bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential Susceptibility of 39 Tomato Varieties to Phytophthora infestans Clonal Lineage US-23
Authors: Hansen Z. R. , Small I. M. , Mutschler M. , Fry W. E. , Smart C. D.
Published: May 2014

During the summers of 2012 and 2013, 39 tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) lines or varieties were evaluated for resistance to late blight in three separate field trials. In each trial, late blight was caused by field isolates of Phytophthora infestans clonal lineage US-23. Varieties with the late blight resistance genes Ph-1, Ph-2, Ph-3, and Ph-2 + Ph-3 were included, along with several heirloom varieties with grower-reported resistance and varieties with no known resistance. All six varieties with Ph-2 + Ph-3, along with NC25P, which is homozygous for Ph-3 only, showed a high level of resistance. Plum Regal F1, which is heterozygous for Ph-3 only, showed moderate resistance. Legend, the only variety with Ph-2 alone, also showed moderate resistance. Three heirloom varieties, Matt's Wild Cherry, Lemon Drop, and Mr. Stripey, showed a high level of resistance comparable with that of varieties with Ph-2 + Ph-3. New Yorker, possessing Ph-1 only, showed no resistance. Indeterminate varieties had significantly less disease than determinate varieties in two of the three trials. Overall, this study suggests that tomato varieties with both Ph-2 and Ph-3 can be used to effectively manage late blight caused by P. infestans clonal lineage US-23. Varieties possessing only Ph-2, or heterozygous for Ph-3, were better protected than those without any late blight resistance but might still require supplemental fungicide applications, while the variety that was homozygous for Ph-3 was highly resistant. Several heirloom varieties were also highly resistant, and the unknown mechanism of their resistance warrants further research. Finally, the plasticity observed in United States P. infestans populations over the past several decades necessitates continued monitoring for genetic changes within P. infestans that could lead to the breakdown of resistance reported here.
Moko Disease-Causing Strains of Ralstonia solanacearum from Brazil Extend Known Diversity in Paraphyletic Phylotype II
Authors: Albuquerque Greecy M. R. , Santos Liliana A. , Felix Kátia C. S. , Rollemberg Christtianno L. , Silva Adriano M. F. , Souza Elineide B. , Cellier Gilles , Prior Philippe , Mariano Rosa L. R.
Published: May 2014

The epidemic situation of Moko disease-causing strains in Latin America and Brazil is unclear. Thirty-seven Ralstonia solanacearum strains from Brazil that cause the Moko disease on banana and heliconia plants were sampled and phylogenetically typed using the endoglucanase (egl) and DNA repair (mutS) genes according to the phylotype and sequevar classification. All of the strains belonged to phylotype II and a portion of the strains was typed as the Moko disease-related sequevars IIA-6 and IIA-24. Nevertheless, two unsuspected sequevars also harbored the Moko disease-causing strains IIA-41 and IIB-25, and a new sequevar was described and named IIA-53. All of the strains were pathogenic to banana and some of the strains of sequevars IIA-6, IIA-24, and IIA-41 were also pathogenic to tomato. The Moko disease-causing strains from sequevar IIB-25 were pathogenic to potato but not to tomato. These results highlight the high diversity of strains of Moko in Brazil, reinforce the efficiency of the egl gene to reveal relationships among these strains, and contribute to a better understanding of the diversity of paraphyletic Moko disease-causing strains of the R. solanacearum species complex, where the following seven distinct genetic clusters have been described: IIA-6, IIA-24, IIA-41, IIA-53, IIB-3, IIB-4, and IIB-25.
Effect of Using a Safety Checklist on Patient Complications after Surgery
Authors: Gillespie Brigid M. , Chaboyer Wendy , Thalib Lukman , John Melinda , Fairweather Nicole , Slater Kellee
Published: May 2014

Background:

Previous before-and-after studies indicate that the use of safety checklists in surgery reduces complication rates in patients.

Methods:

A systematic review of studies was undertaken using MEDLINE, CINAHL, Proquest, and the Cochrane Library to identify studies that evaluated the effects of checklist use in surgery on complication rates. Study quality was assessed using the Methodological Index for Nonrandomized Studies. The pooled risk ratio (RR) was estimated using both fixed and random effects models. For each outcome, the number needed to treat (NNT) and the absolute risk reduction (ARR) were also computed.

