bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of Vympel and Rhizostym on some indicators of vegetable pepper growth at different phases of ontogenesis
Authors: Pryplavko S. A. , Gaviy В. М. , Kovalenko S. A.
Published: June 2021

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the leading vegetable crops, cultivated mainly on farms. A study was introduced to study the comparative effect of pre-sowing seed treatment with Vympel and Rhizostym on some indicators of growth of pepper of sweet vegetable variety Bogatyr at different phases of ontogenesis. According to the results of research, it was found that the treatment of seeds with Vympel and Rhizostym has a positive effect on the accumulation of raw and dry matter of vegetable pepper plants. In the phase of two true leaves, the drug Vympel outperformed the control indicators by 65.5 and 100 %, respectively. In the phase of eight true leaves, the best results on the weight of the raw material were obtained in the variant with the use of Rhizostym, which exceeded the control value by 94 %, while the weight of dry matter was better influenced by Vympel, which exceeded the control values by 109.3 %. In terms of the percentage of dry matter in the plant sample, the best effect was shown by the drug Vympel, which exceeded the control value by 16.9–21.4 % depending on the phase of development. According to the water content in the plant sample in the phase of two true leaves, Vympel showed high efficiency, which exceeded the control indicators by 56.1 %. Rhizostym contributed to an increase of 94.1 % compared to the control in the phase of eight true leaves. Studying the effect of the studied drugs on the linear growth rates of pepper vegetable variety Bogatyr, it was found that the height of the stem and root length of plants in the phase of two true leaves was better influenced by the drug Vympel, which exceeded control by 6.3 % and 61.5 %, respectively. In the phase of eight true leaves, these indicators were better influenced by the drug Rhizostym. In terms of stem diameter in the middle part of pepper plants in the flowering phase, the drug Rhizostym was highly effective, exceeding the control value by 30 %, and in the ripening phase – Vympel, which contributed to the predominance compared to the control by 26.5 %. The highest yield of vegetable peppers was found during seed treatment with Rhizostym. It also helped increase the wall thickness of pepper fruits. Therefore, plant growth regulators Vympel and Rhizostiy should be used to treat vegetable pepper seeds in order to improve growth, yield and fruit quality
Namesakes in literature, or Chekhov's code in Sholokhov's novels
Authors: Shatsky E. O.
Published: June 2021

An allusive proper name is one of the traditional artistic devices of the Russian classics. The author examines Sholokhov's prose to find nearly a dozen names with reference to various Chekhov short stories. In most cases, there is no similarity between the characters' destinies, but the sheer ubiquity of Chekhov-inspired names can be considered as an homage to the master. On the other hand, the allusive names that Sholokhov consistently borrows from The Cherry Orchard [Vishnyoviy sad] are indicative of plot parallels between Sholokhov's novels and Chekhov's play. Notably, Sholokhov uses allusive proper names as a means of generalisation and typification of characters, from the bulwark of traditional morality, the Cossack woman Natalia Stepanovna, the ‘Russian Lucretia,' to the evercheerful soldier Lopakhin, to the family of Mikhail and Dunyasha Koshevoy as a symbol of recovery of the nation divided by the civil war, to the Gaev family as a premonition of the fate awaiting peasant Russia. Such allusions allow for treatment of Sholokhov's novels as a trilogy about the tragedies of the Russian people in the first half of the 20th c.
Is Dostoevsky immortal?
Authors: Amusin M. F.
Published: June 2021

The article sets out to trace F. Dostoevsky's presence in Russian literature over a broader period: from the 1960s until the present time. According to Amusin, his article especially focuses on the more empirically evident forms of such presence, namely film adaptations of Dostoevsky's works, critical reviews devoted to the writer, and, lastly, the dialogue between Dostoevsky and Russian writers of the late 20th — early 21st cc. Amusin argues that Dostoevsky's ‘background' influence (mostly of the philosophical or religious variety) was most perceived in the Russian village prose movement, whereas the ‘urban prose' writers, notably A. Bitov, Y. Trifonov, and V. Makanin, moved beyond that ‘background' to interact with Dostoevsky on the level of specific matches and parallels in the text. In the end, the critic finds that Dostoevsky is a constant presence in literature: the idiosyncratic aesthetic ideas and a high degree of spirituality that define his oeuvre give it enough power to penetrate time, stimulate our sensibility and occasionally administer a curative ‘acupuncture' treatment.
The works of Paolo Cognetti, or In praise of the wild boy
Authors: Yampolskaya A. V.
Published: June 2021

The author examines works by Paolo Cognetti in light of the myth he has created about a wild boy from the Alps and the wise mountain folk inhabiting various corners of the world. The myth, including the appeal to return to one's roots, to life in harmony with nature, has resonated with many people who are feeling out of place in modern urban civilisation. At the same time, Cognetti has developed his distinctive poetics by combining traditions of the American short story and those of Italian prose and by proposing a compelling stylistic ideal. The article dwells on the origins of Cognetti's writing, its defining features and Italian as well as foreign influences on his works. Cognetti's principal work, the novel The Eight Mountains [Le otto montagne], is analysed along with autobiographical stories The Wild Boy: A Memoir [Il ragazzo selvatico. Quaderno di montagna] and Without Ever Reaching the Summit: A Himalayan Journey [Senza mai arrivare in cima: Viaggio in Himalaya]. The myth of a savage and idealisation of the past help to explain Cognetti's popularity and the fact that he has lent his voice to a whole generation.
Boltanski, L. (2019). Mysteries and conspiracies. Translated by A. Zakharevich. St. Petersburg: Izdatelstvo Evropeyskogo universiteta. (In Russ.)
Authors: Moiseev P. A.
Published: June 2021

