bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
6-Bromohypaphorine from Marine Nudibranch Mollusk Hermissenda crassicornis is an Agonist of Human α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
Authors: Kasheverov Igor , Shelukhina Irina , Kudryavtsev Denis , Makarieva Tatyana , Spirova Ekaterina , Guzii Alla , Stonik Valentin , Tsetlin Victor
Published: March 2015

6-Bromohypaphorine (6-BHP) has been isolated from the marine sponges Pachymatisma johnstoni, Aplysina sp., and the tunicate Aplidium conicum, but data on its biological activity were not available. For the nudibranch mollusk Hermissenda crassicornis no endogenous compounds were known, and here we describe the isolation of 6-BHP from this mollusk and its effects on different nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR). Two-electrode voltage-clamp experiments on the chimeric α7 nAChR (built of chicken α7 ligand-binding and glycine receptor transmembrane domains) or on rat α4β2 nAChR expressed in Xenopus oocytes revealed no action of 6-BHP. However, in radioligand analysis, 6-BHP competed with radioiodinated α-bungarotoxin for binding to human α7 nAChR expressed in GH4C1 cells (IC50 23 ± 1 μM), but showed no competition on muscle-type nAChR from Torpedo californica. In Ca2+-imaging experiments on the human α7 nAChR expressed in the Neuro2a cells, 6-BHP in the presence of PNU120596 behaved as an agonist (EC50 ~80 μM). To the best of our knowledge, 6-BHP is the first low-molecular weight compound from marine source which is an agonist of the nAChR subtype. This may have physiological importance because H. crassicornis, with its simple and tractable nervous system, is a convenient model system for studying the learning and memory processes.
Acetylated Chitosan Oligosaccharides Act as Antagonists against Glutamate-Induced PC12 Cell Death via Bcl-2/Bax Signal Pathway
Authors: Hao Cui , Gao Lixia , Zhang Yiran , Wang Wei , Yu Guangli , Guan Huashi , Zhang Lijuan , Li Chunxia
Published: March 2015

Chitosan oligosaccharides (COSs), depolymerized products of chitosan composed of β-(1→4) d-glucosamine units, have broad range of biological activities such as antitumour, antifungal, and antioxidant activities. In this study, peracetylated chitosan oligosaccharides (PACOs) and N-acetylated chitosan oligosaccharides (NACOs) were prepared from the COSs by chemcal modification. The structures of these monomers were identified using NMR and ESI-MS spectra. Their antagonist effects against glutamate-induced PC12 cell death were investigated. The results showed that pretreatment of PC12 cells with the PACOs markedly inhibited glutamate-induced cell death in a concentration-dependent manner. The PACOs were better glutamate antagonists compared to the COSs and the NACOs, suggesting the peracetylation is essential for the neuroprotective effects of chitosan oligosaccharides. In addition, the PACOs pretreatment significantly reduced lactate dehydrogenase release and reactive oxygen species production. It also attenuated the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Further studies indicated that the PACOs inhibited glutamate-induced cell death by preventing apoptosis through depressing the elevation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 activation. These results suggest that PACOs might be promising antagonists against glutamate-induced neural cell death.
Anti-Ageing Effects of Sonchus oleraceus L. (pūhā) Leaf Extracts on H2O2-Induced Cell Senescence
Authors: Ou Zong-Quan , Rades Thomas , McDowell Arlene
Published: March 2015

Antioxidants protect against damage from free radicals and are believed to slow the ageing process. Previously, we have reported the high antioxidant activity of 70% methanolic Sonchus oleraceus L. (Asteraceae) leaf extracts. We hypothesize that S. oleraceus extracts protect cells against H2O2-induced senescence by mediating oxidative stress. Premature senescence of young WI-38 cells was induced by application of H2O2. Cells were treated with S. oleraceus extracts before or after H2O2 stress. The senescence- associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity was used to indicate cell senescence. S. oleraceus extracts showed higher cellular antioxidant activity than chlorogenic acid in WI-38 cells. S. oleraceus extracts suppressed H2O2 stress-induced premature senescence in a concentration-dependent manner. At 5 and 20 mg/mL, S. oleraceus extracts showed better or equivalent effects of reducing stress-induced premature senescence than the corresponding ascorbic acid treatments. These findings indicate the potential of S. oleraceus extracts to be formulated as an anti-ageing agent.
Effects of Inhaled Citronella Oil and Related Compounds on Rat Body Weight and Brown Adipose Tissue Sympathetic Nerve
Authors: Batubara Irmanida , Suparto Irma , Sa’diah Siti , Matsuoka Ryunosuke , Mitsunaga Tohru
Published: March 2015

