bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mesopotamian or Iranian? A New Investigation on the Origin of the Goddess Anāhitā
Authors: Qaderi Alireza
Published: July 2017

Arədvī Sūrā Anāhitā, a popular Zoroastrian yazatā, is celebrated in Yašt 5 (Ābān Yašt). Anāhitā is mostly believed to be an Indo-Iranian or Iranian deity who has absorbed influences from the creed and iconography of Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess, in the course of history. The type and the degree of such influences are still under debate. The paper places this goddess into the context of ancient Western Asia. Findings are presented in two sections: in the first section, the Indo-Iranian, Iranian and western Iranian origins of Anāhitā are questioned, and in the following section two points are clarified: first, the Mesopotamian origin for Anāhitā is more consistent with historical and archaeological evidence, and second, Anāhitā is the same as Annunit/Annunitum, Sippar—Amnamum’s goddess of war and victory and the avatar of Antu, who was added to the list of his royal patron deities as a result of political and military developments early in the reign of Artaxerxes II.
Powerful knowledge: insights from music's case
Authors: McPhail Graham J.
Published: July 2017

This paper examines Young and Muller's elaboration of Michael Young's concept of powerful knowledge and considers music's alignment with the characteristics theorised as distinguishing this type of knowledge. Consideration of the concept in relation to music may be timely as music teachers continue to grapple with the problem of knowing what knowledge to include within the parameters of a school curriculum. The concept of powerful knowledge may provide us with a fresh way of considering what school music may have to offer in such a noisy and musically heterogeneous world. This curricular challenge, however, is by no means unique to music, even though it may be exacerbated in music which is so open to the forces of cultural change. I argue that access to this knowledge occurs by placing abstract concepts at the centre of curriculum conception as the means to mediate the space between everyday knowledge and the more vertical discourse of school knowledge. It is in this ‘academic’ space that students can come to understand and utilise music as a form of powerful knowledge, when epistemic understanding illuminates the experiential and aesthetic dimensions of musical experiences.
Deep whole-genome sequencing of 90 Han Chinese genomes
Authors: Lan Tianming , Lin Haoxiang , Zhu Wenjuan , Laurent Tellier Christian Asker Melchior , Yang Mengcheng , Liu Xin , Wang Jun , Wang Jian , Yang Huanming , Xu Xun , Guo Xiaosen
Published: July 2017

Next-generation sequencing provides a high-resolution insight into human genetic information. However, the focus of previous studies has primarily been on low-coverage data due to the high cost of sequencing. Although the 1000 Genomes Project and the Haplotype Reference Consortium have both provided powerful reference panels for imputation, low-frequency and novel variants remain difficult to discover and call with accuracy on the basis of low-coverage data. Deep sequencing provides an optimal solution for the problem of these low-frequency and novel variants. Although whole-exome sequencing is also a viable choice for exome regions, it cannot account for noncoding regions, sometimes resulting in the absence of important, causal variants. For Han Chinese populations, the majority of variants have been discovered based upon low-coverage data from the 1000 Genomes Project. However, high-coverage, whole-genome sequencing data are limited for any population, and a large amount of low-frequency, population-specific variants remain uncharacterized. We have performed whole-genome sequencing at a high depth (~×80) of 90 unrelated individuals of Chinese ancestry, collected from the 1000 Genomes Project samples, including 45 Northern Han Chinese and 45 Southern Han Chinese samples. Eighty-three of these 90 have been sequenced by the 1000 Genomes Project. We have identified 12 568 804 single nucleotide polymorphisms, 2 074 210 short InDels, and 26 142 structural variations from these 90 samples. Compared to the Han Chinese data from the 1000 Genomes Project, we have found 7 000 629 novel variants with low frequency (defined as minor allele frequency < 5%), including 5 813 503 single nucleotide polymorphisms, 1 169 199 InDels, and 17 927 structural variants. Using deep sequencing data, we have built a greatly expanded spectrum of genetic variation for the Han Chinese genome. Compared to the 1000 Genomes Project, these Han Chinese deep sequencing data enhance the characterization of a large number of low-frequency, novel variants. This will be a valuable resource for promoting Chinese genetics research and medical development. Additionally, it will provide a valuable supplement to the 1000 Genomes Project, as well as to other human genome projects.
Multivariable and Bayesian Network Analysis of Outcome Predictors in Acute Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Review of a Pure Surgical Series in the Post-International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial Era
Authors: Zador Zsolt , Huang Wendy , Sperrin Matthew , Lawton Michael T
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND

Following the International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial (ISAT), evolving treatment modalities for acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) has changed the case mix of patients undergoing urgent surgical clipping.

