bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Much-Needed Mechanism and Reaction Rate for the Oxidation of Phenols with ClO2: A Joint Experimental and Computational Study
Authors: Aguilar Carlos Alberto Huerta , Narayanan Jayanthi , Manoharan Mariappan , Singh Narinder , Thangarasu Pandiyan
Published: April 2013

The oxidation of phenols with chlorine dioxide, a powerful means to eliminate phenol pollutants from drinking water, is explored. Kinetic experiments reveal that 2,4,6-trichlorophenol exhibits a lower oxidation rate than other phenols because the chlorine atoms (σ = 0.22) at ortho and para-positions decrease the benzene’s electron density, in agreement with the Hammett plot. The oxidation of phenol was found to be second order with respect to phenol and first order with respect to ClO2 and a possible mechanism is proposed. The phenol/ClO2 oxidation was found to be pH-dependent since the reaction rate constant increases with increasing pH. The oxidation rate was also significantly enhanced with an increasing methanol ratio in water. The oxidation products, such as benzoquinones, were analysed and confirmed by liquid chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Density functional theory computations at both the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) and M06-2X.6-311+G(d,p) levels with the SCRF-PCM solvation model (i.e. with water) further supported the proposed mechanisms in which activation barriers predicted the right reactivity trend as shown by the kinetic experiments.
Bringing the ocean into the laboratory to probe the chemical complexity of sea spray aerosol
Authors: Prather Kimberly A. , Bertram Timothy H. , Grassian Vicki H. , Deane Grant B. , Stokes M. Dale , DeMott Paul J. , Aluwihare Lihini I. , Palenik Brian P. , Azam Farooq , Seinfeld John H. , Moffet Ryan C. , Molina Mario J. , Cappa Christopher D. , Geiger Franz M. , Roberts Gregory C. , Russell Lynn M. , Ault Andrew P. , Baltrusaitis Jonas , Collins Douglas B. , Corrigan Craig E. , Cuadra-Rodriguez Luis A. , Ebben Carlena J. , Forestieri Sara D. , Guasco Timothy L. , Hersey Scott P. , Kim Michelle J. , Lambert William F. , Modini Robin L. , Mui Wilton , Pedler Byron E. , Ruppel Matthew J. , Ryder Olivia S. , Schoepp Nathan G. , Sullivan Ryan C. , Zhao Defeng
Published: April 2013

The production, size, and chemical composition of sea spray aerosol (SSA) particles strongly depend on seawater chemistry, which is controlled by physical, chemical, and biological processes. Despite decades of studies in marine environments, a direct relationship has yet to be established between ocean biology and the physicochemical properties of SSA. The ability to establish such relationships is hindered by the fact that SSA measurements are typically dominated by overwhelming background aerosol concentrations even in remote marine environments. Herein, we describe a newly developed approach for reproducing the chemical complexity of SSA in a laboratory setting, comprising a unique ocean-atmosphere facility equipped with actual breaking waves. A mesocosm experiment was performed in natural seawater, using controlled phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria concentrations, which showed SSA size and chemical mixing state are acutely sensitive to the aerosol production mechanism, as well as to the type of biological species present. The largest reduction in the hygroscopicity of SSA occurred as heterotrophic bacteria concentrations increased, whereas phytoplankton and chlorophyll-
a
concentrations decreased, directly corresponding to a change in mixing state in the smallest (60–180 nm) size range. Using this newly developed approach to generate realistic SSA, systematic studies can now be performed to advance our fundamental understanding of the impact of ocean biology on SSA chemical mixing state, heterogeneous reactivity, and the resulting climate-relevant properties.
Durable tumor regression in genetically altered malignant rhabdoid tumors by inhibition of methyltransferase EZH2
Authors: Knutson Sarah K. , Warholic Natalie M. , Wigle Tim J. , Klaus Christine R. , Allain Christina J. , Raimondi Alejandra , Porter Scott Margaret , Chesworth Richard , Moyer Mikel P. , Copeland Robert A. , Richon Victoria M. , Pollock Roy M. , Kuntz Kevin W. , Keilhack Heike
Published: April 2013

