) was closed by sutures, following Surgicel application. The other side was unaltered and acted as the control (Group 2). Pain was evaluated every day for 10 days postoperatively, and bleeding was reported at any time.

Results:

A total of 760 patients (393 males, 367 females) between the ages of 4 and 35 years (mean age 13.46 ± 7.98) were included in the study. Bleeding was observed in 31 patients: 8 from Group 1; and 23 from Group 2 (95% confidence interval [CI], P < 0.05). The average pain score was greater in Group 1 than in Group 2 on each postoperative day (95% CI, P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Suturation plus Surgicel application increased pain levels while decreasing bleeding incidence during the postoperative period.
Surgical Treatment as a First Option of the Lower Eyelid Xanthelasma
Authors: Obradovic Bojan
Published: August 2017

Xanthelasma palpebrarum represents yellowish plaques, which mostly appear near the inner cantus of the eyelid. In most patients, cosmetic reasons are the main purpose for their removal.

The author presents a patient with a lower eyelid xanthelasma where surgical excision was used as a first treatment option. Cosmetic reasons, fast recovery, and possibility of a 1-stage procedure were the main requests of the patient for the removal of xanthelasma. Treatment and postrecovery period were routine.

In the treatment of xanthelasma palpebrarum of the lower eyelids, it is necessary to consider surgical excision as a first treatment option.
Nationwide Procedural Trends for Renal Trauma Management
Authors: Colaco Marc , Navarrete Roberto A. , MacDonald Susan M. , Stitzel Joel D. , Terlecki Ryan P.
Published: August 2017

Objective:

To characterize national trends in procedural management of renal trauma.

Background:

Management of renal trauma has evolved to favor a more conservative approach. For patients requiring intervention, there is a paucity of information to characterize the nature of procedural therapy administered.

Methods:

A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was performed using data contained within the National Trauma Data Bank. The National Trauma Data Bank is a voluntary data repository managed by the American College of Surgeons, containing data regarding trauma admissions at 747 level I to V trauma centers throughout the United States and Canada. Participants included any patient with renal trauma requiring intervention from 2002 to 2012. They were identified according to International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) diagnosis codes, with codes 866.00 through 866.03 for blunt renal trauma, and codes 866.10 through 866.13 for penetrating trauma. Cases were separated into those requiring nephrectomy, renorrhaphy, or endovascular repair based on ICD-9 procedure code. The number of cases performed each year and yearly trends as measured by linear regression.

Results:

A total of 4296 cases were reported during the study period. Of these cases, 2635 involved blunt trauma and 1661 involved penetrating injury. There was a significant increase in the percentage of cases managed by endovascular means for both blunt and penetrating trauma (R
2 = 0.92, P < 0.01; and R
2 = 0.86, P < 0.01, respectively). This was primarily at the expense of nephrectomy, with cases showing significant decline in both groups.

Conclusions:

National trends for procedural management of renal trauma are toward less invasive interventions. These trends suggest favorable change towards renal preservation and decreased morbidity, potentially facilitated, in part, by improved radiographic staging and endovascular techniques, and also increased provider awareness of the safety and value of conservative management.
Biomarker-guided Intervention to Prevent Acute Kidney Injury After Major Surgery
Authors: Göcze Ivan , Jauch Dominik , Götz Markus , Kennedy Pascal , Jung Bettina , Zeman Florian , Gnewuch Carsten , Graf Bernhard M. , Gnann Wolfgang , Banas Bernhard , Bein Thomas , Schlitt Hans J. , Bergler Tobias
Published: August 2017

Objective:

To determine the impact of renal biomarker–guided implementation of the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) care bundle on the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) after major noncardiac surgery in a single-center unblinded randomized clinical trial.

Background:

Early optimization of volume status and discontinuation of nephrotoxic medication before the occurrence of AKI may be the crucial step to reduce preventable AKI.

Methods:

The urinary biomarker−triggered KDIGO care bundle (early optimization of fluid status, maintenance of perfusion pressure, discontinuation of nephrotoxic agents) was compared to standard intensive care unit (ICU) care in 121 patients with an increased AKI risk after major abdominal surgery that was determined by urinary biomarker (inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 × insulin-like growth factor–binding protein 7) >0.3. Incidence of overall AKI, severity of AKI, length of stay, major kidney events at discharge, and cost effectiveness were evaluated.