Citronella oil is one of the most famous Indonesian essential oils, having a distinctive aroma. As with other essential oils, it is crucial to explore the effects of inhalation of this oil. Therefore, the aim of this research was to elucidate the effects of inhalation of citronella oil and its components isolated from Cymbopogon nardus L. (Poaceae), Indonesian local name: “Sereh Wangi” on the body weight, blood lipid profile, and liver function of rats, as well as on the sympathetic nerve activity and temperature of brown adipose tissue. Sprague-Dawley male adult rats fed with high fat diet (HFD) were made to inhale citronella oil, R-(+)-citronellal, and β-citronellol for five weeks, and the observations were compared to those of HFD rats that were not subjected to inhalation treatment. The results showed that inhalation of β-citronellol decreased feed consumption. As a consequence, the percentage of weight gain decreased compared with that in control group and the blood cholesterol level in the β-citronellol group was significantly lowered. Concentration of liver function enzymes were not significantly different among the groups. In conclusion, inhalation of citronella oil, specifically β-citronellol, decreased body weight by decreasing appetite, without any marked changes in liver enzyme concentrations.
Understanding the Role of Maternal Diet on Kidney Development; an Opportunity to Improve Cardiovascular and Renal Health for Future Generations
Authors: Wood-Bradley Ryan , Barrand Sanna , Giot Anais , Armitage James
Published: March 2015

The leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide are cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, high cholesterol and renal disease), cancer and diabetes. It is increasingly obvious that the development of these diseases encompasses complex interactions between adult lifestyle and genetic predisposition. Maternal malnutrition can influence the fetal and early life environment and pose a risk factor for the future development of adult diseases, most likely due to impaired organogenesis in the developing offspring. This then predisposes these offspring to cardiovascular disease and renal dysfunction in adulthood. Studies in experimental animals have further illustrated the significant impact maternal diet has on offspring health. Many studies report changes in kidney structure (a reduction in the number of nephrons in the kidney) in offspring of protein-deprived dams. Although the early studies suggested that increased blood pressure was also present in offspring of protein-restricted dams, this is not a universal finding and requires clarification. Importantly, to date, the literature offers little to no understanding of when in development these changes in kidney development occur, nor are the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive these changes well characterised. Moreover, the mechanisms linking maternal nutrition and a suboptimal renal phenotype in offspring are yet to be discerned—one potential mechanism involves epigenetics. This review will focus on recent information on potential mechanisms by which maternal nutrition (focusing on malnutrition due to protein restriction, micronutrient restriction and excessive fat intake) influences kidney development and thereby function in later life.
Dynamics of Land Cover/Land Use Changes in the Mekong Delta, 1973–2011: A Remote Sensing Analysis of the Tran Van Thoi District, Ca Mau Province, Vietnam
Authors: Tran Hanh , Tran Thuc , Kervyn Matthieu
Published: March 2015

The main objective of this study is to assess the spatio-temporal dynamics of land cover/land use changes in the lower Mekong Delta over the last 40 years with the coastal Tran Van Thoi District of Ca Mau Province, Vietnam as a case study. Land cover/land use change dynamics are derived from moderate to high spatial resolution (Landsat and SPOT) satellite imagery in six time intervals ranging from 1973 to 2011. Multi-temporal satellite images were collected, georeferenced, classified using per-pixel method, validated, and compared in post classification for the land use/land cover change detection in decades. Seven major land cover/land use classes were obtained, including cultivated lands, aquaculture ponds, mangrove forest, melaleuca forest, built up areas, bare lands, and natural water bodies. The accuracies of the land cover/land use maps for 1973, 1979, 1989, 1995, 2004, and 2011 were 81%, 82%, 86%, 87%, 89%, and 89%, respectively. The results show that the area of cultivated lands reduced over the period 1973–2011, however, it still represents the dominant land use in the case study. Aquaculture ponds were almost absent in 1973 but greatly increased from 1995 to 2004, to represent 20% of the land surface in 2011. Overall, from 1973 to 2011, bare lands, cultivated lands, mangrove forest, and melaleuca forest decreased by 104 km2, 77 km2, 61 km2, and 5 km2, respectively. In contrast, aquaculture lands and built up areas increased by 123 km2 and 120 km2, respectively. Temporal analysis highlights that these changes took place mostly between 1995 and 2004. This study is a first step to identify the main drivers of land use changes in this delta region, which include economical policies as well as demographic, socio-economic, and environmental changes.
Omnidirectional Underwater Camera Design and Calibration
Authors: Bosch Josep , Gracias Nuno , Ridao Pere , Ribas David
Published: March 2015

This paper presents the development of an underwater omnidirectional multi-camera system (OMS) based on a commercially available six-camera system, originally designed for land applications. A full calibration method is presented for the estimation of both the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters, which is able to cope with wide-angle lenses and non-overlapping cameras simultaneously. This method is valid for any OMS in both land or water applications. For underwater use, a customized housing is required, which often leads to strong image distortion due to refraction among the different media. This phenomena makes the basic pinhole camera model invalid for underwater cameras, especially when using wide-angle lenses, and requires the explicit modeling of the individual optical rays. To address this problem, a ray tracing approach has been adopted to create a field-of-view (FOV) simulator for underwater cameras. The simulator allows for the testing of different housing geometries and optics for the cameras to ensure a complete hemisphere coverage in underwater operation. This paper describes the design and testing of a compact custom housing for a commercial off-the-shelf OMS camera (Ladybug 3) and presents the first results of its use. A proposed three-stage calibration process allows for the estimation of all of the relevant camera parameters. Experimental results are presented, which illustrate the performance of the calibration method and validate the approach.
Data Fault Detection in Medical Sensor Networks
Authors: Yang Yang , Liu Qian , Gao Zhipeng , Qiu Xuesong , Meng Luoming
Published: March 2015