The review deals with Luc Boltanski's Mysteries and Conspiracies [Enigmes et complots]. The following is noted as defects of the reviewed book: detective fiction is associated with anxieties that question the framework of modern reality. Such attribution, it is argued, results from inaccurate comparison of detective fiction to a spy novel. The reviewer identifies contradictions in the definition of detective fiction: on the one hand, it is characterised by the proverbial anxiety. On the other, the writer suggests that unravelling a mystery normalises the ‘integrity of predictable expectations.' In addition, Boltanski confuses detective fiction with police procedural novels as well as the concepts of genre and theme with regard to spy novels (as a result, he dwells on ‘the genre of the spy novel,' even though spy novels are written in a number of genres). The review particularly criticises Boltanski's assessment of A. Conan Doyle's prose.
The Modernist poetics of Leo Tolstoy's Master and Man [Khozyain i rabotnik]
Authors: Matveeva I. Y. , Evlampiev I. I.
Published: June 2021

The study is devoted to one of Leo Tolstoy's later short stories, Master and Man [Khozyain i rabotnik]. The article traces its links to other ‘stories for the people,' describes its reception by Tolstoy's contemporaries and deals with the problem of the artistic and didactic agenda that was so relevant for Tolstoy. The authors also examine Tolstoy's preliminary drafts. The article contains an exhaustive analysis of the two main characters, their relationship and correspondence with time and space, daily routine and abstract existence. Tolstoy is presented as a pioneer of methods typical of 20th-c. literary Modernism, which were utilised by A. Bely, A. Remizov, and V. Nabokov. According to the scholars, the story offers an unequivocal illustration of the main thesis of Tolstoy's later religious and philosophical outlook that the material world is a false and illusory form of life, while true life is only achievable through spiritual being.
New approach instead of new finds. A. Zorin's new book on Tolstoy
Authors: Makhlin V. L.
Published: June 2021

V. Makhlin's article deals with the recently published book The Life of Leo Tolstoy: An Experiment in Interpretation [Zhizn Lva Tolstogo: Opyt prochteniya] (Moscow: NLO, 2020) by philologist A. Zorin. Noting that in his attempt to reconstruct the context of L. Tolstoy's life, Zorin does not pursue sensational discoveries, be it facts or rumours, Makhlin argues that the author's main goal was to bridge the gap between three different aspects of Tolstoy's image: that of a man in daily life, an artist engaged in creative work, and a religious proselytiser with his beliefs. According to Makhlin, Zorin managed the task brilliantly by employing a unique method, namely an ‘integrated approach' to writing a Tolstoy biography. The biographer tries to portray Tolstoy's life using the writer's own words, leaving to himself the task to comment on, rather than interpret, the events he describes. It is this precision as well as avoidance of personal judgements that, in Makhlin's opinion, make Zorin's book so precious and make it stand out among other Tolstoy biographies.
An experiment in narratological reading. The Bishop [Arkhierey] by Chekhov
Authors: Tyupa V. I.
Published: June 2021

The article showcases the distinctive characteristics and analytical powers of the narratological approach to examination of a literary text as a system of episodes comprising a unique subject of the artistic whole. The author specifies the typological concept of the narrative picture of the world as the basis for accurate understanding of epic literature. An analytical description of the system of episodes in the short story The Bishop [Arkhierey] reveals the consistency of Chekhov's masterpiece with the precedential (in this case, evangelical) picture of the world. The story's narrative content is examined as an artistic actualisation of a sacred historical event in an incident of a private quotidian existence. The proposed interpretation of the story polemicises with that offered by the German narratology scholar W. Schmid, who denies the eventfulness of the protagonist's metamorphosis and views his epiphany with skepticism.
Posttraumatic Intramuscular Nodular Fasciitis in a 7-Year-Old Boy: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Denzinger Markus , Denzinger Markus , Steininger Sandra , Zorger Niels , Wolfertstetter Patricia Reis , Knorr Christian
Published: June 2021

Nodular fasciitis is a rare disease, and its diagnosis is difficult. We present a case report of a seven-year-old child with progredient swelling of the left pectoralis muscle three weeks after trauma. After histopathological diagnosis, we performed complete resection. Normally, a conservative approach with regular follow-up is regarded as appropriate since nodular fasciitis does have the capability to regress spontaneously. Since recent publications indicate the possibility of malignant transformation, the complete primary resection also has to be discussed as therapy of choice.
Neoliberalizm ve İslam Ekonomisinin Sosyal Refah Yaklaşımlarının Karşılaştırılması
Authors: KALKAVAN Hakan , BAŞ Halim
Published: June 2021

