bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of achievement press on student success in elementary schools
Authors: Smith Page A. , Sean Kearney W.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the relative impact of achievement press on student success in elementary schools in the Southwestern USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from individual teacher assessments and student achievement tests are collected and aggregated at the campus level. Hierarchical linear modeling is utilized to calculate the Intra Class Correlation (ICC), then campus level scores for achievement press (along with control variables) are regressed on school success indicators in order to determine the relative impact of achievement press on various levels of school attainment.

Findings

The results of these analyses demonstrate that achievement press made a statistically significant independent contribution to school success, both near term (one year) and longitudinally (over three years).

Research limitations/implications

Via the use of a reliable and valid diagnostic tool, this investigation adds to the extant literature on school climate, achievement, and school effectiveness.

Practical implications

This study provides important information for educational leaders interested in improving both school climate and student achievement. Practical concerns about socioeconomic status and administrator longevity are also addressed.

Originality/value

This research validates the usefulness of achievement press as a concise multi‐level school climate measure. To that end, this study both demonstrates that achievement press makes an impact on school level success and adds to a growing body of literature connecting specific campus climate variables directly to student achievement.
Effects of inertia and satisfaction in female online shoppers on repeat‐purchase intention
Authors: Kuo Ying‐Feng , Hu Tzu‐Li , Yang Shu‐Chen
Published: May 2013

Purpose

With the prevalence of the internet, whether various interactive relationship building between online channel and consumers may lead or not to profit has been paid much attention by researchers and practitioners. It is also to note that the ratio of female shoppers online has been increasing, and female shoppers now outnumber male shoppers online. Based on the perspective of switching path analysis technique (SPAT), the aim of this study is to explore the effects of consumer inertia and satisfaction on repeat‐purchase intention among female online shoppers, and also to examine whether positive word‐of‐mouth and alternative attraction moderate the above relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from a self‐developed online survey system. The formal questionnaire consisted of three sections. The first section screened participants by gender and online shopping experience. The second section measured respondent perceptions of each construct in the research model. The last section aimed to understand respondent basic personal data.

Findings

The study results indicate that both consumer inertia and satisfaction positively influence repeat‐purchase intention, and that consumer inertia is more influential than satisfaction; moreover, positive word‐of‐mouth negatively moderates the relationship between consumer inertia and repeat‐purchase intention, but positively moderates that between satisfaction and repeat‐purchase intention; finally, alternative attraction does not moderate any of the above relationships significantly.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, the difference between the direct effect of inertia and satisfaction on purchasing behavior has not been investigated. Based on the study findings, suggestions are made for shopping website operators.
How community ventures mobilise resources
Authors: Vestrum Ingebjørg , Rasmussen Einar
Published: May 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to build theory on the resource mobilisation process of nascent community ventures (CVs). CVs are a type of social enterprises set up with the aim of creating social wealth within the communities in which they reside. Guided by resource dependence theory, the paper analyses how CVs introduce new ideas and activities into conservative communities. In particular, the paper explores how emerging CVs mobilise resources from local communities and how the resource mobilisation process shapes these new ventures.

Design/methodology/approach

Longitudinal case studies were conducted on the emergence of two music festivals in rural communities in Norway.

Findings

In the early stages of the venture formation process, the nascent CVs had an asymmetric dependence relationship with local resource providers because they lacked legitimacy and resources. The CVs were seeking to introduce new activities, and they simultaneously implemented two strategies to access resources: they adapted to and altered their environment. Throughout the resource mobilisation process, the CVs developed a joint dependence relationship with local resource providers. In later stages of the process, the CVs implemented strategies to increase their embeddedness and engage greater portions of the local communities in the ventures.

Originality/value

The paper's longitudinal approach to the resource mobilisation process made it possible to reveal how entrepreneurs and local resource providers interact over time to create new CVs. Building on resource dependence theory, the paper provides an explanation for how CVs are able to become embedded in their local communities while introducing new ideas that depart from existing practices.
Making sense of entrepreneurship journals
Authors: Stewart Alex , Cotton John
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Dozens of peer‐reviewed, English language journals are currently published in our field. How ought we to evaluate them? This paper seeks to answer this question.

Design/methodology approach

The paper utilizes both relevant literature and data on entrepreneurship journals. The literature derives from both information science and other research areas that reflect on their journals. The data derives from six citation measures from Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science.