Medical body sensors can be implanted or attached to the human body to monitor the physiological parameters of patients all the time. Inaccurate data due to sensor faults or incorrect placement on the body will seriously influence clinicians’ diagnosis, therefore detecting sensor data faults has been widely researched in recent years. Most of the typical approaches to sensor fault detection in the medical area ignore the fact that the physiological indexes of patients aren’t changing synchronously at the same time, and fault values mixed with abnormal physiological data due to illness make it difficult to determine true faults. Based on these facts, we propose a Data Fault Detection mechanism in Medical sensor networks (DFD-M). Its mechanism includes: (1) use of a dynamic-local outlier factor (D-LOF) algorithm to identify outlying sensed data vectors; (2) use of a linear regression model based on trapezoidal fuzzy numbers to predict which readings in the outlying data vector are suspected to be faulty; (3) the proposal of a novel judgment criterion of fault state according to the prediction values. The simulation results demonstrate the efficiency and superiority of DFD-M.
Low-Cost Photolithographic Fabrication of Nanowires and Microfilters for Advanced Bioassay Devices
Authors: Doan Nhi , Qiang Liangliang , Li Zhe , Vaddiraju Santhisagar , Bishop Gregory , Rusling James , Papadimitrakopoulos Fotios
Published: March 2015

Integrated microfluidic devices with nanosized array electrodes and microfiltration capabilities can greatly increase sensitivity and enhance automation in immunoassay devices. In this contribution, we utilize the edge-patterning method of thin aluminum (Al) films in order to form nano- to micron-sized gaps. Evaporation of high work-function metals (i.e., Au, Ag, etc.) on these gaps, followed by Al lift-off, enables the formation of electrical uniform nanowires from low-cost, plastic-based, photomasks. By replacing Al with chromium (Cr), the formation of high resolution, custom-made photomasks that are ideal for low-cost fabrication of a plurality of array devices were realized. To demonstrate the feasibility of such Cr photomasks, SU-8 micro-pillar masters were formed and replicated into PDMS to produce micron-sized filters with 3–4 µm gaps and an aspect ratio of 3. These microfilters were capable of retaining 6 µm beads within a localized site, while allowing solvent flow. The combination of nanowire arrays and micro-pillar filtration opens new perspectives for rapid R&D screening of various microfluidic-based immunoassay geometries, where analyte pre-concentration and highly sensitive, electrochemical detection can be readily co-localized.
In-Network Processing of an Iceberg Join Query in Wireless Sensor Networks Based on 2-Way Fragment Semijoins
Authors: Kang Hyunchul
Published: March 2015

We investigate the in-network processing of an iceberg join query in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). An iceberg join is a special type of join where only those joined tuples whose cardinality exceeds a certain threshold (called iceberg threshold) are qualified for the result. Processing such a join involves the value matching for the join predicate as well as the checking of the cardinality constraint for the iceberg threshold. In the previous scheme, the value matching is carried out as the main task for filtering non-joinable tuples while the iceberg threshold is treated as an additional constraint. We take an alternative approach, meeting the cardinality constraint first and matching values next. In this approach, with a logical fragmentation of the join operand relations on the aggregate counts of the joining attribute values, the optimal sequence of 2-way fragment semijoins is generated, where each fragment semijoin employs a Bloom filter as a synopsis of the joining attribute values. This sequence filters non-joinable tuples in an energy-efficient way in WSNs. Through implementation and a set of detailed experiments, we show that our alternative approach considerably outperforms the previous one.
The Framework for KM Implementation in Product and Service Oriented SMEs: Evidence from Field Studies in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Yao , Ha Nhu-Hang
Published: March 2015

Knowledge management (KM) is a core competency that determines the success of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in this knowledge-based economy. Instead of competing on the basis of physical and financial capital, the success of SMEs is influenced by the knowledge, experience and skills of the owners and its employees. Unfortunately, many SMEs are still struggling with KM implementation due to lacking a comprehensive KM framework. This study aims to identify enablers for KM success and build up a framework for KM implementation in service and product oriented SMEs. By using multiple research methods, this study collects data from SMEs in Taiwan to prove our suggested enablers and reference KM framework. The suggested framework can provide useful assistance and guidance for holistic KM solutions. The K-object concept, which adopted the XML standard, may become a significant managerial and technical element in the KM practice. The enhanced KM framework mandates every employee’s participation in knowledge activities, not just some elite knowledge workers. The findings provide useful implications for researchers and practitioners by providing useful templates for implementing KM initiatives in different industries and more comprehensive framework for KM implementation in different types of SMEs.
Stable Isotopic Analysis on Water Utilization of Two Xerophytic Shrubs in a Revegetated Desert Area: Tengger Desert, China
Authors: Huang Lei , Zhang Zhishan
Published: March 2015

