bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Closed loop voltage control of a solenoid using parallel finite element method
Authors: Marcsa Daniel , Kuczmann Miklós
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present the importance of model accuracy in closed loop control by the help of parallel finite element model of a voltage-fed solenoid with iron core.

Design/methodology/approach

– The axisymmetric formulation of the domain decomposition-based circuit-coupled finite element method (FEM) is embedded in a closed loop control system. The control parameters for the proportional-integral (PI) controller were estimated using the step response of the analytical, static and dynamic model of the solenoid. The controller measures the error of the output of the model after each time step and controls the applied voltage to reach the steady state as fast as possible.

Findings

– The results of the closed loop system simulation show why the model accuracy is important in the stage of the controller design. The FEM offers higher accuracy that the analytic model attained with magnetic circuit theory, because the inductance and resistance variation already take into account in the numerical calculation. Furthermore, parallel FEM incorporating domain decomposition to reduce the increased computation time.

Originality/value

– A closed loop control with PI controllers is applied for a voltage driven finite element model. The high computation time of the numerical model in the control loop is decreased by the finite element tearing and interconnecting method with direct and iterative solver.
Piezoelectrically programmable electric-field driven LC (ELC) resonators acting as THz modulators
Authors: Lalas Antonios X. , Kantartzis Nikolaos V. , Tsiboukis Theodoros D.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– Metamaterials are artificially tailored complex media with extraordinary properties, not available in nature. Due to their unique performance, they are considered as a crucial component of modern radio-frequency technology, especially in the THz regime. However, their lack of wide spectral bandwidths introduce constraints for realistic applications. The purpose of this paper is to propose piezoelectric micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) actuators to modify the shape of electric field-driven LC (ELC) resonators. A THz modulation capability is revealed by connecting/disconnecting the associated metal parts.

Design/methodology/approach

– Piezoelectric MEMS actuators are proposed to provide the desired bandwidth enhancement along with THz modulation. Two setups with different degrees of freedom in altering the behaviour of the novel modulator are investigated. A variety of numerical data, acquired via the finite element method, substantiate the advantageous characteristics of the proposed structures.

Findings

– The novel devices enable the modification of the structural features of an ELC-based complex medium, unveiling in this manner a significant THz modulation capability along with improved bandwidth tunability. Two discrete cases are presented involving different degrees of freedom to shape the overall performance of the metamaterial modulator.

Originality/value

– Development of a THz modulator, which utilises metamaterials as its fundamental component. Incorporation of tunable piezoelectric metamaterials into THz technology allowing increased reconfigurability. Bandwidth enhancement of metamaterial systems and alternative design via multiple controllable gaps enabling more degrees of freedom for design purposes.
The depiction of marketing and marketers in the news media
Authors: Cluley Robert
Published: June 2016

Purpose

In an effort to explain the high level of scepticism and distrust towards marketing and marketers, this paper aims to explore how marketing practice and practitioners are depicted in the mass media.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyses 6,877 news reports that discuss “marketing” across two one-year time periods from three UK newspapers. A systematic content analysis is presented through N-grams and K-grams, close readings of individual cases and manual coding.

Findings

The paper finds that the news media cultivates an image of marketing and marketing practitioners as a cost to businesses and something that businesses do to consumers. The study finds that marketers are also presented through a narrow viewpoint. Marketers are depicted as male and tend to be viewed as a source of authority only when speaking on behalf of their organizations in response problems and crises.

Research limitations/implications

The cultivation effect of mass media is widely accepted among communications scholar, yet its use within marketing research is limited. The paper represents an empirical application of this approach.

Practical implications

Organizations including the Chartered Institute of Marketing and American Marketing Association have attempted to counteract marketing’s image problem by redefining what marketing means. The results of this study suggest that such attempts are unlikely to work, as the practice of marketing, in particular PR, cultivates a negative image in the media.

Social implications

The paper explores the relationship between marketing practice and the marketing profession and society.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates the utility of cultivation theory and systematic content analyses of media texts. It develops a methodology to examine how professional practice is depicted in mass media.
The evolving family assemblage: how senior families “do” family
Authors: Huff Aimee Dinnin , Cotte June
Published: June 2016

Purpose

A growing stream of consumer research has examined the intersection of family dynamics, consumption practices and the marketplace. The purpose of this paper is to make sense of the complex nature of family for senior families (adult children and their elderly parents) who employ the use of elder care services and facilities.