Findings

The paper finds that there are 59 currently published English language, peer reviewed journals in entrepreneurship. Contestable judgments based on their impact measures suggest that one of these 59 could be considered as “A+”, four as “A”, five as “AB”, eight as “B”, four as “BC”, 23 as “C”, thirteen as “barely detectable”, and one as “insufficient data but promising”.

Research limitations/implications

Journal rankings affect the resources and prestige accorded to business schools, disciplines and subdisciplines, and individual scholars. However, the need to fit evaluations to school strategy implies that no rating system, ours included, is definitive. Multiple measures are needed, letter grades are misleading, and journal rankings should match the institution's strategy and priorities in stakeholder service. A wider purpose of this study is to alert readers to the range of current methodologies and the limits of conventional rankings.

Originality/value

The conclusions presented in this paper appear innocuous, but standard practice is to use restrictive measures, to employ letter grades, and to prioritize only one stakeholder: scholars. These practices are poorly suited to the entrepreneurship field.
Self‐control, fluctuating willpower, and forensic practice
Authors: Baumeister Roy F.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

This article aims to explain the relevance of new findings about self‐control and willpower for antisocial behaviour and forensic practice.

Design/methodology/approach

The relevance of the phenomena is covered first, followed by an exposition of how self‐control works.

Findings

The basic ingredients for effective self‐control are standards, monitoring, and willpower. Willpower fluctuates as a function of demands on it (including decision making) and bodily states (including food and rest). Self‐control and willpower can be increased, even in adults.

Practical implications

Antisocial and criminal behaviour is often mediated by failures of self‐control. Remediation and prevention can benefit by applying a correct understanding of how self‐control functions.

Originality/value

Understanding of self‐control has advanced greatly in recent years and is highly relevant to forensic practice. Clients can learn to gain control over their actions.
A recovery perspective on community day leaves
Authors: Walker Alisha , Farnworth Louise , Lapinksi Shelley
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Community day leaves are one aspect of the rehabilitation offered at a secure forensic mental health facility in Australia. This study aimed to investigate staff and patients' understanding of community day leaves and how recovery principles were embedded.

Design/methodology/approach

Ten escorted community day leaves were observed and 21 semi‐structured interviews with staff and patients were conducted. Using an ethnographic research approach, thematic analysis guided by a comparative method was used to reveal the similarities and differences between staff and patient perspectives of escorted leaves and how principles of recovery were practiced.

Findings

Although staff and patients expressed their understanding differently, they had a similar overall understanding of the function of community day leaves, that being, to successfully reintegrate and practice daily living skills. Recovery principles practiced included developing a sense of connectedness to others, power over their own lives, the roles they value, and therefore, hope for themselves. However, how these were facilitated by staff and practiced by patients, varied.

Practical implications

Community day leaves can have the potential therapeutic benefits of enhancing or hindering recovery due to the staff member's facilitation. This study revealed how important it is for staff members to utilise recovery principles to enhance rehabilitation goals and therapeutic benefits.

Originality/value

This study has identified that community day leaves need to be shaped by recovery principles, leading towards successful community integration and goals and objectives need to be agreed upon by both staff and patients.
Problematic substance use among forensic psychiatric community patients
Authors: Sender‐Galloway Simeon , Clark Tom
Published: May 2013

Purpose

An association between problematic substance use and severe mental illness has been demonstrated in various settings, but not among community forensic psychiatric patients. This paper aims to investigate the prevalence and correlates of problematic substance use among the community patients of one regional forensic psychiatric service.

Design/methodology/approach

Historical data on diagnosis, offending and problematic substance use were gathered by reviewing case notes. Current substance use and psychosocial functioning were ascertained from structured interviews with community psychiatric nurses. Outcome measures included HoNOS ratings, the Global Assessment of Functioning, and the Clinical Rating Scale for substance use.

Findings

Of 92 patients, 91.2 per cent had a history of problematic substance use and 31.5 per cent of them were currently using substances problematically, most commonly cannabis and alcohol. Current problematic substance use was associated with a range of negative outcomes, in terms of illness severity, compliance with treatment, and psychosocial functioning.

Research limitations/implications

The results may not be generalizable to services in different areas or those with different models of service provision. Causality should not be assumed from a cross sectional study.

