bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Solar wind implication on dust ion acoustic rogue waves
Authors: Abdelghany A. M. , Abd El-Razek H. N. , Moslem W. M. , El-Labany S. K.
Published: June 2016

The relevance of the solar wind with the magnetosphere of Jupiter that contains positively charged dust grains is investigated. The perturbation/excitation caused by streaming ions and electron beams from the solar wind could form different nonlinear structures such as rogue waves, depending on the dominant role of the plasma parameters. Using the reductive perturbation method, the basic set of fluid equations is reduced to modified Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) and further modified (KdV) equation. Assuming that the frequency of the carrier wave is much smaller than the ion plasma frequency, these equations are transformed into nonlinear Schrödinger equations with appropriate coefficients. Rational solution of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation shows that rogue wave envelopes are supported by the present plasma model. It is found that the existence region of rogue waves depends on the dust-acoustic speed and the streaming temperatures for both the ions and electrons. The dependence of the maximum rogue wave envelope amplitude on the system parameters has been investigated.
Controlling nanoscale acoustic strains in silicon using chirped femtosecond laser pulses
Authors: Tzianaki E. , Bakarezos M. , Tsibidis G. D. , Petrakis S. , Loukakos P. A. , Kosmidis C. , Tatarakis M. , Papadogiannis N. A.
Published: June 2016

The influence of femtosecond laser pulse chirp on laser-generated longitudinal acoustic strains in Si (100) monocrystal substrates is studied. Degenerate femtosecond pump-probe transient reflectivity measurements are performed using a layered structure of thin Ti transducer film on an Si substrate. Experimental results show that acoustic strains, manifested as strong Brillouin oscillations, are more effectively induced when negatively chirped femtosecond laser pulses pump the transducer. These results are theoretically supported by a modified thermo-mechanical model based on the combination of a revised two-temperature model and elasticity theory that takes into account the instantaneous frequency of the chirped femtosecond laser pump pulses.
Plasmonic gold nanodiscs using piezoelectric substrate birefringence for liquid sensing
Authors: Hao Danni , Kenney Mitchell G. , Cumming David R. S.
Published: June 2016

This article presents the simulation, fabrication, and experimental characterization of a surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) sensor integrated with an acoustic sensing compatible substrate. The SPR sensor is designed to work in the visible region with gold nanodisc arrays fabricated on LiNbO3, which is both piezoelectric and birefringent. A linear relationship between resonance wavelength and varying liquid refractive indices were observed in experiments, and a sensitivity of 165 nm/refractive index unit was obtained. Polarization effects of the birefringent property of the Y-cut LiNbO3 substrate have been investigated, which can also be applied to X-cut LiNbO3. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of an SPR sensor device utilizing a birefringent substrate, which has acoustic wave compatibility and can pave the way toward much more robust and flexible biosensing devices.
Characteristics of gonorrhoea cases notified in inner and south-western Sydney, Australia: results of population-based enhanced surveillance
Authors: Ingleton Andrew , Hope Kirsty , Najjar Zeina , Templeton David J. , Gupta Leena
Published: June 2016

Background
Gonorrhoea disproportionately affects young people and men who have sex with men (MSM). In Australia, the highest notification rates in urban areas occur in MSM, although characteristics of those infected are poorly described. Enhanced surveillance can provide population-based data to inform service delivery and health promotion activities. Methods: An enhanced surveillance and data collection form was sent to the ordering doctor for residents of Sydney and South Western Sydney Local Health Districts with positive gonorrhoea results notified between 1 August 2013 and 28 February 2014. Results: Questionnaires were sent for 777 notifications and 698 (89.8%) were returned. Eighty-five per cent (n = 594) were male. The majority (55.1%) resided in inner city Sydney. Of these, 91.9% were male, and 70.8% of these identified as MSM. Among females, regular partners were the most likely source of infection (44.1%), while MSM and heterosexual men identified casual partners as the likely source of infection (75.4% and 61.1% respectively). General practitioners diagnosed 60.5% of cases. MSM were more commonly diagnosed by sexual health clinics. Females were most commonly tested for contact tracing (35.6%), heterosexual males because of symptoms (86.3%), and MSM as part of sexually transmissible infection screening (40.6%). Conclusions: Our population-based analysis identified differing risk factors and testing characteristics between MSM, heterosexual males and females. Increasing rates of gonorrhoea and concerns over antibiotic resistance highlight the importance of obtaining accurate sexual histories to ensure appropriate testing. Intermittent enhanced surveillance can monitor trends in specific populations and help determine the impact of health promotion strategies.
Reduction in Spring Flow Threatens Rio Grande Silvery Minnow: Trends in Abundance during River Intermittency
Authors: Archdeacon Thomas P.
Published: June 2016

