bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):sulfonated acetone-formaldehyde: preparation, characterization and performance as a hole injection material
Authors: Yu Wei , Xie Xiang , Li Yuda , Li Yuan , Chen Runfeng , Qiu Xueqing , Huang Wei
Published: August 2016

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):sulfonated acetone formaldehyde was prepared, which shows superior performance in a blue PHOLED device as the hole injection layer.
Resveratrol and pterostilbene attenuated smokeless tobacco induced cardiovascular aberrations in estrogen deficient female rats
Authors: Nirwane A. , Majumdar A.
Published: August 2016

This study evaluated the impact of resveratrol (RSV) and pterostilbene (PT) on the aqueous extract of smokeless tobacco (AEST) induced cardiovascular aberrations in estrogen deficient female Sprague-Dawley rats.
Low‐order moment‐based estimation of shape parameter of CGIG clutter model
Authors: Yu Han , Shui Peng‐Lang , Huang Yu‐Ting
Published: August 2016

In this Letter, a low‐order moment‐based estimation of the parameters of compound‐Gaussian clutter model with the inverse Gaussian texture (CGIG) is proposed. The CGIG clutter model proposed recently was known as an effective model to describe high‐resolution sea clutter at low grazing angles. Its parameter estimation is often obtained by the explicit moment‐based estimation using the second‐ and fourth‐order moments, which is low precision in the case of small samples. Here, the first‐ and second‐order moments are used to construct a higher precision estimator, where the look‐up table method is employed to make up the lack of explicit expression of the shape parameter.
Design of a multilayer five‐input majority gate and adder/subtractor circuits in NML computing
Authors: Labrado C. , Thapliyal H.
Published: August 2016

Implementation of a five‐input majority gate, full adder, and full subtractor using multiple layers in nanomagnetic logic is proposed. Correct functionality of the designs was verified through the use of a special purpose Verilog library.
Performance analysis of relay‐assisted CoMP transmissions with non‐ideal transceiver
Authors: Hassan Emad S.
Published: August 2016

Coordinated multi‐point (CoMP) transmission is a promising technique for improving spectral efficiency and overall system throughput in future cellular communication systems. This study investigates the downlink performance of relay‐assisted CoMP transmissions. The non‐ideal transceiver scenario that considers the effects of hardware impairments on the performance of CoMP transmission is presented. The performance of relay‐assisted CoMP transmission using a hybrid opportunistic cooperative (HOC) protocol is evaluated and compared for two different CoMP transmission strategies: coordinated beam‐forming and joint processing (JP). For each strategy, the performance in terms of outage probability, average sum rate and throughput is studied. The non‐COMP strategy is also included for comparison. Both theoretical and simulation results are considered to test the performance of ideal and practical scenarios of both CoMP transmission using HOC protocol and other relaying protocols such as amplify‐and‐forward (AF) and decode‐and‐forward (DF) protocols. The obtained results show that the HOC protocol with ideal scenario, significantly improves the average sum rate, the net throughput and the outage probability of CoMP transmission especially when considering the JP strategy. The obtained results also indicate that, the performance degradation due to non‐ideal transceiver with HOC protocol is small when compared with AF and DF protocols.
Hochtaunus-Kliniken: Ein zweites Offenbach
Authors: Schmidt Hartmut
Published: August 2016

Das Klinikum Offenbach hat einen Nachfolger gefunden: Die Hochtaunus-Kliniken (619 Betten) versuchen ebenfalls, ihren Neubau aus dem laufenden Betrieb zu finanzieren. Wie düster die Lage inzwischen ist, zeigt sich besonders deutlich am kürzlich veröffentlichten Jahresabschluss 2014.
Qualitätsorientierte Vergütung: Jetzt an die Risikoadjustierung denken!
Authors: Bartels Claus
Published: August 2016

Vor allem Krankenhäuser der Maximalversorger könnten unter einer qualitätsorientierten Vergütung leiden und schlimmstenfalls gegen den Gemeinsamen Bundesausschuss klagen. Durch eine umfassende und wenig aufwendige Risikoadjustierung ließen sich Ungerechtigkeiten jedoch vermeiden.
Sterilgut: Der Teufel steckt im Transport
Authors: Mewis Dirk
Published: August 2016

Robert Otzmann, Vertriebsleiter Medizin beim Unternehmen Hupfer, über validierte Prozesse in der Sterilgutlogistik, Outsourcing von ZSVAs und unzureichende Regelungen zum Transport von Sterilgut.
Klinikeinkauf: Nur im Team wirklich erfolgreich
Authors: Drummer Helmut
Published: August 2016