OBJECTIVE

To update our knowledge on outcome predictors by analyzing admission parameters in a pure surgical series using variable importance ranking and machine learning.

METHODS

We reviewed a single surgeon's case series of 226 patients suffering from aSAH treated with urgent surgical clipping. Predictions were made using logistic regression models, and predictive performance was assessed using areas under the receiver operating curve (AUC). We established variable importance ranking using partial Nagelkerke R2 scores. Probabilistic associations between variables were depicted using Bayesian networks, a method of machine learning.

RESULTS

Importance ranking showed that World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) grade and age were the most influential outcome prognosticators. Inclusion of only these 2 predictors was sufficient to maintain model performance compared to when all variables were considered (AUC = 0.8222, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7646-0.88 vs 0.8218, 95% CI: 0.7616-0.8821, respectively, DeLong's P = .992). Bayesian networks showed that age and WFNS grade were associated with several variables such as laboratory results and cardiorespiratory parameters.

CONCLUSION

Our study is the first to report early outcomes and formal predictor importance ranking following aSAH in a post-ISAT surgical case series. Models showed good predictive power with fewer relevant predictors than in similar size series. Bayesian networks proved to be a powerful tool in visualizing the widespread association of the 2 key predictors with admission variables, explaining their importance and demonstrating the potential for hypothesis generation.
Nanopore sequencing of full-lengthBRCA1mRNA transcripts reveals co-occurrence of known exon skipping events
Authors: de Jong Lucy C , Cree Simone , Lattimore Vanessa , Wiggins George AR , Spurdle Amanda B. ,   kConFab Investigators, Miller Allison , Kennedy Martin A , Walker Logan C
Published: July 2017

Laboratory assays evaluating the effect of DNA sequence variants onBRCA1mRNA splicing may contribute to classification by providing molecular evidence. However, our knowledge of normal and aberrantBRCA1splicing events to date has been limited to data derived from assays targeting partial transcript sequences. For the first time, we resolve the exon structure of wholeBRCA1transcripts using MinION nanopore sequencing of long-range PCR amplicons. Our study identified 32BRCA1isoforms, including 18 novel isoforms which comprised skipping of multiple contiguous and/or non-contiguous exons. Furthermore, we show that knownBRCA1exon skipping events, such as Δ(9,10) and Δ21, can co-occur in a single transcript, with some isoforms containing four or more alternative splice junctions. Our results highlight complexity inBRCA1transcript structure that has not previously been described. This finding has key implications for predicting translation frame of splicing transcripts, important for interpreting the clinical significance of spliceogenic variants. Future research is warranted to quantitatively assess full lengthBRCA1transcript levels, and to assess the application of nanopore sequencing for routine evaluation of potential spliceogenic variants.
Leading change at Al Asafa in the Gulf
Authors: Jham Vimi
Published: July 2017

Subject area

Leadership and change management, employee engagement, strategy

Study level/applicability

The case is designed to be an effective teaching and learning tool at the bachelors’ and master’s level business programmes in courses on leadership and change management, employee engagement, strategy courses or an elective on strategic consulting.

Case overview

In October 2011, Mr Abdulla became Chief Operating Officer of Al Asafa Brothers, a large privately driven organization with diversified businesses. The company’s story since then appears to be the typical slash-and-burn turnaround, but the view from the inside is far more interesting for anyone grappling with what it takes to lead a competitive organization and sustain its performance over the long term. Mr Abdulla is a straight-shooting, tough-minded, results-oriented business leader. But he is also a charismatic and persistent coach, determined to help people learn and thereby to provide his company with the best-prepared employees. Al Asafa was undergoing turmoil with a complete lack of leadership and facing financial and operational losses. There were huge cost centres. All employees started their own ventures and got into partnership with the owner and shared incentives with him. The organization kept on expanding and continued to be in huge debts thus facing losses. The case discusses the leader’s role in changing the organizational culture.

Expected learning outcomes

Giving students hands-on experience in developing a plan of action for a company in distress. Understanding analysis of the financial situation and suggest measures for improvement. Appreciating the involvement of employees in bringing change. Understanding the role of a leader in changing organizational culture.