Habitat fragmentation and changes in flow regime can structure fish assemblages, resulting in extirpations or invasions. A guild of freshwater stream fishes that spawn semi‐buoyant, nonadhesive eggs directly in the water column are particularly susceptible to extirpation in fragmented streams. The pelagic broadcast‐spawning Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Hybognathus amarus was listed as endangered in 1994 and has been intensely managed since. I used mean May flows and the number of times the channel dried within a year to predict numbers of Rio Grande Silvery Minnow captured in isolated pools in the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico. Adult Rio Grande Silvery Minnow numbers increased as previous year's mean May discharge increased, and generally decreased with each subsequent drying event. Similarly, numbers of young‐of‐year Rio Grande Silvery Minnow increased with increasing mean May discharge in the current year. However, young‐of‐year minnow were either very abundant or nearly absent in isolated pools, depending on mean May discharge. Overall trends show a strong decrease in total yearly numbers of adult and young‐of‐year Rio Grande Silvery Minnow collected in isolated pools from 2009 to 2014, coupled with an increase in the proportion of hatchery‐reared adults. Overall numbers fell from >1,000/km in 2009 to <15/km in 2014. Hatchery‐reared fish increased from 0% in 2009 collections to 90% in 2014 collections. Managers should focus recovery efforts on providing spring flows that improve recruitment, and avoiding consecutive years of low spring flow because any population recovery will likely be negated by three consecutive years of recruitment failure. A self‐sustaining population of Rio Grande Silvery Minnow is unlikely without management options that mitigate the effects of multiyear droughts.

Received August 3, 2015; accepted February 12, 2016 Published online June 21, 2016
Fish and Blue Crab Density along a Riprap‐Sill‐Hardened Shoreline: Comparisons with Spartina Marsh and Riprap
Authors: Balouskus Richard G. , Targett Timothy E.
Published: June 2016

Wetland managers have historically considered riprap‐sill structures (a type of “living shoreline” consisting of a rock sill that is placed low in the intertidal zone, with native vegetation planted between the sill and the shore) to be more ecologically sound than the riprap that is traditionally applied for shoreline stabilization in estuaries. However, little research has been conducted to compare the macrofauna associated with riprap‐sill and riprap‐hardened shorelines. Density and diversity of fish and blue crabs Callinectes sapidus were compared via weekly sampling along a riprap‐sill shoreline, a riprap shoreline, and a shoreline fringed with smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora marsh in the Delaware Coastal Bays during summer 2010. Seining was conducted to quantitatively sample the shore zone and shallow subtidal regions, and minnow traps were used to determine the presence or absence of fishes in the mid‐ to upper‐intertidal zone of each shoreline type. Temporally persistent differences in macrofaunal density and diversity were evident among the three shoreline types. In terms of fish density and diversity metrics, riprap‐sill was more similar to the smooth cordgrass shoreline than to the traditional riprap shoreline. These results provide evidence for the biological advantage of riprap‐sill over traditional riprap as a shoreline modification structure; spatial confirmation by further studies at different locations is warranted.

Received October 27, 2015; accepted March 15, 2016 Published online June 21, 2016
Effect of magnetic field on brush plating Ni–Co alloy
Authors: Fang X. , Cui X. F. , Jin G. , Wang Y.
Published: June 2016

Ni–Co electro-brush plating on stainless steel FV520(b) surface was conducted in a perpendicular magnetic field with different intensities. The effects of the applied magnetic field on surface morphology, alloy microstructure, tribological properties and residual stress were investigated by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, mechanical tests and a nanoindentation technique. The results showed that a smoother and more uniform Ni–Co alloy coating layer with less defects could be obtained in magnetic field of high intensity. Furthermore, by increasing the intensity of the magnetic field, the content of Co in the alloy coating and the wear resistance of the coating layers increased, and the residual stress decreased. In addition, the magnetic field had a significant influence on the valence change of Ni and Co. In particular, when the intensity of magnetic field was 0.2 T a coating with best integrated performance was obtained.
Are you looking my way? Ostracism widens the cone of gaze
Authors: Lyyra Pessi , Wirth James H. , Hietanen Jari K.
Published: June 2016

Ostracized individuals demonstrate an increased need for belonging. To satisfy this need, they search for signals of inclusion, one of which may be another person's gaze directed at oneself. We tested if ostracized, compared to included, individuals judge a greater degree of averted gaze as still being direct. This range of gaze angles still viewed as direct has been dubbed “the cone of (direct) gaze”. In the current research, ostracized and included participants viewed friendly-looking face stimuli with direct or slightly averted gaze (0°, 2°, 4°, 6°, and 8° to the left and to the right) and judged whether stimulus persons were looking at them or not. Ostracized individuals demonstrated a wider gaze cone than included individuals.
α-SNAP regulates dynamic, on-site assembly and calcium selectivity of Orai1 channels
Authors: Li Peiyao , Miao Yong , Dani Adish , Vig Monika
Published: June 2016

