bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular Profiling of Stomatal Meristemoids Reveals New Component of Asymmetric Cell Division and Commonalities among Stem Cell Populations inArabidopsis
Authors: Pillitteri Lynn Jo , Peterson Kylee M. , Horst Robin J. , Torii Keiko U.
Published: October 2011

The balance between maintenance and differentiation of stem cells is a central question in developmental biology. Development of stomata in Arabidopsis thaliana begins with de novo asymmetric divisions producing meristemoids, proliferating precursor cells with stem cell–like properties. The transient and asynchronous nature of the meristemoid has made it difficult to study its molecular characteristics. Synthetic combination of stomatal differentiation mutants due to loss- or gain-of-function mutations in SPEECHLESS, MUTE, and SCREAM create seedlings with an epidermis overwhelmingly composed of pavement cells, meristemoids, or stomata, respectively. Through transcriptome analysis, we define and characterize the molecular signatures of meristemoids. The reporter localization studies of meristemoid-enriched proteins reveals pathways not previously associated with stomatal development. We identified a novel protein, POLAR, and demonstrate through time-lapse live imaging that it exhibits transient polar localization and segregates unevenly during meristemoid asymmetric divisions. The polar localization of POLAR requires BREAKING OF ASYMMETRY IN THE STOMATAL LINEAGE. Comparative bioinformatic analysis of the transcriptional profiles of a meristemoid with shoot and root apical meristems highlighted cytokinin signaling and the ERECTA family receptor-like kinases in the broad regulation of stem cell populations. Our work reveals molecular constituents of stomatal stem cells and illuminates a common theme among stem cell populations in plants.
Stray current corrosion in buried pipeline
Authors: Zhu Qingjun , Cao Alin , Zaifend Wang , Song Jiwen , Shengli Chen
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and solve abnormal variation of pipe‐to‐soil potentials of an oil‐transfer pipeline.

Design/methodology/approach

Pipe‐to‐soil potentials of an oil‐transfer pipeline varied abnormally at several locations. Visual detections find the pipeline is buried near an electric railway and there are several anodic ground beds nearby. Corrosion patterns of the pipeline and examination of the soil reveal no microbiological corrosion. The potential gradients indicate the pipeline might not be attacked by stray currents. However, whole day measurements of one pipeline pile show there are two kinds of stray currents influencing the pipeline: AC stray current and DC stray current.

Findings

The highest pipe‐to‐soil potential reaches 12.958 V when there are AC stray currents. In addition, the biggest and lowest DC pipe‐to‐soil potentials are 0.888 V and −5.90 V, respectively. Radiodetection pipeline current mapper measurement finds there is some bitumen coating breaking points on pipeline. These make the stray currents enter the pipeline and stray current corrosion happens easily. As a result, stray current corrosion happens.

Originality/value

The potential gradients cannot indicate stray current corrosion under all circumstance.
Corrosion behavior of organically modified silicates coatings
Authors: Sanjabi Sohrab
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop hybrid organic‐inorganic silica‐based nanocomposite films, by sol‐gel method, for corrosion protection of AA2024 alloy. Also, cerium nitrate corrosion inhibitor is introduced into the optimized coating in the next step of the investigations in order to study the improvement in the corrosion protection properties of the organically modified silicate (Ormosil) films.

Design/methodology/approach

The sol‐gel films have been synthesized from 3‐glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane and tetraethylorthosilicate precursors. In order to investigate the effective factors on the properties of Ormosils films, different coatings with different organic and hydrolysis water content were developed. Then, cerium nitrate corrosion inhibitor was added to the coatings. The structure of the hybrid sol‐gel films was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The corrosion protection properties of the films were studied by potentiodynamic scanning, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, respectively.

Findings

The results indicate that the hybrid films provided exceptional barrier and corrosion protection in comparison with untreated aluminium alloy substrate. Moreover, improvement of the protection properties of the films containing cerium nitrate corrosion inhibitor occurred with immersion time. This would imply that cerium ions could reach the defects, and reduce the corrosion rate.

Originality/value

This paper provides the development of Ormosils coating, which exceptionally improves the corrosion protection of 2024 aluminium alloy.
Organic certification and the market: organic exports from and imports to China
Authors: Xie Biao , Tingyou Li , Yi Qian
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to chart the breadth and acceleration of organic markets domestic and international and discuss the obstacles and possible ways that confront enterprises who engage in organic exports from and imports to China.

