bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evoluo de lingvoscio en Eŭropa Unio
Authors: Pietiläinen Jukka
Published: February 2014

La artikolo esploras la lingvosciojn de loĝantoj de Eŭropa Unio surbaze de Eŭrobarometro-enketoj. La angla disvastiĝis rapide inter eŭropanoj, sed samtempe ankaŭ la aliaj fremdaj lingvoj estas lernataj pli ofte ol antaŭe. Ĉiu plivastigo de EU plifortigis la pozicion de la angla, sed la angla estas same ofte parolata ol la franca aŭ la germana, eĉ en la ses unuaj ŝtatoj-membroj, kvankam denaskaj parolatoj de la angla estas tre malmultaj en tiuj landoj. Krome la nombro de tiuj, kiuj scipovas fremdajn lingvojn, sed ne la anglan, malkreskas rapide kaj tiel la angla fariĝas bazo en la scio de fremdaj lingvoj. Por pluraj ĝi estas la sola fremda lingvo, sed por elitoj la scion de la angla kompletigas scio de unu aŭ kelkaj aliaj fremdaj lingvoj. Krome la kono de la angla lingvo kiel fremda lingvo havas pozitivan rilaton kun vivkontento kaj enspezo, kaj pli fortan pozitivan ligon ol la kono de iu ajn alia fremda lingvo. La estontan disvastiĝon de la angla subtenas ankaŭ tio, ke multaj el tiuj, kiuj ne scipovas la anglan, tamen opinias ĝin utila por lerni, dum la perceptata utileco de la franca kaj la germana estas malpli granda kaj malkreskas.
Semantics and phonology constrain compound formation
Authors: Seidenberg Mark S. , MacDonald Maryellen C. , Haskell Todd R.
Published: February 2014

Berent and Pinker (2007) presented five experiments concerning the formation of compounds, especially the apparent restriction on the occurrence of “regular” plurals as modifiers (as in *RATS-EATER). Their data were said to support a “words and rules” approach to inflectional morphology, and to contradict the approach developed by Haskell, MacDonald, and Seidenberg (2003) in which multiple probabilistic constraints, mainly involving semantic and phonological properties of words, determine degree of acceptability. We examine Berent and Pinker’s studies and show that a) their experiments tested hypotheses that are incorrectly ascribed to our theory, and b) their data are actually compatible with our account. Contrary to the words and rules approach, there are phonological effects on modifier acceptability that cannot be subsumed by a grammatical rule.
Word frequency and morphological processing in Finnish revisited
Authors: Soveri Anna , Lehtonen Minna , Laine Matti
Published: February 2014

The aims of the present study were to investigate the effects of word frequency on morphological processing of inflected words in Finnish, and to re-test previous results obtained for high frequency inflected words in Finnish which suggest that inflected words of high frequency might have full-form representations in the mental lexicon. Our results from three visual lexical decision experiments with monolingual Finnish speakers suggest that only very high frequency inflected Finnish words have full-form representations. This finding differs from results obtained from related studies in morphologically more limited Indo-European languages, in which full-form representations for inflected words seem to exist at a much lower level of frequency than in the morphologically rich Finnish language.
The Organization of Spatial Reference Frames Involved in the Snarc Effect
Authors: Viarouge Arnaud , Hubbard Edward M. , Dehaene Stanislas
Published: February 2014

The SNARC effect refers to faster reaction times for larger numbers with right-sided responses and for smaller numbers with left-sided responses, even when numerical magnitude is irrelevant. Although the SNARC is generally thought to reflect a mapping between numbers and space, the question of which spatial reference frame(s) are critical for the effect has not been systematically explored. We propose a dynamic hierarchical organization of the reference frames (from a global left–right frame to body- and object-related frames), where the influence of each frame can be modulated by experimental context. We conducted two experiments based on predictions derived from this organizational system. Experiment 1 compared instructions that differed only in focusing participants’ attention on either the response buttons or the hands. Instructions focusing on a hand-based reference frame eliminated the SNARC. Experiment 2 provided the opportunity for an object-centred reference frame to manifest itself in the SNARC. Although we did not observe an effect of an object-centred reference frame, we observed the influence of other reference frames in a context where an object-centred reference frame was emphasized. Altogether, these results support the proposed organization of the reference frames.
Canonical forests in directed families
Authors: Flenner Joseph , Guingona Vincent
Published: February 2014

Two uniqueness results on representations of sets constructible in a directed family of sets are given. In the unpackable case, swiss cheese decompositions are unique. In the packable case, they are not unique but admit a quasi-ordering under which the minimal decomposition is unique. Both cases lead to a one-dimensional elimination of imaginaries in VC-minimal and quasi-VC-minimal theories.
The Lind Lehmer constant for ℤ_{𝕡}ⁿ
Authors: DeSilva Dilum , Pinner Christopher
Published: February 2014

