bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DCARS: Differential correlation across ranked samples
Authors: Ghazanfar Shila , Strbenac Dario , Ormerod John T. , Yang Jean Y. H. , Patrick Ellis
Published: April 2018

Genes act as a system and not in isolation. Thus, it is important to consider coordinated changes of gene expression rather than single genes when investigating biological phenomena such as the aetiology of cancer. We have developed an approach for quantifying how changes in the association between pairs of genes may inform patient prognosis called Differential Correlation across Ranked Samples (DCARS). Modelling gene correlation across a continuous sample ranking does not require the classification of patients into ‘good’ or ‘poor’ prognosis groups and can identify differences in gene correlation across early, mid or late stages of survival outcome. When we evaluated DCARS against the typical Fisher Z-transformation test for differential correlation, as well as a typical approach testing for interaction within a linear model, on real TCGA data, DCARS significantly ranked gene pairs containing known cancer genes more highly across a number of cancers. Similar results are found with our simulation study. DCARS was applied to 13 cancers datasets in TCGA, revealing a number of distinct relationships for which survival ranking was found to be associated with a change in correlation between genes. Furthermore, we demonstrated that DCARS can be used in conjunction with network analysis techniques to extract biological meaning from multilayered and complex data.

Availability: https://github.com/shazanfar/DCARS.
A transdiagnostic study of children with problems of attention, learning and memory (CALM)
Authors: Holmes Joni , Bryant Annie ,   the CALM Team, Gathercole Susan E.
Published: April 2018

Background

A substantial proportion of the school-age population experience cognitive-related learning difficulties. Not all children who struggle at school receive a diagnosis, yet their problems are sufficient to warrant additional support. Understanding the causes of learning difficulties is the key to developing effective prevention and intervention strategies for struggling learners. The aim of this project is to apply a transdiagnostic approach to children with cognitive developmental difficulties related to learning to discover the underpinning mechanisms of learning problems.

Methods / Design

A cohort of 1000 children aged 5 to 18 years is being recruited. The sample consists of 800 children with problems in attention, learning and / memory, as identified by a health or educational professional, and 200 typically-developing children recruited from the same schools as those with difficulties. All children are completing assessments of cognition, including tests of phonological processing, short-term and working memory, attention, executive function and processing speed. Their parents/ carers are completing questionnaires about the child’s family history, communication skills, mental health and behaviour. Children are invited for an optional MRI brain scan and are asked to provide an optional DNA sample (saliva).

Hypothesis-free data-driven methods will be used to identify the cognitive, behavioural and neural dimensions of learning difficulties. Machine-learning approaches will be used to map the multi-dimensional space of the cognitive, neural and behavioural measures to identify clusters of children with shared profiles. Finally, group comparisons will be used to test theories of development and disorder.

Discussion

Our multi-systems approach to identifying the causes of learning difficulties in a heterogeneous sample of struggling learners provides a novel way to enhance our understanding of the common and complex needs of the majority of children who struggle at school. Our broad recruitment criteria targeting all children with cognitive learning problems, irrespective of diagnoses and comorbidities, are novel and make our sample unique. Our dataset will also provide a valuable resource of genetic, imaging and cognitive developmental data for the scientific community.
The congruence effect is impaired in healthy aging: a relationship to event-related potentials and theta-alpha oscillations
Authors: Packard Pau A. , Steiger Tineke K. , Fuentemilla Lluis , Bunzeck Nico
Published: April 2018

Long-term memory can improve when incoming information is congruent with known semantic information. This so-called congruence effect has widely been shown in younger adults but age-related changes and neural mechanisms remain unclear. Here, congruence improved recognition memory in younger and older adults (i.e. congruency effect), but – importantly – this effect decreased with age. Electroencephalography data show that, in both groups, congruence led to widespread differences in event-related potentials (ERPs) and alpha-beta oscillations (8-30 Hz), known to support semantic processing. Importantly, these ERP differences predicted increases in memory performance, especially for congruent items. Finally, age-related differences in memory were accompanied by a positive ERP and later decrease in theta-alpha (5-13 Hz) during encoding, which were greater in the younger group. Together, although semantic congruence generally increases long-term memory, the effect is less pronounced in the elderly. At the neural level, theta-alpha oscillations, previously linked to memory and attentional processes, provide a mechanistic explanation for such an age-related effect.
Polychrome: Creating and Assessing Qualitative Palettes With Many Colors
Authors: Coombes Kevin R. , Brock Guy , Abrams Zachary B. , Abruzzo Lynne V.
Published: April 2018

