bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stochastic phase segregation on surfaces
Authors: Gera Prerna , Salac David
Published: August 2017

Phase separation and coarsening is a phenomenon commonly seen in binary physical and chemical systems that occur in nature. Often, thermal fluctuations, modelled as stochastic noise, are present in the system and the phase segregation process occurs on a surface. In this work, the segregation process is modelled via the Cahn–Hilliard–Cook model, which is a fourth-order parabolic stochastic system. Coarsening is analysed on two sample surfaces: a unit sphere and a dumbbell. On both surfaces, a statistical analysis of the growth rate is performed, and the influence of noise level and mobility is also investigated. For the spherical interface, it is also shown that a lognormal distribution fits the growth rate well.
A generalized solution procedure for in-plane free vibration of rectangular plates and annular sectorial plates
Authors: Bao Siyuan , Wang Shuodao
Published: August 2017

A generalized solution procedure is developed for in-plane free vibration of rectangular and annular sectorial plates with general boundary conditions. For the annular sectorial plate, the introduction of a logarithmic radial variable simplifies the basic theory and the expression of the total energy. The coordinates, geometric parameters and potential energy for the two different shapes are organized in a unified framework such that a generalized solving procedure becomes feasible. By using the improved Fourier–Ritz approach, the admissible functions are formulated in trigonometric form, which allows the explicit assembly of global mass and stiffness matrices for both rectangular and annular sectorial plates, thereby making the method computationally effective, especially when analysing annular sectorial plates. Moreover, the improved Fourier expansion eliminates the potential discontinuity of the original normal and tangential displacement functions and their derivatives in the entire domain, and accelerates the convergence. The generalized Fourier–Ritz approach for both shapes has the characteristics of generality, accuracy and efficiency. These features are demonstrated via a few numerical examples.
Rebound mechanics of micrometre-scale, spherical particles in high-velocity impacts
Authors: Yildirim Baran , Yang Hankang , Gouldstone Andrew , Müftü Sinan
Published: August 2017

The impact mechanics of micrometre-scale metal particles with flat metal surfaces is investigated for high-velocity impacts ranging from 50 m s
−1
to more than 1 km s
−1
, where impact causes predominantly plastic deformation. A material model that includes high strain rate and temperature effects on the yield stress, heat generation due to plasticity, material damage due to excessive plastic strain and heat transfer is used in the numerical analysis. The coefficient of restitution
e
is predicted by the classical work using elastic–plastic deformation analysis with quasi-static impact mechanics to be proportional to

V

i

−
1

/

4

and

V

i

−
1

/

2

for the low and moderate impact velocities that span the ranges of 0–10 and 10–100 m s
−1
, respectively. In the
elastic–plastic
and
fully plastic deformation
regimes the particle rebound is attributed to the elastic spring-back that initiates at the particle–substrate interface. At higher impact velocities (0.1–1 km s
−1
)
e
is shown to be proportional to approximately

V

i

−
1

. In this
deeply plastic deformation
regime various deformation modes that depend on plastic flow of the material including the time lag between the rebound instances of the top and bottom points of particle and the lateral spreading of the particle are identified. In this deformation regime, the elastic spring-back initiates subsurface, in the substrate.
Elastic deformation of twinned microstructures
Authors: Pfeiffer Steffen , Wagner Martin Franz-Xaver
Published: August 2017

Many crystalline materials exhibit twinned microstructures, where well-defined orientation relationships define the special symmetry between different, elastically anisotropic twin variants. When such twins are subjected to external loading, additional internal stresses necessarily occur at the twin boundaries in order to maintain compatibility. These compatibility stresses are constant inside each variant in repeating stacks of twins and considerably affect the local stress state. In this paper, we use anisotropic linear elasticity to derive general analytical solutions for compatibility stresses in a stack of twin variants in arbitrary materials, for arbitrary variant volume fractions and twin types, subjected to arbitrary applied stresses. By considering two examples, growth twins in electrodeposited Cu and B19′ martensite twins in the shape memory alloy NiTi, we further demonstrate that compatibility stresses can considerably alter the preferred slip systems for dislocation plasticity as well as the effective macroscopic behaviour of twinned microstructures.
Origin of the onset of meandering of a straight river
Authors: Dey Subhasish , Ali Sk Zeeshan
Published: August 2017

