bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Glass-like structure of a lead-based relaxor ferroelectric
Authors: Bosak Alexei , Chernyshov Dmitry , Vakhrushev Sergey
Published: October 2012

It has been shown [Bosak, Chernyshov, Vakhrushev & Krisch (2012).Acta Cryst.A68, 117–123] that detailed experimental three-dimensional maps of diffuse scattering in lead-based relaxors do not agree with those expected from the concept of polar nanoregions and/or polar nanodomains. Instead, the observed diffuse scattering can be successfully parameterized in terms of a pseudo-dynamical matrix, having a shape very similar to that of the thermal diffuse scattering. Here the parameterization is extended and used to generate the disordered atomic configurations. The analysis of the resulting displacement patterns retrieved for lead ions shows that a static snapshot of the relaxor structure corresponds to the specific dipole glassy state that is characterized by local polarization and its projection onto the selected direction. The recovered structural model agrees with the observed behaviour of dielectric susceptibility as well as the existence of a wide-range hierarchy in the relaxation times in these materials.
Anbar Abstracts Issue
Authors: Sandelands Eric
Published: October 2012

This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of the International Journal of Manpower is split into seven sections covering abstracts under the following headings: Human Resource Management; Career Planning & Recruitment; Women/Dependant Care; Health & Safety ; Education & Training ; Industrial Relations & Participation ; Redundancy.
Are we there yet? An analysis of e‐book equivalent coverage in highly‐circulated titles at The College of New Jersey Library
Authors: Link Forrest E.
Published: October 2012

Purpose

This paper seeks to determine the extent of e‐book availability and how existing e‐books might meet library needs as defined by monograph circulation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study identified highly circulated print titles and searched for e‐book versions available from aggregators or publishers.

Findings

The results indicate inadequate coverage levels to allow for a discontinuance of print purchasing, but offer clues as to where e‐books might have the greatest impact in this library's collection plans.

Originality/value

The paper introduces a method whereby libraries may determine where e‐book collections best meets user needs.
Renovation and roadblocks while protecting the collection
Authors: Mix Vickie
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer a reflective analysis of a recent renovation project and a disaster recovery effort affecting multiple collections in a mid‐sized university library.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper provides a case study.

Findings

This paper examines planning for a re‐carpeting project, particularly the unexpected challenges associated with renovation activities.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the discussion of collection disposition during renovation and disaster recovery projects.
Anbar Abstracts Issue
Authors: Fojt Martin
Published: October 2012

This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of the International Marketing Review is split into six sections covering abstracts under the following headings: Marketing Strategy; Customer Service; Promotion; Product Management; Marketing Research/Customer Behaviour/Public Relations; Pricing/Sales Management/Sales Force.
Strategies for Service Quality
Authors: Sandelands Eric
Published: October 2012

For many, quality circles have been a struggle, total quality management has been something to “get around to one day” and continuous improvement has just been another expression meaning total quality management, which, of course is something that we will “get around to one day”. Worse, the acronyms used ‐ QC, TQM, CI ‐ have joined such exotic practices as JIT (just‐in‐time inventory), CAD‐CAM (computer‐aided development and manufacturing) and more recently BPR (business process re‐engineering) in an alphabet soup of consultant‐led packages, available to the discerning manager ‐ at a price.
Anbar Abstracts Issue
Authors: Fojt Martin
Published: October 2012

This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of the International Journal of Bank Marketing is split into five sections covering abstracts under the following headings: Marketing Strategy; Customer Service; Sales and Promotion; Product Development; Information Technology Strategies.
Anbar Abstracts Issue
Authors: Sandelands Eric
Published: October 2012

This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of the Journal of European Industrial Training is split into seven sections covering abstracts under the following headings: General Training Issues; Education & Students; Training/Learning Techniques; Training Technology;
Skills Training; Management Development; Career/HR Development.
Anbar Abstracts Issue
Authors: Fojt Martin
Published: October 2012

This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of the Journal of European Industrial Training is split into seven sections covering abstracts under the following headings: General Training Issues; Education & Students; Training/Learning Techniques; Training Technology;
Skills Training; Management Development; Career/HR Development.
Evaluating digital piracy intentions on behaviors
Authors: Taylor Steven A.
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess how well digital piracy self‐report intentions predict actual digital piracy behaviors in service marketing research.

Design/methodology/approach

Study 1 collects 321 surveys to investigate potential measurement issues related to digital piracy intention formation. Study 2 replicates Study 1 based on a separate sample of 267 respondents, and additionally links digital piracy intentions to directly observed digital piracy behaviors across a peer‐to‐peer network.