Die Zeiten, als im Klinikeinkauf Einzelkämpfer um die besten Preise für das eigene Haus kämpften, sind längst Geschichte. Heute funktioniert der Krankenhauseinkauf wie eine gute Fußballmannschaft – über ein perfekt eingespieltes Team von Experten aus dem eigenen Haus.
Stelina Tsafaraki: Assistenzärzten bietet die Diakonie viel Raum
Authors: Sickinger Nina
Published: August 2016

AUSLÄNDISCHE MITARBEITER BERICHTEN AUS DEUTSCHEN KLINIKEN Stelina Tsafaraki (32) verließ 2009 ihre Heimat Kreta, um in Deutschland die Ausbildung zum Facharzt für Gastroenterologie zu machen – und landete in der Diakonie Südwestfalen. Die Arbeit dort übertrifft ihre positiven Erwartungen noch bei Weitem. „Ich fühle mich absolut wohl und aufgehoben“, schwärmt sie.
Preparation of silver material used for detection of biocomplexes by surface-enhanced Raman scattering
Authors: Nowak M. , Binczyk M. , Skrobanska M. , Marciniak L. , Runka T. , Jastrzab R.
Published: August 2016

Silver dendrites were obtained on Cu plate by a classic galvanic displacement process. The process of preparing Ag particles was performed at different immersion times in AgNO3 solution, and the best process parameters were selected according to the enhancement effect of the Raman spectra of Rhodamine 6G. Ag-Cu substrates were chosen for a Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) study of biocomplexes because their preparation is cost effective and simple, and the relative homogeneous signal enhancement on the prepared silver SERS-active substrate was obtained. The rapid process of surface preparation was applied to identify the mode of coordination. Biocomplexes of Co and Ni ions with adenosine triphosphate form in neutral pH were immersed on the Ag dendrites, and SERS spectra of these compounds were collected. This research work was carried out in order to determine different types of coordination in the same pH conditions and relatively low concentration using SERS which is an emerging and promising technique for the determination of coordination types in biocomplexes.
Relational Categories are More Mutable than Entity Categories
Authors: Asmuth Jennifer , Gentner Dedre
Published: August 2016

Across three experiments, we explore differences between relational categories—whose members share common relational patterns—and entity categories, whose members share common intrinsic properties. Specifically, we test the claim that relational concepts are more semantically mutable in context, and therefore less stable in memory, than entity concepts. We compared memory for entity nouns and relational nouns, tested either in the same context as at encoding or in a different context. We found that (a) participants show better recognition accuracy for entity nouns than for relational nouns, and (b) recognition of relational nouns is more impaired by a change in context than is recognition of entity nouns. We replicated these findings even when controlling for factors highly correlated with relationality, such as abstractness–concreteness. This suggests that the contextual mutability of relational concepts is due to the core semantic property of conveying relational structure and not simply to accompanying characteristics such as abstractness. We note parallels with the distinction between nouns and verbs and suggest implications for lexical and conceptual structure. Finally, we relate these patterns to proposals that a deep distinction exists between words with an essentially referential function and those with a predicate function.
An efficient method to estimate the optimum regularization parameter in RLDA
Authors: Bakir Daniyar , James Alex Pappachen , Zollanvari Amin
Published: August 2016

Motivation: The biomarker discovery process in high-throughput genomic profiles has presented the statistical learning community with a challenging problem, namely learning when the number of variables is comparable or exceeding the sample size. In these settings, many classical techniques including linear discriminant analysis (LDA) falter. Poor performance of LDA is attributed to the ill-conditioned nature of sample covariance matrix when the dimension and sample size are comparable. To alleviate this problem, regularized LDA (RLDA) has been classically proposed in which the sample covariance matrix is replaced by its ridge estimate. However, the performance of RLDA depends heavily on the regularization parameter used in the ridge estimate of sample covariance matrix.

Results: We propose a range-search technique for efficient estimation of the optimum regularization parameter. Using an extensive set of simulations based on synthetic and gene expression microarray data, we demonstrate the robustness of the proposed technique to Gaussianity, an assumption used in developing the core estimator. We compare the performance of the technique in terms of accuracy and efficiency with classical techniques for estimating the regularization parameter. In terms of accuracy, the results indicate that the proposed method vastly improves on similar techniques that use classical plug-in estimator. In that respect, it is better or comparable to cross-validation-based search strategies while, depending on the sample size and dimensionality, being tens to hundreds of times faster to compute.