Subject code

CSS: 11: Strategy

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
High-Rayleigh heat transfer flow
Authors: Corzo Santiago Francisco , Ramajo Damian Enrique , Nigro Norberto Marcelo
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the Boussinesq approach for a wide range of Ra (10 × 6 to 10 × 11) in two-dimensional (square cavity) and three-dimensional (cubic cavity) problems for air- and liquid-filled domains.

Design/methodology/approach

The thermal behavior in “differentially heated cavities” filled with air (low and medium Rayleigh) and water (high Rayleigh) is solved using computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) (OpenFOAM) with a non-compressible (Boussinesq) and compressible approach (real water properties from the IAPWS database).

Findings

The results from the wide range of Rayleigh numbers allowed for the establishment of the limitation of the Boussinesq approach in problems where the fluid has significant density changes within the operation temperature range and especially when the dependence of density with temperature is not linear. For these cases, the symmetry behavior predicted by Boussinesq is far from the compressible results, thus inducing a transient heat imbalance and leading to a higher mean temperature.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of the present research can be found in the shortage of experimental data for very high Rayleigh problems.

Practical implications

Practical implications of the current research could be use of the Boussinesq approach by carefully observing its limitations, especially for sensible problems such as the study of pressure vessels, nuclear reactors, etc.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper lies in addressing the limitations of the Boussinesq approach for high Rayleigh water systems. This fluid is commonly used in numerous industrial equipment. This work presents valuable conclusions about the limitations of the currently used models to carry out industrial simulations.
Risk factors influencing the debt leverage of project financing initiatives in the energy industry
Authors: De Marco Alberto , Mangano Giulio
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to contribute to understanding the crucial influence of risks on the capital structure of project financing (PF) initiatives in the energy sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The debt leverage of a capital investment is selected as the response variable, and its relation with select identified risk factors is examined using a regression analysis on a data set of 72 projects carried out all over the world in the energy industry.

Findings

Results have highlighted that the debt leverage is significantly influenced by several sources of risk measured through specific indicators, namely, country stability index, the construction duration, the concession period and the average size of partners. Therefore, country, project and special purpose vehicle-related risks have been shown to have an impact on the debt leverage of a PF scheme.

Research limitations/implications

The results could support both investors and lenders to better define the financial leverage of projects delivered under a PF mechanism. In particular, the study could help to have a better understanding of the main factors that influence the debt leverage in PF initiatives.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to filling the lack of works addressing the relationship between risk factors and capital structure in PF projects. In this way, this research leads to a better understanding of the risk factors that influence the capital structure of a PF initiative, and they have, therefore, been proposed as a basis for the establishment of improved methods to design refined capital structures.
Making the case for innovative reentry employment programs: previously incarcerated women as birth doulas – a case study
Authors: McLemore Monica R. , Warner Hand Zakeya
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to make a case for novel and innovative reentry programs focused on women of color and to describe policy recommendations that are necessary to support the sustainability of these programs and in turn the success of the women who participate in them.

Design/methodology/approach

A review and analysis of the literature that described job-training opportunities specifically targeted to women exiting jail and the impact on recidivism provided limited information. The authors developed, implemented, and evaluated doula training program for low-income and women of color to determine if birth work could provide stable income and decrease recidivism.

Findings

Training low-income formerly incarcerated women to become birth doulas is an innovative strategy to solve employment barriers faced by women reentering communities from jail. Realigning women within communities via birth support to other women also provides culturally relevant and appropriate members of the healthcare team for traditionally vulnerable populations. Doulas are important members of the healthcare workforce and can improve birth outcomes. The authors’ work testing doula training, as a reentry vocational program has been successful in producing 16 culturally relevant and appropriate doulas of color that experienced no re-arrests and to date no program participant has experienced recidivism.

Originality/value

To be successful, the intersections of race, gender, and poverty, for women of color should be considered in the design of reentry programs for individuals exiting jail. The authors’ work provided formerly incarcerated and low-income women of color with vocational skills that provide consistent income, serve as a gateway to the health professions, and increase the numbers of well-trained people of color who serve as providers of care.
Building on mental health training for law enforcement: strengthening community partnerships
Authors: Campbell Jorien , Ahalt Cyrus , Hagar Randall , Arroyo William
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the current state of law enforcement training related to the high number of interactions with persons with mental illness, and to recommend next steps in preparing law enforcement to effectively meet this challenge.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors reviewed the current literature on relevant law enforcement training programs, focusing primarily on crisis intervention team (CIT) training, and used the case example of California to identify opportunities to improve and enhance law enforcement preparedness for the challenge of responding to persons with mental illness.