Orai1 forms a highly calcium-selective pore of the calcium release activated channel, and α-SNAP is necessary for its function. Here we show that α-SNAP regulates on-site assembly of Orai1 dimers into calcium-selective multimers. We find that Orai1 is a dimer in resting primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts but displays variable stoichiometry in the plasma membrane of store-depleted cells. Remarkably, α-SNAP depletion induces formation of higher-order Orai1 oligomers, which permeate significant levels of sodium via Orai1 channels. Sodium permeation in α-SNAP–deficient cells cannot be corrected by tethering multiple Stim1 domains to Orai1 C-terminal tail, demonstrating that α-SNAP regulates functional assembly and calcium selectivity of Orai1 multimers independently of Stim1 levels. Fluorescence nanoscopy reveals sustained coassociation of α-SNAP with Stim1 and Orai1, and α-SNAP–depleted cells show faster and less constrained mobility of Orai1 within ER-PM junctions, suggesting Orai1 and Stim1 coentrapment without stable contacts. Furthermore, α-SNAP depletion significantly reduces fluorescence resonance energy transfer between Stim1 and Orai1 N-terminus but not C-terminus. Taken together, these data reveal a unique role of α-SNAP in the on-site functional assembly of Orai1 subunits and suggest that this process may, in part, involve enabling crucial low-affinity interactions between Orai1 N-terminus and Stim1.
ACE: adaptive cluster expansion for maximum entropy graphical model inference
Authors: Barton J. P. , De Leonardis E. , Coucke A. , Cocco S.
Published: June 2016

Motivation: Graphical models are often employed to interpret patterns of correlations observed in data through a network of interactions between the variables. Recently, Ising/Potts models, also known as Markov random fields, have been productively applied to diverse problems in biology, including the prediction of structural contacts from protein sequence data and the description of neural activity patterns. However, inference of such models is a challenging computational problem that cannot be solved exactly. Here, we describe the adaptive cluster expansion (ACE) method to quickly and accurately infer Ising or Potts models based on correlation data. ACE avoids overfitting by constructing a sparse network of interactions sufficient to reproduce the observed correlation data within the statistical error expected due to finite sampling. When convergence of the ACE algorithm is slow, we combine it with a Boltzmann Machine Learning algorithm (BML). We illustrate this method on a variety of biological and artificial datasets and compare it to state-of-the-art approximate methods such as Gaussian and pseudo-likelihood inference.

Results: We show that ACE accurately reproduces the true parameters of the underlying model when they are known, and yields accurate statistical descriptions of both biological and artificial data. Models inferred by ACE more accurately describe the statistics of the data, including both the constrained low-order correlations and unconstrained higher-order correlations, compared to those obtained by faster Gaussian and pseudo-likelihood methods. These alternative approaches can recover the structure of the interaction network but typically not the correct strength of interactions, resulting in less accurate generative models.

Availability and implementation: The ACE source code, user manual and tutorials with the example data and filtered correlations described herein are freely available on GitHub at https://github.com/johnbarton/ACE.

Contacts:  jpbarton@mit.edu, cocco@lps.ens.fr

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The positive effects of population-based preferential sampling in environmental epidemiology
Authors: Antonelli Joseph , Cefalu Matthew , Bornn Luke
Published: June 2016

In environmental epidemiology, exposures are not always available at subject locations and must be predicted using monitoring data. The monitor locations are often outside the control of researchers, and previous studies have shown that “preferential sampling” of monitoring locations can adversely affect exposure prediction and subsequent health effect estimation. We adopt a slightly different definition of preferential sampling than is typically seen in the literature, which we call population-based preferential sampling. Population-based preferential sampling occurs when the location of the monitors is dependent on the subject locations. We show the impact that population-based preferential sampling has on exposure prediction and health effect estimation using analytic results and a simulation study. A simple, one-parameter model is proposed to measure the degree to which monitors are preferentially sampled with respect to population density. We then discuss these concepts in the context of PM2.5 and the EPA Air Quality System monitoring sites, which are generally placed in areas of higher population density to capture the population's exposure.
Fast gene set enrichment analysis
Authors: Korotkevich Gennady , Sukhov Vladimir , Budin Nikolay , Shpak Boris , Artyomov Maxim N. , Sergushichev Alexey
Published: June 2016

Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) is an ubiquitously used tool for evaluating pathway enrichment in transcriptional data. Typical experimental design consists in comparing two conditions with several replicates using a differential gene expression test followed by preranked GSEA performed against a collection of hundreds and thousands of pathways. However, the reference implementation of this method cannot accurately estimate small P-values, which significantly limits its sensitivity due to multiple hypotheses correction procedure.

