bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A survey of absenteeism on construction sites
Authors: Srour F. Jordan , Srour Issam , Lattouf M. Ghayth
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The construction industry is dynamic and often unregulated due to its complex, project-based nature. This makes the task of implementing human resource management (HRM) functions more difficult than in other economic sectors. This is particularly the case for developing countries which rely on a migrant, casual, and transient workforce. Despite offering flexibility, a transient workforce can lead to unpredictable rates of absenteeism and unsatisfactory productivity. This paper links HRM practices in the construction industry of the developing world to rates of absenteeism across three segments of the construction workforce – foremen, skilled workers, and unskilled workers. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey targeting 60 construction sites in Beirut, Lebanon form the basis of the analysis. Within each site, measures of absenteeism for foremen, skilled, and unskilled workers were solicited along with other data on HRM onsite.

Findings

The results suggest a regression model for worker absenteeism based on tenure of work as well as the absenteeism of workers at the next hierarchical level onsite.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to show a link between the mechanisms by which construction workers are employed (contract-based foremen vs daily/weekly labourers – both skilled and unskilled) and the rate of absenteeism seen onsite. Given the role of absenteeism in construction productivity, having a good understanding of the underlying causes of absenteeism is critical to the design of mitigating policies.
Firm’s survival, rating and efficiency: new empirical evidence
Authors: Manello Alessandro , Calabrese Giuseppe Giulio
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants of firms’ survival during crisis in the Italian automotive value chain.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose a survival analysis, based on a dichotomic model, in which supply chain features, technical efficiency (TE) and ratings are included as explanatory variables with other controls.

Findings

TE and financial health positively influence survival. Some supply chain variables are significant such as direct supply, geographical location and outsourcing level, whereas the proximity to the national carmaker is insignificant.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of the study is the lack of qualitative data related to supply management practice in the automotive industry.

Originality/value

The study combine supply chain aspects with firms’ survival, TE and financial ratings.
Influence of customer participation on information technology services
Authors: Wu Jia-Jhou , Kung Hung Yu , Lin Tom M.Y.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how customer participation (CP) influences the two contrasting relationship maintenance mechanisms: dedication and constraint, and identifies its antecedents in the context of business-to-business information technology (IT) services.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical study was conducted through a survey of 126 firms receiving IT services in Taiwan. The partial least squares method was used to test the conceptual model of the study.

Findings

The results indicated that CP positively relates to IT service quality, thereby influencing satisfaction (i.e. dedication). In addition, CP was also found to be positively associated with switching costs (i.e. constraint). Both satisfaction and switching costs have significant influences on loyalty. Furthermore, IT capabilities, organizational compatibility, and role clarity are positively related to CP.

Research limitations/implications

Longitudinal studies are needed to explore how CP affects the dual mechanisms in different phases of customer-firm relationships.

Originality/value

The study contributes to a thorough understanding of the influences of CP on relationship maintenance.
Detecting sarcasm in customer tweets: an NLP based approach
Authors: Mukherjee Shubhadeep , Bala Pradip Kumar
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study sarcasm in online text – specifically on twitter – to better understand customer opinions about social issues, products, services, etc. This can be immensely helpful in reducing incorrect classification of consumer sentiment toward issues, products and services.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, 5,000 tweets were downloaded and analyzed. Relevant features were extracted and supervised learning algorithms were applied to identify the best differentiating features between a sarcastic and non-sarcastic sentence.

Findings

The results using two different classification algorithms, namely, Naïve Bayes and maximum entropy show that function words and content words together are most effective in identifying sarcasm in tweets. The most differentiating features between a sarcastic and a non-sarcastic tweet were identified.

Practical implications

Understanding the use of sarcasm in tweets let companies do better sentiment analysis and product recommendations for users. This could help businesses attract new customers and retain the old ones resulting in better customer management.

Originality/value

This paper uses novel features to identify sarcasm in online text which is one of the most challenging problems in natural language processing. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study on sarcasm detection from a customer management perspective.
The Pransky interview: Dr Cory Kidd, Founder and CEO at Catalia Health
Authors: Pransky Joanne
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is a “Q&A interview” conducted by Joanne Pransky of Industrial Robot Journal as a method to impart the combined technological, business and personal experience of a prominent, robotic industry PhD-turned-entrepreneur regarding the evolution, commercialization and challenges of bringing a technological invention to market.

Design/methodology/approach

The interviewee is Dr Cory Kidd, an inventor, entrepreneur and leading practitioner in the field of human–robot interaction. Dr Kidd shares his 20-year journey of working at the intersection of healthcare and technology and how he applied innovative technologies toward solving large-scale consumer healthcare challenges.