AlthoughRincludes numerous tools for creating color palettes to display continuous data, facilities for displaying categorical data primarily use theRColorBrewerpackage, which is, by default, limited to 12 colors. Thecolorspacepackage can produce more colors, but it is not immediately clear how to use it to produce colors that can be reliably distingushed in different kinds of plots. However, applications to genomics would be enhanced by the ability to display at least the 24 human chromosomes in distinct colors, as is common in technologies like spectral karyotyping. In this article, we describe thePolychromepackage, which can be used to construct palettes with at least 24 colors that can be distinguished by most people with normal color vision.Polychromeincludes a variety of visualization methods allowing users to evaluate the proposed palettes. In addition, we review the history of attempts to construct qualitative color palettes with many colors.
Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for body fat distribution in 694,649 individuals of European ancestry
Authors: Pulit Sara L. , Stoneman Charli , Morris Andrew P. , Wood Andrew R. , Glastonbury Craig A. , Tyrrell Jessica , Yengo Loïc , Ferreira Teresa , Marouli Eirini , Ji Yingjie , Yang Jian , Jones Samuel , Beaumont Robin , Croteau-Chonka Damien C. , Winkler Thomas W. , Consortium Giant , Hattersley Andrew. T. , Loos Ruth J. F. , Hirschhorn Joel N. , Visscher Peter M. , Frayling Timothy M. , Glastonbury Craig A. , Yaghootkar Hanieh , Lindgren Cecilia M.
Published: April 2018

One in four adults worldwide are either overweight or obese. Epidemiological studies indicate that the location and distribution of excess fat, rather than general adiposity, is most informative for predicting risk of obesity sequellae, including cardiometabolic disease and cancer. We performed a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of body fat distribution, measured by waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI (WHRadjBMI), and identified 463 signals in 346 loci. Heritability and variant effects were generally stronger in women than men, and we found approximately one-third of all signals to be sexually dimorphic. The 5% of individuals carrying the most WHRadjBMI-increasing alleles were 1.62 times more likely than the bottom 5% to have a WHR above the thresholds used for metabolic syndrome. These data, made publicly available, will inform the biology of body fat distribution and its relationship with disease.
Structural mechanism for Bruton’s tyrosine kinase activation at the cell membrane
Authors: Wang Qi , Pechersky Yakov , Sagawa Shiori , Pan Albert C. , Shaw David E.
Published: April 2018

Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (Btk) is critical for B-cell proliferation and activation, and the development of Btk inhibitors is a vigorously pursued strategy for the treatment of various B-cell malignancies. A detailed mechanistic understanding of Btk activation has, however, been lacking. Here, inspired by a previous suggestion that Btk activation might depend on dimerization of its lipid-binding PH-TH module on the cell membrane, we performed long-timescale molecular dynamics simulations of membrane-bound PH-TH modules and observed that they dimerized into a single predominant conformation. We found that the phospholipid PIP3 stabilized the dimer allosterically by binding at multiple sites, and that the effects of PH-TH mutations on dimer stability were consistent with their known effects on Btk activity. Taken together, our simulation results strongly suggest that PIP3-mediated dimerization of Btk at the cell membrane is a critical step in Btk activation.
Locoregional Radiogenomic Models Capture Gene Expression Heterogeneity in Glioblastoma
Authors: Depeursinge Adrien , Szilágyi Tünde , Liu Yan , Kovács Kázmèr , Thomas Reena P. , Yeom Kristen W. , Fischbein Nancy , Rubin Daniel L. , Michael  , Gevaert Olivier
Published: April 2018

Radiogenomics mapping noninvasively determines important relationships between the molecular genotype and imaging phenotype of various tumors, allowing advances in both clinical care and cancer research. While early work has shown its technical feasibility, here we extend radiogenomic mapping to a locoregional level that can account for the molecular heterogeneity of tumors. To achieve this, our data processing pipeline relies on three main steps: 1) the use of multi-omics data fusion to generate a set of 100 interpretable gene modules, 2) the use of patch-based image analysis (specifically of contrast-enhanced T1-weighted weighted MR images) combined with Generalized Linear Models (GLM) to establish potential links between module expressions and local MR signal, and 3) the use of expression heatmaps based on GLMs decision values to explore visualization of tumor molecular heterogeneity. The performance of the proposed approach was evaluated using a leave-one-patient-out crossvalidation method as well as a separate validation data set. The top performing models were based on a small set of 20 features and yielded Area Under the receiver operating characteristic Curve (AUC) above 0.65 on the validation cohort for eight modules. Next, we demonstrate the clinical and biological interpretation of four modules using molecular expression heatmaps superimposed on clinical radiographic images, showing the potential for assessing tumor molecular heterogeneity and the utility of this method for precision treatment in clinical decision making and imaging surveillance.
Cortical reliability amid noise and chaos
Authors: Nolte Max , Reimann Michael W. , King James G. , Markram Henry , Muller Eilif B.
Published: April 2018