Findings

Broad-based community partnerships working together to develop programs that meet the local needs of both those with mental illness and law enforcement, the availability of mental health treatment centers with no-refusal policies, and a coordinating person or agency to effectively liaise among stakeholders are critical enhancements to CIT training.

Originality/value

As increasing attention is paid to adverse interactions between police and vulnerable populations, this paper identifies policies that would build on existing training programs to improve police responses to persons with mental illness.
Do corporate governance and ownership structure impact dividend policy in emerging market during financial crisis?
Authors: Mehdi Mili , Sahut Jean-Michel , Teulon Frédéric
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of the ownership structure and board governance on dividend policy in emerging markets. The authors test whether the effects of corporate governance on dividend policy change during crisis periods.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a panel regression approach on a sample of 362 non-financial listed firms from East Asian and Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Findings

The results provide evidence that dividend payout decision increases with institutional ownership and board activity. The authors find that in emerging countries, dividend policy of firms with CEO duality and without CEO duality does not depend on the same set of factors. It is shown that the ownership concentration and board independency affect significantly the dividend policy of firms with COE duality. Finally, the results show that during the recent financial crisis, dividend decision is inversely related to CEO duality, board size and the frequency of board meetings.

Research limitations/implications

Other variables of corporate governance and ownership structure can be studied more in depth. The results can be directly compared to an alternative sample of developed countries.

Practical implications

This study is of particular interest for managers and shareholders when adjusting their strategies of dividend payout during financial crisis.

Originality/value

The authors employ a specific approach to investigate the impact of CEO duality on dividend policy in East Asian countries. An important aspect of the results is that that for firms with CEO who is also the chairperson, the dividend decision is negatively related to ownership concentration and board independence. This research contributes to the understanding of dividend policy by testing whether the impact of corporate governance on dividend policy changes during crisis periods in emerging countries. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is the first to directly address this issue from this perspective.
Federated semantic search using terminological thesauri for learning object discovery
Authors: Koutsomitropoulos Dimitrios , Solomou Georgia , Kalou Katerina
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework and system to address the inability to discover new and authentic learning material and the lack of a single access point for search and browsing of remote learning object repositories (LORs).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors develop a framework for keyword-based query expansion using SKOS domain terminologies and implement a federated search mechanism integrating various disparate LORs within a learning management system (LMS).

Findings

The authors show that the expanded query achieves improved information gain and it is applied for federated information access, by simultaneously searching within a number of repositories. Results can be seamlessly aggregated back within the LMS and the course context.

Practical implications

It is possible to retrieve additional learning objects (LOs) and achieve a corresponding increase in recall, while maintaining precision. SKOS expansion behaves well in a scholarly setting, which, combined with federated search, can contribute toward LOs’ discovery at a balanced cost. The system can be easily integrated with other platforms as well, building on open standards and RESTful communication.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time SKOS-based query expansion is applied in a federated setting, and for the discovery and alignment of learning objects residing within LORs. The results show that this approach can achieve considerable information gain and that it is possible to strike a balance between search effectiveness, query drift and performance.
Mobile lecturers, mobile students: an exploratory study in a blended architectural technology context
Authors: Harpur Patricia
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review mobility-oriented criteria that inform the on-the-move use of digital technology. It addresses aspects of mobile technology-enhancement learning and the perceived differences between mobile lecturers and mobile learners in a higher education (HE) context in an Architectural Technology domain.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of literature comprising journal and peer-reviewed conference papers, books and e-articles published between 2009 and 2016 was conducted. The review was supplemented by the administration among facilitating lecturers (n=3) and a cohort of undergraduate students (n=14) of custom-designed survey questionnaires, comprising open-ended and closed items. Qualitative analysis via ATLAS.ti of literature sources and questionnaire-based feedback led to a theoretically grounded codebook enhanced by empirically based items.

Findings

Qualitative analysis of literature sources and respondent feedback produced guidelines for mobility in HE environments and led to a set of 32 criteria grouped pragmatically in six themes, namely: mobile technology; stakeholder outlook; effectiveness; facilitation; capability and interactivity. Furthermore, perceived differences between mobile lecturers and mobile students emerged and informed institutional decisions regarding mobility in educational contexts.