Findings

Dr Kidd received his BS degree in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology and earned a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow in Computer and Information Science & Engineering. Dr Kidd received his MS and PhD degrees at the MIT Media Lab in human–robot interaction. While there, he conducted studies that showed the psychological and clinical advantages of using a physical robot over screen-based interactions. While finishing his PhD in 2007, he founded his first company, Intuitive Automata, which created interactive coaches for weight loss. Though Intuitive Automata ceased operations in 2013, Dr Kidd harnessed his extensive knowledge of the healthcare business and the experiences from patient engagement and launched Catalia Health in 2014 with a new platform centered specifically around patient behavior change programs for chronic disease management.

Originality/value

Dr Kidd is a pioneer of social robotics and has developed groundbreaking technology for healthcare applications that combines artificial intelligence, psychology and medical best practices to deliver everyday care to patients who are managing chronic conditions. He holds patents, including one entitled Apparatus and Method for Assisting in Achieving Desired Behavior Patterns and in an Interactive Personal Health Promoting Robot. Dr Kidd was awarded the inaugural Wall Street Journal and Credit Suisse Technopreneur of the Year in 2010, which is meant to “honor the entry that best applies technology with the greatest potential for commercial success”. He is also the Director of Business Development for the nonprofit Silicon Valley Robotics and is an impact partner for Fresco Capital. He consults, mentors and serves as a Board Member and Advisor to several high-tech startups.
Design of a novel robotic system for minimally invasive surgery
Authors: Ai Yue , Pan Bo , Fu Yili , Wang Shuguo
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Robot-assisted system for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been attracting more and more attentions. Compared with a traditional MIS, the robot-assisted system for MIS is able to overcome or reduce defects, such as poor hand-eye coordination, heavy labour intensity and limited motion of the instrument. The purpose of this paper is to design a novel robotic system for MIS applications.

Design/methodology/approach

A robotic system with three separate slave arms for MIS has been designed. In the proposed robot, a new mechanism was designed as the remote centre motion (RCM) mechanism to restrain the movement of instrument or laparoscope around the incision. Moreover, an improved instrument without coupling motion between wrist and grippers was developed to enhance its manipulability. A control system architecture was also developed, and an intuitive control method was applied to realize hand-eye coordination of the operator.

Findings

For the RCM mechanism, the workspace was analyzed and the positioning accuracy of the remote centre point was tested. The results show that the RCM mechanism can be applied to MIS. Furthermore, the master-slave trajectory tracking experiments reveal that slave robots are able to follow the movement of the master manipulators well. Finally, the feasibility of the robot-assisted system for MIS is proved by performing animal experiments successfully.

Originality/value

This paper offers a novel robotic system for MIS. It can accomplish the anticipated results.
Soft landing control strategy for biped robot
Authors: Zhu Hongbo , Luo Minzhou , Zhao Jianghai , Li Tao
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to present a soft landing control strategy for a biped robot to avoid and absorb the impulsive reaction forces (which weakens walking stability) caused by the landing impact between the swing foot and the ground.

Design/methodology/approach

First, a suitable trajectory of the swing foot is preplanned to avoid the impulsive reaction forces in the walking direction. Second, the impulsive reaction forces of the landing impact are suppressed by the on-line trajectory modification based on the extended time-domain passivity control with admittance causality that has the reaction forces as inputs and the decomposed swing foot’s positions to trim off the forces as the outputs.

Findings

The experiment data and results are described and analyzed, showing that the proposed soft landing control strategy can suppress the impulsive forces and improve walking stability.

Originality/value

The main contribution is that a soft landing control strategy for a biped robot was proposed to deal with the impulsive reaction forces generated by the landing impact, which enhances walking stability.
Real-time control of bilateral teleoperation system with adaptive computed torque method
Authors: Abut Tayfun , Soyguder Servet
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to use the adaptive computed torque control (ACTC) method to eliminate the kinematic and dynamic uncertainties of master and slave robots and for the control of the system in the presence of forces originating from human and environment interaction.

Design/methodology/approach

In case of uncertainties in the robot parameters that are utilized in teleoperation studies and when the environment where interactions take place is not known and when there is a time delay, very serious problems take place in system performance. An adaptation rule was created to update uncertain parameters. In addition to this, disturbance observer was designed for slave robot. Lyapunov function was used to analyze the system’s position tracking and stability. A visual interface was designed to ensure that the movements of the master robot provided a visual feedback to the user.