Design/methodology/approach

This research analyses data gathered from in-depth interviews with adult siblings and their elderly parents through the lens of assemblage theory.

Findings

This paper advances a conceptulisation of the family as an evolving assemblage of components, including individual members; material possessions and home(s); shared values, goals, memories and practices; prominent familial attributes of love and care; and marketplace resources. Three features of the assemblage come to the fore in senior families: the fluid meaning of independence for the elderly parent, the evolution of shared family practices and the trajectory of the assemblage that is a function of its history and future.

Originality/value

This research focuses on a stage of family life that has been under-theorised; applies assemblage theory to the family collective, demonstrating that a family can be conceptualised as an ever-evolving assemblage of human and non-human components, and this is a useful lens for understanding how senior families “do” family; and argues for a broader notion of family – one that is not household-centric or focused on families with young children, that encompasses members and materiality and that foregrounds the dynamic, evolving nature of family life.
Individual difference factors related to anthropomorphic tendency
Authors: Letheren Kate , Kuhn Kerri-Ann L. , Lings Ian , Pope Nigel K. Ll.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to addresses an important gap in anthropomorphism research by examining the individual-level factors that correlate with anthropomorphic tendency.

Design/methodology/approach

The extant psychology, marketing and consumer psychology literature is reviewed, and eight hypotheses devised. Data from 509 online survey respondents are analysed to identify individual characteristics associated with anthropomorphic tendency.

Findings

The results reveal that anthropomorphic tendency varies by individual and is significantly related to personality, age, relationship status, personal connection to animals and experiential thinking.

Research limitations/implications

This paper extends on recent research into the individual nature of anthropomorphic tendency, once thought to be a universal trait. Given that this paper is the first of its kind, testing of further traits is merited. It is suggested that future research further examine personality, as well as other elements of individual difference, and test the role of anthropomorphic tendency in the development of processing abilities with age.

Practical implications

Findings show that anthropomorphic tendency may prove to be a key variable in the segmentation of markets and the design of marketing communications, and that younger, single, more creative, conscientious consumers are an appropriate target for anthropomorphic messages. The importance of personal connection to animals, as well as experiential thinking, is also highlighted.

Originality/value

Given the importance of anthropomorphic tendency for the processing of messages involving non-human endorsers, as well as the formation of relevant attitudes and behaviours, this paper fulfils an identified need to further understand the characteristics of those high on this tendency.
Good times, bad times: the stock market performance of firms that own high value brands
Authors: Voss Kevin , Mohan Mayoor
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of the this paper is to correct a deficiency in the published literature by examining the share price performance of firms that own high-value brands in uptrending, downtrending and sideways markets.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors examined stock price performance for an index of firms that owned brands in the Interbrand list of the “Best Global Brands” from 2001 through 2009 using the Fama-French method.

Findings

The authors’ index outperformed the Standard & Poor’s 500 when the market was up or downtrending, but not when it moved sideways.

Research limitations/implications

The authors find that an index of firms that own the produced better returns than the Standard & Poor’s 500 market index. Owning highly valued brands may be a marketplace signal to the investing community regarding the firm’s management acumen.

Practical implications

Owning high-value brands seems to influence share price performance, a metric used to judge chief executive officers. Thus, brand investments align with the shareholders’ interest. The authors help alleviate the perception (Challagalla et al., 2014) that marketing managers make investments on an ad hoc basis.

Originality/value

For the first time, the authors evaluate the effect of owning one or more of the world’s most valuable brands on the market value of common stock using data from downtrending, uptrending and no-trend periods. This research is also among the first to introduce volatility into the Fama-French method and it is an important explanatory variable. This paper’s approach has interesting comparisons to other papers taking a similar analytical approach.
Strategic role of information, knowledge and technology in manufacturing industry performance
Authors: Mandal Purnendu , Bagchi Kallol
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study how knowledge management strategy (KMS), technology management strategy (TMS), and information management strategy (IMS) influence an organization’s performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use manufacturing data and employ causal modeling, with structural equation modeling, which will enable managers to understand the interrelationships among the use of information, knowledge management, and technology strategy in manufacturing enterprises.

Findings

– There are two major findings of the research: first, an organization’s financial performance (FINP) is directly dependent on its information management and TMSs, and second, KMSs indirectly influence FINP via mediation.

Practical implications

– Managers should be aware of various roles that TMS, IMS, and KMS play on an organization’s performance. The model analysis provides a direction to decision makers in understanding various intricate relationships through which information, technology, and KMSs could impact corporate sustainability.

