bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cinematic Revolution: Cosmopolitan Alter-cinema of Pre-revolutionary Iran
Authors: Rekabtalaei Golbarg
Published: May 2014

In the late 1950s, when Iran was witness to the withering away of social norms and everyday practices concomitant with the country's rapid urbanization, a group of young Iranian film directors embarked upon a new cinematic trend, in attempts to screen the ethereal quotidian of Iranian life. Defining itself against what was perceived to be the “cheap” and “repetitive” commercial “Film Farsi” industry of the time, this alternative (alter-)cinema fused the local and global, by incorporating international cinematic elements in socially and politically conscious national films, and projecting them on local and international screens. Problematizing a homogeneous conception of historical time that subsumes the history of cinema into a conventionalized grand narrative of the Iranian 1979 revolution, this article works with a conception of heterogeneous historical time that first interrogates cinematic temporality autonomously and then in relation to the political history of Iran, especially the events of the 1978–79 revolution. This article explores how the distinct cosmopolitan alter-cinema of pre-revolutionary Iran was born from a cinematic rupture in the 1950s, prompted by series of critiques and professional expectations that colored the attention paid to the vernacular and quotidian in film production.
Academic self-publishing: a not-so-distant future
Authors: Perakakis Pandelis , Taylor Michael
Published: May 2014

Pandelis Perakakis is a clinical psychophysiologist, an active advocate of green open access and a proponent of a new research evaluation model called ‘author-guided peer review’. In 2012, he and others founded Open Scholar, a not-for-profit community organization concerned with the way scientists and the rest of the world access research. Its flagship project is LIBRE (LIBerating REsearch). Michael Taylor is a mathematician working on the impact of aerosols and the use of satellites for weather forecasting.
Tight inequalities among set hitting times in Markov chains
Authors: Griffiths Simon , Kang Ross , Oliveira Roberto , Patel Viresh
Published: May 2014

Given an irreducible discrete time Markov chain on a finite state space, we consider the largest expected hitting time

T
(
α
)

T(\alpha )

of a set of stationary measure at least

α
\alpha

for

α
∈
(
0
,
1
)

\alpha \in (0,1)

. We obtain tight inequalities among the values of

T
(
α
)

T(\alpha )

for different choices of

α
\alpha

. One consequence is that

T
(
α
)
≤
T
(
1

/

2
)

/

α

T(\alpha ) \le T(1/2)/\alpha

for all

α
>
1

/

2

\alpha > 1/2

. As a corollary we have that if the chain is lazy in a certain sense as well as reversible, then

T
(
1

/

2
)

T(1/2)

is equivalent to the chain’s mixing time, answering a question of Peres. We furthermore demonstrate that the inequalities we establish give an almost everywhere pointwise limiting characterisation of possible hitting time functions

T
(
α
)

T(\alpha )

over the domain

α
∈
(
0
,
1

/

2
]

\alpha \in (0,1/2]

.
Exploration and retrieval of whole-metagenome sequencing samples
Authors: Seth Sohan , Välimäki Niko , Kaski Samuel , Honkela Antti
Published: May 2014

Motivation: Over the recent years, the field of whole-metagenome shotgun sequencing has witnessed significant growth owing to the high-throughput sequencing technologies that allow sequencing genomic samples cheaper, faster and with better coverage than before. This technical advancement has initiated the trend of sequencing multiple samples in different conditions or environments to explore the similarities and dissimilarities of the microbial communities. Examples include the human microbiome project and various studies of the human intestinal tract. With the availability of ever larger databases of such measurements, finding samples similar to a given query sample is becoming a central operation.

Results: In this article, we develop a content-based exploration and retrieval method for whole-metagenome sequencing samples. We apply a distributed string mining framework to efficiently extract all informative sequence k-mers from a pool of metagenomic samples and use them to measure the dissimilarity between two samples. We evaluate the performance of the proposed approach on two human gut metagenome datasets as well as human microbiome project metagenomic samples. We observe significant enrichment for diseased gut samples in results of queries with another diseased sample and high accuracy in discriminating between different body sites even though the method is unsupervised.

Availability and implementation: A software implementation of the DSM framework is available at https://github.com/HIITMetagenomics/dsm-framework.