Findings

In this study, a visual interface was created, and position and velocity control was achieved utilizing teleoperation; the system’s position tracking and stability were analyzed using the Lyapunov method; a simulation was applied in a real-time environment, and the performance results were analyzed.

Originality/value

This study consisted of both simulation and real-time studies. The teleoperation system, which was created in a laboratory environment, consisted of six-degree-of-freedom (DOF) master robots, six-DOF industrial robots and six-DOF virtual robots.
The ambidextrous manager: what role does culture play?
Authors: Hodgkinson Ian R. , Ravishankar M.N. , Fischer Michelle
Published: May 2017

Purpose

It is known from research that the right context can help managers develop an ambidextrous approach. But just as few of us are naturally ambidextrous, many managers fail to balance conformity and change during strategy implementation. This paper aims to investigate why.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a qualitative study of managers of an international airline, the authors examine a series of cultural barriers that constrain managers’ agile decision-making and stop managerial ambidexterity.

Findings

The authors identify six culturally ingrained practices that block managerial ambidexterity: top management’s unwavering emphasis on cost control when survival hinges on fresh investments; little or no scanning of the environment for new areas of opportunity; intensive planning oriented toward efficiency issues; functional structures characterized by extensive division of labor; centralized control; and formal hierarchical communication channels.

Research limitations/implications

Managers find it difficult to put into practice new initiatives, particularly when the proposed initiatives counter the underlying cultural world of the organization. The authors suggest that this dark side of culture can pose tough barriers for ambidextrous action.

Practical implications

There is an urgent need for organizations to be aware of the possible misalignments between ambidextrous pursuits and the cultural forces that actually drive action. A deep understanding of their organization’s cultural universe is a crucial first step for managers aspiring to better engage with ambidexterity and outwit and outperform competitors.

Originality/value

Different strategic approaches need not be viewed as irreconcilable. If cultural elements do not block it, managerial ambidexterity can showcase innovative approaches to reconciling trade-offs in strategic decision-making.
Responding to open business models
Authors: Benyayer Louis-David , Kupp Martin
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide guidelines for practitioners in choosing the right response to potential threats by open business models.

Design/methodology/approach

The study focuses on identifying the dimensions of open business models. It consisted of 32 interviews with experts on open business models complemented by panel discussions with a selection of experts to validate the findings.

Findings

Five dimensions of open business models are identified: motivation, object, community, action and governance. Based on those dimensions, three responding strategies are proposed.

Practical implications

This paper offers insights for strategists and entrepreneurs who consider developing open business models or are attacked by competitors or other market players with open business models.

Originality/value

Complementing previous research, this paper highlights how the five dimensions of open business model can serve as a tool to design appropriate strategies when confronted with new forms of competition.
Succeeding with freemium: strategies for implementation
Authors: Holm Anna B. , Günzel-Jensen Franziska
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to highlight the key points for succeeding with the freemium business model in online digital business from a strategic point of view. The freemium business model has recently become one of the most dominant business models in online markets. However, entrepreneurs and managers still have a limited understanding of why some freemium business models become successful and sustainable while others do not.

Design/methodology/approach

The findings and recommendations derive from the study of online digital companies and applications, which either succeeded or failed to develop a sustainable freemium model. These are LinkedIn, Spotify, Box, Eventbrite, Chargify, Gasketball and TravelCrony.

Findings

The article describes the generic strategy and the key strategic choices that enable and support successful freemium business model execution in an online digital business.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited to digital companies applying a freemium business model and offering their products and services online.

Practical implications

The findings and recommendations can help new and existing companies, first, to evaluate if the freemium business model is feasible for them, and second, to adjust strategies to develop a successful freemium business model and scale it up.

Originality/value

The article extends the current understanding of the freemium business model logic.
Redesigning the business model: from one-sided to multi-sided
Authors: Parmentier Guy , Gandia Romain
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This study aims to examine the way to develop a multi-sided logic for existing business models. More precisely, the objective is to find rules for designing a multi-sided business model from a one-sided business model.

Design/methodology/approach

Given that business model (BM) literature and multi-sided literature do not address the complex issue of multi-sided business model design, the authors propose here a set of six redesign operations. These operations are built from a comprehension of the development and evolution of multi-sided platforms and their consequences for business model architecture. Several empirical cases illustrate each operation.

Findings

A process of business model redesign is proposed with three phases: setting-up a technological digital platform to support the multi-sided architecture, identifying and engaging several customer groups on the platform and linking the customer groups and structuring the revenue model. This process details the chronological order in which the redesign operations can be implemented to build a multi-sided BM.