We determine the Lind Lehmer constant for groups of the form

Z

p
n

\mathbb Z_p^n

.
On the consistency of the combinatorial codifferential
Authors: Arnold Douglas , Falk Richard , Guzmán Johnny , Tsogtgerel Gantumur
Published: February 2014

In 1976, Dodziuk and Patodi employed Whitney forms to define a combinatorial codifferential operator on cochains, and they raised the question whether it is consistent in the sense that for a smooth enough differential form the combinatorial codifferential of the associated cochain converges to the exterior codifferential of the form as the triangulation is refined. In 1991, Smits proved this to be the case for the combinatorial codifferential applied to

1
1

-forms in two dimensions under the additional assumption that the initial triangulation is refined in a completely regular fashion, by dividing each triangle into four similar triangles. In this paper we extend the result of Smits to arbitrary dimensions, showing that the combinatorial codifferential on

1
1

-forms is consistent if the triangulations are uniform or piecewise uniform in a certain precise sense. We also show that this restriction on the triangulations is needed, giving a counterexample in which a different regular refinement procedure, namely Whitney’s standard subdivision, is used. Further, we show by numerical example that for

2
2

-forms in three dimensions, the combinatorial codifferential is not consistent, even for the most regular subdivision process.
Capturing Migration Phenology of Terrestrial Wildlife Using Camera Traps
Authors: Tape Ken D. , Gustine David D.
Published: February 2014

Remote photography, using camera traps, can be an effective and noninvasive tool for capturing the migration phenology of terrestrial wildlife. We deployed 14 digital cameras along a 104-kilometer longitudinal transect to record the spring migrations of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) and ptarmigan (Lagopus spp.) in the Alaskan Arctic. The cameras recorded images at 15-minute intervals, producing approximately 40,000 images, including 6685 caribou observations and 5329 ptarmigan observations. The northward caribou migration was evident because the median caribou observation (i.e., herd median) occurred later with increasing latitude; average caribou migration speed also increased with latitude (r2 = .91). Except at the northernmost latitude, a northward ptarmigan migration was similarly evident (r2 = .93). Future applications of this method could be used to examine the conditions proximate to animal movement, such as habitat or snow cover, that may influence migration phenology.
Contemporary fisheries stock assessment: many issues still remain
Authors: Maunder Mark N. , Piner Kevin R.
Published: February 2014

Interpretation of data used in fisheries assessment and management requires knowledge of population (e.g. growth, natural mortality, and recruitment), fisheries (e.g. selectivity), and sampling processes. Without this knowledge, assumptions need to be made, either implicitly or explicitly based on the methods used. Incorrect assumptions can have a substantial impact on stock assessment results and management advice. Unfortunately, there is a lack of understanding of these processes for most, if not all, stocks and even for processes that have traditionally been assumed to be well understood (e.g. growth and selectivity). We use information content of typical fisheries data that is informative about absolute abundance to illustrate some of the main issues in fisheries stock assessment. We concentrate on information about absolute abundance from indices of relative abundance combined with catch, and age and length-composition data and how the information depends on knowledge of population, fishing, and sampling processes. We also illustrate two recently developed diagnostic methods that can be used to evaluate the absolute abundance information content of the data. Finally, we discuss some of the reasons for the slowness of progress in fisheries stock assessment.
Female cowbirds have more accurate spatial memory than males
Authors: Guigueno Mélanie F. , Snow Danielle A. , MacDougall-Shackleton Scott A. , Sherry David F.
Published: February 2014

Brown-headed cowbirds (
Molothrus ater
) are obligate brood parasites. Only females search for host nests and they find host nests one or more days before placing eggs in them. Past work has shown that females have a larger hippocampus than males, but sex differences in spatial cognition have not been extensively investigated. We tested cowbirds for sex and seasonal differences in spatial memory on a foraging task with an ecologically relevant retention interval. Birds were trained to find one rewarded location among 25 after 24 h. Females made significantly fewer errors than males and took more direct paths to the rewarded location than males. Females and males showed similar search times, indicating there was no sex difference in motivation. This sex difference in spatial cognition is the reverse of that observed in some polygynous mammals and is consistent with the hypothesis that spatial cognition is adaptively specialized in this brood-parasitic species.
The effect of nanoscale surface curvature on the oligomerization of surface-bound proteins
Authors: Kurylowicz M. , Paulin H. , Mogyoros J. , Giuliani M. , Dutcher J. R.
Published: February 2014