Practical implications

Inpatient psychiatric treatment in secure services appears to be associated with a large reduction in the level of problematic substance use, but a large residual need remains among community patients. Services which provide community care for forensic patients must seek to integrate treatment for problematic substance use with treatment for mental illness.

Originality/value

This is the first description of the substance use related needs among community forensic psychiatric patients.
Intellectual capital reporting in the Italian non‐profit sector: analysing a case study
Authors: Bronzetti Giovanni , Veltri Stefania
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the IC reporting practices of an Italian non‐profit organization (NPO), the ANPAS Piemonte, selected as it is one of the few cases with a longstanding experience in issuing IC reports.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an exploratory, qualitative case study focused on a single case study organization. The study took place over eight years. The case description and analysis are based on the IC reports published by the company.

Findings

This paper concludes that the ANPAS Piemonte is an organization that has expended considerable focus and effort in developing an IC measurement and reporting model. It has a well‐established IC reporting procedure, but a comprehensive view of IC and of the synergies among IC subcategories is lacking.

Research limitations/implications

The study focuses on a single case study of a NPO providing public interest services in Italy. The main limitation therefore lies in the difficulties in generalizing the ANPAS Piemonte's experience to other NPOs. From the IC management point of view, the distinction between different industries may be as important as the profit orientation, as well as the operations of the third sector may vary across countries.

Originality/value

The contribution of the article lies in its analysis of the IC reports of an organization in the context of the NP sector, as few prior studies have examined the third sector from an ICR perspective.
Intellectual capital and performance within the banking sector of Luxembourg and Belgium
Authors: Mention Anne‐Laure , Bontis Nick
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Intellectual capital is widely acknowledged as the most critical resource of modern organizations. Nevertheless, empirical evidence on its actual contribution to the dynamics of the value creation process remains scarce, especially within certain sectors and geographic regions. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap by investigating the effects of intellectual capital and its components on business performance in banking institutions within Luxembourg and Belgium.

Design/methodology/approach

This empirical research is conducted using a dedicated survey instrument administered to over 200 banks. Data analysis is achieved through structural equation modeling.

Findings

Results indicate that human capital contributes both directly and indirectly to business performance in the banking sector. Structural and relational capital are positively related to business performance, though results are not statistically significant. Surprisingly, relational capital has been evidenced to negatively moderate the effect of structural capital on performance.

Research limitations/implications

Traditional limitations of a cross‐sectional study apply with respect to the attribution of causality and the time lag effects.

Practical implications

A set of reliable items to capture intellectual capital has been identified and represents actionable knowledge for implementing an intellectual capital dashboard in banks. The dominant role of human capital also provides insight to managers with respect to business performance levers.

Originality/value

Disentangling the effects of intellectual capital on business performance is of the utmost importance in service firms, as they are heavily reliant on intangible resources and capabilities. This research contributes to develop current understanding of these effects. Moreover, interaction effects between human, structural and relational capital have also been uncovered, thus extending prior knowledge on these complex relationships.
A taxonomy of manufacturing strategies in manufacturing companies in Ireland
Authors: Grant Noeleen , Cadden Trevor , McIvor Ronan , Humphreys Paul
Published: May 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to replicate the taxonomic study of Miller and Roth and to validate its applicability in a small newly industrialised country.

Design/methodology/approach

– An empirical survey of manufacturing companies in Ireland was conducted using a research instrument that replicated the questions asked in the original 1994 study. Data was collected using mail questionnaires posted to 874 manufacturers. A total of 199 respondents were used for this study. The study tested two central hypotheses using advanced statistical data analysis techniques, such as canonical discriminant analysis.

Findings

– The results of the research identified three clustered strategic groups (Best Value, Budget and Multi Focus) which were different from those of Miller and Roth: caretakers, marketeers and innovators. The study supported the dynamic nature of manufacturing strategy, and shows how new manufacturing strategies evolve over time and differ between regions.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research should replicate this study in other small newly industrialised countries. Given the recently changed nature of the economy within Ireland, a longitudinal study would provide useful insights into the dynamics of manufacturing capabilities.

Practical implications

– The study provides important insights into manufacturing strategy within a small newly industrialised country. The results suggest that manufacturing strategies appear to change depending on the country of plant location. The manufacturing strategies may be attributed to the unique business environment, challenges and constraints of the country.