Practical implications

The importance of the stage of semi-finished development of the platform, the openness of digital content, reaching the critical threshold and the combination of a dual economic model (free/paid) is highlighted. For managers, this provides better practices to successfully manage the business model redesign process.

Originality/value

This paper helps managers in companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to profit from a multi-sided business model by proposing a way to achieve it.
Crowdsourcing business models that last
Authors: Kohler Thomas , Nickel Marco
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how to sustain crowdsourcing business models. Emerging companies are innovating their business model to rely on a crowd of participants and involve contributing users in value capture. While some organizations demonstrate initial success, sustaining a crowdsourcing business model is challenging.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a comparative case study of the prominent crowdsourcing communities Threadless and Quirky. Participatory observation resulted in over 380 analyzed comments.

Findings

Seven lessons from Threadless’s success and Quirky’s failure are discussed to derive implications for sustaining crowdsourcing business models.

Research limitations/implications

Because both cases are integrator platforms build around contests, other crowdsourcing platform types should be studied to enrich the findings.

Practical implications

Managers receive guidance on how to design a sustainable business model that involves the crowd in creating value and lets the crowd participate in value capture.

Originality/value

Current research primarily addresses the question of how companies can take advantage of crowdsourcing and mainly considers corporate value capture. The original contribution of this article is a set of strategies to sustain crowdsourcing platforms by taking a platform’s entire business model into account.
Impact of non-performing loans on US product and labor markets
Authors: Ghosh Amit
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Using time-series data on the US banking industry for the period 1984Q1-2016Q2, the present study aims to examine the impact of both aggregate and sector-specific non-performing loans (NPLs) on aggregate and sectoral product and labor markets.

Design/methodology/approach

Using both single equation ordinary least squares and instrumental variables regressions, the study compares the sensitivity of sector-specific gross domestic product (GDP) and employment growth to changes in both aggregate and sectoral NPLs. Moreover, the paper uses vector autoregressions (VARs) to dynamically trace the impact and duration of NPLs on different types of real economic activity..

Findings

Rise in total NPLs reduces US real GDP growth that is most accentuated for construction sector GDP. Likewise, total NPLs significantly lowers both total and non-farm employment growth, financial activities and construction sector employment growth, with the latter showing most sensitivity. Moreover, NPLs in commercial and industrial sector, consumer lending, non-farm non-residential, construction and land development, single- and multi-family residential sectors reduce corresponding sectoral employment growth. The VARs largely confirm these findings with shocks to total NPLs having the most immediate and persistent inimical impact on construction-sector GDP growth.

Practical implications

The deleterious impact of different categories of NPLs on both aggregate as well as sector-specific product and labor markets illustrate that a distressed banking sector is a serious obstacle to the real sector. The findings underscore the need not only to clean up NPLs for the sake of banks financial soundness but also to reduce their pernicious effects on the health of the US economy. For bank regulatory authorities in the USA, it indicates constant monitoring of banks in their jurisdiction and identifying early warning signals to mitigate the potential real sector losses due to rising NPLs.

Originality value

The extant literature on NPLs has mainly focused on explaining its underlying determinants but not on its real sector consequences. The present paper examines the impact of NPLs on different facets of real economic activity, an issue that has been rarely studied and especially not on the US economy. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of existing literature focuses on aggregate NPLs. The relationships derived in such studies, while useful, can mask important differences between different types of NPLs and real economic activity. The present paper explores the impact of disaggregated NPLs in the US banking industry on corresponding sector-specific product and labor markets, again an issue that has not been studied previously.
Do financial crises discipline future credit growth?
Authors: Amri Puspa , Chiu Eric M.P. , Richey Greg , Willett Thomas D.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test whether financial crises themselves provide some degree of ex post discipline. In other words, is there learning from the mistakes associated with crises? The authors test this hypothesis on credit growth, a frequent contributor to banking crises.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses statistical tests (comparison of means) on a sample of 72 banking crises, the onset of which occurred between 1980 and 2008. Tests for significance of the difference are conducted using Kolmogorov–Smirnov equality in distribution tests.

Findings

The results show that real credit growth fell substantially (relative to average) by about 8 per cent points from pre- to post-crisis periods, and that average banking regulation and supervision strengthens after a crisis.

