bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical investigation on the heat transfer of a droplet-laden flow in a microfluidic system
Authors: Wang Rui-jin
Published: February 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the effectiveness and mechanism of a droplet-laden flow in a microfluidic system.

Design/methodology/approach

Numerical approach based on the volume of fluid method is implemented for modelling the forced heat transport in a droplet-laden flow in a microchannel.

Findings

The heat transfer effectiveness of droplet-laden flow is found to be obviously superior to that of a single-phase flow because of the circulation stream between the droplets. In addition, the effectiveness will be further increased when an elongated droplet is being laden because the circulation streams within and between the droplets are more pronounced. The elongated droplet size affects the heat transfer characteristics signified by Nusselt number, and there exists an optimum value at a fixed parameter.

Originality/value

This paper attempts to clarify the influence on the heat transfer performance when droplet with various shape and size being laden. This work is done by none before. This research work applies a solid foundation for designing a cooling system in microelectromechanical system.
Natural convection in a wavy porous cavity with sinusoidal heating and internal heat generation
Authors: Cheong Huey Tyng , Sivasankaran S. , Bhuvaneswari M.
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study natural convective flow and heat transfer in a sinusoidally heated wavy porous cavity in the presence of internal heat generation or absorption.

Design/methodology/approach

Sinusoidal heating is applied on the vertical left wall of the cavity, whereas the wavy right wall is cooled at a constant temperature. The top and bottom walls are taken to be adiabatic. The Darcy model is adopted for fluid flow through the porous medium in the cavity. The governing equations and boundary conditions are solved using the finite difference method over a range of amplitudes and number of undulations of the wavy wall, Darcy–Rayleigh numbers and internal heat generation/absorption parameters.

Findings

The results are presented in the form of streamlines, isotherms and Nusselt numbers for different values of right wall waviness, Darcy–Rayleigh number and internal heat generation parameter. The flow field and temperature distribution in the cavity are affected by the waviness of the right wall. The wavy nature of the cavity also enhances the heat transfer into the system. The heat transfer rate in the cavity decreases with an increase in the internal heat generation/absorption parameter.

Research limitations/implications

The present investigation is conducted for steady, two-dimensional natural convective flow in a wavy cavity filled with Darcy porous medium. The waviness of the right wall is described by the amplitude and number of undulations with a well-defined mathematical function. An extension of the present study with the effects of cavity inclination and aspect ratio will be the interest for future work.

Practical implications

The study might be useful for the design of solar collectors, room ventilation systems and electronic cooling systems.

Originality/value

This work examines the effects of sinusoidal heating on convective heat transfer in a wavy porous cavity in the presence of internal heat generation or absorption. The study might be useful for the design of solar collectors, room ventilation systems and electronic cooling systems.
Influences of aspect ratio and wall boundary condition on laminar Rayleigh–Bénard convection of Bingham fluids in rectangular enclosures
Authors: Yigit Sahin , Chakraborty Nilanjan
Published: February 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the aspect ratio (AR; ratio of enclosure height:length) dependence of steady-state Rayleigh–Bénard convection of Bingham fluids within rectangular enclosures for both constant wall temperature and constant wall heat flux boundary conditions. A nominal Rayleigh number range 103 ≤ Ra ≤ 105 (Ra defined based on the height) for a single representative value of nominal Prandtl number (i.e. Pr = 500) has been considered for 1/4 ≤ AR ≤ 4.

Design/methodology/approach

The bi-viscosity Bingham model is used to mimic Bingham fluids for Rayleigh–Bénard convection of Bingham fluids in rectangular enclosures. The conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy have been solved in a coupled manner using the finite volume method where a second-order central differencing scheme is used for the diffusive terms and a second-order up-wind scheme is used for the convective terms. The well-known semi-implicit method for pressure-linked equations algorithm is used for the coupling of the pressure and velocity.

Findings

It has been found that buoyancy-driven flow strengthens with increasing nominal Rayleigh number Ra, but the convective transport weakens with increasing Bingham number Bn, because of additional flow resistance arising from yield stress in Bingham fluids. The relative contribution of thermal conduction (advection) to the total thermal transport strengthens (diminishes) with increasing AR for a given set of values of Ra and Pr for both Newtonian and Bingham fluids for both boundary conditions, and the thermal transport takes place purely because of conduction for tall enclosures.