In this paper, to explore the origin of the onset of meandering of a straight river, we, first, analyse the linear stability of a straight river. We discover that the natural perturbation modes of a straight river maintain an equilibrium state by confining themselves to an onset wavenumber band that is dependent on the flow regimes, aspect ratio, relative roughness number and Shields number. Then, we put forward a phenomenological description of the onset of meandering of a straight river. Its mechanism is governed by turbulent flow, with counter-rotation of neighbouring large-scale or macro-turbulent eddies in succession to generate the processes of alternating erosion and deposition of sediment grains of the riverbed. This concept is explained by a theorem (universal scaling law) stemming from the phenomenology of a turbulent energy cascade to provide a quantitative insight into the criterion for the onset of meandering of a straight river. It is revealed from this universal scaling law that, at the onset of meandering of a river, the longitudinal riverbed slope is a unique function of the river width, flow discharge and sediment grain size. This unique functional relationship is corroborated by the data obtained from the measurements in natural and model rivers.
On the bioconversion of dietary carotenoids to astaxanthin and its distribution in the marine copepod,Tigriopus californicus
Authors: Weaver Ryan J. , Cobine Paul A. , Hill Geoffrey E.
Published: August 2017

Red carotenoid-based coloration is widely distributed across marine and terrestrial animals and has taken a prominent role in studies of how phenotypic traits evolve in response to natural and sexual selection. Key to these studies is an understanding of the physiological mechanisms that give rise to red coloration, yet an ideal model system for such work has not been identified. The red marine copepodTigriopus californicusis used as a model system for studies in ecotoxicology, genetics, and physiology, but the mechanisms involved in its bright red coloration have not been well studied. Like nearly all animals that display red carotenoid coloration,T. californicuslikely convert yellow carotenoids present in their algal diet to red carotenoids. We conducted precursor/product feeding experiments to demonstrate thatT. californicusbioconverts dietary carotenoids to the red carotenoid, astaxanthin. In separate treatment groups, copepods were fed carotenoids that are precursors to specific astaxanthin bioconversion pathways. We found that copepods from each precursor pigment group produced astaxanthin, and that the amount produced depended on which carotenoid was supplemented. We also describe the distribution of astaxanthin in developing egg sacs and show that the red color of the naupliar eyespot is not due to astaxanthin. We briefly discuss the potential ofTigriopus californicusto serve as a model system for the study of carotenoid metabolism in animals.
Accuracy, limitations and cost-efficiency of eDNA-based community survey in tropical frogs
Authors: Bálint Miklós , Nowak Carsten , Márton Orsolya , Pauls Steffen U. , Wittwer Claudia , Jose Luis Aramayo B. , Schulze Arne , Chambert Thierry , Cocchiararo Berardino , Jansen Martin
Published: August 2017

Rapid environmental change in highly biodiverse tropical regions demands efficient biomonitoring programs. While existing metrics of species diversity and community composition rely on encounter-based survey data, eDNA recently emerged as alternative approach. Costs and ecological value of eDNA-based methods have rarely been evaluated in tropical regions, where high species richness is accompanied by high functional diversity (e.g. the use of different microhabitats by different species and life-stages). We first tested whether estimation of tropical frogs’ community structure derived from eDNA data is compatible with expert field assessments. Next we evaluated whether eDNA is a financially viable solution for biodiversity monitoring in tropical regions. We applied eDNA metabarcoding to investigate frog species occurrence in five ponds in the Chiquitano dry forest region in Bolivia and compared our data with a simultaneous visual and audio encounter survey (VAES). We found that taxon lists and community structure generated with eDNA and VAES correspond closely, and most deviations are attributable to different species’ life histories. Cost efficiency of eDNA surveys was mostly influenced by the richness of local fauna and the number of surveyed sites: VAES may be less costly in low-diversity regions, but eDNA quickly becomes more cost-efficient in high-diversity regions with many sites sampled. The results highlight that eDNA is suitable for large-scale biodiversity surveys in high-diversity areas if life history is considered, and certain precautions in sampling, genetic analyses and data interpretation are taken. We anticipate that spatially extensive, standardized eDNA biodiversity surveys will quickly emerge in the future.
Stochastic processes dominate the within and between host evolution of influenza virus
Authors: McCrone John T. , Woods Robert J. , Martin Emily T. , Malosh Ryan E. , Monto Arnold S. , Lauring Adam S.
Published: August 2017

The global evolutionary dynamics of influenza virus ultimately derive from processes that take place within and between infected individuals. Here we define the dynamics of influenza A virus populations in human hosts through next generation sequencing of 249 specimens from 200 individuals collected over 6290 person-seasons of observation. Because these viruses were collected over 5 seasons from individuals in a prospective community-based cohort, they are broadly representative of natural human infections with seasonal viruses. We used viral sequence data from 35 serially sampled individuals to estimate a within host effective population size of 30-70 and an in vivo mutation rate of 4x10−5per nucleotide per cellular infectious cycle. These estimates are consistent across several models and robust to the models' underlying assumptions. We also identified 43 epidemiologically linked and genetically validated transmission pairs. Maximum likelihood optimization of multiple transmission models estimates an effective transmission bottleneck of 1-2 distinct genomes. Our data suggest that positive selection of novel viral variants is inefficient at the level of the individual host and that genetic drift and other stochastic processes dominate the within and between host evolution of influenza A viruses.
PANOPLY:Omics-guided drug prioritization method tailored to an individual patient
Authors: Kalari Krishna R. , Sinnwell Jason P. , Thompson Kevin J. , Tang Xiaojia , Carlson Erin E. , Yu Jia , Vedell Peter T. , Ingle James N. , Weinshilboum Richard M. , Boughey Judy C. , Wang Liewei , Goetz Matthew P. , Suman Vera
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The majority of cancer patients receive treatments that are minimally informed by omics data. We propose a precision medicine computational framework (PANOPLY:Precision cancer genomic report: single sample inventory) to identify and prioritize drug targets and cancer therapy regimens.