Originality/value

– First, the authors present a specific approach to capture and model information-related strategies in a powerful decisions support system framework. Second, the modeling environment provides examination of non-linear relationships among latent variables, as well as examining additive, moderating, and mediating relations so that other modelers could replicate the experiment in other sectors or enterprises. Last, this work addresses one of the major problems in manufacturing research: the lack of empirical research in sustainability development. The paper shows empirically that both TMS and IMS impact organization’s performance directly and KMS does so indirectly.
Analysis of the dynamic broadband technology competition
Authors: Choi Sun Me , Wong Siew Fan , Chang Younghoon , Park Myeong-Cheol
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of inter-platform competition on the adoption of different broadband technologies (i.e. among xDSL, fibre-optic technologies, and hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC)), examine the direction of the effect, and identify potential technology convergence and the speed of technology innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

– It uses Lotka-Volterra equation to determine the dynamic competition pattern for xDSL, fibre-optic technologies, and HFC.

Findings

– The influence of inter-platform competition on the adoption rate may vary depending on the market conditions, the phase of the adoption period, and the types of competing technology. Even though new technology has competitive advantage, it still requires time to acquire market share. Even though fibre-optic is leading in the market, alternative technologies have also garnered significant market share in the early stage. Specifically, HFC has gained its own market position, making it a valuable alternative in the short term. Nonetheless, the market will eventually converge to fibre-optics.

Originality/value

– The findings show that inter-platform competition does not always exert positive influence on broadband adoption as indicated in previous literature. Instead, the influence may vary from negative to neural. This information is an important knowledge addition to the literature. Overall, the study has important implications to governmental effort in managing market competitions and in planning national broadband infrastructure policies. It also provides valuable implications on how ISPs should strategize their investment in new broadband technologies.
Designing robot behavior in human robot interaction based on emotion expression
Authors: Wei Yuan , Zhao Jing
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to deal with the problem of designing robot behaviors (mainly to robotic arms) to express emotions. The authors study the effects of robot behaviors from our humanoid robot NAO on the subject’s emotion expression in human–robot interaction (HRI).

Design/methodology/approach

A method to design robot behavior through the movement primitives is proposed. Then, a novel dimensional affective model is built. Finally, the concept of action semantics is adopted to combine the robot behaviors with emotion expression.

Findings

For the evaluation of this combination, the authors assess positive (excited and happy) and negative (frightened and sad) emotional patterns on 20 subjects which are divided into two groups (whether they were familiar with robots). The results show that the recognition of the different emotion patterns does not have differences between the two groups and the subjects could recognize the robot behaviors with emotions.

Practical implications

Using affective models to guide robots’ behavior or express their intentions is highly beneficial in human–robot interaction. The authors think about several applications of the emotional motion: improve efficiency in HRI, direct people during disasters, better understanding with human partners or help people perform their tasks better.

Originality/value

This paper presents a method to design robot behaviors with emotion expression. Meanwhile, a similar methodology can be used in other parts (leg, torso, head and so on) of humanoid robots or non-humanoid robots, such as industrial robots.
Co-creation and the development of SME designer fashion enterprises
Authors: Millspaugh Jennifer , Kent Anthony
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the co-creation of small and medium enterprise (SME) designer fashion brands during internationalisation.

Design/methodology/approach

– As an exploratory study, this research utilises grounded theory methodology and incorporates the use of 38 semi-structured in-depth interviews with designer fashion enterprises (DFEs) and their support network of sales and PR agencies.

Findings

– Co-creation was identified as an important element for the successful integration of the entrepreneurial DFE into the global fashion industry network. Within relationship marketing, the concept of co-creation emphasises consumer experience, influence and power in the development of brand value. However current understanding of co-creation inadequately explains the development of the entrepreneurial designer fashion brand, requiring examination of the concept using grounded theory. The findings of this research highlight how these SMEs react and respond to the interpretation of their brand identity through the co-creation process as they seek to introduce and grow their firms within the global fashion marketplace.

Originality/value

– This paper identifies the influence of industry stakeholders on the process of fashion brand co-creation. Additionally, by identifying the process by which the entrepreneurial DFE navigates the introduction of their collections to the industry’s network, and responds to interpretations of the firm’s brand identity, this paper recognises the influence of the firm throughout the co-creation process.
The impacts of business strategy on organizational structure
Authors: Marx Thomas G.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test Chandler’s dictum that “unless structure follows strategy, inefficiency results” (Chandler, 1962, p. 314) by assessing the continuing efforts to align structure with strategy in the automobile industry from the turn of the century through the 1980s.