Stable isotope studies on stable isotope ratios of hydrogen and oxygen in water within plants provide new information on water sources and water use patterns under natural conditions. In this study, the sources of water uptake for two typical xerophytic shrubs, Caragana korshinskii and Artemisia ordosica, were determined at four different-aged revegetated sites (1956, 1964, 1981, and 1987) in the Tengger Desert, a revegetated desert area in China. Samples from precipitation, soil water at different soil layers, and xylem water from each species were collected in 2013. The proportion of plant water sources derived from different potential sources was determined using oxygen (δ18O) and hydrogen (δD) stable isotope analysis combined with a multiple-source linear mixing model. Results showed that the local meteoric water line (LMWL) at Shapotou was as follows: δD = 7.39δ18O + 3.91 (R2 = 0.93; n = 26). The vertical distribution of soil water content in older vegetation areas (1956a and 1964a) was much lower than that in relatively younger vegetation areas (1981a and 1987a). Mean soil water δD and δ18O values varied with depth, and the variation decreased as the age of the revegetated site increased. In general, C. korshinskii and A. ordosica mainly tapped water from the upper soil layer (10–100 cm) during the wet seasons. With increasing sand stabilization age, the proportion of water sources from shallow soil water decreased, whereas deep soil moisture utilization increased. During the dry season, C. korshinskii and A. ordosica showed evident hierarchical utilization of soil water in different soil layers. Small rainfall events did not significantly affect the water source of C. korshinskii and A. ordosica. However, large rainfall events not only complemented the deep soil moisture, but also recharged the shallow soil water after a few days, and the proportion of soil water source from deep soil layer increased from 2% ± 0.7% to 10% ± 1.4% for both plants.
Assessment of Agricultural Best Management Practices Using Models: Current Issues and Future Perspectives
Authors: Xie Hui , Chen Lei , Shen Zhenyao
Published: March 2015

Best management practices (BMPs) are the most effective and practicable means to control nonpoint source (NPS) pollution at desired levels. Models are valuable tools to assess their effectiveness. Watershed managers need to choose appropriate and effective modelling methods for a given set of conditions. This paper considered state-of-the-art modelling strategies for the assessment of agricultural BMPs. Typical watershed models and specific models were analyzed in detail. Further improvements, including simplified tools, model integration, and incorporation of climate change and uncertainty analysis were also explored. This paper indicated that modelling methods are strictly scale dependent, both spatially and temporally. Despite current achievements, there is still room for future research, such as broadening the range of the pollutants considered, introducing more local BMPs, improving the representation of the functionality of BMPs, and gathering monitoring date for validation of modelled results. There is also a trend towards agricultural decision support systems (DSSs) for assessing agricultural BMPs, in which models of different scales are seamlessly integrated to bridge the scale and data gaps. This review will assist readers in model selection and development, especially those readers concerned about NPS pollution and water quality control.
Un humaniste normand du temps de Charles VI : Guillaume Euvrie
Authors: Pellegrin Élisabeth
Published: March 2015

Guillaume Euvrie (f 1427), attaché au parti bourguignon, fut étroitement mêlé aux événements de son temps comme délégué de l'Université de Paris, notamment aux conciles de Pise et de Constance, et aux négociations avec les Anglais avant et après la mort de Charles VI. Il a laissé sous forme d'invective et de lettres, dont une adressée au chancelier Gerson, des témoignages émouvants sur les sentiments que pouvait éprouver un clerc de cette époque troublée devant les fluctuations de la doctrine philosophique enseignée à l'Université, les luttes politiques, le schisme et les mœurs corrompues de l'Église. Il a inséré ces notes et ces documents dans certains des manuscrits de classiques latins : Sénèque, Quintilien et surtout Cicerón, qu'il collectionnait ou faisait copier par ses étudiants. Ces manuscrits sont actuellement conservés à la Bibliothèque nationale de Paris, à l'Arsenal, à Rouen et à Leyde.
Cost-effectiveness Analysis with Influence Diagrams
Authors: Arias M. , Díez F. J.
Published: March 2015

Background: Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is used increasingly in medicine to determine whether the health benefit of an intervention is worth the economic cost. Decision trees, the standard decision modeling technique for non-temporal domains, can only perform CEA for very small problems.

Objective: To develop a method for CEA in problems involving several dozen variables.

Methods: We explain how to build influence diagrams (IDs) that explicitly represent cost and effectiveness. We propose an algorithm for evaluating cost-effectiveness IDs directly, i.e., without expanding an equivalent decision tree.

