bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Current control of light by nonreciprocal magnetoplasmonics
Authors: Gong Yongkang , Li Kang , Carver Sara , Martinez Juan Jose , Huang Jungang , Thueux Yoann , Avlonitis Nick , Copner Nigel
Published: May 2015

The ability to actively control light has long been a major scientific and technological goal. We proposed a scheme that allows for active control of light by utilizing the nonreciprocal magnetoplasmonic effect. As a proof of concept, we applied current signal through an ultrathin metallic film in a magneto-plasmonic multilayer and found that dynamic photonic nonreciprocity appears in magnetic-optical material layer due to the magnetic field being induced from current signal and modulates surface plasmon polaritons trapped in the metal surface and the light reflected. The proposed concept provides a possible way for the active control of light and could find potential applications such as ultrafast optoelectronic signal processing for plasmonic nanocircuit technology and ultrafast/large-aperture free-space electro-optic modulation platform for wireless laser communication technology.
Observing electron spin resonance between 0.1 and 67 GHz at temperatures between 50 mK and 300 K using broadband metallic coplanar waveguides
Authors: Wiemann Yvonne , Simmendinger Julian , Clauss Conrad , Bogani Lapo , Bothner Daniel , Koelle Dieter , Kleiner Reinhold , Dressel Martin , Scheffler Marc
Published: May 2015

We describe a fully broadband approach for electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments, where it is possible to tune not only the magnetic field but also the frequency continuously over wide ranges. Here, a metallic coplanar transmission line acts as compact and versatile microwave probe that can easily be implemented in different cryogenic setups. We perform ESR measurements at frequencies between 0.1 and 67 GHz and at temperatures between 50 mK and room temperature. Three different types of samples (Cr3+ ions in ruby, organic radicals of the nitronyl-nitroxide family, and the doped semiconductor Si:P) represent different possible fields of application for the technique. We demonstrate that an extremely large phase space in temperature, magnetic field, and frequency for ESR measurements, substantially exceeding the range of conventional ESR setups, is accessible with metallic coplanar lines.
Atomic disorder in Gd2Zr2O7 pyrochlore
Authors: Zhang F. X. , Lang M. , Ewing R. C.
Published: May 2015

Gd2Zr2O7 pyrochlore with different degrees of cation disorder were synthesized by isothermal annealing at various temperatures (1100–1550 °C), and the related changes in the structure were investigated by ambient and high pressure x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Unit cell parameters increase almost linearly with increasing treatment temperature. The degree of cation order in pyrochlore also increases with the increase of temperature, but saturates at ∼60%. The compressibility of the pyrochlore structures decreases when the degree of cation order increases. High pressure XRD measurements also indicate that the phase stability of Gd2Zr2O7 is not very sensitive to the degree of atomic disorder in the pyrochlore structure.
Rotational Analysis of A2Πu−X2Σg+ System of 14N2+
Authors: Zhang Yan-ping , Deng Lun-hua , Zhang Jing , Chen Yang-qin
Published: May 2015

The absorption spectrum of N2+ has been studied using optical-heterodyne velocity modulation spectroscopy in the near-infrared region. The observed spectral lines were assigned to the (3,1), (4,2), (5,3), (8,5) bands of the A2Πu−X2Σg+ system and the line lists were provided. The (5,3) band was studied for the first time. Fourteen rotational-resolved bands in literatures were fitted together with our observed bands and the molecular constants were obtained for υA=0−9 and υX=0−5.
Influence of CO2 on Oxygen Surface Exchange Kinetics of Mixed-Conducting Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3—δ Oxide
Authors: Song Chun-lin , Yi Jian-xin
Published: May 2015

The poisoning effect of CO2 on the oxygen surface exchange kinetics of BSCF (Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3—δ) is investigated with a novel pulse isotopic exchange technique. The surface exchange rate of BSCF severely decreases after in situ exposure to CO2, which is ascribed to carbonate formation on the material surface. The detrimental effect of CO2 starts at a low temperature of 375 °C and concentration as low as 1%, and becomes more pronounced at higher temperatures. Degradation of the surface exchange kinetics is associated with a rapid loss of oxygen permeation performance of BSCF in CO2.
Studying regulation as a source of opportunity rather than as a constraint for entrepreneurs: conceptual map and research propositions
Authors: Jacquemin Amélie , Janssen Frank
Published: May 2015

There is an abundant literature on policies aiming at supporting entrepreneurship or small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). At the same time, many studies investigate the compliance costs of regulations and stress their constraining impact on entrepreneurship or SMEs. In this paper we demystify the classical distinction made between ‘supportive’ policies and ‘constraining’ regulations by discussing the existence of ‘enabling’ regulations and policies that create opportunities for entrepreneurs. This paper contributes to the debate on the approaches that public authorities use to support entrepreneurship, their legitimacy, and their effectiveness to create business opportunities and complement it by developing both a conceptual map of regulatory entrepreneurial opportunities and research propositions set to capture the links between government interventions and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Crop rotations in the sea: Increasing returns and reducing risk of collapse in sea cucumber fisheries
Authors: Plagányi Éva Elizabeth , Skewes Timothy , Murphy Nicole , Pascual Ricardo , Fischer Mibu
Published: May 2015