Originality/value

Correlations for the mean Nusselt number Nu
¯

have been proposed for both boundary conditions for both Newtonian and Bingham fluids using scaling arguments, and the correlations have been demonstrated to predict Nu
¯

obtained from simulation data for 1/4 ≤ AR ≤ 4, 103 ≤ Ra ≤ 105 and Pr = 500.
Effects of uniform magnetic field on the natural convection of Cu–water nanofluid in a triangular cavity
Authors: Javed T. , Mehmood Z. , Siddiqui M.A. , Pop Ioan
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to perform a numerical study for heat transfer through natural convection in the presence of a constant magnetic field in an incompressible steady nanofluid flow inside an isosceles triangular cavity.

Design/methodology/approach

For this flow problem, the left wall of the cavity subjected to uniform/nonuniform heat was considered, while right and bottom walls of the cavity were kept cold. The obtained equations were solved by using the Galerkin weighted residual technique. Results are computed for a wide range of parameters including Rayleigh number (Ra) (10^3 < Ra < 10^7), Hartman number (Ha) (0 < Ha < 60), and heat-generation/-absorption coefficient (q) (−10 < q < 10), while, Prandtl number (Pr) was kept fixed at 6.2. These computed results are presented in terms of stream functions, isotherms, Nusselt numbers and average Nusselt numbers through figures.

Findings

It is observed that, in case of uniform heating of the side wall, the strength of stream lines’ circulations increases with an increase in Ra and decreases with an increase in Ha. Similarly, by increasing heat-absorption coefficient q, an increase in the circulation strength is noted and the circulation cell moves towards the left wall in the presence of a heat sink (q < 0) and moves to the cold right wall in the presence of a heat source (q > 0). In the case of nonuniformly heated left wall in the presence of a heat source (q > 0), a higher-temperature gradient is observed in the cavity and isotherms are clustered to the left wall in the lower portion and to right wall in the upper portion; these appear to be straight and parallel to the x-axis near the bottom wall. On the other hand, the heat transfer rate along all the walls of the cavity is observed to be higher for smaller values of q. Whereas, Nusselt number along the bottom wall (Nu-B) increases with an increase in the values of x, while, that along the left wall (Nu-L) first increases and then decreases. But Nusselt number along the right wall (Nu-R) is found to be qualitatively opposite to Nu-L with an increase in distance x. Whereas, average Nusselt number increases with an increase in Rayleigh number Ra and heat-generation/-absorption coefficient q.

Research limitations/implications

The problem is formulated for an incompressible flow; viscous dissipation has been neglected, negligible induced magnetic field has been considered and local thermal equilibrium has been considered.

Originality/value

Results presented in this paper are original and new for the effects of a uniform magnetic field on the natural convection of Cu–water nanofluid in a triangular cavity. Hence, this study is important for researchers working in the area of heat transfer in cavity flows involving the nanofluid to become familiar with the flow behavior and properties.
Managing frontline employee performance through coaching: does selling experience matter?
Authors: Pousa Claudio , Mathieu Anne , Trépanier Carole
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The impact of managerial coaching on frontline employee performance has received initial support in literature in recent years. However, no studies have explored if this impact should vary according to the career stage that the employee is in. If an interaction effect exists, then managers should expect different results when coaching people in different stages of their careers. Otherwise, all employees (independently of their career stage) can benefit from the positive impact of coaching and, thus, the manager can expect a continuous positive outcome on employee performance throughout their careers. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the moderation effect of an employee’s career stage on the relationship between managerial coaching and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 318 financial advisors from two Canadian banks was used to collect data on the amount, and quality, of managerial coaching received by the employees, as well as their performance. multigroup confirmatory factor analysis ran in AMOS was used to test the moderation effect of experience.

Findings

Results confirmed the positive effect of managerial coaching on frontline employee behavioral and sales performance, but no moderation effect was found. The measuring and causal models showed invariance for employees in their early (one to seven years of selling experience), middle (8-15 years), and late (more than 15 years) career stages, suggesting that managerial coaching will make a consistent contribution to performance throughout all the stages of the employee’s career.

Research limitations/implications

The study makes two main contributions to the scientific literature. First, it offers an original study examining the effect of managerial coaching on frontline employee performance in the banking sector. Second, it examines the role of selling experience as a moderator in coaching processes, thus contributing to the limited literature on career stages.