Results: The evaluation of an ID returns a set of intervals for the willingness to pay – separated by cost-effectiveness thresholds – and, for each interval, the cost, the effectiveness, and the optimal intervention. The algorithm that evaluates the ID directly is in general much more efficient than the brute-force method, which is in turn more efficient than the expansion of an equivalent decision tree. Using OpenMarkov, an open-source software tool that implements this algorithm, we have been able to perform CEAs on several IDs whose equivalent decision trees contain millions of branches.

Conclusion: IDs can perform CEA on large problems that cannot be analyzed with decision trees.
An ultraviolet floral polymorphism associated with life history drives pollinator discrimination inMimulus guttatus
Authors: DeMarche Megan L. , Miller Timothy J. , Kay Kathleen M.
Published: March 2015

•Premise of the study:Ultraviolet (UV) floral patterns are common in angiosperms and mediate pollinator attraction, efficiency, and constancy. UV patterns may vary within species, yet are cryptic to human observers. Thus, few studies have explicitly described the distribution or ecological significance of intraspecific variation in UV floral patterning. Here, we describe the geographic distribution and pattern of inheritance of a UV polymorphism in the model plant speciesMimulus guttatus(Phrymaceae). We then test whether naturally occurring UV phenotypes influence pollinator interactions withinM. guttatus.

•Methods:We document UV patterns in 18 annual and 19 perennial populations and test whether UV pattern is associated with life history. To examine the pattern of inheritance, we conducted crosses within and between UV phenotypes. Finally, we tested whether bee pollinators discriminate among naturally occurring UV phenotypes in two settings: wild bee communities and captiveBombus impatiens.

•Key results:WithinM. guttatus, perennial populations exhibit a small bulls‐eye pattern, whereas a bilaterally symmetric runway pattern occurs mainly in annual populations. Inheritance of UV patterning is consistent with a single‐locus Mendelian model in which the runway phenotype is dominant. Bee pollinators discriminate against unfamiliar UV patterns in both natural and controlled settings.

•Conclusions:We describe a widespread UV polymorphism associated with life history divergence withinMimulus guttatus. UV pattern influences pollinator visitation and should be considered when estimating reproductive barriers between life history ecotypes. This work develops a new system to investigate the ecology and evolution of UV floral patterning in a species with extensive genomic resources.
Variation and ontogenetic changes of opercular paleae in a population of Sabellaria spinulosa (Polychaeta: Sabellaridae) from the South Adriatic Sea, with remarks on larval development
Authors: Lezzi Marco , Cardone Frine , Mikac Barbara , Giangrande Adriana
Published: March 2015

Sabellaria alcocki Gravier, 1906, described for the Indian Ocean, should not be present in the Mediterranean area. Though S. spinulosa alcocki, a Mediterranean variety, can be well-distinguished from S. alcocki, it has recently been referred to as S. alcocki. Thus, S. alcocki appears in the Italian coast checklist. The recent finding of S. spinulosa reefs along the southern Adriatic coast, the first report of these biogenic constructions in the Mediterranean area, allowed us to compare its morphological variability with that of S. alcocki. A morphometric analysis of the opercular paleae showed a great deal of intrapopulation, size-independent variation, which cannot justify the existence of varieties within S. spinulosa. Moreover, the analysis of post-settlement development showed that opercular features change during individual growth. Recently settled individuals resemble S. alcocki, while the more advanced life stages become closer to S. spinulosa. Accordingly, we hypothesize that part of the erroneous Mediterranean records of S. alcocki could correspond to specimens of S. spinulosa at different stages of development.
The Role of E-Business Adoption in the Business World
Authors: Kasemsap Kijpokin
Published: March 2015

This chapter introduces the role of e-business adoption in the business world, thus explaining the concept of e-business, the significance of e-business, the application of e-business, the steps of e-business implementation, the advantages and disadvantages of e-business implementation, and the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) of e-business. E-business allows for the extended organization to be connected. This means that all employees, customers/clients, suppliers, and other stakeholders, regardless of geographic region, are interconnected. E-business facilitates data flows in business-to-business or system-to-system processes. E-business revolutionizes the way of effective communication between internal and external stakeholders within an organization. Connecting numerous information systems and integrating data streams can significantly increase the operational efficiency of the firm. E-business can lead to competitive advantage as well as profitability in the global business environments. Understanding the role of e-business adoption in the business world will significantly enhance the organizational performance and achieve business goals.
Measuring Performance of Hotels in Kolkata
Authors: Batabyal Debasish
Published: March 2015

Intellectual capital is the most complicated element of management and the same is more important in any service sector including hospitality and tourism. Airlines, hotels, restaurant chains, and tour operators have been focusing on human resources for enhancing technical and functional qualities of services. Here, the study is confined to the measurement of service quality of Indian hotels in Kolkata through intellectual capital (human capital and structured capital) and its comparison with the physical capital over the years. Value Added Intellectual Coefficient Method (VAICTM) is applied for measuring the performance of hotels. Corporate performance through quality services of intellectual capital has been measured through profitability, return on equity, and sales growth. The findings suggest that the performance of a hotel's intellectual capital can significantly explain corporate value creation through quality services.
An Empirical Analysis of FII Movement and Currency Value in India
Authors: Sen Saurabh , Sen Ruchi L.
Published: March 2015