Typical responses of cortical neurons to identical sensory stimuli are highly variable. It has thus been proposed that the cortex primarily uses a rate code. However, other studies have argued for spike-time coding under certain conditions. The potential role of spike-time coding is constrained by the intrinsic variability of cortical circuits, which remains largely unexplored. Here, we quantified this intrinsic variability using a biophysical model of rat neocortical microcircuitry with biologically realistic noise sources. We found that stochastic neurotransmitter release is a critical component of this variability, which, amplified by recurrent connectivity, causes rapid chaotic divergence with a time constant on the order of 10-20 milliseconds. Surprisingly, weak thalamocortical stimuli can transiently overcome the chaos, and induce reliable spike times with millisecond precision. We show that this effect relies on recurrent cortical connectivity, and is not a simple effect of feed-forward thalamocortical input. We conclude that recurrent cortical architecture supports millisecond spike-time reliability amid noise and chaotic network dynamics, resolving a long-standing debate.
Kif18A promotes Hec1 dephosphorylation to coordinate chromosome alignment with kinetochore microtubule attachment
Authors: Kim Haein , Stumpff Jason
Published: April 2018

Mitotic chromosomes are spatially confined at the spindle equator just prior to chromosome segregation through a process called chromosome alignment. Alignment requires temporal coordination of kinetochore microtubule attachment and dynamics. However, the molecular mechanisms that couple these activities are not understood. Kif18A (kinesin-8) suppresses the dynamics of kinetochore microtubules to promote chromosome alignment during metaphase. Loss of Kif18A function in HeLa and primordial germ cells leads to alignment defects accompanied by a spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC)-dependent mitotic arrest, suggesting the motor also plays a role in regulating kinetochore-microtubule attachments. We show here that Kif18A increases attachment by promoting dephosphorylation of the kinetochore protein Hec1, which provides the primary linkage between kinetochores and microtubules. This function requires a direct interaction between the Kif18A C-terminus and protein phosphatase-1 (PP1). However, the Kif18A-PP1 interaction is not required for chromosome alignment, indicating that regulation of kinetochore microtubule dynamics and attachments are separable Kif18A functions. Mitotic arrest in Kif18A-depleted cells is rescued by expression of a Hec1 variant that mimics a low-phosphorylation state, indicating that Kif18A-dependent Hec1 dephosphorylation is a key step for silencing the checkpoint and promoting mitotic progression. Our data support a model in which Kif18A provides positive feedback for kinetochore microtubule attachment by directly recruiting PP1 to dephosphorylate Hec1. We propose that this function works synergistically with Kif18A’s direct control of kinetochore microtubule dynamics to temporally coordinate chromosome alignment and attachment.
Differential requirements of tubulin genes in mammalian forebrain development
Authors: Bittermann Elizabeth , Liegel Ryan P. , Menke Chelsea , Timms Andrew , Beier David R. , Kline-Fath Beth , Saal Howard M. , Stottmann Rolf W.
Published: April 2018

Tubulin genes encode a series of homologous proteins used to construct microtubules which are essential for multiple cellular processes. Neural development is particularly reliant on functional microtubule structures. Tubulin genes comprise a large family of genes with very high sequence similarity between multiple family members. Human genetics has demonstrated that a large spectrum of cortical malformations results from de novo heterozygous mutations in tubulin genes. However, the absolute requirement for most of these genes in development and disease has not been previously tested in genetic, loss of function models. Here we present two novel pathogenic tubulin alleles: a human TUBA1A missense variant with a phenotype more severe than most tubulinopathies and a mouse ENU allele of Tuba1a. Furthermore, we directly test the requirement for Tuba1a, Tuba8, Tubb2a and Tubb2b in the mouse by deleting each gene individually using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing. We show that loss of Tuba8, Tubb2a or Tubb2b does not lead to cortical malformation phenotypes or impair survival. In contrast, loss of Tuba1a is perinatal lethal and leads to significant forebrain dysmorphology. Thus, despite their functional similarity, the requirements for each of the tubulin genes and levels of functional redundancy are quite different throughout the gene family. The ability of the mouse to survive in the absence of some tubulin genes known to cause disease in humans suggests future intervention strategies for these devastating tubulinopathy diseases.
MYBPC3 Mutations cause Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy by Dysregulating Myosin: Implications for Therapy
Authors: Toepfer Christopher N. , Wakimoto Hiroko , Garfinkel Amanda C. , McDonough Barbara , Liao Dan , Jiang Jianming , Tai Angela , Gorham Josh , Lunde Ida G. , Lun Mingyue , Lynch Thomas L. , Sadayappan Sakthivel , Redwood Charles S. , Watkins Hugh , Seidman Jonathan , Seidman Christine
Published: April 2018