Practical implications

The study suggests that managers should equally devote their coaching efforts to all employees, independently of their selling experience. Contrary to the belief that rookies will benefit more from coaching, and that “you cannot teach an old dog new tricks,” results suggest that managerial coaching makes a continuous contribution to performance throughout all the stages of an employee’s career.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the moderation effect of selling experience on coaching consequences, and one of the few to present evidence of the positive effect of managerial coaching on frontline employee performance in the banking sector.
Relative importance of service value by customer relationship stages
Authors: Ponnam Abhilash , Paul Rik
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically sketch the phenomenon about the nature of service value expected in different stages of relationship over time in Indian retail banking context.

Design/methodology/approach

Customer service value dimensions pertinent to Indian retail banking context were explored psychometrically. Later, mean factor scores of obtained service value dimensions across relationship stages (early, intermediate, and advanced) were calculated and fed into PERMAP software to graphically depict the relationship between value dimensions and relationship stages. To validate the PERMAP solution, one-way ANOVA was run for each value dimension with independent variable as a relationship level.

Findings

The service value dimensions pertinent to Indian banking context are customer intimacy, product leadership, service equity, perceived sacrifice, service quality, and operational excellence. The authors could empirically prove that except for operational excellence and service quality, all the other value dimensions exhibited variation in importance over time. Results reveal that customers in the early stages of relationship value tangible value dimensions and the ones in advanced stages of relationship value intangible dimensions.

Practical implications

Managers should formulate marketing strategies which will signal the customers, the superiority of the bank in delivering performance on tangible dimensions during the early stages of relationship, whereas understanding and addressing unique customer needs and establishing an emotional bonding with customers should be emphasized in the advanced stages of relationship.

Originality/value

The current research could adequately establish the essential role of tangible value dimensions in shaping service value during the early stages of relationship and intangible value dimensions in the later stages of relationship.
Demographic differences in Jordanian bank service quality perceptions
Authors: Al-jazzazi Akram , Sultan Parves
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess differences in banking service quality (BSQ) perceptions across demographic subgroups of Islamic and conventional Jordanian banking consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are collected using surveys. The survey contains items for three different measures of overall BSQ perceptions. The researchers mailed surveys to a random sample of 2,000 banking customers in Jordan. Responses to questionnaire items measuring respondents’ BSQ perceptions were analysed using one-way analysis of variance with Tukey’s honest significant difference post hoc tests to assess subgroup differences in six demographic variables: gender, age, occupation, income, education, and religion.

Findings

BSQ perceptions are significantly different in four of the six demographic variables. Age and education do not impact on BSQ perceptions.

Research limitations/implications

The findings indicate demographic effects on Jordanian banking consumers’ perceived BSQ. Study limitations include demographic subgroup underrepresentation and survey structure. Future research should obtain a more representative sample for better generalisability.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that Jordanian banks should structure their services to best accommodate their customers’ demographics. In addition, banks can use the findings to guide the development of demographic-driven marketing to target and attract customers efficiently.

Originality/value

This study is the first to investigate demographic differences in the perceived service quality of Jordan’s Islamic and conventional banking customers. The findings can contribute to future research on BSQ, and guide Jordan’s banking management towards more effective marketing and service provision.
Managing integration in infrastructure alliance projects
Authors: Hietajärvi Anna-Maija , Aaltonen Kirsi , Haapasalo Harri
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The effective management of inter-organizational integration is central to complex projects. Such projects pose significant challenges for integration, as organizations struggle with constantly changing inter-organizational interdependencies and must develop and adapt integration mechanisms to meet new demands. The purpose of this paper is to understand what kinds of integration mechanisms are used and how they are developed and adjusted during the infrastructure alliance projects.

Design/methodology/approach

This study provides empirical evidence of integration dynamics in project alliancing by analyzing two infrastructure alliance projects – a complex tunnel construction project and a railway renovation project. The research approach is an inductive case study.

Findings

This paper identifies integration mechanisms adopted in two case projects and three central triggers that led to changes in the integration mechanisms: project lifecycle phase, unexpected events and project team’s learning during the project.

Practical implications

Integration capability should be a precondition for alliance project organizations and requires the adoption of a wide range of integration mechanisms, as well as an ability to adjust those mechanisms in response to everyday dynamics and emergent situations.

Originality/value

Although unplanned contingencies and the responses to them represent important influences in organizations, there is limited amount of research on the dynamics of integration. The findings will be of value in supporting the management of inter-organizational integration in complex, uncertain and time-critical construction projects.
Constraints related to developing small-scale PPPs and how to reduce them
Authors: Thierie Wouter , De Moor Lieven
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to better understand the constraints related to developing small-scale public-private partnerships (PPPs) and how to reduce them.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a general review of the characteristics of small-scale PPPs and identifies overarching concerns.