India opened its stock market to foreign investors in September 1992 and has received portfolio investment from foreigners in the form of foreign institutional investment in equities and other markets including derivatives. It has emerged as one of the most influential groups to play a critical role in the overall performance of the Indian economy. The liberalization of FII flows into the Indian capital market since 1993 has had a significant impact on the economy. With increased volatility in exchange rate and to mitigate the risk arising out of excess volatility, currency futures were introduced in India in 2008, which is considered a second important structural change. This chapter examines the impact of the Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) on the exchange rate and analyzes the relationship between FII and Indian Rupee-US Dollar exchange rates.
Work-Value Orientation
Authors: Bhattacharya Anshuman
Published: March 2015

O'Reilly et al. (1991) defines value congruence as the match between the organization's culture and individual's values. The study is based on the same definition. It aims at determining the importance of rewards and resources for staff-members having different continuum of work values, association of work value congruence with organizational facilities, and assessing the impact of interpersonal interactional opportunity on attitudinal responses of employees. Significance of a particular aspect of job and organizational arrangements are correlated; further, significance of difference in the correlation coefficient is measured. The study reveals significant effect of work-value orientation on response to autonomy, organizational facilities, and organizational arrangements in terms of job satisfaction, citizenship and retaliatory behavior, intrinsic motivation, and job-involvement in employees. The chapter suggests that appropriate match between dominant values in individual employees and corresponding organizational arrangements is one of the significant antecedents of job satisfaction and involvement in the employees.
Measuring Service Quality Dimensions in Nationalized and Private Banks
Authors: Panwar Upendra Singh
Published: March 2015

Quality generally refers to something done by human beings at a very high level of excellence, oftentimes in the sense of works of perfection as being distinctive from inferior to mediocre performance. This chapter is an analytical study based mainly on the primary data collected through a scientifically developed scale. The scale was personally administered on a sample size of 202, chosen on a convenient basis from two banks, a nationalized bank and private bank. The scale of Parasuraman, Zeithml, and Berry (1986, 1988) was used here. In order to achieve higher levels of quality service in banking, banks should deliver higher levels of service quality, and in the present context, customers' perceptions are highest in the level of infrastructure facilities of the bank. Owing to the increasing competition in retail banking, customer service is an important part and bank managers should rethink how to improve customer satisfaction.
Ethical Theories and Teaching Engineering Ethics
Authors: Pritchard Michael S. , Englehardt Elaine E.
Published: March 2015

As an area of academic study, engineering ethics focuses primarily on practical ethical issues. A primary aim of the study of practical ethics is to help students make good ethical decisions in whatever practical endeavors they may undertake, including in their chosen careers. The authors argue that reflection on the sorts of ethical problems that arise in engineering practice should be the starting point, with ethical theory coming into view primarily in this context. This is in contrast to a more “top-down” approach that tries to “apply” theory to practice only after laying out a spectrum of philosophically grounded theories, each of which attempts to give us a comprehensive picture of ethics, as such.
Teaching Engineering Ethics in the Classroom
Authors: Basart Josep M.
Published: March 2015

Engineering students are introduced to their profession's ethical and social responsibilities along with their education and training at university. This might be the only time and place where public welfare engagement may be promoted by the institution and acknowledged by students. Their future behavior as engineers heavily depends on the understanding and commitment they may develop during this process. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the main points related to the teaching and learning of Engineering Ethics at universities. In order to gain insight into this complex educational scene, a set of questions are formulated and explored. The discussion of these questions amounts to explain what Engineering Education consists of, how to integrate Engineering Ethics courses into the curriculum and develop instructional designs for classroom teaching, who should assume teaching responsibilities, and finally, what Engineering Ethics goals should be. For each query, the primal issues, controversies, and alternatives are discussed.
Widening the Industrial Competence Base
Authors: Lappalainen Pia
Published: March 2015

Amidst the macroeconomic, social, and industrial trends altering the industrial operating environment, calls have been made to shift attention from specialized but narrow technical content of engineering education to a broader competence base that better accommodates societal demands. This chapter focuses on the micro-level ethical conduct that materializes in face-to-face interaction in engineering teams. The chapter serves three aims: first, it defines the key concepts employed in the discussion. Second, it offers an account of the worth and impacts of investments in emotive skills in the engineering world. Finally, it describes a pedagogic experiment in incorporating ethics into engineering degree studies at Aalto University, Finland. The ultimate objective is to propose a teaching practice that would turn the currently marginal attempts to include ethical topics in engineers' syllabi into a mainstream mindset and philosophy that dictates decisions and drives conduct in future engineering communities.
Conflict Resolution and Ethical Decision-Making for Engineering Professionals in Global Organizations
Authors: Feldhaus Charles R. , Little Julie , Sorge Brandon
Published: March 2015