Results:

Of the 207 intervention studies identified, 7 representing 37,339 patients were included in meta-analyses, and all were cohort studies. Results indicated that the use of checklists in surgery compared with standard practice led to a reduction in any complication (RR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.72; P < 0.0001; ARR, 3.7%; NNT, 27) and wound infection (RR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.72; P = 0.0001; ARR, 2.9%; NNT, 34) and also reduction in blood loss (RR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.70; P = 0.0001; ARR, 3.8%; NNT, 33). There were no significant reductions in mortality (RR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.57 to 1.11; P = 0.191; ARR, 0.44%; NNT, 229), pneumonia (RR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.73 to 1.4; P = 0.857; ARR, 0.04%; NNT, 2,512), or unplanned return to operating room (RR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.56 to 1.02; P = 0.068; ARR, 0.52%; NNT, 192).

Conclusion:

Notwithstanding the lack of randomized controlled trials, synthesis of the existing body of evidence suggests a relationship between checklist use in surgery and fewer postoperative complications.
Local competition sparks concerns for fairness in the ultimatum game
Authors: Barclay Pat , Stoller Benjamin
Published: May 2014

Humans reject uneven divisions of resources, even at personal cost. This is observed in countless experiments using the ultimatum game, where a proposer offers to divide a resource with a responder who either accepts the division or rejects it (whereupon both earn zero). Researchers debate why humans evolved a psychology that is so averse to inequity within partnerships. We suggest that the scale of competition is crucial: under local competition with few competitors, individuals reject low offers, because they cannot afford to be disadvantaged relative to competitors. If one competes against the broader population (i.e. global competition), then it pays to accept low offers to increase one's absolute pay-off. We support this intuition with an illustrative game-theoretical model. We also conducted ultimatum games where participants received prizes based on pay-offs relative to immediate partners (local competition) versus a larger group (global competition). Participants demanded higher offers under local competition, suggesting that local competition increases people's demands for fairness and aversion to inequality.
Hydrogen diffusion and the percolation of austenite in nanostructured bainitic steel
Authors: Fielding L. C. D. , Song E. J. , Han D. K. , Bhadeshia H. K. D. H. , Suh D.-W.
Published: May 2014

The diffusion of hydrogen in austenite is slower than in ferrite. Experiments have been conducted to study the behaviour of hydrogen in a nanostructured steel sample consisting of a mixture of thin plates of bainitic ferrite and intervening films of retained austenite, with the latter phase present in a quantity larger than the percolation threshold, i.e. it has three-dimensional connectivity. The structure was then heat treated to control the fraction of austenite, and hence to study the role of hydrogen when the austenite decomposes below the value required to sustain percolation. The experiments have involved both thermal desorption analysis and permeation, and when combined with theoretical analysis, indicate a significant influence of percolating austenite in hindering the passage of hydrogen into the steel during hydrogen charging, and its permeation through the composite nanostructure. The effect is not as large as might be expected from a simple comparison of independent data on the diffusivities of hydrogen in the two lattices, because the effective diffusivity in ferrite is found to be much smaller than in the defect-free ferrite, owing to trapping effects. The morphology of the austenite is demonstrated to play a role by comparing with a sample containing a larger volume fraction of austenite but present as isolated grains which are ineffective to the permeation of hydrogen.
Numerical study of interfacial solitary waves propagating under an elastic sheet
Authors: Wang Zhan , Părău Emilian I. , Milewski Paul A. , Vanden-Broeck Jean-Marc
Published: May 2014

Steady solitary and generalized solitary waves of a two-fluid problem where the upper layer is under a flexible elastic sheet are considered as a model for internal waves under an ice-covered ocean. The fluid consists of two layers of constant densities, separated by an interface. The elastic sheet resists bending forces and is mathematically described by a fully nonlinear thin shell model. Fully localized solitary waves are computed via a boundary integral method. Progression along the various branches of solutions shows that barotropic (i.e. surface modes) wave-packet solitary wave branches end with the free surface approaching the interface. On the other hand, the limiting configurations of long baroclinic (i.e. internal) solitary waves are characterized by an infinite broadening in the horizontal direction. Baroclinic wave-packet modes also exist for a large range of amplitudes and generalized solitary waves are computed in a case of a long internal mode in resonance with surface modes. In contrast to the pure gravity case (i.e without an elastic cover), these generalized solitary waves exhibit new Wilton-ripple-like periodic trains in the far field.
Nuclear interactions in a heterokaryon: insight from the modelNeurospora tetrasperma
Authors: Samils Nicklas , Oliva Jonàs , Johannesson Hanna
Published: May 2014