Research limitations/implications

The study was limited in the following ways: although the all facilitating lecturers (3) and the enroled cohort of students (14) was selected, this sample is small. The institutional comprises several campuses, faculties and departments covering a wide spectrum of domains. However, the study was purposively and conveniently limited to a single innovative and blended, undergraduate Architectural Technology programme. Face-to-face interviews were not feasible limiting primary data collection to online survey questionnaires; and finally, the study was not longitudinal but designed to be based on a “slice in time” context.

Practical implications

Strategic, tactical, and operational stakeholders such as institutional leadership; administrators; courseware designers; lecturers; and students benefit from this study.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the body of knowledge by speaking to capabilities of mobile technology in a digital milieu. It guides practical mobility considerations in HE environments and supports competitive advantage decision-making. The paper establishes awareness of mobility differences between mobile lecturers and mobile students thus highlighting concepts associated with the ad hoc use of mobile technology among HE stakeholders.
The library succession planner’s decision-making style
Authors: Rajapakse Gihani S. , Kiran K.
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore succession planning in academic libraries, specifically to understand how succession planning is carried out and how the decisions-making styles of library managers influence each stage of the succession planning.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach was used to gather data through a document analysis and interviews with library managers at four Sri Lankan university libraries. Data analysis was done applying the framework analysis (FA) tool.

Findings

The study revealed that succession planning has been practiced in Sri Lankan university libraries to develop a bench strength, skilled backup for key positions at all levels, while inculcating leadership competencies in their respective positions. The dominant decision style is the identifiable decision-making style within the succession planning process.

Research limitations/implications

The volume of the data obtained depends largely on the participants’ responses, and the interpretation of the data is subjected to minimum personal biasness of the researcher.

Practical implications

An understanding of how decision-making styles influence practices of succession planning contributes to assist library managers to carry out succession planning within the limitations of their autonomy to do so. The findings of this study benefit library managers in recognizing their own decision-making styles and the level of succession planning they have achieved.

Social implications

Library managers’ decision-making style can have an influence on how succession planning is carried out successfully at an academic library to ensure continuity of the library’s mission and vision.

Originality/value

This is the first known study to investigate how decision-making style of the manager influences each level of the succession planning at an academic library. The use of a systematic FA method for the qualitative data analysis reveals trustworthy results.
Reviewing and reforming library service points
Authors: Keisling Bruce L. , Sproles Claudene
Published: July 2017

Purpose

To support the success of their students and faculty, libraries have to understand changing user needs. Robust user assessment programs and analysis of service patterns can reveal many of those needs. Many libraries have responded to changing user expectations by consolidating service desks and providing better organization of user services. Recent advances in assessment have added to libraries’ capacity to refine the scope and goals of service desk mergers. Assessment and analysis support better conceptual frameworks for realigning organizational structures and overarching service models. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a renovation and organizational restructuring in Ekstrom Library at the University of Louisville as a case study, this paper examines the assessment process, organizational restructuring, and physical renovation that resulted in service desks merging.

Findings

This study found that comprehensive and ongoing user assessment is crucial to planning for renovations and service changes. User needs awareness must then be linked with organizational models and service delivery systems. Service desk mergers will be successful when they result from thoughtful assessment and analysis.

Research limitations/implications

Other case studies with assessment driven renovation projects, service desk mergers, and organizational changes would be useful to add to these findings.

Practical implications

This paper provides a process and framework for library leadership who are evaluating and revising service delivery models.

Originality/value

The perspectives and process described in this case study will be of value to improve library service delivery models.
Linking exploration to academic performance
Authors: Gkorezis Panagiotis , Kostagiolas Petros , Niakas Dimitris
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Substantial empirical research has addressed the antecedents of students’ academic performance. Building on these insights, the purpose of this paper is to extend the related literature by investigating the impact of students’ exploration on their academic performance. Furthermore, to provide a better understanding of this relationship the authors incorporate two sequential mediators, namely, information seeking and academic self-efficacy.

Design/methodology/approach

Quantitative approach using self-report questionnaires. This study was conducted in the Hellenic Open University through a specially designed questionnaire. The authors collected data from 248 students attending a postgraduate course in Healthcare Management.