Design/methodology/approach

There is much extant research that investigates the organic certification and its market development in the developed world. However, little emphasis is given to China, the highest growing organic market. This research aims to narrow this gap in the literature by reviewing organic certification and the market in China.

Findings

China's organic products are mainly exported to developed countries, but the growing affluence of Chinese consumers and expanding foreign expatriate community in China is developing a domestic market for organic food. Organic products are increasingly being imported. Organic standards and certification system in China have been established and under the implementation, with all stages of the organic marketing chain regulated by law and guaranteed. The lack of an equivalent or compliant system forces Chinese organic exports to enter the international market through multi‐certification, and foreign organic imports to the China market possibly through certification by a CNAS‐ACB.

Originality/value

This paper provides a unique insight into a wide range of China organic certification systems and the mechanism for organic exports from and imports to China.
Cross‐case analysis of producer‐driven marketing channels in Australia
Authors: Broderick Sherryl , Wright Vic , Kristiansen Paul
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to investigate the feasibility of producer‐driven marketing of differentiated meat, in the context of Australian family farms. Producer‐driven marketing (PDM) is defined as marketing by farm families of their own produce by developing and managing their own supply chains beyond the farm‐gate. Family farms are defined as family operated farms. The framework used compared revenue, costs and uncertainty in various distribution channels.

Design/methodology/approach

Six individual case studies were conducted using semi‐structured interviews. The interview protocol included enterprise characteristics that contribute to the ongoing viability of the businesses.

Findings

PDM was a feasible entry point for new brands and a profitable alternative to supplying generic product to the mainstream when costs were controlled. It is proposed that PDM was feasible in the context of Australian family farms where the distribution channel chosen reduces variability in the farm‐gate price, captures the marketing margin and minimises negotiation costs, particularly the labour costs to find a buyer.

Research limitations/implications

The feasibility assessment excluded the cost of acquiring new skills which may be significant. The entrepreneurs interviewed already possessed significant marketing and business skills and experience to produce and market a brand through alternative distribution channels.

Practical Implications

Producers can potentially increase farm profitability where household labour and skills are available to market produce beyond the farm‐gate. These implications are likely to be relevant in most developed countries, not just Australia.

Originality/value

The phenomenon of producer‐driven marketing is relatively novel in Australian agribusiness with no previous analysis of the profitability and long‐term viability of such an approach in the Australian context.
Automatic extraction of metadata from scientific publications for CRIS systems
Authors: Kovačević Aleksandar , Ivanović Dragan , Milosavljević Branko , Konjović Zora , Surla Dušan
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to develop a system for automatic extraction of metadata from scientific papers in PDF format for the information system for monitoring the scientific research activity of the University of Novi Sad (CRIS UNS).

Design/methodology/approach

The system is based on machine learning and performs automatic extraction and classification of metadata in eight pre‐defined categories. The extraction task is realised as a classification process. For the purpose of classification each row of text is represented with a vector that comprises different features: formatting, position, characteristics related to the words, etc. Experiments were performed with standard classification models. Both a single classifier with all eight categories and eight individual classifiers were tested. Classifiers were evaluated using the five‐fold cross validation, on a manually annotated corpus comprising 100 scientific papers in PDF format, collected from various conferences, journals and authors' personal web pages.

Findings

Based on the performances obtained on classification experiments, eight separate support vector machines (SVM) models (each of which recognises its corresponding category) were chosen. All eight models were established to have a good performance. The F‐measure was over 85 per cent for almost all of the classifiers and over 90 per cent for most of them.

Research limitations/implications

Automatically extracted metadata cannot be directly entered into CRIS UNS but requires control of the curators.

Practical implications

The proposed system for automatic metadata extraction using support vector machines model was integrated into the software system, CRIS UNS. Metadata extraction has been tested on the publications of researchers from the Department of Mathematics and Informatics of the Faculty of Sciences in Novi Sad. Analysis of extracted metadata from these publications showed that the performance of the system for the previously unseen data is in accordance with that obtained by the cross‐validation from eight separate SVM classifiers. This system will help in the process of synchronising metadata from CRIS UNS with other institutional repositories.