Findings

The results first validate a strong predictive relationship between self‐report intentions and observed digital piracy behaviors (R2=0.36). Second, common method bias and measurement error do not appear to threaten the veracity of reported results. Third, a social psychological model of how digital piracy behaviors emerge is validated based upon the folk theory of the mind. Finally, a two‐dimensional conceptualization of frequency of past behaviors is identified based upon exploratory factor analysis using structural equation modeling.

Research limitations/implications

The research reported here relies on experimental methods of measuring peer‐to‐peer network activity. Future research might consider the motivational and attitudinal antecedents to digital piracy intention formation.

Practical implications

The results afford service marketers assurance that self‐report measures of digital piracy behavioral intentions can serve as predictive measures of future behaviors. This helps make the collection of data in this context both achievable and practical. Also, a methodological framework is identified to strengthen measurement models associated with this type of research.

Originality/value

The research provides a first effort to empirically relate behavioral intention data to unobtrusively observed digital piracy behaviors across peer‐to‐peer networks.
The impact of short‐term food regulations in New Zealand schools
Authors: Cushman Penni
Published: October 2012

Purpose

In New Zealand, legislation was introduced to regulate the types of food sold and promoted in schools but 15 months later, part of the legislation was repealed. The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which a sample of schools implemented positive changes when the legislation was introduced and the extent to which they reversed the changes when the second clause was repealed.

Design/methodology/approach

An anonymous survey containing qualitative and quantitative aspects was mailed to a randomly selected sample of 1,000 New Zealand primary and secondary schools. A respondent from each school was asked questions about health issues, including whether their school had implemented changes when the new legislation was introduced and whether they reversed or modified those changes when part of it was repealed 15 months later. Simple preliminary analyses are presented in this paper.

Findings

Responses were received from 318 schools (32 percent): 66 percent of respondents made changes, 5 percent did not, and 11 percent reported that the changes had not been applicable to their school. A further 18 percent did not need to make changes, as they already complied with legislative requirements. Only three schools completely reversed their changes after repeal of part of the legislation and 29 other schools made minor changes.

Originality/value

The results of this small study suggest that even short‐lived regulations have the potential to make a significant and long‐term difference, especially when accompanied by substantial funding and comprehensive professional development.
Developing teenagers’ views on their health and the health of their future children
Authors: Grace Marcus , Woods‐Townsend Kathryn , Griffiths Janice , Godfrey Keith , Hanson Mark , Galloway Ian , Azaola Marta Cristina , Harman Kerry , Byrne Jenny , Inskip Hazel
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report the outcome of a city‐wide survey of teenagers’ views on their health, and compare this with the outcomes of a science‐oriented health intervention called LifeLab, a hospital‐based classroom aimed at developing teenagers’ attitudes towards their health and that of their future children.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey of 597 14‐year olds across the city of Southampton was conducted to gauge their views and behaviour in relation to their own health. The views of 37 students who took part in innovative, hospital‐based, hands‐on LifeLab activities were compared with those of their peers six months after the intervention to analyse long‐term impacts of the experience. Interviews were carried out with ten LifeLab students to gain further insights.

Findings

The intervention created a wider appreciation among students that food they eat now could affect their long‐term health and the health of their future children. Students became significantly more interested in studying science beyond compulsory schooling, and in considering science and healthcare career options.

Research limitations/implications

Although results were statistically significant, the intervention sample was quite small, and further data collection is ongoing. The city‐wide student response rate of 29 per cent was fairly low.

Social implications

This study has shown that a carefully structured hospital‐based classroom visit, and associated science lessons can have a marked effect on student engagement with health‐related issues, and an impact on their consideration of their career choices.

Originality/value

The hospital‐based classroom is an innovative approach to improving teenagers’ knowledge and attitudes towards their health. The paper's findings should be of interest to a range of educational stakeholders including teachers, local education authorities and local politicians concerned with health education matters.
Managing the diversified team: challenges and strategies for improving performance
Authors: Agrawal Vidhi
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the important factors which need to be taken into consideration to manage a diversified team. It also aims to provide business managers and executives with a framework of how to best utilize and implement teams in the workplace so as to maximize both internal and external diversified skill sets and capabilities in team members.