A heterokaryon is a tissue type composed of cells containing genetically different nuclei. Although heterokaryosis is commonly found in nature, an understanding of the evolutionary implications of this phenomenon is largely lacking. Here, we use the filamentous ascomyceteNeurospora tetraspermato study the interplay between nuclei in heterokaryons across vegetative and sexual developmental stages. This fungus harbours nuclei of two opposite mating types (mat Aandmat a) in the same cell and is thereby self-fertile. We used pyrosequencing ofmat-linked SNPs of three heterokaryons to demonstrate that the nuclear ratio is consistently biased format A-nuclei during mycelial growth (meanmat A/mat aratio 87%), but evens out during sexual development (ratio ranging from 40 to 57%).Furthermore, we investigated the association between nuclear ratio and expression of alleles ofmat-linked genes and found that expression is coregulated to obtain a tissue-specific bias in expression ratio: during mycelial extension, we found a strong bias in expression format A-linked genes, that was independent of nuclear ratio, whereas at the sexual stage we found an expression bias for genes of themat anuclei. Taken together, our data indicate that nuclei cooperate to optimize the fitness of the heterokaryon, via both altering their nuclear ratios and coregulation genes expressed in the different nuclei.
Looking beyond the hippocampus: old and new neurological targets for understanding memory disorders
Authors: Aggleton John P.
Published: May 2014

Although anterograde amnesia can occur after damage in various brain sites, hippocampal dysfunction is usually seen as the ultimate cause of the failure to learn new episodic information. This assumption is supported by anatomical evidence showing direct hippocampal connections with all other sites implicated in causing anterograde amnesia. Likewise, behavioural and clinical evidence would seem to strengthen the established notion of an episodic memory system emanating from the hippocampus. There is, however, growing evidence that key, interconnected sites may also regulate the hippocampus, reflecting a more balanced, integrated network that enables learning. Recent behavioural evidence strongly suggests that medial diencephalic structures have some mnemonic functions independent of the hippocampus, which can then act upon the hippocampus. Anatomical findings now reveal that nucleus reuniens and the retrosplenial cortex provide parallel, disynaptic routes for prefrontal control of hippocampal activity. There is also growing clinical evidence that retrosplenial cortex dysfunctions contribute to both anterograde amnesia and the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease, revealing the potential significance of this area for clinical studies. This array of findings underlines the importance of redressing the balance and the value of looking beyond the hippocampus when seeking to explain failures in learning new episodic information.
Nocardioides
nanhaiensis sp. nov., an actinobacterium isolated from a marine sediment sample
Authors: Zhang Dao-Feng , Zhong Jing-Mei , Zhang Xiao-Mei , Jiang Zhao , Zhou En-Min , Tian Xin-Peng , Zhang Si , Li Wen-Jun
Published: May 2014

A rod- to coccus-shaped, non-spore-forming actinobacterium, strain YIM M13091T, was isolated from a marine sediment sample collected from the South China Sea and examined by a polyphasic approach to clarify its taxonomic position. This Gram-staining-positive, aerobic actinobacterium did not produce substrate mycelium and aerial hyphae, and no diffusible pigments were produced on the media tested. The optimum growth occurred at 30 °C, 1 % (w/v) NaCl and pH 8.0. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolate belongs to the genus

Nocardioides

, with low levels (≤96.2 %) of sequence similarity with respect to

Nocardioides kribbensis

KSL-2T and other members of the genus

Nocardioides

. Whole-organism hydrolysates of the strain contained ll-2,6-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. The predominant menaquinone was MK-8(H4), with MK-8 in a minor amount. Diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, hydroxyphosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine, were the main polar lipids detected, while iso-C16 : 0 and C18 : 1ω9c were the major fatty acids. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 68.5 mol%. Based on phylogenetic analysis, phenotypic and genotypic data, it is concluded that the isolate represents a member of the genus

Nocardioides

, and the name Nocardioides nanhaiensis sp. nov. (Type strain YIM M13091T = JCM 18127T = CCTCC AA 2011020T) is proposed for the novel species.
Description of Chishuiella changwenlii gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from freshwater, and transfer of Wautersiella falsenii to the genus Empedobacter as Empedobacter
falsenii comb. nov.
Authors: Zhang Ren-Gang , Tan Xu , Liang Ye , Meng Tian-Yi , Liang Hui-Zhen , Lv Jie
Published: May 2014

A Gram-reaction-negative, strictly aerobic, non-pigmented, non-gliding, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain BY4T, was isolated from freshwater. Cells were catalase- and oxidase-positive and indole was produced. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain BY4T belonged to the family

Flavobacteriaceae

and showed 91.6–95.9 % sequence similarities to the most closely related strains. The major respiratory quinone was MK-6 and the major polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine. The major polyamine was homospermidine and the major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c). The DNA G+C content was 30.0 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, phylogenetic and genotypic features, strain BY4T is suggested to represent a novel species in a new genus within the family

Flavobacteriaceae

, for which the name Chishuiella changwenlii gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of this type species is BY4T ( = CGMCC 1.12707T = JCM 19633T). On the basis of data collected from previous and present studies, it is proposed to reclassify

Wautersiella falsenii

to the genus

Empedobacter

as the new combination Empedobacter falsenii comb. nov. (type strain NF 993T = CCUG 51536T = CIP 108861T).
Optimal shape design of flux barriers in IPM synchronous motors using the phase field method
Authors: Seok Choi Jae , Yamada Takayuki , Izui Kazuhiro , Nishiwaki Shinji , Lim Heeseung , Yoo Jeonghoon
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present an optimization method for flux barrier designs in interior permanent magnet (IPM) synchronous motors that aims to produce an advantageous sinusoidal flux density distribution in the air-gap.