Methods

The PANOPLY approach integrates clinical data with germline and somatic features obtained from multi-omics platforms, and apply machine learning, and network analysis approaches in the context of the individual patient and matched controls. The PANOPLY workflow employs four steps (i) selection of matched controls to the case of interest (ii) identification of case-specific genomic events (iii) identification of suitable drugs using the driver-gene network and random forest analyses and (iv) provide an integrated multi-omics case report of the patient with prioritization of anti-cancer drugs.

Results

The PANOPLY workflow can be executed on a stand-alone virtual machine and is also available for download as an R package. We applied the method to an institutional breast cancer neoadjuvant chemotherapy study which collected clinical and genomic data as well as patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) to investigate the prioritization offered by PANOPLY. In a chemotherapy-resistant PDX model, we found that that the prioritized drug, olaparib, was more effective than placebo in treating the tumor (P < 0.05). We also applied PANOPLY to in-house and publicly accessible multi-omics tumor datasets with therapeutic response or survival data available.

Conclusion

PANOPLY shows promise as a means to prioritize drugs based on clinical and multi-omics data for an individual cancer patient. Additional studies are needed to confirm this approach.
Metagenomic Insights into The Diversity and Functions of Microbial Assemblages in Tasik Kenyir Ecosystem
Authors: Noor Mohd Ezhar Mohd , Fadaak Sharifah Noor Emilia Syed Jamil , Isa Mohd Noor Mat , Bakar Mohd Faizal Abu , Abdullah Muhd Danish-Daniel
Published: August 2017

Tropical freshwater lake such as Tasik Kenyir are underrepresented among the growing number of environmental metagenomic data sets. In Tasik Kenyir, water from two different sites, pristine and disturbed areas were sampled. After the filtration process, genomic DNA from both sites were extracted using Meta-G-nome DNA isolation kit and shotgun metagenomic sequencing was carried out on Illumina HiSeq2500 Desktop Sequencer (Illumina, Inc.). Raw data were then trimmed and assembled using Metagenomic Assembler program, MetaVelvet. Data analysis was carried out using software Blast2GO (BioBam Bioinformatic S.L). The total number of sequence reads was 189,158 from TKS1.5m (disturbed area) and 246,577 from TKS2.5m (pristine area).The results indicate that sequence reads of microbial species were presence at disturbed area near the aquaculture zone was lower than the sequence reads of microbial species were presence at pristine area. When compared to archaea, both samples were dominated by bacteria (more than 90%) suggesting that bacteria are absolutely dominant in the prokaryotic communities in the freshwater samples. The lake appears to contain a mixture of autotrophs and heterotrophs capable of performing main biogeochemical cycles like nitrogen fixation byKlebsiellasp for TKS1.5m andPontibactersp. for TKS2.5m. and carbon fixation by heterotrophicAlcaligenessp. andShewanella decolorationiin TKS1.5m, and byPantoeasp. in TKS2.5m. Present study will advance our understanding of the importance of freshwater microbial communities for ecosystem and human health.
Metabolomic profiling reveals effects of marein on energy metabolism in HepG2 cells
Authors: Jiang Baoping , Le Liang , Hu Keping , Xu Lijia , Xiao Peigen
Published: August 2017

Previous studies have suggested thatCoreopsis tinctoriaimproves insulin resistance in rats fed with high-fat diet. But little is known about the antidiabetic effects of marein which is the main component ofC. tinctoria. This study investigated the effects of ethyl acetate extract ofC. tinctoria(AC) on insulin resistance (IR) in rats fed a high-fat diet. High glucose and fat conditions cause a significant increase in blood glucose, insulin, serum TC,TG and LDL-C, leading to an abnormal IR in rats. However, treatment with AC protects against HFD-induced IR by improving fasting serum glucose and lipid homeostasis. High glucose conditions cause a significant decrease in glycogen synthesis and increases PEPCK and G6Pase protein levels and Krebs-cycle-related enzymes levels, leading to an abnormal metabolic state in HepG2 Cells. However, treatment with Marein improves IR by increasing glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis and by downregulating PEPCK and G6Pase protein levels. The statistical analysis of HPLC/MS data demonstrates that Marein restores the normal metabolic state. The results show that AC ameliorates IR in rats and Marein has the potential effect in improving IR by ameliorating glucose metabolic disorders.