Originality/value

The paper documents a fully automated system for metadata extraction from scientific papers that was developed. The system is based on the SVM classifier and open source tools, and is capable of extracting eight types of metadata from scientific articles of any format that can be converted to PDF. Although developed as part of CRIS UNS, the proposed system can be integrated into other CRIS systems, as well as institutional repositories and library management systems.
Towards text copyright detection using metadata in web applications
Authors: Poulos Marios , Korfiatis Nikolaos , Bokos George
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to present the semantic content identifier (SCI), a permanent identifier, computed through a linear‐time onion‐peeling algorithm that enables the extraction of semantic features from a text, and the integration of this information within the permanent identifier.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors employ SCI to propose a mechanism for simultaneously checking the authenticity and degrees of similarity between different information objects, and present an empirical investigation of the method. A management scenario for the control of the authentication process and the detection of the degree of violation of documents is proposed.

Findings

Such a mechanism could be adopted as a component of libraries' strategy for the protection of the copyrights for documents published on the web.

Practical implications

The use of the proposed numeric code can be utilised efficiently as a constituent part of the digital object identifier (DOI) system, making its computation more efficient and meaningful.

Originality/value

The identifier proposed in the paper can result in a more efficient index for identifying and retrieving objects in a digital library, as well as online repositories and commercial applications that can handle information retrieval requests more effectively.
Investigation of the measurement precision of oil analysis instruments, using fully formulated oils. Part 1: spectroscopic instruments
Authors: Berg Sven , Jungmar Ulf , Lundberg Jan , Vähäoja Pekka
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The aim of this study is to determine the variation of the different oil analysis instruments in terms of standard deviation and CV‐values, when measuring samples of fully formulated hydraulic and gear oils taken from working systems.

Design/methodology/approach

In this investigation, two different spectrometric techniques, inductively coupled plasma‐optical emission spectrometers (ICP‐OES) and rotating disk electrode‐optical emission spectrometers (RDE‐OES), have been studied to determine the instruments' precision of measurement and ability to measure the absolute level of contamination. The study was based on a series of measurements using artificial contamination mixed with oil.

Findings

The ICP has better precision of measurement of the two instruments, but cannot predict the absolute values of contamination when oil samples are only treated by organic solvent dilution if the samples include large or dense particles. It is therefore not too good, with the sample pre‐treatment method used, at detecting wear processes that produce dense/large particles, such as pitting failure. For instance, microwave‐assisted acid digestion could be used for sample pre‐treating to obtain accurate results in that case. It should, however, be able to detect wear mechanisms that produce small particles such as abrasive wear in any case. The ICP has a repeatability value of r=3 percent and a reproducibility value of R=12 percent for contamination levels of between 50 and 400 ppm and r=0.6  and R=2 ppm, respectively, at values below 50 ppm. The RDE cannot predict the absolute value of contamination if this includes large or dense particles if proper sample pre‐treatment is not used. It is therefore not good at detecting wear mechanisms that produces dense/large particles (if the oil samples are not pre‐treated properly) such as pitting but should be able to detect abrasive wear and similar processes that produce small particles in any case. The RDE's precision of measurement is not as good as the ICP, with a reproducibility variation of R=r=25 percent for contamination levels between 20 and 500 ppm and R=r=6 ppm for contamination level below 20 ppm.

Research limitations/implications

Only the effects from lubricating oils are studied.

Practical implications

This study will significantly increase the industrial knowledge concerning measurement precision in particle contamination measurement systems.

Originality/value

No similar study is found.
Relational demography, communication and cognitive differences among top managers
Authors: Liang Xin , Picken Joseph
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to attempt to verify the predicted relationship between the demographic (i.e. tenure, functional background, etc.) difference and cognitive difference among top managers and examine how such a relationship is affected by the communication among top managers.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors hypothesized that there is a positive relationship between demographic deviation and cognitive deviation of a focal manager on a TMT, and that such a relationship is mediated by the degree of communication that the focal manager has with other team members on the TMT. Using Structural Equation Modeling techniques, these hypotheses were tested based on a sample of 348 top managers that consist of 28 top management teams.

Findings

It was found that the hypothesized relationship between demographic deviation and cognitive deviation of a focal top manager was supported with respect to the tenure of a manager, but not the functional background of a manager. Moreover, it was found that communication frequency of a focal manager with other team members mediated the relationship between the tenure deviation and the cognitive deviation of the focal manager and that tenure deviation negatively influenced communication frequency, which in turn, negatively influenced the cognitive deviation of the manager.

Practical implications

These findings imply that: when constructing a competitive top management, practitioners such as boards of directors of a firm should pay more attention to the tenure diversity of a top management team because tenure diversity influences the cognitive diversity of the team; and communication among members of a management team can reduce the cognitive differences among members. However, communication happens more frequently among managers with similar tenure than among managers with dissimilar tenure. To promote consensus, managers need to watch for the forming of group fault lines along tenure within their teams.