The influence of surface topography on protein conformation and association is used routinely in biological cells to orchestrate and coordinate biomolecular events. In the laboratory, controlling the surface curvature at the nanoscale offers new possibilities for manipulating protein–protein interactions and protein function at surfaces. We have studied the effect of surface curvature on the association of two proteins, α-lactalbumin (α-LA) and β-lactoglobulin (β-LG), which perform their function at the oil–water interface in milk emulsions. To control the surface curvature at the nanoscale, we have used a combination of polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles (NPs) and ultrathin PS films to fabricate chemically pure, hydrophobic surfaces that are highly curved and are stable in aqueous buffer. We have used single-molecule force spectroscopy to measure the contour lengths
L
c
for α-LA and β-LG adsorbed on highly curved PS surfaces (NP diameters of 27 and 50 nm, capped with a 10 nm thick PS film), and we have compared these values
in situ
with those measured for the same proteins adsorbed onto flat PS surfaces in the same samples. The
L
c
distributions for β-LG adsorbed onto a flat PS surface contain monomer and dimer peaks at 60 and 120 nm, respectively, while α-LA contains a large monomer peak near 50 nm and a dimer peak at 100 nm, with a tail extending out to 200 nm, corresponding to higher order oligomers, e.g. trimers and tetramers. When β-LG or α-LA is adsorbed onto the most highly curved surfaces, both monomer peaks are shifted to much smaller values of
L
c
. Furthermore, for β-LG, the dimer peak is strongly suppressed on the highly curved surface, whereas for α-LA the trimer and tetramer tail is suppressed with no significant change in the dimer peak. For both proteins, the number of higher order oligomers is significantly reduced as the curvature of the underlying surface is increased. These results suggest that the surface curvature provides a new method of manipulating protein–protein interactions and controlling the association of adsorbed proteins, with applications to the development of novel biosensors.
Genome metabolome integrated network analysis to uncover connections between genetic variants and complex traits: an application to obesity
Authors: Valcárcel Beatriz , Ebbels Timothy M. D. , Kangas Antti J. , Soininen Pasi , Elliot Paul , Ala-Korpela Mika , Järvelin Marjo-Riitta , de Iorio Maria
Published: February 2014

Current studies of phenotype diversity by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are mainly focused on identifying genetic variants that influence level changes of individual traits without considering additional alterations at the system-level. However, in addition to level alterations of single phenotypes, differences in association between phenotype levels are observed across different physiological states. Such differences in molecular correlations between states can potentially reveal information about the system state beyond that reported by changes in mean levels alone. In this study, we describe a novel methodological approach, which we refer to as genome metabolome integrated network analysis (GEMINi) consisting of a combination of correlation network analysis and genome-wide correlation study. The proposed methodology exploits differences in molecular associations to uncover genetic variants involved in phenotype variation. We test the performance of the GEMINi approach in a simulation study and illustrate its use in the context of obesity and detailed quantitative metabolomics data on systemic metabolism. Application of GEMINi revealed a set of metabolic associations which differ between normal and obese individuals. While no significant associations were found between genetic variants and body mass index using a standard GWAS approach, further investigation of the identified differences in metabolic association revealed a number of loci, several of which have been previously implicated with obesity-related processes. This study highlights the advantage of using molecular associations as an alternative phenotype when studying the genetic basis of complex traits and diseases.
Lag, lock, sync, slip: the many ‘phases’ of coupled flagella
Authors: Wan Kirsty Y. , Leptos Kyriacos C. , Goldstein Raymond E.
Published: February 2014

In a multitude of life's processes, cilia and flagella are found indispensable. Recently, the biflagellated chlorophyte alga
Chlamydomonas
has become a model organism for the study of ciliary motility and synchronization. Here, we use high-speed, high-resolution imaging of single pipette-held cells to quantify the rich dynamics exhibited by their flagella. Underlying this variability in behaviour are biological dissimilarities between the two flagella—termed
cis
and
trans
, with respect to a unique eyespot. With emphasis on the wild-type, we derive limit cycles and phase parametrizations for self-sustained flagellar oscillations from digitally tracked flagellar waveforms. Characterizing interflagellar
phase synchrony
via a simple model of coupled oscillators with noise, we find that during the canonical swimming breaststroke the
cis
flagellum is consistently
phase-lagged
relative to, while remaining robustly
phase-locked
with, the
trans
flagellum. Transient loss of synchrony, or
phase slippage
, may be triggered stochastically, in which the
trans
flagellum transitions to a second mode of beating with attenuated beat envelope and increased frequency. Further, exploiting this alga's ability for flagellar regeneration, we mechanically induced removal of one or the other flagellum of the same cell to reveal a striking disparity between the beatings of the
cis
and
trans
flagella, in isolation. These results are evaluated in the context of the dynamic coordination of
Chlamydomonas
flagella.
Integrable structure in discrete shell membrane theory
Authors: Schief W. K.
Published: February 2014