Ekonomik gelişimin temel göstergelerinden biri refah düzeyidir. Refah düzeyi, bir toplumda devlet tarafından uygulanan politikaların sosyal adalet bağlamında olmasını simgelemektedir. Sosyal adalet insanlar arasında vuku bulan sosyal eşitsizlikleri azaltma amacı gütmektedir. Bu çerçevede, devletler bireylere vergiler yoluyla sosyal transferler sağlamakta ve gelirin yeniden dağılımında aracı rol üstlenmektedir. Bu anlamda, refah devletlerinin rolü yalnızca sosyal transferler yoluyla fayda sağlamak olmamaktadır. Bunun ötesinde, devletler yaptıkları düzenlemelerle diğer refah paydaşları olan piyasa ve sivil toplum aktörlerini de sürece dahil ederek sosyal refahı sağlamaktadır. Ancak, ülkelerin refah anlayışları bütüncül sosyal refah açısından farklılık göstermektedir. Bu açıdan, İslam ekonomisinin refah yaklaşımı temelde ahlaki değerleri önceleyen, ekonomik refahı toplumsal dengeyi gözeterek sağlamayı amaçlayan bir yaklaşımdır. Bu minvalde, insanların temel ihtiyaçlarının sağlanması ve sosyal yardımın ötesinde gelir ve servet eşitsizliğini azaltıcı ekonomi politikalarının iktisadi yapının dönüşümü adına uygulanması öngörülmektedir. Bununla birlikte, İslam ekonomisiyle neoliberal ekonomik anlayış pek çok açıdan farklılık gösterdiği gibi, benzer şekilde neoliberal temelli sosyal yatırım ve İslam ekonomisinin refah yaklaşımı da farklılık göstermektedir. Bu bağlamda çalışmanın amacı, İslâm ekonomisinin sosyal refah anlayışı ve neoliberalizm temelli sosyal yatırım anlayışı, sosyal refah ve muhafazakâr yaklaşımları ile birlikte teorik yönden tartışmak ve perspektiflerini ayrıntılı bir şekilde ortaya koymaktır.
İslami İktisat Çerçevesinde Günler: Karma Yöntem Araştırması
Authors: GENÇ Abdullah Talha , YENİCE Ali Can , ORHAN Zeyneb Hafsa
Published: June 2021

Bu çalışmada, banka harici finansal yapılardan günler (para-altın, döviz vb.) ele alınmakta ve toplumsal ilişkilerin bir parçası olan bu uygulamaların, İslam iktisadının hedefleriyle örtüşmesi bakımından alternatif bir çözüm yolu olup olmadığı araştırılmaktadır. Araştırma çerçevesinde sosyal, iktisadi ve fıkhi yönleri olan günlerin işleyişlerini ve katılımcıların özelliklerini keşfetmek ve günlere katılımı etkileyen faktörleri tespit etmek amacıyla karma yöntem tercih edilmiştir. Gün olgusunun enformel yapıya sahip olması nedeniyle çalışmada keşfedici ardışık desen kullanılmıştır. Bu desende ele alının olguyu keşfetmek amacıyla ilk olarak nitel yöntem ikinci olarak ise nicel yöntem kullanılır. Çalışmanın nitel kısmında gün olgusuna yönelik güven, sosyalleşme, dayanışma, dini hassasiyet, tasarruf, yatırım, tüketim ve finansal piyasalara erişememe olmak üzere sekiz tema keşfedilmiştir. Nicel kısımda ise gerçekleştirilen açımlayıcı faktör analizi sonucunda formel finansal piyasalardan faydalanamama, manevi boyut, sosyalleşme, aile bütçesine katkı, temel tüketim, faizden kaçınma, tasarrufa zorlama ve yatırım faktörlerinin güne katılmayı etkilediği tespit edilmiştir. Daha sonra bu faktörlerin cinsiyet, eğitim düzeyi, meslek ve hane halkı aylık gelir düzeyine göre anlamlı farklılıkların olup olmadığı test edilmiştir. Gün olgusunun karma yöntem ile araştırılması ve manevi boyutun faktör olarak tespit edilmesi bu çalışmanın özgün yönlerini oluşturmaktadır. Bu doğrultuda sosyal, iktisadi ve fıkhi boyutları barındıran günlerin banka dışı İslami finansal bir fenomen olduğu ileri sürülmektedir.
Belediye Hizmetlerinden Memnuniyet Ve Yerel Seçim Sonuçları Arasındaki İlişki: 2014 Yerel Seçimleri Örneği
Authors: KORKUT Hüseyin
Published: June 2021