Results:

The overall stages of AKI were not statistically different between the 2 groups, but in patients with inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 × insulin-like growth factor–binding protein 7 values of 0.3 to 2.0 a subgroup analysis demonstrated a significantly reduced incidence of AKI 13/48 (27.1%) in the intervention group compared to control 24/50 (48.0%, P = 0.03). Incidence of moderate and severe AKI (P = 0.04), incidence of creatinine increase >25% of baseline value (P = 0.01), length of ICU, and hospital stay (P = 0.04) were significantly lower in the intervention group. Intervention was associated with cost reduction. There were no significant differences regarding renal replacement therapy, in-hospital mortality, or major kidney events at hospital discharge.

Conclusions:

Early biomarker-based prediction of imminent AKI followed by implementation of KDIGO care bundle reduced AKI severity, postoperative creatinine increase, length of ICU, and hospital stay in patients after major noncardiac surgery.
The tale of a tail: histone H4 acetylation and the repair of DNA breaks
Authors: Dhar Surbhi , Gursoy-Yuzugullu Ozge , Parasuram Ramya , Price Brendan D.
Published: August 2017

The ability of cells to detect and repair DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) within the complex architecture of the genome requires co-ordination between the DNA repair machinery and chromatin remodelling complexes. This co-ordination is essential to process damaged chromatin and create open chromatin structures which are required for repair. Initially, there is a PARP-dependent recruitment of repressors, including HP1 and several H3K9 methyltransferases, and exchange of histone H2A.Z by the NuA4-Tip60 complex. This creates repressive chromatin at the DSB in which the tail of histone H4 is bound to the acidic patch on the nucleosome surface. These repressor complexes are then removed, allowing rapid acetylation of the H4 tail by Tip60. H4 acetylation blocks interaction between the H4 tail and the acidic patch on adjacent nucleosomes, decreasing inter-nucleosomal interactions and creating open chromatin. Further, the H4 tail is now free to recruit proteins such as 53BP1 to DSBs, a process modulated by H4 acetylation, and provides binding sites for bromodomain proteins, including ZMYND8 and BRD4, which are important for DSB repair. Here, we will discuss how the H4 tail functions as a dynamic hub that can be programmed through acetylation to alter chromatin packing and recruit repair proteins to the break site.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Chromatin modifiers and remodellers in DNA repair and signalling’.
DNA replication through a chromatin environment
Authors: Bellush James M. , Whitehouse Iestyn
Published: August 2017

Compaction of the genome into the nuclear space is achieved by wrapping DNA around octameric assemblies of histone proteins to form nucleosomes, the fundamental repeating unit of chromatin. Aside from providing a means by which to fit larger genomes into the cell, chromatinization of DNA is a crucial means by which the cell regulates access to the genome. While the complex role that chromatin plays in gene transcription has been appreciated for a long time, it is now also apparent that crucial aspects of DNA replication are linked to the biology of chromatin. This review will focus on recent advances in our understanding of how the chromatin environment influences key aspects of DNA replication.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Chromatin modifiers and remodellers in DNA repair and signalling'.
Putting the “dynamic” back into dynamic functional connectivity
Authors: Heitmann Stewart , Breakspear Michael
Published: August 2017

The study of fluctuations in time-resolved functional connectivity is a topic of substantial current interest. As the term “dynamicfunctional connectivity” implies, such fluctuations are believed to arise from dynamics in the neuronal systems generating these signals. While considerable activity currently attends to methodological and statistical issues regarding dynamic functional connectivity, less attention has been paid toward its candidate causes. Here, we review candidate scenarios for dynamic (functional) connectivity that arise in dynamical systems with two or more subsystems; generalized synchronization, itinerancy (a form of metastability), and multistability. Each of these scenarios arise under different configurations of local dynamics and inter-system coupling: We show how they generate time series data with nonlinear and/or non-stationary multivariate statistics. The key issue is that time series generated by coupled nonlinear systems contain a richer temporal structure than matched multivariate (linear) stochastic processes. In turn, this temporal structure yields many of the phenomena proposed as important to large-scale communication and computation in the brain, such as phase-amplitude coupling, complexity and flexibility. The code for simulating these dynamics is available in a freeware software platform, the “Brain Dynamics Toolbox”.
Functional effects of heating and cooling gene networks
Authors: Charlebois Daniel A. , Hauser Kevin , Marshall Sylvia , Balázsi Gábor
Published: August 2017