As an introduction to recognizing individual and organizational conflict as well as ethical issues within global firms, the goals of this chapter are to equip Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professionals, especially those in engineering, with solid decision-making tools, including self-awareness, ethical perspectives and theories, ethical decision-making models, and various conflict resolution approaches. Given the current challenges in business and industry that have often led to unethical practices, and ultimately conflict, it is critical that both organizational leaders and followers possess the necessary tools and perspectives to create an ethical climate that deals appropriately with various types of conflict. This chapter examines new trends in conflict coaching and the delivery of ethics training in an effort to provide the aforementioned tools and perspectives.
Abortion
Authors: Panagopoulou-Koutnatzi Fereniki
Published: March 2015

This chapter describes the ethical and deontological adventures of the unborn child with regard to abortion. According to Sumerian law, if a man strikes a free-born woman causing her to lose her unborn child, he must pay ten shekels1 of silver as a fine for her loss, whereas if a man deliberately strikes the wife of a free-born citizen causing her to lose her unborn child, he must pay a fine of one-third of a mina of silver. Nowadays, one should underline that every human being at the very beginning of life and even before birth treads a long and adventurous road filled with moral dilemmas and legal repercussions. The fact that this refers to the life of every person-to-be is not under question in this treatise. Likewise, the authors assume that every human is the bearer of human dignity.
Genetic Privacy
Authors: Supiot Elsa , Bernelin Margo
Published: March 2015

This chapter analyzes the European Union framing of the protection of genetic privacy in the context of the European Commission's 2012 proposal to amend the 95/46/EC Data Protection Directive. This market-driven proposal, fitting a wider European movement with regard to health-related legal framework, takes into account the challenges to privacy protection brought by rapid technological development. Although the proposal is an attempt to clarify the 1995 Data Protection Directive, including the question of genetic data, it also creates some controversial grey areas, especially concerning the extensive regulatory role to be played by the European Commission. With regard to genetic privacy, this chapter takes the opportunity to develop on this paradox, and gives an analysis of the European design on the matter.
China: Managing a Diverse and Multicultural Workforce in Multinationals in a Growth Economy
Authors: Goldstein Andy
Published: March 2015

This case suggests a system of understanding the Chinese employees of a typical multinational company operating in China, based on attitudinal, behavioral, and psychological factors. The study particularly focuses on Chinese staff members of multinationals in terms of their career ambitions, consumer habits, and attitudes to each other, to foreigners, and foreign companies in China generally. Chinese staff, the author argues (based on more than ten years of observation and a detailed survey he conducted), can be categorized as in one of three main types: Chuppies, Westernized and Traditional, or “Mandarins.” They can be a mix of two or three of these types and their behaviors can evolve between types over time. Understanding these differences can help the non-Chinese manager and student of HR issues in China to operate more effectively and gain more insights – as the author himself discovered in the process of researching this case.
China: Managing a Diverse and Multicultural Workforce in Multinationals in a Growth Economy
Authors: Jones Stephanie
Published: March 2015

This case follows on from Cases 1 and 2, which suggested a system of analyzing both the Chinese employees and Western expatriate managers of a typical multinational company operating in China. Based on attitudinal, behavioral, and psychological factors, the analysis included career ambitions, consumer habits, and attitudes to foreign companies in China generally. Chinese staff, the author argues (based on more than five years of observation and a detailed survey she conducted), can be categorized as in one of three main types: Chuppies, Westernized and Traditional, or “Mandarins.” Western expatriates can be seen as “Gilded Cage” types, or “Half-Way House,” or “Gone Local.” Understanding these differences can help the head office executive living far from China and the student of China HR issues to gain insights into the important issues of recruiting, motivating, training and developing staff, and achieving results through them – as the author herself discovered in the process of researching this case.
Vietnam
Authors: Uyen Ngyyen Vu Tu
Published: March 2015

Understanding national culture has become increasingly important in this new era, when the world is more interconnected, globalized, and has fewer boundaries. Managing Cultural Diversity or Cross-Cultural Management is now a major topic of consideration for companies across Asia, especially in Vietnam. This case study aims to present insights on Vietnamese cultural preferences. The research approach is based on the Canning model, including preferences of “Relationship,” “Communication,” “Time,” “Truth,” and “Human Philosophy.” From this basis, an Expert Profile is built for Vietnam in the hope that it can become an engaging guide for any foreigner who wants to study the Vietnamese culture. This case also looks at cultural factors like being an “individualist,” the concept of “close distance,” being “effusive,” thinking “long term,” and looking at “fixed truth.” Generally speaking, the Vietnamese people come from a “group oriented,” “physical distance,” “reserved,” “short-term,” and “relative truth” culture.
Egypt: Sustainable HR within the CSR Policies in a Multinational Hospitality Group
Authors: Badawoud Taghreed
Published: March 2015