Originality/value

This paper provides empirical support for the proposition that while financial markets may fail to give sufficient warning signals before a financial crisis, they may discipline governments to undertake reforms in the aftermath of a crisis.
Market linkages and conditional correlation between the stock markets of South and Central America
Authors: Panda Ajaya Kumar , Nanda Swagatika
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The present study examines the short term dynamism and long term equilibrium relationship between the stock markets of South and Central America. It also aims to capture the dynamic conditional correlations between the stock markets using weekly returns of market benchmark indices of the respective countries spanning from 2nd week of 1995 to 4th week of December 2015 are analyzed.

Design/methodology/approach

The Johansen and Juselius multivariate cointegration test, Granger causality test based vector error correction model (VECM) approach, and variance decomposition analysis were used to investigate the dynamic linkages between markets. GARCH-DCC is used to investigate the Correlation Dynamics.

Findings

This study identifies long run co-movements between the stock markets. Chile, Peru and Venezuela are the most dynamically interlinked. The empirical results VECM reveal that Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Venezuela stock market returns are significantly influenced by each other, suggesting a stronger linkages between national stock markets. Cointegration test confirms long-run equilibrium relationship. among the major stock markets of the region. The findings from GARCH-DCC provide evidence consistent with increasing market integration. Stocks exhibit asymmetries in conditional correlations. The results demonstrate that correlations are higher toward the end of the sample period than in the early phase.

Research limitations/implications

On the basis of the results produced by the study, we conclude that there exist opportunities for diversification and investors will benefit from reduction of diversifiable risk among the South and Central American countries in general, but in particular Chile, Peru and Venezuela have not shown the same outcome.

Originality/value

This study has been conducted for a longer period of time and also uses various tools to investigate the dynamic linkages between markets.VAR, VECM, Cointegration and GARCH-DCC altogether in a single study is a rare piece of work.
Social marketing strategy and industry involvement
Authors: Wymer Walter
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This commentary presents a theoretical model with a special emphasis on developing social marketing strategies and tactics that account for industry involvement. The overall goal is to enhance social marketing effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

A planning model is presented which helps the social marketer account for industry involvement in the social or public health problem.

Findings

The paper finds that conducting an analysis of the causal influences of the social or public health problem helps to inform strategy development.

Originality/value

The paper presents a planning mode that can be useful in identifying industry contributions to social problems and in anticipating industry opposition to social change. The model is particularly appropriate for developing social marketing programs in which industry involvement is present.
Travelling alone or travelling far?
Authors: French Jeff , Russell-Bennett Rebekah , Mulcahy Rory
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the potential contributions of the for-profit sector in integrating resources with social marketing organisations for value co-creation at the meso level (midstream) of the social marketing eco-system. The paper addresses calls for further theorisation and understanding of value co-creation beyond the micro level (downstream).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws from social marketing, value co-creation and eco-systems literature to present a conceptual model for meso-level value co-creation between social marketing and for-profit organisations.

Findings

The paper proposes four dimensions of resources which can be integrated: cognitive, labour, economic and network. Additionally, it is proposed that from these integrated resources, three co-creation outcomes can be achieved – co-learning, co-design and co-production – which lead to improved value propositions.

Practical implications

This paper offers a framework for strategic planning and evaluation regarding partnerships and collaborations with for-profit organisations, which potentially lead to greater value propositions being offered.

Originality/value

This paper furthers the theoretical discussions and understanding of value co-creation in social marketing at the meso level. The paper identifies a new actor – for-profits – as a potential collaborator for value co-creation with social marketing organisations and contributes new understanding about value co-creation at the meso level between social marketing and for-profit organisations. Further, the paper describes and reviews the potential contributions of for-profits to social marketing efforts.
Dietary habits and food intake frequency of preschool children
Authors: Rysha Agim , Gjergji Tahire M. , Ploeger Angelika
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The study aims to assess the dietary habits and frequency of food intake by preschool-aged children in Kosovo.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a survey of meal patterning and frequency of food group intake, using a combined 24-hour recall and Dietary history questionnaires. The assessment took place in different towns of Kosovo. Parents completed 232 questionnaires with data on dietary habits and food frequency intake of their children. Intake frequencies were computed and included in the analyses.

Findings

Dietary habits and frequency of food intake for specific foods (the main typical foods from the food groups) did not show significant differences (P > 0.05) between age groups, except in terms of milk consumption (P < 0.05) and soft drinks intake (P < 0.001). It was found that the consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as other high-fiber foods is very limited.

Research limitations

Despite the limitation in terms of sample, the results can be used by Kosovo’s authorities as an indication for an assessment of child’s development patterns in the country.