Findings

The paper finds for small-scale PPPs constraints with respect to the definition, government processes and procedures, transaction costs, public capacity and institutional structure; important issues of transaction costs, minimum size requirement and increasing popularity and recommendations for further development.

Practical implications

Since most small PPPs are conducted by cities and regional governments, many local bodies would benefit from a better understanding of small-scale projects, helping to develop standard documentation, which is especially relevant for small-scale projects given their relatively large transaction and bid costs, supporting the long-term growth of small PPPs.

Originality/value

Small-scale PPPs have different characteristics compared with large projects and these characteristics should be studied separately. Although the benefits of small-scale projects are undeniable, relatively few have been undertaken relative to the substantial requirement. A more thorough understanding of the constraints related to developing small-scale PPPs and how to reduce them would help the subset of small projects to reach its full potential. This paper serves as a first step, clearing the ground for further research in specific areas.
The reality of adherence to best practices for information system initiatives
Authors: Marnewick Carl
Published: February 2017

Purpose

Standards are written by practitioners for practitioners. It is therefore logical that project managers should comply with project management standards. Benefits management is a domain within programme management. The focus of benefits management is to deliver benefits of initiatives beyond the closure of a normal programme or project. This is not the case with projects within the information systems (IS) discipline, implying that IS programme and project managers are not adhering to standards. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the best practices associated with benefits management are applied to IS initiatives in order to maximise the benefits of these initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

Senior and middle managers in South African organisations were interviewed to determine how benefits are managed within their various projects. The purpose of the interviews was to determine adherence to standards and especially benefits management and, second, to determine whether these organisations are achieving any benefits and ultimately value.

Findings

There is an overwhelming non-adherence to benefits management best practices within the IS discipline, and IS programme and project managers do not have the slightest idea how to perform benefits management. Irrespective of this, organisations do believe that they are receiving benefits and value from these IS projects.

Research limitations/implications

The research was only done in South Africa with the specific focus of IS. The results are thus very specific and opens the door for more comprehensive research that focusses on various industries, countries and standards.

Practical implications

The results have several implications ranging from how standards are written to the professionalism of IS programmes and project managers. Organisations are not achieving the optimal benefits from investments. The fact that organisations do realise benefits from a broken process, implies that more benefits can be realised when the entire benefits realisation process is followed. Governance controls should also be put in place to ensure that programme and project managers are adhering to standards.

Originality/value

Standards are dominating the project management discipline and there is a general assumption that programme and project managers are adhering these standards. This research queries the value of standards as the results indicate that there is limited adherence to standards and best practices.
Comparative performance of PPPs and traditional procurement projects in Indonesia
Authors: Atmo Gigih Udi , Duffield Colin , Zhang Lihai , Wilson David Ian
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the outcomes of Indonesian power projects as representative projects of Asian emerging economies that were procured via public-private partnerships (PPPs) and traditional public sector procurement. Power generation infrastructure delivery in emerging economies frequently seeks private participation via PPPs as one of the key mechanisms to attract private finance. Undertaking a comparative benchmark study of the outcomes of Indonesian power projects provides an opportunity to explore the historic evidence as to whether PPPs deliver better outcomes than traditional public procurement in emerging economies.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reports on a study of the performance of 56 Indonesian power projects procured via either PPPs or traditional procurement. First, it focusses on project time and cost outcomes of power plant facility during construction and commissioning and then extends this comparison to consider the operating availability of power plants during their first two years of operation.

Findings

The results indicate that PPP projects had superior time and operating availability to those procured traditionally whereas no significant differences were identified in the cost performance between PPPs and traditionally procured projects. These findings highlight the importance of adopting policies that are supported by broader sources of international financiers and high quality power plant developers.

Research limitations/implications

The quality performance analyses of projects (based on equivalent available factor indices) were limited to the power plants in the Java-Bali region where the majority of projects are large scale power plants.

Practical implications

This study provides an empirical basis for governments of emerging economies to select the most beneficial procurement strategy for power plant projects. It highlights the importance of selecting experienced providers and to adopt policies that attract high quality international project financiers and power plant developers. This includes the need to ensure the commercial viability of projects and to seriously consider the use of cleaner power technologies.