The mechanisms by which truncating mutations in MYBPC3 (encoding cardiac myosin binding protein-C; cMyBPC) or myosin missense mutations cause hyper-contractility and poor relaxation in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are incompletely understood. Using genetic and biochemical approaches we explored how depletion of cMyBPC altered sarcomere function. We demonstrate that stepwise loss of cMyBPC resulted in reciprocal augmentation of myosin contractility. Direct attenuation of myosin function, via a damaging missense variant (F764L) that causes dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) normalized the increased contractility from cMyBPC depletion. Depletion of cMyBPC also altered dynamic myosin conformations during relaxation - enhancing the myosin state that enables ATP hydrolysis and thin filament interactions while reducing the super relaxed conformation associated with energy conservation. MYK-461, a pharmacologic inhibitor of myosin ATPase, rescued relaxation deficits and restored normal contractility in mouse and human cardiomyocytes with MYBPC3 mutations. These data define dosage-dependent effects of cMyBPC on myosin that occur across all phases of the cardiac cycle as the pathophysiologic mechanisms by which MYBPC3 truncations cause HCM. Therapeutic strategies to attenuate cMyBPC activity may rescue depressed cardiac contractility in DCM patients, while inhibiting myosin by MYK-461 should benefit the substantial proportion of HCM patients with MYBPC3 mutations.

One Sentence Summary

Analyses of cardiomyocytes with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutations in MYBPC3 reveal that these directly activate myosin contraction by disrupting myosin states of relaxation, and that genetic or pharmacological manipulation of myosin therapeutically abates the effects of MYBPC3 mutations.
Triangulation
Authors: Jackson Emerson Abraham
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide forum for critical discourses in the area of retroduction thinking in the re-orientation of social sciences research at the Bank of Sierra Leone. It is acknowledged that economic research at the bank is more oriented towards the orthodox approach (Keynesian, etc.), while that of the un-orthodox (heterodox) view is being blighted by the need to prove economic theory application without much consideration given to the imperfect market economic conditions faced in the country.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology of the paper is based on critical theoretical literature review of documents and also the assessment of current approach to research practices at the Bank of Sierra Leone.

Findings

There is actually a pool of professionals from different backgrounds, whose passion have been coordinated to embrace the idea of integrating variety of triangulation approaches (methodological, theoretical, data, and investigator) in their pursuit of exploring best practices for policy research at the bank. Research is an ontological journey and the process of its epistemological inquiry requires pool of experts, drawn from wide range of backgrounds (mainstream Social Sciences, Mathematical Science, etc.), whose approaches are pertinent in the pursuit of human discovery, and particularly for policy development, as in the case with the Bank of Sierra Leone. This work has highlighted several salient recommended points for future action in the lead towards energizing research at the bank.

Originality/value

The effort to provide this paper is very original, which is based on the author's experience of working in a research focused environment. This paper will be of value to future pursuance of work in promoting triangulation research at the Bank of Sierra Leone. It is hoped that the outcome of this will spearhead mixture of professional engagement of work activities that is geared towards addressing effective policy formulation at the bank in meeting its key objective (maintaining price stability).
How job resources and personal resources influence work engagement and burnout
Authors: Kotze Martina
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a model of the relationships between personal resources (Psychological Capital (PsyCap)) and satisfaction with job resources, and their effect on work engagement and burnout.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from a convenience sample of 407 full-time employees from various public and private sector organisations, using a questionnaire consisting of PsyCap (PCQ-24), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scales, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and a questionnaire measuring job resources (Parker and Hyett, 2011). The data were analysed using variance-based structural equation modelling (SmartPLS 3).