Availability and Implementation: The source code is available at https://github.com/danik0411/optimum-rlda

Contact:  amin.zollanvari@nu.edu.kz

Supplementary information:  Supplementary materials are available at Bioinformatics online.
One-Step Detection of Monilinia fructicola, M. fructigena, and M. laxa on Prunus and Malus by a Multiplex Real-Time PCR Assay
Authors: Guinet C. , Fourrier-Jeandel C. , Cerf-Wendling I. , Ioos R.
Published: August 2016

Brown rot is an economically important fungal disease affecting stone and pome fruit orchards, as well as harvested fruit during storage and on the market. Monilinia fructicola, M. laxa, and M. fructigena are the main causal agents of this disease and each have a different regulatory status depending on regional regulations. In this study, a new multiplex tool based on real-time polymerase chain reaction was developed to detect the three pathogenic fungi in a single reaction on fruit, twigs, and flowers of Prunus and Malus spp. Species-specific primer-hydrolysis probe combinations were designed to amplify a region located in a previously described MO368 sequenced characterized amplified region marker, and used in a quadruplex format coupled with the 18S Uni universal primer-probe test in order to check the quality of the DNA template. The assay was designed and optimized with the objective to provide high performance values. Experimental data supported its sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, and robustness. In addition, a set of quality controls was implemented to minimize the risk of false-positive and false-negative results, thus making this new test fit for use in serial analyses and reliable in the framework of official controls.
An invertebrate-specific miRNA targeted the ancient cholinergic neuroendocrine system of oyster
Authors: Chen Hao , Zhou Zhi , Wang Lingling , Wang Hao , Liu Rui , Zhang Huan , Song Linsheng
Published: August 2016

Acetylcholine (ACh) is the main neurotransmitter in the cholinergic neuroendocrine system and plays an indispensable role in modulating diverse immune responses. As important transporters in choline uptake, choline transporter-like proteins (CTLs) can control ACh synthesis and release indirectly in multiple organisms. In this study, cgi-miR-2d, an invertebrate-specific miRNA in oyster
Crassostrea gigas
, is proved to repress the synthesis/release of ACh by targeting CgCTL1 and choline uptake in haemocytes during the early stage of pathogen infection. In short, an opposite expression pattern between CgCTL1 and cgi-miR-2d is observed during
Vibrio splendidus
infection, accompanied by changes in haemolymph ACh. In addition, the expression level of CgCTL1 is found to be significantly repressed after cgi-miR-2d overexpression
in vivo
, while both haemocyte choline and haemolymph ACh are also decreased simultaneously, similar to the finding in CgCTL1 knock-down assay. As a result, the expression of two tumour necrosis factor-like proteins and the bacteriostatic activity of oyster haemocytes are found to be altered significantly by either gain-of-function cgi-miR-2d or knock-down of CgCTL1. To our knowledge, this is the first miRNA identified in invertebrates that can target the ancient cholinergic system and augment immune response during infection.
Nitric oxide signals are interlinked with calcium signals in normal pancreatic stellate cells upon oxidative stress and inflammation
Authors: Jakubowska Monika A. , Ferdek Pawel E. , Gerasimenko Oleg V. , Gerasimenko Julia V. , Petersen Ole H.
Published: August 2016

The mammalian diffuse stellate cell system comprises retinoid-storing cells capable of remarkable transformations from a quiescent to an activated myofibroblast-like phenotype. Activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) attract attention owing to the pivotal role they play in development of tissue fibrosis in chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. However, little is known about the actual role of PSCs in the normal pancreas. These enigmatic cells have recently been shown to respond to physiological stimuli in a manner that is markedly different from their neighbouring pancreatic acinar cells (PACs). Here, we demonstrate the capacity of PSCs to generate nitric oxide (NO), a free radical messenger mediating, for example, inflammation and vasodilatation. We show that production of cytosolic NO in PSCs is unambiguously related to cytosolic Ca2+signals. Only stimuli that evoke Ca2+signals in the PSCs elicit consequent NO generation. We provide fresh evidence for the striking difference between signalling pathways in PSCs and adjacent PACs, because PSCs, in contrast to PACs, generate substantial Ca2+-mediated and NOS-dependent NO signals. We also show that inhibition of NO generation protects both PSCs and PACs from necrosis. Our results highlight the interplay between Ca2+and NO signalling pathways in cell–cell communication, and also identify a potential therapeutic target for anti-inflammatory therapies.
First diagnosis of septic arthritis in a dinosaur
Authors: Anné Jennifer , Hedrick Brandon P. , Schein Jason P.
Published: August 2016