Design/methodology/approach

– The optimization is based on the phase field method using an Allen-Cahn equation. This approach is a numerical technique for tracking diffuse interfaces like the level set method based on the Hamilton-Jacobi equation.

Findings

– The optimization results of IPM motor designs are highly dependent on the initial flux barrier shapes. The authors solve the optimization problem using two different initial shapes, and the optimized models show considerable reductions in torque pulsation and the higher harmonics of back-electromotive force.

Originality/value

– This paper presents the optimization method based on the phase field for the design of rotor flux barriers, and proposes a novel interpolation scheme of the magnetic reluctivity.
Model-free discrete control for robot manipulators using a fuzzy estimator
Authors: Mehdi Fateh Mohammad , Azargoshasb Siamak , Khorashadizadeh Saeed
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Discrete control of robot manipulators with uncertain model is the purpose of this paper.

Design/methodology/approach

– The proposed control design is model-free by employing an adaptive fuzzy estimator in the controller for the estimation of uncertainty as unknown function. An adaptive mechanism is proposed in order to overcome uncertainties. Parameters of the fuzzy estimator are adapted to minimize the estimation error using a gradient descent algorithm.

Findings

– The proposed model-free discrete control is robust against all uncertainties associated with the model of robotic system including the robot manipulator and actuators, and external disturbances. Stability analysis verifies the proposed control approach. Simulation results show its efficiency in the tracking control.

Originality/value

– A novel model-free discrete control approach for electrically driven robot manipulators is proposed. An adaptive fuzzy estimator is used in the controller to overcome uncertainties. The parameters of the estimator are regulated by a gradient descent algorithm. The most gradient descent algorithms have used a known cost function based on the tracking error for adaptation whereas the proposed gradient descent algorithm uses a cost function based on the uncertainty estimation error. Then, the uncertainty estimation error is calculated from the joint position error and its derivative using the closed-loop system.
Conformal antennas arrays radiation synthesis using immunity tactic
Authors: Ahmed Djennas Sidi , Benadda Belkacem , Merad Lotfi , Tarik Bendimerad Fethi
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce to scientific community a new optimization technique and its application to the radiation synthesis case.

Design/methodology/approach

– The immunity tactic is a new powerful optimization tool inspired by immune system. It was used with success to achieve the conformal antenna radiation synthesis in an acceptable processing time.

Findings

– Radiation synthesis of conformal antenna arrays based on immunity tactic generates very good results compared with other optimization methods. The comparison is very satisfactory as regards accuracy and processing time.

Research limitations/implications

– The improvement of convergence and accuracy will be done certainly by use of other variants of the technique or combination with others.

Originality/value

– The paper exposes with details a new optimization technique based on immune system and its behavior. The results, for the special case of conformal antenna arrays radiation synthesis, are very satisfactory and very encouraging. The impact of the new technique will be, without doubt, positive on optimization field.
Adaptive unscented transform for uncertainty quantification in EMC large-scale systems
Authors: Ferber Moises , Vollaire Christian , Krähenbühl Laurent , Antônio Vasconcelos João
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel methodology for uncertainty quantification in large-scale systems. It is a non-intrusive approach based on the unscented transform (UT) but it requires far less simulations from a EM solver for certain models.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology of uncertainty propagation is carried out adaptively instead of considering all input variables. First, a ranking of input variables is determined and after a classical UT is applied successively considering each time one more input variable. The convergence is reached once the most important variables were considered.

Findings

– The adaptive UT can be an efficient alternative of uncertainty propagation for large dimensional systems.

Originality/value

– The classical UT is unfeasible for large-scale systems. This paper presents one new possibility to use this stochastic collocation method for systems with large number of input dimensions.
The association between drug dependence and drug possession charges
Authors: M. Kopak Albert , G. Hoffmann Norman
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to investigate the extent to which drug dependence was associated with the probability of being charged with drug possession compared to drug sales or other offenses.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were drawn from the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) II program which collected information from ten cities across the USA between April 1 and September 30, 2010. The sample was comprised of male arrestees between the ages of 18-65 who reported past drug use (n=2,193).