Türkiye’de siyaset bilimi alanında çalışan akademisyenler ve araştırmacılar sık sık genel seçimler ve yerel ya da diğer bir deyişle mahalli idareler seçimlerinin birbirinden çok farklı atmosferde yapılan seçimler olduğunu belirtmektedirler. Genel kanı, genel seçimlerde uluslararası politika, makroekonomik politikalar ve ulusal siyasi tartışmaların daha belirleyici olması iken yerel seçimlerde belediye başkanının özellikleri, belediye hizmetlerinden memnuniyet ve diğer yerel faktörlerin etkili olacağıdır. Ayrıca, belediye yönetimi ile siyasi iktidarın aynı partiden olmasının hizmetleri arttıracağı ya da kolaylaştıracağı yönünde kamuoyunda bir algı da mevcut görünmektedir. Bu çalışma TÜİK tarafından 2013 yılı Kasım ayında tüm Türkiye’de il düzeyinde yapılan Yaşam Memnuniyeti Araştırması verilerini kullanarak 2009-2014 yerel seçimleri sonucunda ortaya çıkan belediyeyi yöneten partinin il bazındaki oy farkının belediye hizmetlerinden memnuniyet düzeyi ile ne oranda açıklanabileceğini tespit etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu amaca ulaşmak için korelasyon ve çoklu regresyon analizleri kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonuçlarına göre bazı belediye hizmetlerinden memnuniyet düzeyinin seçim sonuçları üzerinde sınırlı bir etkisi olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ancak bu etki etnik siyasetin seçim sonuçları üzerinde çok baskın bir etkisinin görüldüğü Güneydoğu ve Doğu Anadolu Bölgesinde bazı iller örneklemden çıkarıldığında daha belirgin olarak ortaya çıkmaktadır.
Variation in pediatric stereoelectroencephalography practice among pediatric neurosurgeons in the United States: survey results
Authors: Kennedy Benjamin C. , Katz Joshua , Lepard Jacob , Blount Jeffrey P.
Published: June 2021

OBJECTIVE

Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) has become widespread in the United States during the past decade. Many pediatric neurosurgeons practicing SEEG may not have had experience with this technique during their formal training, and the literature is mostly limited to single-center series. As a result, implementation of this relatively new technique may vary at different institutions. The authors hypothesized that aspects of SEEG experience, techniques, and outcomes would vary widely among programs across the country.

METHODS

An electronic survey with 35 questions addressing the categories of training and experience, technique, electrode locations, and outcomes was sent to 128 pediatric epilepsy surgeons who were potential SEEG users.

RESULTS

Sixty-one pediatric fellowship-trained epilepsy surgeons in the United States responded to the survey. Eighty-nine percent were actively using SEEG in their practice. Seventy-two percent of SEEG programs were in existence for less than 5 years, and 68% were using SEEG for > 70% of their invasive monitoring. Surgeons at higher-volume centers operated on younger patients (p < 0.001). Most surgeons (70%) spent 1–3 hours per case planning electrode trajectories. Two-thirds of respondents reported a median implant duration of 5–7 days, but 16% reported never having an implant duration > 5 days, and 16% reported having had implants stay in place for > 4 weeks. The median response for the median number of electrodes initially implanted was 12 electrodes, although 19% of respondents reported median implants of 5–8 electrodes and 17% reported median implants of 15–18 electrodes. Having a higher volume of SEEG cases per year was associated with a higher median number of electrodes implanted (p < 0.001). Most surgeons found SEEG helpful in defining an epileptic network and reported that most of their SEEG patients undergo focal surgical treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

SEEG has been embraced by the pediatric epilepsy surgery community. Higher case volume is correlated with a tendency to place more electrodes and operate on younger patients. For most parameters addressed in the survey, responses from surgeons clustered around a norm, though additional findings of substantial variations highlight differences in implementation and philosophy among pediatric epilepsy programs.
Towards Syriac Digital Corpora: Evaluation of Tesseract 4.0 for Syriac OCR
Authors: Chesley Emily , Marcantonio Jillian , Pearson Abigail
Published: June 2021

This paper summarizes the results of an extensive test of Tesseract 4.0, an open-source Optical Character Recognition (OCR) engine with Syriac capabilities, and ascertains the current state of Syriac OCR technology. Three popular print types (S14, W64, and E22) representing the Syriac type styles Estrangela, Serto, and East Syriac were OCRed using Tesseract’s two different OCR modes (Syriac Language and Syriac Script). Handwritten manuscripts were also preliminarily tested for OCR. The tests confirm that Tesseract 4.0 may be relied upon for printed Estrangela texts but should be used with caution and human revision for Serto and East Syriac printed texts. Consonantal accuracy lies around 99% for Estrangela, between 89% and 94% for Serto, and around 89% for East Syriac. Scholars may use Tesseract to OCR Estrangela texts with a high degree of confidence, but further training of the engine will be required before Serto and East Syriac texts can be smoothly OCRed. In all type styles, human revision of the OCRed text is recommended when scholars desire an exact, error-free corpus.
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici interaction. A review
Authors: López-Zapata Silvia Patricia , García-Jaramillo Dora Janeth , López Walter Ricardo , Ceballos-Aguirre Nelson
Published: June 2021