Here we present FGSEA (Fast Gene Set Enrichment Analysis) method that is able to estimate arbitrarily low GSEA P-values with a high accuracy in a matter of minutes or even seconds. To confirm the accuracy of the method, we also developed an exact algorithm for GSEA P-values calculation for integer gene-level statistics. Using the exact algorithm as a reference we show that FGSEA is able to routinely estimate P-values up to 10−100with a small and predictable estimation error. We systematically evaluate FGSEA on a collection of 605 datasets and show that FGSEA recovers much more statistically significant pathways compared to other implementations.

FGSEA is open source and available as an R package in Bioconductor (http://bioconductor.org/packages/fgsea/) and on GitHub (https://github.com/ctlab/fgsea/).
Third-order nonlinear and linear time-dependent dynamical diffraction of X-rays in crystals
Authors: Balyan Minas K.
Published: June 2016

For the first time the third-order nonlinear time-dependent Takagi's equations of X-rays in crystals are obtained and investigated. The third-order nonlinear and linear time-dependent dynamical diffraction of X-rays spatially restricted in the diffraction plane pulses in crystals is investigated theoretically. A method of solving the linear and the third-order nonlinear time-dependent Takagi's equations is proposed. Based on this method, results of analytical and numerical calculations for both linear and nonlinear diffraction cases are presented and compared.
Diastereoisomeric forms of 11-ethyl-6,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[b,e]azepine-6-carboxamide: syntheses and the molecular and supramolecular structure of the minor form (6RS,11RS)-11-ethyl-6,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[b,e]azepine-6-carboxamide
Authors: Acosta Quintero Lina M. , Palma Alirio , Cobo Justo , Glidewell Christopher
Published: June 2016

Compounds containing the tricyclic dibenzo[b,e]azepine system have potential activity in the treatment of a number of diseases. Continuing with our studies on the synthesis of new small and potentially bioactive molecules, a synthetic route, involving acid-catalysed intramolecular Friedel–Crafts cyclization, to the readily separable diastereoisomers of 11-ethyl-6,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[b,e]azepine-6-carboxamide, a potentially useful precursor in the synthesis of analogues of some anti-allergenic, antidepressant and antihistaminic drugs currently in use, has been developed starting from 2-allylphenylamine and methyl 2-bromo-2-phenylacetate and proceedingviaracemic methyl 2-[(2-allylphenyl)amino]-2-phenylacetate (A) and racemic 2-[(2-allylphenyl)amino]-2-phenylacetamide (B), to give the two diastereoisomers (I) and (II), C17H18N2O. Isomers (I) and (II), and their precursors (A) and (B), have all been fully characterized spectroscopically. Structure analysis of the minor isomer (I) shows that it has the (6RS,11RS) configuration, and that the azepine ring adopts a conformation intermediate between the boat and twist-boat forms, with the carboxamide and ethyl substituents both occupying quasi-equatorial sites. The molecules of (I) are linked by a combination of N—H...O, N—H...π(arene) and C—H...π(arene) hydrogen bonds to form complex sheets. Comparisons are made with the structures of some related compounds.
Li2GeMo3O8: a novel reduced molybdenum oxide containing Mo3O13cluster units
Authors: Gall Philippe , Gougeon Patrick
Published: June 2016

The crystal structure of the title compound, dilithium germanium trimolybdenum octaoxide, consists of distorted hexagonal-close-packed oxygen layers with stacking sequenceABACalong [001] that are held together by alternating lithium–germanium and molybdenum layers. The two Li+and Ge4+ions all have site symmetry 3m. and occupy, respectively, tetrahedral and octahedral sites in the ratio 2:1. The Mo atom has a formal oxidation state of +3.3 and occupies an octahedral site (site symmetry .m.) and forms strongly bonded triangular cluster units [Mo—Mo distance = 2.4728 (8) Å] involving three MoO6octahedra that are each shared along two edges, constituting an Mo3O13unit.
4′-(3,4-Dimethoxyphenyl)-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine
Authors: Takase Tsugiko , Soga Yuka , Oyama Dai
Published: June 2016