Inactivation of the switch/sucrose nonfermentable complex component
SMARCB1
is extremely prevalent in pediatric malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRTs) or atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors. This alteration is hypothesized to confer oncogenic dependency on EZH2 in these cancers. We report the discovery of a potent, selective, and orally bioavailable small-molecule inhibitor of EZH2 enzymatic activity, (N-((4,6-dimethyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydropyridin-3-yl)methyl)-5-(ethyl(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-yl)amino)-4-methyl-4′-(morpholinomethyl)-[1,1′-biphenyl]-3-carboxamide). The compound induces apoptosis and differentiation specifically in
SMARCB1
-deleted MRT cells. Treatment of xenograft-bearing mice with (N-((4,6-dimethyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydropyridin-3-yl)methyl)-5-(ethyl(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-yl)amino)-4-methyl-4′-(morpholinomethyl)-[1,1′-biphenyl]-3-carboxamide) leads to dose-dependent regression of MRTs with correlative diminution of intratumoral trimethylation levels of lysine 27 on histone H3, and prevention of tumor regrowth after dosing cessation. These data demonstrate the dependency of
SMARCB1
mutant MRTs on EZH2 enzymatic activity and portend the utility of EZH2-targeted drugs for the treatment of these genetically defined cancers.
Human amnesia and the medial temporal lobe illuminated by neuropsychological and neurohistological findings for patient E.P.
Authors: Insausti Ricardo , Annese Jacopo , Amaral David G. , Squire Larry R.
Published: April 2013

Significance

Patient E.P. developed profound amnesia from encephalitis and then was studied for 14 years before his death in 2008. He had no capacity for acquiring new knowledge about facts and events and had retrograde amnesia covering several decades. This report presents detailed neurohistological findings for this case and relates these findings to his neuropsychological data. The damage included all the structures of the medial temporal lobe bilaterally. In addition, the lateral temporal cortex was shrunken and gliotic. The findings illuminate a number of issues about memory, perception, and cognition and about the functions of medial and lateral temporal lobe.
A novel web server predicts amino acid residue protection against hydrogen–deuterium exchange
Authors: Lobanov Mikhail Yu. , Suvorina Masha Yu. , Dovidchenko Nikita V. , Sokolovskiy Igor V. , Surin Alexey K. , Galzitskaya Oxana V.
Published: April 2013

Motivation: To clarify the relationship between structural elements and polypeptide chain mobility, a set of statistical analyses of structures is necessary. Because at present proteins with determined spatial structures are much less numerous than those with amino acid sequence known, it is important to be able to predict the extent of proton protection from hydrogen–deuterium (HD) exchange basing solely on the protein primary structure.

Results: Here we present a novel web server aimed to predict the degree of amino acid residue protection against HD exchange solely from the primary structure of the protein chain under study. On the basis of the amino acid sequence, the presented server offers the following three possibilities (predictors) for user’s choice. First, prediction of the number of contacts occurring in this protein, which is shown to be helpful in estimating the number of protons protected against HD exchange (sensitivity 0.71). Second, probability of H-bonding in this protein, which is useful for finding the number of unprotected protons (specificity 0.71). The last is the use of an artificial predictor. Also, we report on mass spectrometry analysis of HD exchange that has been first applied to free amino acids. Its results showed a good agreement with theoretical data (number of protons) for 10 globular proteins (correlation coefficient 0.73). We pioneered in compiling two datasets of experimental HD exchange data for 35 proteins.

Availability: The H-Protection server is available for users at http://bioinfo.protres.ru/ogp/

Contact:  ogalzit@vega.protres.ru

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
A support vector machine for identification of single-nucleotide polymorphisms from next-generation sequencing data
Authors: O’Fallon Brendan D. , Wooderchak-Donahue Whitney , Crockett David K.
Published: April 2013

Motivation: Accurate determination of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from next-generation sequencing data is a significant challenge facing bioinformatics researchers. Most current methods use mechanistic models that assume nucleotides aligning to a given reference position are sampled from a binomial distribution. While such methods are sensitive, they are often unable to discriminate errors resulting from misaligned reads, sequencing errors or platform artifacts from true variants.

Results: To enable more accurate SNP calling, we developed an algorithm that uses a trained support vector machine (SVM) to determine variants from .BAM or .SAM formatted alignments of sequence reads. Our SVM-based implementation determines SNPs with significantly greater sensitivity and specificity than alternative platforms, including the UnifiedGenotyper included with the Genome Analysis Toolkit, samtools and FreeBayes. In addition, the quality scores produced by our implementation more accurately reflect the likelihood that a variant is real when compared with those produced by the Genome Analysis Toolkit. While results depend on the model used, the implementation includes tools to easily build new models and refine existing models with additional training data.

Availability: Source code and executables are available from github.com/brendanofallon/SNPSVM/

Contact:  brendan.d.ofallon@aruplab.com or david.crockett@aruplab.com
Sharing and executing linked data queries in a collaborative environment
Authors: García Godoy María Jesús , López-Camacho Esteban , Navas-Delgado Ismael , Aldana-Montes José F.
Published: April 2013

Motivation: Life Sciences have emerged as a key domain in the Linked Data community because of the diversity of data semantics and formats available through a great variety of databases and web technologies. Thus, it has been used as the perfect domain for applications in the web of data. Unfortunately, bioinformaticians are not exploiting the full potential of this already available technology, and experts in Life Sciences have real problems to discover, understand and devise how to take advantage of these interlinked (integrated) data.