Contact:  sohan.seth@hiit.fi or antti.honkela@hiit.fi

Supplementary information:  Supplementary Data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Estimates of allele-specific expression in
Drosophila
with a single genome sequence and RNA-seq data
Authors: Quinn Andrew , Juneja Punita , Jiggins Francis M.
Published: May 2014

Motivation: Genetic variation in cis -regulatory elements is an important cause of variation in gene expression. Cis -regulatory variation can be detected by using high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to identify differences in the expression of the two alleles of a gene. This requires that reads from the two alleles are equally likely to map to a reference genome(s), and that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are accurately called, so that reads derived from the different alleles can be identified. Both of these prerequisites can be achieved by sequencing the genomes of the parents of the individual being studied, but this is often prohibitively costly.

Results: In Drosophila , we demonstrate that biases during read mapping can be avoided by mapping reads to two alternative genomes that incorporate SNPs called from the RNA-seq data. The SNPs can be reliably called from the RNA-seq data itself, provided any variants not found in high-quality SNP databases are filtered out. Finally, we suggest a way of measuring allele-specific expression (ASE) by crossing the line of interest to a reference line with a high-quality genome sequence. Combined with our bioinformatic methods, this approach minimizes mapping biases, allows poor-quality data to be identified and removed and aides in the biological interpretation of the data as the parent of origin of each allele is known. In conclusion, our results suggest that accurate estimates of ASE do not require the parental genomes of the individual being studied to be sequenced.

Availability and implementation: Scripts used to perform our analysis are available at https://github.com/d-quinn/bio_quinn2013 .

Contact:  fmj1001@cam.ac.uk

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Low Bone Mineral Mass Is Associated With Decreased Bone Formation and Diet in Girls With Rett Syndrome
Authors: Motil Kathleen J. , Barrish Judy O. , Neul Jeffrey L. , Glaze Daniel G.
Published: May 2014

Objective:

The aim of the present study was to characterize biomarkers of bone turnover and their relation with bone mineral mass in a cross‐sectional cohort of girls with Rett syndrome (RTT) and to examine the role of dietary, biochemical, hormonal, and inflammatory factors on bone mineral mass and bone biomarkers in this disorder.

Methods:

Total body bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) were determined by dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry. Dietary nutrient intakes were determined from 3‐day food records. Biomarkers of bone turnover, bone metabolites, vitamin D metabolites, hormones, and inflammatory markers were measured by standard clinical laboratory methods.

Results:

Serum osteocalcin, bone alkaline phosphatase, and C‐telopeptide showed significant inverse relations with age in the RTT cohort. Mean osteocalcin concentrations were significantly lower and mean bone alkaline phosphatase concentrations were significantly higher for individual age groups in the RTT cohort than mean values for their respective age ranges in the reference population. Significant inverse associations were identified between urinary calcium losses, expressed as calcium:creatinine ratios, and total body BMC and BMD z scores. Dietary protein, calcium, and phosphorus intakes, expressed as a proportion of Dietary Reference Intakes for age and sex, showed significant positive associations with total body BMD z scores.

Conclusions:

The present study suggests decreased bone formation instead of increased bone resorption may explain in part the deficits in bone mineral mass in RTT and that attention to the adequacy of dietary protein, calcium, and phosphorus intakes may offer an opportunity to improve bone health in RTT.
The Liver in Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disease
Authors: Vo Hanh D. , Xu Jiliu , Rabinowitz Simon S. , Fisher Stanley E. , Schwarz Steven M.
Published: May 2014

Hepatic involvement is often encountered in gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, in part because of the close anatomic and physiologic relations between the liver and GI tract. Drainage of the mesenteric blood supply to the portal vein permits absorbed and/or translocated nutrients, toxins, bacterial elements, cytokines, and immunocytes to gain hepatic access. Liver problems in digestive disorders may range from nonspecific hepatocellular enzyme elevations to significant pathologic processes that may progress to end‐stage liver disease. Hepatobiliary manifestations of primary GI diseases in childhood and adolescence are not uncommon and include several well‐described associations, such as sclerosing cholangitis with inflammatory bowel disease. Liver damage may also result from the effects of drugs used to treat GI diseases, for example, the hepatotoxicity of immunomodulatory therapies. This review highlights the important features of the hepatic and biliary abnormalities associated with 3 common pediatric GI conditions: inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and cystic fibrosis.
Variation in harbour porpoise activity in response to seismic survey noise
Authors: Pirotta Enrico , Brookes Kate L. , Graham Isla M. , Thompson Paul M.
Published: May 2014