Significance

Rotating the harvest of natural resources is a management strategy that humans have used on land for centuries, but it is less commonly applied to marine resources. Marine animals, such as sea cucumbers, scallops, and abalone, may be particularly suited for this form of management. Although highly important to many communities worldwide, they are often severely overexploited, underlining the need for effective and easy to manage harvest strategies. We modeled the rotational zone strategy applied to the multispecies sea cucumber fishery in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and show a substantial reduction in the risk of localized depletion, higher long-term yields, and improved economic performance. Hence, our results support the use of rotational harvests to better manage these marine resources.
Superficial white matter fiber systems impede detection of long-range cortical connections in diffusion MR tractography
Authors: Reveley Colin , Seth Anil K. , Pierpaoli Carlo , Silva Afonso C. , Yu David , Saunders Richard C. , Leopold David A. , Ye Frank Q.
Published: May 2015

Significance

It is widely recognized that studying the detailed anatomy of the human brain is of great importance for neuroscience and medicine. The principal means for achieving this goal is presently diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) tractography, which uses the local diffusion of water throughout the brain to estimate the course of long-range anatomical projections. Such projections connect gray matter regions through axons that travel in the deep white matter. The present study combines dMRI tractography with histological analysis to investigate where in the brain this method succeeds and fails. We conclude that certain superficial white matter systems pose challenges for measuring cortical connections that must be overcome for accurate determination of detailed neuroanatomy in humans.
Random coil negative control reproduces the discrepancy between scattering and FRET measurements of denatured protein dimensions
Authors: Watkins Herschel M. , Simon Anna J. , Sosnick Tobin R. , Lipman Everett A. , Hjelm Rex P. , Plaxco Kevin W.
Published: May 2015

Significance

The relationship between proteins unfolded under physiological conditions and those unfolded by chemical denaturation remains controversial. Specifically, although FRET studies suggest that unfolded proteins invariably contract with falling denaturant levels, scattering studies argue that they do not. Here, we explore the origins of this discrepancy using PEG as a negative control. Scattering indicates that, as expected, the polymer’s dimensions are denaturant-independent. The dye-labeled polymer, nevertheless, exhibits denaturant-dependent changes in measured transfer efficiency similar to those seen for unfolded proteins. This similarity raises questions regarding the interpretation of such changes as being indicative of hydrophobic or hydrogen bond-driven collapse.
Identifying personal microbiomes using metagenomic codes
Authors: Franzosa Eric A. , Huang Katherine , Meadow James F. , Gevers Dirk , Lemon Katherine P. , Bohannan Brendan J. M. , Huttenhower Curtis
Published: May 2015

Significance

Recent surveys of the microbial communities living on and in the human body—the human microbiome—have revealed strong variation in community membership between individuals. Some of this variation is stable over time, leading to speculation that individuals might possess unique microbial “fingerprints” that distinguish them from the population. We rigorously evaluated this idea by combining concepts from microbial ecology and computer science. Our results demonstrated that individuals could be uniquely identified among populations of 100s based on their microbiomes alone. In the case of the gut microbiome, >80% of individuals could still be uniquely identified up to a year later—a result that raises potential privacy concerns for subjects enrolled in human microbiome research projects.
Mosaic genome of endobacteria in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: Transkingdom gene transfer in an ancient mycoplasma-fungus association
Authors: Torres-Cortés Gloria , Ghignone Stefano , Bonfante Paola , Schüßler Arthur
Published: May 2015

Significance

Obligate plant-symbiotic, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are major drivers of terrestrial ecosystems and host enigmatic
Mollicutes
-related endobacteria (MRE) in their cytoplasm. The genome analysis of a MRE living in the AMF
Dentiscutata heterogama
revealed it to represent a previously unidentified bacterial lineage of
Mycoplasma
-related species.
Dh
MRE shows strongly reduced metabolic capacity and underwent trans-kingdom gene transfer: its genome codes for an arsenal of eukaryotic-like putative effector proteins, with nuclear encoded homologues in AMF and
Mortierella
. The MRE-fungus (-plant) association probably evolved in ancestors of
Glomeromycota
and
Mucoromycotina
. This calls for a targeted search for ancient effector proteins that play crucial roles in the MRE interaction with fungal hosts, and putatively also with plants.
Elucidation of G-protein and β-arrestin functional selectivity at the dopamine D2 receptor
Authors: Peterson Sean M. , Pack Thomas F. , Wilkins Angela D. , Urs Nikhil M. , Urban Daniel J. , Bass Caroline E. , Lichtarge Olivier , Caron Marc G.
Published: May 2015