Design/methodology/approach

The historical analysis utilized conceptual mediation and moderation methodologies wherein the impacts of strategy on structure were mediated by their impacts on coordination and control, and moderated by external conditions such as uncertainty, variability, interdependence and asset specificity.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that structure followed differing strategies at General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, and provide strong support for Chandler’s dictum. The findings demonstrate the difficulties of maintaining alignment of strategy and structure with changes in the external competitive environment, and the severe consequences of a misalignment of strategy and structure. The findings also demonstrate that structure alone is not sufficient to implement strategy effectively, and that firms must judiciously utilize both internal firm and external market coordinating and control mechanisms to optimize performance.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations include that this is a study of a single industry over an extended, but specific time period.

Practical implications

Generalization is limited by a study of a single industry, but there are numerous implications for organizational design and strategy implementation that are not industry-specific.

Originality/value

Chandler’s dictum is often cited, but this is one of very few studies that demonstrate the relationship between specific organizational designs and company strategies, and the consequences of misaligning strategy and structure.
Perceptions of Taylorism and a Marxist scientific manager
Authors: Kelly Diana
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to provide evidence of pro-worker orientation and acceptance of socialist idealism in scientific management, with particular focus on Walter Polakov.

Design/methodology/approach

A range of original texts have been examined to identify the ideas expressed or accepted by the early scientific managers. These includeBulletin of the Taylor Societyand the early publications of the socialist engineer and scientific manager Walter Polakov.

Findings

This paper shows how an avowed socialist is outspoken but unremarkable for the members of the Taylor Society in the 1910s and 1920s, contrary to the views expressed in textbooks and other histories which assert a deep antiworker bias in scientific management.

Research limitations/implications

This is limited to a historical analysis of the role and extent of involvement of the Marxist engineer Walter Polakov in the US scientific management movement in the 1910s and 1920s.

Originality/value

This paper offers insights into the workings of the Taylor Society using a biographical approach. In so doing, it demonstrates, in a new way, the verity of claims that the original proponents of scientific management were not authoritarian or anti-worker in their views or ideals, but, rather, open to progressive and socialist ideals.
Implementation of positive behavioural support in a medium secure mental health service: a service development
Authors: Davies Bronwen , John-Evans Hannah , Mallows Lynwen , Griffiths John
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to detail the implementation and evaluation of positive behavioural support within a medium secure mental health service.

Design/methodology/approach

– Information regarding the policy context, service context and the processes supporting PBS interventions are outlined.

Findings

– PBS has historically been applied within child services in USA and learning disability services in UK.

Originality/value

– Forensic mental health is a new area of implementation and is in line with current policy promoting its use across a number of service contexts.
Recommender system based on customer segmentation (RSCS)
Authors: Rezaeinia Seyed Mahdi , Rahmani Rouhollah
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– Recommender systems are techniques that allow companies to develop sales and marketing and as a result, attract more customers. There are several different types of recommender systems which collaborative filtering (CF) method is more popular and is used in various fields. However, similar to other recommender systems, this system has its own limitations. Nowadays, recommender systems are combined with other systems to enhance the quality and precision. The purpose of this paper is to present a new method to increase the accuracy and quality of recommendations associated with filtering systems.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, the recency, frequency, and monetary (RFM) variables of the clients are extracted and variables’ weights are calculated. Then, using weighted RFM and expectation maximization clustering algorithms and their combination with the closest K-neighbors, recommendations for each cluster is independently extracted. Finally, the results are compared with the outcome of conventional CF techniques. Remarkably, sale transactions of a big distribution and sale of goods centers are used in this study.

Findings

– The results indicated that the proposed method has higher accuracy compared to the conventional CF method. Likewise, the clusters which have higher values were received more accurate recommendations. Another point was that the proposed method was faster on obtaining the results than the conventional method as the recommendations were performed with respect to the customers of the same cluster, while all clients were assessed in the conventional method and as a result, the calculation speed is reduced as the number of customers increases in this method.

Originality/value

– The results indicated that the proposed method has higher accuracy compared to the conventional CF method. Likewise, the clusters which have higher values were received more accurate recommendations. This is very important for businesses and trade centers as more than 80 percent of their profits come from valued customers and hence, recommendations with higher accuracy to these valued customers lead to more profits to sales centers. Since the valued customers were calculated in the proposed method and the value of each customer was distinguished for sales representatives, the accomplished recommendations can be coordinated with sales’ strategies to make it more targeted.
Disentangling the emergence of perceived environmental uncertainty among technology entrepreneurs
Authors: Afshar Jahanshahi Asghar
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine how network externalities impact on perception of environmental uncertainties.