Originality/value

As far as is known, this is the first study that uses relational demography to examine the influence of tenure difference on cognitive difference among members of a top management team and to expose a mediating role played by communication frequency.
Leading to inspire others: charismatic influence or hard work?
Authors: Searle Glenn D. , Hanrahan Stephanie J.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to examine inspiring others as a psychological construct in leadership contexts by investigating lived and personal experiences of inspiring leaders.

Design/methodology/approach

A phenomenological design was used to investigate leaders' personal and lived experiences of leading to inspire others. In‐depth interviews were conducted with seven participants nominated by others as inspiring leaders based on the demonstration of five characteristics (vision, openness, transparency, passion, and being somewhat unconventional).

Findings

Participant responses coalesced into five key dimensions of leading to inspire others: connecting, leading, inspiree, action, and context; enabling a functional description of the phenomenon. Furthermore, results indicated that leaders could intentionally cultivate opportunities to inspire others through interaction and effort.

Research limitations/implications

Given that the paper investigates leaders' experiences of the phenomenon, further investigation into the relational and reciprocal aspects of inspiring others is required. Research has primarily focused on participants in the inspiring relationship independently of each other (i.e. either the inspiree or the leader).

Practical implications

Contrary to assertions in some transformational leadership studies that personal charisma is the primary component to inspiring others, these findings indicate that inspiring others requires an active process where leaders establish interpersonal connections and enable action.

Originality/value

Research on inspiration is at a formative stage. This paper represents an initial foray into the space where scholarly knowledge on leadership theory and inspiration intersect to provide greater insight into leading to inspire others.
Nanoscale fabrication: techniques, limitations and future prospects
Authors: Bogue Robert
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to provide an overview of the strategies and techniques being used and developed for the fabrication of nanoscale devices.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper discusses various nanofabrication technologies and strategies and highlights their merits and limitations. It concludes with a consideration of longer‐term possibilities.

Findings

It is shown that top‐down nanofabrication frequently uses lithographic and other techniques derived from the microtechnology industry but recent research appears to have identified a limit to its capabilities. Bottom‐up nanofabrication is less well‐developed but techniques such as molecular mechanosynthesis may offer unique capabilities in the longer‐term.

Originality/value

The paper provides a timely review of the rapidly developing field of nanofabrication technology.
Investigation and strategies for precision of miniaturized robots with micro gears
Authors: Burisch Arne , Raatz Annika
Published: October 2011

Purpose

Economic, flexible and efficient micro production needs new miniaturized automation equipment (desktop factories). Micro assembly processes make demands on precision of miniaturized robots used in desktop factories and the driving concepts, as well as miniaturized machine elements. The purpose of this paper is to investigate miniaturized drives using micro harmonic drive gears, which are promising driving concepts.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis of the miniaturized precision robot Parvus (using micro harmonic drive gears) shows a good repeatability but also room for improvement concerning the path accuracy. Thereby the transmission error of the micro gears is identified as main disturbing influence concerning the robot's precision characteristics. Owing to the size reduction of the micro harmonic drive gear and the slightly different working principle compared to larger harmonic drive gears, the transmission error are more pronounced. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss approaches to compensate for this effect.

Findings

A very promising approach is the use of a simplified model of the kinematic error within the robot control to compensate for this disturbing effect. Measurement data of the transmission error is mathematically transformed into the frequency domain and filtered to the most important frequency modes of the function. These modes are used to build up a simplified mathematic model of the gear transmission error. A final test using this model as compensation function demonstrates that it is possible to reduce the transmission error of the micro gears by more than 50 percent.

Originality/value

The paper presents the first investigation into compensation of the transmission error of micro harmonic drive gears.
A reactive reconfigurable tool for aerospace structures
Authors: McKeown Colm , Webb Phil
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development, testing and scientific evaluation of a novel, load‐cell‐controlled reactive reconfigurable tooling (RRT) solution. This RRT not only addresses the underlying inherent problems with traditional reconfigurable tools but also potentially expands their use into the area of condition monitoring.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper covers the design intent and methodology. The construction and evaluation of both a simple prototype and a fully functional tool are described.

Findings

The tool was successfully demonstrated using friction stir welding (FSW) of fuselage panels as a demanding application and the full functionality of the tool was demonstrated. The condition and process monitoring system was also demonstrated and shown to be able to distinguish both between different types of weld and tool failure conditions.