Originality/value

– There is a scarcity of taxonomy studies in general, and there is a dearth of such studies in small newly industrialised countries such as Ireland. Through identifying a new taxonomy the study contributes to the existing literature on manufacturing strategy, and challenges the global applicability of taxonomies developed in the USA.
Does the organizational culture act as a moderator in Indian enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects?
Authors: Annamalai C. , Ramayah T.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

– There is significant evidence of increasing global implementation failures in enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects; and, for this reason, critical success factors (CSF) on implementation success (IS) are of notable concern to manufacturing organizations. This paper aims to focus on these factors and the role they played toward implementation success of ERP projects in India. Furthermore, this paper will also seek to explore whether the implementation success is moderated (i.e. influenced) by the organizational culture. This will help other manufacturing organizations take appropriate decisions about the ERP implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

– In the proposed model, the authors propose organizational culture as the moderator toward the implementation success of ERP projects in India. A survey methodology is used for the study, and a structured questionnaire was developed to get the information.

Findings

– Through this study, it has been found that the organizational culture acts as a moderator and moderates the relationship between CSF and implementation success of the ERP projects in India.

Research limitations/implications

– This study offers both academicians and practitioners a model to research, assess, and identify the appropriate CSF such as Setting up ERP business goals and objectives (SEB), Cross-Functional Teams (CFT), Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Projects Tracking (PTG), and Data Analysis and Conversion (DAG) on IS of ERP projects in India and moderated by the organizational culture. The research is targeted on manufacturing organizations in India, and hence it has limitations in terms of scope. However, the results are quite encouraging with very good response (n=223) from the manufacturing organizations. Other manufacturing organizations planning to implement ERP soon will be highly benefited from the results of this study.

Originality/value

– Unfortunately, few research studies define the issues related to the moderator namely the organizational culture. This paper demonstrates how this moderator played an important role in ERP implementation. The findings will encourage Indian manufacturing organizations to implement ERP when facing challenges of the competitive market for their competitive advantage. For India, this research could be among the first to its nature.
Climate projections for southern Africa using complementary methods
Authors: Lutz Julia , Volkholz Jan , Gerstengarbe Friedrich‐Wilhelm
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The Orange River is one of the largest river basins in southern Africa. Since it plays a crucial role in the region's ecology and economy, it is important to estimate future developments in its hydrology. A necessary means to this end are climate projections. This paper seeks to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

In this work the authors present projections obtained by two complementary methods; they use a Statistical Analogue Re‐sampling Scheme (STARS) and a dynamical regional climate model (CCLM – COSMO in Climate Mode). In order to determine the viability of these methods, the authors perform cross‐validations for the years 1976‐2000.

Findings

CCLM shows good performance regarding the 2 m temperature but the reproduction of precipitation is rather poor. STARS, on the other hand, produces very good results for both variables. The climate projections of both models show a considerable temperature increase for the future (2036‐2060, SRES A1B scenario), especially in the inland of the simulation area. However, while CCLM projects a general decrease in precipitation, STARS indicates a strong precipitation decrease in the already dry western part of the region and a moderate decrease resp. no change in the east during the rain season.

Originality/value

For the first time the statistical approach used gridded data as its input. Therefore, it was possible to apply complementary methods in order to generate the climate projections and to compare them.
Climate change adaptation and EIA studies in Kenya
Authors: Kamau Julius W. , Mwaura Francis
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The paper is an excerpt from a bigger study with an overall aim of examining the extent to which climate change adaptation has been integrated in the EIA studies undertaken in Kenya since the process inception in 2000. The purpose was to establish whether adequate attention is given to the issue of climate change mitigation as major challenge in the world during the 21st century.

Design/methodology/approach

The research design is based on qualitative research involving a review of EIA reports approved by the national environmental authority and also based on key informant consultations with licensed EIA experts in the country. Thereafter, the findings were analyzed through standard statistical procedures.

Findings

The findings showed that climate change integration in all the reviewed EIA reports was mainly restricted to mere consideration of historical climate change information in the project areas and totally weak in terms of climate change prediction scenarios and their likely impacts on the proposed development projects. However, consultations with most EIA practitioners indicated that integration of climate change adaptive capabilities into the EIA process was a relevant issue but admitted that the implementation modalities were unclear.