Design/methodology/approach

– The source of sample comes from the Science & Technology Parks database, a major association of corporate information of new technology ventures in Iran. The sampling frame comprises a wide range of industry segments including electronics, chemicals, agriculture, computer equipment, pharmaceuticals and medicines, telecommunication equipment, and others. The author used the conventional method of back-translation to translate the measures from English to Persian. There were 380 NTVs that the author could reach to send the survey. Among 380 NTVs, 177 entrepreneurs fully completed all the items (46 percent response rate).

Findings

– The findings showed that what might decrease the state uncertainty perception, at same time it can give arise to other types of uncertainty. Thus, the result confirmed that the three types of uncertainty are differentiable.

Research limitations/implications

– In the study, the author used cross-sectional self-report data, which cannot suggest causal relationships very well.

Practical implications

– Investigating factors that influence the perception of environmental uncertainty may help explain why organizations, under the same environment, can behave heterogeneously.

Originality/value

– By providing a clear picture about the relationship between market with network effect and perception of environmental uncertainty, this study contributes to the theoretical and empirical understanding of the emergence of environmental uncertainty perception.
Stating the problem: the grammar of repositories
Authors: O'Connor Steve
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– Libraries face a “selling” job on the relationship between print and digital as the mode of delivery for content. Too often it is limply said that “everything is on the web” when we know that it is not or that licensed access to the content is not always available. The Lyon’s Declaration promotes freedom of access to information, yet libraries live and work with this paradox. How will the ambitions of the Lyon Declaration be met? So while it is ironic that everything is said to be on the web while it is not, we have powerful evidence of their dynamic purpose and value. This conference series has dealt with this confronting riddle, evolving and refining, but not quite finding the defining moment. The purpose of this paper is to explore the many interfaces here. By understanding this paradox of print and digital we should see the future of the repositories and libraries more clearly and position them more exactly.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper explores the rich divergence of responses to the use and development of repositories and proposes future directions. It is an experiential paper as well as one guided by future planning perspectives.

Findings

– There is a need for a reconceptualisation of the role of print repositories blending in digital solutions together with the more traditional solutions. There is also a strong need for repositories to collaborate internationally in order to be able to render their own work and collections valid and effective in a much wider context.

Originality/value

– This paper is a series of observations and lessons. It is an extension of practical and managerial work in developing and managing repositories and their collections both in Australia and in Hong Kong. It is a collection views designed to stimulate and potentially guide library practitioners who are thinking and working in this area.
The CTLes as the centerpiece of a national action in adding greater value to collections and optimising their dissemination
Authors: Baraggioli Jean-Louis
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss challenges for repository libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

– Critical analysis of current provisions.

Findings

– Print repositories are undergoing tremendous change as their role is not limited anymore to a remote store for frozen collections. They innovate, reinventing themselves, in order to be changed into a key player in streamlining the management of printed material, especially less used materials.

Originality/value

– Identifies five areas of collaboration.
Collection development or data-driven content curation? An exploratory project in Manchester
Authors: Kirkwood Rachel Joy
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– Collection development in a post-subject librarian age needs to be done differently; utilising data, metadata, analytical tools and automation more fully may offer new possibilities. The purpose of this paper is to report and evaluate an exploratory project into new techniques for collection development at the University of Manchester Library.

Design/methodology/approach

– The project employed a cross-team approach where a relatively large number of staff tried some innovative and experimental approaches to individual aspects of a large and complex task in a large, research-intensive university library. The overriding aim was to exploit data to support decision making and to push automation as far as possible.

Findings

– The quality of (meta)data remains a huge hindrance to data-driven approaches. A proper understanding of usage data is an urgent but intractable issue. Human input and relationships are still important. Data are nothing without analysis, and many librarians currently lack the data fluency to work confidently in a world of dynamic content curation.

Practical implications

– Librarians need both to re-skill and to change their self-identification and the philosophy that underlies it if they are to achieve confident, data fluency.