Research limitations/implications

Having successfully designed and tested the novel RRT system under the extreme conditions of FSW, it is apparent that there are many more applications and developments that this system could be used for. The same requirements for accurate control of geometry exist in processes such as water jet cutting, trimming and machining. However, there was not sufficient resource or time within the research programme to verify this. One disadvantage of the tool is the cost of the individual load cells and the associated charge amplifiers; however, this cost is offset by the opportunity to use them in a tool condition monitoring function as well.

Practical implications

The tool developed not only has the potential to provide cost benefits but also time reductions due to the elimination of the need to move large and heavy tools in and out of the FSW machine when part production runs are changed.

Originality/value

The originality of work described is the tool's ability to both adapt and monitor the component being held. This places it considerably beyond the state of the art in large‐scale industrial reconfigurable tooling. The research's value lies in applicability and demonstration for real production parts and processes.
Variability‐oriented assembly system design: a case study in the construction industry
Authors: Azzi Anna , Battini Daria , Faccio Maurizio , Persona Alessandro
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to apply group assembly (GA) considerations to the construction industry and to provide evidence of construction sector industrialization with quantitative results. Moreover, a flexible assembly system is proposed, especially designed to cope with variability: this can be easily extendable to other industrial sectors, especially when dealing with extremely variable environments.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a case study conducted at an Italian company leader in the design, manufacture and installation of architectural claddings and lightweight continuous facades.

Findings

The research empirically demonstrates how the application of GA and the creation of project families lead to consistent enhancement also within the construction industry. The case study reveals great improvement in terms of both operating and ergonomic performances, agile assembly system reconfiguration design and make span reduction. The possibility of correlating a new project to an identified family gives the opportunity to understand the best assembly line layout configuration which should be assigned to the project, to improve the throughput time and the controllability of the assembly process and to guarantee efficient floor space utilization, lead‐time control, accuracy and reliability.

Originality/value

The novelty of the study lies in the way the assembly layout is designed to cope with variability: the assembly line, which is dedicated to more stable processes, is coupled with pre‐assembly stations, easily reconfigurable, meant to be “variability absorbers”. As far as the authors know, this is also the first time GA is applied to the construction industry. Moreover, a timely topic such as construction sector industrialization is confirmed by quantitative results.
An international branding strategy based on a case study of a Taiwanese firm
Authors: Ying Huang Hsiu , Huei Hsieh Ming
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore and conceptualize the process of how an emerging‐market firm develops a successful international brand.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative case study approach was employed in this study. Two rounds of data collection were conducted. Data sources include archival, interview and field notes. A total of 13 in‐depth interviews were conducted. Interviewees were drawn from across different functions and comprised top management to lower‐level employees. Collected data were analyzed in the iterate process, and emergent themes from the case form the basis of strategy conceptualizing.

Findings

An effective international branding process can be conceptualized as four sequential strategic steps: create a transcultural brand name; identify a universal appeal for its products; develop a global brand essence; and convey the brand essence through products. The case finding also shows that the ability to fuse three pairs of seemingly contrasting elements across geographical and temporal boundaries is essential in the strategic process. The three pairs of elements include Western and Eastern cultures, historical and modern elements and craftsmanship and mass‐production.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is rich in qualitative detail, but with all single case study research, its limitations regard applicability to other contexts. The applicability may suffer from the idiosyncratic characteristics of the case company as well as the difference between industries and products.

Practical implications

The finding provides insights into how an emerging‐market firm can craft its international brand both faster and more effectively. The identified international branding process has managerial implications for international marketers in both emerging‐market and non‐emerging‐market firms.

Originality/value

The study fills the void in the research of international branding strategy of emerging‐market firms. The conceptualization of an international branding provides a basis for further research on how to effectively craft an international brand.
IPTV as a services distribution channel
Authors: Blasco‐Arcas Lorena , Aznar‐Baranda José‐Ignacio , Hernández‐Ortega Blanca , Ruiz‐Mas José
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the adoption of IP Television (IPTV) as a distribution channel. The authors test the effects of its features, such as personalization and interactivity, on users' perceived control and satisfaction with their purchase experience. The authors also analyze the purchase process of news‐on‐demand packages, in which users can personalize the contents and amount of news and interact with other users.

Design/methodology/approach

A testbed platform was designed which integrates the interactivity and content personalization of IPTV and a 2×2 between‐subjects factorial design was developed, resulting in four experimental scenarios of the platform. Multivariate analysis of variance analyses have been applied.