Abbreviations

AC

ethyl acetate extract ofCoreopsis tinctoria

TCA

Tricarboxylic acid

HepG2

hepatocellular carcinoma cell line

2-NBDG

2-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1, 3-diazol-4-yl) amino)-2-deoxyglucose

G6Pase

glucose-6-phosphatase

PEPCK

phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

IR

insulin resistance

HFD

high-fat diet

SDHA

succinate dehydrogenase flavoprotein subunit

ACO2

aconitase 2

IDH2

isocitrate dehydrogenase 2

CS

citrate synthase

FH

fumarate hydratase

MDH2

malate dehydrogenase

DLST

dihydrolipoamide S-succinyltransferase
Molecular determinants and bottlenecks in the unbinding dynamics of biotin-streptavidin
Authors: Tiwary Pratyush
Published: August 2017

Biotin-streptavidin is a very popular system used to gain insight into protein-ligand interactions. In its tetrameric form, it is well-known for its extremely long residence times, being one of the strongest known non-covalent interactions in nature, and is heavily used across the biotechnological industry. In this work we gain understanding into the molecular determinants and bottlenecks in the unbinding of the dimeric biotinstreptavidin system in its wild type and with N23A mutation. Using new enhanced sampling methods with full atomistic resolution, we reproduce the variation caused by N23A mutation in experimentally reported residence time. We also answer a longstanding question regarding cause/effect in the coupled events of bond stretching and bond hydration during unbinding and establish that in this system, it is the bond stretching and not hydration which forms the bottleneck in the early parts of the unbinding. We believe these calculations represent a step forward in the use of atomistic simulations to study pharmacodynamics. An improved understanding of biotin-streptavidin unbinding dynamics should also have direct benefits in biotechnological and nanobiotechnological applications.
Breaking the Deadlock of Molecular Chaperones
Authors: Luengo Tania Morán , Kityk Roman , Mayer Matthias P. , Rüdiger Stefan G. D.
Published: August 2017

Protein folding in the cell requires ATP-driven chaperone machines. It is poorly understood, however, how these machines fold proteins. Here we propose that the conserved Hsp70 and Hsp90 chaperones support formation of the folding nucleus by providing a gradient of decreasing hydrophobicity. Early on the folding pathway Hsp70 uses its highly hydrophobic binding pocket to recover a stalled, unproductive folding intermediate. The aggressive nature of Hsp70 action, however, blocks productive folding by grabbing hydrophobic, core-forming segments. This precludes on-pathway nucleation at high, physiological Hsp70 levels. Transfer to the less hydrophobic Hsp90 enables the intermediate to resume forming its folding nucleus. Subsequently, the protein enters a spontaneous folding trajectory towards its native state, independent of the ATPase activities of both Hsp70 and Hsp90. Our findings provide a general mechanistic concept for chaperoned protein folding.
From foodwebs to gene regulatory networks (GRNs) - weak repressions by microRNAs confer system stability
Authors: Chen Yuxin , Shen Yang , Allesina Stefano , Wu Chung-I
Published: August 2017

More than 30% of mRNAs are repressed by microRNAs (miRNAs) but most repressions are too weak to have a phenotypic consequence. The diffuse actions have been a central conundrum in understanding the functions of miRNAs. By applying the May-Wigner theory used in foodweb studies, we show that i) weak repressions cumulatively enhance the stability of gene regulatory network (GRN), and ii) broad and weak repressions confer greater stability than a few strong ones. Transcriptome data show that yeast cells, which do not have miRNAs, use strong and non-specific mRNA degradation to stabilize their GRN; in contrast, human cells use miRNAs to increase degradation more modestly and selectively. Simulations indicate that miRNA repressions should be distributed broadly to >25% of mRNAs, in agreement with observations. As predicted, extremely highly expressed genes are avoided and transcription factors are preferred by miRNAs. In conclusion, the diffuse repression by miRNAs is likely a system-level strategy for enhancing GRN stability. This stability control may be the mechanistic basis of “canalization” (i.e., developmental homeostasis within each species), sometimes hypothesized to be a main function of miRNAs.
Searching for Correlated Conformational Dynamics: Analysis of the NMR Relaxation Dispersions with Akaike's Information Theory and Hierarchical Clustering
Authors: Kovrigin Evgenii L.
Published: August 2017

In this manuscript, I am proposing an approach for identification of correlated exchange in proteins via analysis of the NMR relaxation dispersion data. For a set of spins experiencing exchange, every relaxation dispersion datasets is fit individually and then—globally while paired with every other dataset. The corrected Akaike’ s Information Criteria (AICc) for individual and global fits are used to evaluate the likelihood of two spins to report on the same dynamic event. Application of hierarchical cluster analysis reveals correlated spin groups using the difference in AICcs as a measure of similarity within the pairs. This approach to detection of correlated dynamics is independent of accuracy of best-fit parameters rendering it less sensitive to experimental noise. High throughput and the absence of the operator bias might make it applicable to a relatively lower quality NMR relaxation dispersion data from large and poorly soluble systems.
Analyzing the agile manufacturing barriers using fuzzy DEMATEL
Authors: Potdar Pavan Kumar , Routroy Srikanta , Behera Astajyoti
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the agile manufacturing barriers (AMBs) for establishing a cause and effect relationship among them.