Significance

The dopamine D2 receptor (D
2
R), a G protein-coupled receptor, can initiate signaling events through both activation of G proteins and interactions with β-arrestins. To begin to understand the contribution of these events in the physiology of the dopamine system, D
2
R was mutated to be functionally selective for each signaling pathway. The engineered receptors are functional in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, both functions are essentially dissociable and mediate different physiological and pharmacological responses. These tools provide an additional but previously unavailable approach to elucidate the role of biased signaling in the multiple physiological actions of the dopamine system.
Pheromones mediating copulation and attraction in
Drosophila
Authors: Dweck Hany K. M. , Ebrahim Shimaa A. M. , Thoma Michael , Mohamed Ahmed A. M. , Keesey Ian W. , Trona Federica , Lavista-Llanos Sofia , Svatoš Aleš , Sachse Silke , Knaden Markus , Hansson Bill S.
Published: May 2015

Significance

Mating interactions in
Drosophila melanogaster
depend on a number of sensory cues targeting different modalities like hearing, taste, and olfaction. From an olfactory perspective, only negative fly-derived signals had been identified, whereas a positive signal mediating mating was missing. Here we demonstrate the presence of such a signal (methyl laurate) and dissect the neural mechanism underlying its detection. We also show that the same odorant together with two additional fly-derived odorants (methyl myristate and methyl palmitate) mediate attraction via a pathway separated from that involved in courtship. Interestingly, the odorants identified are attractive to several closely related species. Thus, we describe two highly important neural circuits involved in mating and attraction that seem to be conserved in
Drosophila.
Protein aggregation in salt solutions
Authors: Kastelic Miha , Kalyuzhnyi Yurij V. , Hribar-Lee Barbara , Dill Ken A. , Vlachy Vojko
Published: May 2015

Significance

Protein aggregation is a problem in amyloid and other diseases, and it is a challenge when formulating solutions of biological drugs, such as monoclonal antibodies. The physical processes of aggregation, especially in salt solutions, are not well understood. We model a protein as having multiple binding sites to other proteins, leading to orientational variations, dependent on salt. With few parameters and with knowledge of the cloud-point temperatures as a function of added salt, the model gives good predictions for properties including the liquid–liquid coexistence curves, the second virial coefficients, and others for lysozyme and gamma-crystallin.
Between “imagined” and “real” nation-building: identities and nationhood in post-Soviet Central Asia
Authors: Isaacs Rico , Polese Abel
Published: May 2015

Much of the existing literature on nation-building in Central Asia offers a statist top-down approach which focuses on how the nation and nationhood is “imagined” by political elites. In this special issue the contributors provide an analysis which seeks to explore the process of nation-building in Central Asia by addressing the other side of the state-society relationship. The case studies in this collection examine the “grey zone” between “imagined” and “real” differences between state-led policies and discourses related to nationhood and identity and how they are received by different audiences at different levels (regional, national and international). The authors bring to the fore the contested nature of nation-building in Central Asia as well as focusing on new or less conventional analytical tools for the study of nation-building such as cinema, construction projects and elections. This article provides the introduction to the special issue and lays out the contribution the articles make to the existing literature on nation-building in Central Asia. It also sets out the rationale and aims of the collection.
Lactobionic and cellobionic acid production profiles of the resting cells of acetic acid bacteria
Authors: Kiryu Takaaki , Kiso Taro , Nakano Hirofumi , Murakami Hiromi
Published: May 2015

Lactobionic acid was produced by acetic acid bacteria to oxidize lactose. Gluconobacter spp. and Gluconacetobacter spp. showed higher lactose-oxidizing activities than Acetobacter spp. Gluconobacter frateurii NBRC3285 produced the highest amount of lactobionic acid per cell, among the strains tested. This bacterium assimilated neither lactose nor lactobionic acid. At high lactose concentration (30%), resting cells of the bacterium showed sufficient oxidizing activity for efficient production of lactobionic acid. These properties may contribute to industrial production of lactobionic acid by the bacterium. The bacterium showed higher oxidizing activity on cellobiose than that on lactose and produced cellobionic acid.
Rare cancers in The Netherlands: a population-based study
Authors: van der Zwan Jan M. , van Dijk Boukje A.C. , Visser Otto , van Krieken Han J.H.J.M. , Capocaccia Riccardo , Siesling Sabine
Published: May 2015