Results: In this article, we present Bioqueries, a wiki-based portal that is aimed at community building around biological Linked Data. This tool has been designed to aid bioinformaticians in developing SPARQL queries to access biological databases exposed as Linked Data, and also to help biologists gain a deeper insight into the potential use of this technology. This public space offers several services and a collaborative infrastructure to stimulate the consumption of biological Linked Data and, therefore, contribute to implementing the benefits of the web of data in this domain. Bioqueries currently contains 215 query entries grouped by database and theme, 230 registered users and 44 end points that contain biological Resource Description Framework information.

Availability: The Bioqueries portal is freely accessible at http://bioqueries.uma.es.

Contact:  jfam@lcc.uma.es

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Normal and tumour cervical cells respond differently to vaginal lactobacilli, independent of pH and lactate
Authors: Motevaseli Elahe , Shirzad Mahdieh , Akrami Seyed Mohammad , Mousavi Azam-Sadat , Mirsalehian Akbar , Modarressi Mohammad Hossein
Published: April 2013

Cervical cancer is a human papilloma virus (HPV)-related cancer, but most HPV infections are transient or intermittent and resolve spontaneously. Thus, other factors, such as cervical microflora, which are dominated by lactobacilli, must be involved in invasive cervical carcinoma development after HPV infection. Previous studies have demonstrated that lactobacilli have antitumour effects, and it is possible that vaginal lactobacilli prevent cervical cancer. Here we examined the proliferative and apoptotic responses of normal and tumour cervical cells to common vaginal lactobacilli components by investigating human normal fibroblast-like cervical (normal cervical) and HeLa (cervical tumour) cell responses to Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus crispatus. The effects of different lactobacilli components, such as culture supernatants, cytoplasmic extracts, cell-wall extracts and live cells, were determined by MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay, trypan blue staining, lactate dehydrogenase assay and colorimetric caspase-3 activity assay. Changes in caspase-3 and human chorionic gonadotropin β (hCGβ) expression were analysed by quantitative RT-PCR. Tumour cell growth inhibition by culture supernatants was higher than that by pH- and lactate-adjusted controls. However, the effects of the supernatants on normal cells were similar to those of lactate-adjusted controls. Apoptosis was inhibited by supernatants, which was consistent with higher hCGβ expression since hCG inhibits apoptosis. Our study demonstrated that common vaginal lactobacilli exert cytotoxic effects on cervical tumour cells, but not on normal cells, and that this cytotoxicity is independent of pH and lactate. Our results encourage further studies on the interaction between lactobacilli and cervical cells, and administration of common vaginal lactobacilli as probiotics.
Induction of apoptosis by the Amsacta moorei entomopoxvirus
Authors: Perera Srini , Krell Peter , Demirbag Zihni , Nalçacioğlu Remziye , Arif Basil
Published: April 2013

CF-70-B2 cells derived from the spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) undergo apoptosis when infected with Amsacta moorei entomopoxvirus (AMEV), as characterized by membrane blebbing, formation of apoptotic bodies, TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) staining, condensed chromatin and induction of caspase-3/7 activity. The apoptotic response was reduced when cells were infected with UV-inactivated AMEV, but not when infected in the presence of the DNA synthesis inhibitor, cytosine β-d-arabinofuranoside. Hence, only pre-DNA replication events were involved in inducing the antiviral response in CF-70-B2 cells. The virus eventually overcame the host’s antiviral response and replicated to high progeny virus titres accompanied by high levels of caspase-3/7 activity. The CF-70-B2 cells were less productive of progeny virus in comparison to LD-652, a Lymantria dispar cell line routinely used for propagation of AMEV. At late stages of infection, LD-652 cells also showed characteristics of apoptosis such as oligosomal DNA fragmentation, TUNEL staining, condensed chromatin and increased caspase-3/7 activity. Induction of apoptosis in LD-652 cells was dependent on viral DNA replication and/or late gene expression. A significantly reduced rate of infection was observed in the presence of general caspase inhibitors Q-VD-OPH and Z-VAD-FMK, indicating caspases may be involved in productive virus infection.
A simple and safe method for the preparation of bis[2-(2H-tetrazol-5-yl)pyridinium] tetrachloridozincate(II)
Authors: Paciorek Patrycja , Szklarzewicz Janusz , Nitek Wojciech
Published: April 2013