Originality/value

The study is the first in evaluating the level of integration for climate change in EIA studies in Kenya and the findings will inform EIA implementation in the country. It also forms a good basis for comparative studies with EIA studies in other countries of the world.
An assessment of climate variation risks on agricultural production
Authors: Teka Oscar , Laurent Houessou Gbenato , Oumorou Madjidou , Vogt Joachim , Sinsin Brice
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the local communities' perception of climate variation effects on crop production and the adopted strategies by farmers in order to cope with the negative effects of climate on the agriculture in the coastal zone of Benin.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 290 agricultural households were sampled and surveyed through structured interviews. The principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the relative frequencies citation of perceived climate variation indication in order to describe the relationship between risk perceptions according to socio‐demographic characteristics. The relative frequency of citation was calculated according to age, gender, ethnic group and agro‐ecological region.

Findings

Results showed that almost 83 per cent of the respondents already perceived the climate change risks through several indications. Climate variation perception varied with respect to age. Respondents' opinion regarding climate variation causes depended generally on their age, religion and level of education. As far as climate variation risks impact on crop production is concerned, the respondents' opinions diverged.

Originality/value

The assessment of local communities' perception is important to design participatory and sustainable measures to cope with harmful effects of climate variation on crop production.
Supporting local adaptive capacity to climate change in the Congo basin forest of Cameroon
Authors: Youssoufa Bele Mekou , Jean Sonwa Denis , Tiani Anne Marie
Published: May 2013

Purpose

This paper aims at assessing the vulnerability of local communities in the Congo basin forests of Cameroon; to help them identify their specific needs for adaptation, and to facilitate knowledge sharing with the aim of enhancing adaptive capacity.

Design/methodology/approach

Using participatory‐action research approach, research was carried out in two project sites in Nkol‐evodo and in Yokadouma in the Center and South‐East Regions of Cameroon, respectively. The authors shared participatory‐research (PAR) steps and processes to assist other researchers and local stakeholders to jointly assess, monitor and adapt to climatic and other changes.

Findings

This study shows that the adverse effects of climate conditions to which study communities are exposed are already being felt and exerting considerable stress on most of the important activities to their livelihoods such as agriculture and exploitation of national resources. PAR tools and processes led to participatory diagnosis, conceptualizing of change, participatory identification, prioritization and implementation of specific strategies for climate change adaptation in the study sites. However, further studies are needed to investigate the effectiveness of these strategies.

Practical implications

The PAR experiences show that stakeholders' involvement throughout the project needs to be considered by researchers who wish to enhance the adaptive capacity of the communities they work with.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the description of the process for enhancing adaptive capacity of forest living communities. Findings in this research may provide a crucial foundation for community‐based adaptation measures and complement broader‐scale scientific research with local precision.
Relationship quality in sports: a study in football teams and fitness centres
Authors: Athanasopoulou Pinelopi , Kalogeropoulou Dora , Douvis John
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify the antecedents and dimensions of relationship quality (RQ) between customers and providers of athletic services.

Design/methodology/approach

Data collection involved in‐depth, personal interviews of fitness centre customers and year‐ticket holders of football clubs in order to determine the similarities and differences between the two contexts. RQ is approached from the point of view of the customer since no other study has investigated that part of the dyad. Data were analysed with thematic content analysis.

Findings

In fitness clubs, RQ is perceived as a relationship that involves trust, customer satisfaction and commitment; social bonds with employees; effective cooperation and communication, and adaptation of services to suit customers’ needs. In contrast, the relationship of football club year‐ticket holders is simpler and is perceived as trusting; satisfying for customers and one where customers feel committed to the team. The antecedents of RQ identified do not differ between the two types of relationship studied and include the quality of the servicescape; the power of entertainment; the quality of personnel; customer experience and knowledge; customer relationship orientation; relationship duration, and circumstantial or personal factors such as free time shortage, family obligations or bad weather conditions. Based on these findings a conceptual framework is developed for analysing RQ and its antecedents in athletic services.

Research limitations/implications

The study extends findings regarding RQ in athletic services. However, it is qualitative in nature. Future research should quantify the constructs identified and test them in quantitative studies.

Practical implications

The implications of the study are wide and include appropriate methods of selecting and training staff; the effective management of service portfolios; customer training; providing an entertaining experience for customers, and designing a good quality servicescape.