Findings

– Multinomial logistic regression results indicated the odds of being arrested for drug possession compared to other types of offenses increased by 12 percent for each additional symptom of drug dependence reported by arrestees (RRR=1.12, 95 percent CI=1.06-1.19). In contrast, drug dependence did not predict an increased probability of being charged with drug sales over other types of offenses or drug possession charges.

Practical implications

– This evidence suggests drug dependence was a preeminent factor in the likelihood arrestees were charged with drug possession. Criminal justice policies should prioritize dependence assessment and formulate individualized treatment plans to realize a significant reduction in the amount of possession cases processed through the system.

Originality/value

– There have been many empirically underdeveloped arguments calling for the decriminalization of drug possession, but none have considered the importance of drug dependence as a preeminent reason why offenders receive possession charges. This research provides a clear and concise illustration of why drug dependence needs to be acknowledged in policy-oriented discussions focused on the criminalization of drug possession.
Modeling detoxification treatment relationships: a longitudinal case study from Finland
Authors: Virta Anita , Tähtinen Jaana
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe an episodic detoxification treatment relationship as a complex dyadic interaction.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is inspired by a grounded theory approach. The first author worked in the field at a Finnish detoxification center in the autumn of 2007, 2008, and 2009. The resultant data have been analyzed thematically to form a process model.

Findings

– An empirically grounded process model consisting of four states; an initiation state, a fading state, a development state, and an ending state. Each state may include events enabling the process to progress and others that hinder it.

Originality/value

– By focussing on an under-studied view of relationships, as dyadic, mental and behavioral, and successful and failing, the model highlights the complexity of the treatment. Furthermore, the model can be used to allocate resources (time, work) to the process states in which they are most needed to aid the success of the relationship.
Analysis of natural convection in a square cavity with a thin partition for linearly heated side walls
Authors: Sathiyamoorthy M. , J. Chamkha Ali
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to optimize the heat transfer rate in square cavity by attaching fin at the bottom wall.

Design/methodology/approach

– The problem is formulated and solved using finite element method. Accuracy of the method is validated by comparisons with previously published work.

Findings

– It was found that attaching fin reduces heat transfer rate in the cavity.

Originality/value

– Although the problem is not very original it is important in that many applications have heating on adjacent walls.
Unsteady convective flow past an exponentially accelerated infinite vertical porous plate with Newtonian heating and viscous dissipation
Authors: Rajesh V. , J. Chamkha Ali
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to consider unsteady free convection flow of a dissipative fluid past an exponentially accelerated infinite vertical porous plate in the presence of Newtonian heating and mass diffusion.

Design/methodology/approach

– The problem is governed by coupled non-linear partial differential equations with appropriate boundary conditions. A Galerkin finite element numerical solution is developed to solve the resulting well-posed two-point boundary value problem. It is a powerful, stable technique which provides excellent convergence and versatility in accommodating coupled systems of ordinary and partial differential equations.

Findings

– It is found that the skin friction coefficient increases with increases in either of the Eckert number, thermal Grashof number, mass Grashof number or time whereas it decreases with increases in either of the suction parameter, Schmidt number or the acceleration parameter for both air and water. The skin friction coefficient is also found to decrease with increases in the values of the Prandtl number. In addition, it is found that the rate of heat transfer increases with an increase in the suction parameter and decreases with an increase in the Eckert number for both air and water. Lastly, it is found that the rate of heat transfer increases with increasing values of the Prandtl number and decreases with increasing time for all values of the Prandtl number.

Research limitations/implications

– The present study has considered only Newtonian fluids. Future studies will address non-Newtonian liquids.

Practical implications

– A very useful source of information for researchers on the subject of free convective flow over the surface when the rate of heat transfer from the surface is proportional to the local surface temperature.

Originality/value

– This paper is relatively original and illustrates the effects of viscous dissipation on free convective flow past an exponentially accelerated infinite vertical porous plate with Newtonian heating and mass diffusion.
New correlations for wavy plate-fin heat exchangers: different working fluids
Authors: Khoshvaght Aliabadi Morteza , Hormozi Faramarz , Hosseini Rad Elham
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The main purpose of this paper is the generation of the heat transfer and pressure drop correlations by considering three working fluids, namely air, water, and ethylene glycol, for the wavy plate-fin heat exchangers (PFHEs).

Design/methodology/approach

– In order to present the general correlations, various models with different geometrical parameters should be tested. Because of the problems, such as difficult, long time, and costly fabrication of the wavy fins in experimental tests, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations can be a useful method for the generation of the heat transfer and pressure drop correlations with eliminating the experimental problems. Hence, the effective design parameters of the wavy plate-fin, including fin pitch, fin height, wave length, fin thickness, wave amplitude, and fin length, and also their levels were recognized from the literature. The Taguchi method was applied to formulate the CFD simulation work.