In the title complex salt, (C6H6N5)2[ZnCl4], the ZnIIcation is coordinated by four chloride ligands in a distorted tetrahedral geometry. The organic cations and complex anions are connected by N—H...Cl hydrogen bonds, leading to the formation of a three-dimensional network. The title complex salt was synthesized by the reaction of sodium azide, pyridine-2-carbonitrile and ZnCl2in aqueous solution. The salt was characterized by elemental analysis and IR and UV–Vis spectroscopy.
Learning agility: the “X” factor in identifying and developing future leaders
Authors: Swisher Vicki
Published: April 2013

Purpose

Leaders of the future need to be better than the leaders they replace because the challenges are greater, the speed faster, the competition tougher, and the marketplace increasingly global. In short, the leaders of today and tomorrow must be agile leaders. They must be resourceful in the face of change, and above all, able to learn from experience. People with this ability perform well under first‐time, challenging conditions. This paper seeks to address these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

In a climate of challenging external forces, market conditions, and internal challenges – the question has to be asked: Who will lead? Who will shepherd the organization into the future, navigate the external pressures, effectively manage the increasing complexity, and ultimately guide the organization to win in the market? When thinking about leading the organization into the future, depth of expertise will certainly remain important. But to effectively navigate the uncertainties and growing complexity, and manage dilemmas effectively, people are needed who can tackle the new, the first‐time, the unknown – and with positive results. These are the people that can take on more broad roles and responsibilities.

Findings

Two major streams of research have studied what behaviors lead to executive success and, conversely, what causes an executive's career to derail. A common theme in the research was the extent to which the executives sought out diverse experiences and amassed multiple, repeatable lessons from them. Those lessons manifested as varied and expansive ways of looking at problems, and coming up with creative solutions.

Originality/value

Learning agility is much more than an abstract concept. It is a set of behaviors or competencies that can be observed and assessed. And, importantly, because it is behavior‐based, learning agility can be developed. Unlike a measure such as IQ, learning agility is not static and a motivated person can increase his or her learning agility. With learning agility, a person can better differentiate talent and develop it in a way that will fit personal career aspirations and benefit the organization as a whole. And, ultimately, ensure there is the right leadership that can adapt to change, address the unexpected and motivate and inspire those around them.
Reclaiming “management” from the margins: some evidence from 360 degree assessments
Authors: Manning Tony
Published: April 2013

Purpose

Much current thinking and practice treats “management” as a peripheral activity, intrinsically inferior and subordinate to “leadership”. The purpose of this paper is to reclaim “management” from the margins and return it to the center of the stage, alongside “leadership”. It aims to highlight the importance of a set of “task” management activities (including clarifying roles, and planning, monitoring, controlling and co‐ordinating activities) in delivering organizational objectives, in getting the job done.

Design/methodology/approach

The research described looks at the degree of correlation, and its statistical significance, between different aspects of 360 degree assessments of performance, as well as between 360 degree assessments and three self‐assessment instruments. Evidence is also presented on the differences between senior and middle managers.

Findings

Statistically significant relationships were found between various “task” behaviors and 360 degree outcomes. There was a direct link between “task” behaviors and “task” outcomes, concerned with getting the job done, and an indirect link to other outcomes, arising from the systemic and systematic nature of such behaviors. Differences were found in the nature of the relationships between middle and senior managers.

Research limitations/implications

The research uses one outcome measure, 360 degree assessments, examines one contextual variable, seniority, and is based on managers in the UK public sector. Further research using other outcome measures, examining other contextual variables and based on other populations would be useful.

Practical implications

The research findings highlight the importance of “task” management behaviors and indicate which particular behaviors are important at different management levels. The practical implications for managers are that to deliver organizational objectives and get the job done, they need to focus more on such behaviors, using specific behaviors appropriate to their seniority.

Social implications

This paper has implications for individual training and development professionals and for organizations providing and purchasing such services, including government organizations, who need to recognize the importance of “management” alongside “leadership”.

Originality/value

This paper provides an evidence‐based challenge to the widely held view that “management” is intrinsically inferior and subordinate to “leadership”.
Do ageing economies save less? Evidence from OECD data
Authors: Wong Benjamin , Ki Tang Kam
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to re‐examine the effect of population ageing on private saving, taking into account the fact that ageing is brought about by not only rising old‐aged dependency but also expanding longevity.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses panel data of 22 OECD countries from 1961 to 2010. Linear and non‐linear panel regression methods are used. The study takes into account the time series characteristic of the data, such as the deterministic trend present in old‐age dependency ratio.