Identification and interpretation of pathologies in the fossil record allows for unique insights into the life histories of extinct organisms. However, the rarity of such finds limits not only the sample size for palaeopathologic studies, but also the types of analyses that may be performed. In this study, we present the first occurrence of a palaeopathology in a vertebrate from the Mesozoic of the East Coast of North America (Appalachia), a pathologic ulna and radius of an indeterminate hadrosaur from the Navesink Formation (New Jersey). X-ray microtomography allowed for both detailed and more accurate diagnosis of the pathologic condition as well as virtual conservation of the specimen. Based on extant archosaurian comparisons, the hadrosaur was diagnosed with severe septic arthritis affecting the proximal ulna and radius. Diagnosis was based on erosion of the joint and highly reactive periosteal bone growth and fusion of the elements. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first recorded account of septic arthritis in dinosaurs. The severity of the pathology suggests the animal suffered with this condition for some time before death. Unfortunately, only the ulna and radius were found. Thus, the extent to which the condition spread to other parts of the body is unknown.
Population growth as a driver of initial domestication in Eastern North America
Authors: Weitzel Elic M. , Codding Brian F.
Published: August 2016

The transition to agriculture is one of the most significant events in human prehistory; yet, explaining why people initially domesticated plants and animals remains a contentious research problem in archaeology. Two competing hypotheses dominate current debates. The first draws on niche construction theory to emphasize how intentional management of wild resources should lead to domestication regardless of Malthusian population–resource imbalances. The second relies on models from behavioural ecology (BE) to highlight how individuals should only exert selective pressure on wild resources during times of population–resource imbalance. We examine these hypotheses to explain the domestication event which occurred in Eastern North America approximately 5000 years ago. Using radiocarbon date density and site counts as proxies for human population, we find that populations increased significantly in the 1000 years prior to initial domestication. We therefore suggest that high populations prior to 5000 cal BP may have experienced competition for and possibly overexploitation of resources, altering the selective pressures on wild plants thereby producing domesticates. These findings support the BE hypothesis of domestication occurring in the context of population–resource imbalances. Such deficits, driven either by increased populations or decreased resource abundance, are predicted to characterize domestication events elsewhere.
Theory of the synchronous motion of an array of floating flap gates oscillating wave surge converter
Authors: Michele Simone , Sammarco Paolo , d’Errico Michele
Published: August 2016

We consider a finite array of floating flap gates oscillating wave surge converter (OWSC) in water of constant depth. The diffraction and radiation potentials are solved in terms of elliptical coordinates and Mathieu functions. Generated power and capture width ratio of a single gate excited by incoming waves are given in terms of the radiated wave amplitude in the far field. Similar to the case of axially symmetric absorbers, the maximum power extracted is shown to be directly proportional to the incident wave characteristics: energy flux, angle of incidence and wavelength. Accordingly, the capture width ratio is directly proportional to the wavelength, thus giving a design estimate of the maximum efficiency of the system. We then compare the array and the single gate in terms of energy production. For regular waves, we show that excitation of the out-of-phase natural modes of the array increases the power output, while in the case of random seas we show that the array and the single gate achieve the same efficiency.
Lifespan, growth rate, and body size across latitude in marine Bivalvia, with implications for Phanerozoic evolution
Authors: Moss David K. , Ivany Linda C. , Judd Emily J. , Cummings Patrick W. , Bearden Claire E. , Kim Woo-Jun , Artruc Emily G. , Driscoll Jeremy R.
Published: August 2016

Mean body size in marine animals has increased more than 100-fold since the Cambrian, a discovery that brings to attention the key life-history parameters of lifespan and growth rate that ultimately determine size. Variation in these parameters is not well understood on the planet today, much less in deep time. Here, we present a new global database of maximum reported lifespan and shell growth coupled with body size data for 1 148 populations of marine bivalves and show that (i) lifespan increases, and growth rate decreases, with latitude, both across the group as a whole and within well-sampled species, (ii) growth rate, and hence metabolic rate, correlates inversely with lifespan, and (iii) opposing trends in lifespan and growth combined with high variance obviate any demonstrable pattern in body size with latitude. Our observations suggest that the proposed increase in metabolic activity and demonstrated increase in body size of organisms over the Phanerozoic should be accompanied by a concomitant shift towards faster growth and/or shorter lifespan in marine bivalves. This prediction, testable from the fossil record, may help to explain one of the more fundamental patterns in the evolutionary and ecological history of animal life on this planet.
Education policies and organizational structures in Argentinian secondary schools
Authors: Vicente María Eugenia
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to review the link between public education policies and institutional practices in Argentina throughout history and today.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology used is in line with socio-educational management studies oriented to analyse educational practices qualitatively from an institutional perspective.

Findings

– The review allows a wider discussion about the characteristics of the traditional organizational structure in relation to the rules, order, purposes and homogeneity of educational institutions. Furthermore, the paper shows there are some experiences and practices developed nowadays in Argentinian secondary schools that constitute a guide for social inclusion.