Design/methodology/approach

A methodology is proposed using fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) to capture multiple experts’ qualitative judgments for mitigating the impact of the AMBs. In order to validate the proposed methodology, it is applied to an Indian automobile manufacturing company.

Findings

Out of 36 AMBs identified through literature review, 20 AMBs are found to be relevant to the case company. Five AMBs (i.e. lack of resource reconfiguration, inefficient conflicting management styles, imperfect market knowledge, inadequate information handling and improper strategic plan) were identified as significant cause group where the case company has to put efforts and resources. Also the impact relationship matrix for each AMB has been developed to visualize its interactions (i.e. influencing and influenced) among other AMBs.

Research limitations/implications

The results obtained are specific to the Indian automobile manufacturing company and it cannot be generalized for every manufacturing company or any other sector. However, the proposed approach can be a basis and provide a platform to understand and analyze the interactions between AMBs.

Practical implications

The proposed methodology will show the appropriate areas for allocating efforts and resources to mitigate the impact of AMBs for successful implementation of agile manufacturing.

Originality/value

According to the authors’ knowledge, no work is reported in the literature that proposes a framework using fuzzy DEMATEL for the analysis of AMBs in Indian automobile manufacturing company.
Supplier selection for a sustainable supply chain
Authors: Faisal Mohd. Nishat , Al-Esmael Bader , Sharif Khurram Jahangir
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to integrate the “triple bottom line (3BL)” approach in the supplier selection decision. It also aims to consider the feedback effect of the decision on strategic factors that determine the future viability of the firm in the market.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi-criteria decision model is developed that considers simultaneously the impact of three dimensions of 3BL approach and their sub-dimensions on the supplier selection decision. The proposed model is evaluated for a large white goods manufacturer using the analytic network process (ANP) approach.

Findings

The ANP considers the impact of variables, sub-variables, and their interdependencies simultaneously. The outcome of the model is the relative priorities for the firms considered as potential suppliers.

Practical implications

This research was conducted in one of the largest developing economies. The impact of integrating sustainability would be widespread due to the huge market in which the company operates. The results of this research can provide support to the decision makers in arriving at an optimal decision considering all sustainability dimensions.

Originality/value

The novelty of the approach lies in the application of multi-criteria model integrating sustainability dimensions with a feedback effect for supplier selection. The case company would benefit by showing its commitment toward environment and social responsibility leading to improved brand image and sustainable business.
High-performance benchmarking of manufacturing processes with object-based modeling
Authors: Zhou Xing , Kohl Holger
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to guide companies in conducting benchmarking studies of their manufacturing processes by viewing across industries, locations and products. In particular, the proposed framework can help corporate decision makers in terms of production footprint and site location studies. The level of benchmarking performance can be measured by evaluating defined benchmarking evaluation profiles.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper develops a tool to operationalize value-added manufacturing processes for benchmarking evaluations. In this context, an object-oriented database structure has been developed for the business areas such as product development, manufacturing and assembly. This paper focuses on manufacturing processes. Furthermore, a framework for applying high-performance benchmarking has been developed and applied in a case study.

Findings

This paper shows that object class-oriented modeling approach can be applied to manufacturing processes. The higher the degree of independence in terms of locations, industry sectors and products, the more powerful thus a higher performance of benchmarking is achieved. The performance level of benchmarking has been defined by proving and demonstrating higher and lower performance levels. The high-performance benchmarking tool has been successfully applied to a production footprint case study.

Originality/value

This paper takes up the superiority of process benchmarking that has been the focus of numerous research papers on benchmarking techniques in the past. The potential of process benchmarking has been enhanced and operationalized as a tool. A classification logic for benchmarking evaluation profiles has been developed and integrated in the overall tool set. The model helps decision makers to configure their benchmarking studies tailored to their strategic entrepreneurial questions and to guide them to achieve a higher benchmarking performance level.
Modeling the CSR barriers in manufacturing industries
Authors: Goyal Praveen , Kumar Divesh
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and rank the various barriers of the CSR implementation in Indian manufacturing companies. Further, this paper also studies interaction of different barriers.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was carried out using an interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach to analyze the interaction among different barriers for corporate social responsibility (CSR) implementation in manufacturing companies in the Indian context.

Findings

In the present study, ten CSR implementation barriers were identified through an extensive literature review followed by the expert’s opinion. The present study outlines that lack of money and consumer’s passive attitude towards CSR are the major barriers in CSR implementation in Indian manufacturing companies. On the other hand, top management commitment, lack of knowledge about CSR and lack of skills for CSR implementation are barriers which occur due to the investment required in term of time and consumer’s passive attitude.