Originality/value

This study is the first to compare the outcomes of power projects in Asian emerging economies delivered via PPPs against those delivered by traditional public procurement that includes consideration of the quality of the delivered product.
The effect of different higher education fee policies on education
Authors: von Alberti-Alhtaybat Larissa , Abdelrahman Njlaa , Al-Htaybat Khaldoon
Published: February 2017

Purpose

Higher education (HE) sectors form an important part of societies and their economy, on which the members of a society depend for their individual and collective future benefit. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the perceptions of accounting academics on the introduction of HE tuition fees in both England and Germany, and how this policy has affected the everyday life of academics and students alike in each country. The respective funding and reform approach sets the context of this study.

Design/methodology/approach

The study has adopted a qualitative methodology, analysing data collected through semi-structured interviews. Accounting academics discuss their perceptions of both policies in the respective context. Academics were focussed on as implementers of educational policies. Accounting academics were chosen due to their academic and professional background, changing academic position in the global market and their representative stance in the academic context. The data analysis took place through coding interview data.

Findings

While England’s fees have been increased several times over the past 15 years, few German federal states have introduced, and have already abolished the policy. Reasons as to why the outcomes are so radically different are discussed based on interviews with accounting academics, and the implications for future practice are that to be successful political support must be sustained regardless of the changing governments, and the HE sector itself must have strong champions supporting this policy. Furthermore, the effect of the respective tuition fee policy with regard to education is addressed, which suggests that English students have a broader education package expectation, while with regard to actual classroom education both German and English students have similar outlooks. A further issue is the different political and education contexts, the current state of affairs and the societal impact.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few to compare directly the differing tuition fee policies and the educational implications of these policies of Germany and England. These two cases are an illustration that Germany and England are at the opposite ends of the reform spectrum and that academics experience different expectations due to such different fee policies.
Family role overload’s relationship with stress and satisfaction
Authors: Park Rhokeun , Jang Soo Jung
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the mediating role of stress in the relationship between family role overload and job satisfaction; and second, to investigate the moderating roles of self-efficacy and job involvement in the association between family role overload and stress.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed hypotheses were tested using a moderated mediation model with a data set collected from a large insurance company in Seoul, South Korea, in 2012.

Findings

The findings indicate that stress mediates the relationship between family role overload and job satisfaction. The results also confirmed that family role overload is more strongly related to stress for employees with high self-efficacy and job involvement than for those with low self-efficacy and job involvement.

Research limitations/implications

Since the survey was conducted only in an insurance company, it is difficult to generalize the results of this study. However, the findings from this study provide insights into how family role overload is transferred to dissatisfaction in the workplace, and which types of employees experience a greater level of stress from family role overload.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that managers should identify which employees have strong self-efficacy and job involvement, and provide them with more measures to reduce stress.

Originality/value

While previous studies have focused on the relationship between work role overload and stress, the present study provides evidence of the relationship between family role overload and stress. In addition, some previous studies have researched the interactions between job stressors and personal characteristics, but the present study elucidates the interactions between family stressors and personal characteristics.
Contributions of mindfulness during post-merger integration
Authors: Charoensukmongkol Peerayuth
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of mindfulness as a personal characteristic that might be associated with lower resistance to change during post-merger integration.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consists of full-time employees at a subsidiary of a Japanese multinational bank in Bangkok, Thailand, that acquired a local financial institution (n=141). Data collection was initiated one month after the first date that the two banks officially merged. A self-administered questionnaire was prepared for data collection. Partial least squares regression was used to analyze the data.

Findings

The negative association between mindfulness and resistance to organizational change was indirectly explained by the degree of optimism and general self-efficacy associated with mindfulness.

Research limitations/implications

First, the data were obtained through cross-sectional data collection. Second, the data were collected data from a single organization. Third, using the self-reported questionnaire survey to obtain the data can cause subjective bias in the measures. Lastly, the analysis did not incorporate organizational factors or management policies that might affect resistance to organizational change as control variables to capture their influence.

Practical implications

Mindfulness training may be considered as an intervention to help prepare employees for the organizational change during post-merger integration.

Originality/value

The results provide theoretical insights into the mechanism by which mindfulness contributes to the changed attitudes of employees during organizational change.
The potential of management accounting and control in global operations
Authors: Lindholm Anni , Laine Teemu Juhani , Suomala Petri
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the financial potential of new service businesses in the context of a global machinery manufacturer. The objective is to examine the supportive role of management accounting (MA) and control in service business development, which has not been empirically examined previously.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes advantage of an interventionist case study at a global machinery manufacturer and is empirically based on a comprehensive examination of the service business potential in the selected product category in different market areas. The researchers were actively involved in the accounting development activities underlying this paper.