Everyday existence and survival of most organisms requires coping with temperature changes, which involves gene regulatory networks both as subjects and agents of cellular protection. Yet, how temperature affects gene network function remains unclear, partly because natural gene networks are complex and incompletely characterized. Here, we study how heating and cooling affect the function of single genes and well-characterized synthetic gene circuits inSaccharomyces cerevisiae. We found nontrivial, nonmonotone temperature-dependent gene expression trends at non-growth-optimal temperatures. In addition, heating caused unusual bimodality in the negative-feedback gene circuit expression and shifts upward the bimodal regime for the positive feedback gene circuit. Mathematical models incorporating temperature-dependent growth rates and Arrhenius scaling of reaction rates captured the effects of cooling, but not those of heating. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that heating alters the conformational dynamics and allows DNA-binding of the TetR transcriptional repressor, fully explaining the experimental results for the negative-feedback gene circuit. Overall, we uncover how temperature shifts may corrupt gene networks, which may aid future designs of temperature-robust synthetic gene circuits.
Folding membrane proteins by deep transfer learning
Authors: Wang Sheng , Li Zhen , Yu Yizhou , Xu Jinbo
Published: August 2017

Computational elucidation of membrane protein (MP) structures is challenging partially due to lack of sufficient solved structures for homology modeling. Here we describe a high-throughput deep transfer learning method that first predicts MP contacts by learning from non-membrane proteins (non-MPs) and then predicting three-dimensional structure models using the predicted contacts as distance restraints. Tested on 510 non-redundant MPs, our method has contact prediction accuracy at least 0.18 better than existing methods, predicts correct folds for 218 MPs (TMscore>0.6), and generates three-dimensional models with RMSD less than 4Å and 5Å for 57 and 108 MPs, respectively. A rigorous blind test in the continuous automated model evaluation (CAMEO) project shows that our method predicted high-resolution three-dimensional models for two recent test MPs of 210 residues with RMSD ∼2Å. We estimated that our method could predict correct folds for 1,345–1,871 reviewed human multi-pass MPs including a few hundred new folds, which shall facilitate the discovery of drugs targeting at membrane proteins.
Representations of rural England in contemporary folk song
Authors: Skinner Heather
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore aural representation of the countryside and English rurality through the contemporary cultural product of folk song.

Design/methodology/approach

A textual analysis was undertaken of the sleeve notes and lyrics of Steve Knightley, songwriter and founder member of the folk/roots band Show of Hands.

Findings

The concept of the rural idyll is thoroughly debunked in the majority of these lyrics. Many songs make specific reference to place, and these, in the main, focus on the historical and contemporary hardships of living in rural England, in many cases also making explicit reference to the historical or contemporary social issues deemed by the lyricist to be at the root of the problems faced by people living in English rural communities.

Research limitations/implications

This paper analyses data obtained in lyrics of only one songwriter within only one music genre, but the artist is one of the most respected within the contemporary folk genre, and Show of Hands have won a number of prestigious nationally recognised folk awards.

Originality/value

The extant literature contains little concerning aural representations of place identities through song. The contribution this paper makes is therefore in presenting a conceptual framework that shows how folk song, as a contemporary cultural product contributes to the construction and communication of rural place identities.
Second wave true Norwegian black metal: an ideologically evil music scene?
Authors: Wallin Jason , Podoshen Jeffrey , Venkatesh Vivek
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The second wave (true Norwegian) black metal music scene has garnered attention for its ostensible negative impact upon contemporary consumption. Producers and consumers of the scene, as potential heretics, have been associated with acts of church burning, Satanism, murder, and violence. Such actions have circulated under the signifier of evil, and have been associated with anti-Christian semiotics and pagan practices. Contemporary media has positioned such acts of evil beyond rational comprehension via the deployment of a rhetoric of evil. This enframement has evaded the psychoanalytic question of evil and the significant role of negative ethics in theorizing the allure and potential impact of black metal music. The purpose of this paper is to examine the evil in the music scene, its relation to ID evil, and its consumption and production practices.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon Zizek’s (2006) development of evil through Lacan’s three registers, this paper examines evil production and consumption through a detailed analysis of true Norwegian black metal. The authors rehabilitate the complex corridors of evil against its conceptual collapse as merely the ontological absence of good. Via Zizek, the authors offer a reconsideration of the anti-establishment violent activities enacted by some proponents of black metal ideology. Herein, the authors deploy a reading of ideological evil in order to interrogate the role of enjoyment and desire at work in the black metal scene.

Findings

After extensive immersion in the true Norwegian black metal scene, the authors elucidate on the key issues surrounding good, evil and Satanism, and their relationships to production and consumption. What many might term as “evil” is far more complex than what appears on the surface-level aesthetics.