Originality/value

The present study is helpful to both academicians and practitioners by providing a model of CSR barriers. This study is important in the context of India which is a developing economy and this development is exerting pressure on the corporations to adopt CSR in their practices. This ISM-based model of barriers of CSR implementation in the manufacturing sector will help practitioners and managers to have enhanced knowledge about these barriers and to concentrate on important barriers to implement CSR activities in their organizations in an efficient manner.
Simultaneous evaluation of efficiency, input effectiveness, and output effectiveness
Authors: Shabani Amir , Faramarzi Gholam Reza , Farzipoor Saen Reza , Khodakarami Mohsen
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique that simultaneously measures efficiency and effectiveness to provide a comprehensive appraisal of the productivity. Additionally, an algorithm is recommended to determine targets that are used for measuring effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, for measuring productivity, a new methodology based on non-parametric mathematical DEA technique was presented. The proposed procedure is able to compute the efficiency input effectiveness, and output effectiveness, simultaneously.

Findings

By comparing with previous models, the authors’ proposed integrated model generates more detailed results and has more discriminating power.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors knowledge, there is not any study in which a non-parametric mathematical approach measures productivity through simultaneous combining of the effectiveness, including input effectiveness, and output effectiveness, and the efficiency.
Exploring adolescent-parent interaction strategies for accessing alcohol at home
Authors: Dresler Emma , Whitehead Dean , Weaver Kelly
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which youth have ready access to alcohol and the extent to which immediate family influence affects consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative descriptive exploratory study undertook semi-structured peer-group interviews with 20 participants from four New Zealand high schools. The interviews centred on exploring the “general” experiences of youth related to alcohol access – but with a focus on alcohol access “at home” and the parental role.

Findings

The study confirmed that the home unit was the main source of alcohol for most youth and parents were the most common source of provision. Parents provided financial access to alcohol by giving their child money to purchase it themselves through older family members or friends. It was also found that youth used negotiation strategies with their parents to influence their consumer purchases of alcohol.

Research limitations/implications

Youth frequently used strategies such as pressure tactics, exchange tactics, ingratiating tactics and consultation tactics to influence their family’s decision-making process and to pressure their parents into supplying them with alcohol.

Practical implications

It is important to recognise the role that family play as “gatekeepers” for readily allowing access and supplying youth with alcohol – and the reasons for doing so.

Social implications

Alcohol plays an important part in many societies. It is important to understand how young people consume and access alcohol – particularly when the family plays a major role in access and consumption.

Originality/value

Many studies have been conducted in relation to youth and alcohol consumption. Very few, as far as we can tell, explore the role of the family from the young consumers’ perspective and especially from a qualitative narrative perspective.
Corporate governance and dividend pay-out policy in UK listed SMEs
Authors: Elmagrhi Mohamed H. , Ntim Collins G. , Crossley Richard M. , Malagila John K. , Fosu Samuel , Vu Tien V.
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which corporate board characteristics influence the level of dividend pay-out ratio using a sample of UK small- and medium-sized enterprises from 2010 to 2013 listed on the Alternative Investment Market.

Design/methodology/approach

The data are analysed by employing multivariate regression techniques, including estimating fixed effects, lagged effects and two-stage least squares regressions.

Findings

The results show that board size, the frequency of board meetings, board gender diversity and audit committee size have a significant relationship with the level of dividend pay-out. Audit committee size and board size have a positive association with the level of dividend pay-out, whilst the frequency of board meetings and board gender diversity have a significant negative relationship with the level of dividend pay-out. By contrast, the findings suggest that board independence and CEO role duality do not have any significant effect on the level of dividend pay-out.

Originality/value

This is one of the first attempts at examining the relationship between corporate governance and dividend policy in the UK’s Alternative Investment Market, with the analysis distinctively informed by agency theoretical insights drawn from the outcome and substitution hypotheses.
Financial and other frauds in the United States: a panel analysis approach
Authors: Bai Shuming , Koong Kai S.
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on the findings and implications associated with the millions of financial and other fraud complaints that are reported to the Federal Trade Commission and published in the Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book each year since 2002. Based on the three dimensions, namely, the number of complaints, growth rates and geographic locations of those crimes, this study found similar as well as unique trends that are new and are critical for addressing the rise of cybercrimes in the USA. The trends and patterns identified may also have implications for addressing cybercrimes in other parts of the world.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is a cross-sectional time-series study that covers frauds and cybercrimes in the USA from 2002 to 2015. The observed cases included the number of total complaints, complaints categories and payment amount or loss incurred both at the national and state levels. First, aggregate fraud totals, categories, payments and payment methods were analyzed and ranked. Second, state data for fraud categories, payments and filing rate per capita were organized into panel data for analysis, comparison and ranking. This cross-sectional and longitudinal approach of the different dimensions of financial and other frauds generate new rankings and more robust results.