We present natural discrete analogues of two integrable classes of shell membranes. By construction, these discrete shell membranes are in equilibrium with respect to suitably chosen internal stresses and external forces. The integrability of the underlying equilibrium equations is proved by relating the geometry of the discrete shell membranes to discrete O surface theory. We establish connections with generalized barycentric coordinates and nine-point centres and identify a discrete version of the classical Gauss equation of surface theory.
Phenotypic and genomic plasticity of alternative male reproductive tactics in sailfin mollies
Authors: Fraser Bonnie A. , Janowitz Ilana , Thairu Margaret , Travis Joseph , Hughes Kimberly A.
Published: February 2014

A major goal of modern evolutionary biology is to understand the causes and consequences of phenotypic plasticity, the ability of a single genotype to produce multiple phenotypes in response to variable environments. While ecological and quantitative genetic studies have evaluated models of the evolution of adaptive plasticity, some long-standing questions about plasticity require more mechanistic approaches. Here, we address two of those questions: does plasticity facilitate adaptive evolution? And do physiological costs place limits on plasticity? We examine these questions by comparing genetically and plastically regulated behavioural variation in sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna), which exhibit striking variation in plasticity for male mating behaviour. In this species, some genotypes respond plastically to a change in the social environment by switching between primarily courting and primarily sneaking behaviour. In contrast, other genotypes have fixed mating strategies (either courting or sneaking) and do not display plasticity. We found that genetic and plastic variation in behaviour were accompanied by partially, but not completely overlapping changes in brain gene expression, in partial support of models that predict that plasticity can facilitate adaptive evolution. We also found that behavioural plasticity was accompanied by broader and more robust changes in brain gene expression, suggesting a substantial physiological cost to plasticity. We also observed that sneaking behaviour, but not courting, was associated with upregulation of genes involved in learning and memory, suggesting that sneaking is more cognitively demanding than courtship.
The making of a pest: the evolution of a fruit-penetrating ovipositor inDrosophila suzukiiand related species
Authors: Atallah Joel , Teixeira Lisa , Salazar Raul , Zaragoza George , Kopp Artyom
Published: February 2014

Evolutionary innovation can allow a species access to a new ecological niche, potentially reducing competition with closely related species. While the vast majority ofDrosophilaflies feed on rotting fruit and other decaying matter, and are harmless to human activity,Drosophila suzukii, which has a morphologically modified ovipositor, is capable of colonizing live fruit that is still in the process of ripening, causing massive agricultural damage. Here, we conducted the first comparative analysis of this species and its close relatives, analysing both ovipositor structure and fruit susceptibility. We found that the ovipositor of the species most closely related toD. suzukii,Drosophila subpulchrella, has a similar number of enlarged, evolutionarily derived bristles, but a notably different overall shape. LikeD. suzukii,D. subpulchrellaflies are capable of puncturing the skin of raspberries and cherries, but we found no evidence that they could penetrate the thicker skin of two varieties of grapes. More distantly related species, one of which has previously been mistaken forD. suzukii, have blunt ovipositors with small bristles. While they did not penetrate fruit skin in any of the assays, they readily colonized fruit interiors where the skin was broken. Our results suggest that considering evolutionary context may be beneficial to the management of invasive species.
Action anticipation in human infants reveals assumptions about anteroposterior body-structure and action
Authors: Hernik Mikołaj , Fearon Pasco , Csibra Gergely
Published: February 2014

Animal actions are almost universally constrained by the bilateral body-plan. For example, the direction of travel tends to be constrained by the orientation of the animal's anteroposterior axis. Hence, an animal's behaviour can reliably guide the identification of its front and back, and its orientation can reliably guide action prediction. We examine the hypothesis that the evolutionarily ancient relation between anteroposterior body-structure and behaviour guides our cognitive processing of agents and their actions. In a series of studies, we demonstrate that, after limited exposure, human infants as young as six months of age spontaneously encode a novel agent as having a certain axial direction with respect to its actions and rely on it when anticipating the agent's further behaviour. We found that such encoding is restricted to objects exhibiting cues of agency and does not depend on generalization from features of familiar animals. Our research offers a new tool for investigating the perception of animate agency and supports the proposal that the underlying cognitive mechanisms have been shaped by basic biological adaptations in humans.
Genetic drift opposes mutualism during spatial population expansion
Authors: Müller Melanie J. I. , Neugeboren Beverly I. , Nelson David R. , Murray Andrew W.
Published: February 2014