Design/methodology/approach

An extensive review of existing literature was done to form the views of the authors on the issue. A strengths, weaknesses, oppositions, threats (SWOT) analysis of diversified teams was done with the help of secondary research. The concept is based on the author's own practical experience. A combination of primary and secondary research was used to highlight and strengthen the author views and opinions. The original ideas and basic concepts are based on the author's own experiences.

Findings

The study found the maximum benefits of a diversified team. The findings show that effective teamwork requires members to recognize the team as a unit with common goals, values, and norms. The more that team members identify with each other, the more likely they are to believe they hold similar goals.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is an attempt to express the real organizational scenario which is based on a sample of 20 corporate executives who dealt with a similar issue. The industries selected were in Delhi – NCR. There is reason to believe that if study had to be done in some other parts of the county, results may have been different. The sample taken was not very big, and was also non‐random. A large sample may have different results.

Practical implications

The study includes an extensive analysis of the organizational diversity and its impact on the performance of the organizations. This may help business practitioners to encourage diversity in the workplace while improving teamwork, communication and cooperation among team members.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the different attributes of a diversified team. With the help of primary research and well‐supported secondary research, a good attempt is made to trace the four corners of leading a diversified team. It can help future managers to guide a diversified team for good team performance.
Team and individual performance in the Tour de France
Authors: Prinz Joachim , Wicker Pamela
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of an athlete's body type, team characteristics, and pay on performance in the Tour de France (“the Tour”). Based on the concept of scaling and the concept of human capital, the paper aims to derive a set of hypotheses.

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary data were collected about all riders that finished the Tour in the years from 2002 to 2005 leading to a total number of n=600 observations. Random effects regression models are estimated with rank as the dependent variable.

Findings

The findings indicate that lighter riders perform better in the Tour than heavier cyclists. Better teammates were found to increase average riders' performances, whereas top riders did not benefit from top teammates. Experience (rider, teammates, coach) was a significant driver of performance.

Research limitations/implications

Team managers should pay attention to the composition of the team. Having only one strong team captain and several good coworkers was more effective than having several star riders (i.e. potential captains) in a team.

Practical implications

The findings with regard to team composition can be transferred to other sports and professions where teamwork plays an important role. Successful teams should consist of only one captain and several good coworkers.

Originality/value

The paper extends previous work on the determinants of performance in the Tour by using a longitudinal dataset that covers more variables than previous research.
Organizational change capacity and composition of management teams
Authors: Ketil Arnulf Jan
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to show that the presence of strong personality traits in management teams may have limiting effects on the teams' ability to adapt to critical changes in their business environments.

Design/methodology/approach

The financial operations characterizing ten management teams have been traced over three years, and the personalities of all managers were measured during the first phase of the project. A critical incident in the market signalled a need to adapt after about 20 months. The ensuing adaptation was analysed and related to the presence of strong personality traits, plotting all data in two‐dimensional space to visualize the relationship between personality and business operations.

Findings

The intra‐team maximum traits were systematically related to a tendency to perform habitual business in the teams. Only intelligence and stability were related to better performance after the crisis, suggestion that other strong traits may impose rigidity.

Research limitations/implications

The sample is limited to ten management teams, but these are followed for three years through 33 observation points. Also, a visualization technique based on factor analysis is used in addition to regression equations as one of the main methodological tools.

Practical implications

Managers composing teams should observe the presence of strong traits and take action to prevent obstructing adaptation after crises. This knowledge may induce efforts to overcome rigidity and understand the value of reflection‐in‐action for teams.

Originality/value

The paper presents a new way of conceptualizing the role of personality in management teams and shows its immediate impact on business performance in a real‐life setting.
Integrated performance measurement system for firm's human capital building
Authors: Rompho Bunjongjit , Siengthai Sununta
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship between performance measurement systems (PMSs) and organizational learning (OL) and the impact on firm human capital building.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using a survey instrument. Then, a structural equation model (SEM) was used to test the proposed model.

Findings

The results reveal that PMS, which is designed with three main qualities – valid, comprehensive, and coherent with its environment – has an overall positive relationship with OL and firm's human capital (employee satisfaction and work‐related competencies). First, the validity of the individual performance measure is found to be positively linked to employee satisfaction. Second, the comprehensiveness of the PMS and work‐related competencies are positively associated. Third, the coherence of the PMS with its environment has a positive relationship with OL but not directly with the human capital indicators. Thus, OL, which is positively associated with both work‐related competencies and employee satisfaction, mediates the relationship between the coherence of the PMS and the work‐related competencies.