Findings

– The simulation results were compared and validated with an available experimental data. The mean deviations of the Colburn factor,j, and Fanning friction factor,f, values between the simulation results and the experimental data were 3.74 and 9.07 percent, respectively. The presented air correlations and experimental data were in a good agreement, so that approximately 95 percent of the experimental data were correlated within ±12 percent. The j factor values varied for the different working fluids, while the f factor values did not sensibly change.

Practical implications

– The presented correlations can be used to estimate the thermal-hydraulic characteristics and to design of the compact PFHE with the wavy channels.

Originality/value

– This manuscript presents the new correlations for the compact PFHEs with the way channels by considering all the geometrical parameters and the working fluids with the different Prandtl numbers, 0.7, 7, and 150.
Flow over a heated block in a vertical channel
Authors: Zaman Shuja Shahzada , Yilbas Bekir
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The heat transfer rates from the body to the working fluid can be improved through altering geometric configurations of the body and its arrangement in the flow system. One of the arrangements for this purpose is to locate the body at the channel inlet while the convection current opposes it. Since the flow field in the channel inlet influences the heat transfer rates, changing the aspect ratio and inclination of the body is expected to modify the flow field while enhancing the heat transfer rates. Consequently, investigation into the influence of the aspect ratios and tilting angles of the body on the heat transfer rates in the channel flow becomes essential. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Numerical simulation of flow in a channel with the presence of solid block is carried out. The block aspect ratio is changed while keeping the area of the block constant for all aspect ratios. The tilting angle is also incorporated analysis to examine its effect on the Nusselt number.

Findings

– The throttling effect of the block at channel inlet accelerates the flow between the channel wall and the block faces. This, in turn modifies the thermal boundary layer around the block. In this case, heat transfer rates increase considerably at the block faces where the flow acceleration suppresses the thermal boundary layer thickness. This is more pronounced for large block tilting angles. The Nusselt number attains low values for the block face opposing to the flow at the channel inlet and the back face of the block. This is attributed to the mixing of the thermal current emanating from the side faces of the block in the region close to the back surface. In this case, thermal boundary layer thickens and the heat transfer rates from the block reduce significantly. The Nusselt number improves with reducing the block aspect ratio, which is particularly true along the side faces of the block. In addition, the influence of the block tilting angle on the Nusselt number is considerable for the low block aspect ratios.

Research limitations/implications

– The model study is validated with the previous studies for the drag coefficient. The study covers all the aspects of the flow situations and discusses the resulting fluid field and the heat transfer rates from the block.

Practical implications

– It is an interesting work for cooling applications. The block aspect ratio and its tilting angle in the channel influence considerably the flow field and the Nusselt number variation around the block faces.

Social implications

– The cooling technology may be improved through implementing the findings of the current work.

Originality/value

– It is an original work and it has never been submitted to other journals.
Depression affecting work performance: gender differentials across occupations
Authors: Arocena Pablo , Nuñez Imanol
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the incidence of depression affecting work (DAW) performance and estimates gender differences across occupations.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using Labor Force Survey data from the UK in 2007, the authors first decompose the differential on the aggregate incidence rate of DAW between men and women into two components: the gender effect and the occupational effect. Then, the authors identify the stressors of DAW by means of a logit regression analysis.

Findings

– The empirical results show that gender is not a significant explanatory variable of DAW. Further, when differences are analyzed for each gender separately, results show that the effect of occupations is stronger within females than within males.

Originality/value

– Most of previous studies focus on occupational causes of depression. By contrast, this paper investigates the effect of depression on work performance.
Non-response bias assessment in logistics survey research: use fewer tests?
Authors: A. Clottey Toyin , J. Grawe Scott
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to consider the concepts of individual and complete statistical power used for multiple testing and shows their relevance for determining the number of statistical tests to perform when assessing non-response bias.

Design/methodology/approach

– A statistical power analysis of 55 survey-based research papers published in three prestigious logistics journals (International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, Journal of Business Logistics, Transportation Journal) over the last decade was conducted.

Findings

– Results show that some of the low complete power levels encountered could have been avoided if fewer tests had been used in the assessment of non-response bias.

Originality/value

– The research offers important recommendations to scholars engaged in survey research as they assess the effects of non-respondents on research findings. By following the recommended strategies for testing non-response bias, researchers can improve the statistical power of their findings.
Accessibility as an integral factor in e-government web site evaluation
Authors: Kamoun Faouzi , Basel Almourad Mohamed
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which accessibility is taken into account in the assessment and ranking of e-government web sites through the lens of a specific study related to Dubai e-government.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper considers a case study related to Dubai e-government and it evaluates the accessibility of each of the 21 Dubai e-government web sites, based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 and using an automated accessibility testing tool. A bivariate correlation analysis is performed to assess the correlation between web site ranking and accessibility score.