Findings

The results showed that information seeking and in turn academic self-efficacy mediate the positive association between exploration and academic performance. Both theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

Originality/value

Students’ exploration plays an important role in enhancing both their information seeking and self-efficacy which in turn affects their academic performance.
Nick Moore, his information policy matrix, with a bibliometric analysis
Authors: Muir Adrienne , Oppenheim Charles
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine Nick Moore’s information policy matrix and how it has been used by Moore and others.

Design/methodology/approach

This study involved secondary search and a bibliographic study of the impact Moore’s work has had on other authors.

Findings

It is clear that there have been two quite separate trains of research in information policy, one in the USA and one in Europe, and that it appears from the literature that there is limited awareness of each other’s work. Focusing on the UK and European research, the papers the authors inspected that report information policy analyses make no mention of Moore’s work. It could be argued that Moore’s matrix is too simplistic for such a complex topic as information policy, but it may also be the case that there is a lack of awareness of how the matrix can be used in policy analysis as Moore’s published papers were general descriptions of the matrix, reported the findings of his analyses or suggested policy goals. Moore did not publish theoretical or methodological papers to explain how to go about policy analysis using his matrix.

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on secondary research and bibliographic analysis. Furthermore, primary research could have revealed deeper insights into use and impact of Moore’s framework by analysts and policy makers.

Originality/value

The paper highlights potential opportunities for international collaboration on information policy research, to explore more deeply theoretical models that could be used to underpin policy analysis as well as the potential value of Moore’s matrix.
Impact of library spending on the research output of the institution
Authors: Singh Shivendra , Pandita Ramesh
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact and role of libraries of the Institutes of Management in India in their research output. The study is based on the seven point performance evaluation parameter, whereby each individual library has been ranked on the basis of aggregate performance against each individual parameter. Some of the key parameters evaluated, include, preference of resource procurement namely, electronic or print, utilisation of library budget towards the procurement of print and electronic resources, average fund utilisation on resource procurement against each published research article and average fund utilisation on resource procurement against each faculty member. Research output against each faculty member and various other similar aspects have been evaluated.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is limited to the management institutes of India, but the findings can be generalised to assess omit it the overall trend across the management institutes in general and India in particular. The study is based on 2016 ranking list of Institutes of Management in India, compiled and released by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development, Govt. of India for the period 2012-2013, 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.

Findings

From the data analysis, it emerged that almost three-fourth of the library budget in the leading Management Institutes across India is being spent on the procurement of e-documents, mostly in the form of subscription of online journals. On average 1.18 research articles have been published by each faculty member during the period of study from each institute under study, with an average annual institutional research output of 19.63 research articles. In terms of resource allocation, on average Indian Rupees (INR) 0.986/million has been spent by each institutional library on the resource procurement against each published research article, and INR1.166/million has been spent on the resource procurement against each faculty member.

Practical implications

The study is an attempt to seek correlation between the money spend on the procurement of resources and its direct impact on the research output of that particular institution.

Originality/value

The study is original and first of its kind, undertaken in India.
An investigation of the online presence of UK universities on Instagram
Authors: Stuart Emma , Stuart David , Thelwall Mike
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Rising tuition fees and a growing importance on league tables has meant that university branding is becoming more of a necessity to attract prospective staff, students, and funding. Whilst university websites are an important branding tool, academic institutions are also beginning to exploit social media. Image-based social media services such as Instagram are particularly popular at the moment. It is therefore logical for universities to have a presence on popular image-based social media services such as Instagram. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the online presence of UK universities on Instagram in an initial investigation of use.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilizes webometric data collection, and content analysis methodology.

Findings

The results indicate that at the time of data analysis for this investigation (In the Spring of 2015), UK universities had a limited presence on Instagram for general university accounts, with only 51 out of 128 institutions having an account. The most common types of images posted were humanizing (31.0 percent), showcasing (28.8 percent), and orienting (14.3 percent). Orienting images were more likely to receive likes than other image types, and crowdsourcing images were more likely to receive comments.

Originality/value

This paper gives a valuable insight into the image posting practices of UK universities on Instagram. The findings are of value to heads of marketing, online content creators, social media campaign managers, and anyone who is responsible for the marketing, branding, and promoting of a university’s services.
Making sense of comments on YouTube educational videos: a self-directed learning perspective
Authors: Lee Chei Sian , Osop Hamzah , Goh Dion Hoe-Lian , Kelni Gani
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Through the lens of self-directed theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate if social technologies such as YouTube will be viable to disseminate educational instructions and in the process empowering learners to take charge of their learning.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 150 educational videos on YouTube were selected and 29,386 comments extracted using the authors’ customized extraction software application. Sentiment and qualitative content analyses were performed.