In the title compound, C23H19N3O2, the terpyridine unit has a dimethoxyphenyl substituent at the 4-position of the central pyridyl ring. The three pyridyl rings are in atransoidconformation with respect to the interannular C—C bonds. In addition, the pendant dimethoxyphenyl substituent is almost coplanar with the terpyridyl unit; the dihedral angle between the central pyridyl ring and the benzene ring is 7.14 (11)°, which is much smaller than that found in the structural isomer with a 2,5-dimethoxyphenyl substituent. The C—C and C—N bond lengths within the aromatic rings are normal. One of the terminal pyridyl rings is disordered over two sets of sites with an occupancy ratio of 0.744 (7):0.256 (7). The orientation of the two methoxy groups at the 3- and 4-positions is such that the methyl groups point away from each other in opposite directions. In the crystal structure, C–H...N hydrogen bonds form chains alongbwhile C—H...O contacts form inversion dimers, creating double chains. These combine with C—H...π contacts and π...π interactions, with a centroid-centroid distance of 3.858 (4) Å, to stack molecules along theb-axis direction.
The risk and return of farm real estate and the “bad data problem”
Authors: Kuethe Todd
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the consequences of appraisal smoothing in the estimation of the risks and returns of farm real estate. It examines the degree to which the risk and return characteristics of farm real estate are an artifact of the methods used to measure aggregate property values.

Design/methodology/approach

– A multifactor asset pricing model is estimated using farm real estate returns in a manner consistent with prior research, as well as using farm real estate returns calculated using two synthetic unsmoothing procedures developed in the real estate finance literature.

Findings

– The model suggests that unsmoothed farm real estate returns exhibit characteristics that differ from those suggested by prior research. The unsmoothed returns suggest a stronger correlation with economy wide investment risks.

Originality/value

– This is the first study to evaluate the impacts of appraisal smoothing in a farm real estate context. It provides a simple framework for addressing many of the pricing anomalies associated with farmland.
Building insurance through an NGO
Authors: Bélanger Marie-Christine
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– This paper is based on a crop insurance implementation currently undergoing in Haiti. The purpose of this paper is to present the development of a program tailored to rice production in the Artibonite Valley, the challenges and opportunities that are arising from the exercise as well as pitfalls and ways to avoid them.

Design/methodology/approach

– The Système de Financement et d’Assurances Agricoles en Haïti’s approach for the development of crop insurance is in accordance with 13 concepts considered essential in the implementation of agricultural insurance programs. The case study is presented through each of these 13 fundamental concepts.

Findings

– The paper provides an insight on challenges any organization will face when implementing crop insurance for smallholder farmers. It points out notably that close collaboration of executing agencies with local partners is essential from data collection through insurance development and delivery and that all participants should receive a specific training tailored to their level of education and understanding.

Social implications

– Haiti is one of the poorest countries on the planet. Smallholder farmers could benefit a lot from crop insurance. It could help them stabilize their income when facing crop losses due to natural hazards or uncontrollable natural events.

Originality/value

– This paper fulfills an identified need to share real case studies exposing challenges faced when implementing crop insurance for smallholder farmers.
Future Group’s new move: Big Bazaar Direct
Authors: Kumar Vinod , Vandana
Published: June 2016

Subject area

Marketing, Retail Marketing and E-commerce.

Study level/applicability

Graduate and Post-graduate.

Case overview

The Future Group is the most profitable retailer in India without having any foreign direct investment (FDI). In September 2013, the retailer launched its online retailing platform, “Big Bazaar Direct” (BBD). BBD is a franchisee-based model which aims to partner with people having rich customer networks to reach more shoppers. This novice idea of BBD is the result of Big Bazaar’s greater mind share over its market share. Mr Kishore Biyani, CEO Future Group, has lot of expectation from this business model.

Expected learning outcomes

The outcomes include: to familiarize students with Indian Retail Industry; to develop student’s skills in critically analyzing an online retail-based new business model; and to explain key factors that work for success of a retail-based business model.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 8: Marketing
Corruption in Russia: IKEA’s expansion to the East (A-D)
Authors: Müller Urs
Published: June 2016

Subject area

Business ethics corruption governance and compliance integrity management international management intercultural and cross-cultural management internationalization corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Study level/applicability

The case has successfully been used with a wide range of audiences from masters/MBAs to Executives. It will also work with undergraduates.

Case overview

This four-part case series can be used to discuss business ethics, compliance/governance, integrity management, reacting to and preparing against corruption in the context of internationalization and allows to also briefly touching upon the issue of CSR. Case (A) describes a challenge IKEA was facing, while trying to enter Russia in 2000. The company was preparing to open its first flagship store on the outskirts of Moscow, only the first of several planned projects. After substantial investments in infrastructure and logistics, IKEA focused on marketing, but quickly faced a sudden complication. Its major ad campaign in the Moscow Metro with the slogan “[e]very 10th European was made in one of our beds” was labeled “tasteless”. IKEA had to stop the campaign because it “couldn’t prove” the claim. Soon Lennart Dahlgren, the first general manager of IKEA in Russia must have realized that the unsuccessful ad campaign was going to be the least of his problems: A few weeks before the planned opening, the local utility company decided not to provide their services for the store if IKEA did not pay a bribe. What should IKEA and Lennart Dahlgren do? Was there any alternative to playing the game the Russian way, and paying? The subsequent cases (B), (C) and (D) describe IKEA’s creative response to the challenges described in case (A), and then report about new challenges with alleged corruption within IKEA and in the legal environment, and finally raise the question whether IKEA can be considered to have a (corporate social) responsibility to fight corruption on a societal level to build the platform for its own operation in Russia.