Originality/value

– The University of Manchester Library was one of the first libraries in the UK to make a thoroughgoing structural change from subject-based to functional teams. This paper will be of value to other libraries moving in this direction, and to those looking to make more use of data-driven decision making in collections management.
A hybrid model for customer portfolio analysis in retailing
Authors: Norouzi Ashraf , Albadvi Amir
Published: June 2016

Purpose

Marketing/finance interface and application of its new insights in marketing decisions have recently found great interest among marketing researchers and practitioners. There is a relatively large body of marketing literature about incorporating modern portfolio theory (MPT) into customer portfolio context and taking advantage of it in marketing resource allocation decisions. Previous studies have modelled customer portfolio risk in the form of historical return/profitability volatility of customer base. However, the risk is a future-oriented measure, and deals with future volatility associated with return stream. This study aims to address this research problem.

Design/methodology/approach

The well-known Pareto/non-binomial distribution (NBD) approach is used to model customer purchases in a non-contractual setting of research practice. Then, the results were used to simulate the customers’ future buying behaviour and associated returns via the Monte Carlo simulation approach. Subsequently, the mean-variance portfolio optimization model was applied to find the optimal customer portfolio mix.

Findings

The results illustrated the better performance of the proposed efficient portfolio versus the current customer portfolio. These results are applicable in analyzing customer portfolio composition, and can be used as a guidance to make decisions about marketing resource allocation in different segments.

Originality/value

This study proposes a new approach to analyze customer portfolio by using the customers’ future buying behaviour. Taking advantage of rich marketing literature about statistical assumptions describing the customers’ buying behaviour, this study tries to take some steps forward in the application of the MPT theory in customer portfolio management context.
Synthesis of curcumin catalyzed by KF/Al2O3
Authors: Gao Lihong , Chen Jiang , Zheng Jun , Zhang Haiyan
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of the study reported in this paper is to synthesis curcumin, which was reported to possess broad pharmacological effects and excellent dyeing properties, via Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction catalysed by an efficient and green solid base catalyst, KF/Al2O3.

Design/methodology/approach

A series of catalysts with different KF loadings and varying calcination temperatures had been prepared, characterised by Brunauer–Emmett–Taller surface area, temperature-programmed desorption with CO2 using infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and tested in the Claisen–Schmidt condensation reaction. The effects of different reaction parameters such as temperature, the amount of catalyst, reactant ratio and time on the synthesis of curcumin were examined. The possibility of recycling the catalyst was also investigated in detail. Moreover, the reaction mechanism and the role of KF/Al2O3 in the synthetic process were discussed.

Findings

The study provides an efficient and green solid base catalyst, KF/Al2O3, and 64.3 per cent yield of curcumin was obtained under the optimum reaction conditions. Experimental results indicate that the third reused catalyst could retain part of the catalytic activity, and the regenerated one could be reused with reasonable catalytic activity. Besides, K3AlF6 was proposed as the active site of the catalyst for the reaction by the analysis of the characterization results of KF/Al2O3.

Originality/value

KF/Al2O3 was found to be an efficient catalyst for catalytic synthesis of curcumin and could be easily recycled several times. This information may be useful for further research and practical applications of curcumin.
Consumers’ attitude towards e-banking services in Islamic banks: the case of Sudan
Authors: Mansour Ilham Hassan Fathelrahman , Eljelly Abuzar M.A. , Abdullah Abdelgardir M.A.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This study aims to provide an analysis of the attitude toward three banking services technologies in Sudan, namely, automated teller machines (ATMs), mobile banking and internet (online) banking. The study started by conducting an exploratory factor analysis, on the valid responses received from a random sample of bank customers in Sudan toward the three technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used the “technology acceptance model” as a conceptual framework to investigate the factors that influence customers’ acceptance and intention to use bank technologies.

Findings

The study found that the customers’ attitude toward various bank technologies is not the same and is influenced by different factors. The results revealed that bank customers who are users of ATMs are influenced by its convenience, ease of use and service quality, whereas credibility was not seen as a significant driver. Mobile users were found to be influenced more by the benefits and ease of use and service quality, whereas internet customers were influenced by the benefits and ease of use and credibility of the systems. Under the three models, attitude emerged as a fully mediating factor for customers’ behavioral intentions.

Practical implications

The implications of this study are obvious for both regulators and bankers in Sudan for careful designing and implementation of their technology-based banking systems and focusing on the features of concern and desirable most by bank customers and necessary for secure and safe adoption of technology-based banking.