Findings

The influence of employees’ satisfaction with job resources on both dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion and cynicism) was negative and statistically significant. Satisfaction with job resources had a statistically significant positive influence on both dimensions of work engagement (vigour and dedication). PsyCap had a statistically significant positive influence on satisfaction with job resources. Satisfaction with job resources partially mediated the influence of PsyCap on emotional exhaustion and cynicism, and partially on vigour and dedication.

Research limitations/implications

As this was an exploratory study, it used a convenience sample and a variance-based approach to structural equation modelling (SmartPLS). It is suggested that future researchers replicate the model in different contexts to corroborate the proposed relationships using larger samples, probability-based sampling and a covariance-based approach to structural equation modelling.

Practical implications

Management must realise that employees’ satisfaction with job resources plays a central role in their work engagement and burnout levels. Workplace practices that reflect respect and care for the employee and the development of employees’ personal resources (i.e. PsyCap) will improve work engagement and reduce burnout.

Originality/value

This paper fills a gap in the literature by explaining how personal resources (PsyCap) and job resources (the organisation’s perceived respect for the employee and employer care) influence work engagement and burnout via mediation paths.
The day-of-the-week effect: South African stock market indices
Authors: du Toit Elda , Hall John Henry , Pradhan Rudra Prakash
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The presence of a day-of-the-week effect has been investigated by many researchers over many years, using a variety of financial data and methods. However, differences in methodology between studies could have led to conflicting results. The purpose of this paper is to expand on an existing study to observe whether an analysis of the same data set with some added years and using a different statistical technique provide the same results.

Design/methodology/approach

The study examines the presence of a day-of-the-week effect on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) indices for the period March 1995-2016, using a GARCH model.

Findings

The findings show that, contrary to the original study, the day-of-the week effect is present in both volatility and return equations. The highest and lowest returns are observed on Monday and Friday, respectively, while volatility is observed on all five days from Monday to Friday.

Originality/value

This study adds to the existing literature on day-of-the-week effect of JSE indices, where different patterns or, in some cases, no pattern have been noted. Few previous studies on the day-of-the-week effect observed the effect at micro-level for separate industries or made use of a GARCH model. The present study thus expands on the study of Mbululu and Chipeta (2012), by adding four additional observation years and using a different statistical technique, to observe differences that arise from a different time period and statistical technique. The results indicate that a day-of-the-week effect is mostly a function of the statistical technique applied.
Entrepreneurship education research in Nigeria: current foci and future research agendas
Authors: Yatu Lemun , Bell Robin , Loon Mark
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Entrepreneurship education plays a crucial role in the development of entrepreneurs and the enhancement of entrepreneurial activities in every economy. This paper presents the findings of a review of Nigerian entrepreneurship education literature published in 20 journals over a 16-year period. The purpose of this paper is to examine research contributions in the field of entrepreneurship education within the Nigerian context, with the aim of understanding the focus and the different research areas covered by researchers in this area, and to make suggestions that can guide scholars in their future research contributions.

Design/methodology/approach

Systematic literature reviews are recognized methods for conducting evidence-based research. The study adopted a systematic literature review approach, drawing from a computerized search of five selected databases, using predetermined key words by the researchers.

Findings

The main finding of this paper is that related concepts like skills, intention, drive and attitude have been used in expounding discussions on the outcome of entrepreneurship education, but very little has been written on entrepreneurial mindset, which other studies have suggested is a crucial point in the journey of an entrepreneur (Reed and Stoltz, 2011; Neneh, 2012). Furthermore, learning and teaching of entrepreneurship in the Nigerian higher education institutions seem to be more focused on creating awareness about entrepreneurship, as against the experiential approach that scholars have argued to be a prerequisite for developing the next generation of entrepreneurs (Bell, 2015). The study also found that over 80 percent of the reviewed articles are published in journals not ranked or indexed in the ABS journal rankings or the Scopus database.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is limited since it is based on a review of literature from a selected range of databases, covering a specific time span. This potentially excludes other studies outside this time span. Scholarship in this area and context will benefit greatly when researchers target, choose and engage the higher ranked and more impactful journals as the outlet for their research outputs.

Practical implications

At a time when efforts are being made to address socioeconomic issues like poverty and unemployment through mainstream training in entrepreneurship education, this paper provides a better understanding of the state of research in this context, by highlighting the potential gaps as to where research investigation is needed for better policy formulation and guiding future research.