Originality/value

While there have been examinations of the black metal scene, there has been scant literature that delves deep into the symbolism of the Satanic and the evil beyond the surface. This paper sheds light on the value of exploring evil in a scene as something that is much more than the mere absence of what is considered good.
Competitive funding in North Rhine-Westphalia
Authors: Kiese Matthias , Kahl Julian
Published: August 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine a cluster-based strategy implemented in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia under the 2007-2013 “Regional Competitiveness and Employment” programme. Departing from traditional discretionary approaches, a substantial share of the funds was now allocated on a competitive basis. The authors analyse the resulting distribution of funds across stakeholders and sub-regions and try to assess the pros and cons of this process, which constitutes a novel delivery system for cluster policies.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a literature review, the paper applies two sets of regression models to explain the distribution of funds under the new policy delivery system. Interviews with stakeholders provide evidence on the efficacy and efficiency of the competitive funding process.

Findings

The changes introduced in the 2007-2013 funding period benefit universities and research organisations, as well as intermediary organisations, whereas the private sector and especially small firms capture a rather small piece of the pie. Contrary to the “innovation paradox” hypothesis, structurally weak sub-regions did not lose out in state-wide funding contests. The presence of universities with an overall high volume of third-party funding is the key variable explaining the spatial distribution of funds. This interview evidence identifies the duration of the selection process and its administrative complexity as main weaknesses, which the authors attribute to bureaucratic rationality on different levels.

Originality/value

This is the first analysis of a competitive funding scheme at the sub-national level, using the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia as a case study. It sheds light on the mechanisms of funding allocation in the 2007-2013 funding period of the European Union’s cohesion policy, which was reoriented towards supporting regional competitiveness and employment in response to the Lisbon Agenda. While competitive funding is still seen as mobilising regional stakeholders and improving the quality of projects and the selection process, these findings highlight administrative complexity as a main deficiency, which has partly been addressed in the 2014-2020 funding period.
Prediction of construction projects’ costs based on fusion method
Authors: Shutian Fang , Tianyi Zhao , Ying Zhang
Published: August 2017

Purpose

This study aims to predict the construction cost in China, the authors purposed a fused method.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors extracted 22 factors which may influence the cost and performed the correlation analysis with cost. They chose the highest 10 factors to predict cost by the fused method. The method fused the Kalman filter with least squares support vector machine and multiple linear regression.

Findings

Ten factors which affect the cost most were found. The construction cost in China can be predicted by the presented method precisely. The statistical filter method could be used in the field of construction cost prediction.

Research limitations/implications

The construction cost and construction interior factors are a business secret in China. So, the authors only collected 24 buildings’ data to perform the experiments.

Practical implications

There is no standard and precise method to predict construction cost in China, so the presented method offers a new way to judge the feasibility of projects and select design schemes of construction.

Originality/value

The authors purposed a new fused method to predict construction cost. It is the first time that the statistical filtering method was used in this field. The effectiveness was verified by the experiments. Ten factors which have a high relationship with construction cost were found.
Parameter identification of concrete dams using swarm intelligence algorithm
Authors: Dou Siqi , Li Junjie , Kang Fei
Published: August 2017

Purpose

Parameter identification is an important issue in structural health monitoring and damage identification for concrete dams. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel adaptive fireworks algorithm (AFWA) into inverse analysis of parameter identification.

Design/methodology/approach

Swarm intelligence algorithms and finite element analysis are integrated to identify parameters of hydraulic structures. Three swarm intelligence algorithms: AFWA, standard particle swarm optimization (SPSO) and artificial bee colony algorithm (ABC) are adopted to make a comparative study. These algorithms are introduced briefly and then tested by four standard benchmark functions. Inverse analysis methods based on AFWA, SPSO and ABC are adopted to identify Young’s modulus of a concrete gravity dam and a concrete arch dam.

Findings

Numerical results show that swarm intelligence algorithms are powerful tools for parameter identification of concrete structures. The proposed AFWA-based inverse analysis algorithm for concrete dams is promising in terms of accuracy and efficiency.

Originality/value

Fireworks algorithm is applied for inverse analysis of hydraulic structures for the first time, and the problem of parameter selection in AFWA is studied.
Convergence analysis of the nonlinear iterative method for two-phase flow in porous media associated with nanoparticle injection
Authors: El-Amin Mohamed , Kou Jisheng , Sun Shuyu
Published: August 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce modeling, numerical simulation and convergence analysis of the problem of nanoparticles’ transport carried by a two-phase flow in a porous medium. The model consists of equations of pressure, saturation, nanoparticles’ concentration, deposited nanoparticles’ concentration on the pore-walls and entrapped nanoparticles concentration in pore-throats.