Expected learning outcomes

Responding to a threatening corruption demand (here: responding to an outside demand for a bribe), avoiding corruption from the outside, cross-cultural differences in drawing the line for corruption, preventing corruption within the organization, (corporate social) responsibility of firms to improve the political/legal/social/moral environment in which they operate are the expected learning outcomes.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 5: International Business
Teacher discourse supporting peer collaboration in mathematics
Authors: Yamaji Akane
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to focus on a two-year lesson study by a teacher exploring peer collaboration and examines a teacher’s discourse that might generate a mathematical participation structure in which students needing help are likely to participate.

Design/methodology/approach

– A math class conducted by a teacher in a Tokyo secondary school was observed for two years. The teacher’s questions in whole-class discussions were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Then, the teacher received feedback and retrospectively wrote his viewpoint or concerns.

Findings

– The following features of the teacher’s questions were observed: no bias in any questions; various questions soon after group discussion, including easy expression of unstructured thoughts; and a consistent view of learning, such as not ending learning despite having received answers. These features were not fixed strategies, but one end of the reflective trajectory in considering the relation between students’ growth and lessons’ mathematical content. Possibly, this reflective cycle might support participate structure in which students learn collaboratively.

Originality/value

– Long-term observation and spending time with one class enabled the researcher to investigate lesson study systematically and showed the significance of teachers and researchers studying together.
The role of approach and avoidance motivation in employee voice
Authors: Ma Chao
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a model of the processes through which approach and avoidance motivation influence constructive and defensive voice behavior, with the moderating role of workplace ostracism and contingent self-esteem.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is conceptual and quantitative study should be conducted to explore the propositions proposed in this paper.

Findings

– This paper proposes that approach motivation is positively related to constructive voice while avoidance motivation is positively related to defensive voice. In addition, workplace ostracism and contingent self-esteem/importance of performance to self-esteem (IPSE) are examined as two moderators of the motivation-voice behavior relationship.

Practical implications

– By understanding employees’ different motives underpinning the voice behavior explained in this paper, it may be easier for management to take measures to facilitate constructive voice and abate defensive voice. Organizations may wish to formulate policies and regulations and to foster a climate to prevent ostracism from happening. Programs designed to develop employees with high IPSE may be implemented.

Originality/value

– Most of empirical work on voice has focussed on employee voice behaviors with positive attributes. This paper adopts approach and avoidance motivation as two antecedents, and grounded in self-regulation theory, exploring both positive and negative types of voice behavior. This paper also examines how negative interpersonal behavior such as ostracism affects voice behavior, and provide insights on upside of contingent self-esteem.
Satisfaction of learning, performance, and relatedness needs at work and employees’ organizational identification
Authors: Kumar Manish , Jauhari Hemang
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– In today’s scenario when loyalty can no longer be demanded from employees, the extent of organizational identification (OID) of employees predicts outcomes of organizational interest. It is therefore essential for organizations to foster the sense of oneness in employees. Since, need satisfaction lies at the core of human motivation, the purpose of this paper is to test if satisfaction of learning, performance, and relatedness needs at workplace could influence employees’ identification with the organization.

Design/methodology/approach

– For this study, the authors collected data from 365 professionals representing diverse work backgrounds and analysed it using structural equation modelling approach.

Findings

– Results suggest that OID is positively influenced by satisfaction of these three needs and about 45 per cent of its variance is explained by these needs.

Originality/value

– The study corroborates the relevance of the three needs in organizational context. Although not a part of design of the study, nonetheless the study sheds light on methodological and theoretical possibilities of salience of needs. Therefore to the best of awareness, this study stands apart from other studies exploring relationship of disparate needs with OID. The authors believe the study enriches social identity theory literature in indicating that researchers should not only consider focusing on relationship of needs variables with OID but also the dynamics of interaction between various needs among themselves as well as on their differential relationship with OID.
HRM practices and organizational performance in the UAE banking sector
Authors: Farouk Sherine , Abu Elanain Hossam M. , Obeidat Shatha M. , Al-Nahyan Moza
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of human resource management (HRM) practices on organizational performance in the banking sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to test the mediating impact of organizational innovation on the HRM-organizational performance relationship, and to test HRM practices as mediator of the relationship between innovation strategy and organizational innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected from 168 managers working in UAE banks. A structured questionnaire containing standard scales of HRM practices, innovation strategy, organizational innovation, organizational performance, and some demographic variables was used. The analytical method used to empirically test the hypotheses proposed is the structural equation modeling technique using PLS. The two steps are: the assessment of the outer model and the assessment of the inner model. Moreover, a bootstrapping method is employed in order to test indirect effects.