The conventional definition for rare disease is based on prevalence. Because of differences in prognosis, a definition on the basis of incidence was deemed to be more appropriate for rare cancers. Within the European RARECARE project, a definition was introduced that defines cancers as rare when the crude incidence rate is less than six per 100 000 per year. In this study, we applied the RARECARE definition for rare cancer to the Netherlands; this to identify the usefulness of the definition in a single country and to provide more insight into the burden of rare cancers in the Netherlands. Data for 2004 through 2008 were extracted from the Netherlands Cancer Registry and classified according to the RARECARE entities (tumour groupings). Crude and European standardized incidence rates were calculated. Out of the 260 entities, 223 (86%) were rare according to the definition, accounting for 14 000 cancers (17% of all). Considerable fluctuations in crude rates over years were observed for the major group of cancers. Rare tumours in the Netherlands constituted 17% of all newly diagnosed tumours, but were divided over 223 different entities, indicating the challenge that faces clinicians. To make the definition of rare cancers better applicable, it should be refined by taking into consideration the sex-specific incidence for sex-specific cancer sites. Moreover, a mean incidence over 5 years will provide more solid insight into the burden, eliminating large fluctuations in time of most of the cancers.
The spatial profiles and metabolic capabilities of microbial populations impact the growth of antibiotic-resistant mutants
Authors: Kaushik Karishma S. , Ratnayeke Nalin , Katira Parag , Gordon Vernita D.
Published: May 2015

Antibiotic resistance adversely affects clinical and public health on a global scale. Using the opportunistic human pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
, we show that increasing the number density of bacteria, on agar containing aminoglycoside antibiotics, can non-monotonically impact the survival of antibiotic-resistant mutants. Notably, at high cell densities, mutant survival is inhibited. A wide range of bacterial species can inhibit antibiotic-resistant mutants. Inhibition results from the metabolic breakdown of amino acids, which results in alkaline by-products. The consequent increase in pH acts in conjunction with aminoglycosides to mediate inhibition. Our work raises the possibility that the manipulation of microbial population structure and nutrient environment in conjunction with existing antibiotics could provide therapeutic approaches to combat antibiotic resistance.
Samuel Hartlib on the death of Descartes: a rediscovered letter to Henry More
Authors: Penman Leigh T. I.
Published: May 2015

This paper discloses the content of a previously overlooked epistle by the Anglo-Prussian intelligencer Samuel Hartlib to Henry More concerning the death of René Descartes. After a discussion situating the letter within the sequence of the More–Hartlib correspondence, an analysis of the rhetorical structure of the epistle is offered, followed by a brief assessment of Hartlib's attitude towards Descartes, and the identification of his source concerning the news of the philosopher's death. An account of the transmission of the letter via a nineteenth-century periodical is also provided. The text of Hartlib's letter and an overlooked passage of Hartlib's diary concerning Descartes's death, which draws on the content of the More letter, are presented as appendixes.
Genomics of immune response to typhoid and cholera vaccines
Authors: Majumder Partha P.
Published: May 2015

Considerable variation in antibody response (AR) was observed among recipients of an injectable typhoid vaccine and an oral cholera vaccine. We sought to find whether polymorphisms in genes of the immune system, both innate and adaptive, were associated with the observed variation in response. For both vaccines, we were able to discover and validate several polymorphisms that were significantly associated with immune response. For the typhoid vaccines, these polymorphisms were on genes that belonged to pathways of polysaccharide recognition, signal transduction, inhibition of T-cell proliferation, pro-inflammatory signalling and eventual production of antimicrobial peptides. For the cholera vaccine, the pathways included epithelial barrier integrity, intestinal homeostasis and leucocyte recruitment. Even though traditional wisdom indicates that both vaccines should act as T-cell-independent antigens, our findings reveal that the vaccines induce AR using different pathways.
Systems vaccinology: a promise for the young and the poor
Authors: Amenyogbe Nelly , Levy Ofer , Kollmann Tobias R.
Published: May 2015

As a child, the risk of suffering and dying from infection is higher the younger you are; and higher, the less developed a region you are born in. Childhood vaccination programmes have greatly reduced mortality around the world, but least so for the very young among the very poor of the world. This appears partly owing to suboptimal vaccine effectiveness. Unfortunately, although most vaccines are administered to the newborn and very young infant (less than or equal to two months), we know the least about their host response to vaccination. We thus currently lack the knowledge to guide efforts aimed at improving vaccine effectiveness in this vulnerable population. Systems vaccinology, the study of molecular networks activated by immunization, has begun to provide unprecedented insights into mechanisms leading to vaccine-induced protection from infection or disease. However, all published reports of systems vaccinology have focused on either adults or at most children and older infants, not those most in need, i.e. newborns and very young infants. Given that the tools of systems vaccinology work perfectly well with very small sample volumes, it is time we deliver the promise that systems vaccinology holds for those most in need of vaccine-mediated protection from infection.
Lutibacter crassostreae sp. nov., isolated from oyster
Authors: Park Sooyeon , Park Ji-Min , Won Sung-Min , Park Doo-Sang , Yoon Jung-Hoon
Published: May 2015