Originality/value

There are some linkages among these three concepts (PMS, OL and human capital) that have not been specifically explored in the existing relevant studies. Previous studies have asserted that human capital could not be utilized and nurtured without supporting infrastructure. Therefore, this study explores the relationships among the three constructs to uncover the additional benefits of PMS and OL for different purposes such as building firm's human capital. This could help firms to improve the utilization of their existing management tools and their competitiveness.
Intellectual capital and financial performance of Indian banks
Authors: Mondal Amitava , Ghosh Santanu Kumar
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate empirically the relationship between intellectual capital and financial performance of 65 Indian banks for a period of ten years from 1999 to 2008.

Design/methodology/approach

Reserve Bank of India's database and Annual reports, especially the profit and loss accounts and balance sheets of the banks for the relevant years have been used to obtain the data. Value added intellectual coefficient (VAIC™) method is applied for measuring the value based performance of banks. Return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) are used to measure the profitability and productivity of Indian banks, measured by assets turnover ratio (ATO). The intellectual capital (human capital and structural capital) and physical capital of selected banks have been analyzed and their impact on corporate performance has been measured using multiple regression technique.

Findings

The analysis indicates that the relationships between the performance of a bank's intellectual capital, and financial performance indicators, namely profitability and productivity, are varied. The study results suggest that banks’ intellectual capital is vital for their competitive advantage.

Research limitations/implications

The study uses only 65 leading Indian banks, including foreign banks operating in India. The value added intellectual coefficient (VAIC™), introduced by Pulic, is used in this study as a basic methodology to measure the IC performance of banks.

Practical implications

The VAIC™ method can be used as an important tool by the decision makers in the knowledge economy to integrate the intellectual capital in the decision making process.

Originality/value

This is one of the first empirical researches in India that examines the impact of IC on financial performance of the Indian banking sector in the long term.
Analyzing intellectual capital information in sustainability reports: some empirical evidence
Authors: Cinquini Lino , Passetti Emilio , Tenucci Andrea , Frey Marco
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the content, frequency and quality of intellectual capital voluntary disclosure (ICVD) and the changes that took place over two years (2005 and 2006) in a sample of 37 sustainability reports published by Italian listed companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The intellectual capital framework consists of three levels: “IC categories”, “IC items” and “IC indicators”, while content analysis was performed using a quality multidimensional scheme composed of three disclosure profiles, namely, time orientation, nature of information and type of information.

Findings

The findings evidence a high and increasing incidence over time of ICVD, with strong emphasis on human capital disclosure, which represents the most reported category, followed by relational and organisational capital. ICVD is mainly expressed in non‐financial, quantitative and non‐time‐specific terms with a low level of forward‐looking information.

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on a small sample of sustainability reports; the content analysis process entails some subjective judgments.

Practical implications

From a firm perspective, sustainability reports can be used in synergy with annual reports and other public and private documents to provide IC information. From a user perspective, sustainability reports can be used to acquire IC information over and above information acquired from other documents.

Originality/value

Sustainability reports and ICVD quality have thus far been investigated only to a limited extent. The paper also discusses the potential of ICVD in sustainability reports from a user perspective.
Some thoughts on interdisciplinarity in collaborative networks' research and manufacturing sciences
Authors: Kühnle Hermann , Dekkers Rob
Published: October 2012

Purpose

Scientific progress in a field is mostly discussed within disciplines. Far less attention is paid to outside or between disciplines' work. To speed up research progresses for collaborative networks (CN) in manufacturing, a base for further grounded theory establishment is propagated, recalling some of the most relevant chapters of philosophy of science. The focus is put onto the roles of disciplines and their scholars involved in interdisciplinary contexts, in order to further motivate as well as to hint at a number of catalysing forces and fruitful impacts of outside disciplines' work.

Design/methodology/approach

The intentions of this Special Issue are mirrored to important and well‐accepted findings in the philosophy of science. All papers that are included in this journal issue are positioned within a general framework of scientific disciplines and theory building understanding.

Findings

Interdisciplinary work is speeding up theory building and innovation in CNs in general and in all applications for manufacturing in particular. In order to encourage publications of project work and solutions that do not neatly fit into the scientific disciplines set up, it is pointed out that exactly these papers have the potential to unveil unattended and valuable insights. This kind of outline often confirms both gut feelings of managers, as well as vague hypotheses of researchers and scientists.

Research limitations/implications

The paper shows that more attention might be paid to outside contributions and to mechanisms to increase their impact on theory building in manufacturing science.