Findings

– The research reveals that contrary to common intuition and some earlier studies, there is a weak correlation between e-government web site ranking score and web site accessibility.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper uses an accessibility metric that is a proxy indicator of web accessibility and is not a real assessment of accessibility as experienced by a person with disability.

Practical implications

– When re-examined through the lens of Rawls's moral theory, this research suggests that accessibility should be given a higher priority in the general evaluation and ranking of e-government web sites.

Social implications

– The paper promotes universal accessibility to e-government information and services.

Originality/value

– The paper uses ethical arguments to highlight the need to comprehensively consider accessibility as a major criterion in the assessment and ranking of e-government web sites.
Teekay Shipping Corporation case analysis
Authors: Poulakidas Angela
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The competitive pressures of the past several years and the ongoing financial meltdown has driven most tanker owners and operators to rethink their business strategy. In addition, new green technologies are providing opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of the shipping industry. Given the parameters of the situation, this paper analyzes the case of Teekay Shipping, one of the market leaders. In particular, this paper addresses Teekay's specific advantages and their sustainability under rapidly changing competitive conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper utilizes a series of analytical methods to provide an exploratory understanding of Teekay's strategic positions. Teekay's business model will be analyzed in the context of social, technological, economic, environmental and political trends and SWOT analysis is also explored.

Findings

– The gaps in Teekay's business model in relation to growth opportunities and inconsistencies in its strategic efforts are revealed along with recommendations and conclusions. This paper contributes to a greater understanding of the complex and changing factors that shape the shipping industry, and should therefore lead to more effective nautical management.

Originality/value

– With the use of the discussed strategic management tools in this paper, which have proven successful in other industries, it can be expected to enhance Teekay's management of its business, proving another success for the cross-fertilization of ideas.
Organisational and leadership competencies for successful service integration
Authors: Aitken Kim , von Treuer Kathryn
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe a two-part study that has explored the organisational and leadership competencies required for successful service integration within a health consortia in Australia. Preliminary organisational and leadership competency frameworks were developed to serve as reference points as the consortia it expanded to cater for increased service demand in the midst of significant health reform.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study design is outlined, which involved literature reviews and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders to ascertain the key determinants of successful service integration at both organisational and leadership levels.

Findings

– The literature reviews revealed little existing research specifically focused on the organisational and leadership competencies that underpin successful service integration. The themes from the literature reviews and semi-structured interviews informed the preliminary organisational and leadership competency frameworks. Both frameworks are outlined in the paper. Key determinants of successful service integration – at both an organisational and individual leadership level – are also presented.

Research limitations/implications

– This is a one-organisation case study and the competency frameworks presented are preliminary. However, the study findings provide a foundation for further research focusing on the longer-term success of service integration.

Originality/value

– Service integration in health is a new and emerging area, and there is little extant research exploring the organisational and leadership competencies underpinning its success. The competency frameworks presented in the paper may be of interest to other consortia and organisations engaged in service integration and other forms of merger and collaboration.
Wisdom and narcissism as predictors of transformational leadership
Authors: E. Greaves Claire , Zacher Hannes , McKenna Bernard , Rooney David
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Although leadership and organizational scholars have suggested that the virtue of wisdom may promote outstanding leadership behavior, this proposition has rarely been empirically tested. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between transformational leadership, narcissism, and five dimensions of wisdom as conceptualized by the well-established Berlin wisdom paradigm. General mental ability and emotional intelligence were considered relevant control variables.

Design/methodology/approach

– Interview, test, and questionnaire data were obtained from 77 employees of a high school and from two or three colleagues of each employee. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regression analyses.

Findings

– After controlling for general mental ability and emotional intelligence, narcissism and the wisdom dimension relativism of values and life priorities were negatively related to transformational leadership, and the wisdom dimension recognition and management of uncertainty was positively related to transformational leadership. The other three wisdom dimensions, rich factual knowledge about life, rich procedural knowledge about life, and lifespan contextualism, were not significantly related to transformational leadership.

Research limitations/implications

– Limitations to be addressed in future studies include the cross-sectional design and the relatively small and specialized sample.

Practical implications

– Tentative implications for leadership training and development are outlined.

Originality/value

– This multi-method and multi-source study represents the first empirical investigation that examines links between well-established wisdom and leadership constructs in the work context.
Multi‐taxa trait and functional responses to physical disturbance
Authors: Pedley Scott M. , Dolman Paul M.
Published: May 2014

Examining assemblage trait responses to environmental stressors extends our understanding beyond patterns of taxonomic diversity and composition, with results potentially transferable among bioregions. But the degree to which trait responses may be generalized across taxonomic groups remains incompletely understood.