Findings

The key findings are related to the long-term occurrences and trends of financial and online frauds in the USA. While some general trends are consistent with prior studies, the cross-sectional and longitudinal panel analysis produced some unique results. States that reported the most complaints do not necessarily rank high when examined with their growth per capital or their rates of growth. Their rankings could change dramatically due to other factors. In addition, eight of the top ten crime categories are the same both at the national and state levels, indicating that law enforcement could target the same crime categories.

Originality/value

The panel data analysis is new (first attempt at using this technique on the data set) and robust because it allows cross-sectional and longitudinally analysis of the various financial and online fraud crimes, in aggregate and by state, for a more comprehensive and comparative examination of the fraud behavioral trends. This research can be viewed as an improvement over earlier studies because the panel analysis identifies what fraud trends, scam types and payment amount exist on the national and state levels. The rate of fraud growth in the respective states provides a better understanding about future development of this problem.
Trust, religiosity, and relationship marketing: a conceptual overview of consumer brand loyalty
Authors: Al Abdulrazak Rula M. , Gbadamosi Ayantunji
Published: August 2017

Purpose

Over the years, a considerable depth of research has established the link between trust, commitment and relationship marketing and its relevance to consumers’ brand preferences. Nonetheless, there is a dearth of research on how they are linked to religiosity. Accordingly, this paper aims to address the palpable gap.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is conceptual and draws from the eclectic review of the extant literature that revolves around the key themes associated with the topic.

Findings

The paper emphasises the significance of trust and religiosity in consumers’ commitment to specific market offerings and brands which invariably strengthen relationship marketing. A model entitled Brand-faith Relationship model (BFR) is proposed to understand brand positioning in the marketplace in relation to faith. With this model, a four-category typology of brand position scenarios is suggested in this paper. Passive brand-faith relationship, faith trust established in the absence of brands, brand loyalty without any faith associations and brand loyalty, with positive brand-faith relationship.

Practical implications

This paper has significant implications for brand management in relation to segmentation, targeting and the positioning of brands in the marketplace. It also raises marketers’ consciousness on the potency of trust embedded in consumers’ faith/religiosity in their brand preferences.

Originality/value

This paper explores the concepts of trust and consumers’ brand choices within the relationship marketing literaturevis-à-visthe role of religion, which is rarely examined.
Heroic narratives of intentional non-compliance with PRME
Authors: Hillon Yue Cai
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The governing bodies responsible for drafting and promoting the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) apparently envisioned a completely voluntary initiative without concern for accountability. Public concern and commentary led to the addition of a reporting requirement in 2010. Two years later, program administrators began to update statuses. As of January 2016, PRME listed 636 signatories on their website. Because the reporting requirement took effect, approximately 86 schools have broken their commitment to comply with the PRME standards. Some schools were de-listed for inaction, whereas others actively left the program. This study aims to understand those who intentionally chose not to comply with PRME.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilized a heroic quest typology to analyze and understand the behavior of institutions that intentionally chose not to comply with PRME. Narrative analysis of these concluded quests included strategic plans, research summaries, course syllabi and descriptions, press releases, PRME Sharing Information on Progress reports, UNGC letters of commitment, Communication on Progress reports, and internal informants.

Findings

Out of the 15 entities, 4 exhibited dual or quasi-heroic quests. Their experiences offered two viable and practical alternatives for institutions seeking to transcend the business ethics industry limitations of the PRME initiative.

Research limitations/implications

The narrative analysis of this study encompassed a sufficiently large amount of data for confidence in the typological characterization of each institution’s heroic quest. Additional insights from informants would no doubt strengthen the analysis.

Practical implications

The existence of the business ethics industry casts doubt on the ability of business schools and their accreditors to offer substantive change to create a genuine form of responsible management education. This study concludes with two alternative paths taken by schools attempting to escape the narrative of irresponsible management.

Originality/value

The PRME publicly lists signatories in non-compliance. While most of these result from passive inaction, a small number of institutions intentionally choose to leave the PRME. No research has been done to understand these intriguing cases and the heroic quest typology is a unique application in narrative analysis.
“Dior and I”: understanding the combination of creativity and economy in fashion industry
Authors: Leclair Margot
Published: August 2017

Purpose

Fashion documentaries are many. Although their behind-the-scene access presents some undeniable interest, the author suggests that while revealing information about the creative process, the economic priorities are understated.

Design/methodology/approach

The author reviews Frederic Tcheng’s Dior and I documentary, which brings the viewer inside the storied world of the Christian Dior fashion house with a look at the creation of Raf Simons’ first haute couture collection as its new artistic director.

Findings

The author analyses the documentary with the literature on tensions between creativity and economy to bring some light into the observed frictions. Digging deeper, the literature is also used to reveal several issues that are overlooked in the documentary, small glimpse of the organization.