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-spore-forming, non-flagellated, non-gliding and ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated TYO-8T, was isolated from an oyster collected from the South Sea in South Korea. Strain TYO-8Tgrew optimally at 25 °C, at pH 7.0–8.0 and in the presence of 2.0–3.0 % (w/v) NaCl. A neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, revealed that strain TYO-8Tfell within the clade comprising the type strains of species of the genusLutibacter, clustering coherently with the type strain ofLutibacter litoraliswith a sequence similarity of 99.3 %. Strain TYO-8Texhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 95.3–97.5 % to the type strains of other species of the genusLutibacterand of less than 92.9 % to the type strains of other species with validly published names. Strain TYO-8Tcontained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 03-OH and iso-C15 : 1G as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain TYO-8Twere phosphatidylethanolamine and two unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain TYO-8Twas 33.8 mol% and its DNA–DNA relatedness values with the type strains ofL. litoralis,Lutibacter aestuariiandLutibacter flavuswere 13–27 %. The differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain TYO-8Tis distinct from other species of the genusLutibacter. On the basis of the data presented, strain TYO-8Tis considered to represent a novel species of the genusLutibacter, for which the nameLutibacter crassostreaesp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TYO-8T( = KCTC 42461T = NBRC 110923T).
Structural analysis of Dis3l2, an exosome-independent exonuclease from Schizosaccharomyces pombe
Authors: Lv Hui , Zhu Yuwei , Qiu Yu , Niu Liwen , Teng Maikun , Li Xu
Published: May 2015

After deadenylation and decapping, cytoplasmic mRNA can be digested in two opposite directions: in the 5′–3′ direction by Xrn1 or in the 3′–5′ direction by the exosome complex. Recently, a novel 3′–5′ RNA-decay pathway involving Dis3l2 has been described that differs from degradation by Xrn1 and the exosome. The product of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe gene SPAC2C4.07c was identified as a homologue of human Dis3l2. In this work, the 2.8 Å resolution X-ray crystal structure of S. pombe Dis3l2 (SpDis3l2) is reported, the conformation of which is obviously different from that in the homologous mouse Dis3l2–RNA complex. Fluorescence polarization assay experiments showed that RNB and S1 are the primary RNA-binding domains and that the CSDs (CSD1 and CSD2) play an indispensable role in the RNA-binding process of SpDis3l2. Taking the structure comparison and mutagenic experiments together, it can be inferred that the RNA-recognition pattern of SpDis3l2 resembles that of its mouse homologue rather than that of the Escherichia coli RNase II–RNA complex. Furthermore, a drastic conformation change could occur following the binding of the RNA substrate to SpDis3l2.
A spring-clean of Michael Porter’s Attic
Authors: Gould Anthony M. , Desjardins Guillaume
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This paper views the phenomenon of offering/user interface complexity as having competitive strategy-related consequences. Porter’s conception of generic management strategy was created in the 1980s. It is not well adapted to industries which have proliferated in the Internet age. Accordingly, the conception presented in this article offers a modified version of Porter’s generic strategy framework. The new view incorporates the dimension of complexity alongside the original dimensions of “target market” and “type of advantage”. The article uses an analysis of the contemporary Canadian Telco sector to prosecute its case.

Design/methodology/approach

– The project uses an analysis of the stated competitive positioning orientations of firms operating in the contemporary Canadian Telecommunications sector to build a case about the changed nature of generic strategy in the digital age. It uses inductive reasoning to generalise findings about the Telco sector to other recently emerged (digital-age) industries.

Findings

– A revised view of Porter’s generic strategy grid is presented and defended.

Research limitations/implications

– The study analyses only one sector, but draws many broad conclusions. It uses inductive reasoning which is limited by the extent to which the exemplar case (telecommunications) may be compared to other cases within the same category (other digital age industries). The study does not use an extensive analysis of strategic planning documents of individual firms; however, this is not a limitation unless and until a critique challenges the claims made about generic strategies being pursued.

Practical implications

– The new conceptualisation may be used as a planning tool for digital-age firms.

Originality/value

– The project is a genuinely new attempt to update Porter’s view of generic strategy. It overcomes the problems which have been associated with previous attempts at such revision.
Welfare, preferences and the reconstruction of desires
Authors: Holler Manfred Joseph
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a model that relates the desire for justice with welfare.

Design/methodology/approach

– The point of departure, elaborated in the first part of the paper, is the observation that we have no sense-organs for experiencing welfare and the experiences of happiness being, in general, transient if they emerge at all. Desires drive our behavior and motivate our decisions. The author will analyze conditions so that desires can be related to welfare, making use of results of social choice theory. There is some (technical) similarity between aggregating individual preferences and editing (“reconstruction”) desires.