Findings

Data from 119 university students corroborate the importance of content personalization and interactivity in the users' purchase experience configuration, as these variables increase both users' control and satisfaction. The authors also confirm that the users preferred the IPTV platform which combines interactivity and personalization rather than the other designs that only had one of these features.

Originality/value

In spite of the advantageous features of IPTV, its adoption has been slower than initially expected. The causes of this slow pace of adoption are still unclear. This paper contributes to the understanding of IPTV as a new distribution channel, which is an underdeveloped perspective in the field. Moreover, it demonstrates the importance of fostering the collaboration of users in designing services through interactivity and personalization.
Traded American options are Bermudan
Authors: Kourtis Apostolos , Markellos Raphael N.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the importance of business time, and market opening/closing times and days, for American option pricing.

Design/methodology/approach

A Bermudan pricing approach is employed whereby the option can be exercised only during the times and days the market is open. The authors apply the approach to the S&P 100 options market.

Findings

It was found that the potential biases that can arise from ignoring the non‐continuous operation of the market are not negligible.

Research limitations/implications

For expositional purposes, the authors assume that the price of the underlying follows a Geometric Brownian motion. This assumption could be relaxed by future research and more complex price dynamics models could be considered.

Practical implications

The findings in this paper could be used in correcting observed option prices, prior to investigating the rationality of early exercise decisions, or in measuring the size of early exercise premia.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine the effects of business time, and market opening/closing times and days, to American option prices.
Weather risk swap valuation
Authors: Kariya Takeaki
Published: October 2011

Purpose

In June of 2001, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and Tokyo Gas Supply Company (TGSC) made a zero‐cost risk swap contract on the average temperature of August and September of 2001 in Tokyo for their adverse situations. This is an exchange of two options on the average temperature, by which TEPCO and TGSC can, respectively, hedge against a cold summer and a hot summer. The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework to evaluate the fairness or rationality of such a zero‐cost weather risk swap, derive some conditions to check the rationality and empirically evaluate the fairness of the above temperature risk swap between the two companies.

Design/methodology/approach

To provide a framework for analyzing weather risk swap, the authors used a statistical approach and a basic analysis is given with data and simulation.

Findings

First, the authors define the concept of full equivalence and moment equivalence of two options on a weather index and then derive some conditions for full and moment equivalences. Third, using the stochastic volatility model in Kariya et al., it is shown that the options in the TEPCO–TGSC risk swap are neither fully equivalent nor moment‐equivalent as they stand.

Originality/value

This paper originates the weather risk swap valuation problem and gives a framework to analyze and value the equivalence of a temperature risk swap. This method can be applied to various possible risk swaps for risk management.
Behavioural criteria of perceived mentoring effectiveness
Authors: Hamlin Robert G. , Sage Lesley
Published: October 2011

Purpose

Most past research on formal mentoring has investigated its antecedents, outcomes and benefits with little attention given to what goes on inside the dyadic relationship. The purpose of this paper is to explore the types of mentor and mentee behaviours that are perceived as critical factors contributing to either a positive or negative mentoring experience for the mentee and the mentor.

Design/methodology/approach

Concrete examples of “effective” and “ineffective” mentor and mentee behaviour were collected from the research participants using Flanagan's Critical Incident Technique (CIT). The obtained CIT data were analyzed using forms of open and axial coding. Variants of content analysis were then used for conducting a series of subsequent comparative analyses.

Findings

From a total of 187 coded critical incidents the study identified 11 positive and four negative behavioural criteria of mentoring effectiveness as perceived from the mentee perspective, and nine positive and three negative behavioural criteria of mentoring effectiveness as perceived from the mentor perspective. Comparisons against “theoretical” and “best practice” models and taxonomies of positive and negative mentoring reveal varying degrees of overlap and commonality.

Research limitations/implications

There are two main limitations. First, the number of research participants was at the bottom end of the typical sample range for qualitative research, which means the collection of critical incidents did not reach the point of data saturation. Second, the study explored the “start‐up” and “ongoing” phases of the mentoring lifecycle but not the “end” phase.

Originality/value

The findings provide new insights into mentor and mentee behavioural effectiveness within formal mentoring relationships, and thereby add to a sparse empirical knowledge base in this substantially neglected area of mentoring research. Also, they provide a foundation against which to compare and contrast future empirical research that may be conducted on perceived effective and ineffective mentor and mentee behaviours within formal mentoring relationships.
HRM practices for an ageing Italian workforce: the role of training
Authors: Lazazzara Alessandra , Bombelli Maria Cristina
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore ageing trends and age stereotypes about older workers, focusing primarily on the Italian employment context.