Originality/value

The paper voices what is easily silenced around creative work in the fashion industry, as well as and more globally in creative industries.
NAD replenishment with nicotinamide mononucleotide protects blood–brain barrier integrity and attenuates delayed tissue plasminogen activator‐induced haemorrhagic transformation after cerebral ischaemia
Authors: Wei Chun‐Chun , Kong Yuan‐Yuan , Hua Xia , Li Guo‐Qiang , Zheng Si‐Li , Cheng Ming‐He , Wang Pei , Miao Chao‐Yu
Published: August 2017

Background and Purpose

Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is the only approved pharmacological therapy for acute brain ischaemia; however, a major limitation of tPA is the haemorrhagic transformation that follows tPA treatment. Here, we determined whether nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), a key intermediate of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide biosynthesis, affects tPA‐induced haemorrhagic transformation.

Experimental Approach

Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was achieved in CD1 mice by introducing a filament to the left MCA for 5 h. When the filament was removed for reperfusion, tPA was infused via the tail vein. A single dose of NMN was injected i.p. (300 mg·kg−1). Mice were killed at 24 h post ischaemia, and their brains were evaluated for brain infarction, oedema, haemoglobin content, apoptosis, neuroinflammation, blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability, the expression of tight junction proteins (TJPs) and the activity/expression of MMPs.

Key Results

In the mice infused with tPA at 5 h post ischaemia, there were significant increases in mortality, brain infarction, brain oedema, brain haemoglobin level, neural apoptosis, Iba‐1 staining (microglia activation) and myeloperoxidase staining (neutrophil infiltration). All these tPA‐induced alterations were significantly prevented by NMN administration. Mechanistically, the delayed tPA treatment increased BBB permeability by down‐regulating TJPs, including claudin‐1, occludin and zonula occludens‐1, and enhancing the activities and protein expression of MMP9 and MMP2. Similarly, NMN administration partly blocked these tPA‐induced molecular changes.

Conclusions and Implications

Our results demonstrate that NMN ameliorates tPA‐induced haemorrhagic transformation in brain ischaemia by maintaining the integrity of the BBB.
The development and flexibility of gaze alternations in bonobos and chimpanzees
Authors: Lucca Kelsey , MacLean Evan L. , Hare Brian
Published: August 2017

Infants’ early gaze alternations are one of their first steps towards a sophisticated understanding of the social world. This ability, to gaze alternate between an object of interest and another individual also attending to that object, has been considered foundational to the development of many complex social‐cognitive abilities, such as theory of mind and language. However, to understand the evolution of these abilities, it is important to identify whether and how gaze alternations are used and develop in our closest living relatives, bonobos (Pan paniscus) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Here, we evaluated the development of gaze alternations in a large, developmental sample of bonobos (N = 17) and chimpanzees (N = 35). To assess the flexibility of ape gaze alternations, we tested whether they produced gaze alternations when requesting food from a human who was either visually attentive or visually inattentive. Similarly to human infants, both bonobos and chimpanzees produced gaze alternations, and did so more frequently when a human communicative partner was visually attentive. However, unlike humans, who gaze alternate frequently from early in development, chimpanzees did not begin to gaze alternate frequently until adulthood. Bonobos produced very few gaze alternations, regardless of age. Thus, it may be the early emergence of gaze alternations, as opposed gaze alternations themselves, that is derived in the human lineage. The distinctively early emergence of gaze alternations in humans may be a critical underpinning for the development of complex human social‐cognitive abilities.
A systematic review of silver diamine fluoride: Effectiveness and application in older adults
Authors: Hendre Amruta D. , Taylor George W. , Chávez Elisa M. , Hyde Susan
Published: August 2017

Objective

This systematic review examines the effectiveness of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) in the management of caries in older adults.

Background

Silver diamine fluoride has been extensively researched and proven effective for caries prevention and arrest in children. Limited studies support its effectiveness in adult and older adult populations.

Materials and methods

Multiple databases were searched according to specified inclusion‐exclusion criteria. Quality assessment used modified Centre for Evidence‐Based Medicine worksheets.

Results

Three randomised controlled trials were identified that addressed the effectiveness of SDF on root caries in older adults, but none addressed coronal caries. Root caries prevented fraction and arrest rate for SDF were significantly higher than placebo. The prevented fraction for caries prevention for SDF compared to placebo was 71% in a 3‐year study and 25% in a 2‐year study. The prevented fraction for caries arrest for SDF was 725% greater in a 24‐month study and 100% greater than placebo in a 30‐month study. No severe adverse effects were observed.

Conclusion

This systematic review evaluates the use of SDF for both root caries prevention and arrest in older adults. Existing reports of SDF trials support effectiveness in root caries prevention and arrest, remineralization of deep occlusal lesions and treatment of hypersensitive dentin.