Design/methodology/approach

A nonlinear iterative IMPES-IMC (IMplicit Pressure Explicit Saturation–IMplicit Concentration) scheme is used to solve the problem under consideration. The governing equations are discretized using the cell-centered finite difference (CCFD) method. The pressure and saturation equations are coupled to calculate the pressure, and then the saturation is updated explicitly. Therefore, the equations of nanoparticles concentration, the deposited nanoparticles concentration on the pore walls and the entrapped nanoparticles concentration in pore throats are computed implicitly. Then, the porosity and the permeability variations are updated.

Findings

Three lemmas and one theorem for the convergence of the iterative method under the natural conditions and some continuity and boundedness assumptions were stated and proved. The theorem is proved by induction states that after a number of iterations, the sequences of the dependent variables such as saturation and concentrations approach solutions on the next time step. Moreover, two numerical examples are introduced with convergence test in terms of Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy (CFL) condition and a relaxation factor. Dependent variables such as pressure, saturation, concentration, deposited concentrations, porosity and permeability are plotted as contours in graphs, whereas the error estimations are presented in a table for different values of the number of time steps, number of iterations and mesh size.

Research limitations/implications

The domain of the computations is relatively small; however, it is straightforward to extend this method to the oil reservoir (large) domain by keeping similar definitions of CFL number and other physical parameters.

Originality/value

The model of the problem under consideration has not been studied before. Also, both solution technique and convergence analysis have not been used before with this model.
A short remark on Kalaawy’s variational principle for plasma
Authors: Li Ya , He Chun-Hui
Published: August 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to show how to establish a variational formulation directly from the governing equations. A modified Burger equation arising in dusty plasma is used as an example to show the derivation process.

Design/methodology/approach

Ji-Huan He’s semi-inverse method is adopted in the derivation process. To effectively use the semi-inverse method, a potential function is introduced, and the trial functional is constructed with some nonzero parameters, which are such identified that the stationary conditions satisfy the governing equations.

Findings

The derivation is simple, and the obtained variational principle is conciser than that obtained by Kalaawy, who introduced two special functions.

Originality/value

This paper suggests an effective approach to the inverse problem of the calculus of variations.
Application of Kano model to identification of wine festival satisfaction drivers
Authors: Velikova Natalia , Slevitch Lisa , Mathe-Soulek Kimberly
Published: August 2017

Purpose

Practitioners and researchers are persistently trying to identify critical product/service attributes that generate greater customer satisfaction, which in turn yields multiple positive outcomes for the business. However, traditional measuring of attribute performance does not account for a non-linear nature of the relationship between attribute performance and customer satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to apply an alternative method – penalty-reward contrast analysis (PRCA) grounded in Kano model – to a wine festival setting and to estimate the effects of each attribute on the overall satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The aim of the study is to use a self-administered survey distributed to attendees of a large wine festival in the USA, resulting in a sample of 250 festival attendees.

Findings

Personnel and entertainment were considered “must-be” or basic factors for wine festivals. Failing to deliver on these dimensions will lead to attendees’ frustration and is likely to outweigh positive impact of other factors. Wine was considered to be a linear, or performance, factor with symmetrical positive and negative impact on satisfaction. Food and facilities were non-significant in predicting customer satisfaction.

Practical implications

Given that most wine festivals operate with rather scarce resources in a competitive environment, using an approach that helps determine how limited resources are best deployed to achieve the highest levels of customer satisfaction is beneficial for the industry. The study provides new insights to wine festivals managers as to how drivers of satisfaction may vary according to attributes of both the festival and the attendees.

Originality/value

The study adopts the novel approach of the PRCA in its application to wine festivals, making the study unique and noteworthy. It brings new knowledge about quality components of wine festivals and adds support to the new evaluation tool.
Chinese travelers’ behavioral intentions toward room-sharing platforms
Authors: Wu Jiang , Zeng Minne , Xie Karen L.
Published: August 2017

Purpose

Although room-sharing platforms such as Airbnb have become globally prevalent business phenomena, no cross-cultural research has been conducted to examine how travelers outside the “Western Bubble” perceive and respond to this sharing economy. The purpose of this paper is to explore factors that affect Chinese travelers’ behavioral intentions toward room-sharing platforms in the sharing economy.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on theories of motivation, the influences on travelers of utilitarian and hedonic motivation, perceived trust and past experience were investigated. Considering the characteristics of room-sharing, utilitarian motivation is measured by service experience, information acquisition, cost saving and resource efficiency. Hedonic motivation is measured by adventure, gratification, sharing and friend-seeking. Data were collected in online survey from 445 valid samples and analyzed by partial least squares (PLS) regression approach using SmartPLS 3.0.