Findings

The results suggest that the development of a global service business is necessary to build on market area characteristics. An analysis should combine financial information and equipment fleet information across product lines and organizational units.

Research limitations/implications

MA and control practices tend to require significant development to actually support the process of identifying and capturing the service business potentials. As the findings are limited to one case environment, further studies should address the longitudinal evolution of MA and control, and the choice and utilization of different performance measures, in similar contexts.

Practical implications

The paper provides managerial insights on how to utilize MA information and proposes ideas for performance indicators.

Originality/value

The process examined in this paper responds to the need for tools and techniques supporting service business development. MA and control could provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of service business profitability potential and support in identifying and prioritizing the possible avenues of realizing such potential.
Beyond awareness: improving outreach and marketing through user surveys
Authors: Del Bosque Darcy , Mitola Rosan , Skarl Susie , Heaton Shelley
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the awareness of library research services, the top desires for new services and overall satisfaction of undergraduate students to plan outreach and marketing efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

Researchers developed a survey which was administered both on an iPad and in paper copies. To gather feedback from a wide-variety of students, surveys were distributed outside campus buildings at four locations.

Findings

This study demonstrates the need to survey undergraduate students about their use of research services, to effectively plan outreach and marketing efforts. The differences between high-users’ and low-users’ expectations of the library inform and impact potential outreach and marketing efforts. Reaching both groups of students requires that not only awareness of library services increase but also that the knowledge of the value of the library increases, to convert simple awareness of services into use.

Research limitations/implications

Surveys were distributed at one institution, and results may be skewed based on local demographics.

Originality/value

While surveying undergraduate students is common, little research exists demonstrating how outreach and marketing can be informed by evaluating feedback from high and low-users of library services.
Research Plus™ mobile app: information literacy “On the Go”
Authors: Mullins Kimberly
Published: February 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to describe a case study illustrating the systematic approach librarians used to develop of an information literacy mobile application (app) prototype that aids students in performing research tasks “on the go”.

Design/methodology/approach

The initial findings from a student survey on technology use indicated the value of an information literacy mobile application. The analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation approach was used to develop the app. Alpha and small-scale usability testing was performed to evaluate the prototype’s readiness for deployment.

Findings

The survey analysis indicated that students were not using mobile devices as expected for library related tasks. Student suggestions for improving their library experiences included mobile access to the libraries’ digital collection, mobile reference support and an application that assisted them in effectively using these resources. Usability studies indicated a positive response to the app and its readiness for beta testing among the inclusive student population.

Originality/value

To the author’s knowledge, this is the first native information literacy mobile application whose aim is to help students with research on the go. The step-by-step approach used for each phase of development, as well as the implications for success, may serve as a model for libraries’ seeking to enhance their mobile resources.
Evernote in the research consultation: a feasibility study
Authors: Kani Justin
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the feasibility of using the Evernote note-taking application in research consultation as a way to respond to the challenges of doing research in the twenty-first century digital environment.

Design/methodology/approach

This study examines the results of surveys conducted at the time of research consultation and at the end of the semester when the students had completed the research needed for their assignments.

Findings

The study found that students are open to having a tool like Evernote used in the research consultation and that the tool can be helpful in organizing the information and search terms discussed in the consultation.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the size of the sample in the study, further research with a larger sample size should be conducted.

Practical implications

This paper outlines a promising method of collaborating and documenting resources in the research consultation.

Originality/value

Using the note-taking application Evernote in research consultations creates a more interactive service.
The new Framework: a truth-less construction just waiting to be scrapped?
Authors: Rinne Nathan Aaron
Published: February 2017

Purpose

Now that the new Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education has replaced the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, this document will play an increasingly important role. This paper aims to show that in spite of the Framework seeking to provide a deep understanding of information and knowledge, it still falls short – particularly because the statement that “Authority is Constructed and Contextual”, with its failure to acknowledge the significance of truth’s relation to authority, is untenable.

Design/methodology/approach

A philosophical overview dealing with matters of librarianship, knowledge and truth is provided in Section 2. The paper then attempts to demonstrate that the idea of truth is inextricably connected with issues of authority.

Findings

The paper attempts to persuade the reader that the Framework cannot: circumvent the issue of truth (Section 3); avoid attempting to make ethical claims which are true (Section 4); reduce all truth claims to “power-plays” (Section 5); and escape “traditional notions of granting authority” (Section 6).