The interaction between plants and pathogens is a very dynamic and complex relationship that also includes a high degree of specificity, and it is precisely this last characteristic which triggers such important responses in the survival of one or the other. The pathosystem formed by tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) has been the subject of multiple studies due to the importance of the vegetable worldwide and for the economic and ecological impact of the fungus responsible for the vascular wilt disease in tomato, causing losses that go up to 100%. One way to find alternatives for the management of any pathosystem is to know the actors involved and the mechanisms that govern the interaction through technological and scientific advances that clearly show how the interaction develops on a genetic level. This review collects the information from different scientific sources with focus on the knowledge of the fungus, tomato cultivation and plant defense applied to this pathosystem, as well as the molecular mechanisms.
Field blood preservation and DNA extraction from wild mammals: methods and key factors for biodiversity studies
Authors: Carvajal-Agudelo Juan D. , Trujillo-Betancur M. Paula , Velásquez-Guarín Daniela , Ramírez-Chaves Hector E. , Pérez-Cárdenas Jorge E. , Rivera-Páez Fredy A.
Published: June 2021

Studies on public health and wild mammal biodiversity include a genetic component. For blood samples, there must be optimal sample collection conditions since these can affect DNA preservation and extraction. This study evaluated the use of liquid and dry DNA preservation methods and commercial and non-commercial DNA extraction methods on field-collected blood samples. For this, 264 total blood samples were collected from wild mammals. A first group of samples was preserved in guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) and DNA was extracted using six commercial kits:  Bioline, Norgen, Invitrogen, Promega, and Qiagen, in addition to phenol-chloroform isoamyl alcohol (PC) and guanidine thiocyanate (GIT). Another group of samples was preserved in Whatman® FTA® cards and DNA was extracted with PC and GIT. The extractions with GIT and PC showed the highest values (ng/µL) and variation in DNA concentration, while the commercial kit showed low variation. Sample preservation in Whatman® FTA® cards provided low variation and quantity of the extracted DNA compared with the use of GuHCl. Concerning DNA quality, the commercial kits yielded higher purity, while GIT and PC-based protocols provided highly variable results. Furthermore, the use of GIT and PC yielded a higher amount of DNA, yet, of variable quality. Overall, extraction based on commercial kits and Whatman® FTA® preservation allowed obtaining more standardized DNA qualities and quantities.
AN ANALYSIS OF TENTH GRADE STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN COMPREHENDING RECOUNT TEXT
Authors: Prayitno Eko , Sartika Dewi , Asmara Rekha
Published: June 2021

This study aimed to recognize the problems  faced by the tenth graders of SMA Negeri 1 Jejawi and to determine the  factors that influenced  students’ difficulties in comprehending recount text. This study was a qualitative research. The subject of the study was the tenth grade students of SMA Negeri 1 Jejawi in academic year of 2019/2020. The techniques of collecting the data were interview and reading comprehension test. To analyses the data, reducing, data displayed, content analysis, and draw conclusion were applied. The result of the study showed that there were 68.7%  students  had difficulties in finding the main idea,  70.15% students had difficulties in understanding vocabulary,  66% students had difficulties in finding reference,  59.3% students had difficulties in finding purpose of the text,  67.24% students had difficulties in finding detail information, and 81.95% students had difficulties in determining the generic structure of the text. Some factors influenced students’ difficulties in comprehending recount text were material that has long passage, limitation of words, learners’ background, and environment.
Accuracy analysis of BLE beacon-based localization in smart buildings
Authors: Ivanov Rosen
Published: June 2021

The majority of services that deliver personalized content in smart buildings require accurate localization of their clients. This article presents an analysis of the localization accuracy using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons. The aim is to present an approach to create accurate Indoor Positioning Systems (IPS) using algorithms that can be implemented in real time on platforms with low computing power. Parameters on which the localization accuracy mostly depends are analyzed: localization algorithm, beacons’ density, deployment strategy, and noise in the BLE channels. An adaptive algorithm for pre-processing the signals from the beacons is proposed, which aims to reduce noise in beacon’s data and to capture visitor’s dynamics. The accuracy of five range-based localization algorithms in different use case scenarios is analyzed. Three of these algorithms are specially designed to be less sensitive to noise in radio channels and require little computing power. Experiments conducted in a simulated and real environment show that using proposed algorithms the localization accuracy less than 1 m can be obtained.
Post-modern management science: a likely convergence of soft computing and knowledge management methods
Authors: Whalen Thomas , Samaddar Subhashish
Published: June 2021

One of the distinguishing characteristics of ‘postmodernism’ in philosophy and the humanities generally is the de-emphasis on fixed meanings and precise structures of measurement, and the emphasis on discourses, which dynamically shape and are shaped by the perceptions, concepts, and participants making them up. In this paper, we posit that post-modern management science will benefit from two separate related foundations. First, we argue that soft computing as a foundation for a computational theory of perception is one sign that the postmodern viewpoint has begun to contribute to the advancement of the management sciences. Second, the growing knowledge management emphasis on continuously creating, discovering, reshaping and deploying corporate knowledge by converting its tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge and vice-versa lays the other foundation for post-modern management science. This new philosophy of management science, we speculate, will have critical influence on the research and practice of management science in real world problem solving.
Adaptation failures that cause error in technical organizations
Authors: Busby J.S.
Published: June 2021