Findings

– Results found that organizational innovation fully mediates HRM-organizational performance link. Moreover, with the existence of innovation strategy, HRM mediates the relationship between innovation strategy and organizational innovation.

Research limitations/implications

– The limitations of common method bias and cross-sectional data are discussed in light of implications for future research. Nevertheless, the results provide new insights on the influence of HRM on organization innovation and performance in a non-Western context of the UAE by testing the role of some mediators in influencing the relationship between HRM and performance.

Practical implications

– In general, enhancing the effectiveness of HRM can result in higher level of performance and innovation. In particular, the choice of an innovation strategy implies the use of an effective incentive-based compensation, training and development, recruitment and selection and performance appraisal.

Originality/value

– This study is considered the first study to examine the mediating role of organizational innovation on the relationship between HRM and organizational performance in the Middle East. Also, the study is the first study to test the role of HRM as a mediator for the innovation strategy-innovation performance relationship in a non-Western context.
Augmented reality, the future of contextual mobile learning
Authors: Sungkur Roopesh Kevin , Panchoo Akshay , Bhoyroo Nitisha Kirtee
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This study aims to show the relevance of augmented reality (AR) in mobile learning for the 21st century. With AR, any real-world environment can be augmented by providing users with accurate digital overlays. AR is a promising technology that has the potential to encourage learners to explore learning materials from a totally new perspective. Besides, the advancements made in information technology further broaden the scope for educational AR applications. Furthermore, the proliferation of wireless mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets is also introducing AR into the mobile domain.

Design/methodology/approach

This discussion paper gives an insight of the different potential fields of application of AR and eventually proposes an AR application that will give a completely different learning experience for learners. This AR mobile application will not only provide learners with supplementary information but will also assist lecturers in their teaching process. There are certain concepts in computer science at the tertiary level that are at times difficult for learners to understand using the traditional classroom approach. Through this AR application developed, the learners are able to see what is happening and experience a different form of learning where the focus is more on “learning by doing” and on the ability of visualizing the complete set of steps involved for a particular operation. Finally what is proposed is a generic framework/process for the development of AR applications for learning purposes.

Findings

The AR application developed and tested has proved to be helpful in understanding complex concepts of computer science that average students have much difficulty in understanding. Through AR, learning has been brought to a new dimension where the students can easily visualize what is happening and easily understand complex concepts. This low-cost system that has been proposed can track and detect both markerless and marker-based images. A number of experiments have also been carried out to determine a set of best practices for the development and use of such AR applications.

Originality/value

Learners have been able to have a more interactive and enriching learning experience through two-dimensional and three-dimensional digital augmentations. The AR mobile application has been enhancing the cognitive skills of learners through enabling them to scan images from printed materials with their smartphones. Then, informative digital augmentation has been overlaid in real time on the mobile screen with the image preview still in the background.
Insight into healthcare design: lessons learned in two university hospitals
Authors: Reijula Jori , Reijula Emmi , Reijula Kari
Published: June 2016

Purpose

Hospitals in the developed countries have been subjected to increasing economic pressure. Thus, several hospitals have been forced to improve their production efficiency while coping with limited resources. This paper aims to illustrate challenges and insight associated with health care (HC) facility design (FD) in two publicly funded hospitals.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, 14 interviewees from two Finnish university hospitals were interviewed. Both hospitals had implemented Lean methods and recently undergone rigorous renovation projects and were seen as ideal study targets.

Findings

Both hospitals had managed to carry out successful indoor environment design. However, logistics, navigation, health information technology, scheduling, budgeting and outsourcing challenges had arisen. An outpatient care approach and customer-driven operational needs are beneficial and guide FD in the target hospitals. Lean thinking offers the necessary fundamental framework for integrating operational design as a part of FD.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the relatively small sample size of the interviewees in this study, post occupancy evaluations in a larger target group should be conducted in the present hospitals. Furthermore, the communication with the interviewees may be considered qualitative due to the research approach based on interviews and content analysis.

Practical implications

Hospital design should focus on developing aesthetic, durable and adaptable facilities that support work processes. The hospital management needs to ensure that architects and designers possess enough HC expertize and are able to interact with clinicians. FD projects should be led and organized more systematically, while project communication between all stakeholders should be more transparent and facilitated by – preferably – a hospital staff member. Furthermore, an organized forum for HC FD should be used for sharing knowledge. The clinicians must be thoroughly oriented to the new work environment and processes.