Mutualistic interactions benefit both partners, promoting coexistence and genetic diversity. Spatial structure can promote cooperation, but spatial expansions may also make it hard for mutualistic partners to stay together, since genetic drift at the expansion front creates regions of low genetic and species diversity. To explore the antagonism between mutualism and genetic drift, we grew cross-feeding strains of the budding yeast S. cerevisiae on agar surfaces as a model for mutualists undergoing spatial expansions. By supplying varying amounts of the exchanged nutrients, we tuned strength and symmetry of the mutualistic interaction. Strong mutualism suppresses genetic demixing during spatial expansions and thereby maintains diversity, but weak or asymmetric mutualism is overwhelmed by genetic drift even when mutualism is still beneficial, slowing growth and reducing diversity. Theoretical modeling using experimentally measured parameters predicts the size of demixed regions and how strong mutualism must be to survive a spatial expansion.
Reduction of Gibberellin by Low Temperature Disrupts Pollen Development in Rice
Authors: Sakata Tadashi , Oda Susumu , Tsunaga Yuta , Shomura Hikaru , Kawagishi-Kobayashi Makiko , Aya Koichiro , Saeki Kenichi , Endo Takashi , Nagano Kuniaki , Kojima Mikiko , Sakakibara Hitoshi , Watanabe Masao , Matsuoka Makoto , Higashitani Atsushi
Published: February 2014

Microsporogenesis in rice (Oryza sativa) plants is susceptible to moderate low temperature (LT; approximately 19°C) that disrupts pollen development and causes severe reductions in grain yields. Although considerable research has been invested in the study of cool-temperature injury, a full understanding of the molecular mechanism has not been achieved. Here, we show that endogenous levels of the bioactive gibberellins (GAs) GA4 and GA7, and expression levels of the GA biosynthesis genes GA20ox3 and GA3ox1, decrease in the developing anthers by exposure to LT. By contrast, the levels of precursor GA12 were higher in response to LT. In addition, the expression of the dehydration-responsive element-binding protein DREB2B and SLENDER RICE1 (SLR1)/DELLA was up-regulated in response to LT. Mutants involved in GA biosynthetic and response pathways were hypersensitive to LT stress, including the semidwarf mutants sd1 and d35, the gain-of-function mutant slr1-d, and gibberellin insensitive dwarf1. The reduction in the number of sporogenous cells and the abnormal enlargement of tapetal cells occurred most severely in the GA-insensitive mutant. Application of exogenous GA significantly reversed the male sterility caused by LT, and simultaneous application of exogenous GA with sucrose substantially improved the extent of normal pollen development. Modern rice varieties carrying the sd1 mutation are widely cultivated, and the sd1 mutation is considered one of the greatest achievements of the Green Revolution. The protective strategy achieved by our work may help sustain steady yields of rice under global climate change.
Multi-PAS domain-mediated protein oligomerization of PpsR from Rhodobacter sphaeroides
Authors: Heintz Udo , Meinhart Anton , Winkler Andreas
Published: February 2014

Per–ARNT–Sim (PAS) domains are essential modules of many multi-domain signalling proteins that mediate protein interaction and/or sense environmental stimuli. Frequently, multiple PAS domains are present within single polypeptide chains, where their interplay is required for protein function. Although many isolated PAS domain structures have been reported over the last decades, only a few structures of multi-PAS proteins are known. Therefore, the molecular mechanism of multi-PAS domain-mediated protein oligomerization and function is poorly understood. The transcription factor PpsR from Rhodobacter sphaeroides is such a multi-PAS domain protein that, in addition to its three PAS domains, contains a glutamine-rich linker and a C-terminal helix–turn–helix DNA-binding motif. Here, crystal structures of two N-terminally and C-terminally truncated PpsR variants that comprise a single (PpsRQ-PAS1) and two (PpsRN-Q-PAS1) PAS domains, respectively, are presented and the multi-step strategy required for the phasing of a triple PAS domain construct (PpsRΔHTH) is illustrated. While parts of the biologically relevant dimerization interface can already be observed in the two shorter constructs, the PpsRΔHTH structure reveals how three PAS domains enable the formation of multiple oligomeric states (dimer, tetramer and octamer), highlighting that not only the PAS cores but also their α-helical extensions are essential for protein oligomerization. The results demonstrate that the long helical glutamine-rich linker of PpsR results from a direct fusion of the N-cap of the PAS1 domain with the C-terminal extension of the N-domain that plays an important role in signal transduction.
Symmetry of helicoidal biopolymers in the frameworks of algebraic geometry: α-helix and DNA structures
Authors: Samoylovich Mikhail , Talis Alexander
Published: February 2014