Findings

– In special cases, desires are well ordered and can be represented by preference orderings, ready for deriving “rational choices.” However, desires may be circular. Then, of course, the satisfaction of a particular desire will never trigger happiness because there is always a “higher valued” (or “more prominent”) desire unsatisfied. In these cases, desires and welfare cannot be matched. However, there are social desires, such as the desire for justice (as fairness), that can have welfare-enhancing consequences if satisfied even when private desires are circular, as desires for justice contain a social component.

Originality/value

– This issue will be elaborated in the second part of the paper using a formal model, borrowed from Fehr and Schmidt (1999), in order to illustrate the underlying reasoning.
Welfare as political morality: right-based, duty-based or goal-based?
Authors: Risse Verena
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate new welfare indicators, which no longer rely solely on the gross domestic product but provide a more holistic understanding of welfare encompassing aspects such as health status, social inclusion or environmental quality. So far, it remains, however, questionable to what degree these new indicators can serve as an actual political morality.

Design/methodology/approach

– To assess this question, this paper proposes to turn to the distinction between right-based, duty-based and goal-based approaches. Assessing welfare in these terms not only suggests itself because of the consequentialist connotations of those alternative formulations that call for happiness or well-being, but also because the distinction allows to consider them in view of some of the central social goods and concerns.

Findings

– The analysis shows mixed results. It, first, shows that welfare as political morality is best captured in terms of goals. Still, whatever new indicator one chooses, it must not be conceived as a mere aggregation of particular interests, nor should individuals be sacrificed for the sake of an overall good. This makes it important that subjective rights that function as a counterweight are strengthened.

Originality/value

– The assessment of the new welfare indicators in these terms has not been undertaken so far, although they fit the purpose ideally. Thus, from the originality of the method, the originality of the findings follows so that the analysis provides neat categories and conclusions.
Dynamic appointment scheduling with patient preferences and choices
Authors: Wang Jin , Fung Richard Y.K.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to maximize the expected revenue of the outpatient department considering patient preferences and choices.

Design/methodology/approach

– Patient preference refers to the preferred physician and time slot that patients hold before asking for appointments. Patient choice is the appointment decision the patient made after receiving a set of options from the scheduler. The relationship between patient choices and preferences is explored. A dynamic programming (DP) model is formulated to optimize appointment scheduling with patient preferences and choices. The DP model is transformed to an equivalent linear programming (LP) model. A decomposition method is proposed to eliminate the number of variables. A column generation algorithm is used to resolve computation problem of the resulting LP model.

Findings

– Numerical studies show the benefit of multiple options provided, and that the proposed algorithm is efficient and accurate. The effects of the booking horizon and arrival rates are studies. A policy about how to make use of the information of patient preferences is compared to other naive polices. Experiments show that more revenue can be expected if patient preferences and choices are considered.

Originality/value

– This paper proposes a framework for appointment scheduling problem in outpatient departments. It is concluded that more revenue can be achieved if more choices are provided for patients to choose from and patient preferences are considered. Additionally, an appointment decision can be made timely after receiving patient preference information. Therefore, the proposed model and policies are convenient tools applicable to an outpatient department.
Dealing with resistance in temporary agency nurses
Authors: Cicellin Mariavittoria , Pezzillo Iacono Mario , Berni Alessia , Esposito Vincenza
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to interpret employees’ resistance using the perspective of a Foucaultian/post-structuralist approach in critical management studies. The authors examine the relationship between management of diversity, based on employment contract, emotional construction of identity and processes of resistance. The authors explore the ways in which temporary agency nurses understand and experience their contract, respond to tensions regarding temporary employment, develop collective emotions and show processes of resistance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study adopted an interpretive and qualitative approach. The authors analysed empirical material collected in the Haematology Department of a hospital in Naples, Italy, to illustrate actual experiences in the workplace.

Findings

– Fear turns out to be the discursive resource through which resistance is actually exerted. Through emotions, temporary nurses build a community of coping and enhance their collective identity. They use fear to develop solidarity and to mobilize collective resistance in the workplace. Although no traditional resistance behaviours are reported, they aim to undermine the reputation of top managers and challenge and re-write the prevailing discourses of the organization.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to the critical literature because the authors analysed a relationship that is rarely theoretically and empirically examined in literature, that between employment contract, collective identity-building dynamics and processes of resistance. We showed that the creation of a community of coping enabled minorities to voice their distance from and opposition to management.
Cyber-Green: idealism in the information age
Authors: Duff Alistair S.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to retrieve relevant aspects of the work of idealist thinker T.H. Green to improve comprehension of, and policy responses to, various dilemmas facing contemporary “information societies”.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is an exercise in interdisciplinary conceptual research, seeking a new synthesis that draws upon a range of ethical, metaphysical, empirical and policy texts and ideas. It is an application of moral and political principles to post-industrial problems, part of an ongoing international effort to develop viable normative approaches to the emergent information society. The background research includedin situstudy of archival papers.