A study was conducted of 127 cases of organizational error in engineering companies, analysing in particular the adaptation failures they pointed to: that is, the reasons that adaptation to past error had not led to error-free performance. The cases were first categorised according to whether the failure was due to situational variety or shortcomings in learning. Shortcomings in learning were then differentiated according to whether the cause lay with individuals' inferences, the structure of the engineering task they were performing, characteristics of tools used during the task, or organizational-level phenomena. A detailed taxonomy was developed for the cases collected under these categories. An attempt was then made to find an over-arching explanation of these adaptation failures, most of which turned out to be cases where earlier adaptations had been too rapid and definitive. The individuals or organizations in question had taken account of historical experience, but had done so in a way that discounted the possibility that this experience was idiosyncratic or temporary. This was explained in terms of the reinforcing feedback that arises from a number of effects. The suggestion is also made that there are good reasons why reinforcing feedback is ultimately functional, even though it appears to underlie particular adaptation failures and errors.
Human capital in the industrial districts
Authors: Molina-Morales F. Xavier
Published: June 2021

This paper focuses on the creation of human capital in the industrial districts. I argue that the recent firm strategy perspectives may explain regional (district) differences. In this context human resources are critical to creation and dissemination of the knowledge-based resources. I further distinguish between the degree of control and ownership of resources and transferable and non-transferable human capital. Using this conceptual framework I analyze industrial district addressable non-transferable resources. This paper suggests that firms should take on a more active role in creating and exploiting local addressable human resources. The paper ends by describing an illustrative example: the Spanish ceramic tile industry.
Performance-related pay or pay for participation ? The case of Emilia Romagna
Authors: Cainelli Giulio , Fabbri Roberto , Pini Paolo
Published: June 2021

The income policy agreement of July 1993 – the so-called Accordo di Luglio – has considerably changed the industrial relations framework in Italy. The adoption of company agreements, linking workers' compensation to company performance, opened up a new phase in bargaining, increasing the growth of decentralised negotiation between workers' trade union organisations and companies. Previous empirical investigations have mainly analysed this phenomenon at national level, focussing on the factors behind this practice. Less attention has been devoted to the investigation of the diffusion of these negotiating practices at local level. The aim of this paper is to analyse this phenomenon at this level, investigating decentralised bargaining carried out in Emilia Romagna, one of the most industrialised and unionised regions of Italy. In particular, company bargaining on performance-related pay (PRP) and/or pay for participation (PFP) is analysed during the period 1994–1997 within this region. First of all, forms of agreement on PRP/PFP are investigated to find out the incentive, risk-sharing, and participation mechanisms as predicted by economic theory and embodied within each contract. Secondly, an econometric investigation is carried out to identify the variables that can explain their introduction.
Knowledge management and intellectual capital as a paradigm of value creation
Authors: Rastogi P.N.
Published: June 2021

Any enterprise can potentially grow profitably through its management of knowledge for intellectual capital. For this purpose, it however, needs to craft an innovative and viable design of its business system. A business system design (BSD) comprises a dynamic architecture which is isomorphic across firms in space and time. A dense dynamic nexus of social capital, human capital and knowledge management – the knowledge management nexus (KMN) – forms the core of BSD. KMN continually rationalises and revitalises the BSD. An inclusive concept of knowledge spectrum as the quintessential resource for value creation is elaborated briefly in terms of its dynamic configuration. A firm's intellectual capital (IC) is seen as the resultant of its KMN. IC represents a firm's meta-capability toward overcoming challenges and exploiting opportunities in its continual pursuit of value creation. A synoptic overview of the KM-IC paradigm is outlined. It provides mental firepower to radically rethink businesses as experiments and exercises in value creation.
An experimental study of Web switching behavior
Authors: Otto James , Najdawi Mohammad , Wagner William
Published: June 2021

With the extensive growth of the Internet and electronic commerce, the issue of how users behave when confronted with long download times is important. This paper investigates Web switching behavior. The paper describes experiments where users were subjected to artificially delayed Web page download times to study the impact of Web site wait times on switching behavior. Two hypotheses were tested. First, that longer wait times will result in increased switching behavior. The implication being that users become frustrated with long waiting times and choose to go elsewhere. Second, that users who switch will benefit, in terms of decreased download times, from their decision to switch.
Online credit card processing models: Critical issues to consider by small merchants
Authors: Rob Mohammad A. , Opara Emmanuel U.
Published: June 2021

Electronic commerce is continuing as a thriving business for those companies that streamlined their online business processes; however, making payments over the Internet is still fearsome to customers. Although a variety of payment mechanisms have been developed, payment by credit cards remain the leading mechanism for online payments. For real-time online credit card processing, a merchant needs to install a third-party proprietary software in the merchant e-commerce server. However, many issues need to be resolved before integrating a third-party payment solution to a merchant e-commerce system. In this paper, we attempt to address the current state of the online credit card processing system, especially we discuss the available models of online real-time credit card processing systems. We also discuss several factors such as cost, complexity and security issues related to implementing such a system. The results can be extremely valuable to small businesses that are venturing into Internet commerce.
The complexity of the corporation
Authors: Robertson Duncan A.
Published: June 2021