Originality/value

There are no studies to date that provide evidence of customer acceptance and the use of these services, the volume of bank business or profits derived from these services. This is especially important because security concerns are always associated and attached with technology-based services. The identification of technology acceptance factors is very important for bank regulators, bank marketers and banks’ customer base.
Impact of fines and rock wettability on reservoir formation damage
Authors: Al‐Yaseri Ahmed , Al Mukainah Hani , Lebedev Maxim , Barifcani Ahmed , Iglauer Stefan
Published: June 2016

Pore throat plugging of porous rock by fine particles causes formation damage, and thus has attracted attention in various areas such as petroleum engineering, hydrology and geothermal energy production. Despite significant efforts, the detailed pore‐scale mechanisms leading to formation damage and the associated permeability reduction are not well understood. We thus investigated plugging mechanisms and characteristics with a combination of ex situ (i.e., coreflooding measurements and scanning electron microscopy imaging) and in situ (i.e., nuclear magnetic resonance and μCT) methods, with a particular focus on the effect of wettability.

The corefloods indicated that permeability drops rapidly when fines are injected; mechanistically thin pore throats are plugged first, followed by filling of adjacent pore bodies with the fine material (as evidenced by the nuclear magnetic resonance and μCT experiments, which can measure the pore size distribution evolution with fines injection). Furthermore, it is clear that wettability plays a major role: if fines and rock wettability are identical, plugging is significantly accelerated; wettability also controls the 3D distribution of the fines in the pore space. Furthermore we note that the deposited fines were tightly packed, apparently due to strong adhesion forces.
Analysis of velocity dispersion using full‐waveform multichannel sonic logging data: A case study
Authors: Sun Langqiu F. , Milkereit Bernd , Tisato Nicola
Published: June 2016

Seismic attenuation and velocity dispersion are potentially able to reveal the rock physical properties of the subsurface. Conventionally, a frequency‐independent quality factor (Q) is measured. This Q is equivalent to the total velocity dispersion in a seismic record and is inadequate for analysing the attenuation mechanism or rock physical properties. Here a new method is proposed to extract the velocity dispersion curves so that more attributes can be obtained from full‐waveform multichannel sonic logging data, especially the critical frequency (fc) if it is within the bandwidth of the data. This method first decomposes the seismic data into a series of frequency components, computes the semblance of each frequency component for different velocity values, cross‐correlates the semblance matrices of adjacent frequency components to get the velocity gradients, and finally integrates to obtain a velocity dispersion curve. Results of this method are of satisfactory accuracy and robustness. This method is applied to the data acquired in Mallik 5L‐38 gas hydrate research well in Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories, Canada. The observed P‐wave velocity dispersion compares well with the geological setting. In the gas hydrate zone (about 900 m–1100 m), high concentration of gas hydrate causes very strong velocity dispersion and a distinct fc at about 15 kHz, likely due to strong scattering of centimetre‐scale inclusions of gas hydrate; concurrently, water flow in connected cracks in some ranges of this zone adds a large part of velocity dispersion and a dimmer fc at about 9.5 kHz. Immediate underneath the gas hydrate zone, abundant free water in weakly laminated sediments causes quite strong velocity dispersion and an fc at about 6.5 kHz. Velocity dispersion is mild and without an obvious fc in sediments above the gas hydrate zone.
A new laboratory apparatus for the measurement of seismic dispersion under deviatoric stress conditions
Authors: Szewczyk Dawid , Bauer Andreas , Holt Rune M.
Published: June 2016

A better understanding of seismic dispersion and attenuation of acoustic waves in rocks is important for quantitative interpretation of seismic data, as well as for relating seismic data, sonic‐log data, and ultrasonic laboratory data. In the present work, a new laboratory setup is described, allowing for combined measurements of quasistatic deformations of rocks under triaxial stress, ultrasonic velocities, and dynamic elastic stiffness (Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio) at seismic frequencies. The setup has been used mainly for the study of shales. For such rocks, it is crucial that the saturation of the samples is preserved, which requires fast sample mounting. The design of our setup, together with a technique that was developed for rapid mounting of strain gauges onto the sample and subsequent sealing of the sample, allows for sample preservation, which is of particular importance for shales. The performance of the new experimental setup and sample mounting procedure is demonstrated with test materials (aluminium and polyetheretherketone) and two different shale types (Mancos shale and Pierre shale). Furthermore, experimental results are presented that demonstrate the capability of measuring the impact of saturation, stress, and stress path on seismic dispersion. For the tests with Mancos shale and Pierre shale, large dispersion (up to 50% in Young's modulus normal to bedding) was observed. Increased water saturation of Mancos shale results in strong softening of the rock at seismic frequencies, whereas hardening is observed at ultrasonic frequencies due to an increase in dispersion, counteracting the rock softening. The Poisson's ratio of Mancos shale strongly increases with the level of saturation but appears to be nearly frequency independent. We have found that the different types of shale exhibit different stress sensitivities during hydrostatic loading and that the stress sensitivity is different at seismic and ultrasonic frequencies.
Into the functional ecology of ectomycorrhizal communities: environmental filtering of enzymatic activities
Authors: Pierre‐Emmanuel Courty , François Munoz , Marc‐André Selosse , Myriam Duchemin , Stéven Criquet , Fabio Ziarelli , Marc Buée , Claude Plassard , Adrien Taudière , Jean Garbaye , Franck Richard
Published: June 2016