Findings

Results indicate that YouTube can play important roles in facilitating online self-directed learning (SDL) as the findings uncovered a variety of learning and social affordances of YouTube. However, caution should be exercised as high views and well-commented videos might not imply quality and credibility. This study concludes that YouTube generally provides a conducive a learning environment that affords learners the resources to meet their SDL objectives.

Research limitations/implications

To the best of knowledge, this is the first study that investigates SDL in social media by combining both qualitative content and sentiment analyses. The study shows that such a hybrid approach of combining two diverse analytical techniques provides an innovative means to make sense of comments expressed in social media.

Practical implications

The results will help educational institutions and policy-makers to craft better programs for public education and create policies to help self-directed learners in evaluating online video resources.

Originality/value

Despite a wealth of literature on the use of technologies to support learning, the majority of work done to date has dealt in the classroom context. Studies on SDL using educational content on YouTube are limited. Hence, this research contributes by providing insights on how educational institutions can move toward the direction of building collaborative digital learning platforms with relevant educational instruction and resources to enable users to participate in lifelong self-learning and education.
External supports in reward-based crowdfunding campaigns
Authors: Bao Zheshi , Huang Taozhen
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss some drivers which can promote reward-based crowdfunding campaigns and then compare their effects on two categories of cultural and creative projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors first distinguished the roles of “intrinsic qualities” and “external supports” in crowdfunding campaigns. Then based on the theories of reward-based crowdfunding, impression management and social capital, a research model was built to discuss the effects of external supports and a comparative study was conducted by using data collected from Kickstarter.com.

Findings

It indicates that the three dimensions of external supports (reward support, impression support, and relationship support) have positive effects on film and video and publishing projects. Besides, the authors also found that “category of a project” can moderate the relationship between impression support and crowdfunding performance. The effect of impression support on visual works is different from that on printed works.

Research limitations/implications

These findings not only prove that external supports actually play an important role in crowdfunding campaigns, but also reveal that for different categories of cultural and creative crowdfunding projects, the effects of external supports are different. Some other theoretical and practical implications are also provided.

Originality/value

This research reveals some details about the important role of external supports in crowdfunding campaigns and compares their effects on different categories of cultural and creative projects. It can provide useful suggestions for improving reward-based crowdfunding performance.
Evaluating the effectiveness of an online module for increasing financial literacy
Authors: Wolla Scott
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Financial literacy is lacking across all age groups, but less than one-third of young adults have even basic financial knowledge. Research has demonstrated that online learning is effective. As such, online learning strategies may be a useful tool for improving the financial literacy of high school students. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses student-level (N=3,061) and school-level data (n=100) to examine the effectiveness of Soar to Savings, an online learning module that teaches key personal finance and economics concepts.

Findings

The findings show large, positive, and statistically significant gains in learning from pretest to posttest for the student-level and school-level samples.

Originality/value

The results provide evidence that Soar to Savings is an effective tool for increasing financial knowledge.
Australia's national climate: learning to adapt?
Authors: Rickards Lauren , Neale Timothy , Kearnes Matthew
Published: July 2017

Pride in Australia's extreme climate has long been a part of Australia's national identity. Today, climate continues to be enrolled in a range of nationalistic projects, including the (re)development of climate science and other responses to climate change. In this paper, we outline some of the contours of the ‘Australian national climate’, claims to know it, and four idealised responses to it: bounce back, dismissal, endurance, and migration. We argue that the deeply cultural framing of climate in Australia—in particular, Australians' emphasis on the climate's inherent variability and unknowability, and their own historical adaptability—is being exploited by the federal government and hampering climate change mitigation nationally.
Exclusive right thoracic approach for esophagus surgery
Authors: Li Chuan , Ge Nan , Shen Yi , Jiao Wenjie
Published: July 2017