Originality/value

There are limited studies that focus on the issue of entrepreneurial mindset in entrepreneurship education in Nigeria. Overall, this paper identifies an important gap in the literature that warrants future research.
The implementation of palm oil plantation business licensing
Authors: Rusli Zaili
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This study aims to describe and dig deeper into the subject and object, a person, institution or community, based on observations and interviews conducted, and to provide an analysis of what was found in the field and connect it with the concept of relevant theory.

Design/methodology/approach

An explanatory research method was conducted using qualitative research approaches to explain and explore in depth the subject and object, which are a person, an institution or a community.

Findings

Results of research show that the implementation of the palm oil plantation business licensing in Siak is not optimal. Factors that affect the implementation of palm oil plantation business licensing in Siak need to be addressed in a stepwise manner, to increase dissemination to the target and transform information that is clear and consistent. Develop SOP clear so that law enforcement can work and improve the quality and quality of the apparatus implementing policies.

Originality/value

A quality research approach has been used to assess the implementation of palm oil business licensing at the Forest and Land of Forestry and Plantation Office (Dishutbun) of Siak Regency, Riau, Indonesia.
Financial performance evaluation of companies listed on Tehran Stock Exchange
Authors: Karimi Ali , Barati Masoud
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate the financial performance of companies listed on Tehran Stock Exchange by using negative data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the financial metrics for performance evaluation were extracted and then filtered based on the experts’ opinions. Upon choosing the appropriate financial measures, the financial information of 72 companies selected from four automotive, pharmaceutical, petrochemical and cement industries were collected, and the criteria values were also measured. The financial performance of selected companies was assessed using negative data bounded adjusted measure in the DEA, and efficient and inefficient companies were identified. Finally, the efficient companies were ranked using Andersen and Petersen model.

Findings

The required analysis was conducted, and the financial performance of selected companies listed on Tehran Stock Exchange was evaluated. There were 58 efficient companies with a performance value of 1; 14 companies became inefficient because the efficiency size was less than 1; therefore, reference units were also introduced to the managers for efficiency of inefficient companies.

Originality/value

The aim of this study was to identify the required financial criteria and to determine an appropriate model for performance evaluation based on negative DEA. The findings can help shareholders to identify efficient companies and make the optimal portfolio accordingly; the managers of inefficient companies can also take the proper reforming actions to improve efficiency.
Recognising forced migrants in transnational social work
Authors: Turtiainen Kati
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Nation states’ neoliberal policies do not regard asylum seekers and undocumented migrants as deserving of a good life. Social work in welfare states is highly connected to the policies of nation states. There is a need to address theories in social work that have a transnational focus at the local level. Axel Honneth’s recognition theory enables an approach to forced migration from the direction of personal relations and personhood itself. The core idea is that if people cannot gain recognition, this causes harm to their self-realisation. The purpose of this paper is discuss how the recognition theory overcomes a national focus in social work.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is theoretical. The relations of recognition are discussed in the context of transnational social work in welfare states with forced migrants.

Findings

The theory of recognition in social work practice with people who do not have a residence permit is best articulated by an understanding of rights concerning all the attributes of the person, i.e. as a needy being, autonomous and particular in a community.

Originality/value

Forced migrants’ backgrounds provide a specific backdrop for misrecognition, which may harm self-relations. The relations of recognition contribute to social work by providing the sensitivity required to evaluate the complexity of views and attitudes that affect the way we encounter service users. The relations of recognition (care, respect and esteem) give normative criteria for communication in order to take another person as a person, which, in turn, contributes to healthy self-relations of forced migrants.
The relationship between EFQM levels of excellence and CSR development
Authors: Martín-Gaitero Jaime Pérez , Escrig-Tena Ana B.
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the level of corporate social responsibility (CSR) development, in accordance with the dimensions of Maonet al.’s (2010) model, which could be achieved when organisations adopt the EFQM model, as well as how the EFQM model can foster this CSR development.

Design/methodology/approach

The research method chosen was a qualitative methodology involving multiple case studies. The empirical research relies on an in-depth study of four cases of organisations recognised by the EFQM model in Spain.

Findings

The findings show that, although a higher commitment to the EFQM model implies a greater level of CSR development, with the knowledge and attitudinal dimensions more developed than others, organisations still have to make CSR an internalised management ideology.

Research limitations/implications

The very nature of the process of EFQM assessment does not ensure uniformity in all aspects of management. Limitations that are inherent to case studies: factors that can be chosen by the researcher, such as geographical location, size, sector and ownership, can have an influence on the characteristics of the CSR practices that are found.

Practical implications

This study contributes to the literature on excellence by approaching the EFQM model as a tool to integrate CSR issues into management.