Findings

Longevity consistently has a significant positive impact on savings, while old‐aged dependency rate has no discernible impact once country‐specific time trends in the data are accounted for. The general finding within the literature where old‐age dependency exerts a negative impact on savings is sensitive to the manner in which the data is handled and/or the sample selected.

Originality/value

First, the authors jointly consider rising old‐aged dependency and expanding longevity on savings, thus avoiding potential omitted variable bias in previous studies. Second, they explore non‐linearity in the savings‐ageing relationship which was ignored previously. Third, they identify whether saving rate and demographic measures are sharing common stochastic trends or driven by individual deterministic trends to avoid spurious regression results.
Cooperate “and” compete: coopetition strategy in retailer‐supplier relationships
Authors: Kim Stephen , Kim Namwoon , Pae Jae H. , Yip Leslie
Published: April 2013

Purpose

This study aims to examine the strategic implications and managerial outcomes of the concurrent use of cooperation and competition in vertical channel relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs a structured questionnaire to gather data regarding vertical channel relationships in China.

Findings

Whereas the academic literature has emphasized cooperation between channel members because of the interdependence between them, in reality, retailers may accept competition as just another part of doing business with suppliers.

Research limitations/implications

The outcome variables used may not be comprehensive. In particular, the authors choose the flexibility of channel resources to stand for private benefits and joint benefits to represent common benefits, and though these variables certainly represent the intended benefits of the ambidextrous strategy, it remains to be seen whether other benefits may emerge for the exchange parties in vertical relationships.

Practical implications

Using an ambidextrous strategy does not damage relationship quality, though it certainly does not enhance it. This view is based on the notion that an ambidextrous strategy at least does not harm either common or private benefits. Therefore, exchange parties using the ambidextrous strategy should not experience a relationship that is worse than that which results when they use cooperation or competition alone. The results of the current study indicate that this view reflects reality more accurately.

Originality/value

The value of the current study centers on the application of a conceptual framework regarding ambidextrous strategy to vertical channel relationships in a developing economy.
Relationship configurations in the apparel supply chain
Authors: Chen Ivy S.N. , Fung Patrick K.O.
Published: April 2013

Purpose

This study aims to identify the types of relationships that intermediaries form with their suppliers and customers in the apparel supply chain and their implications for performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Cluster analysis was conducted on the supplier and customer relationships of 90 trade intermediaries in the apparel industry.

Findings

Three configurations were identified: moderately dependent relationships with suppliers and customers and moderate flexibility upstream; highly dependent relationships with suppliers and customers but low flexibility upstream; and relationships with suppliers and customers that are low in dependence. Performance of firms using these configurations differed. Firms that cultivated some dependence upstream and downstream performed best. Firms with highly dependent relationships with suppliers and customers but low flexibility upstream performed almost as well. This group was highly skilled in relationship management. Firms that maintained low dependence with suppliers and customers performed the worst.

Research limitations/implications

Findings were based on a limited sample of 90 firms. Relationship configurations may differ in other industries, e.g. car industry.

Practical implications

For a supply chain to be effective, firms need to consider how they structure the relationships along the supply chain to facilitate the flow of information, goods and resources.

Originality/value

Prior research has considered relationships as independent dyads. This study looks at tripartite relationships involving suppliers and customers in the supply chain.
Effects of customer equity drivers on customer loyalty in B2B context
Authors: Ramaseshan B. , Rabbanee Fazlul K. , Tan Hsin Hui Laine
Published: April 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the effects of customer equity drivers on customer loyalty via customer trust in a B2B context.

Design/methodology/approach

A self‐administered online survey was conducted to collect data from the organizational customers of an on‐hold service company in Australia. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data.

Findings

The study reveals that in a B2B context, value equity and relationship equity have significant influence on customer loyalty through the mediating effect of customer trust. On the other hand, brand equity is found to have no effect on customer trust and loyalty.

Practical implications

In order to obtain business customers' loyalty, managers should focus more on value and relationship equity than brand equity.

Originality/value

While most of the previous studies on “customer equity” focused on the B2C context, this study focuses on a B2B context. It demonstrates the impact of customer equity drivers on business customers' loyalty.
The impact of trust in manager on unethical intention and customer‐oriented selling
Authors: Schwepker Charles H. , Schultz Roberta J.
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how customer‐oriented selling is linked to two important antecedents – unethical intention and the trust of salespeople in their manager.

Design/methodology/approach

Hypotheses are developed suggesting that “unethical intention” is inversely related to “trust in manager” and “customer‐oriented selling.” Data were collected from 345 business‐to‐business sales professionals. Structural equation modeling was used to test a model of the hypothesized relationships.