Research limitations/implications

– Throughout Argentina’s education history, secondary school has supported its policies on a bureaucratic institutional structure rationally oriented to serving interests of a minority. Today, social inclusion policies and compulsory secondary schooling are presented as an opportunity to democratize the management of educational institutions.

Practical implications

– In the early 2000s, the education system in Argentina kept a traditional bureaucratic structure based on a selective education policy. In this regard, statistics are quite revealing as regards the degree of social exclusion in secondary school: only 11 per cent of the students that begin first grade, finish secondary school. In 2006, after the enactment of the compulsory secondary education law, educational management is faced with the challenge to renew its institutional practices in order to make inclusion feasible. In this sense, the paper shows that secondary schools are implementing certain management practices aimed at achieving greater social inclusion.

Originality/value

– The paper focuses on the notion that the characteristics of management practices are related to the social interests of education policies. In this sense, the educational management of Argentinian secondary schools is undergoing a process of transformation from traditional selective practices towards more inclusive practices.
Pricing for higher education institutions: a value-based approach
Authors: Mohd Amir Amizawati , Md Auzair Sofiah , MAELAH RUHANITA , Ahmad Azlina
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose the concept of higher education institutions (HEIs) offering educational services based on value for money. The value is determined based on customers’ (i.e. students) expectations of the service and the costs in comparison to the competitors. Understanding the value and creating customer value are a means to attain competitive advantage and constitute the basis of price setting. Drawing upon this belief, as an initial step towards value-based pricing method, the possible value factors are suggested for calculating educational programme prices across HEIs.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a conceptual paper introducing the value-based pricing approach in setting HEI tuition fees. Extending prior discussion on the demand for quality education and current financial challenges faced by HEIs, it introduces the concept pricing based upon customer perceived value (student/industry). Value-based pricing is deemed appropriate in view of the value of short tangible and intangible investment by both parties (students and HEIs) to differentiate in terms of setting the right price for the right university for the right student.

Findings

– The primary aim is to suggest the applicability of value-based pricing for HEIs, which is likely to be both relevant and fruitful for the sustainability of the sector. It represents a personal point of view; building upon a review of the literature, the paper extends the established knowledge one step further in terms of setting the right price for the right university, which is deemed worthy of further study and development.

Originality/value

– The paper will be of use to the management and policymakers in the education sector in searching for a contemporary pricing mechanism for higher education.
Principal empowering leadership and teacher innovative behavior: a moderated mediation model
Authors: Gkorezis Panagiotis
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to contribute to extant literature by linking principal empowering leadership to teachers’ innovative work behavior. By doing so, the author attempts to provide a more nuanced understanding of this relationship by examining a moderated mediation model which encompasses exploration as a mediator and role conflict as a moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected from 201 public teachers. In order to examine the present hypotheses bootstrapping analysis, Sobel test and SPSS macro were used.

Findings

– The results demonstrated that teacher exploration mediates the relationship between empowering leadership and innovative work behavior and, further, that this indirect effect is contingent on role conflict.

Practical implications

– Based on the present findings, in order to enhance innovation, schools need to promote both empowering leadership style and their teachers’ exploration. Moreover, principals should refrain from providing conflicting orders and expectations from their teachers because such conditions will eliminate the positive effect of their empowering behaviors on teachers’ exploration and innovative work behavior.

Originality/value

– This is the first study that develops and tests a moderated mediation model regarding the relationship between principal empowering leadership and teacher innovative behavior.
Size matters
Authors: Ho Dora , Lee Moosung , Teng Yue
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between staff size and perceived organizational support (POS) in early childhood education (ECE) organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

– A territory-wide questionnaire survey was designed to investigate the perceptions of preschool teachers in Hong Kong on four dimensions of organizational support, namely, teacher participation in decision making, school management support, school performance in organizational support, and organizational negativity in organizational support. In total, 2,066 teachers from 189 schools were sampled with stratified random sampling. Confirmatory factor analysis and latent mean analysis were employed.

Findings

– There was a significant relationship between staff size and POS. Specifically, teachers working at small schools in terms of staff size reported significantly higher POS than their counterparts in medium and large schools in aspects including teacher participation in decision making, school management support, and school performance in POS. Conversely, both medium and large schools had higher scores on organizational negativity.

Research limitations/implications

– There may exist other factors (e.g. principal leadership), which are not investigated in this study, that influence POS. Future studies are needed to capture a fuller structural relationship among an array of factors that influence POS.