The chain of algebraic geometry and topology constructions is mapped on a structural level that allows one to single out a special class of discrete helicoidal structures. A structure that belongs to this class is locally periodic, topologically stable in three-dimensional Euclidean space and corresponds to the bifurcation domain. Singular points of its bounding minimal surface are related by transformations determined by symmetries of the second coordination sphere of the eight-dimensional crystallographic latticeE8. These points represent cluster vertices, whose helicoid joining determines the topology and structural parameters of linear biopolymers. In particular, structural parameters of the α-helix are determined by the seven-vertex face-to-face joining of tetrahedra with theE8non-integer helical axis 40/11 having a rotation angle of 99°, and the development of its surface coincides with the cylindrical development of the α-helix. Also, packing models have been created which determine the topology of theA,BandZforms of DNA.
Resource-based competition: three schools of thought and thirteen criticisms
Authors: El Shafeey Tarek , Trott Paul
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– The field of research on resource-based competition is full of nuanced terminology and misunderstandings. This has led to confusion, and thus the authors offer a critical review, which provides a structure and clarity to this subject. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– This analysis structures the literature on resources, capabilities, and competences into three distinct schools of thought: the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm, the rational-equilibrium school; the dynamic capability-based view of the firm, the behavioural-evolutionary school; and the competence-based view of the firm, the social constructionist school.

Findings

– The authors uncover 13 criticisms of the most widely adopted theoretical framework of the RBV of the firm – Valuable-Rare-Imperfectly imitable-Organisation (VRIO).

Research limitations/implications

– The misinterpretation and neglect of the classic scholarly work may help to explain why the VRIO framework has been elevated from a view to a theory and why it has received so much attention.

Practical implications

– The authors show how the relative ease of measuring resources as compared to (dynamic) capabilities and (core) competencies has helped raise the profile of RBV.

Originality/value

– This analysis contributes to management research by illustrating the deviation among the three schools of thought; the authors show how this has contributed to wide terminological confusion and offer a structure to help researchers situate their work within the relevant school of thought.
R&D-marketing integration in innovation – does culture matter?
Authors: Fain Nusa , Wagner Beverly
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– This paper takes an exploratory approach towards understanding the applicability of established theoretical frameworks for cross-functional integration in different global environments. In particular, the role of culture is considered as its impact on organizations may affect the ability to create a global generic model for cross-functional integration in product development. In order to achieve this aim, the paper will explore two cases from different cultural environments, namely that of Slovenia and the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors compare two different companies, based on their case profile and cultural background. Both are heavy engineering companies involved in product development, one originating in the developing economy of Slovenia, the other from the developed UK economy. The authors have employed a mix methodology, including literature and documentation analysis, questionnaire surveys and interviews.

Findings

– Combining organizational climate and consequently informal cooperation with formal organizational schemes, when allowing moderate levels of authority, can be beneficial for NPD success and R&D-marketing integration. These findings confirm the theoretical principles of Gupta et al., but are to some extent actually directly connected to NPD success, rather than to the R&D-marketing interface. The framework might be valid when exploring a large sample of companies at national levels, but needs further specifications and expansion when employed in a single case company. Furthermore, the two studied cases show that special care needs to be placed on taking account of cultural differences, when employing NPD in different locations/international business units.

Originality/value

– The paper presents a case comparison of cross-functional integration in two different cultural contexts. From this exploratory research, the main contribution highlights the key role of cultural context in developing effective cross-functional interfaces in product development.
Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM)
Authors: F. Hair Jr Joe , Sarstedt Marko , Hopkins Lucas , G. Kuppelwieser Volker
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– The authors aim to present partial least squares (PLS) as an evolving approach to structural equation modeling (SEM), highlight its advantages and limitations and provide an overview of recent research on the method across various fields.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this review article, the authors merge literatures from the marketing, management, and management information systems fields to present the state-of-the art of PLS-SEM research. Furthermore, the authors meta-analyze recent review studies to shed light on popular reasons for PLS-SEM usage.

Findings

– PLS-SEM has experienced increasing dissemination in a variety of fields in recent years with nonnormal data, small sample sizes and the use of formative indicators being the most prominent reasons for its application. Recent methodological research has extended PLS-SEM's methodological toolbox to accommodate more complex model structures or handle data inadequacies such as heterogeneity.

Research limitations/implications

– While research on the PLS-SEM method has gained momentum during the last decade, there are ample research opportunities on subjects such as mediation or multigroup analysis, which warrant further attention.

Originality/value

– This article provides an introduction to PLS-SEM for researchers that have not yet been exposed to the method. The article is the first to meta-analyze reasons for PLS-SEM usage across the marketing, management, and management information systems fields. The cross-disciplinary review of recent research on the PLS-SEM method also makes this article useful for researchers interested in advanced concepts.
OpenMp solvers for parallel finite element and meshless analyses
Authors: Ju S.H.
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– This paper develops C++ and Fortran-90 solvers to establish parallel solution procedures in a finite element or meshless analysis program using shared memory computers. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The stiffness matrix can be symmetrical or unsymmetrical, and the solution schemes include sky-line Cholesky and parallel preconditioned conjugate gradient-like methods.