Originality/value

The conceptual framework developed can serve as a guide for sport managers in enhancing the value of relationships with customers.
A model of sporting event tourism as economic development
Authors: Roche Sarah , Spake Deborah F. , Joseph Mathew
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a moderated model of sport tourism as an economic development generator from a destination marketing perspective. The model takes into account the differing roles of sport tourism segments on the relationship between motivators of sport tourism and destinations outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual paper presents a framework for explaining the differential impact of factors that influence sport tourism based on the tourist segment attracted to the destination.

Findings

The proposed model, supported by extant literature, presents sport tourist types as moderating a variety of influencing factors that determine sport tourists’ interest in visiting a destination and the resulting economic impact on a destination.

Practical implications

Practical implications are discussed for managing and marketing destination‐specific factors to appeal to different segments of the sport tourism market in order to maximize the economic impact of sport tourism.

Originality/value

This conceptual model provides a contribution to tourism researchers by providing a comprehensive view of the complex nature of the factors that influence destination choice for different types of sports tourists and the possible economic outcomes that can result.
Towards autonomous localization and mapping of AUVs: a survey
Authors: Chen Ling , Wang Sen , McDonald‐Maier Klaus , Hu Huosheng
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate two key elements of localization and mapping of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), i.e. to overview various sensors and algorithms used for underwater localization and mapping, and to make suggestions for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors first review various sensors and algorithms used for AUVs in the terms of basic working principle, characters, their advantages and disadvantages. The statistical analysis is carried out by studying 35 AUV platforms according to the application circumstances of sensors and algorithms.

Findings

As real‐world applications have different requirements and specifications, it is necessary to select the most appropriate one by balancing various factors such as accuracy, cost, size, etc. Although highly accurate localization and mapping in an underwater environment is very difficult, more and more accurate and robust navigation solutions will be achieved with the development of both sensors and algorithms.

Research limitations/implications

This paper provides an overview of the state of art underwater localisation and mapping algorithms and systems. No experiments are conducted for verification.

Practical implications

The paper will give readers a clear guideline to find suitable underwater localisation and mapping algorithms and systems for their practical applications in hand.

Social implications

There is a wide range of audiences who will benefit from reading this comprehensive survey of autonomous localisation and mapping of UAVs.

Originality/value

The paper will provide useful information and suggestions to research students, engineers and scientists who work in the field of autonomous underwater vehicles.
Heuristic path planning of unmanned aerial vehicle formations
Authors: Hino Takuma , Tsuchiya Takeshi
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to propose a novel method to plan paths of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) formations. This is to make use of the aerodynamic advantage of formation flight to reduce energy consumption of UAVs.

Design/methodology/approach

The method proposed in this research make use of the fact that, under certain conditions, the regions where if a UAV rendezvous or separates with another UAV would save energy by formation flying can be analytically calculated. The intersections of these regions are used to decide which UAV are to fly in the same formation. This combination of which UAV are to fly together and what order they join/part from the formation is called the topology of the problem.

Findings

The proposed method was proved to be effective in identifying efficient topologies, with the majority of the topologies selected falling below 5 percent error rate in terms of energy.

Originality/value

The originality of this research lies in the fact that the proposed method is completely visualised – all the necessary information to organise formations is visualised in the envelopes. Still, the proposed method was proved to be effective in selecting efficient topologies.
Evaluation of quad ducted‐fan helicopter
Authors: Miwa Masafumi , Uemura Shinji , Ishihara Yasuyuki , Imamura Akitaka , Shim Joon‐hwan , Ioi Kiyoshi
Published: May 2013

Purpose

With the purpose of clearing up the risk to rotor blades, this paper develops a quad ducted‐fan helicopter using four ducted‐fans instead of four rotor blades in a quad rotor helicopter.

Design/methodology/approach

Auto hovering test, auto cruise test, and altitude control simulations were conducted to estimate the flight performance of the quad ducted‐fan helicopter.

Findings

Flight performance of the test quad ducted‐fan helicopter is almost same as a commercial quad rotor helicopter, and it succeeds to decrease the risk to the rotor blade. However, endurance is shorter than that of the quad rotor helicopter, because of the ducted‐fan characteristics.

Research limitations/implications

The test quad ducted‐fan helicopter can fly for about four minutes with two packs of fourcell (16.8 V)‐2200 mAh Lipo batteries, and it needs about 3.3 times as much energy as quad rotor helicopter. The authors will improve the performance of quad ducted‐fan helicopter by aerodynamics analysis and design of ducted‐fan system

Practical implications

This is expected to reduce the risk of rotor blade mounted on multi rotor helicopter.