Originality/value

– Research on staff size and POS has been conducted separately, without one element informing the other. The findings of the present study will stimulate more research on POS and staff size. The study will stimulate thinking about whether larger preschools are more efficient than smaller preschools in terms of scale of economies in a marker driven, ECE context. Building upon the foundation laid by the study, future studies may explore the interaction between staff size and POS on intended student outcomes in ECE.
The relationship between self-employment and unemployment in the long-run
Authors: Saridakis George , Mendoza Miguel Angel , Muñoz Torres Rebeca I. , Glover Jane
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– Although a lot of research has been done on the link between self-employment and unemployment, often focusing on the short-run of the relationship, the long-run association between the two variables has not received adequate attention. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper the authors examine the long-run relationship between self-employment and unemployment using panel cointegration methods allowing for structural breaks and covering a wide range of European OECD countries using the COMPENDIA data set over the period 1990-2011.

Findings

– The findings indicate that a long-run relationship between self-employment and unemployment exist in the panel, but the cointegrating coefficients are unstable.

Originality/value

– The estimates finds positive and statistically significant long-run association between self-employment and unemployment exists for more than 50 per cent of the countries included in the sample after the break. For the rest of the countries the authors find either negative or statistically insignificant association.
Productive contribution of local and foreign workers in Singapore manufacturing industries
Authors: Thangavelu Shandre Mugan
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of large inflow of foreign workers on the Singapore manufacturing productivity using a panel data at the disaggregated industry level from 1998 to 2008. The results indicate that foreign workers do make productive contribution to manufacturing productivity, but it is much lower as compared to local workers. However, the author observe the declining capital-labour ratio with the increase in the flow of foreign workers. This is expected to have direct impact on the competitiveness of the manufacturing in the export market. Since new technologies are embodied in new capital investment, the declining capital-labour ratio indicates that workers might be producing output with less technology-intensive capital. Conversely, local workers are more productive with high capital investment, indicating that local workers are more skilled and hence there is more complementarity between capital investments and local human capital.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author implement a panel estimation of disaggregated industry level data of Singapore manufacturing from 1998 to 2008. The author use GMM estimation to control for any endogeneity issues in the estimation.

Findings

– The results indicate that foreign workers do make productive contribution to manufacturing productivity; but it is much lower as compared to local workers. However; the author observe the declining capital-labour ratio with the increase in the flow of foreign workers.

Research limitations/implications

– The data for foreign workers at the disaggregated level is not publically available and this is given for this research purpose. The data for foreign workers is limited as it does not have by educational levels.

Practical implications

– This is the first paper to study impact of foreign workers on manufacturing sector at a disaggregated panel data. There are important policy implications for managing foreign workers and achieving sustainable growth for the Singapore economy.

Social implications

– The welfare and social impacts of foreign workers on the Singapore economy is discussed. There is also the issue of policy calibration to balance the flow of foreign workers in the Singapore economy.

Originality/value

– This is the first paper to study impact of foreign workers on manufacturing sector at a disaggregated panel data.
Invisible fathers
Authors: Langston Jessica
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of five men participating in the Mellow Dads Parenting Programme delivered for the first time in an English Prison, in partnership with a neighbouring local authority.

Design/methodology/approach

– Interviews conducted before and after the programme were analysed through the perspective of a group of community-based peer researchers, former graduates of the community-based programme. The study prioritised the peer researchers’ “insider knowledge”, drawing on a transformative paradigm to illuminate the strengths and challenge the assumptions often held about fathers in the context of vulnerable families.

Findings

– Using a thematic framework, the research group found that the programme facilitators were fundamental in providing a safe and nurturing space within which participants could openly reflect and consider their past experiences whilst acquiring new skills. Participants reported changes in their understanding of themselves, their children and their perceptions of accessing parenting groups. The programme’s unique provision of weekly activity sessions without the presence of the children’s mothers enabled the participants to legitimise their role and parent in a way unavailable since their incarceration. The integrated approach to service delivery enabled practitioners from within the prison and the community to adopt a shared culture focused upon the whole family in the context of the ongoing incarceration of the father.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings detail the potential in local partnerships between organisations committed to strengthening family connections, in particular the need to reconsider the current policy of providing additional visits in order to strengthen family relationships.

Originality/value

– The unique partnership between the author and the community-based peer researchers illuminates an invaluable perspective when exploring the pilot of Mellow Dads, the findings of which have the potential to challenge the ways in which the fathering role is promoted and fulfilled within the prison system.
Primary knowledge management practices applied in Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) industries from 2001-2010
Authors: Klafke Renata V. , Lievore Caroline , Picinin Claudia Tania , de Francisco Antonio Carlos , Pilatti Luiz Alberto
Published: August 2016

Purpose

This study aims to expose the main knowledge management (KM) practices applied in BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) industries using scientific literature published in the Scopus database from 2001 to 2010.