An exclusive right thoracic approach for esophagus surgery is rarely used, with few reports of its use in China. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 21 esophageal cancer patients from January 2010 to January 2015. Their age ranged from 74–83 years (average 76.6). All of the patients had lower pulmonary function. After multidisciplinary team discussion, sufficient preoperative preparation, and assessment of cardiopulmonary reserve, an exclusive right thoracic approach for esophageal cancer resection was performed. The esophagus was dissected in the right chest and the stomach was separated through the esophageal hiatus. The tube stomach and the esophageal remnant were anastomosed with a stapling device at the top of the right side of the thoracic cavity. All operations were successfully completed; however, there were two early postoperative deaths resulting from pulmonary infection and pulmonary artery embolism. The one‐year postoperative survival rate was 66.7%. An exclusive right thoracic approach could be selectively used for elderly patients with poor pulmonary function.
Farmers’ knowledge of Q fever and prevention approaches in New South Wales
Authors: Lower Tony , Corben Paul , Massey Peter , Depczynski Julie , Brown Tony , Stanley Priscilla , Osbourn Margaret , Durrheim David
Published: July 2017

Objective

To identify what New South Wales (NSW) farmers know about Q fever to inform preventive approaches.

Design

Thematic analysis of qualitative data gathered through semi‐structured individual interviews, focus groups and a community meeting.

Setting

Rural communities in NSW, Australia.

Participants

A total of 25 farmers participated in individual interviews (n = 4) or three focus groups, each with seven participants (n = 21). A further 27 persons, were involved in a community meeting.

Main outcome measures

Themes derived from the interviews, focus groups and community meeting.

Results

Knowledge variations regarding Q fever risk and transmission highlight a need for improved risk communication. Vaccination was viewed as the preferred prevention approach; barriers were raised including time, costs, access to screening/vaccination and General Practitioner (GP) knowledge about Q fever. Local vaccination initiatives were supported.

Conclusions

Strengthening existing GP knowledge and services leading to expanded provision of screening/vaccination could improve the coverage of Q fever vaccine in endemic NSW farming and rural communities.
What You Ask Is What You Get: Citizens’ Support for Military Action, But Not Diplomacy, Depends on Question Framing
Authors: Leidner Bernhard , Ginges Jeremy
Published: July 2017

Drawing on past research on judgment and decision making, as well as preference reversal, we investigated the impact of question framing on support for military versus diplomatic conflict resolution strategies. In three studies with two heterogeneous samples from the United States and one representative sample from Israel, preferences for military action were substantially stronger when asked in isolation (i.e., “yes/no” [support/reject]) rather than in conjunction with the alternative of diplomacy (i.e., “either‐or” [military or diplomacy]), sometimes even causing a complete reversal from majority support for military action to majority support for diplomacy. These findings point to problems in public opinion polls and scientific research on military support (usually presenting no alternatives), and address issues important for psychology, political science, sociology, and survey methodology. In a real world context, our findings have important implications for governmental decisions on conflict resolution strategies and the implementation of policies based on public opinion.
The impact of a universal intervention targeting perfectionism in children: An exploratory controlled trial
Authors: Vekas Eva J. , Wade Tracey D.
Published: July 2017

Objectives

Perfectionism is considered to be an underlying mechanism of relevance to a broad array of indicators of psychological distress. The current research examined the impact of a three‐session intervention targeting perfectionism in children on perfectionism, self‐criticism, and well‐being.

Design

The design of the current study can be considered quasi‐experimental as the intervention and control classes were not randomly allocated but decided by convenience factors at the school level.

Methods

Students (aged 10.08–12.79 years) were allocated to the intervention (N = 107, 41 boys) or control condition (N = 105, 33 boys), completing self‐report assessments on perfectionism, self‐criticism, and well‐being at baseline, post‐intervention, and 3‐month follow‐up.

Results

At post‐intervention, children in the intervention group had significantly lower perfectionism than the control group (d = 0.35, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.07–0.62) and at 3‐month follow‐up had significantly higher levels of well‐being (d = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.06–0.60). As predicted by theory, decreases in perfectionism mediated the relationship between condition and improved well‐being.

Conclusions

This exploratory study provides evidence for the usefulness of a brief universal prevention programme targeting perfectionism. Future research should use more robust designs, explore longer‐term effects, and the impact on a wider range of variables, including scholastic achievement.

Practitioner points

Clinical implications

Perfectionism linked with negative outcomes in children can be decreased in a classroom setting.

Decreasing perfectionism leads to improved well‐being in children.

Limitations

More rigorous designs along with better assessment of perfectionism are required in further evaluations.

The impact of perfectionism on scholastic achievement in children requires further investigation.