Findings

Support was shown for a negative relationship between unethical intention and both trust in manager and customer‐oriented selling. Interestingly, the proposed negative relationship between trust in manager and customer‐oriented selling was not supported in this sample.

Research limitations/implications

This study's findings will advance the academic sales research as the literature suggests the importance of building salespeople's trust in their manager, reducing unethical behavior and using customer‐oriented selling. In addition, contributions are offered for advancing the understanding of ethical decision making theory.

Practical implications

Understanding the importance of manager trust building and reducing unethical behaviors can be incorporated into training.

Originality/value

The study confirms a negative relationship between unethical intention and both trust in managers and customer‐oriented selling. Implications are provided as to how practitioners can operationalize these findings to develop trust in managers and reduce the unethical intention of their salespeople.
Factors influencing evidence-based practice by Iranian general practitioners
Authors: Olfati Nahid , Dastgiri Saeed , Hajebrahimi Sakineh , Jahanbin Hassan
Published: April 2013

Purpose

– This study aims to fill the knowledge gap regarding general practitioners
'
(GPs) research utilization (RU) behavior in Iran. It also aims to find possible barriers to research use among GPs to inform organizational change processes.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors modified the research utilization questionnaire developed by Estabrooks et al., to address physicians
'
views. The questionnaire was piloted and its validity and reliability was assessed before being sent to GPs. A 77 percent response rate was eventually achieved.

Findings

– Respondents were generally positive concerning research evidence use. Respondents
'
mean attitude score was 25.3 (SD=5.6, min. 13, max. 37). However, less than 25 percent of the GPs practiced any form of RU in the last year. Absent facilities and resources, little authority to change practices, expected increases in patient visit durations and the poor access to research information were found to be the main RU barriers for GPs.

Practical implications

– The borderline 77 percent response rate was reached despite sending questionnaires to non-responders two times. Considering the non-probability sampling used in this study, generalizing the results should be considered cautiously.

Originality/value

– Research utilization programs are new in Iran and there is little evidence to inform policies. This study focused attitudes concerning RU and GPs
'
knowledge concerning novel research and skills, and to some extent, GPs
'
behaviors toward RU.
Payment by results: are we missing something?
Authors: Shahid Mohammad , Tindall Alistair
Published: April 2013

Purpose

– Payment by results (PbR) was introduced to reward hospitals for productivity. In orthopaedic clinics there is a separate tariff for two procedures: removal of sutures (ROS) and attention to dressing (AD). The Trust claims a fee each time these have been performed. The purpose of this paper is to look at how many of these procedures were performed in an outpatient setting but were not claimed for because of poor documentation.

Design/methodology/approach

– A retrospective study was performed analysing all orthopaedics clinics occurring in one month. After each consultation the clinician completes a coding pro forma and dictates a clinic letter. The pro forma contains a list of the orthopaedic procedures attracting a tariff and used for coding. A comparison was made between what was documented on the pro forma and the clinic letter to see how many times ROS and AD were done.

Findings

– A total of 72 letters were extracted which contained ROS and AD. Only one of the ROS was documented on the pro forma and subsequently captured by the coders. In one month the Trust failed to claim £9,838. Annually this equates to a revenue loss totaling £118,056.

Practical implications

– Current coding practice is substandard. To maintain financial security Trusts must improve their coding policies as a matter of urgency.

Originality/value

– The paper demonstrates clearly that hospital trusts are losing out financially from this suboptimal practice.
Evaluating change processes
Authors: Hall Gene E.
Published: April 2013

Purpose

In far too many cases the initiatives to change schools by introducing new programs, processes and reforms has not resulted in obtainment of the desired outcomes. A major reason for limited outcomes suggested in this paper is that there has been a failure to learn from and apply constructs and measures related to understanding, facilitating and measuring dimensions of change processes. The aim of this paper is to introduce the three diagnostic dimensions of the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) along with illustrations of how each can be used to assess extent of implementation. Highlights from the four decades of development and use of each of these constructs are presented. Each of the constructs, Stages of Concern, Levels of Use and Innovation Configurations, is described along with review of the four decade story of its measurement development. Reference is made to selected studies. Implications of each construct for research, program evaluation and facilitating change processes are highlighted. The final section of the paper explores relationships between each construct. The conceptual explorations end with suggested implications for research, evaluation and practice. Throughout the author inserts short more personal anecdotes about the reasoning and experiences related to development and applications of each construct. The paper concludes with acknowledgement that other factors, especially leadership, are key to achieving implementation success.

Design/methodology/approach

Introduction of three research‐based constructs, Stages of Concern, Levels of Use and Innovation Configurations, their measures. Findings from selected studies are reviewed.