Design/methodology/approach

Beginning from a review of the literature on ageing, the paper: outlines ageing trends and discriminatory behaviours against older workers in Italy; identifies patterns in the age discrimination phenomenon based on organisational characteristics; describes training‐based good practices for enhancing the employability of older workers, as implemented by an Italian energy company; presents a range of best practices for age management.

Findings

Despite trends towards an ageing general population and an ageing workforce, there is overwhelming evidence of age discrimination against older workers. This paper reports that the age at which workers may be considered “old” is not clearly defined in the literature and that age discrimination does not follow the same pattern across work contexts. In particular, both organisational characteristics and the particular position held by the employee influence discriminatory behaviour towards older workers on the part of employers. Furthermore, although older workers enjoy fewer training opportunities, training is the most widespread policy for dealing with age discrimination.

Practical implications

This paper points up important implications for human resource professionals and employers with regard to how to optimize an ageing workforce scenario.

Originality/value

The paper provides an in‐depth overview of ageing trends within Italian society and culture and outlines the possible implications for both older workers and organisations.
Aqueous silane modified silica sols: theory and preparation
Authors: Greenwood Peter , Gevert Borje
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study methods of reacting the surface of the particles of silica sols with silanes, primarily gamma‐glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and study some basic properties of the modified sols and the nature and structure of the silane groups attached to the particle surface.

Design/methodology/approach

The surface of the silica particles was modified by reacting the silica sols with aqueous solutions of silanes, chiefly GPTMS. The presence and structure of silane groups on the particle surface were established by Si‐NMR and C‐NMR, respectively.

Findings

Several silanes were studied but silica sols could be readily modified only with GPTMS and glycidoxypropylmethoxydiethoxysilane (GPMDES), most readily if the silanes were pre‐hydrolysed in water. Higher degrees of silylation were preferably done by continuous addition of silane. Lower degrees of modification can be achieved at room temperature by the stepwise addition of the silane solution. The silylation of the silica surface with GPTMS significantly reduces the number of charged surface groups and silanol groups. GPTMS binds covalently to the silica surface and the epoxy ring opens and transforms into a diol. Silica sols modified with GPTMS and GPMDES are stable toward aggregation.

Research limitations/implications

Only organo‐reactive silanes were studied.

Originality/value

This is the first work to study the modification by silanes of silica aquasols with high concentrations of silica. The silane modification can extend the use of silica to areas of applications previously inaccessible to silica sols.
Self‐curable epoxide resins based on cardanol for use in surface coatings
Authors: Shukla Raju , Kumar Pramod
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop eco‐friendly coatings based on low‐cost epoxide resins prepared by using a natural phenolic material such as cardanol (non‐toxic), in place of ordinary phenol (toxic), which can be self‐curable at an optimum temperature.

Design/methodology/approach

Cardanol‐formaldehyde novolac resins (CNs) were prepared by reacting cardanol with formaldehyde in different molar ratios varying from 1:0.6 to 1:0.9. Prepared CNs were epoxidised by reacting with epichlorohydrin to produce epoxide resins, which would be called as epoxidised CNs (ECNs). Further, ECNs were modified by reacting with diethanolamine (DEtOA), a secondary amine to introduce tertiary amino group(s) into the molecules, required for self‐curability of ECNs. These modified ECNs are referred to as MECNs. The molar ratio of ECNs to DEtOA was taken in accordance with epoxy functionality of epoxide resins (ECNs) which ranged from 0.5 to 2.9. Nine numbers of MECNs (MECN1 to MECN9) were prepared by using four epoxide resins. These resins viz. CNs, ECNs and MECNs were characterized by 1H NMR and FTIR spectroscopic methods for their structure elucidatation, and by gel permeation chromatography for determining their molecular weights.

Findings

The most suitable molar ratio of ECN:DEtOA for the preparation of MECNs was found to be 1:1. The CN prepared by using cardanol and formaldehyde in the molar ratio of 1:0.7 was used for the preparation of ECN2 and MECN2. Applied films of epoxide resins, designated as MECN2, had reasonably good physical and chemical resistance properties. With a wide cure window, the films of MECN2 were found to be self‐curable at an optimum cure schedule of 160°C/30 min. Owing to self‐curability of the developed epoxide resins, the coatings based on them did not require any additional/external crosslinker to be incorporated in the coating composition.

Research limitations/implications

The prepared epoxide resins (MECNs) had good physical and chemical resistance properties, but demonstrated low stability and low resistance to xylene, in particular.