Originality/value

This assessment reports for the first time the dietary habits and frequency of food intake by preschool-aged children in Kosovo. The dietary pattern was shown to be low in wholegrain products and fruits and vegetables, and high in soft drinks and sweet and salty foods. Health and education authorities should develop national programs and dietary guidelines on recommended dietary intakes.
Aflatoxin degradation in rice
Authors: Mohamadi Sani Ali , Sheikhzadeh Mahya
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to provide information on the different methods of aflatoxin (AFT) degradation in rice.

Design/methodology/approach

Crops that are affected by AFT contamination include cereals, oilseeds, spices and tree nuts. AFT in rice may harm health to great extent, and if not properly determined, may cause death. The production and occurrence of mycotoxins differ depending on the geographic and climatic and environmental conditions; however, these toxicants can never be removed completely from the food supply.

Findings

Mycotoxins are commonly present in cereal grains such as rice and are not completely destroyed during their cooking and processing.

Originality/value

No review on detoxification of AFT has been found in rice.
Quality of spray dried soy beverage powder as affected by drying and feed parameters
Authors: Giri Saroj Kumar , Mangaraj Shukadev , Sinha Lalan Kumar , Tripathi Manoj Kumar
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Soy beverage is becoming more and more popular because it is touted as a healthy food containing useful phytochemicals and is free from lactose and cholesterol. The purpose of this paper is to optimize the spray drying process parameters for obtaining soy beverage powder with good reconstitution and handling properties.

Design/methodology/approach

Pre-concentrated soy beverage was dried in a laboratory model spray dryer, and the effects of inlet air temperature (180-220°C), feed rate (20-40 ml/min) and feed solid content (15-25 per cent) on some physical parameters and reconstitution properties (wettability and dispersibility) of spray-dried soy beverage powders were investigated. Second order polynomial response surface model was selected for the analysis of data and optimization of the process.

Findings

Spray drying of soy beverage at different processing conditions resulted in powders with particle size (volume mean diameter) in the range of 86 to 156 µm. Dispersibility and wetting time of the spray-dried soy beverage powders was found to be in the range of 56 to 78 per cent and 30 to 90 s respectively, under various drying conditions. Inlet air temperature was found to be the main factor affecting most of the quality parameters, followed by solid content of the feed. Temperature significantly affected the wettability, dispersibility, colour parameters, particle size and flowability of the powder at p ≤ 0.01. Lower temperature and higher feed solid content produced bigger-sized powder particles with better handling properties in terms of flowability and cohesiveness. A moderate inlet air temperature (196°C), higher feed solid content (24 per cent) and lower feed rate (27 ml/min) were found suitable for drying of soy beverage.

Practical implications

The study implied the possibility of producing powder from soy beverage using the spray-drying method and optimized drying conditions for obtaining soy beverage powder with good reconstitution properties.

Originality/value

The finding of this study demonstrated for the first time how the inlet air temperature, feed solid content and feed rate during spray-drying influenced different quality parameters of soy beverage powder. Further, an optimized drying condition has been identified.
Looked after children and youth justice: a response to recent reviews
Authors: Staines Jo
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a response to a recent government-commissioned review of residential care (Narey, 2016), and the subsequent government response (Department of Education (DfE), 2016), which minimises the correlation between the experience of being looked after and becoming involved in the youth justice system. The Narey review emphasises on the role of early adversity in looked after children’s offending behaviour but minimises the significance of experiences during and after care, and downplays the effect of policies and practices that may exacerbate looked after children’s involvement in the youth justice system.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper builds upon a systematic literature review conducted for the Prison Reform Trust (Staines, 2016) to demonstrate the extent of current knowledge about how risk factors, adverse experiences during and after care and the criminalisation of looked after children combine to increase the likelihood of involvement in criminal proceedings. The paper also highlights gaps in the research evidence, particularly in relation to gender and ethnicity.

Findings

The findings suggest that the Narey review (2016) and the government response (DfE, 2016), are misguided in their attempts to minimise the role of care in looked after children’s disproportionate representation within the youth justice system. The paper cautions against the over-simplification of a complex relationship and emphasises on the importance of recognising the intersection between different factors.