Animals exposed to anthropogenic disturbance make trade-offs between perceived risk and the cost of leaving disturbed areas. Impact assessments tend to focus on overt behavioural responses leading to displacement, but trade-offs may also impact individual energy budgets through reduced foraging performance. Previous studies found no evidence for broad-scale displacement of harbour porpoises exposed to impulse noise from a 10 day two-dimensional seismic survey. Here, we used an array of passive acoustic loggers coupled with calibrated noise measurements to test whether the seismic survey influenced the activity patterns of porpoises remaining in the area. We showed that the probability of recording a buzz declined by 15% in the ensonified area and was positively related to distance from the source vessel. We also estimated received levels at the hydrophones and characterized the noise response curve. Our results demonstrate how environmental impact assessments can be developed to assess more subtle effects of noise disturbance on activity patterns and foraging efficiency.
Fitness consequences of spousal relatedness in 46 small-scale societies
Authors: Bailey Drew H. , Hill Kim R. , Walker Robert S.
Published: May 2014

Social norms that regulate reproductive and marital decisions generate impressive cross-cultural variation in the prevalence of kin marriages. In some societies, marriages among kin are the norm and this inbreeding creates intensive kinship networks concentrated within communities. In others, especially forager societies, most marriages are between more genealogically and geographically distant individuals, which generates a larger number of kin and affines of lesser relatedness in more extensive kinship networks spread out over multiple communities. Here, we investigate the fitness consequence of kin marriages across a sample of 46 small-scale societies (12 439 marriages). Results show that some non-forager societies (including horticulturalists, agriculturalists and pastoralists), but not foragers, have intensive kinship societies where fitness outcomes (measured as the number of surviving children in genealogies) peak at commonly high levels of spousal relatedness. By contrast, the extensive kinship systems of foragers have worse fitness outcomes at high levels of spousal relatedness. Overall, societies with greater levels of inbreeding showed a more positive relationship between fitness and spousal relatedness.
Spaces of the possible: universal Darwinism and the wall between technological and biological innovation
Authors: Wagner Andreas , Rosen William
Published: May 2014

Innovations in biological evolution and in technology have many common features. Some of them involve similar processes, such as trial and error and horizontal information transfer. Others describe analogous outcomes such as multiple independent origins of similar innovations. Yet others display similar temporal patterns such as episodic bursts of change separated by periods of stasis. We review nine such commonalities, and propose that the mathematical concept of a space of innovations, discoveries or designs can help explain them. This concept can also help demolish a persistent conceptual wall between technological and biological innovation.
Wheel running in the wild
Authors: Meijer Johanna H. , Robbers Yuri
Published: May 2014

The importance of exercise for health and neurogenesis is becoming increasingly clear. Wheel running is often used in the laboratory for triggering enhanced activity levels, despite the common objection that this behaviour is an artefact of captivity and merely signifies neurosis or stereotypy. If wheel running is indeed caused by captive housing, wild mice are not expected to use a running wheel in nature. This however, to our knowledge, has never been tested. Here, we show that when running wheels are placed in nature, they are frequently used by wild mice, also when no extrinsic reward is provided. Bout lengths of running wheel behaviour in the wild match those for captive mice. This finding falsifies one criterion for stereotypic behaviour, and suggests that running wheel activity is an elective behaviour. In a time when lifestyle in general and lack of exercise in particular are a major cause of disease in the modern world, research into physical activity is of utmost importance. Our findings may help alleviate the main concern regarding the use of running wheels in research on exercise.
Consumer willingness to pay for organic fresh milk in Taiwan
Authors: Huang Chin-Huang , Lee Chun-Hung
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The Fresh Milk Logo certifies that dairy product sold in Taiwan really is fresh milk. However, the logo represents only a moral pledge by the manufacturer. No method exists for inspecting whether products are fresh milk or reconstituted milk, and the label does not represent a commitment to the same level of quality and consumer health protection as found in organic foods. The purpose of this paper is to analyze consumer perceptions of organic certified agricultural standards (CAS) and estimates consumer willingness to pay (WTP) a premium should the Fresh Milk Logo be transformed into an organic CAS certified label.

Design/methodology/approach

– Exploratory factor analysis is adopted to extract the main determinants of respondent perceptions and preferences. Additionally, the double-bounded dichotomous choice of the contingent valuation method (CVM) and survival function is used to measure consumer WTP a premium for organic fresh milk.

Findings

– Consumer consumption preferences for buying fresh milk extracted four main factorial dimensions: Fresh Milk Logo, price/promotion, organic, and product/brand. Respondents are willing to pay US$21.95 extra per year to buy organic CAS milk and the factors affecting WTP are “Fresh Milk Logo” and “organic”.

Research limitations/implications

– The problems of the CVM include hypothetical and starting point for price bidding. The double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation model and pre-testing can reduce the biases. The survival function is more flexible, yields more information and permits assumptions regarding parametric distributions without additional costs. The collaboration of survival function with the double-bounded method produces a reliable result that incorporates fewer statistical errors.