Originality/value

The paper shows how the epoxide resins were prepared by using a low‐cost phenolic material (cardanol) which is obtained from natural renewable resources, instead of petroleum, and is non‐toxic. These developed coatings can be applied as primer coat and top coat on metallic substrates. True self‐curability of the coating films has been achieved via anionic polymerization.
Thermodynamic characteristics of the interaction coefficient from plasticizer viscosity measurements for the generalized viscosity model
Authors: Sudduth Richard
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to show that the generalised viscosity model can correctly characterise suspension data over both a wide range of concentration as well as a wide range of temperature. A second objective of this study was to show theoretically and experimentally how the interaction coefficient from the generalised viscosity model also appears to have some thermodynamic properties.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, many well‐known suspension equations were shown mathematically to be subsets of the generalised viscosity equation. The generalised viscosity equation was also found to be able to be reduced mathematically to two well‐known dilute solution equations (Huggins and Kramer's equations) as well. The relationship between Huggins and Kramer's constants and the interaction coefficient from the generalised viscosity equation yielded the potential to evaluate the solubility characteristics of the interaction coefficient. The value of the interaction coefficient was then found to be able to be evaluated as a function of temperature to enhance an understanding of the thermodynamic characteristics of the interaction coefficient using the data of Bueche.

Findings

In this study, a polymer plasticiser system involving polymethyl methacrylate in the plasticiser diethyl phthalate yielded an interaction coefficient, σ, primarily in the expected plasticiser range from 0< σ<1. It was also found that the generalised viscosity equation fit Bueche's polymer plasticiser data remarkably well over the whole concentration range for temperatures ranging from 30°C to 140°C. This study also appeared to show that the interaction coefficient from the generalised viscosity model can apparently characterise thermal transitions as well as thermodynamic solubility for a polymer solute (i.e. polymethyl methacrylate) when viscosity is evaluated over a wide temperature range. This result was particularly significant since Bueche's data covered 25 decades of viscosity on a log scale.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to successfully explore the thermodynamic characteristics of the interaction coefficient of the generalised viscosity equation. This opens up new avenues for evaluating the solubility and thermodynamic characteristics of various additives in solutions and polymeric formulations.
Voluntary sector HRM: examining the influence of government
Authors: Kelliher Clare , Parry Emma
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine the practice of human resource management (HRM) in the UK voluntary sector. In recent years many voluntary sector organisations have experienced a changing context, where they have become increasingly involved in contracting for the provision of publicly funded services. This paper examines the suggestion made by a number of commentators that as a result the government has exercised influence over the way in which human resources are managed in this sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses data from the Workplace Employment Relations Survey 2004 (WERS 2004) to examine HRM practice in the voluntary sector and compares this with the public and private sectors.

Findings

The findings show that most voluntary sector organisations have adopted performance‐oriented HR practices, communication and involvement schemes, and welfare‐oriented practices. This suggests a departure from the relatively unsophisticated HRM that has traditionally been found in the voluntary sector and which may be as a result of the influence of government on HRM standards in the sector.

Research limitations/implications

Future research, which adopts a longitudinal approach, would allow the impact of government influence on HRM practices in the voluntary sector to be examined in more depth.

Originality/value

This paper represents a rare examination of HRM practice across a wide range of voluntary sector organisations and provides insight into the potential influence of government on HRM in the sector.
A gathering storm: re‐tendering and the voluntary sector workforce
Authors: Cunningham Ian , Nickson Dennis
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to consider the impact of the European Union procurement regulations. It assesses the impact of the re‐tendering of services on the terms and conditions of employment and sense of well being, and commitment of employees in the social care sub‐sector of the voluntary sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a qualitative study of three organisations utilising semi‐structured interviews with managers and employees.

Findings

The process of re‐tendering is creating intensified competition and the breakdown of co‐operation between voluntary sector organisations. Re‐tendering also has an impact on employee terms and conditions with related problems arising with regard to their morale and commitment.

Research limitations/implications

This remains a relatively small‐scale piece of research and there is also scope to consider how these issues are played out in private, as well as voluntary sector organisations.

Practical implications

The research highlights the potential tensions between creating greater competition and a search for value for money in the tendering and re‐tendering of services on voluntary organisations' raison d'être and the sense of commitment of employees.

Originality/value

There is little research examining the human resource aspects of re‐tendering and this research provides an important step in surfacing a number of emergent issues for how voluntary organisations manage the people dimension of the re‐tendering process.