Social implications

The research will facilitate the development of safety autonomous multi‐copters in various civilian applications.

Originality/value

The research purpose is to realize safety multi‐copter flight using ducted‐fan instead of rotor blade.
Religion as a coping mechanism for global labor
Authors: Mir Raza A.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

This paper seeks to analyze the manner in which an immigrant community (South Asian Shia Muslims) deploys religious institutions as a coping mechanism to survive in a demanding and culturally alien environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis is derived from an ethnographic examination of a community of South Asian Shia Muslims in the United States.

Findings

The paper focuses on three elements of organizational coping. First, communities struggle with the promises and perils of transnationalism. Second, the coming of age of children, whose life experiences do not involve dislocation, produce interesting generational engagements. Finally, the community is often challenged by the nuanced task of political engagement with the broader society.

Research implications

An in‐depth focus on employment‐related experiences of Shia Muslim diaspora in the West may be a fruitful area for future research.

Practical implications

Employers and governments ought to pay attention to internal heterogeneity of Muslims in understanding and managing diversity.

Originality/value

This is a seminar paper on Shia Muslim diaspora in the USA and relates the study to the realm of workplace diversity.
I want to touch the sky: how an enterprise challenges stigma for sex‐workers
Authors: Kilpatrick Rob , Pio Edwina
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how a “just” enterprise can challenge stigma deeply embedded in culture and in the process develop and prevent a whole new generation of women, in this case the daughters and grand‐daughters of sex‐workers, from being stigmatized.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on fieldwork interviews this paper, through appreciative inquiry analyses and most significant change questioning, examines the development of an Indian based enterprise called Freeset, a company employing women leaving sex work, and examines its history and its possible future trajectory. Freeset challenges the stigma of these Indian sex‐workers, including that perpetuated through patriarchy, by offering alternative work which displays respect for their abilities and dreams and up‐skills them to function as leaders in their communities.

Findings

While stigma erodes social status by discounting and discrediting persons considered outside the norm, it is possible to challenge that process and change the life trajectory of its victims.

Research limitations/implications

Hearing and highlighting the voice of the stigmatized is vital in clarifying a holistic view of stigma and its impact on society.

Practical implications

There are significant insights into how values based enterprises might establish their ethos in cultures that discount those values the enterprise upholds.

Originality/value

Few enterprises focused on producing social change outcomes develop sustainable business practices that challenge the economic root causes of stigma. Freeset provides new insights into managing diversity issues in a South Asian context to achieve that goal.
Case report of anti‐transcription intermediary factor‐1‐γ/α antibody‐positive dermatomyositis associated with gastric cancer and immunoglobulin G4‐positive pulmonary inflammatory pseudotumor
Authors: Ito Kotaro , Imafuku Shinichi , Hamaguchi Yasuhito , Fujimoto Manabu , Nakayama Juichiro
Published: May 2013

Dermatomyositis is a rare connective tissue disease often associated with internal malignancy and interstitial pneumonitis. Serologically, various auto‐antibodies (Ab) are associated with dermatomyositis. Anti‐transcription intermediary factor‐1‐γ/α (TIF‐1‐γ/α) Ab was recently identified as an auto‐Ab and was observed mostly in cancer‐associated dermatomyositis. IgG4‐related disease is a newly described entity characterized by increased serum IgG4 levels and IgG4‐positive plasma cell infiltration with fibrosis in organs such as the pancreas and parotid gland. IgG4‐related disease also includes inflammatory pseudotumors in various organs. We report herein a 59‐year‐old Japanese man who had dermatomyositis complicated with a gastric cancer and an IgG4‐related pulmonary inflammatory pseudotumor. He manifested typical classical Gottron's papules on the fingers, V‐sign erythema on the chest, flagellate erythema on the back, nail fold bleeding and facial erythema. Serum levels of anti‐TIF‐1‐γ/α Ab were positive as assessed by immunoprecipitation assay. He also had bilateral swelling of the parotid gland, and an excised specimen of the lung showed inflammatory pseudotumor with IgG4‐positive plasma cells. As far as we know, this case is the first to report the association of IgG4‐related disease and TIF‐1‐γ/α‐positive dermatomyositis. Further accumulation of such cases is required to elucidate the mechanism of this association.
Epidermolysis bullosa pruriginosa triggered by scabies infestation
Authors: Kim Jaehwan , Loh Chee Hoou , Murrell Dedee F.
Published: May 2013