Practical implications

The Framework should acknowledge the importance of truth, which would, at the very least, necessarily involve revising the frame “Authority is Constructed and Contextual”. Librarians are also encouraged to reflect on the nature of both truth claims and ethical claims.

Social implications

The assumption of a “social constructionist” frame for truth has serious implications for matters going well beyond libraries and their “information resources”.

Originality/value

This paper attempts to offer an important and accessible philosophical analysis of the Framework that will require the engagement of the wider library community.
Mining writing center data for information literacy practices
Authors: Graves Stephanie J. , Anders Kathy Christie , Balester Valerie M.
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The study aims to explore collaborations between writing centers and libraries which create opportunities for providing information literacy intervention for students doing researched writing. This case study gathered data from writing center logs to uncover if and how information literacy activity was occurring during consultations.

Design/methodology/approach

A representative sample of writing center logs recorded between September of 2013 and May 2014 was mined for frequencies of library and information literacy terms. Transaction logs were coded and analyzed according to the frames in the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.

Findings

Information literacy is discussed in only 13 per cent of consultations. Referrals to librarians accounted for less than 1 per cent of all transactions. Students most commonly asked for assistance in formatting citations, but deeper information literacy conversations did occur that provide opportunities for engagement with the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.

Research limitations/implications

Transactions were examined from one university. Although findings cannot be generalized, the results were applicable to local services, and this study provides a model useful for libraries and writing centers.

Practical implications

This study provides ample direction for future collaborations that will take advantage of the intersections of information literacy and writing instruction to improve student research skills.

Originality/value

Although much has been written about partnerships between libraries and writing centers, this study uniquely demonstrates a model for data sharing across institutional boundaries and how one library mined existing data from a writing center.
The effects of vulnerability mitigation strategies on supply chain effectiveness: risk culture as moderator
Authors: Kurniawan Rofyanto , Zailani Suhaiza Hanim , Iranmanesh Mohammad , Rajagopal Premkumar
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The vulnerability issue in supply chains is among the most pressing concerns that firms are currently facing. As a preliminary attempt to address the lack of empirical research, this paper aims to primarily explore the relationship between vulnerability mitigation strategies and supply chain effectiveness with security culture as a moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are gathered via a survey of 209 Indonesian manufacturing firms. The data are analyzed using partial least squares technique.

Findings

Results indicate that supply chain visibility, supply chain flexibility and supplier development strategies positively affect supply chain effectiveness. Moreover, risk culture positively moderates the effects of supply chain visibility and supplier development on supply chain effectiveness.

Practical implications

The findings may improve supply chain effectiveness by mitigating the effects of vulnerability causes.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the advancement of knowledge on the relationships between vulnerability mitigation strategies and supply chain effectiveness.
Membrane fluidity is involved in the regulation of heat stress induced secondary metabolism in Ganoderma lucidum
Authors: Liu Yong‐Nan , Zhang Tian‐Jun , Lu Xiao‐Xiao , Ma Bao‐Liang , Ren Ang , Shi Liang , Jiang Ai‐Liang , Yu Han‐Shou , Zhao Ming‐Wen
Published: February 2017

Ganoderma lucidum has become a potential model system for evaluating how environmental factors regulate the secondary metabolism of basidiomycetes. Heat stress (HS) is one of the most important environmental factors. It was previously reported that HS could induce the biosynthesis of ganoderic acids (GA). In this study, we found that HS increased GA biosynthesis and also significantly increased cell membrane fluidity. Furthermore, our results showed that addition of the membrane rigidifier dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) could revert the increased GA biosynthesis elicited by HS. These results indicate that an increase in membrane fluidity is associated with HS‐induced GA biosynthesis. Further evidence showed that the GA content was decreased in D9des‐silenced strains and could be reverted to WT levels by addition of the membrane fluidizer benzyl alcohol (BA). In contrast, GA content was increased in D9des‐overexpression strains and could be reverted to WT levels by the addition of DMSO. Furthermore, both membrane fluidity and GA biosynthesis induced by HS could be reverted by DMSO in WT and D9des‐silenced strains. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that membrane fluidity is involved in the regulation of heat stress induced secondary metabolism in filamentous fungi.
Physiological Changes of Surface Membrane in Lactobacillus with Prebiotics
Authors: Pan Mingfang , Kumaree Kishore K. , Shah Nagendra P.
Published: February 2017