Originality/value

For the field of CN, the paper represents a first and unique attempt to enhance scientific progress by emphasising theory contributions from other disciplines. The approach contributes to theoretically as well as methodically supporting the fast growing number of practical solutions beyond state of art.
Entropy assessment of supply chain disruption
Authors: Amoo Durowoju Olatunde , Kai Chan Hing , Wang Xiaojun
Published: October 2012

Purpose

Manufacturing organizations and networks are heavily dependent on the flow of information within and across organization boundaries. A disruption in information flow might interrupt the operations of the organization and make management even more difficult. The purpose of this paper is to incorporate information theory approach to investigate the perturbation introduced into a manufacturing organization as a result of disruption in the flow of critical information needed in manufacturing operations.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposes the use of entropy theory to assess the level of risk introduced by different sources of perturbation into the material flow stream and the use of discrete event simulation to investigate the impact of the resulting disruption on collaborating members.

Findings

The result of the analysis carried out on the effect of system failure on supply chain performance revealed that the retailer experiences the most uncertainty in the supply chain while the holding cost constitutes the most unpredictable cost measure when a system failure breach occurs. For the manufacturer and wholesaler, the holding cost is responsible for most of the uncertainty in predicting the impact of the threat on inventory management cost, while the backlog cost holds the highest complexity level for the retailer.

Practical implications

Once this methodology is well developed for use in industrial networks, it can serve as a risk assessment, risk monitoring and risk prediction tool. The paper also calls for a proactive approach to disruption risk management.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a novel approach to assess the impact of information disruption, using entropy theory coupled with simulation methodology.
A model to determine complexity in supply networks
Authors: Gerschberger Markus , Engelhardt‐Nowitzki Corinna , Kummer Sebastian , Staberhofer Franz
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to further advance an existing supplier evaluation model for the purpose of identifying those supplier relations which predominantly threaten or worsen a company's performance. A defined basic set of parameters to determine complexity facilitates the identification of critical locations within a supply network (SN) under certain business conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a structured literature review in scientific periodicals in logistics/supply chain management between 2000 and 2009. Articles are analysed based on a structured framework and the identified complexity parameters are operationalised using quantitative and summable measures. The conceptual model is applied within a multiple case study in the Austrian agricultural industry.

Findings

This paper illustrates how complexity in SNs can be operationalised in a company‐specific configuration in order to achieve concrete managerial recommendations. Hence, the model allows evaluating SN‐partners based on selected parameters to determine the contribution of a single partner to the overall complexity.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the literature review executed and the case study approach chosen, the research may lack generalisability. Therefore, continued validation by means of implementing a greater amount of use cases in other companies and industries is advisable.

Practical implications

Applying the model, a company is able to determine tier‐1 to tier‐n suppliers which are predominantly affecting its business from a complexity perspective.

Originality/value

Unlike typical current complexity evaluation approaches, the proposed model respects rapid and continuous applicability, profound conceptualisation and practical feasibility.
Alignment prediction in collaborative networks
Authors: da Piedade Francisco Roberto , Azevedo Américo , Almeida António
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the alignment measurement in collaborative networks, using the fit concept and predictive performance measurement as its main enablers. A performance prediction approach is used in order to control a collaborative business network based not only in present and past performance measurements of each partner, but also taking into account the future behaviour of the intra‐ and inter‐organisational processes performance.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory case study was applied to a Brazilian collaborative network and mathematical approaches normally used in control theory were adopted to support alignment measurement.

Findings

The use of predictive measurements to manage the alignment between the results of inter‐organisational processes and performance targets set by the collaborative network.

Research limitations/implications

This approach was applied in a specific supply chain network, based on three industrial companies. For other network typologies it will be necessary to evaluate the alignment that can be achieved.

Practical implications

This predictive approach makes it possible to manage performance pro‐actively using feedforward and feedback control. Therefore, tools that consider performance estimation are used based on a data fusion approach, with a proper combination of leading and lagging measurements, which make it possible to use forecasting methods and tools to achieve good predictions.

Originality/value

The paper introduces an approach to alignment measurement leveraged by the new paradigm of performance prediction and presents an alignment metric for collaborative networks.
Habitual domain exploration in inter‐firm networks
Authors: Ma Lei , Shi Yongjiang , Zhao Wenwen
Published: October 2012

Purpose

Based on the theory of habitual domain, the purpose of this paper is to explore inter‐firm networks' mechanisms for coping with environmental change and for assisting firms to adapt to their collaborative networks. Business globalization is driving more and more individual firms to form inter‐firm collaborative networks. These networks need to develop new types of strategic capability in order not only to adopt a robust business process that will achieve high efficiency, but also to develop a network system for responding to external environmental changes.