Findings

The three diagnostic dimensions of the Concerns Based Adoption Model have been applied with a wide range of education innovations, different contexts, and across nations and cultures.

Research limitations/implications

Implementation needs to be determined through direct measurement.

Practical implications

Extent of implementation needs to be determined directly in all treatment and comparison/control groups.

Social implications

Without direct assessment of the extent of implementation the outputs and outcomes of new programs and innovations may not be determined.

Originality/value

The three Diagnostic Dimensions of the Concerns Based Adoption Model have been applied widely. The conceptual implications, especially when the three constructs are interconnected two at a time, offer important suggestions for future research and in program evaluations.
Educational leadership in Singapore
Authors: Dimmock Clive , Yong Tan Cheng
Published: April 2013

Purpose

While Singapore's outstanding educational achievements are well known worldwide, there is a disproportionate paucity of literature on school leadership practices that contribute to and support pedagogical initiatives that – along with socio‐cultural factors – are normally considered responsible for its educational success. The aim of this paper is to explicate system‐wide school leadership factors that contribute to Singapore's educational success.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper includes critical discussion, review of literature and conceptualization.

Findings

It is argued that three unique features of Singapore school leadership, namely – logistics of a small tightly‐coupled school system, human resource policies that reinforce alignment, and a distinctive “leader‐teacher compact” reflecting the predominant Chinese culture – account for the extraordinary level of tight coupling and alignment of leadership across the school system. In turn, these unique features bring synergies of sustainability, scalability, succession, and high performance across the entire Singapore school system.

Research limitations/implications

Unique features of Singapore school leadership must be examined in conjunction with pedagogical initiatives and socio‐cultural factors for a more complete and nuanced understanding of educational success in Singapore.

Practical implications

Tightly coupled mechanisms of leadership underlie the success of Singapore education. Government needs to consider whether such tightly‐ coupled leadership will continue to serve it well in future, given the demand for twenty‐first century knowledge based skills.

Social implications

The influence of socio‐cultural factors (e.g. leader‐teacher compact) on educational success merits inclusion in any explanation.

Originality/value

This paper addresses an important gap in the literature by promulgating crucial features of school leadership that contribute to Singapore's educational success.
Affordances and constraints in the context of teacher collaboration for the purpose of data use
Authors: Datnow Amanda , Park Vicki , Kennedy‐Lewis Brianna
Published: April 2013

Purpose

An increasing number of schools and districts across the US are requiring teachers to collaborate for the purpose of data‐driven decision making. Research suggests that both data use and teacher collaboration are important ingredients in the school improvement process. Existing studies also reveal the complexities of teacher collaboration and the importance of context in shaping teachers’ collaborative work, especially with data. Yet, the intersection of teacher collaboration and data use has been understudied. The purpose of this paper is to examine the affordances and constraints that exist in the context of established teacher collaboration time for the purposes of data‐driven decision making.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws upon qualitative case study data gathered in six schools that structured teacher time for collaboration on data use.

Findings

An analysis of the data revealed that a variety of leadership activities and organizational conditions shaped teachers’ collaborative work with data. These included leadership focused on thoughtful use of data and the framing of data‐driven decision making in terms of collective responsibility; the establishment of norms for teacher collaboration; the implementation of data discussion protocols; and teacher groupings and subject matter subcultures.

Originality/value

Knowing how and when a leadership activity or organizational condition becomes either an affordance or a constraint to teacher collaboration around data use has important implications for leadership and educational change. The findings of this study also help to lay the groundwork for future research regarding teacher collaboration around data use.
Collective trust: a social indicator of instructional capacity
Authors: Adams Curt M.
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to test the validity of using collective trust as a social indicator of instructional capacity.

Design/methodology/approach

A hypothesized model was advanced for the empirical investigation. Collective trust was specified as a latent construct with observable indicators being principal trust in faculty (PTF), faculty trust in principal (FTP), faculty trust in colleagues (FTC), and faculty trust in students (FTS). It was hypothesized that enabling school structure is directly related to the latent collective trust construct and collective trust is directly related to school performance. Data were collected in the spring of 2010/11 from teachers and students in 85 schools in an urban school district in a southwestern state. A partially latent structural regression model was tested in AMOS 7.0.

Findings

Results of the measurement model support the theoretical relationship among faculty trust in principal, faculty trust in colleagues, faculty trust in students, and principal trust in faculty. Both directional hypotheses were supported: enabling school structure had a strong, direct effect on a culture collective trust and collective trust had a strong, direct effect on school performance.

Research limitations/implications

The sample consisted of schools in one urban district in the southwestern part of the USA, and collective trust only operationalized the social dimension of instructional capacity.