Practical implications

– Consumers are willing to pay a premium for fresh milk with an organic CAS label that certifies its good quality and safety.

Social implications

– Marketing managers can use the study findings to develop effective marketing strategies and refine advertising campaigns to promote organic fresh milk to attract more consumers.

Originality/value

– Organic food labels certify food safety, and are associated with the trend toward increasing awareness of environmental and health issues. Perception of organic food labels are introduced into double-bounded dichotomous choice CVM to estimate consumers’ WTP, an approach which has successfully dominated traditional methods, using Likert scale-type measurement.
Food safety incidents’ influence on the food industry
Authors: Zeng Kaisheng , Luo Xiaohui , Liu Yinglin
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purposes of this paper are to find out the correlations between the changes of food companies’ environments and the strategic reactions of food companies after the media disclosed that there were food safety incidents out there in the food markets.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper uses a randomly sampling survey of 139 food enterprises in China. After statistical significance and statistical power were examined, canonical correlation analysis was used as the main data analysis technique of this research.

Findings

– Based on the environment-strategy paradigm, the authors found that the changes of the competition environment, resource environment, and institution environment in the food industry have significant association with food companies’ strategic reactions such as public relations, networking with firms and futurity after food safety incidents in the food market were disclosed.

Originality/value

– The paper is the first to quantitatively examine the relationships between the changes of food companies’ environments and the strategic reactions of food companies after the media disclosed that there were food safety incidents in the food markets. The findings of this paper send novel and important messages to government decision makers and the public, evidencing how food companies strategically respond to external environmental changes, and suggesting that the institution-builder as well as the media have more work to do in the aftermath of food safety incidents.
Current spectrum estimation using Prony's estimator and coherent resampling
Authors: Lewandowski Michał , Walczak Janusz
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– A highly accurate method of current spectrum estimation of a nonlinear load is presented in this paper. Using the method makes it possible to evaluate the current injection frequency domain model of a nonlinear load from previously recorded time domain voltage and current waveforms. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The method incorporates the idea of coherent resampling (resampling synchronously with the base frequency of the signal) followed by the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) to obtain the frequency spectrum. When DFT is applied to a synchronously resampled signal, the spectrum is free of negative DFT effects (the spectrum leakage, for example). However, to resample the signal correctly it is necessary to know its base frequency with high accuracy. To estimate the base frequency, the first-order Prony's frequency estimator was used.

Findings

– It has been shown that the presented method may lead to superior results in comparison with window interpolated Fourier transform and time-domain quasi-synchronous sampling algorithms.

Research limitations/implications

– The method was designed for steady-state analysis in the frequency domain. The voltage and current waveforms across load terminals should be recorded simultaneously to allow correct voltage/current phase shift estimation.

Practical implications

– The proposed method can be used in case when the frequency domain model of a nonlinear load is desired and the voltage and current waveforms recorded across load terminals are available. The method leads to correct results even when the voltage/current sampling frequency has not been synchronized with the base frequency of the signal. It can be used for off-line frequency model estimation as well as in real-time DSP systems to restore coherent sampling of the analysed signals.

Originality/value

– The method proposed in the paper allows to estimate a nonlinear load frequency domain model from current and voltage waveforms with higher accuracy than other competitive methods, while at the same time its simplicity and computational efficiency is retained.
Topology optimization of rotor poles in a permanent-magnet machine using level set method and continuum design sensitivity analysis
Authors: Putek Piotr , Paplicki Piotr , Pałka Ryszard
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– In this paper, a numerical approach to the topology optimization is proposed to design the permanent magnet excited machines with improved high-speed features. For this purpose the modified multi-level set method (MLSM) was proposed and applied to capture the shape of rotor poles on the fixed mesh using FE analysis. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– This framework is based on theories of topological and shape derivative for the magnetostatic system. During the iterative optimization process, the shape of rotor poles and its evolution is represented by the level sets of a continuous level set function f. The shape optimization of the iron and the magnet rotor poles is provided by the combining continuum design sensitivity analysis with level set method.

Findings

– To obtain an innovative design of the rotor poles composed of different materials, the modified MLSM is proposed. An essential advantage of the proposed method is its ability to handle a topology change on a fixed mesh by the nucleating a small hole in design domain that leads to more efficient computational scheme then standard level set method.

Research limitations/implications

– The proposed numerical approach to the topology design of the 3D model of a PM machine is based on the simplified 2D model under assumption that the eddy currents in both the magnet and iron parts are neglected.