Findings

– Green’s version of idealism illuminates current, technologically induced shifts in our understandings of important categories such as self, substance and space. The paper finds that Green’s doctrine of the common good, his alternative to the (still prevalent) school of utilitarian welfarism, combined with his famously “positive” theory of the state, is highly relevant as a normative template for applied philosophy and policy. The article demonstrates its applicability to three vital contemporary issues: freedom of information, intellectual property and personal privacy. It concludes that Green’s work provides exceptional resources for an original, anti-technocratic, theory of the information society as good society.

Practical implications

– It is hoped that, as part of the wider rediscovery of the work of Green and other idealists, the paper will have some impact on public policy.

Originality/value

– The paper contains a new scholarly interpretation of Green’s theories of the common good and of the state. In addition, it is believed to be the first major attempt to apply idealism to the information society and its problems.
Organizational justice as buffer against stressful job demands
Authors: Proost Karin , Verboon Peter , van Ruysseveldt Joris
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of organizational justice in the context of Karasek’s job demand-control model. It is suggested that employees benefit from organizational justice in order to cope with high job demands. Furthermore, it is argued that justice perceptions are a precondition for the buffering role of job control with respect to job demands.

Design/methodology/approach

– A cross-sectional study on employees (n=197) in nursing houses was used. The hypotheses were tested by hierarchal regression analysis.

Findings

– Results showed that organizational justice buffered for the positive effect of job demands on turnover intentions and for the negative effect of job demands on job satisfaction. Furthermore, the results showed that justice serves as an important precondition for the moderating role of job control on the effect of job demands on job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Justice appeared to strengthen the role of job control as a buffer for high job demands.

Originality/value

– The importance of organizational justice with respect to job design and personnel practices has been demonstrated. New is the finding that justice can strengthen the role of job control as a buffer for high job demands.
Nonlinear associations between breached obligations and employee well-being
Authors: De Jong Jeroen de , Clinton Michael , Rigotti Thomas , Bernhard-Oettel Claudia
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the nonlinear association between proportions of breached obligations within the psychological contract (PC) and three dimensions of employee well-being, and the mediating role of contract violation in these relationships. With this study the authors gain a more detailed understanding of PC evaluations and their consequences for well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors build on asymmetry effects theory and affective events theory to propose that breached obligations outweigh fulfilled obligations in their association with well-being. The hypotheses are tested using a sample of 4,953 employees from six European countries and Israel.

Findings

– The results provide support for the hypotheses, as the effect sizes of the indirect relationships for breached obligations on well-being via violation are initially strong compared to fulfilled obligations, but decrease incrementally as the proportion of breached obligations become greater. At a certain point the effect sizes become nonsignificant.

Research limitations/implications

– The study shows that PC theory and research needs to better acknowledge the potential for asymmetrical effects of breach relative to fulfillment, such that the breach of obligations can sometimes have a stronger effect on employee well-being than the fulfillment of obligations.

Practical implications

– Those responsible for managing PCs in organizations should be aware of the asymmetrical effects of breach relative to fulfillment, as trusting on the acceptance or tolerance of employees in dealing with breached obligations may quickly result in lower well-being.

Originality/value

– The findings have implications for the understanding of PC breach and its associations with employee well-being.
Strategy execution: five drivers of performance
Authors: Sabourin Vincent
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– What are the strategies of managers to implement their strategy? What are the strategies to execute organizational objectives? The purpose of this paper is to approach what the authors call thedrivers of performancethat is the driving forces which impact the performance of a manager in executing his/her objectives. What are the strategies, which you as a manager have to have in order to execute your objectives and to obtain better results with your respective department? The authors discuss the five drivers of performance, that of rules, emotions, initiatives, immediate action and integrity. The research findings are presented with a discussion on the usefulness of the drivers.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey questionnaire was administered to a population of 484, with a study sample of 180 managers to better understand the underlying drivers of performance in strategy execution. The authors used primarily components analysis to examine the relationship between drivers of performance identified in previous research.

Findings

– The study found four drivers the performance and management practices of managers. The following driver were found; driver of emotions, (getting a commitment for your objectives), the dimension of taking initiatives (translating the objectives into concrete projects/empowerment), the driver of rules (clarifying and aligning the objectives) and driver of immediate action (taking valued added action and facing emergencies in the execution).

Research limitations/implications

– The paper found that the fundamental of strategic management such as management leadership in performance and strategy execution could be organized according to four drivers. Additional work will be necessary to generalize the findings to other type of management programs which are related to performance effectiveness.