Practical implications

Regular and consistent measures of collective trust have the potential to improve how administrators at site and district levels manage the implementation of improvement strategies designed to build capacity.

Originality/value

Many theoretical discussions treat trust as a constitutive property of capacity building, but few studies have empirically testeda priorimodels that specify relationships among structures and processes aligned with instructional capacity, collective trust, and school performance.
Wikis as knowledge management systems: issues and challenges
Authors: Kiniti Sarah , Standing Craig
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and examine the major issues and challenges that impact the implementation of wikis as KMS. Wikis have been referred to as next generation KMS, providing an alternative to traditional knowledge management systems by addressing many of their limitations. However, research shows that there are cases where wikis have failed to achieve this potential. Further research on the range of issues and challenges surrounding the implementation of wikis in the corporate environment is required in order to enable organizations manage them more effectively and reap maximum benefits.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper begins by providing a review of previously published empirical studies on wiki deployment in organizations. The disparate discussions are then synthesised by identifying the major issues and challenges in wiki implementation.

Findings

Six major issues and challenges are identified including lack of a clear purpose for the wiki, wiki usability, integrating wikis into established work practices, social issues, role of management and organizational culture that supports knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Originality/value

It is posited that in order for organizations to successfully implement wikis, it is necessary to first understand the issues and challenges surrounding wiki implementation. This paper contributes to practice by identifying the key issues and challenges in the implementation of wikis and suggesting strategies for using wikis to manage knowledge effectively. Building on this review, we critically analyse the findings and propose a model for the implementation of wikis which addresses these issues and identifies research areas that further need to be investigated.
Window dressing in mutual fund portfolios: fact or fiction?
Authors: Hee Choi Seung , Chhabria Maneesh
Published: April 2013

Purpose

Congress and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have mandated mutual fund disclosure regimes to help investors make better investment decisions to strike an optimal balance between the investors' interest in more timely and accurate portfolio holdings disclosure and the cost associated with making and disclosing the holdings information available to investors. Many academics and practitioners point out that, despite all the regulations on portfolio disclosure, fund managers can still engage in practices that go against the spirit of the rules without violating the letter of the law. The purpose of this paper is to address the empirical question of whether the practice exists, using holdings data for more than 3,000 equity mutual funds during the time period from 1995 to 2004.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors examine window dressing by mutual fund portfolio managers, using holdings data covering more than 3,000 equity mutual funds from 1995 to 2004. The authors first investigate whether the fund holdings are materially different from universe holdings across performance quintiles based on holdings in the month of disclosure and in the following month. The second part of the analysis examines funds' patterns of buying and selling. Finally, the measure of “Buying Intensity” and “Selling Intensity” is examined, with a specific focus on the holdings data for the fourth quarter.

Findings

An examination of fund holdings finds no statistically significant evidence of systematic window dressing, either at the aggregate level or within subsamples of funds based on size or past performance. Rather, it was found that fund managers tend to chase momentum. A combination of investor sophistication and market oversight may serve to be effective in dissuading fund managers from engaging in the practice.

Originality/value

The authors' data are at the individual fund level, based on equity mutual funds holdings data provided to Morningstar on a quarterly or monthly basis (according to Elton et al., the Morningstar database provides timely and accurate mutual fund holdings information). These data allow us to infer better the investment manager intent vis‐à‐vis using 13F data, which is aggregate data across various fund families and separate accounts, or aggregate pension fund equity holdings data that includes aggregate holdings of multiple portfolio managers. In addition, the authors comment on the significance of the regulatory checks and balances that are designed to restrict fund managers' ability to window‐dress their portfolios. In summary, the combination of quantitative evidence from empirical tests and an examination of the legal framework under which mutual fund portfolio managers operate, lead to the conclusion that window dressing is not prevalent in the industry.
The conundrum of legislating risk reduction through financial regulatory reform
Authors: Gilsinan James F. , Seitz Neil , Fisher James , Islam Muhammad Q. , Millar James
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the legislative process, in order to determine the likely effectiveness of financial reform efforts in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Case study of the legislative process, particularly the less visible parts such as rule making, that shaped the passage and implementation of the Dodd‐Frank Act and the failed Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) reform.

Findings

It is found that the process of financial reform legislation is structured in such a way as to thwart major reform, at least in the short run.

Practical implications

The passage of a particular piece of legislation may be the least important element in the process of reform. Rule making and the decisions as to how a law will be implemented, can advance or significantly defeat the quest for change.

Social implications

Much of what occurs in the legislative process is invisible, or appears arcane, to the ordinary citizen but can have major impact on their lives.

Originality/value

The paper provides a road map to understanding the least visible parts of financial reform efforts and suggests ways of achieving reform outcomes.