Epidermolysis bullosa pruriginosa (EB‐Pr) is an unusual variant of dystrophic EB. Potential genetic disease modifiers and metabolic factors have been investigated, but thus far no specific insight into this phenotype has emerged. We report an in‐depth description of three patients diagnosed as having EB‐Pr in whom this particular phenotype developed after scabies infestation and dramatically improved after full treatment. This short communication suggests that scabies infestation could be one of the important triggering factors for the development of the EB‐Pr phenotype.
Paracrine cytokine mechanisms underlying the hyperpigmentation of seborrheic keratosis in covered skin areas
Authors: Takenaka Yuko , Hoshino Yumi , Nakajima Hiroaki , Hayashi Nobukazu , Kawashima Makoto , Imokawa Genji
Published: May 2013

We previously reported that increased expression of the endothelin (EDN)1/EDNB receptor (EDNBR) as well as the stem cell factor (SCF)/SCF receptor (c‐KIT) linkages is mainly responsible for the activation of melanocytes in the epidermal hyperpigmentation of ultraviolet (UV)‐B melanosis and lentigo senilis (LS). In this study, we characterized seborrheic keratosis (SK) to examine the paracrine cytokine mechanism(s) involved in its epidermal hyperpigmentation by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry and western blotting analyses. In contrast to our previous study which showed the upregulated expression of EDN1 and EDNBR at the transcriptional and translational levels in the epidermis of SK, we observed unexpectedly that the cytokine SCF and its receptor c‐KIT are not upregulated, but are downregulated at both the gene and protein levels. We established SK cell lines to examine whether SK basaloid cells are less sensitive to SCF‐inducible stimulation than are normal human keratinocytes (NHK). Comparison of the stimulatory effects of interleukin (IL)‐1α or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α on SCF production between SK cells and NHK demonstrated that SK cells do not respond to IL‐1α or TNF‐α to stimulate production of SCF, whereas a significant stimulation of SCF is elicited by those same cytokines in NHK. These finding underscore a role of phenotypic changes in melanogenic cytokine production in the epidermis between SK and LS/UV‐B melanosis.
Single‐trait functional indices outperform multi‐trait indices in linking environmental gradients and ecosystem services in a complex landscape
Authors: Butterfield Bradley J. , Suding Katharine N.
Published: May 2013

Functional traits can be used to describe the composition of communities through indices that seek to explain the factors that drive community assembly, biotic effects on ecosystem processes or both. Appropriately representing functional composition is therefore essential for predicting the consequences of environmental context and management actions for the provisioning of multiple ecosystem services (ESs) in heterogeneous landscapes.

Functional indices can be constructed from single or multiple traits; however, it is not clear how they differ in information content or ability to predict biodiversity – ecosystem function relationships in complex landscapes. Here, we compare the utility of analogous single‐ and multi‐trait indices in linking environmental variation and functional composition to ESs in a heterogeneous landscape, relating functional indices based on three plant traits [height, relative growth rate and root density (RD)] to variation in the physical environment and to two ESs (forage production and soil carbon) and their net ES level.

Two orthogonal gradients, elevation and soil bulk density (BD), explained significant variation in several dimensions of functional composition comprised of single traits. These traits in turn significantly predicted variation in ESs and their net values. Only one index measured with multiple traits (functional richness) varied with the physical environment, while none predicted variation in ES or net ES levels.

One ES, soil carbon, increased with the community‐average value of RD, while the other, forage production, was related to the range and community‐average value of height. In turn, average RD increased with soil BD while the average and range of height declined with elevation. Due to these environmental patterns, soil carbon and forage production did not covary strongly, leading to moderate net ES levels across the landscape.

Synthesis: Single‐trait indices of functional composition best linked variation in environmental gradients with productivity and soil carbon. Because the environment–trait functioning relationships were independent of one another, the ESs were independently distributed across the landscape, providing little evidence of synergies or trade‐offs. Single‐ and multi‐trait indices contained unique information about functional composition of these communities, and both are likely to have a place in predicting variation in ESs under different scenarios.