Findings

– By using the features of C++ or Fortran-90, the stiffness matrix and its auxiliary arrays can be encapsulated into a class or module as private arrays. This class or module will handle how to allocate, renumber, assemble, parallelize and solve these complicated arrays automatically.

Practical implications

– The source codes can be obtained online at http//myweb.ncku.edu.tw/∼juju. The major advantage of the scheme is that it is simple and systematic, so an efficient parallel finite element or meshless program can be established easily.

Originality/value

– With the minimum requirement of computer memory, an object-oriented C++ class and a Fortran-90 module were established to allocate, renumber, assemble, parallel, and solve the global stiffness matrix, so that the programmer does not need to handle them directly.
On the multigrid cycle strategy with approximate inverse smoothing
Authors: A. Gravvanis George , K. Filelis-Papadopoulos Christos
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose multigrid methods in conjunction with explicit approximate inverses with various cycles strategies and comparison with the other smoothers.

Design/methodology/approach

– The main motive for the derivation of the various multigrid schemes lies in the efficiency of the multigrid methods as well as the explicit approximate inverses. The combination of the various multigrid cycles with the explicit approximate inverses as smoothers in conjunction with the dynamic over/under relaxation (DOUR) algorithm results in efficient schemes for solving large sparse linear systems derived from the discretization of partial differential equations (PDE).

Findings

– Application of the proposed multigrid methods on two-dimensional boundary value problems is discussed and numerical results are given concerning the convergence behavior and the convergence factors. The results are comparatively better than the V-cycle multigrid schemes presented in a recent report (Filelis-Papadopoulos and Gravvanis).

Research limitations/implications

– The limitations of the proposed scheme lie in the fact that the explicit finite difference approximate inverse matrix used as smoother in the multigrid method is a preconditioner for specific sparsity pattern. Further research is carried out in order to derive a generic explicit approximate inverse for any type of sparsity pattern.

Originality/value

– A novel smoother for the geometric multigrid method is proposed, based on optimized banded approximate inverse matrix preconditioner, the Richardson method in conjunction with the DOUR scheme, for solving large sparse linear systems derived from finite difference discretization of PDEs. Moreover, the applicability and convergence behavior of the proposed scheme is examined based on various cycles and comparative results are given against the damped Jacobi smoother.
A new laminates encoding scheme for the genetic algorithm-based optimization of stiffened composite panels
Authors: Cherniaev Aleksandr
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– The genetic algorithm (GA) technique is widely used for the optimization of stiffened composite panels. It is based on sequential execution of a number of specific operators, including the encoding of particular design variables. For instance, in the case of a stiffened composite panel, the design variables that need to be encoded are: the number of plies and their stacking sequences in the panel skin and stiffeners. This paper aims to present a novel, implicit, heuristic approach for encoding composite laminates and, through its use, demonstrates an improvement in the optimization process.

Design/methodology/approach

– The stiffened panel optimization has been formulated as a constrained discrete minimum-weight design problem. GAs, which use both new encoding schemes and those previously described in the literature, have been used to find near-optimal solutions to the formulated problem. The influence of the new encoding scheme on the searching capabilities of the GA has been investigated using comparative analysis of the optimization results.

Findings

– The new encoding scheme allows the definition of stacking sequences in composites using shorter symbolic representations as compared with standard encoding operators and, as a result of this, a reduction in the problem design space. According to numerical experiments performed in this work, this feature enables GA to obtain near-optimal designs using smaller population sizes than those required if standard encoding schemes are used.

Originality/value

– The approach to encoding laminates presented in this paper is based on the original heuristics. In the context of GA-based optimization of stiffened composite panels, the use of the new approach rather than the standard encoding technique can lead to a significant reduction in computational time employed.
An efficient analytical treatment of twelve order boundary value problems
Authors: Khan Majid
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– In this article, the author proposed a new analytical solution procedure for 12 order differential equation. The new analytical technique namely homotopy analysis transform method is efficient and effective for solving higher order differential equations. The results indicate the effectiveness and stability of the proposed algorithm. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author designed a new solution methodology for higher order differential equations which is a combination of Laplace transformation and homotopy deformation theory.

Findings

– The author mainly discussed two numerical applications with error analysis of analytical scheme which shows high order accuracy of the projected technique which will serve as a milestone for solving higher order differential equations in engineering with no efforts.

Originality/value

– The author proposed an innovative and original idea for nth-order differential equations in this article.
How authentic leadership and inclusion benefit organizations
Authors: Cottrill Kenna , Denise Lopez Patricia , C. Hoffman Calvin
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine perceptions of inclusion and related factors, to understand how organizations can encourage and facilitate the full participation of employees. The research explored authentic leadership (AL) as an antecedent of inclusion, and two outcomes, organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).