Originality/value

The paper uses secondary sources to develop an original argument to rebut claims within a recently published review.
A Chimeric protein of CFA/I, CS6 subunits and LTB/STa toxoid protects immunized mice against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli
Authors: Zeinalzadeh Narges , Salmanian Ali Hatef , Goujani Goli , Amani Jafar , Ahangari Ghasem , Akhavian Asal , Jafari Mahyat
Published: May 2017

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli (ETEC) strains are the commonest bacteria causing diarrhea in children in developing countries and travelers to these areas. Colonization factors (CFs) and enterotoxins are the main virulence determinants in ETEC pathogenesis. Heterogeneity of CFs is commonly considered the bottleneck to developing an effective vaccine. It is believed that broad spectrum protection against ETEC would be achieved by induced anti‐CF and anti‐enterotoxin immunity simultaneously. Here, a fusion antigen strategy was used to construct a quadrivalent recombinant protein called 3CL and composed of CfaB, a structural subunit of CFA/I, and CS6 structural subunits, LTB and STa toxoid of ETEC. Its anti‐CF and antitoxin immunogenicity was then assessed. To achieve high‐level expression, the 3CL gene was synthesized using E. coli codon bias. Female BALB/C mice were immunized with purified recombinant 3CL. Immunized mice developed antibodies that were capable of detecting each recombinant subunit in addition to native CS6 protein and also protected the mice against ETEC challenge. Moreover, sera from immunized mice also neutralized STa toxin in a suckling mouse assay. These results indicate that 3CL can induce anti‐CF and neutralizing antitoxin antibodies along with introducing CFA/I as a platform for epitope insertion.
The Impact of the GFC on Sectoral Market Efficiency: Non‐linear Testing for the Case of Australia
Authors: Deo Neha , Spong Heath , Varua Maria Estela
Published: May 2017

This paper investigates the efficiency of the Australian stock market during the period of volatility and disruption associated with the Global Financial Crises (GFC). Furthermore, the investigation seeks to observe any divergence in market efficiency between industry sectors that demonstrate differing economic performance across the period. Spanning a time period of 2000–2015, the data are split into three periods of distinct economic conditions: a pre‐crisis period of relatively high growth, the GFC period of disruption and contraction, and a post‐GFC period of relatively low growth. Five sector indices listed on the Australian Securities Exchange are analysed to search for evidence of market efficiency (Real Estate, Consumer Discretionary, Financials, Materials, and Metals and Mining). A range of non‐linear tests are applied in order to systematically investigate the structure of the market in each sector. The results highlight the cointegrated nature of non‐linearity across related sectors, and also demonstrate that different industries within the same economy can reveal highly diverse patterns of non‐linearity and market efficiency in response to financial crisis.
Can soil microbial diversity influence plant metabolites and life history traits of a rhizophagous insect? A demonstration in oilseed rape
Authors: Lachaise Tom , Ourry Morgane , Lebreton Lionel , Guillerm‐Erckelboudt Anne‐Yvonne , Linglin Juliette , Paty Chrystelle , Chaminade Valérie , Marnet Nathalie , Aubert Julie , Poinsot Denis , Cortesero Anne‐Marie , Mougel Christophe
Published: May 2017

Interactions between plants and phytophagous insects play an important part in shaping the biochemical composition of plants. Reciprocally plant metabolites can influence major life history traits in these insects and largely contribute to their fitness. Plant rhizospheric microorganisms are an important biotic factor modulating plant metabolites and adaptation to stress. While plant–insects or plant–microorganisms interactions and their consequences on the plant metabolite signature are well‐documented, the impact of soil microbial communities on plant defenses against phytophagous insects remains poorly known. In this study, we used oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and the cabbage root fly (Delia radicum) as biological models to tackle this question. Even though D. radicum is a belowground herbivore as a larva, its adult life history traits depend on aboveground signals. We therefore tested whether soil microbial diversity influenced emergence rate and fitness but also fly oviposition behavior, and tried to link possible effects to modifications in leaf and root metabolites. Through a removal‐recolonization experiment, 3 soil microbial modalities (“high,” “medium,” “low”) were established and assessed through amplicon sequencing of 16S and 18S ribosomal RNA genes. The “medium” modality in the rhizosphere significantly improved insect development traits. Plant–microorganism interactions were marginally associated to modulations of root metabolites profiles, which could partly explain these results. We highlighted the potential role of plant–microbial interaction in plant defenses against Delia radicum. Rhizospheric microbial communities must be taken into account when analyzing plant defenses against herbivores, being either below or aboveground.
Pupal emergence pattern in cactophilic Drosophila and the effect of host plants
Authors: Soto Eduardo M. , Padró Julián , Milla Carmona Pablo , Tuero Diego T. , Carreira Valeria P. , Soto Ignacio M.
Published: May 2017