Design/methodology/approach

With insights gained from the case study, the paper develops an analytical framework for deconstructing the network behavioral changes based on the network habitual domain concept and discusses the dual roles of the network‐based habitual domain in network behavioral changes.

Findings

This paper demonstrates how a Chinese telecommunications service company and its inter‐firm network became the market leader in one of the provincial capital cities in China within six years.

Originality/value

From an endogenous perspective, this paper contributes some useful concepts that may assist both academia and managers to identify network‐based habitual domains, improve the domains continuously, enhance their response capabilities, and formulate appropriate strategies according to the competition's requirements.
Speech and language therapy within a forensic support service
Authors: McNamara Nicola
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists recommend speech and language therapy intervention should be a key feature of approaches aimed at reducing re‐offending. This review seeks to analyse referrals received to speech and language therapy within a forensic support service (FSS) for adults with learning disabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

The review involved analysing data from the Forensic Support Service database for two six month periods (pre‐ and post‐introduction of the screen). Percentages of FSS cases referred to the speech and language therapist were analysed. Further data were gathered for service users not referred by asking their lead clinician to complete a retrospective communication screen. The screen also asked if the service user's communication difficulties were thought to be linked to their offending behaviour.

Findings

A high percentage (79/80 per cent) of service users referred to the FSS had communication difficulties. These communication difficulties are not always being identified. When completed, the screening tool aids identification of communication difficulties but the limited number of returned screens was a problem. Between 79 per cent and 84 per cent of those service users identified as having a communication difficulty, are thought to have offending behaviours linked to this.

Originality/value

The review informs managers and commissioners of similar services of the importance of speech and language therapy provision and also highlights the perceived link between communication difficulties and offending behaviour.
Cultural consumers as “new cultural intermediaries”: manga scanlators
Authors: Lee Hye‐Kyung
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand participatory consumers who are involved in translating and distributing overseas cultural commodities, without the permission of copyright holders. It intends to conceptualize them as a new breed of cultural intermediaries and discuss implications of their activities for the cultural industries.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper conducts a case study of “manga scanlators” who voluntarily translate manga (Japanese comics) to English and share translated manga online with other fans, without authorization from copyright holders. In addition to literature review and analysis of the text of selected scanlation web sites, the author interviewed ten manga scanlators and eight manga industry practitioners and experts in the UK, the USA and Japan.

Findings

It is found that participatory consumers, as new cultural intermediaries, challenge the cultural industries by transferring a substantial part of the industries’ intermediary work to the realm of cultural fandom and by developing their own logics of organizing the intermediation process and distributing fan‐translated products.

Originality/value

Considering the lack of research on fan‐translation and dissemination of cultural products, this paper's findings will be a valuable addition to the existing account of participatory cultural consumption. The copyright infringement aspect in manga scanlation is seen as part of the bigger picture of the gradual decoupling of intermediation activities, which are required to bring cultural products to overseas markets, from the market economy of translated manga production and distribution.
Philosophy of Science: What One Needs to Know
Authors: Clayton Philip
Published: October 2012

This introduction to the philosophy of science offers an overview of the major concepts and developments in contemporary theories of science. Strengths and weaknesses of deductive, inductive, and falsificationist models of science are considered. The “Received View” in the theory of science is contrasted with Kuhn's paradigms and Feyerabend's “anything goes,” leading to an examination of the merits of a research program–based approach. After touching on the sociology of science, postmodernism, and the feminist critique, the article concludes with a summary, in six theses, of the implications for religion/science.
Late anti‐apoptotic effect of KATP channel opening in skeletal muscle
Authors: Farahini Hossein , Habibey Rouhollah , Ajami Marjan , Davoodi Sayed Hossein , Azad Nahid , Soleimani Mansoureh , Tavakkoli‐Hosseini Morteza , Pazoki‐Toroudi Hamidreza
Published: October 2012

Necrosis and apoptosis caused by ischaemia–reperfusion (IR) result in myocyte death and atrophy. ATP‐sensitive K+ (KATP) channels activation increases tissue tolerance of IR‐injury. Thus, in the present study, we evaluated the effects of KATP channel activation on skeletal muscle apoptosis after IR.