Originality/value

– The novel aspect of the proposed method is the incorporation of the Total Variation regularization in the MLSM, which distribution is additionally modified by the gradient derivative information, in order to stabilize the optimization process and penalize oscillations without smoothing edges.
Multi-physics optimisation of an energy harvester device for automotive application
Authors: Bonisoli Elvio , Di Monaco Francesco , Tornincasa Stefano , Freschi Fabio , Giaccone Luca , Repetto Maurizio
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Supplying remote wireless sensors is not an easy task if the site where the device is located is not easily accessible. In order to obtain direct measurements of the road-vehicle interactions, sensors must be placed inside the tyre environment thus a power supply must be available for their working there without any wire connection with the car main power. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– An electro-mechanical energy harvester has thus been developed for supplying an automotive wireless sensor of pressure, temperature and acceleration to be placed on the inner line of a tyre. The primary energy source is the vibrations or variable accelerations imposed to the device and induced in the tyre by the wheeling.

Findings

– The harvester has been designed by means of a multi-physics optimisation based on an integrated electromagnetic-mechanical circuit simulator. Thus an automated optimisation of the device with respect to volume constraints, magnets dimensions, induction coils placement and size have been performed to increase the average power extracted from the device at different wheeling speeds.

Originality/value

– The use of the multi-physics environment together with automated optimisation technique has been tested for the first time on the electromagnetic harvester structure.
Framework for the optimization of online computable models
Authors: Delinchant Benoit , Wurtz Frédéric , Vasconcelos João , Coulomb Jean-Louis
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to make easily accessible models to test and compare the optimization algorithms we develop.

Design/methodology/approach

– For this, the paper proposes an optimization framework based on software component, web service, and plugin to exploit these models in different environments.

Findings

– The paper illustrates the discussion with optimizations in Matlab™ and R (www.r-project.org) of a transformer described and exploitable from the internet.

Originality/value

– The originality is to make easy implementation of simulation model and optimization algorithm coupling using software component, web service, and plugin.
Use of compensation theorem for the robustness assessment of electromagnetic devices optimal design
Authors: Formisano Alessandro , Fresa Raffaele , Martone Raffaele
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present the use of the compensation theorem (CT), well known in the analysis of linear electric networks, to compute sensitivity of the performance functions used in the robust design or tolerance analysis of electromagnetic devices.

Design/methodology/approach

– The CT is first illustrated in the case of a simple field analysis problem. Then, using numerical simulations, the effectiveness of compensation approach for assessing impact of the small modification of material properties is shown. The numerical simulations are performed with a finite elements code based on an integral formulation.

Findings

– The complexity of additional computations to assess the effect of small variations involved in sensitivity analysis can be reduced.

Research limitations/implications

– The method can be applied only to linear systems; in addition, although compensation applies to any variations, the reduction of computational complexity is achieved only for small variations, giving localized effects.

Practical implications

– The method proposed in the paper can speed up the computations of sensitivity arrays in the robust design and tolerance analysis of electromagnetic device, when numerical methods are applied.

Originality/value

– The use of CT in field computations is not new, but its adoption in the sensitivity computation is new to the best knowledge of authors.
MHD three-dimensional flow of Maxwell fluid with variable thermal conductivity and heat source/sink
Authors: Hayat T. , Shehzad S.A. , Alsaedi A.
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the three-dimensional flow of Maxwell fluid with variable thermal conductivity in presence of heat source/sink.

Design/methodology/approach

– Similarity transformations are utilized to reduce the nonlinear partial differential equations into ordinary differential equations. The governing nonlinear problems are solved by homotopy analysis method.

Findings

– The paper found that the velocities decrease while temperature increases for higher Hartman number. It is also seen that the thermal boundary layer thickness and temperature are increased with an increase in variable thermal conductivity parameter and heat source/sink parameter.

Practical implications

– Heat transfer analysis with heat source/sink has pivotal role in many industrial applications like cooling of an infinite metallic plate in a cooling bath, drawing of plastic films, nuclear plants, gas turbines, various propulsion devices for missiles, space vehicles and processes occurring at high temperatures.

Originality/value

– This study discusses the magnetohydrodynamic three-dimensional flow of Maxwell fluid with variable thermal conductivity and heat source/sink. No such analysis exists in the literature yet.
Modeling polypropylene polymer air drawing in the spunbonding nonwoven process
Authors: Zhao Bo
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The air drawing model plays an important in spunbonding. The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of the density and the specific heat capacity of polymer melt at constant pressure changing with polymer temperature on the fiber diameter.