We discuss the notion of complexity as applied to firms and corporations. We introduce the background to complex adaptive systems, and discuss whether this presents an appropriate model or metaphor to be used within management science. We consider whether a corporation should be thought of as a complex system, and conclude that a firm within an industry can be defined as a complex system within a complex system. Whether we can say that the use of complexity research will fundamentally improve firm performance will depend on the effect on success derived from its application.
Public networks for SME applications: implications for future SME networks
Authors: Shin Dong-Hee
Published: June 2021

I discuss experiences in the development of four broadband public networking projects in New York State in order to see an implication for future small or medium-sized enterprise over such public networks. The projects were funded under a state program to diffuse broadband/advanced telecommunication technologies in economically depressed areas of the state. Through the broadband networks, I critically argue characterization of next generation public network (NGPN) in reference to small medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). I identify several facets of an NGPN drawing on a longitudinal study of the network development in four New York communities. As broadband public networks diffuse, small businesses being left out of the loop. The idea of SME application and service may itself be at risk. My approach to the socio-technical challenges involved in the design and development of broadband public networks is outlined.
Systems development project team management: a resource-based view
Authors: Perez R.G. , Wen H. Joseph , Mahatanankoon Pruthikrai
Published: June 2021

This paper presents a resources-based theory perspective of managing a SAP project team in order to realize a sustainable competitive advantage. Resource-based theory suggests that resources which are durable, not easily replicable, and imperfectly mobile can be effectively leveraged by the firm in order to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage over its competitors. The analysis which is presented in this paper suggests that the effective implementation of the SAP system by a firm requires not only an acquisition of a high level of technical expertise, but a change in organizational culture from one which rewards individual brilliance to one which encourages project teams. This will create an environment in which the success of any individual in his job is critically dependent on the skills possessed by the other team members. This will render the human component of the SAP resource imperfectly mobile and increase the capability of the firm to leverage this resource in order to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.
Applications of Web-QFD and E-Delphi method in the higher education system
Authors: Chen Shun-Hsing , Yang Ching-Chow
Published: June 2021

Quality function deployment (QFD) is an essential tool in implementing total quality management (TQM). This study applies a Web-QFD approach using group decision-making analysis in the Web environment to reduce the complicated data collection, aggregation and analysis processes. A Web-based questionnaire is designed by using an active service pages (ASP) involving the Internet relay chat (IRC) technique and the Delphi method with Internet (E-Delphi) to determine the importance degree of the customers' requirements. However, the traditional Delphi method is time-consuming mission. This study applies the proposed Web-QFD approach to efficiently gather the individual opinions of each team member, the requirements that are critical for customers, and then enables decision makers to accurately assess the priorities of these requirements. An empirical example of an education system in Taiwan is employed to demonstrate the practicability of the proposed Web-QFD model. This real world example involves team members communicating easily and quickly with other experts in the team through the Internet to accelerate the reaching of a consensus among multiple decision makers regardless of where their location. Customers' requirements can be rapidly prioritized based on the assessment results.
Implementing a pull system in batch/mix process industry through Theory of Constraints: A case-study
Authors: Belvedere Valeria , Grando Alberto
Published: June 2021

This paper aims at understanding how the pull production planning approach can be implemented in a batch-mix process business through the Theory of Constraints (TOC). The paper, after a brief review of the main streams of study on TOC, identifies the key academic and managerial issues discussed about the process industries. Among these, a major one concerns production and inventory management for different types of process industries and the need for a transition towards a pull approach. Thus, a case-study is presented, concerning a batch-mix process company, which applied TOC. The paper describes the main features of the process, as well as the key decisions and activities performed in such plant in order to lead the transition to a pull system through the implementation of DBR.
From Management by Constraints (MBC) to Management By Criticalities (MBC II)
Authors: Trietsch Dan
Published: June 2021

The five-step “Theory of Constraints” as articulated and explained in Goldratt's books, is touted as “not only beneficial but mandatory”. However, although it is indeed a useful focusing heuristic methodology with an impressive track record, it is not really a theory and it is certainly not mandatory. Furthermore, it involves a serious internal inconsistency that must be “faced courageously”: To make drum-buffer-rope (DBR) work, Goldratt forbids balance, and yet Step 4 involves steps that tend to balance the system. I restrict the term Management by Constraints (MBC) to the correct aspects of the methodology and argue that successful MBC applications never follow the “official version” with complete faithfulness. MBC implicitly rejects DBR and allows balance. We should go further and plan the capacity (criticalities) taking into consideration the variability and the economic costs of the resources. This entails balancing the criticalities of resources based on their economic value relative to the value of the throughput they serve.
Knowledge sharing, complex environments and small-worlds
Authors: Metcalfe Mike
Published: June 2021

This paper is about knowledge sharing vision appropriate for a complex environment. In these environments, traditional views of knowledge sharing as informing a hierarchical, centralised leadership may be misleading. A complex environment is defined as one that emerges unpredictable changes that require organisations to reconnect, to reorganise. Organisations need to be able to rapidly reconnect relationships so as to reflect new priorities, and to do so without causing change “bottlenecks”. The empirical biologists have observed that some social species have evolved structures that enable them to do this automatically what ever the environmental change. These organisational forms have survived for millions of years without central planning; rather they use local knowledge is reconnect as required overall providing an appropriate strategic response. These organisational forms seem to result from the small-worlds phenomenon and it is self organising. Specifically, this paper will argue that this small-worlds, self organisation, phenomena is a useful vision for designing a knowledge sharing vision appropriate for a complex environment. The supportive evidence is provided in the form of identifying the empirical attributes of self organisation and small worlds to provide an explanation of how and why it works. The system thinking, biology (insect) and the social-network literature are used.
Supply chain system taxonomy: A framework and methodology
Authors: Chandra Charu , Tumanyan Armen
Published: June 2021