Design/methodology/approach

– Using an online survey, data were collected from 107 primary and 219 peer participants in various industries throughout the USA. Primary participants provided perceptual ratings on inclusion, AL, OBSE and OCB. Co-workers assessed primary participants’ OCB.

Findings

– AL was positively related to inclusion (β=0.58,p<0.01) as well as self-rated OCB (β=0.36,p<0.01). Inclusion was positively associated with OBSE (β=0.48,p<0.01) and self-rated OCB (β=0.63,p<0.01). Inclusion mediated the relationship between AL and self-rated OCB. OBSE mediated the relationship between inclusion and self-rated OCB. All analyses controlled for the effects of race and gender.

Practical implications

– Results suggest organizations can promote inclusive environments through AL, and that inclusive environments promote employees’ work-related self-esteem and their willingness to go above and beyond in their jobs.

Originality/value

– This paper examines previously unstudied relationships, thus contributing to organizational theory and practice.
How exclusive are inclusive organisations?
Authors: Dobusch Laura
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to anchor the buzzword “inclusive organisation” in a theory-based perspective by identifying meanings of inclusion and exclusion in various scientific discourses.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper provides an overview about inclusion/exclusion and its different usage in four “western” scientific discourses. By analysing the role of organisations in each discourse, relevant aspects for specifying the concept of “inclusive organisations” are identified.

Findings

– The concept of “inclusive organisations” needs to be grounded in a wider industry context for determining adequate action strategies towards inclusiveness. More attention should be paid to the excluding effects of including measures and resulting changes in power relations.

Research limitations/implications

– The conceptual approach of the paper needs to be anchored in further empirical research on the measurability of inclusion/exclusion within organisations and on the implementation of organisational practices towards more inclusiveness.

Originality/value

– The value of the paper is its interdisciplinary approach to concepts of organisational inclusion and exclusion that are usually analysed separately. This fresh perspective paves the way for an original contribution to further develop the idea of “inclusive organisations”.
The role of societal privilege in the definitions and practices of inclusion
Authors: A. Geiger Karen , Jordan Cheryl
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to focus on the work of those with societal privilege in the practice of inclusion. It outlines the experience of privilege, obstacles raised by the study of women in cross-race relationships, and offers guidance for those with privilege in how to use it in relationships and organizational inclusion efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper takes lessons from varied literatures about privilege, social justice, and organizational inclusion/diversity and applies them to the work of inclusion for those privileged by race in the USA.

Findings

– The paper offers guidance to those with race privilege in the USA. It suggests ways to problematize privilege, how to become a social justice ally, reframe what white means, develop awareness about race dynamics, use empathy cautiously, create a “third culture,” balance multiple identities, and acknowledge numerous power differentials.

Research limitations/implications

– Given the specific contexts and social identities chosen here, the conclusions may not generalize. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to extend the experience, obstacles and guidance for those with other kinds of privilege in other contexts.

Practical implications

– Because of global demographics, organizations have incorporated a wide range of workforce diversity and now need to maximize practices of inclusion so talent can be fully utilized. This paper provides specific practices that can cause those with privilege to create a truly inclusive environment.

Originality/value

– There is very little exploration about the role of those with societal privilege in the definitions and practices of inclusion. This paper's contribution is to outline the work to be done by those privileged.
Price customization and within-chain data do not mix!
Authors: Niraj Rakesh , Siddarth S.
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– Grocery retailers have access to detailed data on consumer purchases within their own chains. Previous research has used across-chain scanner panel data to develop optimal price cuts targeted to individual households but whether such a targeting strategy will work with only within-chain data is unknown. The purpose of this research is to address this specific question.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use scanner panel data from multiple categories to create across-chain and within-chain purchase histories for the same consumers. They then estimate models of purchase decisions on the two datasets and compare their performance.

Findings

– Within-chain data fares significantly worse on both fit and prediction criteria. Retailers' upside to customizing is minimal compared to those reported for manufacturers. Finally, customized prices based on the within-chain model significantly underperform the promise of across-chain data.

Research limitations/implications

– Store choice is not modelled. Research also needs to be replicated in other contexts. The authors conclude that limited purchase histories may not yield accurate enough estimates of marketing mix responsiveness, and that across-chain purchase histories are essential for effective targeted price cuts.

Practical implications

– Loyalty card data may be useful for other purposes, like experimenting with segment-specific discounts, but its value in customizing prices at individual level is limited without adding other sources of information.

Originality/value

– Previous research on price customization has been based almost exclusively on across-store data. However, retailers only have access to their own chain-specific data. This is the first study to comprehensively compare price customization based on within- and across-chain purchase data and show that the upside potential for price customization based on the former information set is quite limited.