Design/methodology/approach

– The air drawing model of the polypropylene polymer in a spunbonding process is presented and solved by introducing the numerical computation results of the air flow field of aerodynamic device.

Findings

– The model prediction of the filament fiber diameter coincides well with the experimental data. The effects of the processing parameters on the filament fiber diameter are discussed. A lower polymer throughput rate, higher polymer melt temperature, higher primary air temperature, higher venturi gap, higher air suction speed, and higher quench pressure can all produce finer filament fiber.

Originality/value

– The experimental results show that the agreement between the results and experimental data are very better, which verifies the reliability of these models. The results show great prospects for this research in the field of computer assisted design of spunbonding technology.
China-based logistics research: a review of the literature and implications
Authors: Liu Xiaohong
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which research opportunities on China's logistics have been identified in the field.

Design/methodology/approach

– In order to fulfill the research objective, a literature-based survey was executed in eight peer-reviewed logistics and supply chain management journals during the 2001-2012 timeframe. In total, 91 articles were examined and analyzed from three perspectives: research focus, theoretical base and methodological approach. A content analysis was used to classify and assess the analytical units with selected examples from the articles surveyed.

Findings

– The analysis reveals that a number of research foci have been addressed, but there are some fertile areas that researchers could explore in view of the evolution of logistics and transitional trends in present-day China. Theory applications were applied in few papers, showing a low rate of usage of theories. Different research techniques have been applied, but greater methodological rigor is expected to be achieved, given the unique research setting in China.

Research limitations/implications

– While the study has consulted the major logistics journals in the logistics field in which researchers aim to pursue their publications regarding China-based logistics research, it should be noted that contributions in other journals may have been missed.

Practical implications

– The study sheds new light on the research needs and opportunities for advancing China-based logistics research; for those researchers interested in China's logistics, it provides options which may lead to further, valuable research in this area.

Originality/value

– This paper represents the first attempt to examine a body of literature on China-based logistics research. It provides implications for future study.
The value of thinking inside out
Authors: Martin Dick
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– To explore the value of internal communication in strategic planning.

Design/methodology/approach

– Personal viewpoint.

Findings

– Effective internal communications is an important element in the development and implementation of business strategy. Research by the institute for Public Relations has revealed best-in-class practices in employee communications.

Originality/value

– Personal viewpoint based on research by the Institute of Public Relations.
Corporate mindset, denial and resistance to change in health leaders
Authors: V. Canyon Deon
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Corporate culture is a product of managerial mindset and it consists of obscured, undisclosed and unconditionally accepted assumptions that underlie corporate behaviour. This study seeks to investigate the extent of corporate mindset since it is a causal factor in crises.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were obtained by questionnaire from decision-making executives in hospitals, medical centres, aged care, pharmacies, dental clinics and practices in physiotherapy, chiropractic and podiatry.

Findings

– Organizations were judged to be in a state of medium disavowal concerning their belief that the impact of any crisis would be small. Around two thirds of participants indicated that the general mind-set of organizations contributes to effective crisis management, and that a welcoming attitude would prevail in the event of the implementation of a organization-wide, systems-wide, crisis management program. With regard to denial mechanisms or beliefs that hinder effective crisis management, two-thirds indicated inactive/passive resistance and one-third indicated active/aggressive resistance. The reasons for resistance were apathy, anti-change, and concern about cost.

Originality/value

– Cultural opposition to crisis preparedness varies significantly between organizations and poses a major barrier to effective crisis management. This study empowers health leaders by identifying several mindset changes that are required to create crisis-resilient health organisations.
Leading change within health services
Authors: Jacobs Stephen , Rouse Paul , Parsons Matthew
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Much health service delivery occurs within a network structure, with co-operation and competition coexisting. Leading change for successful outcomes is a difficult task even outside of this multi-layered complex context, with reports that up to two-thirds of change processes are unsuccessfully implemented. This can have a major impact on stress, effectiveness and efficiency. This paper aims to address these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Theories supporting a generic implementation system for managers were explored so that people placed into situations in which they needed to lead and manage change could access a systematic approach that enabled clarification of the network's goal(s), valid communication among members of the network, and performance measurement using indicators the network agrees are meaningful.

Findings

– The implementation pathway developed provides a change process leaders and managers of change can use within networks.

Practical implications

– Health service funders and managers will be helped by this systematic implementation process.