Characterizing the ecological processes driving the assembly and functional composition of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal communities is an area of active research.

Here, we applied a trait‐based framework to address whether and how environmental filtering and niche differentiation influence the diversity of ECM fungal enzymatic activities in two oak‐dominated forest ecosystems. We hypothesized that fungal enzymatic activities and ECM community assembly are influenced by the availability of targeted resources in the surrounding soil.

We pinpointed a major influence of environmental filtering on ECM fungal taxonomic and functional composition. Contrasted taxonomic composition among forest ecosystems was linked to broad interspecific trait variation and entailed contrasted functional responses at community level. However, intraspecific trait variation contributed to community response within ecosystems. We characterized a strong relationship between enzymatic activities and targeted resource availability in surrounding soil, suggesting a functional role of the enzymes for the acquisition of these resources. Conversely, we did not find a significant influence of niche differentiation in ECM community assembly.

Synthesis. Heterogeneous distribution of soil resources drives a community‐level functional response and determines the functional and taxonomic mosaic of ECM communities in forest ecosystems.
Impact of forest policies on timber production in India: a review
Authors: Ghosh Mili , Sinha Bhaskar
Published: June 2016

Until the 20th century, forest policies across the globe focused primarily on effective forest utilization for timber production. Subsequent loss of forest land prompted many countries to review and amend such policies, in an attempt to incorporate the principles of conservation and sustainable forest management. One of the countries to implement such changes was India, which introduced new policies, acts and programmes to regulate forest conversion and degradation, beginning in the 1980s. These policies, acts, and programmes included the Forest Conservation Act of 1980, the National Forest Policy of 1988 and the Hon. Supreme Court Order of 1996. All of these regulations affected the timber supply from government forest areas, and created a huge gap in timber supply and demand. Currently, this deficit is met through imports and trees outside forests (TOFs). Timber production from government forest areas is abysmally low (3.35% of total demand) compared to potential timber production from TOFs, which fulfil 45% of the total timber demand in India. This implies that TOFs have immense potential in meeting the growing timber demand; however, they have not been fully utilized due to discrepancies in state level TOFs’ policies. The present paper provides a review of different forest policies, acts and guidelines in relation to timber production in India, and provides specific recommendations in order to maximize timber production in the context of increasing demand for timber products.
Effects of Different Processing Methods on the Micronutrient and Phytochemical Contents of Maize: From A to Z
Authors: Suri Devika J. , Tanumihardjo Sherry A.
Published: June 2016

Maize is a staple human food eaten by more than a billion people around the world in a variety of whole and processed products. Different processing methods result in changes to the nutritional profile of maize products, which can greatly affect the micronutrient intake of populations dependent on this crop for a large proportion of their caloric needs. This review summarizes the effects of different processing methods on the resulting micronutrient and phytochemical contents of maize. The majority of B vitamins are lost during storage and milling; further loss occurs with soaking and cooking, but fermentation and nixtamalization (soaking in alkaline solution) can increase bioavailability of riboflavin and niacin. Carotenoids, found mainly in the kernel endosperm, increase in concentration after degermination, while other vitamins and minerals, found mainly in the germ, are reduced. Mineral bioavailability can be improved by processing methods that reduce phytic acid, such as soaking, fermenting, cooking, and nixtamalization. Losses of micronutrients during processing can be mitigated by changes in methods of processing, in addition to encouraging consumption of whole‐grain maize products over degermed, refined products. In some cases, such as niacin, processing is actually necessary for nutrient bioavailability. Due to the high variability in the baseline nutrient contents among maize varieties, combined with additional variability in processing effects, the most accurate data on nutrient content will be obtained through analysis of specific maize products and consideration of in vivo bioavailability.