Findings

The findings indicate that although intensity varies, utilitarian motivation, hedonic motivation and perceived trust do have positive effects on tourists’ behavioral intentions. Past experience with room-sharing moderates these effects.

Originality/value

There is scant research about consumers’ behaviors toward a sharing economy in Western countries and no empirical research in this field with analyses of Chinese consumers, although China is an emerging market in the hospitality industry. None of the previous research was based on theories of motivation and trust, especially without a consideration of the moderating effect of past experience. Therefore, this study aims to narrow these gaps and to combine, organize and extend previous studies to improve the analysis of behavioral intention in the sharing economy. The value of this study lies in the research model and analysis with the backdrop of China.
The potential for tourism and hospitality experience research in human-robot interactions
Authors: Tung Vincent Wing Sun , Law Rob
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to review recent work in the robotics literature and identify future opportunities for consumer/tourist experience research in human-robot interactions (HRIs).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper begins by covering the framework of robotic agent presence and embodiment that are relevant for HRI. Next, the paper identifies future opportunities for hospitality and tourism scholars to undertake consumer/tourist experience research in HRIs.

Findings

The result of this study provided potential directions for advancing theoretical, methodological and managerial implications for tourism experience research in HRI.

Research limitations/implications

Concepts from robotics research are diffusing into a range of disciplines, from engineering to social sciences. These advancements open many unique, yet urgent, opportunities for hospitality and tourism research.

Practical implications

This paper illustrates the speed at which robotics research is progressing. Moreover, the concepts reviewed in this research on robotic presence and embodiment are relevant for real-world applications in hospitality and tourism.

Social implications

Developments in robotics research will transform hospitality and tourism experiences in the future.

Originality/value

This research is one of the early papers in the field to review robotics research and provide innovative directions to broaden the interdisciplinary perspective for future hospitality and tourism research.
Considerations for using data envelopment analysis for the assessment of radiotherapy treatment plan quality
Authors: Simpson John , Raith Andrea , Rouse Paul , Ehrgott Matthias
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The operations research method of data envelopment analysis (DEA) shows promise for assessing radiotherapy treatment plan quality. The purpose of this paper is to consider the technical requirements for using DEA for plan assessment.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 41 prostate treatment plans were retrospectively analysed using the DEA method. The authors investigate the impact of DEA weight restrictions with reference to the ability to differentiate plan performance at a level of clinical significance. Patient geometry influences plan quality and the authors compare differing approaches for managing patient geometry within the DEA method.

Findings

The input-oriented DEA method is the method of choice when performing plan analysis using the key undesirable plan metrics as the DEA inputs. When considering multiple inputs, it is necessary to constrain the DEA input weights in order to identify potential plan improvements at a level of clinical significance. All tested approaches for the consideration of patient geometry yielded consistent results.

Research limitations/implications

This work is based on prostate plans and individual recommendations would therefore need to be validated for other treatment sites. Notwithstanding, the method that requires both optimised DEA weights according to clinical significance and appropriate accounting for patient geometric factors is universally applicable.

Practical implications

DEA can potentially be used during treatment plan development to guide the planning process or alternatively used retrospectively for treatment plan quality audit.

Social implications

DEA is independent of the planning system platform and therefore has the potential to be used for multi-institutional quality audit.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first published examination of the optimal approach in the use of DEA for radiotherapy treatment plan assessment.
Factors influencing land title registration practice in Osun State, Nigeria
Authors: Ekemode Benjamin Gbolahan , Adegoke Oluseyi Joshua , Aderibigbe Adetunji
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The registration of land titles is an important component of title documentation and certification process that is influenced by a variety of factors. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to examine factors influencing land title registration practice in Osun State, Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

Data used for this paper were collected from 520 land title registration applicants, representing 48.10 per cent of the total number of applicants for land title/property rights registration in Osun State, Southwestern Nigeria, using systematic random sampling technique, with sampling interval k = 5. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, such as frequency distribution and percentages, relative importance index (RII) and factor analysis.