Originality/value

– Health service funders and managers will be assisted by the systematic implementation process.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 and Ohio physicians
Authors: K. Quaye Randolph
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to explore the perspectives of Ohio physicians on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. While much has been debated about ACA, relatively few studies have focused on how ACA will impact on physicians' practice behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research data came from a mailed survey of ninety physicians randomly selected from the Cigna Directory of Physicians practicing in Ohio. Study examined how informed were physicians about ACA, and explored how much the effect of ACA has been discussed in their practice, how they think ACA will impact their practice, and whether or not they are in favor of the provisions under the Act.

Findings

– Overwhelmingly, while the physicians surveyed were familiar with the specific provisions of ACA, almost half of them opposed it. Primary care physicians reported generally favorable opinions about ACA. All but one of the physicians concluded that ACA, much like managed care provisions, has undermined and will continue to reduce the autonomy and professional independence of physicians.

Research limitations/implications

– This study is limited by its small sample and reliance on a small set of physicians.

Practical implications

– This study has practical implications for examining how Ohio physicians are responding to the new health care reform in the United States. It has broader implications for addressing the problem of the uninsured and the role of the federal government in health care provision.

Social implications

– If physicians are opposed to this reform as the study seems to suggest, it might have broader implications for future career aspirations for physicians.

Originality/value

– So far as we can tell, there has not been any exploratory study in Ohio examining the perspectives of physicians on ACA.
Supervisory influences on officers’ perceptions of less lethal force policy: a multilevel analysis
Authors: Robert Ingram Jason , R. Weidner Robert , A. Paoline III Eugene , Terrill William
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of sergeants’ less lethal force policy perceptions on subordinate officers’ policy perceptions. Sergeants are a critical level of supervision in police departments with respect to policy administration, particularly in regard to the use of force. Little empirical research, however, has been conducted on either officer policy perceptions or this aspect of the supervisory role.

Design/methodology/approach

– Surveys of 765 patrol officers and 146 patrol sergeants served as the data source. Multilevel modeling procedures were used to test for supervisory influences on officer force policy perceptions while controlling for relevant officer-level variables. Additional analyses were conducted to examine potential moderating effects for this sergeant-officer attitudinal relationship.

Findings

– Findings revealed that sergeant policy perceptions, views of top management, and their level of support had a significant impact on officers’ force policy perceptions. Furthermore,post hocanalyses revealed that sergeant support moderated the sergeant-officer force policy perception relationship.

Research limitations/implications

– The results indicate that officers’ force policy perceptions are associated with the attitudinal dispositions of sergeants. Future work could expand the focus on administrative attitudinal outcomes beyond less lethal force policies as well as other perceptions of the work environment.

Practical implications

– For police leaders, the findings illustrate the need to pay attention to mid-management levels and the organizational climate, as negative orientations can impact additional domains (i.e. policies and procedures) and other organizational members (i.e. subordinates).

Originality/value

– The study adds to the limited body of research on two accountability mechanisms of departments: administrative rulemaking and frontline supervision.
An empirical examination of special operations team leaders’ and members’ leadership characteristics
Authors: Josiah Arnatt Michael , M. Beyerlein Michael
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Law enforcement special operations teams (e.g. Special Weapons and Tactics Teams, Swift, HRT, and Strategic Response Teams) are charged with resolving difficult situations that pose a threat to all involved. Recent tragedies strengthen the idea that law enforcement special operations teams play a critical role in the maintenance of public safety. Despite the importance of police special operations teams, there is virtually no empirical research specifically addressing leadership within these teams. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– A review of literature was first conducted, identifying authentic leadership, emotional intelligence, and self-efficacy to deal with potentially life threatening situations as being core concepts underlying effective leadership in law enforcement special operations teams. The Authentic Leadership Questionnaire, Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, and the Crisis Leader Efficacy in Assessing and Deciding Scale were then administered to US local, state, and federal special operations team members and leaders (n=99). Results were analyzed according to formal team roles.

Findings

– Findings reveal members and leaders differ in regards to scale scores representing relational transparency, moral and ethical, sociability, and disaster self-efficacy.

Originality/value

– Much research on special operations teams is highly theoretical and does not seek to understand team leadership in a testable manner. This is especially true of the relationships between the formal roles of leaders and members. This study is the first to use established leadership instruments to assess the differences between team members and leaders. It provides a starting point for future research and reinforces the idea that there are identifiable differences between special operations teams and members.
Social disorganization and police performance to burglary calls: a tale of two cities
Authors: Cihan Abdullah
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the distribution of police response time to in-progress burglaries differ according to the level of social disorganization across different neighborhoods.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using 2006 calls for service data collected from the Dallas and Houston Police Departments and from the 2000 US Bureau of Census statistics, the effects of social disorganization on police performance were examined through multilevel analysis of the distribution of police response time patterns across different neighborhoods in Dallas and Houston.