We compared trait responses among carabids, spiders and plants to an experimentally manipulated gradient of physical disturbance, replicated in open habitats within a forested landscape. Recolonization of recently disturbed habitats is expected to favour species with traits that promote greater dispersal ability, independent of taxa. We specifically predicted that physical disturbance would increase the representation of carabids with smaller body size, wings or wing dimorphism, spiders able to disperse aerially, and plants with therophyte life‐history and wind‐dispersed seed.

We sampled 197 arthropod species (14 738 individuals) and 164 species of plant. The strength of association between each trait and the disturbance intensity was quantified by correlating matrices of species by traits, species abundance by sites and sites by environment, with significance assessed by comparison with a null model.

Responses of biological traits varied among taxa but could be consistently interpreted in terms of dispersal ability. Trait shifts for carabid and plant assemblages were as predicted and correspond to those observed in other disturbance regimes. Assemblages after disturbance comprised smaller and winged carabids, and smaller plants with wind‐dispersed seed, consistent with selection for species with better dispersal ability. In contrast, aerial dispersal did not appear important in spider recolonization, instead terrestrial dispersal ability was suggested by the increased abundance of larger‐bodied and cursorial species. However, larger spider body size was also associated with an active‐hunting strategy, also favoured in the post‐disturbance environment.

Trait–function linkage differed among taxa and was sometimes diffuse, with covariance among biological traits and the mapping of individual traits to multiple ecological functions. In particular, body size responses reflected correlations with life history, susceptibility to perturbation and dispersal ability that were inconsistent between the two arthropod groups. Selection of traits for assessment should therefore be taxa specific. Generalizations of trait responses across taxa should only be conducted where functional or ecological significance of assembly‐level changes can be understood.
Look to Sweden: The Making of a New Renewable Energy Support Scheme in Norway
Authors: Gullberg Anne Therese , Bang Guri
Published: May 2014

Two renewable energy support schemes have spread across Europe: green certificate schemes (GCSs) and feed‐in tariffs (FITs). After a decade‐long policy‐making process, Norwegian decision makers decided in 2011 to adopt a GCS compatible with the already existing one in Sweden and thereby establish a joint Norwegian‐Swedish GCS. The article explores this process of policy transfer, and asks to what extent competition and policy learning contributed to Norway's choice of a GCS. It finds that competition was a barrier to a joint Norwegian‐Swedish GCS rather than (as predicted by some scholars) a driver of policy transfer. In terms of policy learning, it finds that Norwegian bureaucrats systematically were searching for information about renewable energy policy instruments in a process characterised by rational learning. However, this information was not taken into account by elected policy makers, whose learning was unsystematic and almost exclusively influenced by Sweden – making it a process of bounded learning. Finally, domestic factors that facilitated and constrained the policy transfer process are identified in the article. A reluctant bureaucracy defending the status quo policies constrained the policy transfer process. GCS as a market‐based instrument independent of yearly allocations over the annual national budgets facilitated the process by securing strong support in a broad coalition of stakeholder groups and thereby cross‐partisan support. The latter finding may contribute to the literature by underscoring the importance of domestic political factors.
Supervisory practices and training transfer: lessons from Malaysia
Authors: Ng Kueh Hua
Published: May 2014

Extant training transfer literature has paid little attention to supervisory practices, especially in the context of developing countries. This study investigates the influence of supervisory practices on training transfer via motivation to learn in the Malaysian public sector context. This study is one of the first to explore the impact of supervisor assignment decisions on training transfer through the mediating effect of motivation to learn. Quantitative data was collected from 306 employees working in a large government agency. The findings have demonstrated that supervisor support, communication, and assignment decisions are valid predictors of motivation to learn, leading to training transfer. Such findings have important implications for theory development by elucidating factors within supervisory practices which are critical for motivation to learn and training transfer. Implications for human resource management include the need for practitioners to expand supervisors' role and competency in promoting motivation to learn and training transfer.
Politicising Praise: Panegyric and the Accession of Queen Anne
Authors: HONE JOSEPH
Published: May 2014

This essay argues for the importance of panegyric verse as a propagandist force in the early eighteenth century. Anne Stuart's accession in 1702 marked a major shift in the political landscape. Poets responded to the occasion by composing high‐flown panegyric celebrating the accession of a Stuart queen. Exploring the representational strategies employed by these poets, I argue that their panegyric was more than a straightforward vessel for royal praise. Rather, it was intended to shape the ways in which contemporaries understood the political import of the succession. Poets achieved this by manipulating Anne's image in politically advantageous ways.