Design/methodology/approach

A search was performed in papers selected from the Scopus database, which houses the KM practices of industries in BRIC countries.

Findings

The results show that Brazil, Russia and India have an easier way of converting tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge compared to China, where informal relationships of trust and friendship play a special role within organizations, as well as where the political structure (communism) is an intervening factor. Brazil, Russia and India practice similar KM mechanisms such as the use of technology, process standardization and electronic data management. They also model the positive experiences of western companies. In China, interpersonal relationships shape the tacit and explicit features of organizations.

Research limitations/implications

The methodological filter could potentially limit the volume of responses, as not every case study can demonstrate the usual practices of KM. Empirical studies are able to capture the nuances and even provide a holistic picture of these practices.

Practical Implications

The results have practical implication, in particular. They are expected to help managers and workers to better comprehend KM practices in BRIC countries or even suggest new KM practices in the business.

Originality/value

The main discussion of this paper brings together a large range of KM practices applied in BRIC, addressing similarities and differences between KM deployments.
Surface-acting outcomes among service employees with two jobs
Authors: Walsh Gianfranco , Dahling Jason J. , Schaarschmidt Mario , Brach Simon
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– Service firms increasingly hire employees that work two or more jobs. Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory and the notion that employees have finite emotional resources, the purpose of this paper is to examine the consequences of emotional labour among employees who simultaneously work in two service jobs. The authors posit that emotional labour requirements from the primary job (PJ) and secondary job (SJ) interact to emotionally exhaust employees through a process of resource depletion. Specifically, building on extant work, this research tests a theoretical mediation model of surface acting predicting organizational commitment through emotional exhaustion.

Design/methodology/approach

– Employing a predictive survey approach, 171 frontline-service employees with two jobs from a variety of service industries are surveyed in two waves. The hypothesized model is tested using a bootstrap procedure for testing indirect effects. In addition, the authors investigate first- and second-stage moderation.

Findings

– Results confirm full mediation of the relationship between surface acting and organizational commitment by emotional exhaustion, confirming that the effect of surface acting on organizational commitment is indirect through emotional exhaustion. In addition, results reveal that surface acting in the SJ moderates the link between surface acting in the PJ and emotional exhaustion, and that employees low on organizational identification congruence display lower levels of organizational commitment with the PJ.

Research limitations/implications

– This study contributes to the literature that relates emotional labour to organizational commitment by investigating contingent factors. The key contribution thus pertains to identifying contingent factors based in COR theory and social identity theory that influence the triadic relation between surface acting, emotional exhaustion, and organizational commitment.

Practical implications

– Results reveal that surface acting in a second job not just simply adds to the level of employee emotional exhaustion. Instead levels of surface acting in a first and second job interact with each other to affect emotional exhaustion. This finding suggests service managers must take into account if and how employees are enforced to perform surface acting in the other job to prevent high exhaustion.

Originality/value

– This study is the first to investigate emotional labour among dual job holders, a growing segment of the service workforce that poses unique challenges to organizations.
Coordinating online health communities for cognitive and affective value creation
Authors: Van Oerle Sarah , Mahr Dominik , Lievens Annouk
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework investigating patterns of online health communities. In particular, the study draws on coordination theory to identify four community configurations. Their distinct features determine communities’ capacity to internalize and externalize knowledge, which ultimately determines their value creation in a service context.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors apply qualitative and quantitative techniques to detect similarities and differences in a sample of 50 online health communities. A categorical principal component analysis combined with cluster analysis reveals four distinct community configurations.

Findings

– The analysis reveals differences in the degrees of cognitive and affective value creation, the types of community activities, the involved patients, professionals, and other stakeholders; and the levels of data disclosure by community members. Four community configurations emerge: basic information provider, advanced patient knowledge aggregator, systematic networked innovator, and uncomplicated idea sharer.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings show that communities can be categorized along two knowledge creation dimensions: knowledge externalization and knowledge internalization. While, previous research remained inconclusive regarding the synergistic or conflicting nature of cognitive and affective value creation, the findings demonstrate that cognitive value creation is an enabler for affective value creation. The emerging configurations offer a classification scheme for online communities and a basis for interpreting findings of future services research in the context of online health communities.

Originality/value

– This research combines coordination theory with healthcare, service, and knowledge creation literature to provide a fine-grained picture of the components of online health communities. Thereby, inherent trade-offs and conflicts that characterize the components of coordination theory are investigated.
Value cocreation at its peak: the asymmetric relationship between coproduction and loyalty
Authors: Stokburger-Sauer Nicola E. , Scholl-Grissemann Ursula , Teichmann Karin , Wetzels Martin
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– Coproduction, as one component of cocreation of value, offers many benefits to customers and management, but also requires customers to invest a considerable amount of effort and time. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the coproduction paradox of benefits and costs.