This case considers the attempts to create sustainable HR practices as part of the development of a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy in a multinational hospitality group. This practice has become an opportunity given the creation and growth of the tourism industry in many countries worldwide. The case investigates the extent of HR policy compliance in these hotels—in a case study based on Egypt—matched against their stated head office policies and benchmarked against best practice frameworks in the literature, which define and suggest frameworks for analyzing and measuring HR practice in hotels. The HR policies in practice in examples of properties in Egypt, although not exactly in compliance with head office, show some concern within the capabilities of the local management in Egypt and within the constraints of the local population in offering improved HR-related benefits to staff members. Certainly, the multinational-branded properties are better than the local ones, but they still have some way to go.
Internal HR Security Compliance and Risk Management Systems in a Major International Bank in a North African Country
Authors: Jackson Thomas C.
Published: March 2015

This case looks at an international bank operating in an emerging market, which, due to ineffective HR compliance (employees from different departments failing to communicate and not keeping up-to-date records), suffered financial losses and negative publicity. A review of the nature of employee-based risk in banking is applied to an emerging market context based on documenting a real-life incident. The mistaken repossession of a property when seeking to recover debts took place partly due to inadequate employee record-keeping, poor communication, and with the possibility of employee fraud. The bank believed that one of their defaulting customers still owned the house, even though his mortgage had been cancelled many years previously. It would appear that an employee of the bank continued to lend the defaulting customer money, based on non-existent collateral, in connivance with a corrupt attorney friendly with the bank. Banks are commonly criticized for lack of adequate control mechanisms, and this detailed case shows the even greater challenges they face in emerging markets.
Video Lectures in eLearning
Authors: Scagnoli Norma I. , McKinney Anne , Moore-Reynen Jill
Published: March 2015

Video presentations, also referred to as mini-lectures, micro-lectures, or simply video lectures, are becoming more prominent among the strategies used in hybrid or fully online teaching. Either interested in imitating a Khan Academy style of presenting content or responding to other pedagogical or administrative needs, there are more instructors now considering the creation of short video lectures for their courses than before. This chapter examines the use of video lectures in online and hybrid courses, describes the design and application of them in graduate and undergraduate courses, and analyzes primary and secondary data results to expose strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges experienced in the development and implementation of this technique. The use of short video lectures is a regular practice in MOOCs and has the potential of becoming a successful practice, especially with the expansion of new approaches such as the flipped classroom.
Influences on the Acceptance of Innovative Technologies Used in Learning Opportunities
Authors: Moats Jason
Published: March 2015

In this chapter, the author presents a theoretical framework to better understand how individuals adapt to innovative technology used to support learning opportunities. This chapter begins with an overview of literature concerning technology acceptance, specifically centered on the seminal work of Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, and Davis (2003). This is followed by a discussion of three theoretical perspectives change that include Lewin's (1997, 1952) change model, Schein's (1996) adaptation of Lewin's model as it related to learning, and Roger's (2003) diffusion of innovation. Next, the chapter includes a discussion on the concept of digital personalities as framed by Prensky (2001b) and Palfrey and Gasser (2008) and how this concept may impact technology acceptance. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how these theoretical perspectives inform our understanding of technology acceptance.
Frameworks and Issues for a Shared Service Approach to Technology in Higher Education
Authors: Lewis Judith , Gazi Yakut
Published: March 2015

In this chapter, the authors present the multiple frameworks and issues attendant to the shared service approach of leveraging information technology in higher education. The shared services model has been implemented in the business sector for many years, and government and higher education have more recently looked to that model in response to leaner budgets and more intense scrutiny of expenditures. The authors review current research on shared service design and discuss the shared service paradigm utilizing the frameworks of organizational structure and knowledge capital, change management, disruptive innovation theory, competitive advantage, leadership, and governance in a shared service context. Factors for successful shared service implementations are discussed and future directions are proposed.
The Application of BIM as Collaborative Design Technology for Collective Self-Organised Housing
Authors: Damen Ton , Sebastian Rizal , MacDonald Matthew , Soetanto Danny , Hartmann Timo , Di Giulio Roberto , Bonsma Peter , Luig Klaus
Published: March 2015

Collective Self-Organised (CSO) housing projects are an emerging trend in Europe. In these projects communities engage in co-design throughout the process. Little knowledge exists that can support CSOs with the process of managing their projects by using state-of-the-art building information (BI) technologies. The authors introduce a BI supported CSO housing design process that can support CSOs through all stages in the design process, from early conceptual location planning through to selection of interior finishing. They illustrate the project using a demonstrative illustration of a CSO housing design process. The paper will concentrate on the development of innovative Collaborative Design Technology (CDT) solutions. The tools will be demonstrated on the basis of an illustrative demonstration case in which the CSO-process is combined with an IFD (Industrial, Flexible and Durable) building system. The particular advantages for architectural design practice will be highlighted throughout and gaps in the literature addressed.