Synbiotics are always considered to be beneficial in healthy manipulation of gut environment; however, the purpose of this research was to investigate the dominance of synbiotic over the individual potential of probiotics and prebiotics. Four different types of prebiotics, fructo‐oligosaccharides, raffinose, inulin, and cellobiose, were evaluated based on their varying degree of polymerization, combined each with 2 different Lactobacilli strains, including Lactobacillus paracasei 276 and Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1. The effects of synbiotics combination on the surface structure were evaluated by analyzing auto‐aggregation, membrane hydrophobicity, and adhesion to Caco‐2 cells. Our results showed that both Lactobacilli exhibited significantly greater degree of attachment to Caco‐2 cells (23.31% and 16.85%, respectively) when using cellobiose as a substrate than with other prebiotics (P < 0.05). Intestinal adhesion ability was in correlation with the percent of auto‐aggregation, both Lactobacillus exhibited higher percent of auto‐aggregation in cellobiose compared to other prebiotics. These behavioral changes in terms of attachment and auto‐aggregation were further supported with the changes noticed from infrared spectra (FT‐IR).
PCK1 expression is correlated with the plasma glucose level in the duck
Authors: Chen L. , Zeng T. , Li G. Q. , Liu R. , Tian Y. , Li Q. H. , Lu L. Z.
Published: February 2017

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (soluble) (PCK1) is a key gene in gluconeogenesis and glyceroneogenesis. Although its functions have been extensively studied in mice, bats and humans, little is known in ducks. Here, PCK1 functions were studied using a duck domestication model and a 48‐h fasting experiment. We found PCK1 expression significantly decreased in two breeds of domestic ducks (Jinyun Pockmark ducks and Cherry Valley ducks) as compared with wild ducks (Anas platyrhynchos). Simultaneously, plasma levels of glucose, triglycerides and free fatty acid in domestic ducks were lower than in wild ducks. When compared with fed ducks, the plasma triglyceride level was observed to be significantly decreased, while the glucose and free fatty acid levels remained constant in 48‐h fasting ducks. The expression analysis of gluconeogenic genes revealed that fructose‐1,6‐bisphosphatase genes (FBP1 and FBP2) and the glucose‐6‐phosphatase gene (G6PC2) were not changed, whereas PCK1 was significantly upregulated. In addition, the reported regulators of PCK1, including forkhead box A2 (FOXA2) gene and orphan nuclear receptor NR4A family genes (NR4A1, NR4A2 and NR4A3), exhibited similar expression levels between 48‐h fasting ducks and fed ducks, suggesting that PCK1 is not regulated by these genes in the duck under fasting conditions. In conclusion, PCK1 expression may affect plasma levels of glucose, triglycerides and free fatty acid during the duck domestication process. This work demonstrates for the first time in duck that PCK1 is a key gene in maintaining plasma glucose homeostasis during fasting and that the upregulated expression of PCK1 may be responsible for constant plasma free fatty acid level by the glyceroneogenesis process.
Alpha adrenergic receptor blockade increases capillarization and fractional O2 extraction and lowers blood flow in contracting human skeletal muscle
Authors: Mortensen S. P. , Egginton S. , Madsen M. , Hansen J. B. , Munch G. D. W. , Iepsen U. W. , Åkerström T. , Pedersen B. K. , Hellsten Y.
Published: February 2017

Aim

To assess the effect of elevated basal shear stress on angiogenesis in humans and the role of enhanced skeletal muscle capillarization on blood flow and O2 extraction.

Methods

Limb haemodynamics and O2 extraction were measured at rest and during one‐leg knee‐extensor exercise (12 and 24 W) in 10 healthy untrained young men before and after 4‐week treatment with an α1 receptor‐antagonist (Terazosin, 1–2 mg day−1). Corresponding biopsies were taken from the m. vastus lateralis.

Results

Resting leg blood flow was increased by 57% 6 h following Terazosin treatment (P < 0.05), while basal capillary‐to‐fibre ratio was 1.69 ± 0.08 and increased to 1.90 ± 0.08 after treatment (P < 0.05). Leg O2 extraction during knee‐extensor exercise was higher (4–5%; P < 0.05), leg blood flow and venous lactate levels lower (6–7%; P < 0.05), while leg VO2 was not different after Terazosin treatment.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that daily treatment with an α‐adrenergic receptor blocker induces capillary growth in human skeletal muscle, likely due to increased shear stress. The increase in capillarization resulted in an increased fractional O2 extraction, a lower blood flow and venous lactate levels in the exercising leg. The increase in capillarization, and concomitant functional readouts in the exercising leg, may provide a basis for novel angiotherapy.