Originality/value

– The study sought to contribute a new management direction by identifying four drivers gathering the strategic platforms that managers could employ to organize their performance and strategy execution.
Exploration of relational factors: Sino-foreign joint venture partnering
Authors: Lau Vivien Man Yee , Tovstiga George
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– Despite recent threats of economic contraction, China still offers attractive opportunities for foreign companies seeking to expand their business activities through joint venturing (JV) partnering entry strategies. Recent research has indicated a growing recognition of the importance of relational factors in JV partnering. The purpose of this paper is to build on recent research findings that identify critical relation success factors in JVs and explores these in the context of a Hong Kong-based civil aviation services company seeking to expand business activities in Greater China.

Design/methodology/approach

– While the extant management literature focuses primarily on factors relevant to the inter-partner relationship between partners in the formation stage of a joint venture, this research takes a dynamic stakeholder perspective in respect of the relevant relational factors over the evolution of a partnership. The research described in this paper is based on a case-based study that identifies and examines the relevance and importance of uniquely Chinese factors such asguanxi,renqingandmianziin the specific context of a strategic partnering relationship.

Findings

– This phenomenological study provides empirical evidence of critical linkages of these to intrinsically Chinese notions ofguanxi,mianziandrenqing– it links these to key strategic partnering success factors identified to be trust, conflict resolution, commitment and cooperation. This study thereby reinforces the importance of the uniquely Chinese relational context in cross-border JVs. Moreover, the research findings suggest that these factors underpin the dynamic bi-directional stakeholder relationship in a Sino-foreign strategic partnership.

Originality/value

– This study conceptually links the uniquely Chinese relational factors (guanxi,mianziandrenqing) to key success factors supporting the establishment of a strategic partnership in a Sino-foreign context; moreover, it contributes empirical evidence substantiating the proposed conceptual linkage.
Learning conditions, members’ motivation and satisfaction: a multilevel analysis
Authors: Dimas Isabel Dórdio , Rebelo Teresa , Lourenço Paulo Renato
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to contribute to the clarification of the conditions under which teams can be successful, especially those related to team learning. To attain this goal, in the present study, the mediating role played by team members’ motivation on the relationship between team learning conditions (shared learning beliefs and team learning support) and members’ satisfaction with the team was analysed.

Design/methodology/approach

– An empirical study with a multilevel design was carried out. Data concerning learning conditions, motivation and satisfaction were obtained from a survey among 398 employees working in 71 teams that perform complex tasks from 24 companies. A multilevel analysis was conducted.

Findings

– Overall, the results showed that both team learning conditions – shared learning beliefs and team learning support – had a significant positive effect on members’ satisfaction, which was mediated by members’ motivation.

Originality/value

– The proliferation of groups in the organizational setting has set new challenges for organizational research. In fact, more than ever it is necessary to study the conditions under which teams can be successful. Our findings put forward the relevance of creating conditions in the team to learn to increase team effectiveness, namely, in terms of team members’ satisfaction.
The evolution of tail length in snakes associated with different gravitational environments
Authors: Sheehy Coleman M. , Albert James S. , Lillywhite Harvey B.
Published: May 2015

Gravity imposes potentially important constraints on blood circulation in tall or elongate animals during upright posture or climbing. Upright postures create vertical gradients of gravitational (=hydrostatic) pressures within circulatory vessels. In terrestrial animals, this pressure potentially induces blood pooling and oedema in dependent (inferior) tissues and, secondarily, decreases blood volume reaching the head and vital organs. Arboreal snakes exhibit a suite of adaptations for countering the effects of gravity on blood circulation, including relatively non‐compliant tissue compartments in the tail. However, patterns of tail length related to arboreal habitats and gravity have not been previously studied. Here, we test the hypothesis that arboreal snakes have relatively longer tails than non‐climbing species, and we interpret the results within the context of adaptation to gravity stress.

Length data were obtained for 226 snake species, 139 genera and 15 snake families assigned to three broad gravitational habitat categories (G‐habitats: stenotopically arboreal, eurytopically arboreal/terrestrial and non‐scansorial). We constructed a composite phylogenetic tree and quantified the relationships between snake morphology and G‐habitat using conventional regression analysis of species data and regressions of phylogenetically independent contrasts.

Mean relative tail length (RTL) increased and mean relative snout‐vent length decreased with increasing arboreality among the three G‐habitats. However, mean total body length (TL) was not different between the two arboreal G‐habitats.

Snakes with longerRTLs have a higher percentage of elongate blood vessels contained within the relatively non‐compliant integument of the tail, which mitigates postural blood pooling experienced during climbing.TLin adult female arboreal snakes is hypothesized to be an evolutionary trade‐off between demands for a longer tail to enhance cardiovascular performance and the length of body cavity to provide space for young.

Our results complement previous studies correlatingRTLwith arboreal habitat use, in addition to physiological experiments quantifying the effects of gravity on blood flow in snakes. These results provide evidence that longRTLs of arboreal snakes function, at least in part, as an adaptive response to cardiovascular stresses on blood circulation imposed by gravity. Selection on tail length related to other factors seems less likely, but is in need of further investigation.