Findings

The findings revealed that factors such as high cost of title documentation and corrupt practices of land registry staff had significant influence on land title/property rights registration process, while factors such as suitability of organizational structure and personnel competence/low morale had less influence on land title registration in the study area.

Practical implications

The findings of this paper suggest the inadequacies inherent in the land title registration process in the study area which has significant implications for land titling registration process in Osun State, the entire Nigerian state and other emerging African economies.

Originality/value

The paper is one of the few papers that analyzed the factors influencing land title registration from the perspective of end-users in an emerging African economy like Nigeria.
Liability in negligence for building defects in Ireland, England and Australia
Authors: Ní Fhloinn Deirdre
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to consider decisions of the courts of three jurisdictions: Ireland; England and Wales; and Australia, in relation to recovery of economic loss in negligence for building defects and to identify the extent to which the legal environment of each jurisdiction has informed the approach of the courts to the issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach taken for this purpose is to review the extent of legislative intervention in each jurisdiction to provide measures of protection for home buyers, and whether that intervention has limited the scope of what may be recovered in negligence for defects.

Findings

The findings of the research indicate that the retreat from recovery for defects, led by the courts of England and Wales through a series of cases in the 1980s and 1990s, may be regarded in part as a product of their environment, and that legislative intervention in the area of remedies acted as a limitation on the scope of the duties that the courts were prepared to impose.

Originality/value

Although the issue of recovery for building defects in negligence has been covered extensively in the literature and jurisprudence, the cross-referencing of the common law position with the legislative context in the jurisdictions considered provides insights into the approaches of courts and why the position of the courts of England and Wales may not transpose comfortably to other jurisdictions.
Chinese lesson study, Learning study and keys to learning
Authors: Pang Ming Fai , Marton Ference
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, the authors set out to advance the thesis that lesson study should be considered as the signature pedagogy of teachers. Second, the authors want to argue that combining the core attributes of Chinese lesson study and Learning study will improve the practice of lesson study. Third, the authors attempt to demonstrate how teachers discover necessary aspects of the object of learning (here called “keys to learning”) through their engagement in Learning studies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper conducted a contrastive analysis of two varieties of lesson studies: the Chinese lesson study and the Learning study.

Findings

Lesson studies form a field of varieties, but the commonality among them (i.e. the focus on the lesson) makes the lesson study a strong candidate for being “the signature pedagogy” of teachers. The most important attribute of the Chinese lesson study is its close connection to the daily work of teachers through its embeddedness in teacher research group (arguably the core organisational principle of the Chinese educational system). The most important attribute of the Learning study is its theoretical grounding which helps teachers create an environment for the students to discern and appropriate necessary aspects of the object of learning.

Practical implications

Different varieties may be enriched by including the two core attributes found in the Chinese lesson study and the Learning study.

Originality/value

Two empirical studies are used to exemplify how teacher might discover previously unknown necessary aspects of the object of learning (here called “keys to leaning”).
Improving core instructional practice in mathematics teaching through lesson study
Authors: Huang Rongjin , Barlow Angela T. , Haupt Melanie E.
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how teachers improve core instructional practices in teaching mathematics for problem solving through lesson study (LS). The core practices included launching a task, implementing a task, and orchestrating students’ solutions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted multiple case study and survey methodologies. Each of three LS groups developed a research lesson on problem solving in algebra through Chinese LS, which includes collaborative planning and repeated teachings/debriefings of the research lesson with support from experts. The data collected included lesson plans, videotaped research lessons and debriefing meetings, and an end-of-project survey. Case studies supported by survey data were utilized to describe how research lessons were improved and what teachers learned from LS.

Findings

A fine-grained analysis of the data revealed that the participants improved their strategies for teaching for problem solving, which included effectively launching tasks, strategically implementing tasks, and productively orchestrating students’ solutions to the tasks. Further, analyses revealed that the feedback from experts during debriefing meetings played crucial roles in making these changes. Moreover, participants learned how to implement these core instructional practices and changed their views about students’ learning.

Originality/value

The study uncovers the mechanisms about how teachers improve teaching and their expertise in teaching through Chinese LS. The importance of the dynamic between repeated teaching and immediate feedback from knowledgeable others is highlighted.
Perceived professional knowledge and competence of mathematics specialists and its development in China
Authors: Huang Rongjin , Zhang Jianyue , Mok Ida Ah Chee , Zhao Wenjun , Zhou Yuanfang , Wu Zhengsheng
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore what professional knowledge and competence (PKC) that knowledgeable others, namely, mathematics teaching research specialists (MTRS) in China, need to know, and how they may develop their PKC.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts mixed methods. A survey on PKC with 549 MTRS is utilized to examine MTRS’ perceived held and ideal PKC and perceived effective ways of developing their PKC. The responses to the open-ended questions on the survey were used to identify additional dimensions of PKC and ways of developing PKC. Multiple techniques of quantitative data analysis were employed to feature the characteristics of PKC and structure of the survey, and the relationship between background variables and perception of PKC. Collectively, this study paints a rich and comprehensive picture about Chinese knowledgeable others’ knowledge and competence, and its development.