Male Wistar rats were treated with 40 mg/kg, i.p., diazoxide (a KATP channel opener) or 5 mg/kg, i.p., glibenclamide (a KATP channel inhibitor) 30 min before the induction of 3 h ischaemia, followed by 6, 24 or 48 h reperfusion. At the end of the reperfusion period, the gastrocnemius muscle was removed for the analysis of tissue malondialdehyde content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity, Bax and Bcl‐2 protein expression, histological damage and the number of apoptotic nuclei.

Ischaemia–reperfusion increased malondialdehyde content (P < 0.01) and Bax expression (P < 0.01) and induced severe histological damage, in addition to decreasing CAT and SOD activity (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively) and Bcl‐2 expression (P < 0.01). Diazoxide reversed the effects of IR on tissue damage, MDA content, SOD and CAT activity (after 6 and 24 h reperfusion; P < 0.05) and Bax and Bcl‐2 expression (after 24 and 48 h reperfusion; P < 0.01). In contrast, glibenclamide pretreatment had no effect.

The number of apoptotic nuclei in the IR and glibenclamide‐pretreated groups increased significantly (P < 0.001 vs Sham). In contrast, diazoxide pretreatment decreased the number of apoptotic nuclei compared with the IR group (P < 0.01).

The results of the present study suggest that the KATP channel activator diazoxide attenuates lipid peroxidation during the first hour of reperfusion and modulates apoptotic pathways at later time points.
Uncovering the origin of the black stains in Lascaux Cave in France
Authors: Saiz‐Jimenez Cesareo , Miller Ana Z. , Martin‐Sanchez Pedro M. , Hernandez‐Marine Mariona
Published: October 2012

Lascaux Cave in France was discovered in 1940. Since being opened to visitors the cave has suffered three major microbial outbreaks. The current problem is the fast dissemination of black stains which are threatening the Palaeolithic paintings. Previous data pointed to the involvement of new fungal species in the formation of black stains on the rock walls and ceiling. However, it appears that there could be other reasons for the formation of different and extensive black stains coating the surface of the clayey sediments. Our analyses reveal that black stains on clayey sediments are mainly produced by Acremonium nepalense, a manganese oxide‐depositing fungus, widely distributed in the cave. Thus, in Lascaux Cave, the black stains have a dual origin: on limestone rocks they are mainly produced by the accumulation of fungal melanins, and on clayey sediments by the biogenic deposition of black manganese oxides.
‘CandidatusAncillula trichonymphae’, a novel lineage of endosymbiotic Actinobacteria in termite gut flagellates of the genus Trichonympha
Authors: Strassert Jürgen F. H. , Köhler Tim , Wienemann Tobias H. G. , Ikeda‐Ohtsubo Wakako , Faivre Nicolas , Franckenberg Sibylle , Plarre Rudy , Radek Renate , Brune Andreas
Published: October 2012

Termite gut flagellates are colonized by host‐specific lineages of ectosymbiotic and endosymbiotic bacteria. Previous studies have shown that flagellates of the genus Trichonympha may harbour more than one type of symbiont. Using a comprehensive approach that combined cloning of SSU rRNA genes with fluorescence in situ hybridization and electron microscopy, we investigated the phylogeny and subcellular locations of the symbionts in a variety of Trichonympha species from different termites. The flagellates in Trichonympha Cluster I were the only species associated with ‘Endomicrobia’, which were located in the posterior part of the cell, confirming previous results. Trichonympha species of Cluster II from the termite genus Incisitermes (family Kalotermitidae) lacked ‘Endomicrobia’ and were associated with endosymbiotic Actinobacteria, which is highly unusual. The endosymbionts, for which we suggest the name ‘Candidatus Ancillula trichonymphae’, represent a novel, deep‐branching lineage in the Micrococcineae that consists exclusively of clones from termite guts. They preferentially colonized the anterior part of the flagellate host and were highly abundant in all species of Trichonympha Cluster II except Trichonympha globulosa. Here, they were outnumbered by a Desulfovibrio species associated with the cytoplasmic lamellae at the anterior cell pole. Such symbionts are present in both Trichonympha clusters, but not in all species. Unlike the intracellular location reported for the Desulfovibrio symbionts of Trichonympha agilis (Cluster I), the Desulfovibrio symbionts of T. globulosa (Cluster II) were situated in deep invaginations of the plasma membrane that were clearly connected to the exterior of the host cell.
Oxidative phosphorylation in a thermophilic, facultative chemoautotroph, Hydrogenophilus thermoluteolus, living prevalently in geothermal niches
Authors: Wakai Satoshi , Masanari Misa , Ikeda Takumi , Yamaguchi Naho , Ueshima Saori , Watanabe Kaori , Nishihara Hirofumi , Sambongi Yoshihiro
Published: October 2012