Social implications

A relationship between commitment to excellence and CSR development does exist.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous analysis has been performed to address the potential relationship between CSR development in accordance with Maonet al.’s (2010) model and commitment to excellence.
The economic value of social capital
Authors: Postelnicu Luminita , Hermes Niels
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Empirical studies on the importance of social capital for poor households show divergent outcomes. This divergence may stem from the lack of a conceptual framework for capturing the social capital dimensions that deliver economic value to individuals. The purpose of this paper is to define individual social capital from an economic perspective and propose a measurement based on two dimensions of individual social capital that bring economic value to individuals, i.e. informal risk insurance arrangements and information advantages arising from personal social networks.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors first provide a concrete definition of individual social capital and identifying social capital dimensions that are important from an economic perspective (i.e. dimensions that bring economic value to the individual). Next, the authors develop a new conceptual framework around this definition and propose a social capital measurement. Finally, the authors apply this measurement numerically to demonstrate that differences in the network configurations between individuals lead to asymmetry of social interactions between these individuals.

Findings

The authors show that the exchange of resources between two individuals is affected by their individual network configurations. In particular, the authors show that differing network configurations drive asymmetrical social interaction between individuals.

Originality/value

The approach may be especially relevant for understanding of the persistence of poverty and inequality in developing economies. These economies are characterized by environments in which imperfect information, underdeveloped or non-existent formal institutions and limited contract enforcement abound and where social capital may therefore be important to facilitate economic transactions. In particular, the authors see clear applications of the approach in better understanding and improving the use of microfinance programs.
Implementation of accrual accounting by Malaysian federal government
Authors: Ismail Suhaiza , Siraj Siti Alawiah , Baharim Shahril
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine factors influencing the readiness of public sector accountants to implement the accrual accounting system in the Malaysian Federal Government. The readiness was measured in terms change commitment and change efficacy.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a questionnaire survey that comprises three factors (change valence, task knowledge and task availability) in predicting readiness to implement the accrual accounting system. Multiple regressions were performed on a total of 165 usable responses received.

Findings

The results reveal that change valence, task knowledge and task availability are significant and positively influence the change efficacy of the Federal Government to implement accrual accounting in Malaysia. However, only change valance is a positively significant factor in influencing change commitment.

Originality/value

This study is important as it contributes not only by adding to the scant literature assessing the readiness to implement the accrual accounting system but also by providing useful information on determinants of readiness for accrual accounting implementation in supporting the Malaysian Government’s financial transformation agenda.
Sustainability performance measurement inside academia
Authors: Cavicchi Caterina , Vagnoni Emidia
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the process of implementation of a sustainability performance measurement (SPM) system by a North Italian university, which was constructed based on a participatory multi-stakeholders’ approach. In addition, it provides evidence on the use of outcome indicators.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology is based on a single exploratory case study research.

Findings

The process of implementation of the new SPM system started with the intervention of an academic in accounting who acted as a propeller. The adoption of the framework required a shared meaning of sustainability among different stakeholders and indicators to track the shift toward sustainable development (SD). Despite the authors could not prove the stable adoption of the framework for the future, as new governing bodies were appointed in Beta, that framework could be considered a valid attempt to move from a single projects’ evaluation on sustainability performance to a systemic approach and introduce outcome indicators in performance appraisal. The framework supported university’s decision-making related to SD actions.

Research limitations/implications

Difficulties in the measurement process were linked to the information system which was not designed to allow the collection of some of the newly introduced sustainability data. However, an attempt to introduce a personalized assessment tool fostered the improvement of planning activities for 2015.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper is twofold: first, it represents an attempt to discuss the process of implementation of a SPM system that was designed by a participatory multi-stakeholders’ approach. Second, the framework was designed to consider also outcomes’ indicators as urged by scholars calling universities to promote the shift toward a sustainable society.
Examining the role of international entrepreneurial orientation, domestic market competition, and technological and marketing capabilities on SME’s export performance
Authors: Jin Byoungho , Cho Hyeon Jeong
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to extend our understanding of the development of small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) organizational capabilities and their contributions to export performance by incorporating two antecedents: one from the internal environment (international entrepreneurial orientation) and another from the external environment (domestic market competition).

Design/methodology/approach

A proposed framework built on resource-based view and contingency theory was tested using partial least squares with data collected from 470 Korean SMEs.