Design/methodology/approach

– One experimental study and two cross-sectional field studies across three service industries test the nonlinear relationship between level of coproduction and customer loyalty.

Findings

– Results show not only the optimum level but also the negative effects of increasing levels of coproduction on customer loyalty and, in turn, monetary expenditures. The negative effect can be partially offset by perceived process enjoyment (PE), such that consumers who enjoy the process exhibit increased loyalty after the optimum coproduction point. Customer self-efficacy (SE), however, further strengthens the inverted u-shaped relationship.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research should try to replicate the findings in more complex and less hedonic service settings (e.g. financial investments) because both PE and SE might be even more powerful here.

Practical implications

– Service managers need to determine the optimal degree to which customers want to engage in the creation of services and avoid overburdening them. Management should further explore opportunities to elicit feelings of fun and enjoyment through coproduction.

Originality/value

– Research usually highlights the potential benefits of coproduction for customers and companies and suggests a positive linear relationship between coproduction and success outcomes. This article instead shows that after an optimum level, the marginal benefits of coproduction for customer loyalty turn negative.
The impact of customer value types on customer outcomes for different retail formats
Authors: Willems Kim , Leroi-Werelds Sara , Swinnen Gilbert
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to profile grocery retailers in terms of seven value types based on Holbrook’s value typology; to link these value types to three key outcomes (i.e. satisfaction, repurchase intention, and word-of-mouth); and to evaluate the impact of the retail format on performance and importance of the seven value types.

Design/methodology/approach

– For each retail format, the authors administered a consumer survey, resulting in an aggregate sample of 392 respondents. The authors used partial least squares structural equations modeling to test the relationships between the value types and key outcomes (i.e. importance) and ANOVAs to examine cross-format differences between latent variable scores of the value types (i.e. performance).

Findings

– The three retail formats included in the study perform differently on Holbrook’s value types (e.g. non-discounters excel in terms of aesthetic value and play, compared to hard and soft discounters). Furthermore, this study reveals that the strategic importance of each value type depends on the key outcome (e.g. whereas efficiency is the main source of satisfaction, play mainly drives the other two outcomes).

Research limitations/implications

– The authors randomly assigned respondents to one of the three retail formats irrespective of their personal preference or patronage. To conduct value-based segmentation, respondents should evaluate either their preferred format or all supermarkets.

Practical implications

– This study offers positioning advice to retail managers, according to their format and strategic objectives.

Originality/value

– Unlike previous research, this paper provides a cross-format comparison of retailers based on a three-dimensional value typology and its key outcomes.
Patients’ views: peer support worker on inpatient wards
Authors: Rooney Joy M , Miles Nadine , Barker Tom
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore patients’ experiences of intentional mental health peer support (PS).

Design/methodology/approach

– Seven in-depth interviews were carried out by an independent researcher with individual inpatients who volunteered via a PS worker following leaflet and poster distribution explaining the research on the two wards. Each recorded interview of 13 questions was transcribed verbatim by the researcher and analysis identified common themes across the interviews.

Findings

– An overarching theme of communication with patients was identified together with six main themes: person centredness, practical support, building connections, emotional support, modelling hope and recovery interventions. There were no negative comments expressed by interviewees.

Research limitations/implications

– Small scale qualitative research allows in-depth exploration of experiences which is valuable in informing the further development of PS.

Originality/value

– There are very few published reports of inpatient experiences of PS in inpatient settings.
Keeping your options open
Authors: Blake Mara Rojeski , Morse Catherine
Published: August 2016

Purpose

Technologies for teaching abound, but many of them are proprietary systems and software that require institutional and individual subscriptions for use. Instructors and librarians in higher education have open source and free options for many types of teaching technologies. While some of these technologies are free to users, open source goes beyond that and makes the source code that runs it available as well. These provide more options to enhance teaching.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper will provide an overview of the open source landscape and evaluate free and open source technologies of potential use in the college or university classroom.

Findings

The paper found a number of free and open source tools appropriate for teaching and learning in higher education. These tools may possibly generate savings over proprietary tools, but could have other costs such as additional learning investment or require hosting. Additionally, free and open source technologies provide students with knowledge about tools that they can continue to access after graduation. Libraries have a role in connecting their constituencies to these tools.

Originality/value

The paper provides descriptive information about a variety of tools for teaching and learning in higher education, as well as examples from the literature of how the tools might be integrated into the classroom and into library instruction.