A prerequisite for achieving integration in a supply chain network is a common understanding of related terms and definitions, either syntactically or semantically. This paper proposes a generic approach for unification of information standardization and presentation through application of concepts adopted from different fields of study, viz., system science, biological classification, and object-oriented modeling. The result is a systematic representation of supply chain information by way of the supply chain system taxonomy. As proof of concept, general system taxonomy and supply chain system taxonomy have been developed based on the proposed framework and methodology.
Sustainability: Supply chains, partner linkages, and new forms of self-regulation
Authors: de Man Reinier , Burns Tom R.
Published: June 2021

This paper outlines a multi-level approach to sustainable business development. It builds on the notion that contemporary production systems are extensive, increasingly global in their reach. National government regulation is not feasible in many cases. Attempts to nationally regulate against non-sustainable production and business practices may even result in World Trade Organization (WTO) action against improper trade barriers. And, obviously, there is no international government with proper legislative and regulatory powers. Starting with the concept of supply chain, we describe and analyze the emerging practice of forming business partnerships for sustainability. The conceptualization is illustrated with a number of current examples. Problems and potentialities are discussed briefly in a concluding discussion.
From business process outsourcing (BPO) to knowledge process outsourcing (KPO): Some issues
Authors: Sen Falguni , Shiel Michael
Published: June 2021

There has been a growth in the amount of outsourcing in general and business process outsourcing in particular. Now a number of firms are beginning to outsource knowledge processes as well. This is being partly fuelled by an increasing shortage of skilled labor in industrialized countries while some emerging nations have a large pool of highly skilled workers at lower wages. Technological, political, and strategic changes and an improved ability to manage the inherent risks are some of the other reasons explaining its potential growth. Providers of these services are either moving up the knowledge intensity value chain with existing clients or are entering new opportunities in specific industries such as healthcare/pharmaceutical, legal and financial services. These services are more profitable to the providers than the standard business process outsourcing but require more expensive investments in infrastructure as well as specialized skill sets with more depth and domain knowledge. The structuring and management of this type of outsourcing is also very complex and fraught with new risks. This paper presents a number of issues related to knowledge process outsourcing from the client firm and the provider's perspectives. The issues are derived from five cases studied by the authors in India and Ireland.
The establishment of project-oriented and cost-based NPD performance evaluation
Authors: Chen C.C. , Yeh T.M. , Yang C.C.
Published: June 2021

Effectively managing and measuring the product development process is widely seen as a means of ensuring business survival through reduced time to market, increased quality and reduced costs. This article establishes a cost-effectiveness based performance measurement system for new product development (NPD). The purpose is to provide a methodology for integrating NPD teams and manufacturer capabilities through a common goal – “profitability improvement” – based on lowering the total cost of products. The merits of measuring NPD performance using total costs analysis include: (1) a common measurement language – money; (2) very simple and visible numbers along with direct and indirect ratios to help management and employees understand the importance of “doing things right the first time”. This study investigated the interactions and mutual movements among the three groups of organization: “NPD-manufacturer-customer”, integrated the results from events of poor quality caused by NPD in different stages: in developing process, in internal customer's process, and in customer's field. An equivalent total-costs (ETC) analysis along with the principle of Management By Objectives (MBO) were developed and utilized in planning and establishing this evaluation system for NPD project performance focused on satisfying customers, both internal and external, which leads to the best value for investing in organization's NPD team.
System-wide Management by Criticalities: Hierarchical balancing of stochastic resources
Authors: Trietsch Dan
Published: June 2021

In a companion paper I argued that Management by Constraints (MBC) should be improved by replacing Step 4 (elevate the constraint) by a revised version that seeks to match the criticality of each constraint (defined as the probability it will be the binding constraint in any period) with its economic value. The result is Management by Criticalities (MBC II). In this paper I show how the principles of MBC II can be pursued in hierarchical systems. Instead of asking subsystems to meet rigid objectives (as in Management by Objectives or Policy Deployment), we ask them to meet the demand placed on them with a specified service level, defined as the complement of the criticality. In effect, the result is a combination of MBC and of policy deployment aimed to improve both.
Web services composition strategy in enterprise systems
Authors: Fei Qi , Olson David L.
Published: June 2021

This paper reviews how Web services composition can provide flexible on-demand computing services in an enterprise system environment. The evolution of enterprise systems (ERP) is reviewed, and systemic features considered. Open source developments are highlighted, including commercial initiatives such as service oriented architecture and on demand computing. The composition strategy of bundling is analyzed, finding that vendors can improve total profit in open systems for non-core components. A model is presented that demonstrates how such open source architecture can be of value in an enterprise system domain.