Drosophila buzzatii and D. koepferae are sibling cactophilic species. The former breeds primarily on prickly pears (genus Opuntia) whereas the latter breeds on columnar cacti of the genera Cereus and Trichocereus, although with certain degree of niche overlapping. We examined the interspecific differences in diurnal temporal patterns of adult emergence from puparia and evaluated whether this behavior is affected by rearing in the different cactus hosts available in nature. We detected important host‐dependent genetic variation for this trait differentially affecting the emergence schedule of these species. Diurnal pattern of emergence time was directly correlated with developmental time and negatively correlated with adult wing size, suggesting that early emergences are at least indirectly correlated with increased fitness. We discussed our results in terms of their putative effects on fitness and the genetic‐metabolic pathways that would be presumably affected by host's nutritional‐chemical differences.
Serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) downregulates E‐cadherin and induces EMT of hepatoma cells to promote hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis via the MEK/ERK signaling pathway
Authors: Ying Hai Yan , Gong Chao Jie , Feng Yi , Jing Da Dao , Lu Lun Gen
Published: May 2017

OBJECTIVE

To investigate serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) expression and its influence on the prognosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms involved.

METHODS

Altogether 80 patients with HCC who underwent curative resection were followed up for a median of 58.6 months. SPINK1 expression was detected in the primary HCC samples by immunohistochemistry. Its role in tumor invasion and metastasis was evaluated in vitro by gene silencing using a small interfering RNA‐mediated approach, recombinant SPINK1 and U0126 (an inhibitor of MEK/ERK). The proteins in the MEK/ERK signaling pathway were detected by Western blot.

RESULTS

Patients with high SPINK1 expression showed poor overall survival (P = 0.0001) and recurrence‐free survival (P = 0.001) compared with those with low SPINK1 expression. The suppression of SPINK1 resulted in reduced cell migration and invasion. SPINK1 overexpression was significantly associated with increased cell migration and invasion in vitro. Furthermore, SPINK1 promoted cancer cells motility and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) via the mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase (MAPK) and extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) pathway, resulting in increased vimentin expression and decreased E‐cadherin expression.

CONCLUSION

SPINK1 may be an oncogene that induces EMT via the MEK/ERK pathway and is a potential target for HCC therapy.
Solar‐powered flow‐through system for aquatic field studies
Authors: Neill Connor , Cotner Sehoya , Wisenden Brian
Published: May 2017

Laboratory‐based research provides great control over individual experimental replicates, but lacks the ecological realism of field work. Therefore, results from laboratory‐based work may not reflect natural processes. Field‐based studies have the advantage of ecological realism but often lack control over environmental variables and have low rates of within‐experiment replication and as a result can have low statistical power to detect effects.

Here, we present a method for creating a standardized system for experimental replicates in the field using solar‐powered water pumps to run a modified zebrafish aquatic habitat system with recirculating water in situ. In our pilot study we used this apparatus to test the effects of naturally occurring parasites on the behaviour of individual fathead minnows, but this experimental set‐up has potential for broad application to field‐based research in aquatic ecology.

We constructed a simple frame from conventional 2″ × 4″ lumber to support rows of 1‐L tanks in the littoral zone of a small lake. Lake water is pumped to an overhead manifold made from a PVC pipe drilled with one hole over each tank. A short length of airline tubing directs the water flow into each individual tank. Water entering each tank passes through the manufacturer's grate at the rear of each tank and returns to the lake. We stocked one fish per tank, therefore the lack of water flow during the night did not cause duress or mortality.

This system allowed control over individual test subjects while housing them in semi‐natural conditions with a steady supply of lake water at a field site far removed from any source of electricity.
Probability distributions for marketable pods and white mould on snap bean
Authors: Shah D.A. , Dillard H.R. , Pethybridge S.J.
Published: May 2017

White mould, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is one of the most recalcitrant diseases of snap bean. Probability distributions suitable for describing the total number of marketable pods (hereafter simply referred to as pods) per plant, as well as for the number of pods and stems with white mould per plant, have not been identified. The total number of pods and the number of pods and stems with white mould were measured on a per plant basis in plots of processing snap bean (var. Hystyle) in New York. The total number of pods per plant ranged from 0 to 29, and was best described by the Pólya‐Aeppli distribution. The number of pods and the number of stems with white mould per plant were well‐described by the negative binomial (NB) distribution. A Sarmanov bivariate distribution with NB marginals was derived and fitted to the joint data on the number of pods and stems with white mould per plant, accounting for correlation between pods and stems with white mould on the same plant. The bivariate distribution was used to formulate an empirical equation for the incidence of plants with white mould as a function of the average number of pods and stems with white mould per plant. The results represented a more complete understanding of the distributional properties of white mould in snap bean.