Findings

International entrepreneurial orientation and domestic market competition both prompted SMEs to develop their technological and marketing capabilities, leading to enhanced performance in international markets. Full mediating effects of technological and marketing capabilities were discovered between international entrepreneurial orientation and export performance.

Practical implications

Given the direct effect of organizational capabilities on export performance, SMEs should facilitate the spirit of international entrepreneurial orientation and heightened managerial awareness of domestic market competition to efficiently cultivate organizational capabilities.

Originality/value

Unique findings indicate that SME capabilities can be optimally cultivated under the coexistence of an internal impetus (i.e. international entrepreneurial orientation) and a harsh external environment (i.e. domestic competition), demonstrating the significance of context in developing organizational capabilities.
Work challenges negatively affecting the job satisfaction of early career community mental health professionals working in rural Australia: findings from a qualitative study
Authors: Cosgrave Catherine , Maple Myfanwy , Hussain Rafat
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Some of Australia’s most severe and protracted workforce shortages are in public sector community mental health (CMH) services. Research identifying the factors affecting staff turnover of this workforce has been limited. The purpose of this paper is to identify work factors negatively affecting the job satisfaction of early career health professionals working in rural Australia’s public sector CMH services.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 25 health professionals working in rural and remote CMH services in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, for NSW Health participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews.

Findings

The study identified five work-related challenges negatively affecting job satisfaction: developing a profession-specific identity; providing quality multidisciplinary care; working in a resource-constrained service environment; working with a demanding client group; and managing personal and professional boundaries.

Practical implications

These findings highlight the need to provide time-critical supports to address the challenges facing rural-based CMH professionals in their early career years in order to maximise job satisfaction and reduce avoidable turnover.

Originality/value

Overall, the study found that the factors negatively affecting the job satisfaction of early career rural-based CMH professionals affects all professionals working in rural CMH, and these negative effects increase with service remoteness. For those in early career, having to simultaneously deal with significant rural health and sector-specific constraints and professional challenges has a negative multiplier effect on their job satisfaction. It is this phenomenon that likely explains the high levels of job dissatisfaction and turnover found among Australia’s rural-based early career CMH professionals. By understanding these multiple and simultaneous pressures on rural-based early career CMH professionals, public health services and governments involved in addressing rural mental health workforce issues will be better able to identify and implement time-critical supports for this cohort of workers. These findings and proposed strategies potentially have relevance beyond Australia’s rural CMH workforce to Australia’s broader early career nursing and allied health rural workforce as well as internationally for other countries that have a similar physical geography and health system.
Information as currency, democracy, and public libraries
Authors: Stilwell Christine
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to endorse the notion that information is the currency of democracy and explore the question of the public library’s role in promoting democracy through the provision of access to information.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of the literature and a case study are used.

Findings

From the early days of the public library, there has been a certain democratic paternalism in librarians’ views on public libraries, and ambivalence about the extent to which these libraries have provided information to the whole population. Despite this finding, the paper explores the public library’s role in providing information; the currency of information. Public libraries can contribute to the renewal of a democratic public sphere by providing free and ready access to knowledge and information, as well as safe and trusted social spaces for the exchange of ideas, creativity, and decision making.

Originality/value

The paper examines material from the dawn of the public library to current concerns about the role of these libraries in providing access to information, in revitalising citizenship and fostering democracy. It draws on the well-known example of the birth of democracy in South Africa and on discussions of public library neutrality and activism in contemporary France, describing limits on the achievements of libraries in these countries in the context of some current, promising examples from the USA, Britain, Denmark, and Australia.
The value of information in South Africa’s new democracy
Authors: Hart Genevieve , Nassimbeni Mary
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to trace and analyse the relationship between information and democracy in the old and in the new South Africa. The authors interrogate the applicability to the situation of the famous quotation attributed to Thomas Jefferson, “Information is the currency of Democracy”.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors frame the argument by analysing the differences in philosophy underpinning the state’s attitude to the free flow of information between the pre-democratic regime (often referred to as the Apartheid regime which came into power in 1948) and the current democratic state established in 1994.

Findings

While the philosophical approach between the two regimes is demonstrably different – the findings show the discontinuities – the authors also find evidence of continuities. The authors examine traces of recurrent patterns and propose reasons for their persistence.

Originality/value

Because South Africa is a very young democracy it presents unique opportunities for social scientists to analyse the unfolding of challenges and opportunities not readily apparent in mature democracies. The theme of the issue allowed us to study and observe the evolution and growth of policy related to the free flow of information, and also to examine the current drift between policy and practice.