Findings

– The analysis of the DPD and HPD in-progress calls produced somewhat consistent findings on the relationship between the level of social disorganization and police response time. Concentrated disadvantage, immigrant concentration, and residential stability are important predictors of the distribution of police response time patterns in Dallas and Houston.

Practical implications

– Neighborhood social disorganization is related to the distribution of agency response time patterns. Detailed response time analysis is crucial for agencies to improve police performance and the community-police relationship.

Originality/value

– In the policing literature, researchers have tended to neglect rapid response when examining many aspects of policing. The present study expands on existing research by examining the theoretical link between the level of neighborhood social disorganization with the distribution of rapid police response to in-progress burglary in two cities.
Labor supply with Friedman-Savage preferences
Authors: G. Eisenhauer Joseph
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Some labor supply curves exhibit inflection points at which they bend backward or fall forward; thus, some workers alternate between increasing and decreasing their labor hours as wages increase. No consensus has yet been reached on the underlying motive for such behavioral inconsistencies. This paper aims to develop a unified theory to explain each of these variations in labor supply.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author employs a simple model of labor supply with additively separable utility over income and leisure. The sub-utility function for income is of the Friedman-Savage type, exhibiting preferences that alternate between increasing and diminishing marginal utility of income.

Findings

– Labor supply curves slope downward where relative risk aversion is strong, and upward where relative risk aversion is weak or negative. Thus, utility functions with inflection points can form the basis of labor supply curves with inflection points.

Research limitations/implications

– Friedman-Savage utility can explain virtually any observed labor supply functions, including convex, backward-bending, forward-falling, and inverted-S curves.

Practical implications

– Inflection points on the labor supply curve can create multiple and unstable market equilibria. Labor-market policies, including legislation pertaining to minimum wages and collective bargaining, and policies to enhance education and economic security, may reduce aversion to risk and thereby decrease the prevalence of unstable equilibria.

Originality/value

– This paper unites two lines of research – labor supply and Friedman-Savage utility – which have, rather remarkably, been separate to date. In doing so, it provides a new application of the classic Friedman-Savage paradigm, and a new explanation of labor supply curves with negatively-sloped regions.
An empirical analysis of the performance of pension funds: evidence from UK
Authors: Adami Roberta , Gough Orla , Mukherjee Suranjita , Sivaprasad Sheeja
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine the investment performance of pension funds in the UK using the three standard performance measurement models, the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), Fama-French model and the Carhart model.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use the CAPS-Mellon survey data for the period 1990-2008 and employ the three standard performance measurement models, the CAPM, Fama-French model and the Carhart model in assessing the investment performance of the pension funds.

Findings

– The authors show that the abnormal returns of pension funds cannot be fully explained by size, book-to-market values, market returns, momentum and the term spread. The authors find larger abnormal returns in bond than in equity portfolios and that smaller funds outperform larger funds. The paper also shows that the addition of the momentum factor does not improve on the three-factor Fama-French model. The authors find that pension funds exhibit superior performance relative to the linear factor models.

Research limitations/implications

– First, this study contributes to the extant literature on pension funds performance. Future research may also extend the authors' work to incorporate economic, tax, political and legal differences across the countries on the performance of pension funds. Second, due to data constraints, this study excludes the default probability of corporate bonds as an additional variable in their tests on bond returns. Future work may add the default probability as an additional variable whilst examining bond returns.

Practical implications

– The authors believe that the findings will be considerable food for thought for fund managers who continuously attempt to explore opportunities to provide a higher return to investors.

Originality/value

– To the authors' knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study that investigates the performance of UK equity and bond pension funds relative to standard linear factor models such as the CAPM, Fama and French, and Carhart.
Money factors and EMU government bond markets' convergence
Authors: Philippas Dionisis , Siriopoulos Costas
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The authors aim to investigate the cointegrating relationship of the government bond yields, driven by the common money factors in European Monetary Union (EMU).

Design/methodology/approach

– By adopting a dynamic ARDL transformation, the paper provides short-/long-term estimates of bond yields convergence before the burst of the current debt crisis. It also investigates how the degree of convergence between bond yields, driven by money factors, is affected in short/long runs.

Findings

– The findings indicate that the introduction of the common currency has not a uniform effect on the bond yields, and there is a nominal convergence between EMU bond yields based on money market determinants.

Originality/value

– The current financial crisis indicates that the EMU bond market convergence was temporary and it can be highly affected by an exogenous shocks and the sentiment of international investors. The findings imply the necessity for a common monetary and fiscal policy in Euro zone countries.