Hydrogenophilus is a thermophilic, facultative chemoautotroph, which lives prevalently in high temperature geothermal niches. Despite the environmental distribution, little is known about its oxidative phosphorylation. Here, we show that inverted membrane vesicles derived from Hydrogenophilus thermoluteolus cells autotrophically cultivated with H2 formed a proton gradient on the addition of succinate, dl‐lactate, and NADH, and exhibited oxidation activity toward these three organic compounds. These indicate the capability of mixotrophic growth of this bacterium. Biochemical analysis demonstrated that the same vesicles contained an F‐type ATP synthase. The F1 sector of the ATP synthase purified from H. thermoluteolus membranes exhibited optimal ATPase activity at 65°C. Transformed Escherichia coli membranes expressing H. thermoluteolus F‐type ATP synthase exhibited the same temperature optimum for the ATPase. These findings shed light on H. thermoluteolus oxidative phosphorylation from the aspects of membrane bioenergetics and ATPase biochemistry, which must be fundamental and advantageous in the biogeochemical cycles occurred in the high temperature geothermal niches.
Near‐future ocean acidification causes differences in microbial associations within diverse coral reef taxa
Authors: Webster N. S. , Negri A. P. , Flores F. , Humphrey C. , Soo R. , Botté E. S. , Vogel N. , Uthicke S.
Published: October 2012

Microorganisms form symbiotic partnerships with a diverse range of marine organisms and can be critical to the health and survival of their hosts. Despite the importance of these relationships, the sensitivity of symbiotic microbes to ocean acidification (OA) is largely unknown and this needs to be redressed to adequately predict marine ecosystem resilience in a changing climate. We adopted a profiling approach to explore the sensitivity of microbes associated with coral reef biofilms and representatives of three ecologically important calcifying invertebrate phyla [corals, foraminifera and crustose coralline algae (CCA)] to OA. The experimental design for this study comprised four pHs consistent with current IPCC predictions for the next few centuries (pHNIST 8.1, 7.9, 7.7, 7.5); these pH/pCO2 conditions were produced in flow‐through aquaria using CO2 bubbling. All reduced pH/increased pCO2 treatments caused clear differences in the microbial communities associated with coral, foraminifera, CCA and reef biofilms over 6 weeks, while no visible signs of host stress were detected over this period. The microbial communities of coral, foraminifera, CCA and biofilms were significantly different between pH 8.1 (pCO2 = 464 μatm) and pH 7.9 (pCO2 = 822 μatm), a concentration likely to be exceeded by the end of the present century. This trend continued at lower pHs/higher pCO2. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed variable and species‐specific changes in the microbial communities with no microbial taxa consistently present or absent from specific pH treatments. The high sensitivity of coral, foraminifera, CCA and biofilm microbes to OA conditions projected to occur by 2100 is a concern for reef ecosystems and highlights the need for urgent research to assess the implications of microbial shifts for host health and coral reef processes.
Probiont niche specialization contributes to additive protection against Vibrio owensii in spiny lobster larvae
Authors: Goulden Evan F. , Hall Michael R. , Pereg Lily L. , Baillie Brett K. , Høj Lone
Published: October 2012

The development of efficient probiotic application protocols for use in marine larviculture relies on comprehensive understanding of pathogen–probiont–host interactions. The probiont combination of Pseudoalteromonas sp. PP107 and Vibrio sp. PP05 provides additive protection against vectored Vibrio owensii DY05 infection in larvae (phyllosomas) of ornate spiny lobster, Panulirus ornatus. Here, fluorescently tagged strains were used to demonstrate niche specialization of these probionts in both the live feed vector organism Artemia and in phyllosomas. The pathogen was vulnerable to direct interaction with PP05 in the bacterioplankton as well as in the Artemia gut and the phyllosoma foregut and midgut gland. In contrast, PP107 was localized on external surfaces of Artemia and phyllosomas, and direct interaction with the pathogen was limited to the bacterioplankton. While PP107 was the overall dominant ectobiont on the phyllosoma cephalothorax and inner leg segments, PP05 was the primary colonizer of outer leg segments, nutrient‐rich locales that may promote ingestion during feeding. This study shows that niche specialization can contribute to the additive probiotic effect of a probiotic mixture and highlights that probiotic enrichment of Artemia cultures can intercept the infection cycle of V. owensii DY05 in early‐stage P. ornatus phyllosomas.