Findings

The data analysis reveals that the participants appreciated the six-dimension model of MTRS’ PKC. They were confident with their PKC in general, but varied in different aspects. The factor analysis showed the six-dimension model could be further clustered into two components: knowledge about mathematics teaching and learning and competence in mentoring and educational leadership, and knowledge about content, assessing student learning, and use of technology. The participants perceived their learning through multiple ways including: learning through reading, attending specific training programs, attending and mentoring teaching research activities both school-based and across regions, observing and debriefing lessons, sharing within online learning communities. All these venues jointly contribute to developing MTRS’ PKC.

Originality/value

This is the first empirical study on MTRS’ PKC and its development in China based on such a large sample. The findings of this study not only contribute to an understanding of knowledgeable others in Chinese lesson study and providing suggestions for support of their development, but also provide implications for studies of practice-based mathematics teacher-educators globally.
Numerical data used for producing failure assessment diagram in integrity analysis of cylindrical shell with crack
Authors: Setiawan Rachman , Akbar Musthafa
Published: August 2017

Purpose

Integrity assessment is used to ensure reliability operation of a pressurized equipment containing defects. Based on data of cylindrical shell dimensions, operation conditions, material properties and crack dimensions, an assessment can be carried out, using either Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 procedure. Assessment using Level 3 procedure within the code requires a finite element simulation in order to generate both the evaluation point and the failure assessment diagram (FAD) that serves as the acceptance criteria. The purpose of this paper is to provide the numerical data which are used for integrity assessment of a pressure vessel containing crack. Here, a parametric study has been carried out to generate such result for the cases of longitudinal crack defect in a cylindrical shell for a number of common cases, in terms of thickness-to-radius ratio, crack size ratio and crack aspect ratio.

Design/methodology/approach

The evaluation of stress intensity factor is determined through J-integral parameter found using a finite element analysis with a specially meshed strategy incorporating the crack. A comparison is made against stress intensity factor provided by the code.

Findings

A good agreement is obtained with percent error of 2.13 percent for low aspect ratio crack, and 0.57 percent for high aspect ratio crack. Furthermore, a study has been carried out using the methodology for 160 cases, covering both cases already available in the code and other cases of crack in cylindrical shells. The result can be used as a complement to the existing tabular data available in the code for Level 2 assessment, to be used for integrity analysis of damaged cylindrical shells based on the FAD criteria.

Originality/value

The result can be used as a complement to the existing tabular data available in the API 579 code for Level 2 assessment, to be used for integrity analysis of damaged cylindrical shells based on the FAD criteria. New equations were generated based on finite element analysis and can be used for Level 3 assessment of the code.
Effect of specimen crack lengths on stress intensity factor for Al6061-TiC composites using experimental and 3D numerical methods
Authors: M.S. Raviraj , C.M. Sharanaprabhu , G.C. Mohankumar
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the determination of critical stress intensity factor (KC) both by experimental method and three-dimensional (3D) finite element simulations.

Design/methodology/approach

CT specimens of different compositions of Al6061-TiC composites (3wt%, 5wt% and 7wt% TiC) with variable crack length to width (a/W=0.3-0.6) ratios are machined from as-cast composite block. After fatigue pre-cracking the specimens to a required crack length, experimental load vs crack mouth opening displacement data are plotted to calculate the KC value. Elastic 3D finite element simulations have been conducted for CT specimens of various compositions and a/W ratios to compute KC. The experimental results indicate that the magnitude of KC depends on a/W ratios, and significantly decreases with increase in a/W ratios of the specimen.

Findings

From 3D finite element simulation, the KC results at the centre of CT specimens for various Al6061-TiC composites and a/W ratios show satisfactory agreement with experimental results compared to the surface.

Originality/value

The research work contained in this manuscript was conducted during 2015-2016. It is original work except where due reference is made. The authors confirm that the research in their work is original, and that all the data given in the article are real and authentic. If necessary, the paper can be recalled, and errors corrected.