Originality/value

This paper brings forth numerous crucial challenges and insight related to management of FD in two university hospitals.
Critical determinants of residential property value: professionals’ perspective
Authors: Abidoye Rotimi Boluwatife , Chan Albert P.C.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

Real estate property has been established as a composite good, and its value is determined by many variables. The heterogeneous nature of real estate property has made different stakeholders value these variables differently. Therefore, this study aims to identify and evaluate these sets of variables which influence residential property value in the Lagos metropolis property market, Nigeria, based on professional valuers’ perception.

Design/methodology/approach

A list of variables that influences property value was generated through literature review, and the list was used to design an online questionnaire that was administered to valuers practicing in the metropolis. The valuers were asked to rank these variables in order of significance. Their response was analysed to establish the mean score of each variable that depicts their level of significance.

Findings

In order of importance, property location, neighbourhood characteristics, property state of repair, size of property, availability of neighbourhood security and age of property are the most highly significant variables that are influential on the property value in the Lagos metropolis.

Practical implications

The findings of this study will inform all existing and prospective real estate stakeholders, including facility managers of the major determinants of the value of their investments and, at the same time, will be a tool for valuers and researchers in property value modelling.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to develop a framework of property value determinants in this research area in Nigeria.
A performance outcome framework for appraising construction consultants in the university sector
Authors: Lam Terence Y.M.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The UK Government construction strategy has a clear objective to maximise potential and value for construction and infrastructure projects. The purpose of this paper was to develop a performance outcome framework for the public-sector university client to identify the criteria for value against which construction consultants’ performance will be appraised for selection and monitoring purposes in outsourcing.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiple-case study method was used to examine the performance requirements of construction consultants, using three state universities having similar contexts in terms of organisation objectives and requirements on projects funded by the government.

Findings

Within the public-sector university environment, five performance outcomes are identified: time, cost, quality, innovations and working relationship with the client. These areas form a conceptual framework for measuring the performance of construction consultants.

Research limitations/implications

The performance outcome framework developed should be regarded as “conceptual”. University clients may have different organisation objectives and hence requirements for performance outcomes, which may further vary according to specific project situations. The framework should be adapted accordingly.

Practical implications

University clients and their professional advisors should specify the performance requirements under those five areas in tender documents for selection purposes and subsequently use them as key performance indicators to monitoring the consultant performance. Construction consultants should address these requirements in the tender proposals to add value to the project.

Originality value

There is a need to investigate what performance outcomes are required by the public-sector construction client. Based on the results of this research, frameworks and guidelines can be further developed for use by other public sectors, thus benefitting the wider public sector as a whole.
Development and testing of a Boolean obsolescence assessment tool for built environment asset systems
Authors: Mulholland Kieran , Pitt Michael , Mclennan Peter
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the need for further development of tools that could be used to mitigate obsolescence within the built environment. Literature reviewed within this paper indicates a distinct gap in research, allowing for rising obsolescence-driven investments within asset systems. In addition to further conceptual development, case study testing is required to validate the use of certain existing methods.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper has developed a Boolean obsolescence assessment tool, which was then tested within a case study environment. This year-long case study provided real world data across three asset systems within an operational building.

Findings

The findings from this preliminary case study indicate that a Boolean tool of this type has the potential to provide significant insight into obsolescence mitigation. Such a tool, implemented in accordance with onsite asset management processes, has the ability to mitigate and avoid obsolescence-driven investments.

Research limitations/implications

This case study is limited because of its length and size. To mitigate the effects that may have been captured, this research project has been developed and continued.

Originality/value

The model featured within this paper originated from an untested obsolescence indexing technique. This model was adapted and extended to improve its accuracy and functionality, which also involved adding weighting mechanisms, resulting in not only an original model but a novel set of results because of the current lack of explicit testing of similar models.
Autoethnography of digital fiction in Japan: a case study
Authors: Gabriele Rebagliati
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to show how autoethnography applied to digital fiction can give us deep insights into collaborative writing through a case study of a Japanese mobile novel platform.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is based on the author’s autoethnographic fieldwork as an ethnographer and a writer, arguing that the autoethnographic method is an effective tool for the understanding of digital fiction.

Findings

– Through this approach the researcher, could not only reflect on the possibility of autoethnography as a methodology, but he could also enter into the dynamics of how the community of people surrounding a digital novel and his/her author is organized.

Originality/value

– Despite the fact that Japan has been a pioneer in the development of mobile novels, almost nothing has been written on the topic in languages other than Japanese. This paper is an invitation for further investigation that could foster comparative studies between the Japanese case and those in other countries.